Feelings as DVC Member on DDP?

[Viki]

Well, I stake out that position because I believe it to be correct.

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Thank you for responding, but again I think it's very curious that you maintain your position in the face of contrary statements from the very chefs who work there - who have told me personally what's happening without me ever asking them. It is THEY who are upset with the restrictions that have been imposed.

As I've said, I'm going to use the DDP; I think it has a quite a few upsides.

 

[KatiebugsMom]

Well for my two cents....DDP being offered to DVC members was one of the major points that put DH and I over the edge to go ahead and buy.

I have used DDP 3 times now and feel I have not had a bad meal at all. As for variety....my recent 10 day trip the end of January, I never had the same thing or even close to it the entire time. Now I will say that may have to do with my intense preplanning that I do, but even I changed things around when I got there (due to WDW making changes because of the press event) and had no problem getting what I wanted by calling WDW Dining.

Does the DDP make you plan, I agree it somewhat does, however for someone like me who has been a trip planner (a very intense planner) without the DDP, the plan definitely works for me.

 

[BCV23]

Thank you for responding, but again I think it's very curious that you maintain your position in the face of contrary statements from the very chefs who work there - who have told me personally what's happening without me ever asking them. It is THEY who are upset with the restrictions that have been imposed.

As I've said, I'm going to use the DDP; I think it has a quite a few upsides.

Viki, I've not read any posts about Chefs talking to you. Or at least that I can remember.

Like everyone else here, I can only respond about my own experiences. I've avoided many of the threads about this but was getting tired of reading very disparaging comments about anyone who uses it. I think that is uncalled for and felt compelled to respond. BTW, I do agree with mosts of your points. I only disagree with your fifth. The 4th might be correct as well but only WDW CMs who have access to info on what is actually ordered can address that accurately IMO. I think we get a skewed sample when we read some of the ridiculous posts about maximizing the benefits or overhear a single table at Kona and then project that on everyone who uses the DDP.

 

[engle]

I have haggled with this idea in my head for months...to DDP or not to DDP!!

Well, after careful consideration I say this...

I am in a financial position not to worry about saving a few bucks on my meals. I am a MAJOR foodie...I LOVE food and plan many a vacation around it. So, I don't like to be limited nor do I like to waste food...I have witnessed both.

I can't imagine GETTING a part of meal just cause, well, "we paid for it" and eating one bite and throwing it away.

So, no DDP for me. I may be wasting a bit of money but no food and I can get anything I want on ANY menu.

 

[DaisyD]

Lynn, I've seen you on the Polynesian threads but didn't realize you were a DVCer as well. Which is your home resort?

Not a DVCer and not interested in being one. I just came to crash the thread.

 

[BCV23]

Not a DVCer and not interested in being one. I just came to crash the thread.

 

[DaisyD]

Now if the Poly ever offered DVC I would be the first to sign up!

 

[bicker]

Unfortunately I do think the DDP is here to stay. At least until the quality gets so bad that even those looking for a bargain won't think it is worth it. I can only hope that they don't offer it free anymore but that is another thread altogether!

I think the changes have pretty-much evened out. Disney's done a little tweaking over the last few months, and of course things will change over time as they always have, but I believe that what we see now is pretty-much what Disney dining will be for the foreseeable future, so don't expect it to get to the point where people won't think it is worth it -- at least not on the basis of its quality. What will probably change things is a change in the economy -- people (in general) getting much richer (and therefore desiring higher quality) or getting much poorer (and therefore looking for more CS and less TS).

 

[bicker]

It is THEY who are upset with the restrictions that have been imposed.

FWIW, they're human too. They also have desires and aspirations that affect their own memory of what is versus what was.

Regardless, regarding signature dining, I've seen no significant degradation in quality. In terms of variety, it has 100% tracked the changes in the restaurant industry nationwide. For the past five years, reducing menu size was the #1 recommendation of chef consultants. It is considered to be a path to improved quality and profitability. While not every restaurant in the country has followed this path, it is the gold standard in the industry, and Disney has kept up with the industry in this regard.

