Phone call from Disney re: dining plan

[Greg in TN]

About a week or so ago I sent an e.mail to Walt Disney World thru the web-site about the dining plan --lamenting the changes, speculating on how many fewer vacation "packages" would be purchased now, etc.

Well, when I got in last night, there was a voice mail from someone @ Disney wanting to talk to me about the dining plan. When the msg started I though they were going to tell me there was something wrong with my ADRs for our upcoming trip . But turns out they wanted to talk to me about the e.mail I sent . I have not had a chance to call them back, yet, but I plan to.

What do you think I should tell them when I call ? Obviously they're not going to undo the changes to the plan just because of a few e.mails or phone calls, but if there's ENOUGH negative feedback (&/or changes in vacation bookings), maybe '09 could be different.

[Tonks]

We visited Disney last Thanksgiving for our first time. One of the reasons we choose to do this was the dining plan. Due to my husbands job we are unable to have flexible travel times. We are on a tight budget and the dining plan let our family of four (including a 5 y/o and 3y/o) have a dream vacation during a highly attended holiday season. It was very convienient not having to worry about the gratuity at the table. I made reservations for TS every night or afternoon. Although we were not visited specifically by the Dream team we felt that our trip was a wish granted. I felt like this was due heavily to the dining plan. We ate at so many places that we otherwise would never have experienced. Normally I try to stretch our budget - the dining plan made us feel special by allowing us to veer outside our normal restraints. I have been saving since last year for our trip next year. Now I doubt we will do the dining plan - it just doesn't make since financially or with ease of payment.

[jenjustinsmom]

Greg maybe when you talk to them I would have your computer in frint of you and outline some of the things we said in the other thread. Please let us know how it goes and if we should all start mailing them.

[THpoohbear]

Maybe something along the lines of...

The overall value of the plan has gone significantly down since tip is no longer included and the appetizer is gone.

Part of the ease of the plan is having everything pre-paid. This is no longer true now that one must pay the tip separately.

That you'd like to see the plan reinstated to it's former package (if that's true).

You speculate that many will no longer purchase the plan because of lowered value and lowered convenience.

If they really are going to take the appetizer out, perhaps give diners the choice between an appetizer or dessert, and lower the plan by several more dollars.

If people want to choose the tip level they give the server but still have it included in the DDP, perhaps suggest an idea about having each party cirlce the tip they think the server has earned on the reciept, after dining (10-11%, 12-13%, 14-15%, 17-18% 19-20%).

Just some ideas... don't know if they're worth much. Let us know how it goes!

[Clotho]

I agree with the "the beauty of the plan is the all-inclusive experience". When all is pre-paid, including tip, you can most easily budget ahead of time and pre-pay for your entire meal for your entire stay. With the tip not included, this convenience, and incentive, is gone.

I, too, would prefer a CHOICE between an appetizer and a dessert. I don't really eat desserts, but almost always love appetizers. And in a party of two or more, you could get an appetizer and a couple desserts, or vice-versa. The versatility would definitely give the patron greater flexibility, and also a perceived "plus" of getting to sample more aspects of the menu. And please, make mention of patrons with diabetics, who cannot take advantage of the dessert at all, or people with low salt tolerance, who could have a dessert but not an additional salty appetizer. Flexibility is the key.

Lastly, the price should have come down more for less food and less convenience, and the dollar feels like an insulting pat on the head. Like they threw us a bone, but didn't really aknowledge that the value had gone down. I personally would rather pay a little MORE and have the tip still included than to pay a dollar less and not include tip and lose the option for an appetizer.

Not that most people would be thrilled with the idea of suggesting we pay MORE for the plan, but a few more dollards would be worth keeping the TRUE VALUE of the meal plan--the all-inclusive experience.

[petesimac]

What a great opportunity, Greg. More than anything, just relate the negative reaction of all us Disneyphiles, those of us who previously loved and made use of the dining plan. More than anything, reducing the cost by only $1 is not near enough to make me even think of using the new plan with it's changes. Losing the 18% tip (I always added more, just to get it over 20%, but losing that 18% hurts) AND the appetizer should result in a reduction of at least $8, leaving it at $20 per person, per night. I MIGHT buy that. Have fun talking his/her ear off.

[sunfun94]

According to the brochures that Disney put out for the dining packages on the website.. the dining PLUS pkg offers the apps and desert.. is this make the upscale dining pkg more appealing?

[petesimac]

Not for me, Sunfun, because even with the $70+ price tag for the deluxe, it still doesn't include tip; no good. I want the basic dining plan the way it was or else make it a lot less expensive.

[Clotho]

According to the brochures that Disney put out for the dining packages on the website.. the dining PLUS pkg offers the apps and desert.. is this make the upscale dining pkg more appealing?

That is not an option for me, or most people, frankly. I mean, how many people here already felt that the current plan was way too much food. Now make EVERY MEAL a possible TS, and it takes more work to get your $70 worth.

And agreed, if it doesn't include tip, it doesn't fix the main issue.

[jazaaumom]

I had the same thing happen to me about a month ago when it was still just a rumor that the changes were going to be made. First of all I wasn't happy because I was pretty much lied to and told the changes weren't going to be made. These are the points that I made sure that I told them were important issues

1. The dinning plan would no longer be an effective money saving program and I personally (along with many people I know) would not be using it. The TS resturants would suffer.

