2009 dining plan - still worth it?

[5infam]

As others have mentioned, we can probaly work it so we save some money this year, but my girlfriend and I could very easily share 1 dessert if we were paying OOP, or skip it all together. If we weren't on the plan, we'd likely eat less (which probaly would be a good thing), and thus our bills would be smaller.

This is why I am leaning to not go on the plan. There are 5 of us, and we spend a lot of money on food when we go. However, we usually don't eat dessert at lunch, and may or may not have a snack. At dinner, we usually get 2 desserts (sometimes 3) and split it, if we get dessert at all. Soooo, I was thinking that maybe I should avoid the plan becuase if I have it, I will feel obligated to eat all of those desserts and that is a lot of calories I don't need. I could make it economical if I ate it all and ordered the expensive items, but I think I will eat less if i pay cash. So I think I am going to skip it this time...but still going back and forth in my head.

 

[septbaby]

This is why I am leaning to not go on the plan. There are 5 of us, and we spend a lot of money on food when we go. However, we usually don't eat dessert at lunch, and may or may not have a snack. At dinner, we usually get 2 desserts (sometimes 3) and split it, if we get dessert at all. Soooo, I was thinking that maybe I should avoid the plan becuase if I have it, I will feel obligated to eat all of those desserts and that is a lot of calories I don't need. I could make it economical if I ate it all and ordered the expensive items, but I think I will eat less if i pay cash. So I think I am going to skip it this time...but still going back and forth in my head.

Add up what you think you actually eat and see how it comes out (skip desserts, etc.) Remember to add tax to the OOP calc, but they are already factored into the DP fee.

 

[snykymom]

But tips are not included, so remember that if you're on the plan, and order the most expensive items (or order your two or three desserts), your tip goes up, too.

 

[Skysdad]

Just to chime in with my two cents worth - we just got back and had the DDP. IMO it wasn't worth it and we wouldn't do it again. We are two adults and a 12 year old and we had a hard job eating all the CS and TS meals! We too ended up, after eating a huge dinner at Maya grill, getting a CS pizza, dessert and drink to bring back to our room just to use up the last CS for our stay. Don't get me wrong I'm a huge eater but even I found it hard to consume the amount of food and dessert twice a day. Then as my DW pointed out had we not been on the DDP we wouldn't have eaten not only the amount of food we did but eaten at the restaurants we did.

Just my opinion, but I happed to like the "Fly by the seat of your pants" way to eat - if I see it and it appeals to me at that moment I want to eat it then. Making reservations that far ahead just doesn't work for our family.

Don't shoot me, just my two cents worth like I said

 

[septbaby]

But tips are not included, so remember that if you're on the plan, and order the most expensive items (or order your two or three desserts), your tip goes up, too.

This is a moot point as your tip is the same whether you for the meal with credits or cash. OP should list what they plan to order at the restaurant, add tax and compare that to the DP fee. If its close go for it if not pay a la carte. If OP chooses the plan because its a good deal for what they'd order AND they get then decide to order those included desserts as well, that's fine as the cost of the desserts is still far less than the tip on the dessert and if the calcs are done right to choose the plan it will be for similar cost.

 

[angelmav]

This is a moot point as your tip is the same whether you for the meal with credits or cash. OP should list what they plan to order at the restaurant, add tax and compare that to the DP fee. If its close go for it if not pay a la carte. If OP chooses the plan because its a good deal for what they'd order AND they get then decide to order those included desserts as well, that's fine as the cost of the desserts is still far less than the tip on the dessert and if the calcs are done right to choose the plan it will be for similar cost.

But its not a moot point if your eating in a different way than you would normally choose to. A prior poster just admitted they ate places they wouldnt have otherwise. The extra tip has to figure into that equation weather or not its a good deal for each particular situation.

Geez Septbaby, why cant you let it go that it doesnt work for every single family?

