Just Back-Our Meal Plan Value...doing the math - The DIS Discussion Forums

Jeanieblue114 · 10-09-2009, 12:05 PM

We just got back and had the Free Dining.

We booked 2 rooms at a value (got the free upgrade to OKW studios).
2 Adults in each room

We added 1 day park tickets because we already had no-expire hoppers with days left.

We got the free Dining plan as well for 5 nights.

per person 5 nights, 1 day ticket, 5 CS credits, 5 TS credits, 5 snack credits.
cost per person was $310.00 including tax.

I added up our dining receipts plus snacks.
Each person spent between $200 and $260 dollars for dining that was covered by meal plan credits.

This obviously was a good value with our free dining plan and paying the rack rate value resort price. The cost of our meals plus the ticket was our total that we paid.

However, we NEVER eat that many meals when we are at Disney. We never eat that many desserts or smoothies either. Our last day, we still had 5 meal credits left between the 4 of us. Luckily we were staying at a condo off-property for 2 additional nights. We went to WPE on our last day of our dining plan and got 5 to-go meals and took them back to the condo and had enough to eat for our remaining 2 days. We even brought back most of the snacks and a few extra dessert cookies from WPE.

If we had purchased the meal plan at $40 plus tax per person, this definitely would NOT have been a good deal.
That cost of the DDP would be about $220 per person for the 5 nights.

2 people in our group spent over that, 2 people spent under that WITH ordering occasional steaks, smoothies, and lots of desserts.

If we just cut out a couple desserts and smoothies here and there that we didn't want anyway, we would be ahead of the dining plan price.

Morale of this story...it was nice to try...it worked for free dining....I would never buy it at full price. Getting just what I want OOP would save at least $50 per person for 5 nights.
The convenience of pre-paying and "not having to worry" is not worth the extra $200 expense for the 4 of us to buy the plan at the regular price.
When I get home, I'll just have to worry then about the extra $200 expense that I didn't need.
I MIGHT try a QS plan. But I still think that it would just break even and I don't have to worry about running out to use up all the extra credits on the last day.

Schmoodle · 10-09-2009, 12:15 PM

Whan I have done the math, I have come to the same conclusion as you. So, I would not purchase the DDP for my family, but would be willing to use it as part of a promotion/discount. It was very convenient.
However, I think the QSDP would be a good fit, and as we are staying on Disney property for our January trip, I am going to test the theory.

Jeanieblue114 · 10-09-2009, 12:39 PM

I kinda knew going in that it wouldn't be that big of a benefit to us. With the promo it worked so we did it.

I thought I might have some revelation and understand why people go so nuts over getting the Dining plan, but that didn't happen.

I think I'm just a very realistic and practical person. I have gone many many times to Disney and I always have a to-do list in mind for activities. Rarely do they including a list of dining reservations (read as never). An exception would be something like the Garden room tea...and that's not on the plan anyway.
Some of the restaurants were nice, but I don't enjoy planning my vacation around where I have to be for dinner.
I would rather plan dinner around where I am at the time I am hungry. If that means I want a soft pretzel or a rice crispy treat for dinner...that's what I do. It's vacation.
Plus, I love to cook and I really think that most of what I make exceeds the quality that I get when I go out.....at Disney or elsewhere.

Dr. Bonnie · 10-09-2009, 04:00 PM

[quote=Jeanieblue114;33888193]We just got back and had the Free Dining.

We booked 2 rooms at a value (got the free upgrade to OKW studios).
2 Adults in each room

How does this upgrade work? I would be interested for my November trip.

catne · 10-09-2009, 04:09 PM

[quote=Dr. Bonnie;33891376]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanieblue114

We just got back and had the Free Dining.

We booked 2 rooms at a value (got the free upgrade to OKW studios).
2 Adults in each room

How does this upgrade work? I would be interested for my November trip.

That was a one-shot upgrade...Disney over-booked the value resorts for the August/September Free Dining so depending on whether you had reservations for the over-booked dates, some people were offered a free upgrade to studios & suites at OKW. It was not available to everyone who went during free dining - only if you were there when Disney wanted to open up more Value rooms. Don't think you can count on it happening in November, though. It pretty much is something that happens occasionally for very specific reasons (like overbooking a Value resort.)

Jeanieblue114 · 10-09-2009, 04:12 PM

yeah, I had the trip booked then I was at Disney in July on a mini side trip and when I got back there was and email saying I could upgrade for the Sept. trip.

