Don't understand savings of DDP

[jess-sarah]

Maybe I'm missing something...but people are saying that the save so much money because they eat more than $39.00 a day in food. But have they calculated in the fact that they are paying rack rate for the room and therefore off setting or exceeding what they would pay for food if they were paying out of pocket? For us, the difference between the package w/DDP (including park ticket) and room only (discounted) plus park ticket is $1450. We will spend far less than this on food during our stay. It hard to see how a discounted room (especially at 40%) would not always be a better deal than DDP. Anyone agree/disagree?

 

[Scraper]

I agree. no matter how much we crunch the numbers we never seem to save by the DDP option. Alot of people say that it is alot of food. We are not big eaters. We also do not like to plan every day around ADR.

 

[disneyag]

If you have to pay rack rate (last June, I couldn't get a discount), then the DDP saves money. A 40% discount on room rates is a better deal if you can get it.

 

[jess-sarah]

Oh yes. I should claify. If you are paying rack rate, then $39.00 a day to eat would seem to be a bargain. I was thinking more about people who could get a discount on the room....

 

[bellarella]

There aren't that many great discounts available to the general public. Also some discounts *can* be applied when using the dining plan. I believe the rack rate requirement is only in place during the times they have offered free dining. I believe even with pin codes you can purchase the dining plan. (Another board reports using the 40% off and getting MYW with Dining.)

We were able to apply our AAA discount to our package and get the dining plan. That was the best discount available to us, which means the only other way we could have saved more money have been to do a room only AAA discount and bought the tickets from Tickemania or similar -- that savings was slight in comparison to the being able to do the dining plan and purchasing the tickets as part of the package.

Later a code came out and we used that with the dining plan and saved a little more over what the AAA discount was.

 

[patsal]

I have used the DDP with a package and I did not pay rack rate for the room the room was discounted 40% with a code and I was able to add dining. Mostly I only use DDP when I am staying DVC though and that is a great savings for us. I couldn't feed my family of four all considered adults by plan standards for $160 per day if we have CS, TS and snack. That's the way we eat so it works well for us. One Character buffet for dinner would be $120 plus tax and tip ($145.80), now throw in CS somewhere between $40 and $48, and of course snack $12 to $16. SO I save about $40 per day minimum--add a 10 day vaction to that and I save $400. Totally worth it for us.

 

[3daughters]

We too did not pay rack rate for our room, we had a GREAT package deal with the DDP and free waterpark upgrade. I still can't figure out how they discounted so much. When I tried to add up our trip I always came out well over what we were charged so our discounts were more than I thought they were.

As someone else mentioned, maybe when they offer free dining you must pay full rate? Don't know tho.

Regarding the DDP, we had 4 adults, (2 adults, 2 children over 10) our dinners alone averaged $235, our lunches around $55 and breakfast around $15. At $39 per person it is an awesome deal especially when you factor in tax and gratuity. Remember these are averages, we had a $64 lunch one day and a $262 dinner one night that I can remember. Every time we saw the bill we all gloated about how much we just saved and how great our food was!

 

[jess-sarah]

40% discount off room and DDP! That's a deal. When and for where did you get that? I was under the impression from these boards that you either got; 1. a room only discount, 2. package that included room at rack plus dining plan or 3. package that included room at rack rate plus free dining (when available) Has anyone else got room discount and DDP?

 

[MEK]

You pay rack rate with free dining. People that are staying at deluxe hotels for 40% off are saving a lot more than they would with free dining.

The dining plan is really a savings if you want to splurge and eat a lot while on vacation. It is really intended for people who want to do one TS a day. I've had the dining plan free twice. On my last trip we paid for it. Had we paid out of pocket our food costs would have $600 + higher than what we paid for the plan. It was definately worth it for us with a 12 and 13 year old boy. Plus, my kids love going "out" to dinner. I like not having to look at what everything costs.

