Heads up for plan fudgers in 2007

[rantnnravin]

...once they published the FAQ about child entitlements ...

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Although it certainly can't be compared to piloting a super-tanker, when my students begin asking me the same question, I examine the root of the question.

 

[Disfan3]

Good- those people were basically stealing as far as I am concerned. If you paid for kids prices you should only get kids meals for them. If you don't like the choices then don't get the plan. Pretty simple.

this makes sense!!

Why should you pay 10.99 for your child and get adult priced food? That is not what the plan is about. Did the literature somewhere state children must order off the childrens menu where available????? Did I not read that somewhere way back in Fall 2005 when the dining plan was first introduced?

 

[Pedler]

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Although it certainly can't be compared to piloting a super-tanker, when my students begin asking me the same question, I examine the root of the question.

Ahh... but what if you don't have access to the data or resources to examine the question. Suppose a manager at Disney got wind of people using "child" credits for adult meals. How would they determine how widespread this is and what the cost is? Credits were pooled and I would guess entrees were not flagged as child or adult after the sale. First you would need to see what data is available to analyze. Of course before then you would need to get authorization to even look at the data and allocate the resources in your department away from other tasks and on to this one. Then you would need to ask information technology to run the reports that you want to look at. Of course they would then ask what cost center its coming from.... you get the picture. Unless the building is on fire corporations tend to move a bit slower than people think. You can't just get access to data, reallocate resources away from other projects without creating a business case for what you are doing and getting approval for it.

Of course if you think corporations move slow you should see how governments handle it. If this was a government entity they would still be holding committee meetings to determine what the definition of meal credit was.

 

[Lexxiefern]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1314837
Yes, I saw the post yesterday. The link is above.

Plus, this thread was started by a CM who works at a restaurant.

Thanks for this link

 

[JimMIA]

Of course if you think corporations move slow you should see how governments handle it. If this was a government entity they would still be holding committee meetings to determine what the definition of meal credit was.

Actually, if this was a government entity, the committees would have been meeting for a decade hammering out goals and objectives for the committee's work that each and every committee member supported. It would be generations before they would be ready to consider the definition of anything!

 

[rlbdisney]

What I would love to see is them offer adult meals in a "Childs portions size".
My 9 year old loves to try different stuff and this limited CS will really stink for her.

 

[Sammie]

What I would love to see is them offer adult meals in a "Childs portions size".
My 9 year old loves to try different stuff and this limited CS will really stink for her.

When they did that, adults ordered them. Abuses ruin it for everyone.

 

[JimMIA]

are you really suggesting that Disney places no weight on the number of emails/phone calls they receive that are asking the same question?
which came first, the chicken or the egg??
I don't know.
but i will stand by my assertion that there is a "DIS" effect.
Hasn't it been stated time and again on this site-- Disney reads these boards...

I doubt if Disney paid very much attention to the calls and emails, and I also doubt that there were thousands of those. Even if there were, the numbers Disney would look at would be the bottom lines of the resorts first (because DDP is a resort promotion, not a dining promotion) and then the restaurants. Those are the numbers they care about. That doesn't mean they don't listen to customer input, just that profit is their main interest.

The Disney folks are big boys and girls and they expected a tolerable level of cheating with DDP. They got an intolerable amount, and they stopped it. It's no more complicated than that, and going through elaborate logical gymnastics trying to rationalize what someone did last year is a pointless exercise. It was done, it's over now, and Disney has moved on.

For some, that means staying onsite and eating onsite is no longer the best choice for their family. That's fine -- there will be many more folks taking their places who will love using DDP as it's written. And Disney will still get the offsite guests business, no matter where they stay or eat.

I honestly think that the real lesson of the 2007 "changes" (which are not changes at all) is that Disney intends to keep the DDP and the free DDP for years to come to create an "all-inclusive" option for many park visitors. I think that's a great marketing strategy for many reasons, and will be a big help for families who want to come to Disney but are concerned about all of the associated costs of a trip.

In fact, I think Disney -- once they get DDP solidified -- will start looking beyond dining and begin introducing new initiatives to further enhance the value of staying onsite...like they have with DDP, DME, free parking, etc, etc.

If I were Disney, I'd be looking for ways to maximize the visitation by my very best customers. Those are the guests who stay onsite, play onsite, eat onsite, shop onsite, and party onsite. Disney has not begun to scratch the surface of the benefits they can offer those guests...but I believe they will. I think within the next 5 years, we see Disney still taking the money of the offsite guests, but really catering to the customers who give them the best bottom line. They'd be nuts not to.

 

[JimMIA]

What I would love to see is them offer adult meals in a "Childs portions size".
My 9 year old loves to try different stuff and this limited CS will really stink for her.

On the bright side, before you can blink an eye she'll be 10 and will be able to order anything she wants!

Shortly after that, you'll be much more worried about the boyfriends she keeps bringing home, and by the time that works out, you'll be worried about refinancing you house for a Disney wedding!

 

[angiedora]

On the bright side, before you can blink an eye she'll be 10 and will be able to order anything she wants!

Shortly after that, you'll be much more worried about the boyfriends she keeps bringing home, and by the time that works out, you'll be worried about refinancing you house for a Disney wedding!

It's true!!!

 

[mary174]

Keeping the dining plan out of the picture would you consider an adult who ordered off the kids menu to be abusing the system? Why or why not? I would just figure the adult was getting the right meal for their appetite. Is there some price break for being a kid that I'm not aware of. I figured that the cheaper kid's meals were just because the food was cheaper.

