Help me do the math...

[robndani]

So, for 2015 it's $19.23 per child for the Dining Plan and $64.64 for adults. I totally see how that works for my kids (who will be 5 when we go) but I can't seem to find ANY way this would work for me and my husband.

An example... We have Hollywood & Vine lunch which is $34 per person. That would mean we would have to spend at least $30 more dollars on one counter service and a snack that day.

I could see if we did Akershus dinner which is $55 per person, but we don't have our reservations set up for all character dinners.

Add in the fact that I only drink water and can't have sugar, so dessert isn't always an option and I'm assuming that the DP just isn't for us.

Am I missing something?

Thanks for any help!

 

[supersnoop]

Nope, you aren't missing anything.

 

[supersnoop]

Nope, you aren't missing anything.

 

[sharonabe]

Adults are $60.64, not $64.64, so that's only $26 the adults have to "spend" on that day. And if you deduct the "free" QS and snack your child is getting, the adults only need to "spend" around $21 to break even.

You really need to decide where all your meals are going to be and add up the total cost of EVERYONE to see if you will save, break even, or lose money with the plan. And don't forget the 6% tax on all meals.

 

[robndani]

When I called DVC yesterday the 2015 price they gave me was $64.64. That's weird... I'll call back tomorrow.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

It's really hard to realize a savings on the Dining Plan. If you order a soft drink and a dessert with every meal and you eat at lot of character meals it is possible. Like a PP said - you have to do the math on the meals you plan to do and see how it works out.

For many the dining plan is more about convenience than saving money.

 

[GillianP1301]

I agree with the suggestion to add up all your meals for your whole party and see what the numbers look like. Looking at one day is not a true reflection. How much savings (if any) you get out of a dining plan really does depend on the number of character meals and higher $ value TS restaurants you want to eat at. You will also see more savings if you have children still on the kids plan and not 9+ on the adult plan. My experience with the dining plan is I do see a little savings, but the main factor for me is the all inclusiveness feel to having the dining plan pre-paid.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So, say on your DHS Day you eat at ABC Commissary. Burger, apple slices, strawberry parfait, water, $18 or so with tax. $4 snack. Now you've spent $56 in credits. Spot day you eat at Sunshine Seasons - Mongolian beef, fruit cup, coffee, about $20 with tax. Another $4 snack, so on your Epcot day you've spent $79 in DDP credits.

Over two days, with the credits costing you $129.28, you've gotten $135 worth of menu items. Not a huge savings, but not the waste you calculate. Eliminating the desserts brings you right about even.

 

[robinb]

So, for 2015 it's $19.23 per child for the Dining Plan and $64.64 for adults. I totally see how that works for my kids (who will be 5 when we go) but I can't seem to find ANY way this would work for me and my husband.

An example... We have Hollywood & Vine lunch which is $34 per person. That would mean we would have to spend at least $30 more dollars on one counter service and a snack that day.

I could see if we did Akershus dinner which is $55 per person, but we don't have our reservations set up for all character dinners.

Add in the fact that I only drink water and can't have sugar, so dessert isn't always an option and I'm assuming that the DP just isn't for us.

Am I missing something?

Thanks for any help!

You are actually in the "sweet spot" for the DDP so it should work for you in the long run if you account for how much you would pay for your children off the DDP.

I do think the DDP is $60.64/$19.23 for DVC so I'll go with that. Your family would spend approximately $160 per day on food on the DDP.

A CS is approximately $16 for each adult, $6 for each child, $4 per snack and approx $2.50 per day for each refillable mug. So, that's $22.50 per adult and $12.50 per child in non-TS 'value' or $70 for your entire family per day.

That leaves $90 per day to spend on TS meals (including tax). Let's go back to your H&V lunch. It's $30.88 per adult and $14.90 per child (lowest price) plus tax. That comes out to $97 with tax. So, you're saving about $7 on a standard day when you go to H&V.

You may substitute things for dessert at CS like a bottle of water or grapes so all is not lost. I would suspect you can get fresh fruit at TS places too.

If you're doing at least some character meals you will come out ahead.

 

[summabreeze85]

The math doesn't make sense to me either. And even if you save the $5 its not worth the headache and frustration.
I don't understand the convenience argument. Convenience to me is eating at 2 quick service restaurants because I'm busy riding rides all day at the park. But I don't want the quick service plan because I like table service every other night of the week.
I don't understand the all inclusive argument. All inclusive to me is sitting on a beach in Mexico tipping $1 for my margarita. Not paying oop for an appetizer, specialty drinks, and $20+ tips. I also like 3 meals a day.
I'm convinced Disney created the dining plan to get more money out of you...and make you get that dessert you're too full to eat and would've never ordered had it not been included in the plan.

 

[Bete]

In order to get ahead on the dining plans you have to maximize the places you go and the meals you eat.

There is an advantage to the dining plan in the sense you don't pay sales tax. Doing out of pocket you will pay a tax for your meals.

Keep in mind prices at the restaurants will go up in 2015; so, with the higher prices the dining plan will look better when that happens.

We love free dining and we can go during whatever dates the plan is offered. The more people in your room the better the free dining plan is for the budget. If you can't take advantage of free dining then it gets tougher to justify the plans.

I'm not a dessert fan; so, I don't see myself buying a plan. Also, we will go to the cheaper places and not spend as much. We can be satisfied with tap water, too.

Number crunching is the best approach to see if the dining plan will pay off for you or not. Use the websites with menus and prices and figure it out.

It does take longer to do a table service meal and this counts against your park time and this should be another consideration.
Sometimes, you end up backtracking to get to the meal reservation for your time and that is an inconvenience and a time waster.

There were times in the past the dining plan was worth paying for like in the days when an appetizer was included instead of dessert. Those days are long gone.

We go offsite to eat, as well. Then, it gets even tougher to get a dining plan.

 

[Sarahbelle341]

The dining plan was a great savings for us. I figured out all the costs of our meals that we ate on our last trip and we made off like bandits on the dining plan. My son was 4 on our last trip but he eats like a preteen boy. We don't drink alcohol normally, almost always order soda, and we enjoyed getting dessert everyday on vacation. We usually skipped desserts at buffets since they aren't usually anything special and filled up on things like salmon, crab legs, shrimp, salad, etc. We saved tons of time standing in lines to meet characters by doing so many character meals and got incredible pictures. I am the type that had some sticker shock at the food prices at disney so if we hadn't had the dining plan I would have been inclined to try to save money by ordering something cheaper, skipping desserts, nixing expensive snacks in the park and bringing in my own granola bars etc. The dining plan made food costs a non-issue on vacation since it was all paid for. My husband is a big eater too so he loved finishing off my food when I got too stuffed to move.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Don't forget that you also receive the refillable mug.

How I calculated our cost, was to take the daily cost times the number of days. I then subtracted the cost of the mug. I took that number and divided it among the days.

For example, I was looking at the quick service plan for my next trip.

We will be there for 5 nights.

42 x 5 = 210 - 18 = 192/ 5 = $38.40 per day, per person for a snack and 2 quick service meals.

Then I looked at meals and snacks for the places we will eat. (I know where we will eat, because I have a food allergy and I have checked out what each place has.)

 

[lauradis]

http://www.distripplanner.com/

Here this ones not bad.

couple of the numbers look little off to me.

My way is to sit down and look at current prices, of the places we will eat and what we are likely to order, add tax and tip and adult drink.

http://allears.net/dining/menu/

Yes I run separate totals for what the dinning plan will cover and what it wouldn't.