600% increase in cost!

[Philip Hitchcock]

Dear Everyone

Booked for a ten night stay at Disney Yacht and Beach Club for April 2017. Because of the dates we are not eligible for the free dining plan. I have booked though Virgin and added the Basic Dining Plan. Yippee!!

I would like to upgrade from Basic to the Disney Dining Plan but I'm being told it will cost me an extra £2510.37 ($3625.13). Thats over 600% increase in price from 2016.

Doesn't sound right to me. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Phil

Family: 2 adults, 3 children
Dates: 31st March - 10 April, 2017 (10 nights)
Accom: Disney Yacht and Beach Club

 

[DisneyWishes14]

By Basic, do you mean the Quick Service plan? Or are you trying to upgrade from Disney Dining to Deluxe Dining?

 

[mshanson3121]

Dear Everyone

Booked for a ten night stay at Disney Yacht and Beach Club for April 2017. Because of the dates we are not eligible for the free dining plan. I have booked though Virgin and added the Basic Dining Plan. Yippee!!

I would like to upgrade from Basic to the Disney Dining Plan but I'm being told it will cost me an extra £2510.37 ($3625.13). Thats over 600% increase in price from 2016.

Doesn't sound right to me. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Phil

Family: 2 adults, 3 children
Dates: 31st March - 10 April, 2017 (10 nights)
Accom: Disney Yacht and Beach Club

I'm curious how you booked this since 2017 rates aren't released yet?

 

[gap2368]

yes I too am wondering if you are looking at the same meal plan I have only gotten the meal plane one time and probable will not do it again as it cast me more then if I just bought my food at disney. you may want to just think about buying your food as it maybe cheeper

 

[gap2368]

I'm curious how you booked this since 2017 rates aren't released yet?

I think you can call and book a vacation that is not out yet but you do not know the price yet

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Not sure what plan you have and what you want to upgrade to, but, based on current pricing, if you were to upgrade from the Quick Service Plan to the Deluxe Dining Plan, the additional cost for your family would be $1912.50. I would check to make sure they didn't somehow change your room category when they priced out dining upgrade.

 

[dancemonkey]

The exchange rate for the GBP to USD is very favorable right now. Not sure what it will be in 2017. But I'd do out of pocket if it were me.

 

[verleniahall]

I'm curious how you booked this since 2017 rates aren't released yet?

I think that since he said he booked through Virgin he is from the UK - they can book WAY ahead of us in the US

 

[joanchris]

Dear Everyone

Booked for a ten night stay at Disney Yacht and Beach Club for April 2017. Because of the dates we are not eligible for the free dining plan. I have booked though Virgin and added the Basic Dining Plan. Yippee!!

I would like to upgrade from Basic to the Disney Dining Plan but I'm being told it will cost me an extra £2510.37 ($3625.13). Thats over 600% increase in price from 2016.

Doesn't sound right to me. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Phil

Family: 2 adults, 3 children
Dates: 31st March - 10 April, 2017 (10 nights)
Accom: Disney Yacht and Beach Club

The math, for the deluxe dining plan at current 2016 rates, is about right (2 adults, 3 children under 10 $3365), that's what they charge for the deluxe plan for 10 days.
If you are talking about the Quick service dining plan, current 2016 rates for those same 2 adults and 3 children would be $1453 for those 10 days. Either way, the numbers you are giving do not make a 600% increase.
A 600% increase would mean that the original cost was only about $560--for two adults and 3 children, to eat for 10 days.

 

[mshanson3121]

I think that since he said he booked through Virgin he is from the UK - they can book WAY ahead of us in the US

Ahhh.... Not fair!!! lol.

OP, maybe the price is just an estimate?

 

[sharonabe]

Ahhh.... Not fair!!! lol.

OP, maybe the price is just an estimate?

It's not an estimate. They have pricing and packages available to them.

 

[Philip Hitchcock]

Thanks for the excellent responses.

By Basic, do you mean the Quick Service plan? Or are you trying to upgrade from Disney Dining to Deluxe Dining?

Yes, upgrading from Quick Service Plan to Disney Dining Plan.

Here are the 2016 figures that I've been working with:

Basic plan $44.13 per adult
Basic plan $19.04 per child
Total for family of 5 = $88.26 + $57.12 = $145.38 per day
Total for 10 days = $1453.80

Dining Plan $63.70 per adult
Dining Plan $22.85 per child
Dining Plan for family of 5 = $127.4 + $68.55 = $195.95 per day
Total for 10 days = $1959.50

That's a difference of $505.70 to upgrade at the 2016 prices. However, I'm quoted $3625 for 2017. Are my figures and research incorrect???

I've been unable to find 2017 prices and I guess they're not released yet. As suggested, maybe it will be best to just 'pay as you go' when we arrive.

 

[mshanson3121]

Thanks for the excellent responses.


