2013 Dining Plan prices are here

[Mcert01]

So, it depends on the subjective value you play on the non-economic factors. Is it worth losing flexibility and losing $1-$4 per day, for the mental benefit of pre-payment? That's up to each individual.

To me it increases flexibility in menu choices, because price is not considered when deciding what to eat.

However, you are correct, and this is the point I have been trying to make, it is up to each individual to determine if the plan has value for them. If it does, based on whatever criteria they determine for themselves, then great. If not, then not. There is no right answer, just individuals and what makes sense for them.

 

[jenniferma]

This thread is fascinating! I did the math for our family (before the increases) and we barely broke even-- this is with two adults, one 11 year old and two kids 9 and 5.

This is terrible to admit, but to us-- it's worth it to not have to worry about the prices at every meal. I love the whole "all inclusiveness" to the DP.. it's worth an extra few bucks to not have to think about the cost of each meal.

 

[HappyArtist]

For me the increase for deluxe dinning x 4 family members x amount of days going = way too much especially if rooms and tickets go up too. Maybe it's time to go to Hawaii instead. l

 

[havoc315]

I guess Disney is actually counting on DxDP customers using up 2 credits at a signature restaurant, leaving credits behind unused, or using DxDP credits at QS locations. If they actually were able to handle 3 table service meals per day with appetizers and deserts then Disney make the least amount of money!!

Remember, TS credits get the most value at dinner. But you can't eat dinner 3 times per day!

So therefore, the deluxe credits MUST be priced lower. And breakfast doesn't include appetizer or dessert, even on the deluxe plan. And signature restaurants are usually not double the price of 1-credit restaurants.

And Disney is making plenty of money from people on the deluxe plan, even if they maximize their credits. THen they are just giving you a volume discount, but still raking in $100 of revenue!

But let's look at getting $95 of value from actual Deluxe dining: (assuming you get a fair value of $5 of snacks, not necessarily using all your snack credits).
We'll take a guest at the Contemporary, starting breakfast at The Wave:

Multigrain French Toast - with fruit compote and choice of bacon, pork or chicken sausage $10.00. Beverage, about $3.
Total price, with tax -- About $14.

So still have $81 to go.

Let's jump over to Magic Kingdom. Limited TS options, so we will go to Liberty Tree Tavern:
App: Tavern Fried Cheese - with marinara sauce $5.99
Main: New England Pot Roast... Our Tavern Keeper's Favorite - braised beef in a cabernet wine and mushroom sauce served with mashed potatoes and garden vegetables $17.99
Dessert: Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake - vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce $7.49
Beverage, $3
Total, $34.50. With tax -- About $37.
Still need to get another $44 of value, JUST TO BREAK EVEN with DxDP pricing:
Dinner --- Crystal Palace buffet. Pricing varies, but about $40.

So as you can see -- Even with the reduced per credit pricing of the DxDp, that doesn't translate to big savings for the guest.

Under this scenario -- Using all of the credits. Doing a regular TS breakfast at your own resort, getting the signature entree at the lunch TS (plus app and dessert), and doing a character dinner --- The DxDP diner still failed to break even for the day.

 

[havoc315]

This thread is fascinating! I did the math for our family (before the increases) and we barely broke even-- this is with two adults, one 11 year old and two kids 9 and 5.

This is terrible to admit, but to us-- it's worth it to not have to worry about the prices at every meal. I love the whole "all inclusiveness" to the DP.. it's worth an extra few bucks to not have to think about the cost of each meal.

Nothing wrong with putting subjective value on those aspects. But when your 2 youngest children graduate to adult pricing, you may change your mind. At that point, it may not even be close anymore.

 

[Mcert01]

This thread is fascinating! I did the math for our family (before the increases) and we barely broke even-- this is with two adults, one 11 year old and two kids 9 and 5.

This is terrible to admit, but to us-- it's worth it to not have to worry about the prices at every meal. I love the whole "all inclusiveness" to the DP.. it's worth an extra few bucks to not have to think about the cost of each meal.

