2011 Dining Plan Pricing

[2Tiggies]

There are several threads on the Dining Plan sub forum about this. I don't want to comment too much here since there are already well discussed threads posted.

At the top of the same forum page you will see a sticky which has been edited to read along the lines of "Where did all the restaurants go?"

 

[inkedupmomma]

Same here, as I was always asked "Would you like to add DDP for $XX.00 pp per day? They have always asked and they have always quoted a price for the dining plan when I made my reservations.

I'm just glad others agreed with me! Cause I swore I was going nuts when on the phone with the CM. She seemed thoroughly confused at me asking what the price was. I get breaking a package down can be a pain, but don't they have a pieces of paper saying, this resort is x amount per night, park tix are x amount per day, and ddp is x amount. no one just buys a full package and goes oh ok great, thanks

 

[TDC Nala]

Having someone at CRO not quote the price of the dining plan on a package is not unusual and doesn't indicate poor planning because they don't normally do it. Some might, but they're not required to. You have to be lucky enough to get someone prepared to do it. That's just how it is. No, they don't all have a piece of paper breaking down the package components, at least they don't have one when they start out with the new packages because every year we see the same reports. Maybe it indicates a procedure Disney should change, but they won't know about it unless notified - try doing the phone survey, they're always trying to get guests to do a survey.

And it does usually take the DVC Member Services awhile to get a hold of the pricing and to post it on their site.

 

[CathieArms]

I think I've decided that there's no "set" price for the dining plans. That is to say that the price changes based upon the number of people or the number of days or SOMETHING.

This is why I say this...

I've run the numbers a gazillion times with different variables. The constants have been the resort and the park hopper tickets and the number of days. I figure out how much the combined cost of the resort and the park hopper tickets are, and then add the DxDP in. Then, I take the total package price and subtract the price I was given for the resort and tickets, and that gives me my grand total for the DxDP.

From there, I've done a few different things. If I've entered more than one adult, then I divide the dining plan total by the number of adults. But I've also plugged in just one guest and I get something like $78.99 (tax included) for a single guest on the Dx Dining plan. But, if I plan for 2 or more guests on the DxDP, the price changes. Just when I think I have it figured out, I run my total numbers and find out that my numbers come out higher than the total cost Disney quotes by about $75 (for 10 days).

So here's what I think: I think the reason that the CM's won't give you a definitive answer on how much the dining plans cost per person per day is because there IS NO definitive answer. That is to say that the price changes based upon the number of people. It looks like the more people you have, the slightly better deal you get.

For those math/science geeks, I've kept several constants:
1. Number of days
2. Resort
3. Type of Park Tickets
4. Type of Dining Plan

The only variable has been the number of people on the DxDP.

I think for planning purposes, then, $78.99 (tax included) is a good guide for guessing how much the DxDP will cost per adult, and then you can almost plan to come out a little bit lower than that.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiences or feedback on this...

 

[Music City Mama]

Looks like the info is now available:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-...formation-on-2011-dining-plan-package-pricing

Thanks for that link -- extremely helpful!

 

[Carrie Ellis]

I know that it is a choice to go to WDW and/or buy the dining plan but it is getting pretty expensive. It is not relative to the increase in income right now. It is definitely pricing us out for next year. We have 4 kids and they are all considered adults on the dining plan.

As far as disney raising prices to slowly get rid of the dining plan is hard to believe. We have gone every year and have had CMs tell us that people leave w/ loads of unused credits quite often. I just think it is all part of the captive audience having vacationers stay and eat only at WDW. That has to be good revenue.

Also, I do price out my package that I want before calling. I use the WDW site and go to checkout with tickets to see how much even with tax and then do that with room only too. I check online to see what the dining plan cost and add all of this up. This time we had the 40% offf BB offer and I was pricing AK. It was about a $1500 difference than what I had and the CM could not tell me why. I kept telling her that I know it is not giving me the 40% off the room. And she kept saying "this is the package price". We went around and around and she finally went and talked to a supervisor. She came back and told me that it wasn't giving me a 40% off and they know why now...AK didn't have anymore BB rooms left. I was like............ok......whew.

YOu have to do your math on your own and you have to be ready when you call. I do like the online reservations now, at least you can think and study.

C

 

[TDC Nala]

I do not think Disney is trying to discourage guests from using the dining plan. They're going to raise cash prices at the restaurants too, that's been happening steadily. So the dining plan prices are keeping pace. Disney has to love it if people are leaving dining credits unused. That's like paying for a meal, but not only did you not eat the meal, you never ordered it in the first place.

 

[Vijoge]

We've gone once with free dining, once we paid for the dining plan, and once we went without and paid OOP.

