Comparing apples to apples....figuring out the DDP

[hrh_disney_queen]

Ok, so I decided to really sit down and look at menus with a calculator in hand and determine whether the DDP makes sense for my family, and here's what I discovered.

It's kinda hard to tell for sure.

Here's what I mean: I really tried to figure what we would order and eat each day if we didn't have the DDP and it did come up a little cheaper than if we didn't have the DDP, but I realized it wasn't really a fair comparison. If I don't have the DDP, there's no way I'll "treat" my kids to a dessert at every meal, and I would really monitor what they were ordering if paying out of pocket (i.e. making sure they don't order the most expensive thing on the menu). So I've come to the conclusion that I could probably do things alot more cheaply without the DDP, but instead I'm choosing to look at it as a bit of a luxury that will allow us to get some things we normally wouldn't.

Anybody else look at it this way or does that not make any sense?

Makes total and perfect sense to me. We are the same way, probably even more frugal. We are not big eaters, and usually share CS meals-no dessert. We may get a snack one day, we may not. I will be so happy to be saying "YES, you may have that!" to my kids this trip. (and to myself, too. I LOVE dessert, but never order it.) My only fear is the high level of expectation I am setting on this trip-we may never be able to go back without free dining again!

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

we have never been on the plan when we have gone. i guess if it were free we might try it. but i think we would rather just eat whenever or where ever. thats just us. heck i dont even know what we will have for dinner tomorrow it depends on what we are in the mood for. haha. i could not book for months ahead....haha.

 

[Anonomom]

I did the same comparison before planning our trip in September. I calculated the cost of staying offsite in a condo and cooking all breakfasts and most dinners, figuring on 2ts meals for thr whole trip and cs meals for lunch every day.

DH, however, feels like a key point of a vacation is eating out. He'd rather eat TS at least once a day, so I had to redo the calculatios. Even without desserts, I figured we'd spend more on meals OOP than the dining plan cost.

And then we booked free dining.

 

[caroline1851]

I figured I could eat cheaper by not doing the ddp by eating cs and sharing meals and scrimping wherever possible, but it was nice to do the sit down meals and not worry about what you're ordering and how much it cost.

 

[DCDisney]

I think the DDP is a great value if you plan on eating 1TS meal per day.

Below is an except from my PTR for May. I'm going again in August and by following these rules I will be breaking even just on TS.

I do agree with your rules being necessary to get the full value out of the DDP. But if we are using the DPP for it's convenience factor but then we HAVE to have dinner as TS and shouldn't use it for 2 credit meals, and need to order the most expensive meals, etc etc it really becomes just as onerous as scrimping a bit. When I compare the DDP to paying OOP I look at what we ideally would enjoy most and inevitably for us that ends up being at least 1 breakfast and 1 lunch TS. Often for us we don't even want the CS desserts. My kids like the ice cream bars which are among the cheaper snacks, etc etc. When my kids were kid DDP aged it was a total no brainer to do the DDP even not using it ideally but now that I have 2 "adult" aged kids it's just about even plus we usually end up eating 1 TS meal each trip where none of us are hungry but need to use those credits. We got a pin for free dining on our upcoming trip but otherwise we were going to do OOP and I was going to get the kids a gift card to be able to get whatever snacks they wanted each day since that is their favorite aspect to the DDP.

 

[averysmom]

I love the dining plan, because, like you, I would never "treat" myself with a sit-down meal every day, dessert every day, tons of snacks, etc. And with the prices being what they are at the world right now, really one sit-down meal pays for the whole plan - so the counter service and snack is pretty much free!

I also think that the kids plan, is a great deal at 10.99. There is no way that I could feed my kids on 10.99/day at WDW, IMO.

 

[averysmom]

I think the DDP is a great value if you plan on eating 1TS meal per day.

Below is an except from my PTR for May. I'm going again in August and by following these rules I will be breaking even just on TS. I have an excel spreadsheet which adds up my anticipated meals w/ taxes, gratuities, and lists all OOP meals that I will do as well.

By "breaking even", I mean that the anticipated costs of TS for 2 adults and 1 child on DDP will equal the cost of the plan. That means whatever we spend on CS Meals and Snacks for the week will be my realized savings. Not bad.

What people often neglect to realize or figure into their costs is that the DDP includes tax. So if paying OOP for anything, you pay 6.5% more than what the prices are listed on the menu, even for CS. So if it costs you $39.99 per day for DDP, you only need to eat $37.54 per day to break even. So for instance, in August I have dinner planned at the Cape May Cafe Clam Bake which costs $30.99, I only need to spend $6.55 the rest of the day to break even. Very easy to do with a CS and Snack. At Le Celier, a filet, creme brulee, and coke is over $42. I'm up before even including a CS or snack for that day.

From my May PTR: When following these DDP "rules" you should always be ahead even when you factor out the price of the CS desserts (which I don't particularly want each day, and skipped all but a few days on my September '08 trip. I did have Mickey Ice Cream bars with my CS lunch at the waterparks though!!).

