Dining Plan worth it?

[kevschickee]

What's the convenience? You still have to swipe your card for every meal, right? How is OOP different in convenience compared to the dining plan?

If the spreadsheet seems inaccurate to you, there could be a couple reasons...


[*]It estimates costs based on averages of menu items, not an actual bill.
[*]You have to estimate things like appetizers and desserts, too.
[*]Peak plan costs aren't reflected.


The spreadsheet includes lots of variables in there. You have to make sure you're filling it out correctly. There's lots of gotchas that the spreadsheet points out that people may not realize. (The Hoop De Doo sometimes counts as TS and sometimes not.)

If you found a $43 coupon lying on the ground and it said, "This coupon is worth $43 if and only if you pay Disney up front for all food costs you intend to use, but if you deviate, this coupon may decline in value and/or surcharges will be added to your bill that may cause you to actually lose money by using this coupon," would you use it? I think not.

The convenience is I don't have to carry around the money. I like knowing my meals are paid for and I can plan my spending money better. Why are you so against people being for the ddp wow

 

[kevschickee]

Unfair comparison. If there were $43 on the ground, I would take it and be happy. That is a one-time event and a sure thing-and didn't cost me anything yet.

Again, you have to pay ahead of time for food you have not eaten, and actually may not eat. So Disney has your money ahead of time. What if some people get sick and can't eat for several days at WDW? Is that not a waste of money? There goes the $43 savings. Again, what if one or more people in the group decide they want the pasta or chicken instead of the steak, even though you have pretermined that in order to save money you must order the steak. There goes the $43 savings.

You can't worry about the what ifs. You have to pay for park tickets but what if you can't go because you are sick? It's the same thing.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Trying to explain why/why not someone should use a dining plan, when they've already decided which they prefer, is like trying to convince a family who camps/backpacks/fish, that they would prefer to stay at the Waldorf and have mani/pedi appts, and cucumber water for their vacation. For me, one of those options sounds like heaven, and the other,,,, well,,,,not going to happen,,,ever......yes there are ways the dining plan can save, yes there are those who find is much more convenient, but for some who just plan/vacation differently, it's just not worth it! It really is basically just a family to family preference.

This isn't a matter of preference. It's math. Either it's cheaper or it's not. Those are facts, not opinions. Now, claiming the DDP is more convenient is an opinion, so I can't claim a person is "wrong." But I would like to understand the rationale. I just don't get how having to pay for everything in advance and keep track of points and worry about exceptions to rules, and remember when BOG is CS and when it's TS and when the Whoop De Doo is allowed on the plan and when it isn't could ever be considered convenient. I could be missing something, so please explain it to me.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

The convenience is I don't have to carry around the money. I like knowing my meals are paid for and I can plan my spending money better. Why are you so against people being for the ddp wow

You don't have to carry around money. You use your room key for purchases or did Disney stop that?

 

[bdklein]

and to be honest we were eating things for the sake of it because it was prepaid. .

You aere not the only one-trust me.

 

[bdklein]

If you found a $43 coupon lying on the ground and it said, "This coupon is worth $43 if and only if you pay Disney up front for all food costs you intend to use, but if you deviate, this coupon may decline in value and/or surcharges will be added to your bill that may cause you to actually lose money by using this coupon," would you use it? I think not.

Very well said!!!

 

[martinezmom3]

This isn't a matter of preference. It's math. Either it's cheaper or it's not. Those are facts, not opinions. Now, claiming the DDP is more convenient is an opinion, so I can't claim a person is "wrong." But I would like to understand the rationale. I just don't get how having to pay for everything in advance and keep track of points and worry about exceptions to rules, and remember when BOG is CS and when it's TS and when the Whoop De Doo is allowed on the plan and when it isn't could ever be considered convenient. I could be missing something, so please explain it to me.

Preference, most certainly. Someone posted that their numbers showed $43 savings, but are the roasted because there are ten what ifs that could stop that from happening. If I lived my life on what ifs, I'd be afraid to even open my eyes in the morning. And, if someone prefers to pay everything off in advance, why can't that be their prerogative? My best friend loves pedicures and manicures, I personally think she's nuts. I would never spend that much money on my nails,, however feels like I'm nuts,,,she earns her money and feels like it's relaxing....I don't try to talk her out of it, it's her money. Is my way cheaper, yes,,,can I put a monetary price on her stress relief, no. Only each family can decide their value on the dining plan.

 

[bdklein]

Why are you so against people being for the ddp

I believe I have stated it in my prevous postings but I can repost if necessary. Or send me a PM.

 

[bdklein]

You can't worry about the what ifs. You have to pay for park tickets but what if you can't go because you are sick? It's the same thing.

If you are sick at the parks on your trip. Sorry for the ambiguity.

And you do need tickets to get into the park-you don't need a Dining Plan to eat.

 

[bdklein]

Only each family can decide their value on the dining plan.

True, but people (and Disney) go on about the benefits of the Plan without the drawbacks. Just like Magcial Express are a way to get you to stay onsite, the Dining Plans are a way to get you to eat onsite and not stray elsewhere.

