hddr and free dining

[Lorettainny]

Hello,

If we stay at a moderate resort and get free dining can we use credits for HDDR? If so, how many does it take?

Thank you.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Free dining plans are identical to paid dining plans. With the basic plan you'll receive at a moderate resort you'll get 1 TS credit per person per night of the resort reservation. HDDR category 2 and 3 can be paid for using TS credits (I think category 1 for the last show of the night as well). It costs 2 TS credits per person.

 

[beroh2253]

Sometimes I think the HDDR is best to pay OOP and use the 2 ts each for 2 TS meals eleswhere. We have done it both ways TS credits and OOP.
With the (2 TS) for HDDR you get the show, app,entry, dessert, tip, tax included and wine or beer if you want as your beverage. Now thats Bud light but I'm not picky when it's included.

 

[Cafeen]

Typically, on DDP (Disney Dining Plan, aka the "Regular" Plan), spending 2 TS credits for a meal is not worthwhile for adults, but can be for children. However, if you're on the free dining plan promotion, there is a bit more leniency (since the actual cost per credit would take into account the money saved over a room discount, and thus be likely lower than paying full price). Also, it's better to use credits at lower value than not use them at all.

---Start Nerdy Math Stuff---
Cost = the price you pay for the credit
Value = the price of the item you receive for the credit

Through some tricky math that Faldred (not sure if he still hangs around here) came up with, we were able to discern the cost of the various credits of the various plans. We did this by using a standard $3 value for the snacks (which is about average and works out well).

Through these formulas (the actual formulas are somewhere around the boards, unfortunately, I lost my bookmark sometime over the past 6 months that I've not been DISing ), we discovered that the cost of an Adult TS Credit, for 2012, is roughly $36. The cost of a Child TS Credit for 2012 is roughly $10.

This means, to make sure that a particular meal would come out ahead, you'd want to make sure that you spent at least $36/$10 per credit (Adult/Child). Since the HDDR is less than $62 (erm, I think?) and most signature meals would be less than that (especially without an app), spending 2TS on a single meal (again, for an adult), may not be worthwhile.

---End Nerdy Math Stuff---

However, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as undervalued credits are better than unspent credits (or even adding a meal or two that you didn't intend to do in the first place). You can also underspend on a couple credits, and make the difference up elsewhere. It's just one method to help you pick and choose the best use of your credits for your own situation.

 

[clanmcculloch]

The one thing that calculation does not take into account is that meals like HDDR also include alcohol and tip. At most restaurants you're expected to pay tip while at HDDR and a few other prepaid locations like SoA, CRT and MBYBBQ it's already included in the price. The alcohol can really tip the scales as well if you like beer, wine or sangria (it is sangria, isn't it?).

 

[Cafeen]

At the risk of veering off the tracks more...

The fact that alcohol is covered at HDDR certainly helps with deciding whether or not to go, but for deciding whether or not to pay with credits, it doesn't factor in. This is because the cost of alcohol, tip, and tax is included in both DDP and OOP purchases. $68* / 2 credits = $34 per credit. If you don't drink the alcohol, you're still paying $68 OOP and receiving $68 worth of value on the DDP.

Now, if DDP included these things, but OOP did not, then it would definitely affect the calculations.

$68 is the cost for an adult for Cat 1 seating according to the DIS page on HDDR. Greater Categories are cheaper, and thus show lesser received value. This is done solely to illustrate the concept of the cost vs. value analysis and should not be the only thing used to determine if you wish to see the show (or even spend DDP credits on it)

Of course, this all is covered under a sizable grain of salt (it's more like a crystal really...or a mine.)

With that said, for the OP, if you'd like to use two credits for HDDR and your budgeting your max # of credits, there's no sense not to. The only time all of my ramblings come into play is if you're debating spending credits vs. paying OOP. Basically, if you'd be debating paying 2 other meals OOP vs paying HDDR OOP . I tend to go on tangents a lot!

And yes, even with DDP, all entitlements are included at HDDR! DxDDP and DDP are identical for this case (beyond the nerdy math stuff, of course).

 

[Lorettainny]

Thank you for all the information.