 

[Katiebell]

True, the DDP definitely doesn't work for every family...but that doesn't mean it doesn't work for any family

It looks like the basic DDP is the best value for families who:

- like one TS a day, but not the signature restaurants

- prefer desserts over appetizers, and would probably order desserts anyway

- have children under 10 and will be going to a lot of character meals or buffets -- where the kids have to pay full price no matter how little they eat

- have kids over 10 that eat as much as adults, and will enjoy choosing from the adult menus

and probably not a good value for families that prefer signature restaurants, want appetizers -- the deluxe plan would be a better choice for them, or the DDE if they qualify for it (we don't). And if you have pre-teens who eat like birds or are very picky, then it's probably best to just skip the plan, or you will be paying adult price for them to nibble on Uncrustables and chicken nuggets.

As I showed in my last post, with just DH and me, not ordering anything extravagant or more than we would normally eat, the plan saves us about $15-$20 each every day -- $30-$40 for the two of us -- over what we would pay OOP. We liked the appetizers last year, but it really was too much food for us to each get a full appetizer, entree, and dessert -- we left a lot on the table. I'd love to have a choice between appetizer and dessert so we could share, but I understand why Disney has chosen not to offer that option. The thing I miss the most is the included tip, but oh well, that's nothing but a fond memory now.

 

[skifast22]

I'd love to have a choice between appetizer and dessert so we could share, but I understand why Disney has chosen not to offer that option. The thing I miss the most is the included tip, but oh well, that's nothing but a fond memory now.

I think that sounds like a great idea, being able to choose the appetizer or the dessert. Why do you think they wouldn't offer that in the future? just curious...

 

[TDC Nala]

I think that sounds like a great idea, being able to choose the appetizer or the dessert. Why do you think they wouldn't offer that in the future? just curious...

Because they don't want parties sharing the appetizers and desserts. They want to serve you two courses and get you out of there, unless you sprung for the deluxe plan.

 

[Katiebell]

Because they don't want parties sharing the appetizers and desserts. They want to serve you two courses and get you out of there, unless you sprung for the deluxe plan.

Yep, that's about it So, if we really want an appetizer, we'll order one to split and pay OOP for it, no big deal

 

[septbaby]

But its not a moot point if your eating in a different way than you would normally choose to. A prior poster just admitted they ate places they wouldnt have otherwise. The extra tip has to figure into that equation weather or not its a good deal for each particular situation.

Geez Septbaby, why cant you let it go that it doesnt work for every single family?

Here is the comment I posted, the premise is for the OP/PP to tally what they would eat, not what the DP allows for. I'm actually not holding on the anything to let go of, the numbers will tell the story for these families:

"Add up what you think you actually eat and see how it comes out (skip desserts, etc.) Remember to add tax to the OOP calc, but they are already factored into the DP fee."

So if they run the numbers this way AND the numbers say get the DP AND they choose to now eat desserts the cost of the tipping on a $6 dessert is small compared to now receiving a $6 dessert AND paying no additional DP fees for that dessert. The key is the DP would have to make sense for these families even if they didn't eat desserts or whatever items they'd normally choose to skip with their meals. If they only added in those desserts on the CS meals it all bonus because tips aren't a factor at CS.

 

[angelmav]

But you have to be absolutely certain that every TS, every choice made, would be the same. Quite frankly, I think its a given that being on the plan changes eating habits. I have no problems with that, but some folks fool themselves into thinking they are saving money. Really, the basic plan has to be 'worked' to provide much of a savings. If you want to really 'save' then buy the deluxe plan or have a bunch of kids under 10, then youll save, go up from their and its tough to the point that its not worth it for some.

I cant even count how many times someone posts, well we didnt think (insert name of TS here) was worth the $, but since we were on the DDP its all good. No its not, its a poor way to allocate your dining dollars to 'settle' for subpar anything, just because its pre-paid.

The basic DDP is there to prepay for what your getting as part of your package, thats not a bad thing, but it doesnt mean that it represents much actual savings for everyone across the board.

 

[septbaby]

Keep in mind, if the numbers don't work they won't get the plan. Breathe in breathe out my friend.