Am I crazy for trying to do this with TS credits?

[KuyaJeff]

So I'm going with a friend to WDW in January 2013 (hoping for Free Dining with a stay at Coronado Springs)...wait for it...and only using one credit for one of us and then paying out of pocket for the other person.

The thought running through my mind is that in some occasion, often for character/buffet breakfasts, is that the dining plan will serve as a 50% off our meal discount. I figure that some of the breakfasts aren't worth using two credits when they're cheaper than other meals of the days....so I'm hoping to get an overall discount for a meal by paying with a combination of one TS Credit for one person and paying out of pocket for the other person. In my mind, I'm really trying to stretch my credits over more meals with the understanding that I will have to pay the rest out of pocket.

If I did the math correctly, it only ends up costing me ~$5-10 more when splititng between two restaurants using this form of payment. So I may not be making the most sense, after all. We have a lot more breakfast meals we're interested than dinners...and the plan was to use 2TS Credits on dinners because of their prices. We had some left overs and figured we divide them evenly amongst the breakfast meals...one TS each for a person per meal, and then paying for the other person out of pocket.

Does anyone know if this affects the way I make ADRs? Any advantages? Disadvantages? TIA

Here's the tentative ADR Agenda...still more than 180 days out:

Day 1
Boma - Dinner (2TS)

Day 2
Tusker House - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP)
Kona Cafe - Dinner (1OOP - Tentative)

Day 3
Chef Mickey's - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP)
Via Napoli - Dinner (2TS)

Day 4
Crystal Palace - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP)
Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue (2TS)

Day 5
QSR Day?

Day 6
'Ohana - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP)
Whispering Canyon Cafe - Dinner (2TS)

Day 7
Boma - Breakfast (OOP)

 

[OThopeful35]

I don't know if I understand you correctly but you cannot share meals on the dining plan. For the buffets, they will take one credit per person or charge OOP. Hopefully some of the other more knowledgeable posters will chime in.

 

[mommy2paisley]

If I'm misunderstanding you, sorry, but do you really think they're going to let two people eat for one credit at buffets???? I can see sharing an entree at a non-buffet QS or TS, but a buffet????? No way!!!!!!! Surely that's not what you're suggesting!!!!!

 

[KuyaJeff]

I don't know if I understand you correctly but you cannot share meals on the dining plan. For the buffets, they will take one credit per person or charge OOP. Hopefully some of the other more knowledgeable posters will chime in.

If I'm misunderstanding you, sorry, but do you really think they're going to let two people eat for one credit at buffets???? I can see sharing an entree at a non-buffet QS or TS, but a buffet????? No way!!!!!!! Surely that's not what you're suggesting!!!!!

Oh no, I'm not that crazy. I was thinking about using one table credit and then paying for the rest out of pocket. I apologize if I didn't make that clear. I'm going to adjust my original post.

 

[kddisney502]

If I'm understanding you correctly....Hoop De is a dinner show so it is counted as 2TS per person. So did you mean 4TS, or is only 1 person attending Hoop De?

Via Napoli is currently not participating in the 2013 dinning plan. This may change later (as they work out the deal), but for now it will need to OOP for both.

If it were me, I would pay the same way at each resturant and just save the OOP for cheaper resturants. To me, it's just easier than worrying about which meal and making sure the waiter gets it right on the check/dinning plan reciept.

Also another thing to keep in mind is the prices and menus change. We visited last Jan. and we found the prices were higher and some menus items we wanted were different that what people had reported on menus the month before.

 

[purple figment]

It looks like you and your friend are going for 6 nights, sharing a room and have the regular DDP (1 TS, 1 CS, 1 Snack per night).

Instead of using 1 TS credit and 1 OOP at so many buffets or family style places you could look at the prices and use TS credits for both of you at the more expensive ones. For example Chef Mickey's is more expensive (approx $31) than 'Ohana (approx $22) so use 2 TS credits at CM and both pay OOP at 'Ohana (2 x $22 = $44, instead of 1 OOP each at $31 + $22 = $53). Allears has menus with prices listed, although they may not be accurate next January, but it will give you an idea.

Depending on what items you choose, sometimes an a la carte TS restaurants could be cheaper than the buffets and family style restaurants.

Here's a link to allears menus:

http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#res

As far as making reservations, except for Hoop De Doo, it won't matter at all whether you're using credits or OOP. You'll just make the reservation for 2 people. How you pay is something you'll decide when you get to the restaurant.

Hoop De Doo is a dinner show so when making the reservation, you'll need to link your resort reservation if you want to use dining credits. Online there's a blue link at the bottom of the Hoop res page that says in blue "Use my dining plan to book pre-paid reservations." Click on that link and follow the instructions. If you don't link your dining plan you'll be asked to pay in full for Hoop at the time you make the res. By linking your dining plan your total pre-pay amount should be $.00. You can use the dining plan, but if you change your mind, you can pay OOP when you pick up your tickets in January.

All restaurants that have character meals, dinner shows (Hoop, luau, Mickey's Barbecue), CRT and signature restaurants will require your credit card info (even if you're using dining plan credits) because of the cancellation policy. If you fail to cancel within the specified time frame and then don't show up at the restaurant you'll be charged a penalty.

