Deluxe dining plan package only?

[fieldfam4]

Can the deluxe dining plan be purchased separately or only with a Disney vacation package? I'm thinking it could be less expensive to buy Disney resort, park tix, and ddp a la carte.
Thank you for your help!

 

[Marionnette]

Can the deluxe dining plan be purchased separately or only with a Disney vacation package? I'm thinking it could be less expensive to buy Disney resort, park tix, and ddp a la carte.
Thank you for your help!

There is such a thing as a "ticketless package" which includes just the room and a dining plan. You cannot book it online and some CMs will not know what you're talking about when you call. It is treated as a package and all of the cancellation and payment rules that apply to regular MYW packages also apply to it.

You cannot buy just a dining plan alone. The closest thing to doing that would be if you are staying in a DVC resort on points. Offsite guests absolutely cannot buy the dining plans at this time.

 

[hskaggs11]

If you are thinking of staying at a Deluxe/ DVC resort, it would certainly be cheaper to rent points and buy the DxDP and tickets separately. I'm currently pricing a trip doing just that. We normally go during a FD period, and trying to see which is cheaper--staying at a Moderate and upgrading to DxDP from the standard free DDP, or renting points and paying OOP for DxDP and tickets. We would buy hoppers anyways, so the new rules from last year requiring hoppers for FD didn't phase us.

 

[belleincanada]

If you are thinking of staying at a Deluxe/ DVC resort, it would certainly be cheaper to rent points and buy the DxDP and tickets separately. I'm currently pricing a trip doing just that. We normally go during a FD period, and trying to see which is cheaper--staying at a Moderate and upgrading to DxDP from the standard free DDP, or renting points and paying OOP for DxDP and tickets. We would buy hoppers anyways, so the new rules from last year requiring hoppers for FD didn't phase us.

Hey there! I'm in the midst of doing the same thing. How did the cost work out for you did you find?

 

[hskaggs11]

Hey there! I'm in the midst of doing the same thing. How did the cost work out for you did you find?

This is what I calculated thus far for my Husband and I (2 adults):

Last year Nov 2015: Stayed at Caribbean Beach standard room on Free Dining promotion with Deluxe Dining upgrade for 6 nights, Sunday-Friday night (checkout on Saturday) Choose 7 day park hoppers (required hoppers or better for FD promotion) Cost of package: $2390.14
**So, the price to beat or come close to is $2390.14**

Cost of adding the Deluxe Dining Plan to a DVC rental for 6 nights: $1340.76
Cost of 2 7-day park hoppers from Undercover Tourist: $817.90
Total of Dining plan and Tickets: $2158.66

Points to stay at Deluxe in 2016, staying the same week in November, same amount of nights, (6), Sunday-Friday night, checking out Saturday. I included the two cheapest Deluxe resorts listed on the points chart:
Animal Kingdom Lodge Value Studio: 57 /Standard Studio: 74 Boardwalk or Old Key West Studio: 64

If I rented points from the DVC rent/trade board here on DIS, the average price I saw was $13pp.
So, AKL Value: $741 AKL Standard: $962 BW/OKW Standard: $832

Adding it all up, total for Deluxe Dining Plan, park hopper tickets, and Deluxe stay using DVC points rental:
AKL Value: $ 2899.66 AKL Standard: 3120.66 BW/OKW Standard: 2990.66

Price difference from 2015 Moderate with the FD promotion:
AKL Value: $509.52 more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD
AKL Standard: $730.52 more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD
BW Standard: $ 600.52more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD


So, in conclusion, It would cost me only $600 more (or 500 if I could snag the elusive AKL Value studio) to stay at a Deluxe resort on the Deluxe Dining plan than it would for me to do the same trip using FD promotion and stay at a Moderate.
I think the $600 is well worth it to upgrade to Deluxe!!! Of course, I loose the ability to cancel the trip once I book it on points (depending on if I want to buy trip insurance, who I rent from, etc) but I think overall its definitely an option for me and my husband to pursue this year!!

 

[Debbie Jean]

This is what I calculated thus far for my Husband and I (2 adults):

Last year Nov 2015: Stayed at Caribbean Beach standard room on Free Dining promotion with Deluxe Dining upgrade for 6 nights, Sunday-Friday night (checkout on Saturday) Choose 7 day park hoppers (required hoppers or better for FD promotion) Cost of package: $2390.14
**So, the price to beat or come close to is $2390.14**

Cost of adding the Deluxe Dining Plan to a DVC rental for 6 nights: $1340.76
Cost of 2 7-day park hoppers from Undercover Tourist: $817.90
Total of Dining plan and Tickets: $2158.66

Points to stay at Deluxe in 2016, staying the same week in November, same amount of nights, (6), Sunday-Friday night, checking out Saturday. I included the two cheapest Deluxe resorts listed on the points chart:
Animal Kingdom Lodge Value Studio: 57 /Standard Studio: 74 Boardwalk or Old Key West Studio: 64

If I rented points from the DVC rent/trade board here on DIS, the average price I saw was $13pp.
So, AKL Value: $741 AKL Standard: $962 BW/OKW Standard: $832

Adding it all up, total for Deluxe Dining Plan, park hopper tickets, and Deluxe stay using DVC points rental:
AKL Value: $ 2899.66 AKL Standard: 3120.66 BW/OKW Standard: 2990.66

Price difference from 2015 Moderate with the FD promotion:
AKL Value: $509.52 more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD
AKL Standard: $730.52 more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD
BW Standard: $ 600.52more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD


So, in conclusion, It would cost me only $600 more (or 500 if I could snag the elusive AKL Value studio) to stay at a Deluxe resort on the Deluxe Dining plan than it would for me to do the same trip using FD promotion and stay at a Moderate.
I think the $600 is well worth it to upgrade to Deluxe!!! Of course, I loose the ability to cancel the trip once I book it on points (depending on if I want to buy trip insurance, who I rent from, etc) but I think overall its definitely an option for me and my husband to pursue this year!!

