59 Snack Credits Left on Check-Out Day!

[equinoxman]

On our last trip we had a few snacks left and 2 meal credits, we were given 3 snacks for each left over meal credit. We had many snacks for the 2 day drive home

 

[mousefan1972]

Thanks to everyone who replied! I was genuinely dumbfounded while watching the woman pile up snack items to go. Since we do the basic DDP that allows us 1 snack per person, per night, we have no problems using them all up. In fact, we typically pay OOP for additional snacks since we "save" our DDP credits for the more expensive ones. The CM didn't seem too surprised, though, so I would bet that it isn't too uncommon to have Deluxe DDP guests scrambling to use up their snacks before they go home.

 

[ratlenhum]

We use them all up no problem! We get Mickey goldfish crackers to bring home, we love our Dole Whip floats, and we start using them for bottled water or sodas near the end of the trip.

Usually we go in August so we also use them for Frozen drinks or Froz Fruit pops to cool off through out the day

 

[squirrel]

I had quite a few CS credits and snack credits left. The night before we were checking out I met a couple who weren't on the DP. I gave them some water that we had but didn't use and arranged to meet them in the morning to get them a hot meal.

We still exchanged a few CS meals into snacks. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to pack it all in our luggage.

If I had too many extra snacks I would have given them to other people.

 

[disney1990]

We were at Disney 2 weeks ago -- just DH and me. We had 6 snacks and 6 meal credits left over at the end of the week. We bought pieces of fudge with the snack credits and used the meal credits at our resort (Pop Century) to get bottles of juice (3 per meal credit). We figured that was healthier than all those rice crispy bars - LOL.

 

[2girls4me]

Do they have just a snack DP yet??!! I would be all over that if they did.

I know we always use our snack credits. Especially now with DD.

I love snacks. I could have one of those dealys from Normay every freaking day and be completly and totally happy.

My sweet, Norwegian great grandmother (God rest her soul) would be so proud of me.

 

[Karlzmom]

Can't help but wonder if the "shopping sprees" help drive up the costs...WDW still expects to make money on the plan, and no doubt anticipated that a certain % of meals and snacks would be left on the table, so to speak....the blowout shopping trips or "gifting" credit to others would throw the balance off and push the cost up...so "getting our every dime's worth" ends up making everything cost more in the end.....

 

[crzy4my2]

that was us too..well last trip we had 48 credits for a party of 4. we were on the Deluxe Dining Plan too. We did end up using them before we left. I grabbed a bunch of those big lollipops to give to the kids friends, a bunch of the rice crispy heads and some snacks for the plane. When we went in 2008 it was dh's and mine 1st trip with our kids since WE were kids. we had no clue about the dining plan and didn't realize until mid way through the trip that we could use the snake credits for water/drinks in the park and we were paying for them.

 

[crzy4my2]

Can't help but wonder if the "shopping sprees" help drive up the costs...WDW still expects to make money on the plan, and no doubt anticipated that a certain % of meals and snacks would be left on the table, so to speak....the blowout shopping trips or "gifting" credit to others would throw the balance off and push the cost up...so "getting our every dime's worth" ends up making everything cost more in the end.....

When we did our "shopping spree" it was ONLY because the CM TOLD us to in order to use the rest of the credits. I had no idea it was allowed and I just thought we would lose them. The second to last day when I was in the POR gift shop I had asked the CM how many credits I had. He told me 48. That is when HE said "if you don't use them all during your trip, come back here before you leave and you can use them up, that whole back wall is considered snacks, take them home" My reply was "can you do that" his was "yes, they are your credits to use"

 

[Colleen27]

Can't help but wonder if the "shopping sprees" help drive up the costs...WDW still expects to make money on the plan, and no doubt anticipated that a certain % of meals and snacks would be left on the table, so to speak....the blowout shopping trips or "gifting" credit to others would throw the balance off and push the cost up...so "getting our every dime's worth" ends up making everything cost more in the end.....

I really don't think Disney priced their plans so close to cost that using up snack credits would make any significant difference. Snacks are some of the highest mark-up items in the parks ($1 for a single banana, $2.50 for a bottle of water/soda, $4 for a rice crispy treat); those credits have significant potential value from the guest POV because of that high mark-up, but those items aren't costing Disney much at all.

 

[Karlzmom]

When we did our "shopping spree" it was ONLY because the CM TOLD us to in order to use the rest of the credits. I had no idea it was allowed and I just thought we would lose them. The second to last day when I was in the POR gift shop I had asked the CM how many credits I had. He told me 48. That is when HE said "if you don't use them all during your trip, come back here before you leave and you can use them up, that whole back wall is considered snacks, take them home" My reply was "can you do that" his was "yes, they are your credits to use"

No need to be defensive...they are "your" credits, to use or not. I was merely wondering about in the larger picture how much usage Disney anticipates and how it drives costs....