 

[disneymom06]

Just a question, We drive . We eat lunch, counter service, onour last day, and any remaining counter credits we use to get sandwiches and drinks and snacks for the long drive home. They are NOT used for others, but I may have 9 left from our family of 6. Will this be a problem? I am using them for the specific people that I purchased the plan for but may use all of my remaining credits within 2 hours.

 

[bicker]

Is there some price break for being a kid that I'm not aware of. I figured that the cheaper kid's meals were just because the food was cheaper.

The difference in cost between child meals and adult meals is not as substantial as the difference in price. This "price break for being a kid" you refer to is offered because families with young children are more price sensitive than the typical families.

 

[jensen]

Just a question, We drive . We eat lunch, counter service, onour last day, and any remaining counter credits we use to get sandwiches and drinks and snacks for the long drive home. They are NOT used for others, but I may have 9 left from our family of 6. Will this be a problem? I am using them for the specific people that I purchased the plan for but may use all of my remaining credits within 2 hours.

I'm also awaiting the answer to this question. We fly all day on our "in" day and our "out" day. So, for a 7-night stay, we only have 6 days on-site. We always have a whole extra day of food and the past two trips, we've used our CS credits to purchase sandwiches at the resort grab 'n go to take with us to the airport. We typically try to do one signature meal with the extra TS credits. Anyway, I'm curious as to whether we'll be able to do that again or if we'll have to actually eat at a CS to use the credits. I guess we could use them for breakfast, but we aren't breakfast people... I really liked the option of having sandwiches to snack on during our flight.

 

[Pedler]

When they did that, adults ordered them. Abuses ruin it for everyone.

I can understand why Disney would consider it an abuse to have adults order kids meals but this is one area where I do have an issue Disney dinning. (keep in mind I understand its their park and I don't have to eat there.) They are forcing some adults to order larger portions and meal sizes at the CS places than they normally would. Its not that they lose money on kids meals they just don't make as much. I may be wrong but I think the smallest burger an adult can order from any Disney owned CS place is a quarter pound. For some people that is just more than they may want or need. It would have almost no impact for the CS places to offer smaller meals. It would add only a few more inventory items and menu choices to make it happen. Most fast food chains have smaller sizes though they do try to push the larger sizes so it can be done and done profitably. The difference is that those places operate in a competitive environment. In the parks Disney has a monopoly. Disney does not have smaller sizes that because they know more people would order it and they loose revenue. Actually that is one of the attractions to the DDP is that I don't feel I am wasting my money when we throw away all those partially eaten meals. (I am long over the guilt trip about it. )

 

[Sammie]

I can understand why Disney would consider it an abuse to have adults order kids meals but this is one area where I do have an issue Disney dinning. (keep in mind I understand its their park and I don't have to eat there.) They are forcing some adults to order larger portions and meal sizes at the CS places than they normally would. Its not that they lose money on kids meals they just don't make as much. I may be wrong but I think the smallest burger an adult can order from any Disney owned CS place is a quarter pound. For some people that is just more than they may want or need. It would have almost no impact for the CS places to offer smaller meals. It would add only a few more inventory items and menu choices to make it happen. Most fast food chains have smaller sizes though they do try to push the larger sizes so it can be done and done profitably. The difference is that those places operate in a competitive environment. In the parks Disney has a monopoly. Disney does not have smaller sizes that because they know more people would order it and they loose revenue. Actually that is one of the attractions to the DDP is that I don't feel I am wasting my money when we throw away all those partially eaten meals. (I am long over the guilt trip about it. )

Oh I agree, when I give the Disney point of view on things, does not mean I always agree with them.

We just don't eat it all. I never feel like I am wasting money to leave food. It might be a waste of food and I hate that, but I refuse to overeat just because it is there.

The nice thing with the DDP and DVC we always had a frig and we took lots of leftovers. We had some weird breakfasts but hey it was vacation.

 

[phlufster]

The difference in cost between child meals and adult meals is not as substantial as the difference in price. This "price break for being a kid" you refer to is offered because families with young children are more price sensitive than the typical families.

Actually, the reason that most kids meals are cheaper is because restaurants are banking on the fact that there will be an adult there ordering an adult meal, at an adult price that will compensate for the low price on the kids food. You don't get alot of kids coming in to dine by themselves, you usually will have at least 1 to 2 adults with them. The profit is based on the adult meals. That is why kids meals are limited to kids. Even though there is a small amount of profit on a kids meal, it is the adult meals that are the big bucks!

 

[dreamalittledream]

Actually, the reason that most kids meals are cheaper is because restaurants are banking on the fact that there will be an adult there ordering an adult meal, at an adult price that will compensate for the low price on the kids food. You don't get alot of kids coming in to dine by themselves, you usually will have at least 1 to 2 adults with them. The profit is based on the adult meals. That is why kids meals are limited to kids. Even though there is a small amount of profit on a kids meal, it is the adult meals that are the big bucks!

I completely agree with you! and don't forget the profit on drinks! Those 7.95 glowtini's cost about 1.00 in ingredients and maybe .25 for the cube. They do have to make their money somewhere and alcohol is a good source.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think the glow cubes, while cool looking, displace too much of the area in the glass that would otherwise be taken up by alcohol...

 

[Disfan3]

Jim:

Do you know if it is legal for me to share a non buffet meal with a non DDP customer???? Thanks in advance....