2008 dining packages

[DoodleMushyBoo]

Hi All!

i know there have been various discussions about the new plans, obviously no one has used them yet but what are everyoen's thoughts on them? Is the delux worth the extra cash? Is the wine and dine a worthwile thing? I really value everyone's advice so thanks in advance for any and all advice given :)

[Kwahati]

I don't know about everyone else, but my group is looking at continuing to use the basic DDP package. We're okay paying for appetizers out of pocket, and honestly, that would allow us to not be pushed into eating so much and fall more in line with what we do in the real world: split one or two apps between the three of us. Further, we're more than happy with paying tips out of pocket. It's worth it to us to have more direct control over our waiter's reward. I don't see much reason to do the Wine & Dine. I do like to drink wine, but most of the good restaurants have some pretty decent wines by the glass (there was a waiter at Le Cellier who was totally in sync with me on some adventurous wine choices with my meal and I'll just leave it at this: I was extremely happy), and there's no reason to drink a bottle every night...especially at the level where one of us was hospitalized for dehydration (among other things) during our recent trip (so clearly we need more alcohol intake!:rolleyes:). Beyond that, the limitations on bottles and the restaurant markup makes me, as something of a wine guy, wonder why people would buy bottles in most restaurants to begin with. If you really like wine enough to drink a bottle, select a bottle from your home stock (or cellar if you're richer than I) and bring it with you, or order a bottle online to be delivered to your hotel. Most of the restaurants will charge a corkage fee of under $20 (usually $10-$15) and you'll end up paying a lot less for a much nicer bottle than if you order off of their wine list. This, of course, doesn't apply to specialty fine dining establishments like Cali Grill and V&A where you have very little idea what will be offered during your visit. On the other hand, if you usually do a certain dish or a certain genre (like DanYoung who usually does the Tamarind BBQ Beef at CA Grill) then you're probably still safe pre-selecting a bottle. (Dan could probably bring a bottle of Pinot Noir and, while it might not be the perfect selection or what they would recommend, it would work just fine...just as an example).

[bradk]

i can't see how $40 a night for a bottle of wine is a good deal. unless it's really good vintage wine. but even the iron horse cuvee which is non vintage runs around $45 or so per bottle. it's disney prices.

[danyoung]

...if you usually do a certain dish or a certain genre (like DanYoung who usually does the Tamarind BBQ Beef at CA Grill) then you're probably still safe pre-selecting a bottle. (Dan could probably bring a bottle of Pinot Noir and, while it might not be the perfect selection or what they would recommend, it would work just fine...just as an example).

I hate being so predictable, but that beef filet is just so freakin' INCREDIBLE! But while the option of bringing in a bottle is interesting, I just don't see myself lugging in a bottle of wine, especially just for one (me!). I really like going with wine by the glass, with the option of shifting to a different wine if one doesn't quite work for me. And to complicate things even further, I don't like the red wines at all, and enjoy a fine chardonnay or viogner with beef (no accounting for taste. . .).

As to the OP's question, I was barely on board for the original DDP. Now that they've devalued it I'll skip it completely. My main problem with it in the past is that I really enjoy the 2 credit restaurants like the California Grill and the Brown Derby, so I end up having to pay for some meals anyway. And now that it's worth much less than the $1 price drop, I have no problem not using it at all.

[Kwahati]

I hate being so predictable, but that beef filet is just so freakin' INCREDIBLE! ...<cut for space> ... And now that it's worth much less than the $1 price drop, I have no problem not using it at all.

Dan, I was just using you as an example, although thanks for the info about your wine preferences. Now I have an idea of what to get you for Chrismahanakwanzakah!:p

As far as value, I feel like it's still there to a large degree. Maybe not so much for one person who mostly eats at the 2 credit places, but in my group of three, most of our meals at one credit places came up to about $160. I know that'll go down to about $120-130 without the apps, but that still means that a day of food is more than paid for by a TS dinner. That's like getting a free lunch! (and given that our lunch bill was usually $40-$60 at counter service places, that's a pretty substantial savings over the course of a week) I know the value is substantially less at 2 credit places, though, so there's a trade-off that people need to look at for themselves...

Edited to add: but tell me if I'm wrong about the Tamarind BBQ Beef being a spicy beef dish? A safe choice would be (for most people) a spicy red that can stand up to the dish, right? I do fully understand making the adventurous choice on the spot, though. That's what I loved so much about that waiter at Le Cellier. He loathed "safe choices" as much as I (and apparently you) do!

[danyoung]

...but tell me if I'm wrong about the Tamarind BBQ Beef being a spicy beef dish?

I wouldn't call it spicy. It's very flavorful, but not hot at all. Just very very tasty!