I jumped on it, but it was limited and I had to adjust my dates to take advantage of the offer. They didn't even have enough of the offers for the people they sent the offers to.

It's a random Disney thing with no explaination or reason.

catne · 10-09-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanieblue114

yeah, I had the trip booked then I was at Disney in July on a mini side trip and when I got back there was and email saying I could upgrade for the Sept. trip.

I jumped on it, but it was limited and I had to adjust my dates to take advantage of the offer. They didn't even have enough of the offers for the people they sent the offers to.

It's a random Disney thing with no explaination or reason.

Ain't that the way of it all, lol. Hey, thanks for your assessment on the value - you have some really valid points in there. We love the dining plan but by the end of the week we're getting pretty tired of the sweets (and we LOVE desserts.) Think the perfect deal might be a flex plan that lets you switch off every other day or something. But I guess they do...they call it CASH, lol.

KELLY · 10-09-2009, 07:33 PM

We are doing the FD for the first time in 2 weeks. I can already tell it is going to be way to much food. But If we don't use them all no big deal(it's free). Like you we have tickest so we just did the one base ticket and are staying at a value for the first time. I figure if I went moderate It wouldn't be such a great deal. But I would never pay for the DP. Our total stay at pop for 8 nights for 2 adults one child and one infant is 1170.00. We already figured we will skip most of the deserts. I would consider paying for the QSDP to try it.

Jeanieblue114 · 10-09-2009, 09:08 PM

You can always ask for fruit and put it in the frig in the room (although going back to the room can be a pain). You can cash in extra credits for snacks. Even if they only give you a couple, it's a fun souvenier to take home and you got something out of it.

I've also always thought that some flex type plan would be great. Like a card that you could pre-pay. Like pay $200 and get a $225 value card that you can just work down. But I think Disney counts on people not being financial meticulous and just liking the convenience.

Dr. Bonnie · 10-10-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanieblue114

yeah, I had the trip booked then I was at Disney in July on a mini side trip and when I got back there was and email saying I could upgrade for the Sept. trip.

I jumped on it, but it was limited and I had to adjust my dates to take advantage of the offer. They didn't even have enough of the offers for the people they sent the offers to.

It's a random Disney thing with no explaination or reason.

Knew it was too good to be true!

Thanks for the info.

I am in full agreement. FREE dining is worth it, but it's more food (and WAY more desserts!) than I would ever buy out of pocket.

2Tiggies · 10-10-2009, 03:36 PM

I am think along similar lines as you guys - the Dining Plan is probably not the most cost effective for us (Me and DD7). But the convenience is what really does it for me. Also, with the new QSDP we have an option better suited to our eating patterns and on that we more or less break even which is good enough for me. We still do a few OOP TS but one or two a week is about as much as I can take. I think what some people forget, which everyone on this thread seems to have realised, is that DDP is only a good deal if you usually eat that amount of food. Factoring desserts twice a day per person into the cost is pretty pointless if you don't usually eat dessert and even on vacation, how much cake can a person take in the heat?! Also, if breakfast is your main meal for the day, you may find yourself coming slightly short.

On a side note, however, there are people who generally eat more than what is normal for a family. I recently read a gripe someone had (can't remember where I read it) who had purchased the regular DDP and ran out of credits several days before the end of their vacation. This was, according to him, in spite of already having paid OOP for breakfasts and things. While I just can't comprehend this happening, it just shows that we are all so different. For me, it's great having pre-paid, meaning no need to worry about exceeding the budget as it was all accounted for before we leave. It all comes down to knowing your family/group and having a reasonable expectation of what you can and will eat - even on vacation!

Jeanieblue114 · 10-11-2009, 07:30 PM

One other plus to getting the dining plan if you plan on breaking even on the dining value, is that if you have the Disney Visa card and buy a package vacation, you get 0% financing on your trip and 6 months to pay it off. So, you have that benefit when the meals are included in that package.

If you tend to carry balances on your card, and pay OOP/on a credit card for your meals at Disney, that extra interest rate would really add up while you paid it off. Prepaying with a 0% interest package on the Disney Visa would make a ginormous difference.

It still doesn't work out well for us necessarily, but I can see this being a benefit to some people when the interest rate game is a factor.

