It's getting ugly in the WDW restaurants

[Johnie]

It's apparent that not everyone reads Disney forums like us :whistle:

Here is an article from Jim Hill Media regarding the 2008 dining plan and the problems going on right now http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2008/01/07/monday-mouse-watch-changes-to-disney-dining-plan-infuriate-wdw-guests.aspx

I'd be mad as heck too if I hadn't been told of the changes ahead of time. I know that many people book their vacations WELL in advance and probably don't check back for updates.

Interesting to see how this plays out.......

[Keith]

Crazy change in the first place!

[foreverducky]

Gratuity should at least be covered, so no one has to carry around the annoying cash, just for tips.

[Keith]

Gratuity should at least be covered, so no one has to carry around the annoying cash, just for tips.

agreed. It was the best part of the dining plan as far as I was concerned

[foreverducky]

agreed. It was the best part of the dining plan as far as I was concerned

I agree with you. :D

The Dining plan went from a convience to an inconvience. :shrug:

[Johnie]

I certainly agree. I really liked that the gratuity was included. I'm no so upset about the lack of appetizer though I DO wish they would have given a choice between app or dessert. I'm not much of a dessert person :shrug:

[Keith]

I certainly agree. I really liked that the gratuity was included. I'm no so upset about the lack of appetizer though I DO wish they would have given a choice between app or dessert. I'm not much of a dessert person :shrug:

Totally the same for me! Never have dessert except when on the dining plan and then I normally just order something have a bite and leave the rest :( They won't even give a cup of tea/coffee instead of the dessert most of the time which is just plain silly.

[uscwest]

Well we've never used the DDP. But even I have to admit that $37.99 per day for 1 sit down, 1 counter and 1 snack is CHEAP. Yes I can see where some feel they are being blindsided because they claim they weren't told of the changes but aren't they given some sort of info about the plan when they check in. I really feel sorry for the waiters and waitresses as well as the managerial staff here.

[Johnie]

Yes, they are given a brochure when they check in. But, how many people actually take the time to read it? People can't even go to the store and get in the right check out lane (10 items or less) around here :lol:

I think people should be mailed the brochure with their travel documents too. I've never gotten one ahead of time when we've done the dining plan.

[Tinker]

I feel bad for the servers . :(

[tweenie123]

I too feel sorry for the staff who are taking the backlash for this at the moment. So many people probably don't read the information at check in and just assume the plan will be the same as last year.

I think the plan is still good value but much of the convenience factor has been taken away.

[hayleyneeyore]

They definitely should have been told in advance, as the majority of people budget like crazy for vacations and I can see how having to fork tips over which wasn't factored into the budget can cut into spending money. WDW should at least send out a letter or email to everyone who bought into DDP 2008 to ensure they understand how it works and changes have been made. At least then people would have the option of knowing in advance and being able to cancel the plan, or be able to save up a bit more before going.

However, the cost of the DDP is VERY cheap IMO and the fact that they take away an app doesn't bother me personally... in some places, I don't think you need it the portions are so big.

If I was in charge (:lol:) I'd up the cost of the plan to around $40-42 a day, keep the tip and give an App/Dessert choice. I think that's still pretty cheap!!

[tracyw]

They definitely should have been told in advance, as the majority of people budget like crazy for vacations and I can see how having to fork tips over which wasn't factored into the budget can cut into spending money. WDW should at least send out a letter or email to everyone who bought into DDP 2008 to ensure they understand how it works and changes have been made. At least then people would have the option of knowing in advance and being able to cancel the plan, or be able to save up a bit more before going.

However, the cost of the DDP is VERY cheap IMO and the fact that they take away an app doesn't bother me personally... in some places, I don't think you need it the portions are so big.

If I was in charge (:lol:) I'd up the cost of the plan to around $40-42 a day, keep the tip and give an App/Dessert choice. I think that's still pretty cheap!!

I agree too, we have the free Dining plan this year, just happens that we were going at that time any way so it is a big bonus for us. August flights are so expensive that at one time we thought we would have to cancel our trip. DH worked out though that because of the DDP even paying tips we are still only going to pay the same for our holiday as when we normally go during term time. It will be a bit confusing tho I think just paying for the tip? DH not too pleased about the dessert option though he much prefers a starter, not me though, but it does mean I am going to have to lose extra weight to make room for all those lovely puddings!!