I really don't think Disney priced their plans so close to cost that using up snack credits would make any significant difference. Snacks are some of the highest mark-up items in the parks ($1 for a single banana, $2.50 for a bottle of water/soda, $4 for a rice crispy treat); those credits have significant potential value from the guest POV because of that high mark-up, but those items aren't costing Disney much at all.

Individually, no....$2.50 isn't much. Multiply it by 59 [the OPs leftovers] and you have an immediate "value" of $147.50. The poster who was left with 92 would have a value of $230. Granted, Disney doesn't pay $230 for it, but it still has a cost to acquire the item, storage, the % that goes to overhead, etc. built into each item. Now factor in the people who *have* to have the single most expensive meal possible each meal to *maximize* to the full utilization [we've seen them on the boards!] and multiply it many, many times....from this minor sampling of people at the DIS it appears that the "shopping spree" to zero out the plan is a relatively common practice and suddenly you are talking about serious money.....or put another way, if I get everyone in China to send me a dollar [heck, its just pocket change -right?] and suddenly I'm a billionaire! No doubt Disney factored in people walking away with credits still on the books and making sure they are *all* spent simply to spend them all would have an impact on the bottom line. I certainly don't begrudge people using their credits...use them, don't use them...I frankly would use mine in the vacation or walk away without regret. I *personally* don't see the need to stock up on a months worth of stuff to feel I had value. As a repeat visitor, I have to wonder what all is driving the prices up, up, up and simply was musing aloud.....

 

[Brandi1leigh]

We were on the DDP and had snacks left at the end of our stay. We used them to get mickey rice crispie treats that were prepackaged and brought them home as souvenirs. People LOVED them and I used most of them as a special treat for people that I wouldn't usually buy souvenirs for.

 

[MSLRAC]

When we did our "shopping spree" it was ONLY because the CM TOLD us to in order to use the rest of the credits. I had no idea it was allowed and I just thought we would lose them. The second to last day when I was in the POR gift shop I had asked the CM how many credits I had. He told me 48. That is when HE said "if you don't use them all during your trip, come back here before you leave and you can use them up, that whole back wall is considered snacks, take them home" My reply was "can you do that" his was "yes, they are your credits to use"

The same kind of thing happened with us. We bought our kids cupcakes and sodas at the Main Street Bakery and DH made the comment that we'd never use all those snack credits by the next day. The CM checking us out said "sure ya can" and proceeded to tell us how to do it. The next day, on our way out of the MK, we stopped in and asked if it was really possible and that CM helped me pick stuff that traveled well.

So I doubt that Disney counts on people not using all their credits and if they do, then I would think that these so called "shopping sprees" would have been stopped a long time ago.

 

[Karlzmom]

The same kind of thing happened with us. We bought our kids cupcakes and sodas at the Main Street Bakery and DH made the comment that we'd never use all those snack credits by the next day. The CM checking us out said "sure ya can" and proceeded to tell us how to do it. The next day, on our way out of the MK, we stopped in and asked if it was really possible and that CM helped me pick stuff that traveled well.

So I doubt that Disney counts on people not using all their credits and if they do, then I would think that these so called "shopping sprees" would have been stopped a long time ago.

Disney the CM or Corporate Disney? I highly doubt the CM at he Main Street Bakery has anything to do with the accounting, annual stockholder reports or other internal financial dealings...if so, the CM likely would be making a lot more money!

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

if that was me with all of those snacks left over, I think I would pay it forward and give them to someone else that would be really fun!!

I was thinking the same thing! How fun would it be to sprinkle a little pixie dust and make someone else's trip a little more magical?!

 

[marivaid]

The DDP isn't as cheap as it used to be, and even when it's advertised as "free", it's not. To me, leaving credits behind is like handing a bunch of extra dollars to the Mouse after already paying for the vacation. On our last trip I overestimated how many park days we would need, and those went unused, nothing I could do about that. But I could use our remaining credits and I sure did! Small bags of cashews or trail mix can come in handy (especially when you have a 12-hour journey back home) and don't take much space in a backpack.

If Disney expected people to leave behind credits, then maybe they just need to rethink that theory. In this economy, it's a bit unrealistic to expect that the majority of people will not use things they've already paid for.

