DDP - how to figure out the cost??

[SandraBL]

We are back from our awesome trip at the end of June and now I'm trying to figure costs and where we could save money for future trips. I used someone to book everything and she says that she can't break down the package price. I've been able to figure out hotel and park ticket costs on my own using Disney's site so really, its just the dining that I'm trying to figure out.

I guess I could look up each restaurant's menu and figure out what we would have spent on the meal if we were paying at the time. But how does one figure out if the dining plan is worth the cost?

 

[TDC Nala]

for future reference, there are two sticky threads on this board (one for 2012 and one for 2013) with the prices for the DDP already broken down.

You may have to look up the menus to see what you would be spending to figure out if the plan is worth the cost; especially since the prices of the plans have gone up, somewhat outstripping the price increases at some of the restaruants. I think there is a thread with Cafeen's spreadsheet for assistance figuring it but you do have to look up the numbers to put in it.

 

[Alesia]

The better way is to add up the cost of what you would have ordered if you weren't on the DDP - not what you did order while your were on it.

 

[Cafeen]

for future reference, there are two sticky threads on this board (one for 2012 and one for 2013) with the prices for the DDP already broken down.

You may have to look up the menus to see what you would be spending to figure out if the plan is worth the cost; especially since the prices of the plans have gone up, somewhat outstripping the price increases at some of the restaruants. I think there is a thread with Cafeen's spreadsheet for assistance figuring it but you do have to look up the numbers to put in it.

Here's a link to said sheet (well, the thread about it at least).
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2957235

The better way is to add up the cost of what you would have ordered if you weren't on the DDP - not what you did order while your were on it.

Absolutely this and then some (it gets complicated ).

Ideally, to find the true savings, add up what you would have ordered (including changing restaurants!) if you were paying OOP, then add up what you would order on the plan and compare. (Taking covered items, taxes, tips, etc all into account).

Now, just because your DDP amount is higher, doesn't mean you got a bad deal! If you felt that the increase in experience was worth the increase in base cost, and you came out ahead in that manner, then it's certainly good. For example, my trip in the fall has me spending ~$1,057* on food over 10 days. I could do those same 10 days at roughly $500. For the ~$500 more, I'm getting $~700 more worth of food and experience (for example, I've estimated my tips at ~$200 based on these numbers, if OOP, they'd only be around $50, so you can see the change of experience right there in what I'd choose to do). For me, it made sense as I wanted to dine in the manner of deluxe rather than skimping, skipping desserts, doing more QS than TS (I don't particularly like QS). So, just because OOP is cheaper (considerably!) doesn't mean that I'm getting a bad value, it just means that I'd do things differently if I were going that route.

So there's really 2 comparisons to look at. Cost/savings vs going OOP based on different itineraries, and then cost/savings vs. going OOP on the chosen plan.

And lastly, for simplicity, you CAN just add up what it would have cost and subtract what it did cost, so long as you realize that you're assuming that you'd eat the same way both on and off plan, or just to compare what you did get with what you would have paid. It's not wrong or anything, just a different look at the numbers and data .

*This number does not factor in the free dining promotion I am booked under for the trip. Using that number makes the total cost of the plan ~$650 (subtract the cost of the DDP from the total cost, then add the value of the room discount back in, which in my case, was only available for one or two of the nights I am traveling).

 

[SandraBL]

Here's a link to said sheet (well, the thread about it at least).

Thank you! I did a quick scan through the posts before posting mine. I guess I should have slowed down and looked at the stickies.

Absolutely this and then some (it gets complicated ).

Ideally, to find the true savings, add up what you would have ordered (including changing restaurants!) if you were paying OOP, then add up what you would order on the plan and compare. (Taking covered items, taxes, tips, etc all into account).

Now, just because your DDP amount is higher, doesn't mean you got a bad deal! If you felt that the increase in experience was worth the increase in base cost, and you came out ahead in that manner, then it's certainly good.

Oh, I completely understand. We did character meals and the experience alone is worth the extra money.

 

[havoc315]

Now, just because your DDP amount is higher, doesn't mean you got a bad deal! If you felt that the increase in experience was worth the increase in base cost, and you came out ahead in that manner, then it's certainly good.

All true. Problem is, there are so many ways you could look at it.

There are many people who justifiably say, "I know I *could* eat cheaper without the dining plan, but I like the extra stuff the dining plan gets me."
In other words -- They WANT the expensive entrees and desserts, but might skip if paying OOP.

So putting aside the subjective for now -- things like "peace of mind" and "fixed budget" --- Just looking purely at comparing objective costs ---

I'd say people should price out how they WANT to eat. Within reality of course. They shouldn't budget in that $7500 bottle of 1992 Lafite Rothschild. But if they really really want lobster, go ahead and price in the $68 lobster at Narcoose's. If you want 1 dessert per day, go ahead and price it in.
If you are staying 5 nights, but want 7 TS -- then price out the OOP cost of 7 TS meals. If you only want 3 TS meals, then price out the 3 TS meals.

In other words, if there were no dining plan "rules" to work with, and if money was not a major factor, price out how you want to eat, what you would want to eat.

Once you have your personalized dining preferences --- Then see if a dining plan can be used to fit your preferences and reduce the costs.

For example, if you decide you want to have 5 character dinners over 5 nights --- There is a good chance that the DDP will then save you money.
If you decided you want to eat steak 2-3 times per day, then you might find that the DxDP can help you do it, at a reduced cost.

But if you found yourself not always desiring dessert, and/or ordering more mid-priced entrees, and/or eating meals at restaurants that are off the dining plan, and/or ordering appetizers instead of entrees, and/or your meal count not really equally a dining plan credit count, etc, etc -- You may find it more cost effective to skip the dining plan.

For example, for myself... I may want breakfast in the room, a light CS lunch every day (no dessert, $10-$15 for lunch per day), and a signature dinner every night ($40-70 per night). Snacking, at $3-10 per day.

Now, thats 2 TS credits per day and 1 CS credit. Total OOP per day, $53-$95. The DxDP in 2013, costs $99.99 per day. So clearly, that's no benefit.
The DDP would cover my CS lunch costs, but would only cover half my dinners. And even then, wouldn't cover appetizers I might order at dinner. Plus, it wouldn't necessarily cover all my snacking.
So the regular DDP -- At a cost of $55, would cover the CS lunch, and half the dinner costs ($20-$35). So to get the meals I want, I'd have to supplement with DDP with half my dinners -- In other words, the $55 base cost of the DDP, plus $20-$35. Plus about $0-7 worth of snacking.

So -- DxDP -- $99.99
OOP -- $53-$95
DDP -- $55+(20-35)+(0-7)= $75 to $97

So overall, the cheapest way to eat exactly what I want to eat... is OOP.

 

[Alesia]

For us, the dining plan just isn't worth it. Spending time in a TS restaurant just feels like a waste of time for us. We like to have one TS Meal every 3 days, and most of the time when we eat CS meals we split 2 meals between the 3 of us. Not using a dining plan saves us around $600 over 9 days.

We like the freedom of being able to eat what we want, when we want and not having to fit it into a dining plan.

 

[hsmamato2]

...and for us...I think it will be a savings in the long run...(free dining) we pay rack rate, but our fam. is getting older,and enjoys the varying TS meals we will get on DDP-so it's worth the diff. in cost. Plus my family eats a LOT,so the costs of oop are significant,even QS places