2008 DDP discussion, questions, rants and vents

[sharon_wv]

RE: Tips not being included in dinner shows.....

I think you're mistaken. I copied & pasted directly from the Dining Plan brochure which states that gratuities are included.

"The Disney Dining Plan can be used for Category 2 or Category 3 seating at all Dinner Shows (subject to availability) and Category 1 seating
at the 9:30pm Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (subject to availabilty). Dinner Show experiences include: Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Mickey’s
Backyard BBQ (seasonal), both located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, or Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Show at Disney’s
Polynesian Resort. Dinner Shows offer family-style dining with live entertainment show performances throughout the meal, themed to the
Resort setting.
Show tickets can be acquired through Concierge. All Dinner Shows require Advance Reservations. Gratuities are included.
Two Table Service meals for each person dining at a Dinner Show will be redeemed from your meal plan balance."[/I]

 

[Tricia1972]

Sharon_wv - the DDP cost did not go up, so yes you're getting a better deal!

Here's how Character Breakfasts figure out value wise.

Restaurant..........Adult....Child ...Value/A Value/C..Break Even A Break EvenC
Hollywood & Vine..$28.76 ..$15.98 .$28.76....$15.98....-$9.24.............$5.99
Chef Mickey .........$28.76 ..$15.98 .$28.76...$15.98.....-$9.24.............$5.99
Boma ...................$22.37 ..$12.78 .$22.37...$12.78....-$15.63............$2.79
Cape May .............$24.50 ..$13.85.$24.50....$13.85....-$13.50...........$3.86
1900 Park Fare .....$24.50 ..$13.85 .$24.50...$13.85....-$13.50...........$3.86
Ohana ..................$24.50 ..$13.85..$24.50...$13.85....-$13.50...........$3.86
Tusker House .......$24.50 ..$13.85..$24.50...$13.85....-$13.50...........$3.86
Akershus .............$28.76 ..$15.98..$28.76...$15.98....-$9.24.............$5.99
Crystal Palace .....$24.50 ..$13.85..$24.50...$13.85....-$13.50............$3.86
CRT ....................$38.34 ..$25.56..$19.17...$12.78...-$18.82.............$2.79

In all cases except CRT, I think that you will come even or ahead using the DDP. Boma may be a challenge, but you're already ahead on your kids meals the day.

 

[Tricia1972]

RE: Tips not being included in dinner shows.....

I think you're mistaken. I copied & pasted directly from the Dining Plan brochure which states that gratuities are included.

"The Disney Dining Plan can be used for Category 2 or Category 3 seating at all Dinner Shows (subject to availability) and Category 1 seating
at the 9:30pm Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (subject to availabilty). Dinner Show experiences include: Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Mickey’s
Backyard BBQ (seasonal), both located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, or Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Show at Disney’s
Polynesian Resort. Dinner Shows offer family-style dining with live entertainment show performances throughout the meal, themed to the
Resort setting.
Show tickets can be acquired through Concierge. All Dinner Shows require Advance Reservations. Gratuities are included.
Two Table Service meals for each person dining at a Dinner Show will be redeemed from your meal plan balance."[/i]

Yes they are included, you've read the information correctly.

Also, the tip is not included for basic meals on either plan. Tax is included, but tip/gratuity is not included for either plan. (With the exception of the dinner shows and CRT.

 

[bless7ings]

What is the tax that is included on the meals on the dining plan? Are there two type of taxes? Inside dining for sit down? Take out tax? We are charged for so many different taxes that we don't even realize when we go out to eat unless we scrutinize the bill.

I am trying to figure if we would break even(just the two of us) if we were able to order anything we wanted for the day(like skipping dessert but ordering an appetizer or somedays splitting a meal because we are just not hungry, but those appetizers look good!

Also, are the plans still letting you get a milk shake for a drink? Or is it a dessert?

Fiargo fries at Pinocchio Village Haus are considered an appetizer, or a side dish which is not covered on the DDP, correct?

Any other things or ideas to think about? I have picked where we want to go and I am tallying up what it would cost Disney on the DDP, but I am finding that I wouldn't always eat that way if I weren't on the plan. So therefore I would be skipping dessert but ordering an appetizer or milkshake out of pocket.

Help me think this through!

