How am I saving money with the 2012 DDP??

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

So we've always gotten the DP and love it. But after I did a little math I'm wondering how we are going to save money and would it be cheaper to pay OOP?? For example...I looked up prices and said what if I had dinner at GG ($35)...and lunch at the food court at the resort ($9)...and a snack...that is still under $52?? Am I doing something wrong? Is it only justified if you eat at the most expensive restaurants?

 

[ratherbe@Disney]

That is a good question. Everytime my husband and I considered buying the DP we reviewed the menus and found we'd be cheaper paying ourselves. Maybe I'm just a cheap date, but normally I don't eat that much or the most expensive item on the menu.

I'd say to look at a couple more of your favorite restaurants and do the math. You may be better off paying yourself.

Good luck!

 

[murcor]

My math is the same as yours ..... just not worth anymore.

You are better off to pay oop so you can get what you want and NOT what you think you should get due to the price

 

[bakenatj]

I'm with you, that is why this year we are going to buy an annual pass and a TIW card. I took the time and added up every meal and it was cheaper by a couple hundred dollars. Plus we get to eat at more TS restaurants this way too. I admit I love the convenience of DP and knowing your up front cost, but I don't know that it is really a good deal. I know it isn't saving me 20% like they advertize.

 

[Cafeen]

It's still viable. It's certainly a bit closer than it was before, but it's still not at the point where only the most expensive wins.

There's quite a bit of math behind it, but one thing to remember is to not forget to add tax to your savings.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

yeah...so I just priced out all our restaurants and for kids...yes...you save since some kids TS meals alone are $15...but I have yet to find it saving ANY money for an adult. For example...Ohana dinner is $33...plus a lunch somewhere and drink and I still don't think I'd reach $52!!! Ugh...this makes me sick since I already paid in full for our upcoming trip in a couple months. Will def. rethink for our God-willing 2012 trip.

 

[Tiger926]

yeah...so I just priced out all our restaurants and for kids...yes...you save since some kids TS meals alone are $15...but I have yet to find it saving ANY money for an adult. For example...Ohana dinner is $33...plus a lunch somewhere and drink and I still don't think I'd reach $52!!! Ugh...this makes me sick since I already paid in full for our upcoming trip in a couple months. Will def. rethink for our God-willing 2012 trip.

Your message is confusing...It seems as if you are using 2012 DP price of $52.00, but you are using 2011 prices. Are you talking about not saving money for your upcoming 2011 trip?

Each January, Disney has been raising buffets by $2-$3. So, surely they will for 2012 as well. You can't use 2011 prices for the 2012 DP, plus, it includes a drink as well, so once you add up your meal using 2012 prices (which you need to add tax to), a CS and a snack, you will have a better idea of your numbers. Remember, Disney has been raising buffets at least 1-2x per year, the past few years, so your price for Ohana will more than likely be higher for 2012.


Some of you are using lower priced buffet meal prices. You need to double check the costs during your timeframe - if you go during peak season for dinner, just with 2011 prices, most adult character meals are close to $50.00 tax included. So, since Disney raises all meals by at least $2-3 per person this January, they will for sure raise those prices for 2012.

I'm pretty confident menu prices will increase, as they have been doing, so the savings might be greater.

Tiger

 

[bakenatj]

yeah...so I just priced out all our restaurants and for kids...yes...you save since some kids TS meals alone are $15...but I have yet to find it saving ANY money for an adult. For example...Ohana dinner is $33...plus a lunch somewhere and drink and I still don't think I'd reach $52!!! Ugh...this makes me sick since I already paid in full for our upcoming trip in a couple months. Will def. rethink for our God-willing 2012 trip.

Our oldest son turns 10 before we go and that is why we aren't going dining plan. For kids it is cheaper by a lot, but once they hit ten it's just not worth it. Most ten year old's want to order of the kids meal and aren't interested in items on the regular menu. I wish Disney would move the age to like 13 - 15 for the age cut off.

 

[angierae]

So we've always gotten the DP and love it. But after I did a little math I'm wondering how we are going to save money and would it be cheaper to pay OOP?? For example...I looked up prices and said what if I had dinner at GG ($35)...and lunch at the food court at the resort ($9)...and a snack...that is still under $52?? Am I doing something wrong? Is it only justified if you eat at the most expensive restaurants?