1. Always use DDP Adult TS credits on DINNER.
If you want to book a Character BF or 2, pay OOP because an adult CBF is 18.99 for most of them (much less than the cost of an average dinner). Note: If you want to use your Adult TS for Character BF's, you likely will not come out ahead on the day (but it should still be within $7 of the daily plan cost).

2. Addendum to #1: If you have kids with you at the Character BF use their Child TS credits for these meals while you PAY OOP. This is because a child CBF is usually 10.99 (while child TS dinner is usually $7.49). Of course you will have to pay OOP for 2 of their TS dinners during the stay if you do this.

3. Never (repeat Never) use 2TS for any meal.

4. Always use CS credits on LUNCH.
Same principle as #1, but this time since lunch costs more on average than breakfast.

5. Use snack credits on BF items, not snacks. Most items under $4 qualify for a SC. You can get a nice coffee roll or mickey muffin at MS Bakery, Boardwalk Bakery or Starring Rolls each morning for a snack credit. Use another credit to split an OJ, pay OOP for a coffee and you'll be set. Since you get 7 SC's each, you should be set for BF for about 4 days using the SC's in this way. The days you aren't using SC for BF items pay OOP or go to a character BF and have some fun following rules #1 and #2.
Sorry for the long post, but it works for me!

ITA with all your points - but an addendum to point 5.

Main Street Bakery lets you use counter service at breakfast - two pastries and two drinks. On our last trip we got two large juices and two cinnamon buns (the size of my head, I swear!) for one CS credit. Since we are not big breakfast eaters, the four of us ate breakfast, sharing the large juices and buns between the 4 of us (2 A, 1 4 year old, 1 6 year old) for one cs credit instead of 4 snack credits - a better use of credits, IMO.

 

[colinsdad]

I do agree with your rules being necessary to get the full value out of the DDP. But if we are using the DPP for it's convenience factor but then we HAVE to have dinner as TS and shouldn't use it for 2 credit meals, and need to order the most expensive meals, etc etc it really becomes just as onerous as scrimping a bit.

If you're getting FREE dining, then your point is moot. You dont HAVE to have dinner TS, can waste 2 credits on a meal, and order the cheapest meal on the menu, etc, etc. Eat wherever and whatever you want. It's not costing you anything.

However, if you are PAYING for DDP, then you should at the minimum do the math and see if you're getting value.

Taking your criteria, when I compare the DDP to paying OOP I look at what we ideally would enjoy most too. For my family, that means sitting down for a family TS dinner with meat/fish/pasta just like we do at home every night. We would not enjoy eating cafeteria style CS for dinner and I would argue most people would rather sit down for a formal meal at dinnertime if given the choice.

So extrapolating the cost of these dinners (and what I would normally order if its not a buffet) vs. the cost of the DDP, and determining that the entire daily DDP cost is almost covered by our TS meals, makes it a no-brainer for me to add DDP. And FYI, you don't have to order the most expensive item on the menu. I never said that in my PP.

You note "Often for us we don't even want the CS desserts".

I agree, and I noted in my PP that I don't want/eat them either. There is only so much dessert you can eat. But again, if your entire days DDP is covered by dinner, skip it. You don't lose anything but calories.

You also note "My kids like the ice cream bars which are among the cheaper snacks, etc etc".

While I don't let my kids use snack credits for extra desserts (I think the 2 included daily with DDP is enough), I also never noted that you need to get value using snack credits. In fact, I noted in my PP we use snack credits on BF. BF items are also among the "cheaper" use for snack credits. In fact, BF items in most cases are cheaper than mickey bars. But by using them on BF, it saves money because you're not paying OOP for BF some days when you could use these "cheaper" snack credits for things you normally would buy anyway. It also saves you from scrambling to use up snack credits on the last day by buying up junk food like I read about time and time again on these boards.

Your final point actually seems to be in total agreement with what I was saying all along. "When my kids were kid DDP aged it was a total no brainer to do the DDP even not using it ideally."

Sounds familiar.

"... but now that I have 2 "adult" aged kids it's just about even plus we usually end up eating 1 TS meal each trip where none of us are hungry but need to use those credits."

So it seems as though you are doing the math. Have done the math. And know the math.

I'm just telling people how I use the math to my benefit.

You actually noted when you now use DDP, "it's just about even plus we usually end up eating 1TS each trip".

You break even and waste a TS? I can see a CS maybe, but a TS???

I'd say on this trip with your FREE dining, if you think you're going to waste a TS, you should use 2TS for a DDE dinner. Or maybe go through the "onerous" process like I do of actually planning out your ADR's.

 

[colinsdad]

ITA with all your points - but an addendum to point 5.

Main Street Bakery lets you use counter service at breakfast - two pastries and two drinks. On our last trip we got two large juices and two cinnamon buns (the size of my head, I swear!) for one CS credit. Since we are not big breakfast eaters, the four of us ate breakfast, sharing the large juices and buns between the 4 of us (2 A, 1 4 year old, 1 6 year old) for one cs credit instead of 4 snack credits - a better use of credits, IMO.