We're not getting the dining plan this year primarily because we'll be taking Kate, who's just turning 3, to four character buffet meals, which are relatively inexpensive to begin with.

In addition, we're staying at BLT, so we'll be eating breakfast in-room there most days. We're also planning dinner at Jiko one night, but we don't order appetizers and if we get a dessert it would be something we will share among the three of us, so were not looking at anything that would be worth two dining credits.

The DDP would cost us $520 and our ADR's come to about $350. That leaves us with another $170 that we would have to spend on food before we break even on the DDP. Since we already know how much food they serve at a CS lunch we know DH and I will be sharing meals when we buy them, and Kate eats like a bird. We may end up close to the break-even point, but I don't think we'll be missing any great savings by omitting the DDP this time.

 

[Cafeen]

The only solution to this is...

More data!

I'm sure the math geeks around these parts (yes, there are a few of us) will attempt to figure out a pattern to get the pricing estimates as close as possible (if not correct). There could easily be a sliding scale, or even a ticket-style reduction in cost as you go for longer days (though, I doubt if it were there, it'd be close to the sharp drop that we see in tickets).

 

[crashbb]

Funny, I did the same thing and always came out within a few cents of $78.99.

I changed:
- number of guests
- arrival date
- length of stay

 

[kslo69]

I am renting points from a DVC member. I emailed her this morning to have the dining plan added to my res. Disney told her that prices will not be finalized until the end of the week and she should call back then to add the dining and get a price for me. Once she emails me the info I will pass it on.

 

[Cafeen]

Ran through a bunch of tests using the following:
Dates: 1st week of Feb (Starting at 1 Feb and increasing as the tests ran for more nights) - Value Season
ASMu Pref room, 2day PH + WPFM
Ran 1 through 7 night stays for both 1 adult and 2 adults and got the following (which is what's posted already)
QSDP: $35.99, DDP: $45.99, DxDDP: $78.99

Pretty definitive proof that those are the costs as of today (of course, if they aren't finalized, that can change). No changing based on length of stay. Changing based on # of people is plausible, but more tests would have to be run. I also didn't run for children as the math is a little more complex and I simply don't have the time right now (It's not that bad, just have to find the difference between no plan and x plan, then subtract the adult cost and that should be it (and divide by nights if you did multi night)

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I noticed that on new dining adds it says save 20% with DDP! Before it used to say 30-40% when I planned by trip in 2009. I think there will come a point when people will work the DDP so well that Disney won't make as much of a profit as they once were initially, and it will become less and less of a value to us vacationers as they raise prices accordingly.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

Looks like the info is now available:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-...formation-on-2011-dining-plan-package-pricing

WOW Deluxe went up $7. That would be over $100 extra for me, DH, and DD (age 5) on DxDDP! Food prices are rising though, so prices have to rise accordingly. I know my grocery bill increases by the month!

 

[natashag76]

Does anyone know how much the QSDP will be per person in 2011? I've been hunting the WDW site and can't find the numbers. Thanks!

 

[beachbunny]

Disney doesn't post their dining plan prices.
$34.99 for adults and $11.99 for kids. I got the information here:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/9347/Walt_Disney_World_Resort_Update

 

[natashag76]

beachbunny - thanks! much easier to do the budgeting now

 

[CathieArms]

I also didn't run for children as the math is a little more complex and I simply don't have the time right now (It's not that bad, just have to find the difference between no plan and x plan, then subtract the adult cost and that should be it (and divide by nights if you did multi night)

LOL! I did that. I believe I found the price for children to be $25.09, if memory serves.

 

[TDC Nala]

The link lists the premium and platinum plans as dining plans - which they're not. They have a dining component but include much more than the Disney Dining Plans. You also cannot upgrade free dining to these two plans. Nor can you purchase them on an AP ticketless package or apply them to a DVC points reservation.

 

[Kimberle]

I thought about that. Although, the increase this year is the highest ever...I would hope they will not continue that trend. Some have speculated that this is Disney's way of reducing the number of people that purchase the dining plan....and this will eventually lead to doing away with it.

Oh, I don't think they will ever do away w/ the DP. It's a big o'le cash cow! Most people don't "plan" the way Diser's do. Lot's of credits remain unused. You have people who use adult credit's for kids meals. WDW has used "free" dining and lower priced packages over the past several years to get people used to using the DP. Look at how many people like paying for it upfront & not having to "worry" about $$$ during their trip. (WDW also gets the meals payed for at the 45 day prior+ day mark for our trips. They get the use the $$ long before giving the meals.)

JMHO, but I think we'll see the "savings" margin wittle down and down to maybe the 10% savings point. By then, folks will be so "hooked", they'll keep buying the DP.