? about signature restaurant

[dsnyrn]

.. what is included when you use 2 dining credits, do we get an appetizer and dessert? Going to California Grill and Flying Fish!!

 

[catne]

.. what is included when you use 2 dining credits, do we get an appetizer and dessert? Going to California Grill and Flying Fish!!

are you on regular dining plan or Deluxe dining plan?

If you're on regular dining plan, you still only get the entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. We think it's a total waste of two credits on the regular dining plan..cannot begin to get full value, IMO. It's more like 1.5 credits' value, certainly not double the value of regular 1 TS restaurants.

If you're on the deluxe dining plan, then yes, you do get appetizer, entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. This is much closer to a value-use of the credits. Our favorite way to use deluxe plan is snack credits for breakfast, early lunch (say 11:30 or so) at a 1 TS restaurants, and then a 2 TS signature dinner.

 

[dsnyrn]

TY for the tips. Thinking about changing to deluxe, just not sure if it will be a value if we do. Looks like the way you describe it, might work out to our favor! It is only my husband and myself, so we are going to take a leisurely stroll through the parks anyway. This might make it a good way to try many more restaurants!! Thanks again

 

[AggieTexan]

are you on regular dining plan or Deluxe dining plan?

If you're on regular dining plan, you still only get the entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. We think it's a total waste of two credits on the regular dining plan..cannot begin to get full value, IMO. It's more like 1.5 credits' value, certainly not double the value of regular 1 TS restaurants.

If you're on the deluxe dining plan, then yes, you do get appetizer, entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. This is much closer to a value-use of the credits. Our favorite way to use deluxe plan is snack credits for breakfast, early lunch (say 11:30 or so) at a 1 TS restaurants, and then a 2 TS signature dinner.

That's exactly how we're going to use our deluxe plan next month!

 

[Cafeen]

are you on regular dining plan or Deluxe dining plan?

If you're on regular dining plan, you still only get the entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. We think it's a total waste of two credits on the regular dining plan..cannot begin to get full value, IMO. It's more like 1.5 credits' value, certainly not double the value of regular 1 TS restaurants.

If you're on the deluxe dining plan, then yes, you do get appetizer, entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. This is much closer to a value-use of the credits. Our favorite way to use deluxe plan is snack credits for breakfast, early lunch (say 11:30 or so) at a 1 TS restaurants, and then a 2 TS signature dinner.

Totally agree with this. (Though, one or two 2TS meals on DDP, so long as you make up for it on the other reservations isn't totally bad (depending on length of stay as well), but it's certainly not the best use of credits!)

For the math...

Using the prices for the 2011 dining plans and some nifty calculations by Faldred (-Seen here-) the cost per TS credit on the two plans is substantially different. For DxDDP, it's about $23 per credit, whereas the DDP is about $30 per TS credit. Add the additional entitlements to the DxDDP "cost" and you should be able to easily see how much difference it can make.

For an Example, we'll use California Grill.
DDP Meal: Crispy Chicken entree ($33), Chocolate cake dessert ($13), drink (~$3)
DxDDP Meal: Same as above, but add the pumpkin soup ($11, one of the cheapest apps on the menu).

The DDP meal would "cost" you roughly $60 for the 2TS credits. However, with this meal, you'd only be getting about $49 worth of food, throwing in tax, and you're still down around $52 for a roughly $8 loss.

On the DxDDP, the meal would "cost" you roughly $46 (so you see, even without the app we're already head!) and you'd get roughly $60 worth of food, or $64 worth of covered costs after tax for a roughly $18 gain.

So, not only does the target number to "break even" for that particular meal go down (due to the lower cost per credit), the value of those credits goes up (due to the addition of the appetizer under the covered charges).

Now note, at this particular venue, you CAN come out ahead on the DDP using 2TS. But to do that you'd have to order one of the two most expensive items on the menu (Veal or Filet) at $44 each. Not even the Tuna (@ $38) would allow you to break even (would be around $58 after tax)

Of course, this is all just an exercise, since comparing individual meals for gains and losses isn't the best way to do it, but it illustrates how much of a drain on savings 2 TS places are on the DDP.

(Editing to add, Faldred's numbers for credit costs are slightly different than mine due to my incorporation of the mugs over a 10 night trip, which his didn't figure in, but the examples still display the same general theme).

 

[dsnyrn]

WOW!!! Great explanation of benefits!! Thanks for doing all the hard work. I was trying to figure the best way to use all the credits if we do Deluxe dining. Great Help!!

 

[goofyintoronto]

I normally dont do signature restaurants while at disney, cause its just me and my DS11. But this time around we'll be trying Cali Grill while on the reg dining plan. I know its not the best use of credits, but we plan on ordering the most expensive item on the menu to get our credits worth. haha!! In a case like this, i dont mind using 2 TS for a restaurant at all. Its a new experience for us, and we dont do it often. So why not!?
The other reason i wanted to do a 2 TS is cause it allows me to book one less restaurant during this trip...which gives us more free time. I know it sounds crazy, but i didnt wanna book to many ressies for this trip.

Im a nut huh?

 

[Cafeen]

WOW!!! Great explanation of benefits!! Thanks for doing all the hard work. I was trying to figure the best way to use all the credits if we do Deluxe dining. Great Help!!

Not a problem at all , been doing the math on these for quite awhile now, so it's ingrained a bit in my head. Plus I like seeing how the numbers themselves work out. (And Faldred helped considerably with that formula for correctly estimating different credit type values).

In the end, it's much easier to make DxDDP come out ahead in terms of money, but it takes a much more significant investment in terms of time and planning to make that happen. DDP is easier to manage as you have less to plan for, though the margin is much slimmer.