 

[TLSnell1981]

6.5% is added to all dining. This is added to all meals,TS & CS and included in the dining plans. For instance, if a CS is listed as $14 and a TS is $35....tax is added on top of the $39. In this scenario, you would save the tax $2.54 and the price of your snack.

 

[Tricia1972]

Blessings - The tax on the Dining Plan is covering the sales tax that everyone pays on their food. With the DDP you pay one cost to have the plan. If you pay OOP, you need to add 6.5% to the menu prices to figure in the sales tax you pay OOP.

To best figure out if you come out ahead, look at the menus. Consider that you are going there and ordering whatever you would want for dinner that night. If whatever you want includes an appetizer, that's great! But you can't count it towards covering your daily cost of the plan. From whatever you'd order, take the cost of the Entree, Dessert, and Beverage (usually $2.50). Add those up, this is what the DDP is saving you for that meal. From the sounds of your post, I suspect that you're going to come out close to breaking even on the DDP, or you may be a little behind. It's very important when figuring to not figure out what you can get with the DDP, but rather what you eat and how the DDP fits that style. (I figured out the what I can get way for our October trip and did not like the plan for that trip)

Milk Shakes at TS locations are funny. PTC will include it as your beverage, but you get no refills. WCC is still a beverage, but because it's bottomless then you get refills. I don't know of other places that have milk shakes, but from posts I've read here it seems like other places are mostly counting them as your dessert.

Figaro Fries are a snack credit (and a very YUMMY snack credit at that) They are covered by the plan, but not as part of your CS credit for the day.

 

[bless7ings]

I have already started tallying. So far what I have done is figured out where we want to go, what we want if we are on the DDP and figured those prices. We would be paying approx. $ 455. for the plan and what I have figured so far without the snacks, just the sit down and counter services we would spend $498. So that is a savings, but I can already tell you none of the desserts on the counter service are cared for pretty much at all.

When we went in 2005 with our family(this time with just husband and I)we wasted most of the desserts(on counter service- they were yucky and not special!), maybe took a few bites. We could have split counter services most days and we as a family could get away with four meals between 2 adults 4 older kids and 2 young kids under 3 at the time for sit down meals. We wouldn't have changed it for that trip and it was a no brainer it was during free dining! The kids loved the choices of picking their own meals!! They have never been able to do that!

This trip is just the two of us and is during May, so no free dining. As I was tallying up what we would order I was seeing that I wouldn't be getting what I really wanted. I want an appetizer not a dessert for sit down. I do still want to be able to pick two entrees for sit down. But for lunch I don't want the desserts and we could probably split a meal. Actually the more I think about it I would rather split a breakfast for a cs and a cs for lunch. So I have to run the tallys for what I would rather have. But I know that will be hard because some days we might not be too hungry, but want different entrees for cs! So many choices and tallys! I loved the DDP, but with just the two of us I am thinking I want to buy what I want when I want and not have to order something just because it is on the DDP!

Any more thoughts, comments or suggestions?
Do you think it could come out fairly even?

btw for sit downs we have choosen all new places & places we wouldn't want to go with young kids(some of them) and just because it was what we wanted to try this time.(saving the character meals for the kids trip) They are: Plaza Rest(just looks pretty & husband wants steak and cheese), Tonys(heard bad reviews, but neighbors have been 3 times and love it! So it is time to try it for ourselves, plus Princess Haley gave it a good review!), Raglan Road(go later for the entertainment), Naracoossee(romantic, unfortanately 2 credits, but a good time to try a two credit) and Tutto Italia(romantic & classy). We are going 6 nights and 7 days this time. When we went in 2005 we were there for 10 nights and 11 days so we tried a lot of restaurants!!

The Plaza would not be considered a good savings for the plan, but Naracoossee and Tutto would. The other two are probably average prices, so the lot of them would not be so bad out of pocket. As some would say we are not maximizing the plan, so it wouldn't be as big of a savings.

 

[Tricia1972]

Ok, like I said before - I personally think that when you tally you should look at what you want to eat and FORGET what you 'can' get with the plan. Sure you can get it, but if you don't want it, what's it really worth? To me it's pretty worthless in that instance.

That's a great idea on splitting CS for breakfast and CS for lunch, that right there may just save the plan for you.

