# Help to Understand/Disney Dining Plan/Ripoff or Not



## sts295 (Apr 19, 2009)

Hotel clientelle are having the DDp for free.
Dvc owners pay full price.
Please justify that to me since
Dvc owners paid thousands to buy?
Regards


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## lark (Apr 19, 2009)

sts295 said:


> Hotel clientelle are having the DDp for free.
> Dvc owners pay full price.
> Please justify that to me since
> Dvc owners paid thousands to buy?
> Regards



Well, a few thoughts.  First, if you own at DVC, it's in your interest for the business at the parks to remain robust.  Disney offers free dining when it needs to because room reservations are light.  Getting people in rooms during the value seasons means fireworks, parades, better park hours and all the other stuff that goes when attendance is down at value season.

Second, the "free dining" is a bit of a misnomer.  It's really just another room discount.  You have to pay rack rate to get it and you can't combine it with any other discount.  It's one of just several discounts you can choose from.  If you're a family of 4 and are staying at value resort, it's a great deal.  If you like deluxe resorts, it's only a slightly better discount than you could otherwise get on a cash reservation during low season.  If I were staying at a deluxe, for example, I'd probably choose a different discount, since frequent waiter service meals is not that needed for us.  But the point is that most dvc members are staying in deluxe accomodations, and so if they were cash reservation people, the free dining wouldn't be that great for them anyway.

Finally, you have to buy a one-day ticket, at least, for the free dining.  Many or most dvc members have no use for that, since they either buy the heavily discounted annual pass or no-expire tickets (since, by definition, they return).

I know the free dining is an incredibly popular promotion.  But the bottom line to me is that it's just another discount offered for rack reservations, which disney has always done and will continue to do.


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## tomandrobin (Apr 20, 2009)

sts295 said:


> Hotel clientelle are having the DDp for free.
> Dvc owners pay full price.
> Please justify that to me since
> Dvc owners paid thousands to buy?
> Regards



As noted above, its a marketing ploy. You have to pay "rack" rate for the room and park tickets. 

We go 22-30 days a year and have discounted annual passes. My AP renewal is around $330, that is a pretty nice discount. Also, as an annual pass holder, I can buy the dining discount card (Tables in Wonderland) that gives me 20% off all my table service meals, including alcohol.


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## JonathanIT (Apr 20, 2009)

lark said:


> Finally, you have to buy a one-day ticket, at least, for the free dining.  Many or most dvc members have no use for that, since they either buy the heavily discounted annual pass or no-expire tickets (since, by definition, they return).


Just FYI, the value of those unused one-day tix maybe applied to the purchase/renewal of AP's.  So I would not exactly say they are "of no use" to DVC members, or any other frequent WDW guest.


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## sts295 (Apr 20, 2009)

*??????*

 thank you all.
But exactly how much is rack rate?
Am not aware Disney offers huge discount,ie, on 50% off?
Two adults in the same room would pay how much for rack rate room verses discounted one?
DDP with one table service $40/adult per day. Discount more than $80/night?
regards


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## littlestar (Apr 20, 2009)

Click here to see the different rack rates for Disney resorts:

http://www.mousesavers.com/roomrates2009.html


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## Redrosesix (Apr 23, 2009)

sts295 said:


> thank you all.
> But exactly how much is rack rate?
> Am not aware Disney offers huge discount,ie, on 50% off?
> Two adults in the same room would pay how much for rack rate room verses discounted one?
> ...



You can have 2 adults in any WDW resort room without an extra charge.  But the value of the dining plan depends on how much you actually eat -- each DDP includes 1 counter service meal and 1 table service meal, both of which must include an entree, a non-alcoholic drink and a dessert but there is no way to save any of those credits for later ie. if you don't feel like eating dessert, you just lose the credit.

But we have never eaten a meal like that in WDW -- most of the people who use DDP say the same thing, so free dining doesn't necessarily give you the value you think it would.  Add to that the next to impossible task of making a reservation for each day of your stay at your first choice of restaurants during free dining (or any time for that matter), and the fact that you are rarely seated close to the time of your reservation.

