I know this topic will be controversial. Vibrant discussion is a wonderful thing. Viscous attacks and flame wars are unnecessary. I am not commenting on any individual's eating habits. I am not passing moral judgment on anyone.
People tend to get very defensive when their eating habits are questioned. I'd ask people to be a bit more objective in this discussion.
At this point, we all know that the value of the dining plan is entirely dependent on how you use it. So the real question I am presenting, is it consistent for an adult to use the dining plan and save money, while eating a relatively healthy lifestyle?
So what is eating a *relatively* healthy lifestyle?
Yes, it's vacation. So certainly, on a vacation there may be a bit more leeway. But a little leeway is not justification for thousands of extra calories, thousands of extra grams of fat, etc. Would you say to yourself, "I don't smoke.. but on vacation I have a pack per day." Terribly unhealthy eating is absolutely the equivalent of smoking.
And many people claim they can get away with eating more on vacation from all the walking exercise. I fully admit I'm a member of this class of people, but I think it represents a rather pathetic state of our culture and the lack of exercise. 4 miles of walking at a gradual pace, will burn about 400-500 calories, which really isn't exactly a massive calorie burn.
Assuming you typically walk 1-2 miles per day, let's say that Disney walking gives you an extra 300-400 calories per day, that you and get away with.
About the equivalent of ONE small snack or small dessert.
So general relatively healthy eating. Not talking about perfection, but just general guidelines.
-Red meat should only be eaten sparingly. Eating a lot of red meat and processed meat has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Most experts recommend only about 2 portions per week, some allow up to 4 portions per week. 1 Disney steak is already 2 portions (4 ounces is considered a red meat portion). So while steak is the best "value" on most restaurant menus at Disney, it really should only be eaten once during a week long vacation.
-Calories -- A 30 year old male, with limited exercise, who is 6'0 and 200 lbs, should have a daily calorie intake of about 2300 calories. Add in the extra walking points, and it's about 2600-2700 calories. A smaller male would require less calories.
A 30 year old female, who is 5'6" and 150 lbs, should have a daily calorie intake of 1700 calories. Toss in the extra Disney walking, and the female should have 2000-2100 calories.
So let's take a look at maximizing the value of the dining plan, for a typical day at Magic Kingdom, versus eating a semi-balanced approach.
Let's start with a morning snack at Main Street Bakery
Our balanced eater gets the fruit cup, $3.39. Approximately 100 calories.
Our value maximizer, gets a cupcake, $4.99. Bakery cupcakes average 585 calories.
Let's move to lunch. I've been looking at the menus, and there really is little price differential these days. Practically every entree is $8-$10. Arguably, at Columbia Harbor House, 1 of the healthier dishes -- grilled salmon, is the most expensive.
So let's eat at Columbia Harbor House, and the maximizer and balanced eater, will eat the same thing!
- Grilled Salmon with cous cous and broccoli, $10.19. Calories are hard to estimate. A small piece of farm raised grilled salmon, with no oil, is about 230 calories. I'll give Disney the benefit of the doubt, and say that their salmon is about 300 calories (it may be much more)
A cup of cous cous has 176 calories.
Steamed broccoli -- About 50 calories.
So for food, our maximizer and balanced eater, both have about 525 calories.
Ahh, but they still get a dessert and beverage:
For beverage, I'll give the maximizer the benefit of the doubt, and assume they drink diet soda (still not healthy, but at least no calories) -- price -- $2.89.
For our balanced eater, water -- $2.50, no calories also.
Dessert -- Balanced eater -- strawberry yogurt, $1.99. About 150 calories.
Maximizer -- Chocolate cake -- $3.59. I think its a pretty small piece of cake, so perhaps just 250-300 calories.
Now dinner --
Not a lot of regular TS options at Magic Kingdom, so let's go to Tony's Town Square.
Maximizer:
NY Strip Steak - with red-wine butter, Tony's Potatoes and seasonal vegetables $28.99 -- Hard to estimate calories, but with all the different elements, 800-1200 calories, easily.