[Rosie0610]

"The worst part of all this is that a lot of these guests are now taking this change in the Disney Dining Plan out on their servers. They're storming out of these restaurants and not tipping their waiters at all. And these people actually earn their living through tips. So this change in the Dining Plan could wind up hurting a whole lot of WDW cast members who can't really afford to have their wages drop."
Bet they didn't see this happening! I wonder if they'll really make any changes. You wouldn't think that would be fair if by the summer they brought back appetizers or desserts. But I wonder if they wait staff will soon go elsewhere?
Interesting to see how this pans out.

[BigThunder]

well as usual i cannot get the Jim Hill site to come up. I will be back on high speed very soon tho! So i never really saw what the changes were but from reading others I presume it's tips & appetizers are taken away now.

I have never partook in the DDP because i just don't think it's a good deal for my family. But what i'm wondering is isn't there a way to keep it as it was for the people who had already purchased it & then make the changes for new buyers? Is there a card or something you use & it could be colored differently? As i said, i've never done it so i'm not sure how it works but it does suck for the people who were told they got one thing & now they don't.

[OKWTink]

It's not so much that they bought something only to have parts of it taken away. It's that the program changed from one year to the next, and those who bought it the previous year didn't realize that the changes had gone into place.

I didn't like using the DDP and see this as just another drawback to the program.

The servers won't have much of a choice in places to go and work. The economy here is pretty slow and employment is stagnant as a result.

[kiltedwarrior]

Its one of those things that works for some but not others. Personally I think it just over-complicates things, I just want to book a reservation, eat whatever I fancy off the menu and pay the bill/tip at the end. Counting credits, paying extra for this that and the other, feeling obligated to eat more than you might normally and being presented with separate checks for gratuity/add-ons just seems like more hassle than its worth. Also, our tastes (Jo especially) are very much run-of the-mill, so we're not likely to be trying the more exotic items and in the long run, its debateable wether we'd make much of a saving, although I wont deny there are savings to be made with it.

[Keith]

Its one of those things that works for some but not others. Personally I think it just over-complicates things, I just want to book a reservation, eat whatever I fancy off the menu and pay the bill/tip at the end. Counting credits, paying extra for this that and the other, feeling obligated to eat more than you might normally and being presented with separate checks for gratuity/add-ons just seems like more hassle than its worth. Also, our tastes (Jo especially) are very much run-of the-mill, so we're not likely to be trying the more exotic items and in the long run, its debateable wether we'd make much of a saving, although I wont deny there are savings to be made with it.

My feelings exactly :yes:

Actually in some ways, gratuity not being included may be a good thing for quality of service generally which has declined since the ddp

[wdwgrandma]

Its one of those things that works for some but not others. Personally I think it just over-complicates things, I just want to book a reservation, eat whatever I fancy off the menu and pay the bill/tip at the end. Counting credits, paying extra for this that and the other, feeling obligated to eat more than you might normally and being presented with separate checks for gratuity/add-ons just seems like more hassle than its worth.

Here, here! I agree! Way too much work - and food - for me. I'd much rather have what I want. I seldom eat dessert. And I've been known to make a meal from a couple of appetizers or a salad and an entree. And that doesn't really sound like it fits into any "plan".

I understand how it may benefit some folks - especially families trying to save money. But I don't think it would work for me.

[Figment]

We've only ever had it free and we did enjoy it..but we decided we would never ever pay for it. It is just WAY too much food for the way we eat while at Disney. We did enjoy trying many different restaurants that trip, but we felt we spent the entire trip rushing from one place to another to eat and wasted a lot of valuable (to us) park time. We'd only do it again if it the free offer coincided with when we planned to go again...I wouldn't change my plans just to get it for free.

[BUTTERHEAD1]

We have done the free dining plan the past few years and the truth is that it has saved us alot of money and given us the opportunity to try restaurants we probably would not have tried. Although it is tough to try and pick your restaurants 6 months in advance and make your choices work with EMH nights and other activities it is still a great value. We did free dining for 10 nights one trip and that easily saved us over a 1000 dollars.That is a lot of money.