I'm waiting to see how much the food prices go up in 2012 before I decide to keep the DDP or not. I suspect there'll be some price increases and it might put it more in line.

 

[MHSweb79]

The dining plan used to be a phenomenal deal back in the early days when it included the tip.

Nowadays, unless you always eat one TS and one CS meal per day, and order dessert at both (who does this? day after day?) then the dining plan is not that much of a savings. Now if you plan to eat at the more expensive TS restaurants or buffets, then you can realize some savings. And if you find yourself choosing more expensive restaurants not because you want to eat there, but because it will justify the cost of the meal plan, then maybe it's not for you.

It's all about your own family's eating habits and how well the plan fits into that. For us, we don't get the dining plan any more unless it's "free" (ends up being about half price when you factor in giving up the room discount) and then it becomes worth it. But even so, we've discovered that in the Florida heat & humidity, our appetites just aren't up to it most of the time. I've also learned that for us, sometimes sharing a meal is plenty.

The plans work for some people and not for others. You are not crazy if you love it, and you are not crazy if it's just not worth it to you.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

yeah...so I just priced out all our restaurants and for kids...yes...you save since some kids TS meals alone are $15...but I have yet to find it saving ANY money for an adult. For example...Ohana dinner is $33...plus a lunch somewhere and drink and I still don't think I'd reach $52!!! Ugh...this makes me sick since I already paid in full for our upcoming trip in a couple months. Will def. rethink for our God-willing 2012 trip.

You are not considering taxes, CS dessert, snack, and refillable mug.

Here's how it will save money:
Ohana: $32.99 + tax = $35.13
CS meal (pork sandwich, drink, dessert at Flame Tree): $14.57 + tax = $15.52
1 snack = @$5
Total = $55.65 (A savings of $4.11)

But don't forget you will get a refillable mug for the length of your stay which (I think) would be $12.77 if you purchased it, not to mention the amount you will save on drinks.

Also my example was figured on current prices. I think prices will definitely go up next year.

 

[skater]

It definately wouldn't be worth it to purchase it. I still love free dining - which (even paying rack rate on the room) is worth it to our family of 5 (although that may change next year when we're no longer eligible for POR).

But when you're using the DP, it definately takes planning and you can't always eat the way you want to. When I go on trips with DH, we don't use the DP and its so nice to be able to eat dessert later - in another Epcot "country" for example than where we purchase our meal. Its much more relaxing to not be on the DP.

So, if its too hard to save money when purchasing the DP, its just not worth the hassle IMO.

 

[JimmyV]

You are not considering taxes, CS dessert, snack, and refillable mug.

Here's how it will save money:
Ohana: $32.99 + tax = $35.13
CS meal (pork sandwich, drink, dessert at Flame Tree): $14.57 + tax = $15.52
1 snack = @$5
Total = $55.65 (A savings of $4.11)

But don't forget you will get a refillable mug for the length of your stay which (I think) would be $12.77 if you purchased it, not to mention the amount you will save on drinks.

Also my example was figured on current prices. I think prices will definitely go up next year.

But herein lies the real issue. In your OOP example above, you have factored in a meal at Ohana which includes dessert, and you have also factored in a dessert at lunch after downing a hefty pork sandwich. And on top of that, you add in a $5 snack. As one PP noted, "who does this? day after day?" If you pay OOP for everything that the DDP gives you, then you probably do save a bit on the plan. But if you don't eat two desserts plus a snack every day, (or if you prefer salads and appetizers which would have to be added on to your DDP cost), then you do better OOP. If you limit yourself to one dessert every day, (and frankly, the size of the desserts at WDW lend themselves to being split, so that would come out to 1/2 of a dessert per day), and an occasional snack, and you don't worry about chugging a gallon of sugary soda every day with your "free" mug, then you definitely come out ahead OOP. But if you buy everything on the plan and use your mug to its fullest extent, you save money on the plan. And you can use your savings to pay your co-pay when you go to the cardiologist!

 

[MsPoppinsTX]

I agree that I don't think the DDP is really worth it. I've been doing the math for our December trip based on the ADRs I've made (places I want to eat) and I can't justify the DDP. I want to do a couple of character breakfasts and those are cheaper than lunches and dinners...but its what we want to do with the kids. We also love doing the HDDR and I don't want to have to use 2 TS credits and then only get to be in category 2 or 3 (unless I go to the latest show which my 2 year old won't stay up for).