 

[goofydad621]

I rarely get involved with these type of threads, I get all the name calling and accusations I need in real life at my work but Chef Peter at Ohana told us the shrimp was going to change in Jan 05 do to the problem with cross contamination on the grill for people with seafood allergies. My wife is one of those that if she eats shrimp or food cooked on same place as shrimp has been cooked wh gets very very ill

He said that it was very hard to keep teh contamination down and that they were going to change to a different method.

Sorry for butting in.

 

[Viki]

Thanks again for responding.

There are so many of these sorts of threads running around and I've said the limited bit I have to say so many times, I forget which threads I've said what in (in addition to first reporting all of this in my August AKL trip report right after it was all said).

But, yes, I spoken with the chefs at Jiko and FF or, rather, they've spoken to me! That is, I've had no complaints on either occasion, but they took the time, for various reasons, to come to the table and comment on what we were ordering. In both cases they apologized that they were no longer offering other dishes we might enjoy and they attributed their lack of availability to the DDP. In the case of Jiko this was the firecracker appetizer and it was during the free dining period last fall. The chef said that the item would reappear after free DDP ended. We haven't dined there since, has it reappeared?

In any event, we did NOT have the DDP at the time and they were apologizing that our selections were reduced because others did.

As I've said, I have no horse in this raise. We have already booked the DDP for our December trip.

It's just that like many of you I like FACTS (in addition to great food) and these are facts reported from the horse's mouth as they were happening, not merely recounted from distant memories.

In any event, I'm not in any danger of starving! There is plenty of wonderful food at WDW and I hope that Bicker's view that we have now reached a point of dynamic equilibrium, that will hold for a bit, is correct.

Viki, I've not read any posts about Chefs talking to you. Or at least that I can remember.

Like everyone else here, I can only respond about my own experiences. I've avoided many of the threads about this but was getting tired of reading very disparaging comments about anyone who uses it. I think that is uncalled for and felt compelled to respond. BTW, I do agree with mosts of your points. I only disagree with your fifth. The 4th might be correct as well but only WDW CMs who have access to info on what is actually ordered can address that accurately IMO. I think we get a skewed sample when we read some of the ridiculous posts about maximizing the benefits or overhear a single table at Kona and then project that on everyone who uses the DDP.

 

[bicker]

It's just that like many of you I like FACTS

Just keep in mind that facts don't necessarily come from people. People typically provide their own view of things, not necessarily objective statements of reality.

 

[Viki]

Just keep in mind that facts don't necessarily come from people. People typically provide their own view of things, not necessarily objective statements of reality.

Thanks, Bicker, I get it!

 

[BCV23]

Thanks again for responding.

There are so many of these sorts of threads running around and I've said the limited bit I have to say so many times, I forget which threads I've said what in (in addition to first reporting all of this in my August AKL trip report right after it was all said).

But, yes, I spoken with the chefs at Jiko and FF or, rather, they've spoken to me! That is, I've had no complaints on either occasion, but they took the time, for various reasons, to come to the table and comment on what we were ordering. In both cases they apologized that they were no longer offering other dishes we might enjoy and they attributed their lack of availability to the DDP. In the case of Jiko this was the firecracker appetizer and it was during the free dining period last fall. The chef said that the item would reappear after free DDP ended. We haven't dined there since, has it reappeared?

In any event, we did NOT have the DDP at the time and they were apologizing that our selections were reduced because others did.

As I've said, I have no horse in this raise. We have already booked the DDP for our December trip.

It's just that like many of you I like FACTS (in addition to great food) and these are facts reported from the horse's mouth as they were happening, not merely recounted from distant memories.

In any event, I'm not in any danger of starving! There is plenty of wonderful food at WDW and I hope that Bicker's view that we have now reached a point of dynamic equilibrium, that will hold for a bit, is correct.

Thank you for responding, too. If I understand correctly though, both your experiences were during free dining. I noticed a couple of changes too in September that I attributed to the free DDP. That along with other reports of items being removed during that period have convinced me to avoid that time frame if possible. We were back in January. As it happened we didn't return to one of those restaurants and at the other, didn't order the cheese plate so I'm not sure if both reverted....sure hope so. But all our other meals were of the same quality to which we've been accustomed.

