<p>Have the meal plan requirements changed for first year students? We were ready to enroll in the silver plan, based on discussions on a previous thread. However, when we went to the Bama Dining page, it indicated that all incoming 1st year students are required to participate in the 1st year experience meal plan. It appears to be an all access plan with a cost of $1525 per semester (discounted from the regular all access plan of $1757). However, when you try to enroll, the 1st year experience plan does not appear. Now we are confused…did we miss something? I tried calling Bama Dining all morning, but I’m just getting a recording. Thanks for any insight!</p>
<p>That’s how I read the new language on the dining website also. This is terrible - they knew that 160 meals a semester was too much, and the response was to make freshmen buy even more? Craziness.</p>
<p>This is new. </p>
<p>Yes, the meal plan options for frosh have now changed. All frosh will now have the Unliimted plan, but that price is much lower than it was before. </p>
<p>I guess the idea is that frosh should be able to go into a dining hall at any time, grab a drink or a snack and not worry about a deduction of a meal from his plan. </p>
<p>There isn’t a Gold Plan anymore (I don’t think). </p>
<p>Only frosh have this req’t. </p>
<p>All students will have the option of this cheaper Unlimited plan. </p>
<p>As for enrolling…don’t know if they have that all set up yet. Frosh often enroll for meal plans at Bama Bound or when school starts.</p>
<p>On the dining website, it still lists the unlimited, gold, silver, bronze and bama 50. When you go to the “order page” it is showing a Spring order form. Obviously some things have not been updated. Was there an offical announcement on this that I missed?</p>
<p>This is part of an email that D just received. I cut the part out regarding buying the summer meal plan.</p>
<p>Looks like more info is coming soon.</p>
<p>"Please note, that Fall meal plans will be ordered this same way. This will be available at the end of this week or beginning of next week.</p>
<p>Please let me know if you have any questions.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Daphne Wright
Assistant Food Service Contract Administrator, Auxiliary Services
The University of Alabama
(205) 348-5798"</p>
<p>So if I’m looking at this right we would have selected silver at $1350 per semester=$2700</p>
<p>Now we must purchase the All Access at $1525 per semester = $3050</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSS/Alabama/MealPlans/MealPlansHome.htm[/url]”>http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSS/Alabama/MealPlans/MealPlansHome.htm</a></p>
<p>So for $350 more per year ($35 a month for 10 months) they can get as many drinks, snacks, meals, etc as they can eat versus getting 10 meals a week (old Silver plan) which I was planning on being manily lunch and dinner 5 days as I know my son won’t get up in time for breakfast most days…</p>
<p>Since we don’t have an option, I’ll be telling my son to go over and make himself some waffles for breakfast on days that he (hopefully) won’t have class until 10:00 am :)</p>
<p>I’m thinking that Bama is doing this so it can have a more level load of students frequenting all meals. </p>
<p>I think Bama had a problem with breakfast times, trying to have a decent variety for serving and to justify the hours, and having enough students to serve.</p>
<p>Will Freshman still be required to purchase $300 in dining dollars in addition to the Unlimited Meal Plan?</p>
<p>So does “all access” mean they can go into a dining plan location at any time and get what they want? Will that include going in to fill a cup with milk or a to-go box with fruit or cereal, as they can do now by swiping a meal?</p>
<p>M2CK - do you think they’ll now open Lakeside Dining up for breakfast? Breakfast isn’t even available there currently (probably because kids were eating breakfast in their suites). Do you think the mandatory unlimited plan for freshmen will change that, since kids will now be spending a couple hundred dollars more a semester on the meal plan, which will in turn cut down on the grocery/retail budget?</p>
<p>And yes, dining dollars are still required ($600/year).</p>
<p>That is what is sounds like. I tried to copy this we shall see what comes up to view :)</p>
<p>*** Meal plans will be changing as of Fall 2012
The required meal plan for freshmen will be the All Access plan </p>
<p>What this can do for you
Unlimited all you care to eat meals 7 days a week for $1525</p>
<p>Students don’t have to keep track of how many meals they have left on their Action Card</p>
<p>Our Kitchen is their Kitchen. Students can stop in for a drink, a cookie, or bowl of cereal. No need for grocery shopping!</p>
<p>*So does “all access” mean they can go into a dining plan location at any time and get what they want? Will that include going in to fill a cup with milk or a to-go box with fruit or cereal, as they can do now by swiping a meal?