As a DVC owner I wanted to point out that your price comparisons are based on the cheapest... point wise... DVC rooms and these will likely not be available unless you book at the 11 month window from an owner who has points at that resort. I would definitely take out AKL value and BWV standard since you are unlikely to get these. Your chances are better with OKW and AKV standard though again, this will depend on your ability to book early. DVC owners always take advantage of the lower point options as soon as their booking window opens and these go fast!

 

[Marionnette]

This is what I calculated thus far for my Husband and I (2 adults):

Last year Nov 2015: Stayed at Caribbean Beach standard room on Free Dining promotion with Deluxe Dining upgrade for 6 nights, Sunday-Friday night (checkout on Saturday) Choose 7 day park hoppers (required hoppers or better for FD promotion) Cost of package: $2390.14
**So, the price to beat or come close to is $2390.14**

Cost of adding the Deluxe Dining Plan to a DVC rental for 6 nights: $1340.76
Cost of 2 7-day park hoppers from Undercover Tourist: $817.90
Total of Dining plan and Tickets: $2158.66

Points to stay at Deluxe in 2016, staying the same week in November, same amount of nights, (6), Sunday-Friday night, checking out Saturday. I included the two cheapest Deluxe resorts listed on the points chart:
Animal Kingdom Lodge Value Studio: 57 /Standard Studio: 74 Boardwalk or Old Key West Studio: 64

If I rented points from the DVC rent/trade board here on DIS, the average price I saw was $13pp.
So, AKL Value: $741 AKL Standard: $962 BW/OKW Standard: $832

Adding it all up, total for Deluxe Dining Plan, park hopper tickets, and Deluxe stay using DVC points rental:
AKL Value: $ 2899.66 AKL Standard: 3120.66 BW/OKW Standard: 2990.66

Price difference from 2015 Moderate with the FD promotion:
AKL Value: $509.52 more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD
AKL Standard: $730.52 more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD
BW Standard: $ 600.52more for Deluxe on Pts vs Moderate on FD


So, in conclusion, It would cost me only $600 more (or 500 if I could snag the elusive AKL Value studio) to stay at a Deluxe resort on the Deluxe Dining plan than it would for me to do the same trip using FD promotion and stay at a Moderate.
I think the $600 is well worth it to upgrade to Deluxe!!! Of course, I loose the ability to cancel the trip once I book it on points (depending on if I want to buy trip insurance, who I rent from, etc) but I think overall its definitely an option for me and my husband to pursue this year!!

I think that your calculations work in favor of the DVC rental because there are only two of you. A family of 4 with 2 children age 10+ may find that the math works in favor of *free* dining at a moderate. Everyone needs to do the math for themselves.

You also need to keep in mind that *free* dining occurs during a time when DVC is very much in demand, especially the BWV standard view studios, which are not only among the lowest in points for that time period, they are also within walking distance of Epcot (think Food & Wine Festival). If you're even thinking about BWV std. view for Sept./Oct./early Nov. of this year, you need to change your plans.

 

[Marionnette]

Oh, and just to add another thought...

As a BWV owner, I would probably charge more than $13/pt. for a reservation in November during Food & Wine. It's a small resort and it comes in high demand due to the lower number of points needed. I can get $13/pt. from David's for my "premium" resort between 11- to 7-months in advance. If I were to personally deal with the hassle of handling the contracts and back-and-forth with a renter, I would want just a little under what David would charge you. His price to renters is $16/pt. for those premium resorts.

 

[hskaggs11]

I was using November 2015/November 2016 as a comparison week because I actually had the data from my 2015 trip to compare with. If I was going to go in 2016, I would avoid F&W time as we didn't enjoy how insanely crowded Epcot was. I would likely go the week before Thanksgiving. And I picked those resorts because they were the cheapest, I was trying to see if it was theoretically possible to get the same price or cheaper renting DVC vs Moderate with FD, I completely understand that availability is hard to find in the ones I was picking out. Belleincanada was asking what I found out in my research, and that's what I was coming up with number-wise.

In my particular situation, I would wait until the FD offers came out, see what I can book for the week I want to go, then I would go about seeing what is actually currently available in renting DVC and see how much I can find someone to rent me points for and compare at that time. Since I cant do that yet, this is a hypothetical best case scenario I came up with to see if the possibility was feasible.

 

[Bell30012]

One advantage of staying at a DVC property is the dining plan without a package option. Thanks for giving that added info that there is a room plus dining without ticket plan. It really always made me ill that AP couldn't do dining plans.