Dining Plan vs Cash, crunched the numbers and.....

[GeorgiaHoo]

There are several reasons I'm leaning against the DDP for our next trip. First, I don't think some people realize how much gratuity is going to run for the table service meals. If we eat at Cape May for dinner, the gratuity alone is going to be $40-50. Over the course of 7 dinners you are looking at around $300 in tips. If we get the DDP we'll feel like we have to eat at the more expensive restaurants for it to be worthwhile, which means we'll pay that much in tips, but if we aren't on the DDP we are more likely to eat at a counter service restaurant if we aren't in the mood for a longer meal, or at someplace like Plaza Restaurant.

Second, we are MUCH more likely to prefer an appetizer to a dessert, and if we eat table service will likely order some, which is another out of pocket expense.

Finally, we like to have a little freedom in our schedule. The first few days are usually planned out, but after that we go wherever the mood strikes, and I don't want to have to jump from park to park for a dinner.

 

[cornish pixie]

Hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread but you all seem to know what you are talking about on the DDP when you get the bill do they automatically put the tip on ?
Thanks in advance

 

[AKL LOVER]

Hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread but you all seem to know what you are talking about on the DDP when you get the bill do they automatically put the tip on ?
Thanks in advance

No. When you get the bill you will have to add the gratuity yourself.

 

[amyr1]

I know tis topic has been beat to death but I am really enjoying the viewpoints in this thread.

We've done DDP for our two Disney trips. I believe we have saved about 10-15% using the plan. But I do admit that we ate when we were not hungry, felt the need to maximize our savings wherever possible, and sometimes I would have rather had an appetizer instead of dessert but didn't because it wasn't on the plan. I know my kids probably would have rather skipped several deserts at TS restaurants and then gone to Gheridelli's in DTD and gotten a really good sundae.

So for our next trip I am really looking at just doing OOP. I have a very picky eater in my group and he often had a hard time finding foods he wanted to eat at buffets (yes, even the buffets were a challenge for him.) I think we will schedule a TS breakfast (his favorite type of food) every other day. They are usually a bit cheaper and he will have plenty to eat. That alone will save me some money.

We won't drink sodas with our meals. We drink way too much soda at home anyway (soda isn't a "treat" for us) so we will save a good $8 each meal by drinking water. We also won't be ordering those nasty packaged brownie CS deserts either. I think every other day or so we will get an awesome desert as a mid-afternoon snack...my kids loved the make your own rice krispie treats--and they are no longer a snack option. My kids will love this much more than a brownie. We will also eat when we are hungry. We might stop and split a meal or two and then 2 hours later get another. We will only eat what we want--will order fewer fries since we never seem to eat them all and they are not very good anyway.

I'm really seeing this as not only an opportunity to save a few bucks but to really have some fun snacks that we normally wouldn't have. Even if we don't save any money, just the freedom to allow the kids to get a special drink or slushy or sundae is going to be wonderful.

I'm still crunching numbers but I think we will end up skipping the plans.

Amy

 

[havoc315]

We decided to do the DDP for the first time this year and after reading this, I'm a little nervous lol! I was against it (fear of the unknown!) but last year every time we swiped our card, the cast members were surprised because we had all items from the DDP and didn't actually have the plan. We were told that so frequently, we said we would use it for the next trip. Although we're easing into it with the Quick Service Plan, so I think it will save us some money. I hope.

I wish you luck. Don't want to scare you, but I encourage you to crunch the numbers. It's not easy to truly save much (if anything) on the QSDP. If you use any credits for breakfast, if you skip any desserts or any snacks, then it becomes nearly impossible to save anything. If you use every credit for lunch and dinner, always get dessert, use all your snack credits, AND get above-average priced entrees, then you can save around up to $3 per person, per night.

 

[OThopeful35]

We did the DDP last year and we did save money because we did almost all the Character meals. With that being said, this year, we will be only doing one character breakfast and dinner, so we will be skipping the DDP. Plus, with the recent increases, we will definitely not save any money.

What I found last year was that by the 7th day, we really didn't want to do sit down meals anymore, but we had to because we would have had way too many credits left and would have lost a lot of money.

I agree with Amyr1 in regard to the brownies....DS had so many of those brownies and cookies in his backpack by the end of the trip He got tired of eating them

 

[hygienejean]

We are skipping the DDP for the first time this year. We are getting an AP and TIW. I crunched the numbers and it should be a couple hundred dollar savings. Like others have posted, we have overeaten and stuffed ourselves with dessert just because it was part of the DDP. Not to mention the stress of the last few days of vac and having way too many CS credits left. Been there done that!

 

[tallen429]

Quick question for those with a TIW card...
On the current passholder benefits page on WDW, it states there is a $25 discount on the regular price of a TIW card. So is the reg price $100 and people just always get it for $75 w/ the discount, or is the price $75 and you can currently get it for $50 w/ the discount?

Trying to decide if I will purchase one this trip...paying OOP for all meals this time. Only DS (9) and I though, so depending on the TIW price it may or may not be worth it for me. Not sure I'll be back to use it again before my AP expires.

edited to add: Nevermind, I think I figured it out. Since the Florida resident TIW price is $100, obviously they consider the AP holder price of $75 to be the "discount". Bummer. That won't be worth it.

 

[cluvsdisney]

Quick question for those with a TIW card...
On the current passholder benefits page on WDW, it states there is a $25 discount on the regular price of a TIW card. So is the reg price $100 and people just always get it for $75 w/ the discount, or is the price $75 and you can currently get it for $50 w/ the discount?

Trying to decide if I will purchase one this trip...paying OOP for all meals this time. Only DS (9) and I though, so depending on the TIW price it may or may not be worth it for me. Not sure I'll be back to use it again before my AP expires.

edited to add: Nevermind, I think I figured it out. Since the Florida resident TIW price is $100, obviously they consider the AP holder price of $75 to be the "discount". Bummer. That won't be worth it.