I like it! Gold Star. A+

Use that idea at MK for breakfast and then do a Chicken and Ribs Combo at Cosmic Rays at lunch (which is HUGE and more than enough to share) and breakfast and lunch can both be covered with just 2CS.

 

[goofy4tink]

Before every single trip, I sit down with the menus and my calculator. I pretty much know what we will be eating, and where, on any given day. I have found that the DDP really isn't a savings for us. I have the TiW card, which is a 20% savings for me on table service meals.
For instance, we are heading down in a month..there will be 3 of us for the majority of the trip, with dh added for 3 days. We are eating most lunches in our villa, rather than counter service. Not so much a cost saving mechanism, but since we'll be headed there for a midday swim, it makes more sense to have lunch in the room. So, we'll have some groceries shipped in, as well as what we bring with us. But, we'll have a table service dinner each night for the most part. The DDP would have cost me about $150 more than what we will be spending on food as it stands now.

But....my friend and I are headed to WDW for 5 days the week after Thanksgiving. We will use the DDP then. It makes sense for us and it means no trying to figure out who owes what...we both pay our DDP cost up front and be done with it.

You really do have to sit and figure it all out, being sure to compare the same things..apples to apples. Then, you need to decide how much the convenience is worth if you use the DDP.

 

[CariAnn]

While the previous posts illustrate, it's different for everyone, but here's my family's take on it:

I have done the DDP three times, never free. Not only do I obsessively plan my own disney vacations but those of friends and family as well. With me, DH and DD, I figured out how cheaply we could eat and still enjoy our meals, then looked at the dining plan. For us, it only costs about $10 a day more total for the dining plan, versus OOP where we would probably only do a couple table service meals the whole week.

Also, it is just nice not to keep track of how much we're spending, just how many meals we've eaten. While I do wish you had a choice of appetizer or dessert, I did find before when you got both, it was really too much food and a lot went to waste.

Finally, an idea, in order to balance out desserts with every meal, I used most of my snack credits for fruit or vegetables. A healthy snack as well as refreshing on those hot Florida afternoons.

 

[DsnyQueen]

While we probably would save money by not doing the DDP (assuming it's not free), we would most likely be forcing ourselves to eat all CS, which is not all that appealing to me. Since we only use Disney Transportation, the average on-site CS meal with drink only is about $8-10 and consists of a burger and fries which is not my favorite. I would probably want a snack and maybe a dessert at least once a day, so add in another $4-10 per day. Total, this would be $20-30 per person per day if we only ate two meals. While this is a "savings", it's better for me to spend the extra $10 or so and get to go to nice TS and have the option of all those desserts and snacks without more out of pocket. I can also target what I refer to as the "better" CS where you can get rotisserie chicken and pork chops, etc., but that you might not want to pay more for if on a budget and OOP.

I also agree with the others that the "pre-paid" convenience is what helps aid my decision to go with the DDP each time. I've noticed that even with a budget for food, things can still get out of hand if you don't plan ahead carefully. I prefer to have it all paid ahead of time, and then I can change my mind if I decide to get the more expensive entree or snack. I don't have to sacrifice something later in trip because of my splurge the first day!

 

[DCDisney]

If you're getting FREE dining, then your point is moot.

Free dining isn't free though because you pay rack rate for the room. Other times of year you can get the same room and DDP for the same cost as free dining when they run other good promotions plus you don't have to travel suring hot hurricane season and fight for ADRs.
.




"... but now that I have 2 "adult" aged kids it's just about even plus we usually end up eating 1 TS meal each trip where none of us are hungry but need to use those credits."

So it seems as though you are doing the math. Have done the math. And know the math.

I'm just telling people how I use the math to my benefit.

Your math is ideal if you follow the "rules" but if you PREFER having a lunch or breakfast TS rather than dinner a few times or junior gets the $12 pasta dish it can be a slippery slope in terms of the break even on the DDP.


You break even and waste a TS? I can see a CS maybe, but a TS???

We eat the TS to not waste the credits but if we were paying OOP we could skip it and it would be money saved. We've never had anyone get sick on our trips but if that happens you could lose lots on the DDP.

We've taken multiple trips with the DDP and I run the numbers every single time. Whether on the plan or not we do a TS every day. On our last trip I figured out to come out ahead at all we had to spend no less than $25 on a TS which was right where the buffets price out. Some days it worked in our favor like at Le Cellier and some it didn't like 50's Prime Time (which though it was cheap was our favorite meal that trip).

 

[Mommytobree]

The nice part about the dining plan, and the reason I'll always do it, is because it is all already paid for. I don't have to look at prices, or order what is cheap, or deny the kids (or myself!) a yummy dessert. It is the most stress-free way to enjoy disney IMO.

 

[snykymom]

The nice part about the dining plan, and the reason I'll always do it, is because it is all already paid for. I don't have to look at prices, or order what is cheap, or deny the kids (or myself!) a yummy dessert. It is the most stress-free way to enjoy disney IMO.

It's always interesting to read how different people react to different situations. For me, the DDP actually adds to my stress. Because it's already paid for, I have to ensure that I get my money's worth! And that's way too stressful for me!