Dining Plan-for dummies please!

[Hobbes]

I'm sorry about this, the more we look at the rules of the Dining Plan the less we understand them! Can anyone explain in words of one syllable how this will work for us?

We have been given free

Voucher half board Standard per person and per night for 2 adults

Which I took to mean

Half board: This includes a breakfast buffet at your hotel & one meal (lunch or dinner) per person, for each night of your stay.

However, on the official website I spotted this:

Breakfast buffet in your hotel (and then in teeny tiny writing at the bottom of the page) Except if you have received free Full/Half board as part of a special offer package

So now, I have no idea what we can and can't have!
I used to think DDP was confusing at WDW but that was un morceau de gateau compared to this!

 

[BadPinkTink]

For the last year or so there have been 2 locations for breakfast.

1. If you got the free dining plan deal, you had a voucher for a quick service breakfast in the park. The restaurant name would be specified on the voucher.

2. If you paid for a dining plan you had breakfast in the hotel you are staying in.

It looks like they are still doing this. When you check in you will be given your meal vouchers. You will find out then the exact location of your breakfast.

 

[cazspence]

From April all breakfast will be in your hotel, so if you go before April then it will Be breakfast in the park.

 

[closetmickey]

From April all breakfast will be in your hotel, so if you go before April then it will Be breakfast in the park.

We are going in July and I was told this as well when I recently booked the Disneyland hotel with free half board. Sure hope it is true! The park breakfast would really diminish the value for us.

 

[Hobbes]

Sigh....they do like to make life complicated...Thanks for the quick replies everyone

 

[JessicaRabbit13]

We are going in July and I was told this as well when I recently booked the Disneyland hotel with free half board. Sure hope it is true! The park breakfast would really diminish the value for us.

I'm pretty sure that Disneyland Hotel guests have been automatically upgraded at check in to hotel breakfast rather than park breakfast even with the free half board.

 

[closetmickey]

I'm pretty sure that Disneyland Hotel guests have been automatically upgraded at check in to hotel breakfast rather than park breakfast even with the free half board.

Good to know! Thank you

 

[Karin1984]

Sigh....they do like to make life complicated...Thanks for the quick replies everyone

I think the decision to have also the free-meal plans at the hotel makes it simpler.

 

[steve_rob]

Confirming what’s already been said above, but sometimes it is nice to have multiple people say the same thing!

I had the same query about whether breakfast was in the hotel or the park having seen that same small print, so when I booked (for September) I asked and they said it would definitely be in the hotel. Plus it also says the same in the confirmation documentation that they sent me by e-mail, so if anyone says otherwise on check-in, I can always point to that.

 

[mala55]

Hmm....interesting. We just purchased a 2 night package at DLP-Newport Bay with a 25% off offer for August. It too says it comes with Half Board and I read exactly what you all have. I went with purchasing the package directly with Disney because of the offer including the Half Board. However, I was just on Trip Advisor reading reviews of the hotel. One customer complained of some negative changes that they have seen with their stay there from previous stays. He specifically complains that the Half Board breakfast was not in the hotel as in the past, but instead in the park.

Disney responded to this customer with yesterday with this:


Dear Guest,
Thank you for letting us know about your experience during your stay in Disney's Newport Bay Club.


If there is an offer with free half board, the breakfast is indeed in the Disneyland Parks. We are very sorry about the miscommunications.


Please know that we have used your comments and have let the right departments know about these so they can be looked into. Thank you for letting us know, your feedback is very important to us.


We do hope that we will have the pleasure of welcoming you back again soon in Disneyland Paris.


Regards,
Lexi
Guest Experience Team – Disneyland® Paris

 

[closetmickey]

Hmm....interesting. We just purchased a 2 night package at DLP-Newport Bay with a 25% off offer for August. It too says it comes with Half Board and I read exactly what you all have. I went with purchasing the package directly with Disney because of the offer including the Half Board. However, I was just on Trip Advisor reading reviews of the hotel. One customer complained of some negative changes that they have seen with their stay there from previous stays. He specifically complains that the Half Board breakfast was not in the hotel as in the past, but instead in the park.

Disney responded to this customer with yesterday with this:


Dear Guest,
Thank you for letting us know about your experience during your stay in Disney's Newport Bay Club.


If there is an offer with free half board, the breakfast is indeed in the Disneyland Parks. We are very sorry about the miscommunications.


Please know that we have used your comments and have let the right departments know about these so they can be looked into. Thank you for letting us know, your feedback is very important to us.


We do hope that we will have the pleasure of welcoming you back again soon in Disneyland Paris.


Regards,
Lexi
Guest Experience Team – Disneyland® Paris

I wonder if this response was because the guest stayed there before this coming April. It sounds like April is when the change back to the hotels will take place??

 

[mala55]

The Trip Advisor review indicates a December 2018 stay. The response from Disney Newport Bay was posted just yesterday.

 

[HappyPanda]

Any stays up to the end of March anyone who took the free half board offer are still being given the breakfast vouchers (athough there are reports of some people getting a bit of Pixie Dust at check in and being upgraded to hotel breakfast). From April the breakfast vouchers are being scrapped entirely so anyone with a half/full board meal plan whether that is paid for or free will have full buffet breakfast at their chosen hotel.