Can someone help me with discount math?

[Saylan]

I've been running myself around in circles trying to do math on our options, so if any discount gurus could help me, that'd be amazing right now.

We are going from Jan 5-14. We were planning on doing Pop from 5-8 and a change over to FD from 8-14.We're now debating on that second part between Pop and POR as well as RO (the one coming out Oct. 5) or FD. It will be me and DBF.

I'm just trying to figure out what the differences in savings would be so I can determine if paying OoP and having RO would be cheaper than FD. If I can figure out how much the difference is, we can then determine if we'd reasonably spend that much on food.

Is there anyone who can help an overwhelmed-with-math newbie out?

TIA!

 

[Karlzmom]

I can try.

Let's start with:
the value of QSFD for each adult is $34.99/night
the value of DDP for each adult is $51.54/night


for you and DBF, the "value" of QSPD = $69.98
for you and DBF, the "value of DDP = $103.08

In order to get either, you pay rack-rate. This amount will vary based on what room type, whether the night is a weekday or weekend. So, you will need to total up how much the room you choose will be for the time period of time you stay.

To determine how much you would save in the room only promo. Add up the cost of the nights at the hotel and multiple as follows:

for the POP, multiply the total by .75 for the total you will pay.
For the POR, multiply the total by .75 for the total you will pay.

Now, there are a couple of ways you can use the results to analyze the best fit for you.

1. you can subtract the larger number from the smaller number for each type of room to determine the difference and compare which, RO or FD is cheaper.

2. you can figure out how much you will really eat, and compare it to the RO discount to how the two numbers relate [or don't]

FWIW, I look at the FD as a "gamble" discount. If you were going to buy the plan anyway, it might have value to you. However, be aware that because you pay rack rate you can't truly know what you saved [or IF you saved] more than what the RO discount would have been until you finish the trip and add up the receipts. You could save a bit over the price of buying the food OOP, but the "cost" to you was paying the difference between the RO discount and rack rate. A RO gives you a clear "savings" up front that you can use as you chose, even applying it against OOP food purchases or buying the DDP. You may end up paying more for food, but again you can't really tell until its all said and done.

Hope that helps!

 

[Saylan]

I can try.

Let's start with:
the value of QSFD for each adult is $34.99/night
the value of DDP for each adult is $51.54/night


for you and DBF, the "value" of QSPD = $69.98
for you and DBF, the "value of DDP = $103.08

In order to get either, you pay rack-rate. This amount will vary based on what room type, whether the night is a weekday or weekend. So, you will need to total up how much the room you choose will be for the time period of time you stay.

To determine how much you would save in the room only promo. Add up the cost of the nights at the hotel and multiple as follows:

for the POP, multiply the total by .75 for the total you will pay.
For the POR, multiply the total by .75 for the total you will pay.

Now, there are a couple of ways you can use the results to analyze the best fit for you.

1. you can subtract the larger number from the smaller number for each type of room to determine the difference and compare which, RO or FD is cheaper.

2. you can figure out how much you will really eat, and compare it to the RO discount to how the two numbers relate [or don't]

FWIW, I look at the FD as a "gamble" discount. If you were going to buy the plan anyway, it might have value to you. However, be aware that because you pay rack rate you can't truly know what you saved [or IF you saved] more than what the RO discount would have been until you finish the trip and add up the receipts. You could save a bit over the price of buying the food OOP, but the "cost" to you was paying the difference between the RO discount and rack rate. A RO gives you a clear "savings" up front that you can use as you chose, even applying it against OOP food purchases or buying the DDP. You may end up paying more for food, but again you can't really tell until its all said and done.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the help. I know we wouldn't buy the dining plan if it wasn't 'free' but I also know we wouldn't really do any sitdowns without it (which we want to do). I think you made some good points about the upfront savings nature of the RO. I hadn't really thought of it that way.

I think totalling up how we would really eat, while time consuming, is the only way to determine if we'd end up benefiting or wasting the FD without waiting to see afterwards. Would we then need to hit the 51.54/night/person price to make it worthwhile?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[vinotinto]

To determine how much you would save in the room only promo. Add up the cost of the nights at the hotel and multiple as follows:

for the POP, multiply the total by .75 for the total you will pay.
For the POR, multiply the total by .75 for the total you will pay.

And don't forget to add the tax (11.5%).

