By George you are correct!
Our cheapest 2 TS meals were Tonys and 50s Prime Time. Those would have been OOP and cost roughly $250 net of tip.
So total cash savings is $575!
I'm not saying the DDP can't work in your favor ever, but it is a rarity.
Free DDP is another matter altogether and a different calculation.
MikenandReneeplus5: Glad paying out of pocket worked for you!! I was wondering how it measured out. When I am using the dining plan , I defiantly want to get the most out ouf the plan so I would look at the menu with the attitude of what can I get to get the biggest bang out of my buck (or in the case of free dining, how much can I be ahead) I wondered how it worked out. Thanks for figuring it out for us
I'm sure it was a great trip!!!
Thanks for posting!!!
I'm not sure I would say saving money on the dining plan is a rarity. It all depends on where your family likes to eat. If you like to eat at a lot of character meals the dining plan will usually save you money.
I don't think this is a fair comparison either. Whether I am on the DDP or paying OOP I want the steak, but if I am sitting there looking at the menu prices and paying OOP, I end up ordering the cheaper chicken or pasta.
I know just what you mean! For example, at Kona Café I think the duck was $22 or something and they had a steak for $30+. I felt like duck and that's what I got, but on the DDP I always felt a little like "gee maybe I should order that steak so I get my money's worth". LOL.
Likewise that night 2 of us wound up sharing a cheese platter and 2 or 3 sushi rolls for dinner. I have no idea how that would have played out on the DDP...apps don't count for sure. But that's what they wanted and we were free to not even give a thought to how the credits would sort out.
I feel confident in saying it's a rarity. That's why Disney pushes it, it's a money maker for them. As for character meals, I think CRT is the worst use of the DDP but I suppose Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace are good uses. But, as you say, if your family all orders expensive entrees (and that's what they really want) at every meal then yes it can work.
I totally agree with this! While on DDP, I sought out the most expensive entree to make the plan "worth it" to me. Had we gone OOP, I probably would have ordered chicken or pasta (and in some cases, I would prefer chicken or pasta). That being said, we're doing OOP for our next trip and I fully plan in getting a steak at least once during our trip and DH is looking forward to steak at every TS meal. It is vacation after all.
And Disney is not stupid. They are making money regardless of the discounts they give. I think FD is also a great marketing tactic since they are hooking you on the plan itself. I'd be willing to be that people would come back another time and pay for it!
I'm not sure I would say saving money on the dining plan is a rarity. It all depends on where your family likes to eat. If you like to eat at a lot of character meals the dining plan will usually save you money.
I know just what you mean! For example, at Kona Café I think the duck was $22 or something and they had a steak for $30+. I felt like duck and that's what I got, but on the DDP I always felt a little like "gee maybe I should order that steak so I get my money's worth". LOL.
Likewise that night 2 of us wound up sharing a cheese platter and 2 or 3 sushi rolls for dinner. I have no idea how that would have played out on the DDP...apps don't count for sure. But that's what they wanted and we were free to not even give a thought to how the credits would sort out.
I feel confident in saying it's a rarity. That's why Disney pushes it, it's a money maker for them. As for character meals, I think CRT is the worst use of the DDP but I suppose Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace are good uses. But, as you say, if your family all orders expensive entrees (and that's what they really want) at every meal then yes it can work.
We fall in the "rarity" category I guess. With 2 small kids who love characters, are picky eaters at times, and don't like to sit still very long waiting for food, we do almost all character meals/buffets. Just works better for our family.
I make adr's and then do the math every year, and still come out ahead with the dining plan. We do a military room discount, but then add the dining plan on.
I totally understand why it doesn't work for everyone, but for anyone doing all/mostly meals with a set price, its a pretty good deal!
I take back my "rarity" statement
Clearly there are many examples where it works.
It's all about the math and knowing what your family habits are.
The key is to be an informed consumer...there really is no right or wrong way to do it.
We are going this year with my family (hubby+son) and my parents and my uncle.
My dad insisted that we get the dining plan that way everyone can order what they want without feeling guilty about ordering the most expensive thing. He knows my uncle would, for a fact, order the cheapest thing on the menu if we were paying OOP. My husband also has the uncanny ability to be able to pick and order the most expensive thing on any menu without even knowing prices beforehand lol.
Of course the only pin offer I have so far for our march 2014 is the stay/play/dine so it works out well anyways lol.
For us, DDP, even if free doesn't work as 2 adults. The way we like to eat isn't conducive to the contstraints of DDP. Have we done it in the past? Yes. Would I consider it when LO gets older and we want to do character breakfasts with her. Definitely. But at the present time, doesn't work for us OOP.
And yes, FD is a completely different story. It makes me want to research based on a family of X number kids and adults staying at X level resort, what the actual % shakes out to be. A project for this afternoon!
And we were the exact opposite.
When I'm on the ddp I end of stressing over the cost of the meal and I make sure I order t he most expensive thing even if I only want a salad because God forbid I didn't maximize my credits.
That's why I never understand the "not think about what you order" line of thinking.
The two times I did the ddp that's all I did was over whether or not I got the most out of my credits.
Was anyone around when they first introduced the ddp? Do you remember all the post we had that asked "where can I get the most expensive meal in the park" or some variation of that. Remember when people would advise you never to use your ts credits for breakfast because it was not the best use of credits?
I find people obsess way more about food on the ddp than off.
now that my kids are all disney adults and the plan is way over 50 bucks per person, it's a no brainer. It's no longer the cheaper option, we simple would not eat 220 dollars worth of meal every day.
I like op did the same breakdown 2 summers ago. haven't gone back and since I always stay deluxe it's not even a deal with free dining.