 

[kevschickee]

True, but people (and Disney) go on about the benefits of the Plan without the drawbacks. Just like Magcial Express are a way to get you to stay onsite, the Dining Plans are a way to get you to eat onsite and not stray elsewhere.

Why should people have to state the draw backs? Maybe they have none?

 

[martinezmom3]

True, but people (and Disney) go on about the benefits of the Plan without the drawbacks. Just like Magcial Express are a way to get you to stay onsite, the Dining Plans are a way to get you to eat onsite and not stray elsewhere.

I think that's true with any company. The point is to make people use your product, and it's the consumers choice.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Preference, most certainly. Someone posted that their numbers showed $43 savings, but are the roasted because there are ten what ifs that could stop that from happening. If I lived my life on what ifs, I'd be afraid to even open my eyes in the morning. And, if someone prefers to pay everything off in advance, why can't that be their prerogative? My best friend loves pedicures and manicures, I personally think she's nuts. I would never spend that much money on my nails,, however feels like I'm nuts,,,she earns her money and feels like it's relaxing....I don't try to talk her out of it, it's her money. Is my way cheaper, yes,,,can I put a monetary price on her stress relief, no. Only each family can decide their value on the dining plan.

You're mixing two things... If you did the math and you come out ahead, and you're relatively sure you're going to stick to your plan, that's awesome. I'm not going to chastise anyone for saving money. Also, I wouldn't argue with someone who forgoes the minimal savings because of the penalty if the plan is deviated.

I would argue that a person who DIDN'T try to make a good estimate and just assumes they're saving money is silly, because the numbers rarely work out. But what's really incredible to me are the people who admit the plan is more money, but claim they still want it are suffering from a form of cognitive dissonance on a scale I've not seen before.

 

[bdklein]

I would argue that a person who DIDN'T try to make a good estimate and just assumes they're saving money is silly, because the numbers rarely work out. But what's really incredible to me are the people who admit the plan is more money, but claim they still want it are suffering from a form of cognitive dissonance on a scale I've not seen before.

And then they complain (not all) how expensive the trip was or how they had all these leftover credits and the end of their trip.

 

[alisha123]

Trying to explain why/why not someone should use a dining plan, when they've already decided which they prefer, is like trying to convince a family who camps/backpacks/fish, that they would prefer to stay at the Waldorf and have mani/pedi appts, and cucumber water for their vacation. For me, one of those options sounds like heaven, and the other,,,, well,,,,not going to happen,,,ever......yes there are ways the dining plan can save, yes there are those who find is much more convenient, but for some who just plan/vacation differently, it's just not worth it! It really is basically just a family to family preference.

Bravo great perspective

 

[goofy4prez]

Unfair comparison. If there were $43 on the ground, I would take it and be happy. That is a one-time event and a sure thing-and didn't cost me anything yet.

Again, you have to pay ahead of time for food you have not eaten, and actually may not eat. So Disney has your money ahead of time. What if some people get sick and can't eat for several days at WDW? Is that not a waste of money? There goes the $43 savings. Again, what if one or more people in the group decide they want the pasta or chicken instead of the steak, even though you have pretermined that in order to save money you must order the steak. There goes the $43 savings.

Life if full of what ifs. What if you pay for your airfare, book your Disney trip, and the day you leave you become extremly ill and are rushed to the hospital. If you didn't purchase insurance, your out all of your money. If you purchase insurance and nothing happens, you spent money you didn't need. Example of what ifs.

Again, I am not attacking you, for some it works out and for some it don't. Some are willing to pay ahead and some are not. For you and how you dine, it may not be worth it; for someone else it may.

 

[kevschickee]

Life if full of what ifs. What if you pay for your airfare, book your Disney trip, and the day you leave you become extremly ill and are rushed to the hospital. If you didn't purchase insurance, your out all of your money. If you purchase insurance and nothing happens, you spent money you didn't need. Example of what ifs.

Again, I am not attacking you, for some it works out and for some it don't. Some are willing to pay ahead and some are not. For you and how you dine, it may not be worth it; for someone else it may.

 

[BlackMagicWoman]

The justification to lose money because someone might get sick makes no sense to me. I paid for a whole vacation and someone might get sick. The idea that I don't know my own or my child's eating habits is bizarre. My daughter isn't ordering the chicken. She's ordering the steak if its an option. Every. Single. Time. I'm ordering dessert everytime. You know why? I like dessert and I order it every time I go to eat anywhere. Even in Japanese restaurants when half the time, their dessert sucks. I work I'm finance so of course I did a spreadsheet. Seriously. OOP would cost me $385 before I ate a single snack, VS $393 for the DDP.

 

[kris4360]

To me it is. My kids don't have a choice. It's lunch time they come with me or if it's dinner time they come with me. It isn't just about saving money. There is a convenience factor too.

That's what I love more than anything is the convenience!

 

[Jonathan Swift]

That's what I love more than anything is the convenience!

And that convenience is?