10-09-2009, 12:05 PM	#1
Jeanieblue114 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 859	Just Back-Our Meal Plan Value...doing the math We just got back and had the Free Dining. We booked 2 rooms at a value (got the free upgrade to OKW studios). 2 Adults in each room We added 1 day park tickets because we already had no-expire hoppers with days left. We got the free Dining plan as well for 5 nights. per person 5 nights, 1 day ticket, 5 CS credits, 5 TS credits, 5 snack credits. cost per person was $310.00 including tax. I added up our dining receipts plus snacks. Each person spent between $200 and $260 dollars for dining that was covered by meal plan credits. This obviously was a good value with our free dining plan and paying the rack rate value resort price. The cost of our meals plus the ticket was our total that we paid. However, we NEVER eat that many meals when we are at Disney. We never eat that many desserts or smoothies either. Our last day, we still had 5 meal credits left between the 4 of us. Luckily we were staying at a condo off-property for 2 additional nights. We went to WPE on our last day of our dining plan and got 5 to-go meals and took them back to the condo and had enough to eat for our remaining 2 days. We even brought back most of the snacks and a few extra dessert cookies from WPE. If we had purchased the meal plan at $40 plus tax per person, this definitely would NOT have been a good deal. That cost of the DDP would be about $220 per person for the 5 nights. 2 people in our group spent over that, 2 people spent under that WITH ordering occasional steaks, smoothies, and lots of desserts. If we just cut out a couple desserts and smoothies here and there that we didn't want anyway, we would be ahead of the dining plan price. Morale of this story...it was nice to try...it worked for free dining....I would never buy it at full price. Getting just what I want OOP would save at least $50 per person for 5 nights. The convenience of pre-paying and "not having to worry" is not worth the extra $200 expense for the 4 of us to buy the plan at the regular price. When I get home, I'll just have to worry then about the extra $200 expense that I didn't need. I MIGHT try a QS plan. But I still think that it would just break even and I don't have to worry about running out to use up all the extra credits on the last day. __________________ 1974-2002 Disneyworld Off-property annually 2003 Dolphin Resort 2003 Disney's Vero Beach Resort 2003 Disney's Hilton Head Resort 2004 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel 2004 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel 2005-2008 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel Annually July 2009 3 Nights Disney Good Neighbor Sept-Oct 2009 5 Nights Disney's Old Key West

10-09-2009, 12:15 PM	#2
Schmoodle Mouseketeer Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 346	Whan I have done the math, I have come to the same conclusion as you. So, I would not purchase the DDP for my family, but would be willing to use it as part of a promotion/discount. It was very convenient. However, I think the QSDP would be a good fit, and as we are staying on Disney property for our January trip, I am going to test the theory. __________________ My first sad and lonely little dining report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2303371 1974 - Family Camping Trip January 1991 - Family Trip to Westgate Vacation Villas May 1996 - Best Girlfriend's Trip, Vacation Villas at Fantasy World July 1998 - Hottest Trip Ever! Parkway International Resort December 2002 - Multi-Family Dance Trip to Sheraton Vistana Resort December 2004 - Anthony and Gabbie's First Visit (Can't remember the name of the condo and don't want to try) October 2008 - The Kids and I stay at Marrott Grande Vista September 2009 - The Quest for Grownup Food and CSR (First On-Site) stay

10-09-2009, 12:39 PM	#3
Jeanieblue114 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 859	I kinda knew going in that it wouldn't be that big of a benefit to us. With the promo it worked so we did it. I thought I might have some revelation and understand why people go so nuts over getting the Dining plan, but that didn't happen. I think I'm just a very realistic and practical person. I have gone many many times to Disney and I always have a to-do list in mind for activities. Rarely do they including a list of dining reservations (read as never). An exception would be something like the Garden room tea...and that's not on the plan anyway. Some of the restaurants were nice, but I don't enjoy planning my vacation around where I have to be for dinner. I would rather plan dinner around where I am at the time I am hungry. If that means I want a soft pretzel or a rice crispy treat for dinner...that's what I do. It's vacation. Plus, I love to cook and I really think that most of what I make exceeds the quality that I get when I go out.....at Disney or elsewhere. __________________ 1974-2002 Disneyworld Off-property annually 2003 Dolphin Resort 2003 Disney's Vero Beach Resort 2003 Disney's Hilton Head Resort 2004 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel 2004 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel 2005-2008 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel Annually July 2009 3 Nights Disney Good Neighbor Sept-Oct 2009 5 Nights Disney's Old Key West