However, if you feel that there are mornings that even splitting CS for breakfast would be too much, or splitting CS for lunch wouldn't be what you want to to because you're full (you'd prefer popcorn for lunch with a snack later on vs splitting a burger at Cosmic Ray's) then I really truly feel that the plan may not be for you.

Go back and look at the TS meals of where you are eating. See what you want, not what you can get. Take that total and bring it back here, I'll help you out some more

 

[TLSnell1981]

We are bringing our grandchildren on our next trip. We will be doing a lot of character meals. This is the reason we decided to do the DxDP. I couldn't find a way for much savings. We would also be either missing characters or paying OOP. We are saving a ton on the deluxe. I also calculated for the DDE. The DxDP still won out.

 

[sharon_wv]

Tricia - Thanks so much for the tally. I wasn't even figuring in the amount of tax we'd be paying in addition to the menu prices in my "worth it" calculation! Thanks so much for sharing your calculations, it is so appreciated. We're really just looking to break even and not lose $$. We're also considering the convenience factor of having it all paid in advance so the budget is truly pre-calculated.

Thanks again, and thanks for the quick response. I feel better about our planning only breakfasts even though they are less expensive. Plus we're staying at CRT which, in some post I saw, has the most expensive CS meals so I'm sure we'll take advantage of that & definitely at least break even.

 

[aclov]

I haven't been to WDW since they changed the DDP but I did do it twice under the old plan and loved it. My coworker just got back and I asked her how she liked it and she said she wouldn't do it again. She said they still ended up paying alot out of pocket because of the tips and they prefer appetizers instead of dessert which they weren't about to swap. She liked the snacks credits. This has me thinking for my next trip I may be skipping the DDP.

 

[Tricia1972]

Tricia - Thanks so much for the tally. I wasn't even figuring in the amount of tax we'd be paying in addition to the menu prices in my "worth it" calculation! Thanks so much for sharing your calculations, it is so appreciated. We're really just looking to break even and not lose $$. We're also considering the convenience factor of having it all paid in advance so the budget is truly pre-calculated.

Thanks again, and thanks for the quick response. I feel better about our planning only breakfasts even though they are less expensive. Plus we're staying at CRT which, in some post I saw, has the most expensive CS meals so I'm sure we'll take advantage of that & definitely at least break even.

Remember though that CRT is two TS credits, so that one meal is actually a pretty bad value per credit (especially for breakfast) You're TS value per credit for CRT is down around $19 vs the $23-28 you're getting with other breakfasts. If you have to pay OOP for anything, this is the meal that I'd pick.

 

[bless7ings]

Thanks Tricia! I will be back....back to the calculator and menus!!!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

bless7ings,
If I'm reading your posts correctly, it sounds to me like you'd be better off paying OOP & sharing an appy, entree, & dessert (if desired) between the 2 of you. My DH & I often do that, if we're not famished. We prefer sharing the 3 courses over ordering 2 entrees.

 

[bless7ings]

Tricia,

You said to figure what we really want. Well I already know on the DDP you are always full and you waste a lot of food. Looking over the meals at Naracoossee's and The Plaza Restaurant my husband and I want the same entee. And at Tutto Italia Ristorante I think we could pick two to try, but would be happy on choosing the same entree also. Now when we were a family I didn't feel bad splitting meal credits at sit downs. The other two sit down meals we picked different entrees.

Side note: The only person who minded us splitting meals was the waiter in Italy! Those Italians or maybe just some I saw that night were too uptight! I'm sorry, it was not funny that night and the whole night was a bomb. Our little one(17 mths) was very tired and fussy, my husband wouldn't stay in a nice place with a fussy child, so he left with her. The waiter comes back, we ordered and he says I thought you were going to order another entree? We said he left with the baby. He was quite upset that he lost a meal. The rest of the meal he was brisk.

Any ways back to post. How many have split a meal at Disney for a sit down? And how many would because you want the same meal and you can't see spending money on two meals and waisting half or stuffing ourselves to make it seem right. I can't see that scenerio, but it kills me to pay for an extra meal just to save face! What do you guys think? Has anyone done it? What do they treat you like?

 

[bless7ings]

bless7ings,
If I'm reading your posts correctly, it sounds to me like you'd be better off paying OOP & sharing an appy, entree, & dessert (if desired) between the 2 of you. My DH & I often do that, if we're not famished. We prefer sharing the 3 courses over ordering 2 entrees.