To determine the better discount:

Step1: Price out the POR/POP room-only on WDW for your exact dates all the way (not just the room rates but make sure that it has added the tax), multiply by .25 - this is the room only discount.

Step 2: The Free dining discount will be $34.99/night/adult and $51.54/night/adult. Add up the dining plan discount for your family members (so the total discount per night) and multiple by the number of nights. - this is the free dining discount.

In general, free dining is better deal for value stays and for larger number of adults. Room only discount is better deal for lower number of adults/deluxe stays. For moderates, it depends on how many adults, so that's where the math comes in handy.

 

[Saylan]

And don't forget to add the tax (11.5%).

To determine the better discount:

Step1: Price out the POR/POP room-only on WDW for your exact dates all the way (not just the room rates but make sure that it has added the tax), multiply by .25 - this is the room only discount.

Step 2: The Free dining discount will be $34.99/night/adult and $51.54/night/adult. Add up the dining plan discount for your family members (so the total discount per night) and multiple by the number of nights. - this is the free dining discount.

In general, free dining is better deal for value stays and for larger number of adults. Room only discount is better deal for lower number of adults/deluxe stays. For moderates, it depends on how many adults, so that's where the math comes in handy.

The discount is applied after tax then? Hmm, that'll change my numbers too.

So for us, with 2 adults, 51.54 x 2 = 103.08 x 6 = 618.48 that's the savings of free dining? But that's only a savings if we end up spendng 51.54/person/night on food, right? If we spend less, we save less? Am I following that correctly? (I think my brain is turning to mush, lol).

The POR room discount can only be applied to a standard/garden view room, so that's 1163 x 0.7 = 814.10. 1163 - 814.10 = 348.90. So 348.90 is our RO only savings?

I guess I can read it two ways, like Karlzmom said, and say FD is a bigger savings number-wise, but realistically, I won't be spending (hopefully) 103.08 a night on food. But, if I spend 350-ish or more on food over the 6 nights, then FD is a better deal, and if I spend under 350-ish on food, RO is a better deal? Brain doesn't like math this early in the morning.

 

[vinotinto]

The discount is applied after tax then? Hmm, that'll change my numbers too.

So for us, with 2 adults, 51.54 x 2 = 103.08 x 6 = 618.48 that's the savings of free dining? But that's only a savings if we end up spendng 51.54/person/night on food, right? If we spend less, we save less? Am I following that correctly? (I think my brain is turning to mush, lol).

The POR room discount can only be applied to a standard/garden view room, so that's 1163 x 0.7 = 814.10. 1163 - 814.10 = 348.90. So 348.90 is our RO only savings?

I guess I can read it two ways, like Karlzmom said, and say FD is a bigger savings number-wise, but realistically, I won't be spending (hopefully) 103.08 a night on food. But, if I spend 350-ish or more on food over the 6 nights, then FD is a better deal, and if I spend under 350-ish on food, RO is a better deal? Brain doesn't like math this early in the morning.

They actually apply the discount before tax, and then tax you on the reduced amount.

 

[Saylan]

They actually apply the discount before tax, and then tax you on the reduced amount.

So I should price out the rooms without tax then before calculating the 0.25 part?

 

[Karlzmom]

So, what did you decide?

 

[Saylan]

So, what did you decide?

We're still debating. lol I'm going to re-do the math without the taxes and see. I think this is a good way to do it though:

(rack rate total before taxes) x 0.7 or 0.75 (depending which discount) = RO savings

(RO savings) / (# of nights staying) = how much per night (before tip and taxes) you'd need to spend in food OoP to make the FD worth it.

I think ours will be close to 50-60 bucks overall and with two adults, that's not hard if we're doing table service. We have to determine though if we WILL do table service. If I can figure that out and where we'll do it, I can get an idea of what the OoP cost will be.

We did WDW on FD last time and DLR OoP. What I found is that I preferred not having to carry a lot of cash with me to pay for meals (we're international so CCs charge a premium exchange rate hence the cash) so DDP was more convenient for us. We did once or twice order alcohol which isn't covered but mostly we found the food supplied worked well enough for us.

I think for us, part of the fun of the trip is experiencing the wonderful food places around the resort (DHS seems to be lacking, but most of the others are fairly diverse) which is much easier on the DDP. If the difference in savings is going to be maybe a dollar or two different, I might go with FD just to avoid the hassle of cash.