 

[thunderbird1]

Maybe I'm missing something...but people are saying that the save so much money because they eat more than $39.00 a day in food. But have they calculated in the fact that they are paying rack rate for the room and therefore off setting or exceeding what they would pay for food if they were paying out of pocket? For us, the difference between the package w/DDP (including park ticket) and room only (discounted) plus park ticket is $1450. We will spend far less than this on food during our stay. It hard to see how a discounted room (especially at 40%) would not always be a better deal than DDP. Anyone agree/disagree?

I respectfullly disagree, and here's one scenario. Assuming a party of 2 adults at a value resort, the loss of the 40% discount is only about $40 a day, at the most. One dinner for 2 at Le Cellier (most expensive items) runs about $120 + tax + tip = $150. Add in 2 CS meals from Cosmic Ray's (most expensive items) at $38 + $2.50 tax and 2 $4 snacks and your total food bill for that one day is $198.50. Your cost for the DDP plus your "loss in discount" for that one day is about $118--a savings of more than $80.

Also it's not true that you always have to pay rack rate to get the DDP. The free DDP, when it's offered, yes, but, as I understand it, you can use a AAA discount (can be as much as 20%) and still purchase the DDP. If you're staying at a value resort, the difference between a 20% discount and a 40% discount is only about $20, which makes the DDP an even better deal.

Of course, if you want to stay at deluxe resorts, and can get a 40% off code for those, that's obviously the better way to go. And not many people eat at only the most expensive restaurants, but even if you eat at a few breakfast buffets, it only takes a couple of those really expensive meals to balance it out and make the DDP worthwhile.

 

[PrincessNED]

We just booked on the email 40% off deal for Dec 9-16th for Coronado Springs and DDP was allowed to be added.

I also asked if they bring out free dining if we could switch and they said "likely, if the room classification is the same".

Of course cannot do both but by my calculations paying Rack at a Mod and getting dining for 7 nights for 2 adults and a child would save me about another 200 vs the 40%.

The 40% was enough to convince us to go again- if we can later switch to free dining ( if its announced) the so much the better.

Last time we had the DDP for 10 nights. Fabulous program - actually helped us plan the time there as you had to think about your ADR's well in advance. Further, don't discount the value of having ADR's at a sit down TS restaurant, forces you to relax a little and get out of the heat and congestion.

Given the price includes taxes and tips you can't lose in my opinion so long as you use up your TS credits.

We actually "pixie dusted " out our last TS credits the last day to another family at 1900, and evem with doing that , I can say we certainly saved $ from if we paid out of pocket. I don't have exact $'s ( DW tossed the receipts a day after we got home - There was a reason I carried them all around ) but most TS meals alone covered our days costs BEFORE TAX AND TIP. So basically I see it as we got snacks and CS for free.

This trip DW knows not to touch the receipts.


Course our miles program could only get us flights arriving the 8th - so have to do one night at rack rate ( but will get 20% with AAA/CAA I believe, forgot to ask when booked )

Can't win them all I guess.

 

[SILLYANDI]

We got the AAA discount and DDP in Dec 06. Saved quite a bit of money!

 

[tnmom25]

So, is the AAA disc. 20% off your entire package (room, tix, DDP)... or just room only?

I too am finding it hard to justify spending $1400 for 8 ppl (me, dh, ds18, dd16, dd8, dd7, dd2, dgd2) when we can eat offsite and at the value food court. I've never done DDP before and I'm obsessing about whether it's a good deal or not. All dds & myself are light eaters, so we could share meals. I know this isn't the budget board, but I would like to save as much $$ as possible.

 

[The Sweetness]

If you aren't big eaters, you could share CS meals (therefore being able to stretch your credits to pay for 2 meals a day, inst of 1) Also at non buffet AYCE TS, you could do the same (such as LE Cellier, Kona, PT 50s) If you share, this would allow you to stretch your credits further (if you are all light eaters) Also, the kiddos under 3 get to sare with you, and at a buffet or AYCE, they tots can eat as much as they want of whatever they want on the buffet or table

I just thought I'd add that while going offsite to eat saves $$$ it burns time, which is also valuable

 

[bicker]

My understanding is that some discounted hotel rates do allow folks to add the (paid) Dining Plan. The free dining promotion (if offered) would be much more restrictive of course.