 

[Sammie]

As to the Firecracker Appetizer at Jiko it was removed mainly because it is fried and Disney is moving away from fried foods. I spoke with the Food and Beverage manager for AKL and they are very pleased with the DDP and certainly do not feel that any changes to menus are due to the DDP. Changes might have occurred at the time the dining plan became popular but that would be simply a matter of timing and not direct influence according to the manager.

I know that many will never accept that the DDP is not responsible, but truly it is a situtation where menus in all restaurants whether they be Disney or not, change menus. It can be due to lack of customer appeal, which does change, it can be due to health reasons, such as the current trend to get away from fried foods or it can be the availablity of and ingredient.

Basically the DDP is here to stay at this time in some form.

 

[Viki]

Thank you for responding, too. If I understand correctly though, both your experiences were during free dining. I noticed a couple of changes too in September that I attributed to the free DDP. That along with other reports of items being removed during that period have convinced me to avoid that time frame if possible. We were back in January. As it happened we didn't return to one of those restaurants and at the other, didn't order the cheese plate so I'm not sure if both reverted....sure hope so. But all our other meals were of the same quality to which we've been accustomed.

You're absolutely right, aside from my experience of the much abbreviated menu at Spoodles (which I do believe happened right about three years ago?) the two conversations I'm reporting happened during free dining 2006, which certainly keeps me from generalizing.

We did dine again at FF in November, but I don't recall if the mussels were back on the menu? (In fact, I haven't mentioned this before, but as it's slightly on topic I will - we had Bill as our server who, as usual, was awesome, but we were both embarrassed by the quality of the filet I was served and he quickly whisked it away to be replaced by something right up to standard.)

To Bicker's point, I would be hard pressed to argue that any of the offerings have improved in either quality or quantity. Again, I hope we've stablilized (apart from free dining).

 

[Viki]

As to the Firecracker Appetizer at Jiko it was removed mainly because it is fried

Sorry, friend, I don't believe this for a second. It's not what the chef at Jiko reported - quite the contrary, and if it were true I'd be equally horrified. Since when did I ask fine dining to monitor my health?

(To be honest I - almost - never order anything fried because I do monitor my health, but again I would never impose this on others. In other words, given the esteem in which folk and Jiko's chefs held the item I might have ordered it and shared it with the table, but it was the chef who was troubled by not being able to offer it, not me. I'll also mention that this conversation happened during an etraordinary meal event, not just dinner.)

 

[Sammie]

Sorry, friend, I don't believe this for a second. It's not what the chef at Jiko reported - quite the contrary, and if it were true I'd be equally horrified. Since when did I ask fine dining to monitor my health?

(To be honest I - almost - never order anything fried because I do monitor my health, but again I would never impose this on others. In other words, given the esteem in which folk and Jiko's chefs held the item I might have ordered it and shared it with the table, but it was the chef who was troubled by not being able to offer it, not me. I'll also mention that this conversation happened during an etraordinary meal event, not just dinner.)

I spoke with them today and this was what I was told. I told them several in our group missed the item and why was it removed and the chef/manager told me that it was due to being fried. Is it possible the chef you spoke to has left since then?

As to them monitoring your health whether you want them to or not, that is the trend right now. Disney and many other places are going toward more health concious items and fewer fried items.

They did apologize for not being able to offer it, but said the DDP was not the reason for removal of the item.

 

[bicker]

For those having a hard time believing Disney cares about our health, let's agree that they don't but rather cares about the public perception of the company with regard to what kind of food they serve.

 

[Viki]

For those having a hard time believing Disney cares about our health, let's agree that they don't but rather cares about the public perception of the company with regard to what kind of food they serve.

Thank you Bicker, but neither of those are the issue for me.

For one, I have two teens so I can testify that fried chicken fingers and fries abound in WDW.

Two, I doubt V&A's Tempura Crab Stuffed Squash Blossom with Violette Moustarde is much healthier. That is, there is nothing demonic with frying; it is a perfectly acceptable way to cook food, unless - of course - it is the predominant way you prefer your food prepared.

Again, there is something about the nature of this conversationn that seems odd.

Why so much stake put in not admitting that DDP has had an impact on the selections available at WDW restaurants? It would not be the end of the world - there are far more weighty issues! (Don't you hate puns!)