Dining Plan affects Menu at Yachtsman Steakhouse

[catrancher]

Ok then.

How about some suggestions for group or whatever names.

Personally I wouldn't want anything derogatory. But still something that expresses our displeasure.

Something like maybe "Disappointing Disney Dining". Or something. But catchy. If you get my drift.

Get some ideas going here.

Tom (... we need to go viral!)

[DisneyFreak]

Hungry for Better Disney Dinning
Sack Lunch the Disney Dinning Plan
Disgruntled Disney Dinners

[catrancher]

Hungry for Better Disney Dinning
Sack Lunch the Disney Dinning Plan
Disgruntled Disney Dinners

Good, good, good!

Keep 'em coming. After we get everyone's input, I'll start a poll where we can vote for the favorite.

Maybe this'll work!

Tom (... here's hoping...)

[Tink]

I like the idea of making it a positive thing, instead of focusing on the negative.

Perhaps we can have a forum here that is "Reminiscing" or "Disney Nostalgia" or something like that. We can discuss not only dining but how the parks used to sparkle, how bus drivers used to be funny and interact with guests, how there used to be the double decker buses in EPCOT, those sorts of things.

The bots will pick up the info and may actually lead people back here.

Disney does troll boards, so they could end up seeing it. OR, once we've got a good thread or ten going, we can copy the posts to an email and email Disney relations.

What are your thoughts on that?

[Johnie]

To be honest, I don't think Disney cares. The annual pass holders, the locals, the ones who keep returning, Disney knows they have us. Disney is doing everything they can to lure in the first timers and those who only come visit occasionally.

I know many don't like the dining plan but Disney is not getting rid of it anytime soon. People LOVE it. They think it's a bargain and they love to have it paid for already.

For me, we are back to eating off site more and more. Even with my Tables in Wonderland discount, Disney prices have become do overinflated (due to the dining plan) that I cannot justify the cost.

And I am a hardcore Disney lover as the majority of you know :-(

[Vikki]

Sigh, those certainly were the good old days weren't they Tink? I haven't found JIKO dumbed down but most of the other restaurants certainly have been. I've said for years that they need to totally revamp the free dining. If you are on the Free DDP then you should receive a special menu with a limited number of items. Folks who purchase things like the Deluxe Dining Plan should still have the opportunity to order what they wish however.

I totally agree. We've had free dining the last few times we've been, and we're on it again next year. I certainly wouldn't mind having a different menu. Thing is though, as long as the restaurants stay full, they won't change it I don't think....

[piglet]

Oh dear, I seem to be in the minority here. We had the dining plan and managing to use it quite wisely had 2 beautiful dinners at the Yachtsman with the wonderful Ricardo. He was so lovely and I told him that I knew Terry and Sue and after we had the meal we all received kisses (no not DS, they shook hands). We booked for our last night and I specifically asked for Ricardo and once again he was fantastic. We also ate at the California Grill which again was a fantastic meal. We stayed at the wonderful BC and I'm sorry I missed you Wendy but I got your message about meeting just as I arrived back home. We ate at Cape May and also at the ESPN which I would never go to again. Food awful, too loud and didn't understand the sports. We also had a couple of nice meals at Nine Dragons. We don't have big appetites so never have a starter, just the bread and dip and then after the main meal, a dessert, that could have been why we enjoyed it. I also quite like Raglan Road. It was a great holiday and we're now planning on going back to the BC at Easter 2014, so busy saving.

[Tink]

It's good to hear there are still some good meals and experiences out there!

But you and I are biased! We LOVE the BC!

I totally agree on ESPN, wicked loud and so over all the sports. Food used to be "ok," nothing special but "ok." No longer, eh?

[uscwest]

We had a wonderful meal at Citrico's last night. However, before we went in we had drinks at the bar. Our server was Lynnette. She was telling us that most of the wait staff hate the dining plan because folks will come in and run up what would be a $200-$300 meal and leave NO tip.

[Keith]

We had a wonderful meal at Citrico's last night. However, before we went in we had drinks at the bar. Our server was Lynnette. She was telling us that most of the wait staff hate the dining plan because folks will come in and run up what would be a $200-$300 meal and leave NO tip.

Im really going to have to give Citrico's another try

The dining plan was much better value when it included the tip that's for sure. I know a lot of UK people who've been very upset when they've been sold a vacation package including "all meals" and then found out that there was an expectation of 20-25% in tips.

Now we need to look at that in a bit more detail. The folks going out should perhaps have done some more research into cultural expectations, but when someone is marketed over here as "included" it means you don't pay any extras.

The last group to come back told us that they were routinely spending $70 or more a meal in tips alone for the four of them and that the "norm" was represented as 25%. I said nahhh come on, 15-20% for excellent service but then I go and read the Orlando sentinel where it says that yep, servers in Orlando now consider 25% to be normal, more for exceptional service.

No wonder they're frequently disappointed IMHO!

Anyway that's a tip rant, it's sad if they're getting zero on a $200 meal I do wonder how many people are deliberately stiffing the server and how many just don't realise they're supposed to be tipping.

I think the plan should have specific menus, lower cost menus and tip included. It would prevent a lot of problems