Nothing terrible to admit. You also had it all paid for when you got to Disney, and didn't have to face the food bill after the trip.

 

[Cafeen]

I haven't seen this breakdown before, but I am fascinated that the DxDP credits come in so much lower than the DDP TS credits when the math is done, knowing that with the DxDP you also get an appetizer.

I guess Disney is actually counting on DxDP customers using up 2 credits at a signature restaurant, leaving credits behind unused, or using DxDP credits at QS locations. If they actually were able to handle 3 table service meals per day with appetizers and deserts then Disney make the least amount of money!!

The difference was even greater in 2012 where a DDP TS credit "cost" ~$34 and a DxDDP credit cost ~$26. It's the primary force that drives DxDDP to continue (even with new prices) to be a much better deal than DDP, especially once you consider the entitlements. The gap is slowly closing, and the casualty will be the fact that you could still come out plenty ahead and not use all your credits (something I've done for 3 years now, usually leaving around 2 or 3 unused and still a couple hundred bucks ahead of the cost, while solo). This is going to change it considerably though, and if I can't come out ahead with that pattern, it's going to shift over to TiW (if I spring for an AP or decide to move to Pensacola ) or OOP (much more likely).

The savings were always better using 3 TS per day than doing 1 normal and 1 signature, as the signatures were rarely (if ever) twice the actual cost of a 1 TS. In 2012, this meant that you'd need to get ~$52 worth of covered items to break even in a single 2 credit meal. With 3 courses, this wasn't entirely too difficult. It was still tougher than getting $26 worth of covered items for a 1 credit meal (especially considering the 3 courses), but not too difficult.

For 2013, the math changes quite a bit (well, the results change, the math, since it's math, stays the same ). We now need ~$62 for a 2 TS to break even. While it's still doable, it's not nearly as "easy" as it was to do before.

Nothing terrible to admit. You also had it all paid for when you got to Disney, and didn't have to face the food bill after the trip.

While you see I'm all about the numbers , this is also true. How much value you place on this convenience is wholly subjective and is absolutely a part of it. If you come up with a loss of say, $50 over your trip, you decide if $50 is worth the convenience factor to you. For some, it's a certain yes, for others, it's a certain no (just like if the savings were only $50, they may decide against it to enjoy flexibility).

It's all part of figuring out what is right for you, and convenience/flexibility certainly can factor into the equation.

For a different example of this, a bottle of milk may be $4 at the corner store right near your house, but only $3.50 at the grocery store downtown (for my example, you don't live downtown ). Is it worth that savings to go downtown where you may also have more selection, or are you willing to spend a little more so that you get back quickly and don't have to worry about it. Wholly subjective (and we're not counting gas and all that ) and absolutely no right answer except what you feel is most worthwhile.

(and yay! My dragon came back! (I was bad in the TPAS forum last month so he and my siggy had to take a vacation).)

 

[kamik86]

I have decided not to do the DDP this year. So far we have always had it for our visits but this year we are getting a TIW card.

I realized that honestly I don't really want dessert at most of the QS places. Espeically the ones in the parks. The ones at the resort are ok since I"ll get a Mickey Head bar and put it in the room freezer and eat it later. But at the resort most of the time I have the resort mug so no reason to get a drink so I'm still losing out.

Sometimes I would order water at restaurants because I don't want soda. I also tend to choose chicken or pasta over steak so many times don't order the most expensive items on the menu.

 

[gtpoohbear]

This thread is fascinating! I did the math for our family (before the increases) and we barely broke even-- this is with two adults, one 11 year old and two kids 9 and 5.

This is terrible to admit, but to us-- it's worth it to not have to worry about the prices at every meal. I love the whole "all inclusiveness" to the DP.. it's worth an extra few bucks to not have to think about the cost of each meal.

That's exactly why we do it too. I mentioned to Dh this morning that it really wasn't saving us any money, and possibly even a little more than what we would spend without it... but he was still set on doing it.