1 table service meal for 2 adults can easily be 70+ dollars, plus taxes and tip. That's a lot of extra cash to have on my hands.

 

[Saylan]

So here's the math I came out with:

Step 1: Room-only discount (pre-tax) on a POR Gardenview room from Jan 8-14

1034 x 0.7 = 723.80

Step 2: Difference of room-only vs the rack rate of a king room (what we'd book with free dining)

1124 - 723.80 = 400.20 total
or
400.20 / 6 = 66.70/night

So 400.20 would be the savings from which we'd have to pay for food out of pocket and the benchmark we'd have to hit in food costs to justify free dining over room discount.

Step 3: Cost of table service meals we would eat (based on Dis menus) pre-tax/tip

Biergarten (Dinner): 73.98
Coral Reef (Lunch): 70.96
Kona Cafe (Dinner): 61.96
Liberty Tree Tavern (Lunch): 52.96
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano (Dinner): 45.46
Whispering Canyon Cafe (Lunch): 58.94

Table Service total: 364.26

Quick service/snack minimum to meet room only difference: 35.94 (easily made with 1-2 quick service meals/snacks)

Free dining I think works out best for us because we want to eat at the above places and we wouldn't do that many table services OoP due to cost/carrying cash around, not due to desire.

Reasoning: The argument that I wouldn't spend that much if I wasn't on the dining plan would be true, but I also would be a little disappointed since dining is part of the fun for us. If it's not as big a deal, I think the room only would be better since without table service, spending 400 in 6 nights would be difficult for us to justify (in quick service/snacks only ). It would really depend on your eating style/preferences. Really 66.70 divided between two adults, that probably wouldn't be too hard to do but I'd feel like I wasted money spending that much on burgers and other various fast food items.

 

[Karlzmom]

So here's the math I came out with:

Step 1: Room-only discount (pre-tax) on a POR Gardenview room from Jan 8-14

1034 x 0.7 = 723.80

Step 2: Difference of room-only vs the rack rate of a king room (what we'd book with free dining)

1124 - 723.80 = 400.20 total
or
400.20 / 6 = 66.70/night

So 400.20 would be the savings from which we'd have to pay for food out of pocket and the benchmark we'd have to hit in food costs to justify free dining over room discount.

Step 3: Cost of table service meals we would eat (based on Dis menus) pre-tax/tip

Biergarten (Dinner): 73.98
Coral Reef (Lunch): 70.96
Kona Cafe (Dinner): 61.96
Liberty Tree Tavern (Lunch): 52.96
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano (Dinner): 45.46
Whispering Canyon Cafe (Lunch): 58.94

Table Service total: 364.26

Quick service/snack minimum to meet room only difference: 35.94 (easily made with 1-2 quick service meals/snacks)

Free dining I think works out best for us because we want to eat at the above places and we wouldn't do that many table services OoP due to cost/carrying cash around, not due to desire.

Reasoning: The argument that I wouldn't spend that much if I wasn't on the dining plan would be true, but I also would be a little disappointed since dining is part of the fun for us. If it's not as big a deal, I think the room only would be better since without table service, spending 400 in 6 nights would be difficult for us to justify (in quick service/snacks only ). It would really depend on your eating style/preferences. Really 66.70 divided between two adults, that probably wouldn't be too hard to do but I'd feel like I wasted money spending that much on burgers and other various fast food items.

Sounds good The best part is, there is no "right" answer. By working it out, looking at the numbers and thinking through what you really want out of your vacation means you will be happy whether or not you ultimately could have saved 50 cents doing it another way [ok, I exagerate, its Disney....everything is more than 50 cents....] Have a great trip!

 

[Saylan]

Sounds good The best part is, there is no "right" answer. By working it out, looking at the numbers and thinking through what you really want out of your vacation means you will be happy whether or not you ultimately could have saved 50 cents doing it another way [ok, I exagerate, its Disney....everything is more than 50 cents....] Have a great trip!

Thanks, I hope to! Hey, that 50 cents could buy me two penny presses! Well, 52 cents could.

We booked last night with 2 queens instead of a king so my math is off again. It'd be a smaller room only discount but same savings for free dining thus making the free dining worth even more.

We're doing a split stay with Pop for the first part and that half we had already booked. I called this morning and got a discount from the general public one that came out saving 54$, half the price of a room upgrade to king.