If the results of this poll are true
What do you mean by "true"? I'm sure that people answered the survey the way they wanted their voice to be heard, so in that regard, I think it is very true.
(admittedly a very very small sample of all Disney guests), then this proposed change in
DDP seems foolish for the company
Not at all. About one-third of guests are willing to be heard saying that this will not affect their purchasing of the Dining Plan. If that many are willing to be heard that way, just imagine how many more would be willing to actually do it, while still maintaining their outward projection of disappointment for how the change would affect servers. Remember, DIS members are, as a group, a very sensitive and compassionate lot.
Furthermore, Disney's objective is never attendance, but always profit. Earlier in the thread someone pointed out that they'd rather serve smaller number of guests making more profit per guest, as long as the total profit is higher. That reflects a better utilization of available assets, and establishes extra capacity within which they can serve even more guests.
It does seem to me that if you were trying to use this poll to foster the perception that the Dining Plan would collapse if these changes were effected, it has failed. There are clearly more than enough folks more than willing to continue using the Dining Plan. Of course, that is just my take.
It seems to me that the average DDP guest and servers should be on the same page here. Servers dont want to lose the auto grat, just as guests do not want to now pay the entire tip OOP.
Yes, that was my guess up-front and why I was so surprised by that message earlier which seemed to indicate that the servers wanted this change. I couldn't imagine that to be the case. However, it also bears note that not all guests will be on the same page here. Many many guests despise the Dining Plan, and whether their logic makes sense or not (I happen not to agree with them) anything that reduces the Dining Plan's impact on the restaurants would be a GOOD THING in their eyes. So take the third of the Dining Plan patrons, as indicated by this poll, and add to them all the guests who have been grousing for months and perhaps years about how the Dining Plan has "ruined" Disney Dining, folks who will be pleased by how much less crowded the restaurants will be if fewer people use the Dining Plan, folks who will be pleased if some small bit of that additional revenue goes back into upgrading the cuisine just a little, and Disney has not only safeguarded their Dining Plan offering, but recaptured some of the guests who have been threatening to abandon Disney dining (and perhaps already have), guests who, on average, are the ones willing to pay the most, i.e., the most profitable guests.
Sounds like it could be a win for Disney to me.