The breakeven point for the TIW card for AP holders is $375 in OOP meals. If you spend more than that, you will save some money.

 

[tallen429]

I should have gotten it when just DH and I went in November. In that case it would have been worth it when combined with this trip but there is no way DS and I wll spend nearly that much. We do plan to have a few sit down meals but I know we'll eat/share counter service a lot too so I'd never break even.
My AP doesn't expire until the end of Aug but this makes my fourth trip in just the past 13 months so I can't really see going back again (not to mention several in the two years prior). We're starting to burn out a little.

 

[Bete]

I should have gotten it when just DH and I went in November. In that case it would have been worth it when combined with this trip but there is no way DS and I wll spend nearly that much. We do plan to have a few sit down meals but I know we'll eat/share counter service a lot too so I'd never break even.
My AP doesn't expire until the end of Aug but this makes my fourth trip in just the past 13 months so I can't really see going back again (not to mention several in the two years prior). We're starting to burn out a little.

get 10% off at certain restaurants without being with TIW card.

 

[lugnut33]

If you go to the home page for the DDP you'll see they don't even advertise anymore that you'll save money.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/disney-dining-plan/

However, when you plan a trip it still says, "Save up to 20% per adult on Disney dining! For each night of your reservation". You can save "35%" if you upgrade to the deluxe plan.

 

[tanyaandallie]

IMO whether or not you save money depends GREATLY on your family. For families with young kids (under 10) that eat a bunch of character meals, the dining plan can definitely be worth it as the cost of character meals is higher than cost per day per child of the dining plan. If you don't, then you really have to look at what you eat and how you eat. I'm definitely leaning against it for our family on our next trip but still not sure. My kids are both still under 10 so I have to figure out if we will do a ton of character meals.

 

[emmysmommy]

The 1st time we had the DxDP we left 6 credits unused (for 2 ppl) since it was too much food. I now use TiW and it is far better and cheaper for us. Even if I didn't have TiW I would likely have a difficult time justifying DDP since we just don't eat that much.

I would love a plan that you could custom build that set a price per credit (one price per meal credit versus a snack or drink credit) and build your own dining plan to meet your needs.

 

[MVC1225]

I just did a price comparison last night and including tax and tips the DDP saves us about $65 over a 4 night trip (without factoring in the free drink refills at the hotel). We are 2 adults on the plan and a 2 year old (no charge); however, because of the 2 year old, we have a character meal planned every day.


I am considering doing the DxDDP in September for just my girlfriend and I on a 3 night trip and will have to do the price comparison on that before booking.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I quit DDP after 2008, when the plans were changed and appetizer/tip removed from the basic plan.

Now, I only buy what I want to eat.

Me, too. I still do a spreadsheet every trip to compare the costs (just did one this morning). Even estimating with the most expensive entrees (which I generally wouldn't order based on food preference, not on price), it is still cheaper to pay OOP for us.

 

[poodlecamper]

Me, too. I still do a spreadsheet every trip to compare the costs (just did one this morning). Even estimating with the most expensive entrees (which I generally wouldn't order based on food preference, not on price), it is still cheaper to pay OOP for us.

I don't know where to ask this, so I'm trying here--hope someone can help! We (2 adults, 3kids over 6)) did the quick service plan last Sept, and it worked out well--in fact, it was more food than we would normally eat.(I shared with some other family members there) DH and I are going in October---he wants to do the same plan, I just want to pay as I go (had lap band, can NOT eat that much food, plus I didn't like the free mug drinks offered)so my question is, can we buy just ONE QSP, if we have ressies for 2 in the room?
Thanks

 

[olecow]

From everything I've read you must buy the DP for ALL memebers of your party (room). If one perosn takes it, everyone must take it, (except kids under 3).

 

[phillyteamhater]

Trying to crunch some numbers but thinking DDP may not be worth it now for my honeymoon trip. We do not plan on having any nice sit down meals just quick sit get a burger/salad/chicken platter type deals. We don't really drink soda plus too hot for soda anyways and were planning on taking in frozen water bottles/or refillable bottle and getting cups of ice water from places. As far as snacks, we will probably take in crackers/granola bars and may get a pretzel or ice cream a day or 2 but that's about it. Was looking into QSDP and would be $498 for 2 of us as no "free" dining will probably be available for our dates June 18-25. Haven't checked prices for food items like I figure we will be eating but figuring $8-$12 a meal with 2 meals a day in parks so $24 even $30 if you figure in a snack or drink a day per person so for 2 people for 5 days would come to like $300 which is saving $200, or am I way off base with my prices?

 

[AKL LOVER]

Trying to crunch some numbers but thinking DDP may not be worth it now for my honeymoon trip. We do not plan on having any nice sit down meals just quick sit get a burger/salad/chicken platter type deals. We don't really drink soda plus too hot for soda anyways and were planning on taking in frozen water bottles/or refillable bottle and getting cups of ice water from places. As far as snacks, we will probably take in crackers/granola bars and may get a pretzel or ice cream a day or 2 but that's about it. Was looking into QSDP and would be $498 for 2 of us as no "free" dining will probably be available for our dates June 18-25. Haven't checked prices for food items like I figure we will be eating but figuring $8-$12 a meal with 2 meals a day in parks so $24 even $30 if you figure in a snack or drink a day per person so for 2 people for 5 days would come to like $300 which is saving $200, or am I way off base with my prices?

I think it sounds like you would be better off paying OOP. Another thing to consider (depending on how much you both eat) is that a lot of those quick service meals come with a lot of food, so sharing a meal might be an option for you all sometimes if you aren't very hungry. That would save you even more $$.