crunching numbers for dining plan

[ncneighbor]

Went on the Disney site to crunch numbers for packages. Without trying to do overkill, as much as possible, I want this to be my dream vacation. I have never been to DW, and may not get to go again as a family as my kids are now teenagers--aach!(whole 'nother story)

I knew the dining plan wasnt cheap, but wow! The cost of my package went from $2600 to $4200 just from adding the regular dining plan to a 9 day vacation. That amounts to $420 per person and I dont think it would cost us that much OOP even with my kids being big eaters and dessert freaks.

But I have never been, and I know how things can add up fast, so some other opinions are needed (we are going in September, so I am also watching the free dining thread..but not counting on it)

I was considering the plan, because I want to do both the HDDMR and Spirit of Aloha (I know, probably overkill), and the F! package if offered while we are there. The only other TS restaurants that are must haves are the Sci-fi Drive In, and Primetime 50's cafe although if I could do others that would be nice. I would only do TS for dinner and do not need character meals.

What do you think..would I probably go over the cost of the plan doing just those TS meals (the 2 dinner shows alone are $500 for all of us) and QS lunch for everything else? No one in my family is big on breakfast, so probably just food from home in the room or in the park for that.

so confused and trying not to stress

 

[havoc315]

It's actually cheaper to do the dinner shows oop, rather than using the dining plan.
For 4 adults (your teenagers are considered adults), you really only save money on the ddp if you do character meals and/or steak dinners EVERY night, and get dessert with EVERY meal, AND do cs lunch every day.

Let's illustrate with Spirit of Aloha --
You need 2 days worth of credits. So that's about $102 per adult.
For that, you get the Spirit of Aloha ($60 value), plus 2 cs meals (about $15 each), plus 2 snacks. ($3.50 each, about). So for $102, you got $97 in value.
If you got higher priced snacks and cs, it might break even. But no big savings.

To get big savings, you'd have to go to the moat expensive 1-credit restaurants and order the most expensive items.

But the good news -- in September, you will have a very good shot at free dining.

 

[aggiemullins]

DDP (in my opinion) used to be a great value. Those days are over as they've raised the prices and tinkered with the offerings every year over the last few years. Counting the year they started making you pay your own gratuities, DDP prices have gone up around 12% a year for several years now. While menu prices have gone up, they certainly haven't gone up that much.

We've done the plan now a few times and gone a few times without the plan. When we have gotten the plan, I come home 5 pounds heavier and a couple hundred dollars poorer then then years I haven't gotten the plan. It encourages you to eat more then you might if you weren't on the plan. I know everyone is different, but seriously, I don't know too many people other then maybe my brother who would/could eat dessert with lunch AND dinner and still have room for a snack in between. I can do it for a day or two but after 3 or 4 days of it, I start leaving the dessert and skipping the snacks. Once you start skipping meals/desserts/snacks, the "value" goes out the window.

 

[havoc315]

What do you think..would I probably go over the cost of the plan doing just those TS meals (the 2 dinner shows alone are $500 for all of us) and QS lunch for everything else? No one in my family is big on breakfast, so probably just food from home in the room or in the park for that.

Remember, just those 2 meals are $500 -- But those 2 meals, would be nearly half your credits!
With the DDP costing your family approximately $1800 --- The question is, can you eat another 5 TS meals and 9 CS meals, for $1300 or less? I'd say that's pretty easy. And you could also do less TS meals, making the savings even bigger.
Assuming you averaged about $60 per CS meal -- (4 entrees, 2 desserts, 4 beverages) --Then, just to break even --- your remaining 5 TS dinners would have to be more than $38 each. (That would break even, plus give you a "free snack.")
So the question is, can you eat dinners, whether CS or TS, for less than $38 per person, per night? (Share desserts and you will go way under this number. Get the most expensive entrees AND most expensive desserts, then you go slightly above this number).

 

[DisGirl1971]

They have offered Free Dining in September for the last 7 or 8 years, because it's the height of hurricane season, so you should be good with your dates in September for a free dining discount. Hopefully they will release those free dining dates soon. They usually release August/September free dining dates in March/April.

 

[ncneighbor]

Thanks to you both, thats what I was thinking too, just go OOP unless DP is offered as a promo. I am staying at a Value, so it would only be QS, but it may be worth it to upgrade since it would only cost the upgrade amount. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. Now, just have to actually pick the dates.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

With that many adults you should have more than enough food to cover breakfasts for those who want them and CS the two nights you don't have TS due to the dinner shows. We went this last September and had free dining with 6 adults and 1 child and 1 under 3. We did some sharing of CS meals both at breakfast and lunch and had more than enough for everyone. We used some snacks at breakfast time too.

