DVC & the DDP?

[bangzoom6877]

I'm about to book our DVC trip for July 2012 in a couple of weeks. I know that we have until 48 hours before check-in to add any of the dining plans, and I know it is early to be asking this, but I am a super-planner, and will be looking at the restaurants between now and January when our 180-day ADR date is. Once we make our ADRs, DH and I will determine if any of the dining plans fit into our plans, or if it is better for me to upgrade my ticket to an AP and buy the TiW card, like we did last year (we ended up spending more than $200 less than the deluxe dining would have cost, after I added all the costs of food, plus the cost to upgrade to an AP, plus the cost of the TiW card...and we certainly saved vs. if we had paid OOP without the upgrade & TiW card).

I remember that in 2010, the basic DDP had a separate nightly rate for peak season (which included our travel dates), but for DVC members, this peak rate did not apply. I see that for 2012, there is once again a peak rate for the basic DDP, and now for the first time there is also a peak rate for the deluxe plan. Do these same rates apply to DVC members now, or is it still the same as last year when we wouldn't have had to pay the peak rate?

 

[disneynutz]

What we do is decide where we want to eat and look at the menus for pricing. Compare the DDP(s) and the TIW to see which is a better savings.

We haven't been told that DVC will see the seasonal price increases for 2012 so your guess is as good as mine. I say no increase.

Bill

 

[bangzoom6877]

What we do is decide where we want to eat and look at the menus for pricing. Compare the DDP(s) and the TIW to see which is a better savings.

We haven't been told that DVC will see the seasonal price increases for 2012 so your guess is as good as mine. I say no increase.

Bill

OK, I guess what I will do is wait until we make our ADRs, see if any of the dining plans fit into our plans, do the math and then decide what to do. That's what I did last time, estimating what we would probably order at each restaurant, and it worked out great. We paid a little over $1600 for my AP upgrade, plus the TiW card, plus food (including tax, but not tip or alcohol) for the 4 of us for the 10 night trip, and the deluxe dining plan last year would have cost us $1860. Added bonus was that we also saved 10% on the souvenirs we bought because of the AP. AND...I got a CS meal at the Swan/Dolphin one afternoon, which would not have been included in the dining plans, but was 20% off with my DVC membership card.