At least you get the sticker shock over with in one big blow, and you'll have forgotten about the trauma by the time you're there, lol! Otherwise, we'd be cringing at every meal and feeling guilty over and over again for spending so much on food.

 

[kamik86]

That's exactly why we do it too. I mentioned to Dh this morning that it really wasn't saving us any money, and possibly even a little more than what we would spend without it... but he was still set on doing it.

At least you get the sticker shock over with in one big blow, and you'll have forgotten about the trauma by the time you're there, lol! Otherwise, we'd be cringing at every meal and feeling guilty over and over again for spending so much on food.

This is why I did it in the past but this year my plan is to put the value of the DP on gift cards. For the first partial and full day I will eat whatever I want and pretend I'm on the plan but save receipts. AT the end of that time I will evaluate how much I have spent so far and as long as I haven't spent an overly large amount continue to buy whatever I want. Then at the end I can see what if anything is left on the cards.

 

[havoc315]

The savings were always better using 3 TS per day than doing 1 normal and 1 signature, as the signatures were rarely (if ever) twice the actual cost of a 1 TS.

I'll disagree. Depends on the 3rd meal. While signature dinners are not twice the price of a 1-credit dinner.... A signature dinner is still often more expensive than 1-credit dinner PLUS 1-credit breakfast.

Many 1-credit breakfasts are significantly under $20. Even 1-credit character buffet breakfasts are under $30.

So using the $26 credit example ---
Which is easier -- Getting a signature dinner of $52.... Or getting a 1-credit $37 dinner after a $15 breakfast.

Cafeen, you know I think your details and logic are exceptional. But you constantly forget that those breakfast credits are dramatically different than dinner credits. And if you are doing 3 meals per day, 1 of those credits is being expended on breakfast.

 

[robinb]

This thread is fascinating! I did the math for our family (before the increases) and we barely broke even-- this is with two adults, one 11 year old and two kids 9 and 5.

This is terrible to admit, but to us-- it's worth it to not have to worry about the prices at every meal. I love the whole "all inclusiveness" to the DP.. it's worth an extra few bucks to not have to think about the cost of each meal.

Why is that terrible? I love the DDP when it's "free" for that very reason. I do think that you may change your mind next year when you have 4 "Disney Adults" and have to pay adult pricing for two kids instead of just one. You also may be paying lot more right now than you need to on the 11-year old now if they would have been still happy with kids meals. My 12-year old DD ate off the kids menus at many TS restaurants on our last trip because she was a fussy vegetarian who ate like a bird. The Disney owned restaurants will allow older kids to eat off the kids menu. I think that'll be her last trip on the kids menu though ... she's 5'1" and 100 lbs and starting to get an adult appetite.

 

[Cafeen]

I'll disagree. Depends on the 3rd meal. While signature dinners are not twice the price of a 1-credit dinner.... A signature dinner is still often more expensive than 1-credit dinner PLUS 1-credit breakfast.

Many 1-credit breakfasts are significantly under $20. Even 1-credit character buffet breakfasts are under $30.

So using the $26 credit example ---
Which is easier -- Getting a signature dinner of $52.... Or getting a 1-credit $37 dinner after a $15 breakfast.

Cafeen, you know I think your details and logic are exceptional. But you constantly forget that those breakfast credits are dramatically different than dinner credits. And if you are doing 3 meals per day, 1 of those credits is being expended on breakfast.

What if I tend to eat 2 lunches! 11:00am and 3:00pm! (See, it CAN work! Though, I'd have to rent an ECV, trailer, and crow bar to get me back home afterward!)

(Yes, I do constantly forget that breakfast sucks. I think it's because I rarely, if ever, eat it, so I don't think of it the same way that someone else does )

So, for everyone else, um... something. (This is not the math you're looking for!)

(Though, if you're doing character/buffet breakfasts, it makes it a bit easier since they're in the high teens to low 20s range for adults and say a $25 breakfast and $27 lunch IS quite doable...but I digress as that's a bit less of a normal situation.)