[Johnie]

We've enjoyed free dining every time they've offered it now. For us, it coincides with when we go anyway. We've found new favorite restaurants because of the plan. I love free dining and we're going again in late Sept to take advantage of it. We were told when we booked the bounce back that no apps and gratuity were included in 2008 so nothing is a shock to me. But, I really think it's unfair to the guests who booked & weren't told and to the the servers who are now dealing with the fallout.

All that said, we wouldn't ever pay for the dining plan. It's more food than we eat. Alysia and I tend to share meals and graze on junk when we are in WDW. Though I can certainly see the benefit for some people. I liked the convenience of having everything paid up front and not worrying about money at mealtimes. Now we have to worry about tips which means I'm going to have to make sure I have plenty of cash. They aren't going to let me charge the tip without buying something out of pocket.

[hayleyneeyore]

I found the DDP really easy to use, but we shall soon see whether these new changes take some of that away - before we just handed over our card and that was that, we left a couple of dollars tip everytime. Now we'll have to pay extra for apps if we had any, and count up the tip, as well as counting the credits, and do we pay different gratuity on the OOP stuff as on the meal... things will start to get confusing.

I'm not sure if I would ever buy it if it wasn't offered free - of course, we don't mind paying OOP for tips and occasional Apps as the meal will be free - but we did like using it last time.

[lizzx10r]

We used the DDP for the 1st time last November and loved it. I dont mind the starter disappearing, but they should keep the tips included. We loved it not having to carry cash around for meals. Hope WDW change their minds and include the tip part again

[dcfromva]

Wow--I could see where it would be a real unpleasant surprise to be presented with a bill when you weren't expecting one, but having to call security...it seems like they aren't doing a real good job about explaining the program. I wonder if things have settled down by now?

We have used the DDP several times. DH would rather not use it because there always seems to be little problems (such as some places will not permit you to select bottled water as your beverage, et'c . A $100.00 meal and you can't get a bottle of water to drink. :eek: ) Also, arbitrary interpretations on the rules as to what is allowed and what is not allowed--sometimes at the same restuarant. But under the old program, when we priced it out--it has always been a good deal. At the very least it was a way to put a cap on the amount of money spent on food.

It was also really great when we brought DS along, because he can eat some groceries!

But, I'm not too excited about the changes in the new plan and I am not sure we will get the DDP on our next visit. Maybe we will try it and see. It certainly will be more expensive than it was--if your table service dinner at the Concourse Steak House (entree tendeloin/dessert chocolate cake/drink Bay Lake ) is $37.27 plus 2.42 tax. You pay 18% (or more) tip, that is a $6.70 (or more). If you add in a green salad plus tax and tip--that is another $6.84. Add that onto the 37.99 you've paid for the DDP--$51.53 Of course, with that you still get a counter service and a snack per day, but counter service generally prices out around $10-11.00 (for us) and snacks vary--maximum $3 or 4. So, not a significant savings--it comes out less in your favor if you don't use all your credits.

[Guy Guglielmi]

Hello everyone, I want to make sure I have this correct seeing we just played up the dining plan to friends who are going next month. If I am correct appetizers are no longer part of the plan and you now have to pay gratuity, so what you are getting on th dining plan is dinner and dessert? Now the funny thing is that we just booked our family trip for May with the dining plan and was not told about these changes.

[OKWTink]

You've pretty much got it right. You'll have the snack credit and counter service credit per day too.

[Guy Guglielmi]

WOW, I think that is bad, I understand the overall price is still not that bad but it's not the deal it used to be. Does the gratuity get added to the total amount of the bill? or are you allowed to leave your own gratuity?

As a side note, I was sent an email advising me to send an email to: wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com To let them know that customers are not happy about the changes and to forward this email address, the more they hear from people "maybe" it will be changed.

[OKWTink]

I believe you are responsible for adding your own gratuity.

[ElinJ1987]

It only says you have to pay 18% gratuity if you're a party of 6/8 (forgot the exact number.)

[Johnie]

I believe it is a party of 6. however, you need to tell the waiter if you'll be adding the tip onto your room card prior to swiping your KTTW card. Apparently they can't do it after the fact.

I use the DDE card and 18% is automatically added. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that I tip more than that.