10-09-2009, 04:12 PM	#6
Jeanieblue114 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 859	yeah, I had the trip booked then I was at Disney in July on a mini side trip and when I got back there was and email saying I could upgrade for the Sept. trip. I jumped on it, but it was limited and I had to adjust my dates to take advantage of the offer. They didn't even have enough of the offers for the people they sent the offers to. It's a random Disney thing with no explaination or reason. __________________ 1974-2002 Disneyworld Off-property annually 2003 Dolphin Resort 2003 Disney's Vero Beach Resort 2003 Disney's Hilton Head Resort 2004 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel 2004 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel 2005-2008 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel Annually July 2009 3 Nights Disney Good Neighbor Sept-Oct 2009 5 Nights Disney's Old Key West

10-09-2009, 07:33 PM	#8
KELLY DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Wells,me,usa Posts: 1,356	We are doing the FD for the first time in 2 weeks. I can already tell it is going to be way to much food. But If we don't use them all no big deal(it's free). Like you we have tickest so we just did the one base ticket and are staying at a value for the first time. I figure if I went moderate It wouldn't be such a great deal. But I would never pay for the DP. Our total stay at pop for 8 nights for 2 adults one child and one infant is 1170.00. We already figured we will skip most of the deserts. I would consider paying for the QSDP to try it. __________________

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10-09-2009, 04:00 PM	#4
Dr. Bonnie Earning My Ears Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 7	[quote=Jeanieblue114;33888193]We just got back and had the Free Dining. We booked 2 rooms at a value (got the free upgrade to OKW studios). 2 Adults in each room How does this upgrade work? I would be interested for my November trip.

10-09-2009, 09:08 PM	#9
Jeanieblue114 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 859	You can always ask for fruit and put it in the frig in the room (although going back to the room can be a pain). You can cash in extra credits for snacks. Even if they only give you a couple, it's a fun souvenier to take home and you got something out of it. I've also always thought that some flex type plan would be great. Like a card that you could pre-pay. Like pay $200 and get a $225 value card that you can just work down. But I think Disney counts on people not being financial meticulous and just liking the convenience. __________________ 1974-2002 Disneyworld Off-property annually 2003 Dolphin Resort 2003 Disney's Vero Beach Resort 2003 Disney's Hilton Head Resort 2004 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel 2004 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel 2005-2008 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel Annually July 2009 3 Nights Disney Good Neighbor Sept-Oct 2009 5 Nights Disney's Old Key West

10-10-2009, 03:36 PM	#11
2Tiggies DIS Veteran Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,015	I am think along similar lines as you guys - the Dining Plan is probably not the most cost effective for us (Me and DD7). But the convenience is what really does it for me. Also, with the new QSDP we have an option better suited to our eating patterns and on that we more or less break even which is good enough for me. We still do a few OOP TS but one or two a week is about as much as I can take. I think what some people forget, which everyone on this thread seems to have realised, is that DDP is only a good deal if you usually eat that amount of food. Factoring desserts twice a day per person into the cost is pretty pointless if you don't usually eat dessert and even on vacation, how much cake can a person take in the heat?! Also, if breakfast is your main meal for the day, you may find yourself coming slightly short. On a side note, however, there are people who generally eat more than what is normal for a family. I recently read a gripe someone had (can't remember where I read it) who had purchased the regular DDP and ran out of credits several days before the end of their vacation. This was, according to him, in spite of already having paid OOP for breakfasts and things. While I just can't comprehend this happening, it just shows that we are all so different. For me, it's great having pre-paid, meaning no need to worry about exceeding the budget as it was all accounted for before we leave. It all comes down to knowing your family/group and having a reasonable expectation of what you can and will eat - even on vacation! __________________

10-11-2009, 07:30 PM	#12
Jeanieblue114 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 859	One other plus to getting the dining plan if you plan on breaking even on the dining value, is that if you have the Disney Visa card and buy a package vacation, you get 0% financing on your trip and 6 months to pay it off. So, you have that benefit when the meals are included in that package. If you tend to carry balances on your card, and pay OOP/on a credit card for your meals at Disney, that extra interest rate would really add up while you paid it off. Prepaying with a 0% interest package on the Disney Visa would make a ginormous difference. It still doesn't work out well for us necessarily, but I can see this being a benefit to some people when the interest rate game is a factor. __________________ 1974-2002 Disneyworld Off-property annually 2003 Dolphin Resort 2003 Disney's Vero Beach Resort 2003 Disney's Hilton Head Resort 2004 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel 2004 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel 2005-2008 Disneyworld Good Neighbor Hotel Annually July 2009 3 Nights Disney Good Neighbor Sept-Oct 2009 5 Nights Disney's Old Key West

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