Dessert -- Tiramisu - espresso soaked lady fingers, whipped mascarpone and dark chocolate shavings $6.49. Olive Garden Tiramisu is 510 calories, I believe this is similar.
Beverage -- $2.99. And I'll even assume that the maximizer had a diet beverage.
Balanced eater: Since had fish for lunch, can have some form of meat for dinner. Won't have the steak, as that's a pretty rare occurrence for the balanced eater. Let's go with:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin - with lemon caper sauce, pappardelle noodles, and seasonal vegetables $18.99. Calories, hardly a light dish -- with the noodles added in, probably 600-800 calories.
Now, before we consider dessert for the balanced eater... I said reasonably balanced. Our balanced eater ate light for lunch dessert and snack. So let's have a real dessert -- Pistachio Creme Brulee $5.99. 525 calories. Even worse than our maximizer!
So what's the total for both:
The maximizer, who wanted to maximize dollar value under the plan:
Spent: $60.13. With tax, the maximizer spent $64. In looking at 2013 regular season pricing, the maximizer saved 14% (Disney advertises savings up to 15%, so we got pretty close)
The calorie count for the maximizer: 2700-3100. So best case scenario, if the maximizer is a rather large male, then maybe he just barely stayed within his calorie requirements. More likely, this individual went over their daily calorie intake, SIGNIFICANTLY.
Now the balanced eater:
Spent: $46.04. With tax, the balanced eater spent $49. So under 2013 DDP pricing, the balanced eater LOST about 10%.
The calories for the balanced eater: 1900-2100 calories. A little low for a larger male, but quite within the normal range for most people, even when accounting for Disney walking.
So the conclusion from this little exercise:
It IS possible to eat a relatively balanced approach while on the Disney dining plan, but such an approach is unlikely to yield value.
Typically, obtaining value from the dining plan, will generally require eating in a very unhealthy manner. Excessive amounts of red meat, fat, and calories. In our example, our maximizer didn't do HORRIBLY because the "healthy" lunch happened to be the most expensive. But if the maximizer had gotten a bacon cheeseburger instead, then things would really be ugly!
People tend to get very defensive when their eating habits are questioned. I'd ask people to be a bit more objective in this discussion.
At this point, we all know that the value of the dining plan is entirely dependent on how you use it. So the real question I am presenting, is it consistent for an adult to use the dining plan and save money, while eating a relatively healthy lifestyle?
So what is eating a *relatively* healthy lifestyle?
Yes, it's vacation. So certainly, on a vacation there may be a bit more leeway. But a little leeway is not justification for thousands of extra calories, thousands of extra grams of fat, etc. Would you say to yourself, "I don't smoke.. but on vacation I have a pack per day." Terribly unhealthy eating is absolutely the equivalent of smoking.
And many people claim they can get away with eating more on vacation from all the walking exercise. I fully admit I'm a member of this class of people, but I think it represents a rather pathetic state of our culture and the lack of exercise. 4 miles of walking at a gradual pace, will burn about 400-500 calories, which really isn't exactly a massive calorie burn.
Assuming you typically walk 1-2 miles per day, let's say that Disney walking gives you an extra 300-400 calories per day, that you and get away with.
About the equivalent of ONE small snack or small dessert.
So general relatively healthy eating. Not talking about perfection, but just general guidelines.
-Red meat should only be eaten sparingly. Eating a lot of red meat and processed meat has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Most experts recommend only about 2 portions per week, some allow up to 4 portions per week. 1 Disney steak is already 2 portions (4 ounces is considered a red meat portion). So while steak is the best "value" on most restaurant menus at Disney, it really should only be eaten once during a week long vacation.
-Calories -- A 30 year old male, with limited exercise, who is 6'0 and 200 lbs, should have a daily calorie intake of about 2300 calories. Add in the extra walking points, and it's about 2600-2700 calories. A smaller male would require less calories.
A 30 year old female, who is 5'6" and 150 lbs, should have a daily calorie intake of 1700 calories. Toss in the extra Disney walking, and the female should have 2000-2100 calories.