Yes, upgrading from Quick Service Plan to Disney Dining Plan.

Here are the 2016 figures that I've been working with:

Basic plan $44.13 per adult
Basic plan $19.04 per child
Total for family of 5 = $88.26 + $57.12 = $145.38 per day
Total for 10 days = $1453.80

Dining Plan $63.70 per adult
Dining Plan $22.85 per child
Dining Plan for family of 5 = $127.4 + $68.55 = $195.95 per day
Total for 10 days = $1959.50

That's a difference of $505.70 to upgrade at the 2016 prices. However, I'm quoted $3625 for 2017. Are my figures and research incorrect???

I've been unable to find 2017 prices and I guess they're not released yet. As suggested, maybe it will be best to just 'pay as you go' when we arrive.

Definitely a huge increase, but not 600% (which would make the new total $11754). It is however, roughly an 85% increase. The only thing you can do is call back and verify the breakdown of the cost, and ask them where they are getting their figures from. Food prices have definitely been increasing substantially at Disney, so... who knows. Maybe the dining plans are going to see a significant hike next year. Though that's a bit extreme.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

2017 dining prices have not been released, so it's hard to know, but the price they are quoting you to upgrade is absurd. I would call back and double check and consider dropping dining altogether if you can't get a straight answer in pricing.

 

[Philip Hitchcock]

The upgrade price is absurd. Hopefully when the 2017 prices are released by Disney they will reveal a more favourable price. At this present time, booking a package through Virgin Holidays UK, I'm quoted $3625 to move to the Disney Dining Plan.

I worked out the percentage as:
2016 upgrade price $50.57 per day
2017 upgrade price $362.60 per day
That's an increase of 617% that I would need to pay. Is this the correct way of looking at the figures?

It's fabulous to have advice on here about this problem. I will contact Virgin for a breakdown and look forward to Disney to releasing the 2017 figures. Either way it will be a fabulous vacation.

 

[mistysue]

Unless you specifically plan your meals around cost, the dining plan is not going to save you money unless it is "free" dining. At that point whether it saves money has a number of factors. For example, my family of 5 staying at port Orleans, room discount roughly $40/night, so free dining is worth way more than $40/night which is $8/each for two meals and a snack.
If we were paying $19 for each child's quick service, their 2 meals often cost less than that. $44 for two meals for adults? The Quick service will be something like $10-$15, so unless you search the park for expensive quick service and snacks you are throwing money away. $44 is about the cost of one quick service and one table service but it only covers two quick service. To add a table service you need another $20- again you are back to needing to plan your meals around cost to get your money's worth rather than just eating what you want. If you don't you are throwing money away.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Definitely a huge increase, but not 600% (

Nope, it is (closer to) 600%.
Difference in cost to upgrade from Basic (QS?) to DDP (standard?) in 2016 = $505.70
Difference in cost to upgrade from Basic (QS?) to DDP (standard?) in 2017 = $2171.35
Now, that number and the next one were done in my head so I make no claims of accuracy, but it looks to me like over a 400% increase anyway.

The posters above seem right - it could very well be an upgrade to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan.

 

[larissawbb]

Have you tried booking directly through Disneys UK website? They have more favorable offers right now.

 

[Philip Hitchcock]

Booked it a few months ago direct with Virgin UK. As it is our first time to Disney World I thought it best to get the experts onside. They have been fabulous with advice and tips and saved me a few mistakes (and $$$) had I gone it alone. I spent several hours with two of their Virgin Disney experts to assemble this dream vacation. Money well spent for a total newbie.

As my knowledge grows from books, online and this excellent forum I'm slowly fine tuning the package. If we choose to go the following year I'm sure I'll be able to go it alone.

The upgrade cost appears to be correct. I'll keep my eye on the offers, discounts and deals to see if anything changes.

 

[Allison]

Thanks for the excellent responses.


Yes, upgrading from Quick Service Plan to Disney Dining Plan.

Here are the 2016 figures that I've been working with:

Basic plan $44.13 per adult
Basic plan $19.04 per child
Total for family of 5 = $88.26 + $57.12 = $145.38 per day
Total for 10 days = $1453.80

Dining Plan $63.70 per adult
Dining Plan $22.85 per child
Dining Plan for family of 5 = $127.4 + $68.55 = $195.95 per day
Total for 10 days = $1959.50

That's a difference of $505.70 to upgrade at the 2016 prices. However, I'm quoted $3625 for 2017. Are my figures and research incorrect???

I've been unable to find 2017 prices and I guess they're not released yet. As suggested, maybe it will be best to just 'pay as you go' when we arrive.

This is not a 600% increase. It is an 85% increase from the regular dining plan in 2016 to 2017 (3625-1959.50)/1959.50. It is a 149% increase from 2016 quick service prices to 2017 standard dining plan prices (3625-1453.8)/1453.8. This assumes the price you are being given is for the package you think it is. That's unknown.