Help me with this thought...

[Patches]

Okay- We are on the DDP.

However- on the two days we are eating at a buffet for our table service- I feel that we won't be getting our $38.00 worth that day. Am I thinking wrong?

We are eating at Crystal Palace for lunch- $20.99
So we would each need to eat about another $20 worth of food with our CS and snack just to make that day equal the $38.00 the DDP cost for that day. I don't know if we can find CS and snack to spend that much money- although I see the Pepper Market has a $19 steak! (we are staying at CS)

Also- we are doing Hollywood and Vine for Fantasmic pkg.- $23.99 per person
Again- we'd each have to eat about $20 for our CS and snack that day.

What am I not getting? Do you just make it up (the $ amount difference) on other days with other TS restaurants?

BTW- Other TS we are also eating at: CG (we have enough credits- since we get in LATE our 1st night- I am using that night's extra TS credit for CG), Restaurant Marrakesh, Spoodles, and Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

 

[Davidsmommy]

Patches - I believe you need to add tax and tip to that $20.99 figure - Disney adds 18% for tip and I am not sure how much the taxes end up being. But, even if you figure a conservative additional 20% on top of the $21 for tax/tip - you are at around $25 each for the meal. So, you only need to come up with $15 approximately to break even on the plan. The snack can be up to $4.00. So, we are down to an $11 CS meal. If you add the combo meal, drink, dessert, and tax ala carte for a CS meal, you are probably breaking even at least.

 

[MomofKatie]

Remember, the DDP includes tax and tip, so each TS credit is "worth" around $26.50 for the $20.99 buffet. Now you're only down about $13 for the day- which you can just about cover with an average priced CS meal and snack. I wouldn't worry too much about "getting your money's worth" from each and every meal- over the week (or however long your vacation is), everything should balance out.

Have a great time eating all that yummy food- the DDP is great!!

 

[Patches]

Thanks for the replies- I was tired and went to bed- so didn't check back until this a.m.

Your math adds up better than mine- I figured that there was something I was missing- or else why would so many DDP users still book the buffets...?

Now we'll just have to remember to not leave a tip- a hard habit to break!

 

[ReneeA]

I really tried to maximize the plan the first trip we took with the DDP. We made it about 4 days in and then we gave up. Seriously, we decided to eat what we wanted, when we wanted to with no thought to prices, etc. It's much more enjoyable to eat what you want without thoughts of getting the most for your money.

The second year, we went into it with the thought of just eating what we wanted without trying to maximize. We still came out "spending" $500 more than what the plan cost.

Just do what you enjoy...you will always come out ahead.