Figuring out when to pay oop?

[Eliserose]

How do you figure out which restaurants to pay oop for? We'll have to pay for some, not sure how to save the most money. We also have 2 dinners which are 2 credits each (CRT and California Grill). Other than that, we have 2 breakfasts and 2 more dinners.

 

[havoc315]

Simply, you want to pay the cheapest meals OOP. On the regular ddp, you are paying about $30 for each TS credit. So you should consider paying OOP any time you are getting the least value per credit.

Typically, breakfasts and 2-credit meals give the least value. So look at the prices of the breakfasts, the per credit price of CRT, and look at the menu for California Grill. Pay the lowest value, OOP.

 

[Eliserose]

Thanks, just trying to figure all this out.

 

[momtotwins]

also not the entire table has to pay the same way. so if you like sharing desserts you could have 1 person order dining plan nad hte other pay OOP.

or sometimes there is a difference in the kids/adult credits in which would be a better place to pay OOP

 

[Nadjalu]

It is true you should figure out what the cheapest meals are and pay for those.

But keep in mind the signatures are often not the most expensive. Because you are "paying" for the atmosphere, not necessarily the food.
So while your meal may be $30 per person you are spending 2 TS credits on it, so technically you could be paying $60per person. See how that works?

Using 2 credits for one meal leaves you paying for an extra meal. So take that into account when you are doing your figuring.

 

[Wendy5055]

The breakfast buffets are handsdown cheaper for me to pay OOP. I have the same dilemma every single year...not enough credits!

We typically do at least a couple of signature meals. This means that breakfast is always the cheaper option to pay OOP for us.

 

[Cafeen]

Simply, you want to pay the cheapest meals OOP. On the regular ddp, you are paying about $30 for each TS credit. So you should consider paying OOP any time you are getting the least value per credit.

Typically, breakfasts and 2-credit meals give the least value. So look at the prices of the breakfasts, the per credit price of CRT, and look at the menu for California Grill. Pay the lowest value, OOP.

Once again... ^^ This (plus some more)

As mentioned by someone else, you don't have to only pay OOP or only pay DDP for a meal. Depending on the party make up, you may want to look closely at any character breakfasts you have. Typically I advise to pay OOP for adults and DDP for kids at these, with the opposite true at a la carte TS locations.

This works as the price for the character breakfasts for kids is usually at least $12 or so, while the adult prices are in the $20 range. Average prices at a la carte TS places are different though, with adults in the $30 range and most kids' meals being around $8.

However, if that's too difficult to keep track of, the difference is small enough that just paying OOP for the Character breakfast and DDP for the TS dinner will work fine as well. (But certainly look at the 2TS first, they are not a good value on the DDP at all due to a few factors which I'll get into upon request, but don't want to throw too much info out there ). Just remember that, although a 2TS will likely be more expensive than a 1TS, they're rarely twice as expensive.

 

[Eliserose]

Thanks! I'm new to all this, our first trip to Disney. I tried to figure it out and came up with paying oop for dinner at Mama Melrose and dinner at California Grill. We have breakfast at Askershus, which seemed expensive and breakfast at Chef Mickey's, but dinner at MM seemed to be cheaper. We also have dinners at Teppan Edo and CRT, which we would use the credits for. Thoughts? I'm also a vegetarian, so for a place like CG, my meal would usually be the cheapest on the menu.

 

[Macavity72]

(But certainly look at the 2TS first, they are not a good value on the DDP at all due to a few factors which I'll get into upon request, but don't want to throw too much info out there ). Just remember that, although a 2TS will likely be more expensive than a 1TS, they're rarely twice as expensive.

Can you comment further on this?

I'll be taking my family in June, and we want to do CRT. I trying to figure out how best to use our 4 TS credits, and where to pay OOP to make up for the 2TS cost of CRT.

 

[havoc315]

Can you comment further on this?

I'll be taking my family in June, and we want to do CRT. I trying to figure out how best to use our 4 TS credits, and where to pay OOP to make up for the 2TS cost of CRT.

Not sure of the current cost of CRT... So you would need to look at the exact price. If it's $60 (it's around that), then it's $30 per credit. So you would need to see if your other dining options cost more or less than $30 per credit.

If all your other meals are $40 apiece, then it's best just to pay OOP for CRT.