Deluxe Dining versus OOP? With a twist; economics and math

[mjp12831]

Only if your toddler is drinking soda and coffee. Juice and milk aren't included in those.

There is the hi-c type fruit drink also - wouldn't give it to a toddler year round but on a short trip it would be fine. Also, wasn't there a milk dispenser for the coffee? Maybe that's half and half though.

Anyways, op I like your calculations - I've played these games and with any of the dp options if you cost out what you got on the plans compared to what the plan cost you, the dp is going to work out in your benefit. The oop savings comes from you not buying 2 snacks pp daily (maybe not even 1 with all the DxDP food), and the other stuff you mention (ordering more frugally rather than getting everything you want, less apps, less deserts, no mugs).

If even close it's easy to justify as you're prepaid for everything and you don't have to worry about cash flow while being able to eat pretty lavishly - a nice vacation stress reducer.

The big downside to dx in my opinion is not $$ but the time - you're committing to 2 or 3 adr's daily, so your schedule ends up being VERY tied to being in certain places at certain times. I LOVED DXDP in 09, but we scalled back to DDP (saved 35%) in 10 and will again in 11 only because of the time.

 

[akadada]

Yeah, no corn syrup for the DD of DH or DW. . . that's why I didn't consider the fill up station to be a benefit except for coffee and tea for my wife and I.

In terms of time and DDx - I agree, you're committed to a tight schedule, although we'll be traveling with aour DD16mo's and expect to look forward to the dining since we won't be doing a lot of rides.

Cheers

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

we are doing DxDDp b/c our son loves characters meals and I have made as much as possible. My son doesn't eat any of the CS food offer. My husband and I like dinning signature meals. We will be using snacks credits for drinks, water and snacks around Epcot. We like sitting for meals b/c we use it part of our downtime too. Our son eats slow with his meals so we can actually have a 3 course meal. We started taking our son just when he turned 2 and does well sitting for all the meals.

 

[DCDisney]

We generally find we are about the same saving maybe $100 using the DDP (or on the last 2 trips getting free ddp vs room discount). I generally like the DDP but do worry that if someone was to get sick we'd potentially lose out because the margin is prett close. I do also find that we often end up "eating" a TS that we aren't hungry for at least once per trip. With a toddler if it comes out close to even personally I may opt against the plan because even just 1 missed meal due to sleepy, grumpy, or doc and you've lost your savings. We usually do try and book an extra breaskfast the last day to make up just in case though.

 

[Rachel's Dad]

an additional $75 to experience things you would not before over the course of 7 days? Isn't that (to have new expereiences) what it's all about?

Hi All,

I know this question has been kind of asked many times before. My question, though, comes with a twist:

Is it worth doing the DDX Plan versus Out of pocket? The twist consist of the following assumptions:

1. If we were out of pocket, there's no way we would order what we plan to order on the Deluxe plan. That said, we'd still use up all our options (App, Entree, Dessert, Drink) with the plan if we take it.
2. In real life, we often do at least one appetizer and one soup for dinner (between my wife and I, not each), but never at lunch - in fact we're very light lunch eaters.
3. We would never go to places like Boma at $30 a person for breakfast no matter how good it is. Same as, we'd never pay $140 for lunch at Brown Derby no matter how good the food (both are currently ADR's under our DDX Plan.
4. We rarely order dessert, if we do, we only order one and split it.
5. When on the DDX, your tips go up as well because as a percentage of what you order.
6. We do, though, love a good dinner, and plan on a number of Signature Dining.
7. Assume we match our DDX credits of 21 to eating OOP and that no additional meals are needed (they will be but it wouldn't matter either way in terms of this calculation).

I did a detailed calculation of every meal we plan to eat at the various ADR's on the trip report over seven days (I know we'll likely change our mind, but I erred high per meal). There are three of us, although one of us is a toddler/infant (she's free). For my wife and I it came out to a total cost, no tips or drinks of $1,375 under the Deluxe plan. The plan (2011) costs, according to the website, $79/person/per day or $158 x 7 = $1,106. Okay, so far, so good. We win on the Deluxe plan. . .

Then I looked at what we would eat without the plan (Same restaurants except no Boma, no Brown Derby, instead QS). The total OOP no tips no drinks would be $1,050. Add back the mugs at $15 a piece = $1,080. Versus $1,106.

Finally, I subtracted the spread between tips under OOP ($200 over the 7 days) and DDX ($250 over seven days) and added that to my OOP costs. This came out to $50.

Okay, so under my OOP $1,080 - $50 = $1,030 v. $1,106 DDX Plan.

So it looks like I'm better off OOP versus DDX by about $75. . .not a big deal given that the time I just spent calculating this I could have earned by working. . .

But for the sake on intellectual curiosity: What am I missing? What additional information would you want from me? Did I calculate the DDX Plan correctly in the first place?

It's highly likely we will still do the DDX simply because it's simple. I find this exercise enjoyable for sake of thinking this stuff through. I think Disney is not stupid either and when they say they're saving us a ton of money, sure, they are, if we really ate as much as they offer on a regular basis, but we don't so it seems at best a break even except with DDX we can splurge.

I would greatly appreciate DISBoard thoughts on this. All feedback - both nerdy calculation critiques and qualitative enjoyment/misery observations most welcome!

Cheers,
AKADada

 

[neodymm]

We are huge DxDP fans and have done it several times. We tried to keep up with all our receipts one visit to see how much we were saving by using the plan. Disney goes in the hole with us...that trip by about $700! For our trip next week we have 5 character meals, 1 signature dinner, and candelight processional booked, plus other regular meals. (We use snack credits for breakfast items or just have stuff in the room that we bring since we aren't early risers.) There is no way we would have paid OOP normally for all of our ADRs. I love that when I am on the plan, we get what we want, never look at prices, and I don't think "well, I really don't need that $10 appetizer although I'd really love to try it." Or that we don't cut corners by sharing dessert between the 3 of us. So, we can try new things and places, not worry about the price, let DD get as many snacks as she wants (even if we know she will never eat it all), etc. DH laughs that I go for the food, DD goes for the princesses/characters and he goes for the rides /entertainment!

But, I guess I can see how it might not work for everyone. Although I think you can make the most of it or just use it to break even. Basically, whatever makes you and your family most comfortable with your trip, you should do!

 

[tinacaplan]

This was really interesting seeing it all broken down like this. We did it with just my husband and I last February and are doing it again when we return with our three year old DS. Between character meals and the one or two signatures I want to do, it seemed worth it to go for it again. I'm not looking to come out ahead, per se, just that we more or less break even. And we love having it all paid up-front.

As for time, that's not an issue with us. We do parkhoppers, enjoy time back at the resort in the afternoons, and we enjoy eating out.