Disney Dining Plan calculator - Amazing Tool!!!

After playing around with it and checking the accuracy of the prices, I found that the total cost isn't very accurate (like several hundreds of dollars off). But it did confirm that TIW is the best way to go for our dining style (breakfast in room, CS for lunch, signature for dinner). I was surprised to find that the next best way to go is OOP, not the DxDDP like I suspected.

I have to say that I anticipate the dollar amounts are WAY off too. We have never spent $1500 for food and that's what it is estimating... I guess we'll have to see what happens this time!

Either way it's a pretty cool tool... especially for us WDW addicts!
 
I don't know when it was last updated but I did plug in where we ate in October 2012 and then compared receipts from my trip back in October and when using the "Average" option, it said my OOP was $1,788 and using the "High" option it said my OOP was $2,312 and my receipts were $2,217 and we do usually (but not always) order the most expensive things! So it was pretty accurate for us!
 
I have to say that I anticipate the dollar amounts are WAY off too. We have never spent $1500 for food and that's what it is estimating... I guess we'll have to see what happens this time!

Either way it's a pretty cool tool... especially for us WDW addicts!

Did you look at the breakdowns on the other tab by meal and then look at WDW menus and see if there was a glaring discrepancy? I'm not sure how it works but that could show if something is off!
 


My theory has always been that the DP is close to break even. You don't save buckets and you don't usually pay out lots more with it. It is wonderful to those of us who like to know we pay nothing more out of pocket once our trip is paid off. It's a mental thing more than a huge cost savings. So I think results showing a $100 difference one way or the other are typical.


What software do you run on your MAC? Open Office won't see the drop down menu on the dinner column. I did remote to my desktop PC at work and pull it up with Excel and it works great on that.

I have Excel...I think its the latest version for macs but not positive. I'm not really sure why it wouldn't work in excel on a mac as long as you have excel. Its an .xls file which should work in excel on any computer. :confused3
 
The video was made using a Mac, you can briefly see the bottom of a Mac toolbar here and there when they scroll. So it must work with a Mac! But maybe you need Microsoft Office for Mac? It looks like a complex spreadsheet...perhaps it doesn't translate to open office.
 


It won't let me sign in to download it?????? I keep clicking on the sign in option and nothing is happening...can someone post it here please (if not against the rules)?
 
Did you look at the breakdowns on the other tab by meal and then look at WDW menus and see if there was a glaring discrepancy? I'm not sure how it works but that could show if something is off!

I know you didn't quote my post, but I have looked at that tab. What I found was $50-100/meal under my predicted cost for the signature meals and $10-30/meal over my predicted cost for CS lunches. I'm wondering if it has something to do with appetizers/desserts. I know you can't order appetizers at CS locations but you can desserts; however, we will not order desserts, so I guess it calculated desserts which would explain why it's over. But I can't figure out the signatures. OOP does not include tips, and TIW does. Even then, it looks like we will spend quite a bit more than it suggests.
 
I know you didn't quote my post, but I have looked at that tab. What I found was $50-100/meal under my predicted cost for the signature meals and $10-30/meal over my predicted cost for CS lunches. I'm wondering if it has something to do with appetizers/desserts. I know you can't order appetizers at CS locations but you can desserts; however, we will not order desserts, so I guess it calculated desserts which would explain why it's over. But I can't figure out the signatures. OOP does not include tips, and TIW does. Even then, it looks like we will spend quite a bit more than it suggests.

You can specify how much % per trip you order deserts (and beverages other than water and snacks, etc)... upper right.
 
According to this it would save us over $250 to do the DDP. I'm thinking it's because we have so many buffet/family styles listed. Our kids still want character meals and they are always so overpriced.
 
You can specify how much % per trip you order deserts (and beverages other than water and snacks, etc)... upper right.

Yep, already did that. I put in 100% for both since we always order an app and dessert at a signature meal. We don't get dessert at CS for lunch though, so that's why I was saying it was probably adding dessert (but not an app) to my CS meals. Probably what I need to do is put in 100% for apps, since it won't add that to the CS meals, and then 50% for desserts. I just hope it adds the desserts to the signature meals instead of the CS meals. That will make a huge difference!
 
There doesn't seem to be an option to put in Resort Room Service as a meal. I was interested in seeing what it said for us, but we'll likely be using that several mornings for breakfast so I don't see any way to use it. :sad:
 
I have Excel...I think its the latest version for macs but not positive. I'm not really sure why it wouldn't work in excel on a mac as long as you have excel. Its an .xls file which should work in excel on any computer. :confused3

The video was made using a Mac, you can briefly see the bottom of a Mac toolbar here and there when they scroll. So it must work with a Mac! But maybe you need Microsoft Office for Mac? It looks like a complex spreadsheet...perhaps it doesn't translate to open office.

I would say that is the issue. I only have Open Office on my MAC where I have Excel on my PC. I did find it odd that the only column that won't work on Open Office is the Dinner column. Every other one has the proper drop down menu. You can't even type in an answer in the Dinner column. Anything you type returns an invalid entry
 
There doesn't seem to be an option to put in Resort Room Service as a meal. I was interested in seeing what it said for us, but we'll likely be using that several mornings for breakfast so I don't see any way to use it. :sad:

Room service is 2 credits, so just put in CRT or another 2 credit meal.
 
Room service is 2 credits, so just put in CRT or another 2 credit meal.

I think CRT would be more $$ OOP than most Room Service meals though, which would throw off the comparison. But, I'm pretty sure we don't come out ahead on the DP, but also pretty sure I'd never convince DH to give it up. So maybe it's better that I just not know :)
 
Cool....

9 days/8 nights, $2,800 for DxDDP vs $3,200 OOP for $400 savings. That includes not ordering a single dessert. If we order dessert 50% of the time then it goes up to about a $500 savings.

It matches almost exactly to what we calculated using Cafeen's spreadsheet.

Stacy
 
I think CRT would be more $$ OOP than most Room Service meals though, which would throw off the comparison. But, I'm pretty sure we don't come out ahead on the DP, but also pretty sure I'd never convince DH to give it up. So maybe it's better that I just not know :)

You're probably right.
allears.net has a dining section where you can check the resort and theme park menus.
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm
 
Neat. For us, it came out to be about a $10 savings to pay oop on the "average" setting. I think it seems to be pretty accurate for us with the comparisons I had made so far. I think we could save money oop but this will be our first trip so we want to do CRT. If we weren't, we could probably save money oop over the DDP.
 
Does anyone know if this takes into account purchasing the refillable mug? Our savings OOP would be $150 Vs getting the dining plan. BUT if you add in having to purchase the cups at $16 a piece x5 that would bring our savings down to $70. We use our Refillable Mug a lot so I know we would be purchasing them.
 

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