So let's take a look at maximizing the value of the dining plan, for a typical day at Magic Kingdom, versus eating a semi-balanced approach.
Let's start with a morning snack at Main Street Bakery
Our balanced eater gets the fruit cup, $3.39. Approximately 100 calories.
Our value maximizer, gets a cupcake, $4.99. Bakery cupcakes average 585 calories.
Let's move to lunch. I've been looking at the menus, and there really is little price differential these days. Practically every entree is $8-$10. Arguably, at Columbia Harbor House, 1 of the healthier dishes -- grilled salmon, is the most expensive.
So let's eat at Columbia Harbor House, and the maximizer and balanced eater, will eat the same thing!
- Grilled Salmon with cous cous and broccoli, $10.19. Calories are hard to estimate. A small piece of farm raised grilled salmon, with no oil, is about 230 calories. I'll give Disney the benefit of the doubt, and say that their salmon is about 300 calories (it may be much more)
A cup of cous cous has 176 calories.
Steamed broccoli -- About 50 calories.
So for food, our maximizer and balanced eater, both have about 525 calories.
Ahh, but they still get a dessert and beverage:
For beverage, I'll give the maximizer the benefit of the doubt, and assume they drink diet soda (still not healthy, but at least no calories) -- price -- $2.89.
For our balanced eater, water -- $2.50, no calories also.
Dessert -- Balanced eater -- strawberry yogurt, $1.99. About 150 calories.
Maximizer -- Chocolate cake -- $3.59. I think its a pretty small piece of cake, so perhaps just 250-300 calories.
Now dinner --
Not a lot of regular TS options at Magic Kingdom, so let's go to Tony's Town Square.
Maximizer:
NY Strip Steak - with red-wine butter, Tony's Potatoes and seasonal vegetables $28.99 -- Hard to estimate calories, but with all the different elements, 800-1200 calories, easily.
Dessert -- Tiramisu - espresso soaked lady fingers, whipped mascarpone and dark chocolate shavings $6.49. Olive Garden Tiramisu is 510 calories, I believe this is similar.
Beverage -- $2.99. And I'll even assume that the maximizer had a diet beverage.
Balanced eater: Since had fish for lunch, can have some form of meat for dinner. Won't have the steak, as that's a pretty rare occurrence for the balanced eater. Let's go with:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin - with lemon caper sauce, pappardelle noodles, and seasonal vegetables $18.99. Calories, hardly a light dish -- with the noodles added in, probably 600-800 calories.
Now, before we consider dessert for the balanced eater... I said reasonably balanced. Our balanced eater ate light for lunch dessert and snack. So let's have a real dessert -- Pistachio Creme Brulee $5.99. 525 calories. Even worse than our maximizer!
So what's the total for both:
The maximizer, who wanted to maximize dollar value under the plan:
Spent: $60.13. With tax, the maximizer spent $64. In looking at 2013 regular season pricing, the maximizer saved 14% (Disney advertises savings up to 15%, so we got pretty close)
The calorie count for the maximizer: 2700-3100. So best case scenario, if the maximizer is a rather large male, then maybe he just barely stayed within his calorie requirements. More likely, this individual went over their daily calorie intake, SIGNIFICANTLY.
Now the balanced eater:
Spent: $46.04. With tax, the balanced eater spent $49. So under 2013 DDP pricing, the balanced eater LOST about 10%.
The calories for the balanced eater: 1900-2100 calories. A little low for a larger male, but quite within the normal range for most people, even when accounting for Disney walking.
So the conclusion from this little exercise:
It IS possible to eat a relatively balanced approach while on the Disney dining plan, but such an approach is unlikely to yield value.
Typically, obtaining value from the dining plan, will generally require eating in a very unhealthy manner. Excessive amounts of red meat, fat, and calories. In our example, our maximizer didn't do HORRIBLY because the "healthy" lunch happened to be the most expensive. But if the maximizer had gotten a bacon cheeseburger instead, then things would really be ugly!
(ME!
)
Anyway, maybe the menus are to blame, as well?