Are you saying you have done it at the Disney sit downs? Just the two of you? How do they react? Do you feel funny? Have you been to fancier restaurants?

 

[Tricia1972]

Splitting when paying OOP is not a problem. Splitting when using the DDP is not allowed, they've really cracked down on that this year.

Servers are still very nice to you when splitting, and it's never been a problem for anyone in our group.

The more I read of your posts, I have a hunch that you guys will be happier and save money not doing the plan. (I crunched numbers for our group of 7 for our trip in March - we are saving $450 by not doing the plan and eating our way) Using that math, I'd expect you guys to save around $100 by not doing the plan.

 

[bless7ings]

Splitting when paying OOP is not a problem. Splitting when using the DDP is not allowed, they've really cracked down on that this year.

Servers are still very nice to you when splitting, and it's never been a problem for anyone in our group.

The more I read of your posts, I have a hunch that you guys will be happier and save money not doing the plan. (I crunched numbers for our group of 7 for our trip in March - we are saving $450 by not doing the plan and eating our way) Using that math, I'd expect you guys to save around $100 by not doing the plan.

Tricia,

You are saying no sit downs allow you to order only 4 TS meals for what they would consider 6 TS people? I thought you could still use your credits any way you saw fit. Except when you picked buffets you used one TS for each person.

 

[Tricia1972]

Tricia,

You are saying no sit downs allow you to order only 4 TS meals for what they would consider 6 TS people? I thought you could still use your credits any way you saw fit. Except when you picked buffets you used one TS for each person.

I have not been there on the DDP in 2008, but the reports I have read from people coming back is that they were not allowed to share at TS locations. I have not read about a similar crack down at CS locations, then again CS locations would be tougher to police.

 

[bless7ings]

OK I have the tallys. Keep in mind things always vary when you are there, because you feel like eating different things. I can also not tell how hungry we will or will not be. So here is the OOP plan: (all include 6.5% tax, but no gratuity - trying to compare to DDP which does not include gratuity)

Sit down OOP: $236.00

Narcoossee's: $58 (this includes 1 bowl of chowder, Filet Mignon, 1 dessert and 2 drinks- they will always be non alcoholic, which saves quite a bit of $)

Tonys: $52 (this includes an appy, 2 entrees and 2 drinks)

Plaza: $21.85 (this includes 1 entree, 2 drinks, 1 dessert)

Raglan: $57 (this includes 2 entree's, 2 drinks, 1 dessert)

Tutto Italia: $42.60 (this includes 1 entree, 2 drinks, 1 dessert - maybe we will see an appy that looks good, hard to just looking at a menu)

Counter Service - Lunch OOP: $85.00

Pinoccio Village Haus: $16.30 (this includes 1 entree, 1 appy, 1 drink & 1 milkshake)

Rosies: $20.00 (this includes 2 entree's, 1 appy, 2 drinks)

ABC: $10.40 (this includes 1 entree, 2 drinks)

Columbia House: $10.70 (this includes 1 entree, 2 drinks)

The other two places I just averaged $11 each

Counter Service - Breakfast OOP: $55.00

Riverside Food Court: $46.00 (this includes 5 days w/ 1 entree, 2 drinks)

ABC: $8.85 (this includes 1 entree, 2 drinks)

Snacks - I didn't bother to check the prices. I figured that $4 x 2 people per day x 6 days = $51 ( I thought this was quite generous and would give room to play for other things on the menu for the day. Alls I know is sometimes you were stuffed and didn't use the snack credit, sometimes you felt like it, but you weren't around what you were craving and sometimes it hit right. All in all we ended up with a lot of snack credits and we bought a bunch of stuff at our resort before we left to use them up.)

The Grand Total is $ 427 OOP vs $455 DDP(figured by doing a room and ticket package only and then adding the DDP and calculating the difference)

So I will have to show my husband and see what he thinks. I'll have to explain everything and see what he thought he would want to order if he ordered anything not just what he could on the plan. When he initially saw the plan in 2005 he knew our family needed it or they wouldn't get fed because of frugal mom! But with just the two of us, I think he'll get what he wants. And we both know that once you are there your always full and that was eating most breakfasts of cold cereal in the room and then CS lunch and TS dinners.

What do you all think?

Would you split at some of the TS? Do you think that is a fair estimation? Did I miss something?