*</p>
<p>Right…get a cookie, swipe. get a cup of milk, swipe. Get a to-go box of fruit, swipe. And, this way they don’t “lose” meals.</p>
<p>Will Freshman still be required to purchase $300 in dining dollars in addition to the Unlimited Meal Plan?</p>
<p>Yes, but if you don’t spend those Dining Dollars, you can get your money back at the end of the year.</p>
<p>*M2CK - do you think they’ll now open Lakeside Dining up for breakfast? Breakfast isn’t even available there currently (probably because kids were eating breakfast in their suites). Do you think the mandatory unlimited plan for freshmen will change that, since kids will now be spending a couple hundred dollars more a semester on the meal plan, which will in turn cut down on the grocery/retail budget? *</p>
<p>That’s what I’m guessing. Lakeside tried being open for breakfast a few years ago and wasn’t getting enough students.</p>
<p>The penny has dropped…
This mandatory change explains (part of) the large increase in COA this year that we’ve all been ‘raving’ about.
While my son will be happy w/ unlimited, I am not happy w/ being forced into this from a financial perspective…and we will both be most unhappy if Lakeside Dining does not open up for breakfast.</p>
<p>For most this would be bad news but as I was going to buy unlimited for my S for his freshman year, this actually is good news for me as I will be saving money. However, I agree with you all that you shouldn’t be forced to get this option if you don’t want it.</p>
<p>I just sent an email to Bama Dining regarding Lakeside hours and breakfast hours. We’ll see what the response is. </p>
<p>I don’t know if the fact that Fresh Food (in the Ferg) is open for breakfast will be enough for those on the north side of campus. Burke is open for breakfast for the south side.</p>
<p>IF (and that’s a big if) most of the freshmen on the north side of campus decide to go eat breakfast, wouldn’t you think Fresh Foods would be overwhelmed? There are a LOT of kids in Presidential, not to mention all the other dorms up there. And I would guess most of them, being teenagers, will be going during the last hour or so or breakfast, not when the dining hall first opens.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how this will affect those who go greek? How does it work when they split the dining plan?</p>
<p>There will likely be an option for those who are pledging since they are required to eat at their Houses. </p>
<p>These are the current options for those who are pledging…
[Bama</a> Dining - Meal Plans](<a href=“http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/fraternity-sorority.html]Bama”>http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/fraternity-sorority.html)</p>
<p>IF (and that’s a big if) most of the freshmen on the north side of campus decide to go eat breakfast, wouldn’t you think Fresh Foods would be overwhelmed? There are a LOT of kids in Presidential, not to mention all the other dorms up there. And I would guess most of them, being teenagers, will be going during the last hour or so or breakfast, not when the dining hall first opens.</p>
<p>This is what I’m thinking. I think that those of you who want Lakeside to be open for breakfast (because of this policy change), should let AJ deFalco know. He’s the District Manager of Residential Dining.</p>
<p><a href="mailto:DeFalco-Aj@Aramark.com">DeFalco-Aj@Aramark.com</a></p>
<p>and James Robinson Director of Residential Dining Operations
<a href="mailto:robertson-james@aramark.com">robertson-james@aramark.com</a></p>
<p>This whole meal plan thing is getting more and more ridiculous. I live in Riverside West, literally right across the street from Lakeside dining. I regularly go in there just to get a soda, a cookie, etc. I go to Bryant for lunch at least once a week. I still have about 75 meals left for this semester, and I finished last semester with over 100 meals remaining. This may be the one thing that bothers me the most about Bama.</p>