 

[havoc315]

What if I tend to eat 2 lunches! 11:00am and 3:00pm! (See, it CAN work! Though, I'd have to rent an ECV, trailer, and crow bar to get me back home afterward!)

I'm waiting to see someone justify the pricing of the QSDP using the Cosmic Rays chicken & ribs combo, which I believe is only available at dinner now.
First they will eat an "early dinner" at 4:00 pm, and then a "late dinner" at 8 pm, and get huge savings with the QSDP!

 

[DisneyHardin]

If they are still planning to give you the refillable mug, that is a $15 value to take into consideration.

 

[traviesojmt]

This thread is fascinating! I did the math for our family (before the increases) and we barely broke even-- this is with two adults, one 11 year old and two kids 9 and 5.

This is terrible to admit, but to us-- it's worth it to not have to worry about the prices at every meal. I love the whole "all inclusiveness" to the DP.. it's worth an extra few bucks to not have to think about the cost of each meal.

My mother is the exact same way. She grew up very poor and likes being able to order whatever she wants without worrying about the price. If it is already paid for, she feels less "guilty" about paying crazy prices for a meal at WDW. She would always prefer to get the Dining Plan.

My family is different. I am very much an anal planner. Using the menus on allears, I calculated the cost based on what we would really order. I think what gets lost is that many are spending money on things that they would not really order. If not on the plan, we would not get a dessert with lunch. I also would prefer plain 'ol ice water for lunch. At a few restaurants, I would just get an appetizer and dessert. We have already decided not to use the dining plan on our trip next summer (unless they chose to give it to us free and I do not anticipate that happening). For our family, the dining plan does turn out to be more money. I chose to calculate based on what we would really order and we just spend less that way.

 

[sarmat1]

2013 is not dramatically different than 2012.. But even 2012 was iffy. So if you were on the fence in 2012, the price increase is certainly big enough to jump to the other side of the fence.
And looking at the changes over several years, you see MASSIVE differences.

Just 5 or 6 years ago, the price was about $20 cheaper, included an appetizer and included tip.

From a financial standpoint, it is difficult to justify the dining plan any longer for most people, especially for adults. It can still be justified if you have children on the plan AND you plan on multiple character meals.

But looking at, for example, the adult plan..
Imagine an adult going during peak pricing -- $57 per day. Of note, regular TS restaurants do not increase the pricing during peak season. Only character meals see increased pricing.

So let's take 1 adult, at Magic Kingdom for the day.

I'm going to round prices up, knowing that prices may be slightly higher in 2013, but big differences are unlikely. I could minimize value by doing CS breakfast, TS at the Plaza... but I'm going to play fair. A very realistic day at Magic Kingdom, getting somewhat plus priced meals.

Lunch -- Cosmic Rays. Note, the expensive chicken & rib combo is no longer offered at lunch.
So let's get an Angus Bacon Cheeseburger for $10 (it's only $9.19 right now).
Dessert -- $4. Beverage $3. Total for the meal, $17. (will add tax at the end).

Dinner -- Tony's Town Square -- Seafood Diavolo - Linguini pasta with Clams, Mussels, Calamari, Shrimp, and fresh fish of the day in a spicy Tomato sauce $22.99 (the second most expensive item on the whole menu).
Beverage -- about $3. Dessert -- $6. (most of the desserts are 5-5.50)
Total for the meal -- About $30. Let's assume some further price increases and push it up to $32, just to be safe.

Snack -- Dole Whip Soft Serve - pineapple, vanilla, or orange $3.49. But let's up it to $4, to be safe.

So pre-tax, and assuming some pretty significant price increases -- Looking at $53.
With tax, that would be $56.45.

So -- Even with basically maximizing your credits -- Getting the most expensive possible CS meal, getting the second most expensive TS entree at the restaurant, using all your snacks and desserts -- And assuming some pretty significant price increases in 2013 -- You still lost 50 cents on the day!

