DDP Math

[FDV]

I see all these posts about people computing the "value" of the new DP. In almost every case, you have to pad the DP with CS deserts (That most people won't eat anyway) and expensive meals to make it into a "Value". The bottom line is, you are on vacation. If you have to do math to decide a few dollars, it isn't worth it.

Disney really screwed up a good thing with the changes. Or maybe it was all the selfish people that abused the plan that screwed it up.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I see all these posts about people computing the "value" of the new DP. In almost every case, you have to pad the DP with CS deserts (That most people won't eat anyway) and expensive meals to make it into a "Value". The bottom line is, you are on vacation. If you have to do math to decide a few dollars, it isn't worth it.

Disney really screwed up a good thing with the changes. Or maybe it was all the selfish people that abused the plan that screwed it up.

I don't know who "screwed" up the good thing...have heard it was a union concession. I always looked at it as if you received a discount by purchasing all your meals in the parks. Disney now has a DDE discount. Are they trying to "encourage" more people to "pay" for their discount. Of course, to get the DDE you must either be a Florida resident or buy an AP....mmmmmmmmmm. (more cash out of pocket) I am leaning toward the DDE. I think the math works out better for me. DDP is now just a "convenience" and not a savings.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have used both the DDP and the DDE card. I have had 3 years using my DDE card, and used the DDP four times now. I will not use the DDP after my Dec'07 trip. Why? When I sit down to figure out which way is a better financial deal for me, I compare oranges to oranges. I know how I eat, so can figure pretty exactly what a day's eating will cost me. So...I do not take into account those desserts I get with the DDP. When eating ts, we always have an appetizer, entree and sometimes a dessert but not always. So, for us the appetizer is much more important.
I have found that out of the four times I used the DDP, three of those times I left behind counter service credits. I spent 30 mins in the resort shop trying to find items that I could use up my snack credits on so I could bring them with me to eat on the plane and then later at home.
Now that Disney has taken away the gratuity and the appetizer, it's a no brainer for me...we just aren't doing it again.
Even when the DDP cost me close to $40 more than using just my DDE card, I still used it. It was very convenient for each mom to pay for her and her dd's food herself. If I had done the DDE card, we would have had to keep track....so, I paid an addtl $40 just for the sake of convenience.

 

[LizinSTL]

I see all these posts about people computing the "value" of the new DP. In almost every case, you have to pad the DP with CS deserts (That most people won't eat anyway) and expensive meals to make it into a "Value". The bottom line is, you are on vacation. If you have to do math to decide a few dollars, it isn't worth it.

Disney really screwed up a good thing with the changes. Or maybe it was all the selfish people that abused the plan that screwed it up.

I don't know about having to pad the numbers to make the DDP make sense.

When I figure the value of a child CS meal, I figure $4.50. For an adult meal, I figure $9. That's a combo meal + soft drink or water.
I figure $3 for snack value.

So assuming your entree/beverage only at a TS meal is $24 or more, you aren't "losing" money even on the 08 DDP. You'll break even. Add a dessert at either TS or CS or a more expensive meal at TS or CS and you are ahead of the game. For a child, the TS meal just has to be $1-2 or more for the entree....

The 08 DDP is a huge value if you are traveling with children 9 and under on the plan AND you do an average of 1 TS meal per night of your vacation (even breakfasts are ok, if you are traveling w/ kids!) If you are a party of adults only, then you have to do the math to check the value.

I don't think I'm inflating the average cost of the CS meals and snacks at what I'm figuring.

Crunching numbers to properly budget and plan a trip isn't screwing anyone (including Disney) ) For many families, it makes sense. It doesn't hurt you or anyone who doesn't care to do it so why would it bother you if I do it? or if any other family estimates their dining costs to determine if the DDP or OOP is the better way to go to WDW for them?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I don't think I'm inflating the average cost of the CS meals and snacks at what I'm figuring.

Nope. AND you forgot tax - so, $3.20 and $9.60, which I actually think is low in most cases. ANYway, $37.99 - $3.20 - $9.60 = $25.19. The TS beverage costs between $2 and $4.50, so let's say $3.25, plus tax is $3.46. So any entree costing $20.41 (pretax) or more makes the DDP a deal. Dessert in BOTH cases is a freebie.

eta: and of course, if you use a counter service credit to get a ribeye steak at the Pepper Market, with a $1.95 drink, your TS entree need only cost $9.07 to get 'value' from the DDP...

 

[LizinSTL]

Nope. AND you forgot tax - so, $3.20 and $9.60, which I actually think is low in most cases. ANYway, $37.99 - $3.20 - $9.60 = $25.19. The TS beverage costs between $2 and $4.50, so let's say $3.25, plus tax is $3.46. So any entree costing $20.41 (pretax) or more makes the DDP a deal. Dessert in BOTH cases is a freebie.

eta: and of course, if you use a counter service credit to get a ribeye steak at the Pepper Market, with a $1.95 drink, your TS entree need only cost $9.07 to get 'value' from the DDP...

I did include tax in my guesstimates but you are right- it's not a "bad" deal -even a breakfast buffet!

 

[JimMIA]

I see all these posts about people computing the "value" of the new DP. In almost every case, you have to pad the DP with CS deserts (That most people won't eat anyway) and expensive meals to make it into a "Value". The bottom line is, you are on vacation. If you have to do math to decide a few dollars, it isn't worth it.

I think there is "math," and then there is "math."

To me, the only "real" math is to compare what you would normally expect to spend paying cash for what you would really eat to the cost of DDP. If the DDP number is lower, then DDP is a good deal financially. If you would spend less money -- eating what you would really eat in the real world -- paying cash, then DDP is not a good value financially.

Too often, we see people comparing the cost of DDP to the inflated menu prices of the WDW restaurants. That is not a valid comparison unless you REALLY would eat in those restaurants and order exactly the same thing you would get with DDP

In addition...if you have to pay more for your room than you could get otherwise, that is a cost of DDP. If you have to buy park tickets you would not otherwise buy, that is a cost of DDP.

The value of DDP (it seems to me) depends almost as much on what your options are as it does on the numbers.

For example, if you are an AP holder who always rents a car at WDW, you have many more options that a fly-in/DME captive audience does not have. You can get much cheaper rooms, you don't need park tickets, and you can eat offsite -- where you will often find better food for lower prices.

OTOH, if you ARE a captive audience, DDP might work well for your family.

Everyone just needs to do their own math. DDP is not a one-size-fits-all ideal solution (nor was it ever meant to be), and there are several other options that may better meet your needs.

Having said all of that, I think it's also appropriate to remember that there are other legitimate reasons for using DDP than pure financial calculations. All the times (4) we've used DDP, we only realized a small financial advantage. BUT...we had our food cost set prior to the trip, we found DDP very convenient to use, and we enjoyed dining in restaurants we probably never would have tried without DDP. Those are legitimate benefits.

We're over all that now, and will not be using DDP going forward (and will rarely dine onsite) because the plan no longer benefits us. But that does not mean it is not good for someone else's family.