Dining plan- Restrictions on entree?

[Jen76b]

I've never used the dining plan so I'm trying to understand everything.

I'm looking at the menus to plan our meals (or at least to help narrow it down). I understand for TS each person gets 1 entree, 1 dessert and 1 non-alcoholic drink. When I'm looking at the prices for the entrees, they can range from $12.99 to $43.00. Is every item under "entree" covered under the dining plan?

For example: Le Cellier (which is showing under the dining plan), under Entree, Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon is $44.00. Then over at San Angel Inn (which shows on the dining plan also), under Entree, Pollo A Las Rajas is $19.50.

That's a huge price difference. Would either one be considered a TS credit?

Not that I anticipate it, but if we decide to get an appetizer, will we basically just be paying for the app and then any tax & gratuities?

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[Cafeen]

I've never used the dining plan so I'm trying to understand everything.

I'm looking at the menus to plan our meals (or at least to help narrow it down). I understand for TS each person gets 1 entree, 1 dessert and 1 non-alcoholic drink. When I'm looking at the prices for the entrees, they can range from $12.99 to $43.00. Is every item under "entree" covered under the dining plan?

For example: Le Cellier (which is showing under the dining plan), under Entree, Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon is $44.00. Then over at San Angel Inn (which shows on the dining plan also), under Entree, Pollo A Las Rajas is $19.50.

That's a huge price difference. Would either one be considered a TS credit?

Not that I anticipate it, but if we decide to get an appetizer, will we basically just be paying for the app and then any tax & gratuities?

Thanks,
Jennifer

Yup! There are very few restrictions or surcharges for the entrees.

• Tokyo Dining - Sushi is not covered (though certain large combinations may be)
• California Grill - Most sushi is not covered. There are 2 combination plates that are considered entrees
• Restaurant Marrakesh - The "Feasts" require a small surcharge (~$7-$10 I believe)
• Flying Fish Cafe - I'm 90% sure the Prix Fixe menu here is not available on the dining plan
• Via Napoli - Only individual pizzas and standard entrees may be purchased with the plan, you are unable to combine credits to order larger pizzas (They changed this sometime after they opened, they originally allowed this). For the individual pizzas, you may either choose their "signature" pizzas or the create your own, but any toppings on the create your own will be out of pocket! (This is one of the stricter restaurants on the plan)
• Any item that's listed as "For 2" must be ordered by 2 people on the plan.

The Filet at Le Cellier is certainly available, as are the bulk of all the other entree items and even the other prix fixe menus (such as the one at Le Cellier or Chefs de France)

 

[catne]

just a note...the expensive filet at Le Cellier (the $44 version) is only on the dinner menu. Le Cellier is a "signature" restaurant at dinner time, which means it would cost you 2 credits per person to eat there. (The same is true at California Grill, Narcoosee's, Fulton's, Citrico's, Jiko, Artist Point, Flying Fish and Yachtsman's Steakhouse...all of those restaurants take 2 credits per person. All Cinderella's Castle meals, as well as the dinner shows like Hoop De Doo Revue & the Luau are also all 2 credits per person.)

Now at Lunch (which is before 4:00 PM) Le Cellier is not signature status, so you can eat there for 1 table service credit per person. However, the filet on the lunch menu is smaller...and is about $28 on the menu.


And yes, if you want to add an appetizer, you will pay for the appetizer...and you will pay tax on the appetizer. The tax on the dining plan-covered food is already included in the cost of the dining plan. You will pay gratuity on the total bill...pre-tax amount...and the receipt even shows you two options on gratuity amounts so if you want, there's
no math needed, lol.

Note: they do not allow any substitutions of appetizer-for-dessert...you get a dessert, you cannot have an appetizer instead. They will not make exceptions for that (we've all tried)

 

[havoc315]

Le Cellier is a signature restaurant (dinner in 2012, lunch and dinner in 2013).
That means it is 2 credits.

At 1 credit restaurants, entrees range from about $10 to $30. But they price the dining plan at a point of assuming you get an entree that is at least about $27. (in other words, you're already paying for the most expensive item).

 

[Miss_Nellie]

I was looking at the menu at Yachtsman ... I could order the Surf & Turf? It's $66.00.

We will have the regular DP, not Deluxe.

It just amazes me that there aren't more restrictions on what you can order with the DP.

 

[Cafeen]

I was looking at the menu at Yachtsman ... I could order the Surf & Turf? It's $66.00.

We will have the regular DP, not Deluxe.

It just amazes me that there aren't more restrictions on what you can order with the DP.

Yes, but keep in mind that you are paying with 2 TS credits for that entree (and a dessert and drink). With 2013 prices, you'd be coming out only slightly ahead (with a TS costing you ~$35 (see other thread for calculations), a 2TS should be ~$70 after tax to break even. This entree is just over ($70.29 incl tax), so you'd get a free drink and dessert basically. So, if you're aiming this high, it's not bad, but if you step down to a $35 entree here, you're much better off paying OOP (ignore extra credit things, unspent stuff and all that, just from pure numbers).