Imagine you ordered the Chicken Parmigiana - Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara sauce topped with Melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti $17.99 --- You would have lost $4-$5 on the day!

So is the price change significant? Well, if you go from saving $1-$2 per day, to losing $1-$2 per day -- That seems pretty significant to me.

Havoc,

Love your posts and analyses when it comes to DDP. In the above example, though, why did you have the hypothetical adult eat at Tony's in MK? Send them to dinner at Crystal Palace (at $40+ if I remember correctly) and now you have some plan value. Throw in a spouse and a couple of kiddos and there's even more value.

Personally, I doubt that I would ever buy a plan. But we do have free dining next month. And since our ADR's include CP, 1900 PF, Boma, Ohana's and CRT, I'm pretty happy at the $1,000+ "value" of the free dining promo to us (much more than any room discount would bring) . . .

 

[Cafeen]

If they are still planning to give you the refillable mug, that is a $15 value to take into consideration.

The mugs are currently (as of the 2013 brochure today) listed on the plans, so they likely will be included. However, due to the nature of the plans vs the nature of the mugs (e.g. 1 time purchase vs. per-night charges), the math is tricky and messy when viewing it as a per-credit estimation.

For example, a 1 night stay would reduce the total meal credit costs by about $15 (assuming that's the price of the mug), making the plan look like a great deal. $26.33 per credit on Dx, ~$25.30 per TS and $~12.29 per QS on DDP (splitting TS = 2x QS for value/cost) and ~$9.79 per QS on QSDP. However, on a 13 night trip, this changes to a bit over $1 per night of credits, so ~$31 per Dx, ~$34.97 per TS/~$16.98 per QS on DDP, and ~$16.79 per QS on QSDP. This rages between these two extremes based on your length of stay and would be too much of a pain to calculate out for each individual person.

It's much easier to negate the value since it's so variable and many (I'd say most) wouldn't even buy it if it didn't come included (heck, I forgot to "buy" mine last year on DxDDP, shows you how much I use it even when it's included ). Since we're simply using these as estimates and guides rather than hard-fast rules, we can get away with doing it the easy way.

 

[havoc315]

Havoc,

Love your posts and analyses when it comes to DDP. In the above example, though, why did you have the hypothetical adult eat at Tony's in MK? Send them to dinner at Crystal Palace (at $40+ if I remember correctly) and now you have some plan value. Throw in a spouse and a couple of kiddos and there's even more value.

Kiddies totally changes the equation and value. I'll continue to fully acknowledge the DDP has value for children eating at dinner buffets.

I was trying to give a realistic example for adults. I didn't go cheap, at all.
An adult at a character buffet, would save some money. But not a whole lot.

Basically, for an adult -- Now practically the only ways to save money on the DDP are: Steak (almost every 1-credit restaurant has a $29 steak entree), or a character dinner.

 

[havoc315]

The mugs are currently (as of the 2013 brochure today) listed on the plans, so they likely will be included. However, due to the nature of the plans vs the nature of the mugs (e.g. 1 time purchase vs. per-night charges), the math is tricky and messy when viewing it as a per-credit estimation.

The mugs are problematic for other reasons as well. While the value of other components generally fit within a range -- Such as a snack's value will be between $1-$5... The true value of the mug doesn't fit so neatly.

Plenty of people never ever touch their mugs. So they really have zero value for those people. Or the adults might use theirs, but not the kids.

And for people who do use the mugs, its a matter of how often. If you are using your mug 5 times per day.. and assign a value of $1.50 to each refill. Then you're getting $7.50 of value from your mug per day -- Huge.

You can't look at the price that Disney assigns to the mug, as the mug is essentially a dining plan in itself. (a drink plan).
Watch... in a couple years... Disney will raise the price of the mug to $500.... And then claim that the dining plan gives you a $500 savings!!! By giving you the mug!

It's like saying that the luggage tags make Magic Your Way packages so much more valuable than a room only reservation!