DVC Owner needs advice on Dining Plan

[Bethshaya]

We will be staying at the BWV in August for 7 nights in 2014. We will be 5 adults.

We all like to eat on the expensive side for dinners (Narcosees etc), lunches could be on the run (counter) or table, but most often table. We usually do breakfast in the room with maybe one or two days with a full sit down breakfast. None of us drink much, but would likely order a specialty drink with dinner. I don't think alcohol is included in the prices and we would need to pay OOP for that, correct? Plus tips ooop.

So I'm figuring that days that we have a sit down breakfast, we need to go to a 1 TS pt restaurant, but the days we skip breakfast, we can use the points on a 2 TS pt restaurant. Is that correct?

We've never used the dining plan before, and wondering if the Deluxe plan might be a good deal for us.

Since we are using points for our room, I'm not sure if I am even able to purchase the dining plan.

Any advice?

This is what we plan for budgeting for meals. It looks like the Deluxe Dining is a way better deal than we budget for, which makes me think that I am figuring something wrong or don't understand the plan well.

.....................per person...............x5 people.....................x 7 nights
Breakfast..........$25......................$125...........................$875
Lunch..............$50.......................$250..........................$1750
Dinner.............$100......................$500..........................$3500
Snacks............$25.......................$125...........................$875

Total..............$200.....................$1000..........................$7000.

So that means if I purchase the Dining plan at $102.27 each times 5 adults that equals $511.35 times 7 nights equals $3,579.45. That is half of what we budget.

That can't be correct! Help!

 

[vicki_c]

I think your estimates look very high. $100 per person for dinner? We eat at signatures and we don't spend $100 per person. We might spend $200 for our family of 4. I would probably estimate $4 per snack. At $25 per person, that's 6 snacks per day. Lunch at a CS location usually runs my family around $45. Yes, you would still have to pay for alcohol and tips.

My family of 4 would spend $1500 tops for a week of dining, with 1 TS per day on average, 1 CS, some signatures and buffets mixed in.

On your other question, you can buy the dining plan with a DVC reservation. It has to be added at least 48 hours before check in (thru Member Services) and paid in full at that time.

 

[julie4423]

I agree that your estimates are really high. You might want to check out a menu to see what you would really order to get a better idea. $25 a day on snacks wouldn't be covered on any plan, and I can't imagine you could spend that much regardless while eating 3 other meals. I also estimate $4 a snack.

 

[Bethshaya]

I think your estimates look very high. $100 per person for dinner? We eat at signatures and we don't spend $100 per person. We might spend $200 for our family of 4. I would probably estimate $4 per snack. At $25 per person, that's 6 snacks per day. Lunch at a CS location usually runs my family around $45. Yes, you would still have to pay for alcohol and tips.

My family of 4 would spend $1500 tops for a week of dining, with 1 TS per day on average, 1 CS, some signatures and buffets mixed in.

On your other question, you can buy the dining plan with a DVC reservation. It has to be added at least 48 hours before check in (thru Member Services) and paid in full at that time.

Hmm, I do round up so we know we have enough, but maybe it is too high.

For dinner we plan on a app, entree, dessert and coffee and a beverage. So figuring $15 for an app, $20-40 for an entree and $10 for dessert, $10 for the coffee and soda...that's $55-75 per person not including tip. Maybe still high.

I'll bring the dinner down to $50 pp and snacks to $8 pp per day. That still has me budgeting $4,655 for the week versus the $3579 for the plan.

..........................Per Day................7 nights........... 5 people
Breakfast............ $25.00 ............... $175.00............$875.00
Lunch................ $50.00............... $350.00............$1,750.00
Dinner................ $50.00................ $350.00............$1,750.00
Snack................. $8.00................. $56.00..............$280.00

......................... $133.00............. $931.00.............$4,655.00

Disney Dining Per Person..... 7 Nights..... 5 People
Deluxe Plan $102.27....... $715.89 .......$3,579.45


...................................5 people
Out of Pocket.................$4,655.00
Dining Plan.................... $3,579.45
Savings on Dining Plan.....$(1,075.55)

 

[julie4423]

If you were doing all 1 TS restaurants, that scenario would be an obvious win for you. However, you want to do several signatures which means you will be paying OOP for other meals therefore your costs will be higher. The only way to know for sure is pick your restaurants and do the math.

 

[ses1230]

I would consider getting TIW card and recalculate with using that discount vs. the dining plan.

 

[abdgeek]

We will be staying at the BWV in August for 7 nights in 2014. We will be 5 adults.

We all like to eat on the expensive side for dinners (Narcosees etc), lunches could be on the run (counter) or table, but most often table. We usually do breakfast in the room with maybe one or two days with a full sit down breakfast. None of us drink much, but would likely order a specialty drink with dinner. I don't think alcohol is included in the prices and we would need to pay OOP for that, correct? Plus tips ooop.

So I'm figuring that days that we have a sit down breakfast, we need to go to a 1 TS pt restaurant, but the days we skip breakfast, we can use the points on a 2 TS pt restaurant. Is that correct?

We've never used the dining plan before, and wondering if the Deluxe plan might be a good deal for us.

Since we are using points for our room, I'm not sure if I am even able to purchase the dining plan.

Any advice?

This is what we plan for budgeting for meals. It looks like the Deluxe Dining is a way better deal than we budget for, which makes me think that I am figuring something wrong or don't understand the plan well.

.....................per person...............x5 people.....................x 7 nights
Breakfast..........$25......................$125...........................$875
Lunch..............$50.......................$250..........................$1750
Dinner.............$100......................$500..........................$3500
Snacks............$25.......................$125...........................$875

Total..............$200.....................$1000..........................$7000.

So that means if I purchase the Dining plan at $102.27 each times 5 adults that equals $511.35 times 7 nights equals $3,579.45. That is half of what we budget.

That can't be correct! Help!

If you're going to eat dinner at the signature restaurants, the Deluxe Dining Plan should work for you. As you said, you can eat a TS breakfast or lunch for the other meal. Here's how the DxDP costs out(roughly)--$30 per TS and $4 per snack(you get two per day). As long as your meals on any given day cost more than that, you will have saved money. As PP have said, look at the menus(Allears.net is a good source) to see what you would order. You are correct that the alcoholic beverages won't be covered.

I am a DVC member who always stays on points and gets the DxDP. I do character breakfasts and signature dinners. I have always come out ahead by using the dining plan because I tend to order filet mignon and the more expensive entrees. I sometimes order a drink with dinner and know that I will pay OOP. The small cost I pay doesn't keep me from ordering the drink if that's what I want. I got a TIW card last year because I was going to Victoria & Albert's for my birthday and wanted the discount it would get me. I'm going to WDW for two weeks this summer and using my TIW card to see if it will save me more than I would have saved using the DxDP. I know that I will probably eat some breakfasts in the room, which I don't do with the DxDP, but I'm hoping my experiement will cement the fact that the DxDP works for the way I want to eat when I travel!