The DxDDP math is slightly different though for a couple reasons. The individual credit cost is cheaper (~$31 for 2013), you get the additional value of an appetizer, and half of a dinner is usually more than a breakfast would be. So it works out well for signatures on Deluxe. (Figure that a $12 app, $35 entree, $10 dessert, $3 drink comes to $60 before tax, so with that cheaper entree you'd be roughly saving the tax on the meal, any higher entree would be better savings obviously, but you don't need to quite reach for the heights that normal DDP requires you to. Though it is MUCH closer for 2013 than it was for 2012, where the difference was like $34 and $26 per credit)

 

[havoc315]

I was looking at the menu at Yachtsman ... I could order the Surf & Turf? It's $66.00.

We will have the regular DP, not Deluxe.

It just amazes me that there aren't more restrictions on what you can order with the DP.

Not amazing at all. In fact, you're barely getting what you paid for.
You need 2 credits for the Yachtsman.
2 nights of the dining plan, 2013 pricing -- That's $114 during peak season.
So let's assume you arrive in the afternoon on day 1, and eat a CS dinner. (Around $13-18). Then on day 2, you eat a CS breakfast or lunch ($10-18).
And for dinner on day 2, you use 2 TS credits to dine at Yachtsman. You get the $66 surf and turf. You get the $9 creme brulee for dessert. And a $3 beverage. Dinner total -- $78. Or, with tax, about $84.

So cost of the DDP -- $114.
Cost of your food --- Range of $107 - $120.
I forgot the snacks -- 2 snacks, at about $3.50 each. So a total range value of $114-127.

So the end result of ordering the surf and turf -- Approximately break even, to approximately "saving" $13. Total savings percentage of 0-10%.

So really not that incredible or amazing that they let you order the surf and turf. If you couldn't order the surf and turf, it would be mathematically impossible to even break even over the 2 days! The next most expensive item is the $52 porterhouse. That would result in a range for the day of $100-$113. In other words, you'd be losing money on the plan if you ordered the porterhouse instead of the surf and turf!

 

[havoc315]

Yes, but keep in mind that you are paying with 2 TS credits for that entree (and a dessert and drink). With 2013 prices, you'd be coming out only slightly ahead (with a TS costing you ~$35 (see other thread for calculations), a 2TS should be ~$70 to break even, so you'd essentially be getting your dessert for free in this case). ($66 entree, $3 drink)

And that assumes you're also breaking even on your CS during that time frame, which isn't so easy.

 

[asmit4]

I was looking at the menu at Yachtsman ... I could order the Surf & Turf? It's $66.00.

We will have the regular DP, not Deluxe.

It just amazes me that there aren't more restrictions on what you can order with the DP.

People who think like this is why the DDP does so well I see you are newer here. Once you become more familiar with the plan you will find that disney often makes out on the DDP, and if you make out on the DDP- it's often only a max of 10% or so (in 2013, 10% might be hard to come by) and that's if you maximize all credits wisely. (most people don't- they see the 66 surf n turf and think they are 'pulling a fast one on disney'....little do they know disney is pulling a fast one on them All it takes is 1 adult in your group to order the $50 steak instead of the surf n turf and bam- disney has made out in the deal.

 

[Jen76b]

I guess using Le Cellier as my example was a bad one since it's 2 TS credits, but that answers my questions. We have free dining, so I don't care how much each entree really costs. I just wanted to make sure I understand the process.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ctl]

I thought I read on the boards that Le Cellier is now 2 TS credits for both lunch and dinner? Am I wrong here? Or was that just a rumor?

 

[Cafeen]

I guess using Le Cellier as my example was a bad one since it's 2 TS credits, but that answers my questions. We have free dining, so I don't care how much each entree really costs. I just wanted to make sure I understand the process.

Thanks everyone!

Yep, the process is the same no matter the credit cost of the restaurant. Results and value received and all that will change, but the baseline process is identical

I thought I read on the boards that Le Cellier is now 2 TS credits for both lunch and dinner? Am I wrong here? Or was that just a rumor?

Not yet. It's likely going to be for 2013, but will remain 1 TS for lunch for the rest of 2012. (This is unconfirmed by Disney at this point and the "source" for this information is simply the dining plan brochures which list Le Cellier under signature for both lunch and dinner. Also, the fact that lunches are unable to be booked right now starting in Jan also suggests this (same deal happened when they went to 2TS for dinner))

 

[TDC Nala]

Cafeen is right about the source, the new dining plan brochures list Le Cellier as a signature restaurant for both lunch and dinner in 2013, which is apparently the source for all the planning websites to post the info as a done deal. They haven't changed the 2012 brochure and nothing has come out at all that says Le Cellier is a signature lunch effective immediately, so I don't know where this came from about it changing over NOW. I just ate lunch there a week and a half ago and though we weren't on the dining plan, the menu was the same as it was last time I was there, and I didn't hear anyone told they'd have to pay two dining credits (the place is so small I would have heard that from the three or four tables practically on top of us.)