The best room discount I've heard of is 40% off rack rates.  This is a much better deal if you're staying in a Mod or Deluxe resort.  DDP is a better discount if you're staying in a Value resort.


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## JonathanIT (Apr 24, 2009)

tomandrobin said:


> Also, as an annual pass holder, I can buy the dining discount card (Tables in Wonderland) that gives me 20% off all my table service meals, including alcohol.


I LOVE Tables In Wonderland! (formerly known as the Disney Dining Experience).

Not only does it give a 20% discount at table service restaurants, but my favorite perk is free valet parking at any WDW resort (that has an included table service restaurant).  I love parking at the resorts to go to the nearby parks (Grand Floridian/Polynesian=MK, Beach Club/Yacht Club=Epcot).  Breakfast at the Kona Cafe in the Poly is NOT to be missed (try the Tonga Toast) and is the perfect start to a day in the MK!

Also, it is accepted at Victoria & Albert's... if you ever plan on going there (a real special occasion meal), I highly suggest you sign up for TIW in advance.  One dinner for two practically pays for the membership fee ($50 discount!).  The Dining Plan is not even accepted there. You'd have to use your meal credits for the whole week. lol.

FYI: The TIW annual membership is $85; there is a $20 discount for WDW AP holders.


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## GadgetRick (Apr 25, 2009)

I have used the DDP in the past but will not in the future. Here are pros/cons:

Pros
-Basically, your meals are (pre)paid meaning, you don't have to worry about your food budget (for the most part).
-Plenty of food with the DDP--we used to take food back to our room. I'm a big guy and can EAT but there is a lot.
-You can use the plan almost anywhere in Disney World. Meaning, if you want to use one of your snack credits for a cookie in the store on Main St. you can. Or you can use it for an ice cream or whatever.
-If you were to eat all of your meals in Disney World, it's cheaper (if you're buying it).
-You can utilize credits for character breakfasts/meals as well as in premium establishments (like CA Grill). You may be charged 2 credits for a meal in certain places though. Make sure you understand this.
-Your credits are (more or less) pooled for the group you're in.

Cons
-You can only use the plan in Disney World.
-Because of the plan, it's next to impossible to get into sit-down joints without a LOT of advance planning--most people I know don't know what they're eating tonight much less 3 months from now. People also reserve multiple places and never cancel meaning it's tough to get in if you didn't plan way in advance. (Yes, I'm a little bitter about this.)
-Since they started the plan, all of the food in Disney World (excluding the premium places like California Grill, Fultons, etc.) tastes the same no matter where you go (for the most part). Heck, it's also pretty much the same food they just call it something different in each joint. So not much in the way of variety.
-If you don't use it, you lose it. Many people find they can't use all of their credits and wind up losing them. Although not a bad problem, you can see where you're paying extra for something you may not use.
-If someone in your group doesn't want to pay for the plan, you cannot use it. Although this is tough to enforce, there may be ways around this if you're clever.
-You order off a set menu in many places although I never had a problem substituting, it might be a problem if they decide not to let you substitute.

It's not a horrible plan but I find it's just not as useful for me as it used to be. We go (at least) once a year but do not plan our meals out months in advance nor do I care to. We wind up eating off the property quite a bit since it's next to impossible to get into a sit down place to eat.


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## lark (Apr 27, 2009)

JonathanIT said:


> Just FYI, the value of those unused one-day tix maybe applied to the purchase/renewal of AP's.  So I would not exactly say they are "of no use" to DVC members, or any other frequent WDW guest.



That's a good point, since one-day passes don't expire like other passes (since there is no first use).  That's a good way to use them, I guess.


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## spiceycat (Apr 28, 2009)

sts295 said:


> Hotel clientelle are having the DDp for free.
> Dvc owners pay full price.
> Please justify that to me since
> Dvc owners paid thousands to buy?
> Regards




free dinning as had been say only apply to full rack rates prices and buying WDW tickets.

have done it - stayed at Pop - it works best if you can get 4 people (they don't have to stay with you) just be on the reservation with you. Since the dinning is free.

after last time probably won't ever do it again. My allergies and eating at WDW restuarant just don't work. 

better off eating in my villa or studio.


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