I know a lot of people say - well you can eat cheaper than that. And for sure you can (free dining excepted). Personally when I'm on vacation I want to have soda at every meal and desserts too. It's vacation - I don't want to be worried about watching the bottom line like we normally do when eating out. Sometimes we saved desserts for later and we certainly did sharing at our CS meals, of course we had an under 3 to feed too. And sure we could order cheaper things and not do the character buffets. For us we had two young children so some character meals were a must. And we happen to like steak! The idea of if you eat that way makes some sense - for instance it's probably not a great deal for vegetarians or those who prefer pasta and chicken mostly. And we don't order apetizers or drink alcohol. We never ordered one food or drink item that wasn't covered by the plan and ordered whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.

 

[havoc315]

I know a lot of people say - well you can eat cheaper than that. And for sure you can (free dining excepted). Personally when I'm on vacation I want to have soda at every meal and desserts too. It's vacation - I don't want to be worried about watching the bottom line like we normally do when eating out.

But that's it.. except for extreme eaters, people who want steak at almost every meal, or character buffets for every meal, or who want soda and dessert at every meal -- Except for people who eat at that extreme, most people can order anything they want, for cheaper than the dining plan.

For example.... My dream meals for a day:

Day 2-- Dining plan is $51 peak season, $53 off peak.
My ideal meal is tonga toast and coffee for breakfast -- About $8 total.
For lunch, the Cobb Salad at Hollywood Brown Derby. With tax, about $16. (Or would be 2 credits on the dining plan.) I'd have water with it -- I almost never drink soda, except for the rare occasions I eat fast food.
For dinner -- California Grill, the sushi ($28), with a glass of wine (not covered by the dining plan).
I'd have 1 dessert somewhere in the day, maybe the grapefruit cake at Brown Derby ($7).

In total, I paid about $60. That included 2 signature restaurants (The DDP would only give me enough credits to do 1 signature restaurant per 2 days), and it included my ideal breakfast.
If I was on the DDP -- I would have had to combine 2 days worth of credits, so I would have to pay over $100. Plus, that would have covered my dinner but not my lunch. (OOP, about $22).
So if I was on the DDP -- I would have had to spend over $122, just to get 1 days worth of food. OOP, my total cost was $60.

An extreme eater who indulges on character meals, steaks, sodas, and desserts -- will indeed save money on the dining plan. But most other people, can order exactly what they want, and it will be cheaper without the dining plan.

(Footnote -- I'm talking about adults. Inclusion of kids creates different math. The DxDP creates somewhat different math).

 

[worm761]

There is other value in the dining plans that just money. We buy the plan because DH freaks out over the prices. He will order whatever is cheapest regardless of whether it is what he wants or not since he is scared I didn't budget enough. I always did! So we got the dining plan and suddenly he is ordering what he wants. Loved it. So now he insists upon having the dining plan. My friend uses it because she likes knowing all of her costs up front. She enjoys not having to worry about telling her son that he can't have something. And teen boys can really eat!

So please, look at the total value. Peace of mind should count there somewhere.

 

[sharonabe]

There is other value in the dining plans that just money. We buy the plan because DH freaks out over the prices. He will order whatever is cheapest regardless of whether it is what he wants or not since he is scared I didn't budget enough. I always did! So we got the dining plan and suddenly he is ordering what he wants. Loved it. So now he insists upon having the dining plan. My friend uses it because she likes knowing all of her costs up front. She enjoys not having to worry about telling her son that he can't have something. And teen boys can really eat!

So please, look at the total value. Peace of mind should count there somewhere.

However, that peace of mind can go both ways. When my 12 yr old orders the hamburger at TS, which is one of the cheapest things on the menu, and then doesn't want dessert, my peace of mind is out the window because I just spent around $35 for his $15 hamburger.

You have to know how YOUR family will eat and go from there.

 

[havoc315]

However, that peace of mind can go both ways. When my 12 yr old orders the hamburger at TS, which is one of the cheapest things on the menu, and then doesn't want dessert, my peace of mind is out the window because I just spent around $35 for his $15 hamburger.

You have to know how YOUR family will eat and go from there.

Precisely!! The "peace of mind" argument really only works, if it's still connected to some savings. People who claim they don't care about savings but *only* want the peace of mind of freedom -- I don't understand why such people don't just get the premium/platinum plan. Then they could have the "freedom" to eat 3 signature meals per day with appetizers with total peace of mind.

Of course-- the answer is, because they know that's not how they want to eat. And they don't want to pay *extra* over the way they want to eat.

If I walk into a TS restaurant and say, "I just want this appetizer salad as my lunch today" --- How does it help my peace of mind if the server turns around and says, "Sorry, your meal plan doesn't cover the appetizers... can I get you the steak instead?"
It certainly doesn't help my peace of mind, to pay $53 per day, but only want to eat $30 worth of entitlements.

For people who mostly want to order steaks or character meals every single night, people who want a gallon of soda per day, and people who want tons of desserts--- For those people, the DDP can give them the "peace of mind" of locking in the costs, at some savings.
But if that's not how you eat, then the DDP is pretty pointless. Why should I pay $35 (the breakdown per TS meal) for a $20 meal?