For me, I call them like I see them.
There are truths, as far as I'm concerned:
1. The DDP is bringing down the quality of Disney Dining overall. That affects ME, so I am TICKED!
Yes, this is abundantly clear. Many of your posts on this topic sound quite angry.
2. People obsess over how to get a good deal with the DDP, when, IF YOU EAT A TS A DAY appetizer, entree, and dessert, it's already a good deal. No need to gin the system to make it an even better deal.
Not sure what "gin the system" means -- I am assuming something like "work the system"? Yes, I agree, the price of the DDP is a good deal for a nice TS meal of appetizer, entree, and dessert. However, not everyone wants to eat so much in one sitting. For many guests it's just too much food for one meal. They'd rather split the appetizer and the dessert. It is not an issue of "making it a better deal", it's an issue of wanting to eat a reasonable portion AND not waste half a meal.
3. The DDP is NOT A GOOD DEAL from a pure cost standpoint. I can eat more cheaply without it easily. Of course, I don't want to eat restaurant food 3 times a day....I just got back from a 48 hour trip, and that was too much restaurant food. No way would I do it for 5 or 7 or 10 days.
The DDP is not a good deal
for you. You have a DVC membership, you are eligible for the DDE. You don't mind preparing some meals on your vacation, and you get tired of eating restaurant food for your whole trip. This is not the case for everyone else. Other people have different circumstances and preferences than you do. Not everyone walks in your shoes.
4. All the focus on the DDP has taken away from the FOOD! Just look at all the threads...it's endless DDP chatter, and very little about what's good and fun to eat at Disney!
Perhaps you are reading the wrong thread? This thread is entitled "
Disney Dining Plan", so naturally, the posts here are all going to be about...the Disney Dining Plan.
If you want to read posts about what is good and fun to eat at Disney, you might find the posts more to your interest and liking on the general "Disney Restaurants" thread, or the "Disney Dining Reviews" thread.
5. I'm with the earlier poster....I NEVER knew people shared whole meals as a way of getting out of ordering something for themselves. I've never seen it done in any restaurant between two adults. I have friends who eat half their meal, then switch, so they can try new things. But I don't think Disney ever intended you to bring 4 people to dinner and order two meals on the DDP. THEY MEANT FOR YOU TO PAY OOP if you are trying to squirrel away credits for signature meals.
You have mentioned that you have shared appetizers and desserts in restaurants. It seems -- and I may be mistaken -- that your main concern is the sharing of entrees. I would not share an entree unless it was very large and appropriate to share. For example, one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants makes wonderful fajitas, but it is served on a huge platter, and it's just way too much for one person (especially after chips and salsa and a couple of margaritas) so we always share that. But if my husband ordered say...a filet mignon, then of course we wouldn't share that. It's an appropriate portion for one adult. And we've found in many cases that the more expensive and upscale the restaurant is, the smaller the portions are anyway
Splitting an entree in the kitchen is up to the server's discretion or the restaurant's policy (they obviously would if they have a plate splitting fee). I've never asked a server to do so; sometimes they have offered to plate it separately, which was very nice, but not necessary. They may prefer to split it in the kitchen if the food would be awkward or messy to split at the table, like a large portion of a pasta or a very saucy dish. If you have never seen adults sharing a meal in a restaurant, it's probably because it was plated separately in the kitchen, or the people were discreet about splitting it at the table (as pilferk mentioned, using the appetizer plate for the second person). So you wouldn't notice that unless you were sitting there staring at other diners.
jodifla...I am truly sorry that the DDP upsets you this much, but it's been successful for Disney, has filled up restaurants at times they used to be slow, and it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. I'm also sorry that you feel that people who are inquiring about sharing meals are trying to get something for nothing, or trying to work the system, or whatever. I didn't imagine or presume that I could change your mind; I only hoped to provide a different perspective so maybe you could see things from another point of view. But I'm afraid I've failed at that.
If it makes you feel any better
I ran the numbers and found it would be much more expensive to share a TS credit (in order to share the appetizer and dessert) and order a second entree OOP, than to just order 2 TS meals that we possibly can't finish and waste food -- so we aren't going to share 2 meals as we had originally considered doing.