However, keep in mind that many of us are DVC members, and we "pay" the same regardless, so for us it is just a matter of the cost of the Dining Plan, i.e., $38.99 per night. Given that, I figured that our savings next week will range from a minimum of $120 to a maximum of $500.

 

[1gr8mouse]

My understanding is that some discounted hotel rates do allow folks to add the (paid) Dining Plan. The free dining promotion (if offered) would be much more restrictive of course.

However, keep in mind that many of us are DVC members, and we "pay" the same regardless, so for us it is just a matter of the cost of the Dining Plan, i.e., $38.99 per night. Given that, I figured that our savings next week will range from a minimum of $120 to a maximum of $500.

Good Morning Bicker,
I called central res. yesterday and spoke to Penelope. I did not rec. a post card for a room discount but she adv. I had a code assgn. to my address. Our disc. was for Jan and Feb only...made no sense to me. I was told then if you were getting a room disc. you could not even purchase the DDP. I dont understand that one at all. She also advised it did not look good for free DDP for anyone else, just the bounceback people. Any thoughts?

 

[bicker]

I'm not sure what you're asking about the discount being limited to January and February only. Generally, discount offers are limited in terms of when they're valid, so that makes a lot of sense to me.

Regarding room discounts and the Dining Plan, keep in mind that the Dining Plan is only available as an add-on to qualifying Magic Your Way packages (and DVC points reservations). Presumably, many of the more heavily-discounted Magic Your Way packages don't qualify, and you cannot get the Dining Plan with those packages. It is not uncommon to preclude customers from applying discounts on top of discounts.

Finally, with regard to free dining, the CMs know as little as we do. The folks who are making the actual decision concerning whether or not to offer free dining to the general public surely know that anything they "secretly" share with CMs on the front-line will very quickly make it to the Internet, and they also know that if they share their speculation then people will invariably interpret it as a promise. So, they are well-advised to keep their speculation from both the public and the CMs until they're prepared to announce their actual plans publicly.

Having said that, it does make sense that they'll target the free dining promotion if they can come up with a viable market segment that is more likely to not visit the resort without the free dining promotion, and thereby keep the free dining promotion away from guests in market segments who would be more likely visit the resort regardless of whether they get free dining.

 

[PrincessNED]

So, is the AAA disc. 20% off your entire package (room, tix, DDP)... or just room only?


Room only I believe

If your party are light eaters - you are likely best OOP.

 

[ReneeA]

I don't know how it happened...but in Aug. 2006 we received a discounted room rate along with free dining. I called up CRO and told them that I was calling just to get a price as I hadn't convinced my DH to go yet again. I laughed and told her if I could get a great price, we would book.

In August 2005, we paid $1579.00 for a 9 day/8 night stay at ASMo for 2 adult, 1 junior (one free under 3) with free dining. It was wonderful and we all loved it, however, my DH said he would prefer to upgrade to a moderate for the next trip since the values seemed a little crazy-busy to him.

For Aug. 2006, we paid $1489.00 for a 9 day/8 night stay at Coronado Springs for 2 adult/2 junior since DD was 3 and no longer free (free dining included with this, too.). I couldn't for the life of me figure out HOW we got that price for a moderate instead of a value, adding a junior person WITH free dining.

I gave up trying to figure it out and enjoyed it instead.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I have used the DDP 3 times and have never paid rack rate for my room.

Once, I rented DVC points and the other two times (Dec 05 and Oct 06) I got a discounted package from disney. For my two trips this year I was able to get the 40% off the room and add the DDP (by booking a package).

For my group the DDP is a must (otherwise we end up off site at Denny's and Golden Corral - my Dad's choices).

I also like that I am able to pay everything up front and have no worries about spending during the trip.

I always say, "you can save time OR you can save money" with the DDP you can save both.