 

[Colleen27]

Individually, no....$2.50 isn't much. Multiply it by 59 [the OPs leftovers] and you have an immediate "value" of $147.50. The poster who was left with 92 would have a value of $230. Granted, Disney doesn't pay $230 for it, but it still has a cost to acquire the item, storage, the % that goes to overhead, etc. built into each item. Now factor in the people who *have* to have the single most expensive meal possible each meal to *maximize* to the full utilization [we've seen them on the boards!] and multiply it many, many times....from this minor sampling of people at the DIS it appears that the "shopping spree" to zero out the plan is a relatively common practice and suddenly you are talking about serious money.....or put another way, if I get everyone in China to send me a dollar [heck, its just pocket change -right?] and suddenly I'm a billionaire! No doubt Disney factored in people walking away with credits still on the books and making sure they are *all* spent simply to spend them all would have an impact on the bottom line. I certainly don't begrudge people using their credits...use them, don't use them...I frankly would use mine in the vacation or walk away without regret. I *personally* don't see the need to stock up on a months worth of stuff to feel I had value. As a repeat visitor, I have to wonder what all is driving the prices up, up, up and simply was musing aloud.....

Yeah but that 2.50 snack, even figuring in all the non-product costs, is likely costing Disney about $1.

I really don't think Disney created the plans with the assumption that any significant percentage of credits would go unused, much less priced them in such a way that profitability depends on people being willing to waste credits. Prices are going up because they can; the DDP is a common but not really logical scapegoat, considering that tickets, room rates, merchandise, and alcohol are all going up-up-up too (and if you hop to the other coast, you'll find people complaining about the same "dumbing down" of menus and increasing prices at DLR where there is no DDP-equivalent).

As far as ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, yes, we do see that in conversations here on the DIS. We also see threads from people who are using most of their TS credits for relatively low-value character dining, because to them that is the highlight of Disney dining. I think Disney's marketing department accounted for both ends of the spectrum - those who want to use every plan inclusion and those who will walk away with credits remaining, those who will order steak every night and those who will use all their TS credits at character buffets, those who will bring bottled water to save snack credits for better value and those who don't care if they're using a credit on a $1 piece of fruit.

 

[MSLRAC]

Disney the CM or Corporate Disney? I highly doubt the CM at he Main Street Bakery has anything to do with the accounting, annual stockholder reports or other internal financial dealings...if so, the CM likely would be making a lot more money!

If the Disney Corporation was losing money on the plans because of people using their credits as discussed in this thread, then there is no doubt in my mind that the Disney Corporation would stop it and CM's certainly wouldn't be instructing guests to do it.

Yeah but that 2.50 snack, even figuring in all the non-product costs, is likely costing Disney about $1.

I really don't think Disney created the plans with the assumption that any significant percentage of credits would go unused, much less priced them in such a way that profitability depends on people being willing to waste credits. Prices are going up because they can; the DDP is a common but not really logical scapegoat, considering that tickets, room rates, merchandise, and alcohol are all going up-up-up too (and if you hop to the other coast, you'll find people complaining about the same "dumbing down" of menus and increasing prices at DLR where there is no DDP-equivalent).

As far as ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, yes, we do see that in conversations here on the DIS. We also see threads from people who are using most of their TS credits for relatively low-value character dining, because to them that is the highlight of Disney dining. I think Disney's marketing department accounted for both ends of the spectrum - those who want to use every plan inclusion and those who will walk away with credits remaining, those who will order steak every night and those who will use all their TS credits at character buffets, those who will bring bottled water to save snack credits for better value and those who don't care if they're using a credit on a $1 piece of fruit.

I 100% agree! Disney is not stupid, they have accounted for every aspect of the plans and they are apparently making a profit on the plans as they are or they would have modified them again.

 

[asc]

having just done DDP this does not surprise me. it is just way too much food IMO. if food and wine fest was not on, we would have had about 15 left over with our party of three.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

We did DXDP first time this trip (AND LOVED IT). Would consider ourselves to be big eaters UK style but maybe not by USA. Did large breakfast buffet each morning and a mix of dinner shows, 2ts evening meals and 1ts meals. Stayed for a week, party of four so had 56 snack credits. Can I add that we did order our drink (water and orange juice) from garden grocer as we use about 3 bottles of water each per day during our stay.

The only snacks we used 'properly' were for dole whips, at MNSSHP for ice-cream from Mrs Potts? and for a couple of snacks from f&W booths. The day before we came home we had 38 credits left. I used them for a mix of Goofy's candy bags, rice krispie treats (the halloween ones and the Christmas themed ones) and mainly for Princess Pez which DD brought home for her friends.

We calculated the price of the meals we would have had without dxdp and knew that dxdp for our family was only costing the same as SOA/HDDR/CRT and our other four dinners. Basically meaning that we had all our breakfasts for free plus the snacks we brought home. Would definitely do the plan again and we're enjoying the treats in packed lunches that we brought home.

Did waste two meal credits though.