2. The only reason I bought the MYW package is because it is the only way to include the dinning plan. The real value of the dinning plan is now gone so there is no reason for me to do so.

3. I no longer feel the need to stay on property since buying the plan is out and there are hotels with great deals and even renting a house is cheaper than staying at any of the deluxe resorts.

4. It frees me up to go spend my money at other attractions in Orlando such as resturants where I could get a great meal at half the price of disney.

After that little speech the woman agreed in a very disney way where they won't tell you either way if they really agree. I told her that look people are always going to be coming to disney world, but they have just made it easier for me to pull my extra money out and spend it in other areas. Basically hurt their bottom line. I don't think my one little phone call made a difference, but maybe if that scenario is played out that might change it for 09.

Sorry so long, but I had the same situation that you were in and thought I could help.

[jenjustinsmom]

Greg what happened when you called?

[Greg in TN]

Game of phone-tag so far, but I'm not giving up ...

[crrees]

I didnt take the time to read the past 4 posts because of time restraints but now I see another problem:

I dont really carry much cash with me at WDW, everything I need accepts my cards, now for tip I have to much sure to have cash on me. Maybe not as inconvenient for others but maybe for some like me?

[Clotho]

There is no reason you have to carry cash with you, no. You can charge the tip to your Key to the Kingdom, credit card, or what have you. Perfectly acceptable.

[UsBurchs]

OOH! Greg, what a great opportunity to have your (and our) voice heard! I agree with a lot of the points above, especially that now I don't see the point of staying at a Disney Resort when the main reason we were going to do it was for the Dining Plan. If we decide to not go with the DDP, then we'll just stay at one of the close hotels like Buena Vista Palace, etc. The part that got me the most about the new plan was not including the tip - sucks for us, sucks for the servers since most likely, they'll get jipped.

Way to be, Greg! Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[UsBurchs]

Did anything ever come of this?? I'm interested in hearing how the call turned out.

[jenjustinsmom]

Me too Greg.

[jenjustinsmom]

Greg did you ever get in touch with them?

[TinaMouse]

They called me after I wrote them about taking away (really, changing) Tusker House. I was shocked to receive a message. They wanted to hear my input, but made it clear that it wasn't going to change. The "complaint" had been sent up the line, more or less to log it in, I suppose. I thought that it was great to at least get a "I hear ya" back.

I expect that this situation is different in that this is more fluid, can change every year, etc. I agree with what's alredy been said. More choice with app/dessert. I also love the circle the percentage idea.

Hope Greg updates us!

[DoodleMushyBoo]

Who are you emailing/ writing/ calling? I'll email / write in. . .i'm pretty eloquent and have done enough disney dining to hopefully be able to argue. And the more voices heard the better right?

[jenjustinsmom]

I also love the circle the percentage idea.

What is this idea?

[Kwahati]

If people want to choose the tip level they give the server but still have it included in the DDP, perhaps suggest an idea about having each party cirlce the tip they think the server has earned on the reciept, after dining (10-11%, 12-13%, 14-15%, 17-18% 19-20%).

This was the "circle the percentage" idea.

Edited to add: I think the idea is good, in theory, but I worry how it would work in practice. Most people would be completely reasonable about what they circle. Some people, however would think that 10% is a phenomenal tip and they would never go 20%. I have friends who wait tables and tell me there are still people running around out there who think a quarter or fifty cents is a perfectly reasonable tip (and coming from really old people, it can be very sweet and touching...unfortunately, sweet and touching doesn't pay the bills...)

[WDW07]

I read on another website that under the current plan the servers do NOT receive 18%, but rather a set gratuity of $3.00 - 3.50. I don't know if this is the case or not, but if it is true, perhaps that is why the gratuity will no longer be included. On most of our table service meals, a tip in this amount would have been closer to 10% for the server, something I didn't know during my last trip. While it may improve service to eliminate the inclusion of gratuity, I dislike that I'll now have to think about it whenever dining at a TS restaurant. My favorite aspect of the dining plan was that it was carefree. (and a great deal too!)

[Clotho]

I read on another website that under the current plan the servers do NOT receive 18%, but rather a set gratuity of $3.00 - 3.50. I don't know if this is the case or not, but if it is true, perhaps that is why the gratuity will no longer be included.

I heard this same thing, and so I made a point to ask about it last week when I was at the World. I asked our server at Coral Reef and she said all Disney-owned restaurants absolutely tip on the actual bill amount. She could not comment about non-Disney owned restaurants obviously. She said most all the servers were dismayed at the idea of the automatic tips going away next year on the DDP, but smiled and said she is keeping an open mind about it. I appreciated her honesty.

I can see why, when I witnessed myself at Les Chefs du France a couple of women one table over who were mathematically agonizing over what they are supposed to tip on a $45 tab. "Hrm...let's see...um...if the bill is $45 and change...then we should...um...is that $4.50?" And that is what they left. I could have screamed on the servers behalf! We tipped a little extra because we felt bad about the idiots one table over stiffing the correct tip amount. And no, they were not intentionally tipping low. They had just moments before been gushing about their great experience. It was the math that was too hard for these people. Argh.

[TinaMouse]

Oops! Someone already answered the question.....Never mind! Sorry!