 

[sharonabe]

Hoop De Doo is 2TS per person, so as it stands you're over by 2TS credits. You may find that the two of you can share OOP at Via Napoli for less than even 1TS credit. Share a large pizza and a dessert and you're set (maybe throw in the $5 salad).

 

[kaytieeldr]

Allears has menus with prices listed

I just wanted to point out - the DIS has menus posted http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm (and updated frequently). No need to send anyone to a different site

The link is available on pretty much every board, just above the list of threads

 

[DisneyMom5]

I think it would make more sense to use the TS for the most expensive restaurants, and pay OOP for the cheapest. But...if you figure it out and it comes out the same, then it really doesn't matter.

 

[Cafeen]

The basic idea is sound, though I'm not sure that I agree with all your choices. One of the biggest things that strikes me is the fact that you have them split up every day (or thereabouts), there's no no need to do this at all. And, in some cases, you're going to pay more than you would if you just decided to do both TS and both OOP at certain meals.

Let's take a look at your list (I reformatted it so it takes up less room on my screen, since I like seeing everything together like that )

• Day 1 - Boma - Dinner (2TS) ~$35pp
• Day 2 - Tusker House - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP) ~$27pp
• Day 2 - Kona Cafe - Dinner (1OOP - Tentative)
• Day 3 - Chef Mickey's - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP) ~$31pp
• Day 3 - Via Napoli - Dinner (2TS)
• Day 4 - Crystal Palace - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP) ~$25pp
• Day 4 - Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue (2TS) We'll say ~$59pp (Cat3) (~$29.50 per cred per person)
• Day 5 - QSR Day?
• Day 6 - 'Ohana - Breakfast (1TS/1OOP) - ~$22pp
• Day 6 - Whispering Canyon Cafe - Dinner (2TS)
• Day 7 - Boma - Breakfast (OOP) ~$20pp

So, discounting your menu-service locations, you're plan has you spending $11 more just by mixing credit use at those breakfasts. You'll save $11 simply by paying OOP at 'Ohana and CP and using credits at TH and CM (man they've upped the TH price a lot it was only ~$18 a couple years ago!)

Now, the menu service things are a little different, since it depends on what you order. So, take a look at what you think you two would order between you and use credits for the more expensive meals there. There can also be a lot more math done here to try and make sense of it overall, but I don't feel like looking all that up right now . In general, if you have more TS than you have credits, you aim to use the credits at the restaurants where your order will cost more than others. This may be different per person and they can be split if you're splitting meals or doing some non-covered ordering (e.g. One orders entree/dessert, other orders app/dessert). Without going into detail on what you're planning to order though, this is about as far as I can go . This difference would also supersede the notes I made above (e.g. if WCC for both of you is more expensive than Tusker, pay OOP for both at Tusker and DDP for both at WCC.)

Now lastly, not sure about your Kona dinner and HDDR day. Is only 1 of you going to both of those?

I just wanted to point out - the DIS has menus posted http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm (and updated frequently). No need to send anyone to a different site

The link is available on pretty much every board, just above the list of threads

After very much searching menus and checking stuff over the past few years, I've noticed that when it comes to buffet prices, the DIS ones stink. They use the same "buckets" that Disney uses which renders them 100% useless when trying to compare costs.

Well, OK, not ALL of them stink , the non-fixed price menus are OK and usually halfway decent, but the fact they don't put any sort of useful pricing info on the fixed price stuff, and often miss entire portions of the menus, makes them pretty worthless to compare costs.

Now, typically I DO recommend them, just as a 3rd source AFTER AllEars and Disney official ones.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, you can do this, although I can't imagine why it's going to end up costing you more.

 

[mommy2paisley]

I just wanted to point out - the DIS has menus posted http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm (and updated frequently). No need to send anyone to a different site

The link is available on pretty much every board, just above the list of threads

I'm so glad you pointed this out! I didn't realize that! Not sure how I missed it all this time, but anyway. The DIS is a much better site, imo, than allears, which is where I always go for menus, because it has the pictures and menus, etc. LOVE it! Thanks!

 

[KuyaJeff]

Thanks to everyone for the insight, especially Cafeen and Purple Figment.

I guess right now we'll go along with paying for a meal/ADR entirely with TS credits or OOP if it's going to save us money. I probably shouldn't have posted so late at night...math skills aren't at their best. Things look clearer now and adjustments have been made!

There's still plenty of time to make changes...

 

[havoc315]

At buffets, etc -- makes the most sense to use credits for the most expensive (such as dinner at Chef Mickeys), and paying oop for the cheapest (such as breakfast at Tusker House).

The 1/1 split makes a lot of sense at ala carte restaurants where you can share dessert, and where 1 person wants a cheaper entree. Or where perhaps you will share an entree, app, and dessert.

For example, dinner at Kona cafe.
You use 1 credit -- get a $29 entree, beverage, and $7 dessert. Total value, about $39
Person 2, oop, gets beverage and $10 appetizer. Total oop is $13.

Share all the food, and end up with 75% off the cost of the meal.