Any thoughts on the DxDP. Doing the math for that plan actually seems like you would save more, but that many sit down meals seems to be way too much food. I wish they would come up with a plan in between DDP and DxDP...maybe 2 TS meals and a snack per night?

Of course if free dining is offered, I take it!

 

[3pletprincesses]

don't forget to factor in your tax and drink too. The plans are not for everyone but i honestely believe they are more worth it if you plan several character meals with children. Before having our DDs we would always pay OOP as we could get what we wanted where we wanted.

MsPoppinsTX we did the deluxe last month and loved it. We did 2 ts a day which was normally a character meal in the morning and a signature for dinner. After paying tip, we still saved a little over$600 as a party of 5 including 3 children. I wouldn't be able to do it if we had planned to eat 3 times a day though... it would be wayt oo much food.

 

[rachel09985]

Don't forget to include the tax in! And $9 seems a bit low for a counter service meal for an adult. Most entrees alone are $8-$9 plus drink plus dessert plus tax!

I just figured out ours for December, of course thats the price of $45.99 and I will be saving $100 over the course of 5 days, not including snacks.

However, if I wasn't on the dining plan I would not get desserts at all counter service and maybe not get pop at some places as well.!

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Does anyone have a more updated price list for WDW food? I was looking on the AllEars website and some of the prices date 2009, and 2010??

 

[JimmyV]

Any thoughts on the DxDP. Doing the math for that plan actually seems like you would save more, but that many sit down meals seems to be way too much food. I wish they would come up with a plan in between DDP and DxDP...maybe 2 TS meals and a snack per night?

Of course if free dining is offered, I take it!

As with the regular DDP, the deluxe plan can work to your advantage if you eat three full meals a day. Comparing the OOP of three sit-down meals to the cost of the plan shows a slight savings with the plan. But that is a lot of sit-down meals and a lot of time in restaurants, especially with a 2 year old.

What many people do is use their 3 daily creidts for a CS lunch followed by a Signature dinner, and they eat breakfast on the fly, OOP. This is very close to a break-even proposition. Again, as posted above, if you go OOP for every single thing that the DxDP provides, the plan puts you ahead. But if you are not a "2 desserts plus 2 snacks per day" type of person, then paying OOP is no more expensive.

Compare a person who uses three credits for a CS lunch and a Signature dinner, to a person who pays OOP for lunch and dinner. (Breakfast is a "wash" as both people are paying OOP).

If the OOP person spends $14 on lunch, $12 for an dinner appetizer, $36 for a dinner entree and $8 for a dinner dessert, the total is $70 before tax and tip. That still leaves in a little room for a snack or two compared to the $80-something price tag for the DxDP. If the OOP person adds in a dessert at lunch plus more snacks and sodas, then the DxDP would have been cheaper.

The final math all comes down to how many desserts and snacks you plan to eat. If it is a lot, then go with the plan. If you don't eat desserts with every meal and don't snack very often, then go OOP. You also have to factor in "single credit" character meals. If you do a lot of these, then the plan will save you money.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

But herein lies the real issue. In your OOP example above, you have factored in a meal at Ohana which includes dessert, and you have also factored in a dessert at lunch after downing a hefty pork sandwich. And on top of that, you add in a $5 snack. As one PP noted, "who does this? day after day?" If you pay OOP for everything that the DDP gives you, then you probably do save a bit on the plan. But if you don't eat two desserts plus a snack every day, (or if you prefer salads and appetizers which would have to be added on to your DDP cost), then you do better OOP. If you limit yourself to one dessert every day, (and frankly, the size of the desserts at WDW lend themselves to being split, so that would come out to 1/2 of a dessert per day), and an occasional snack, and you don't worry about chugging a gallon of sugary soda every day with your "free" mug, then you definitely come out ahead OOP. But if you buy everything on the plan and use your mug to its fullest extent, you save money on the plan. And you can use your savings to pay your co-pay when you go to the cardiologist!

Right, but the PP stated that she didn't understand how it could add up to more than $52. I was just illustrating how it can add up to more. The PP had stated that Ohana was $33 but didn't include tax. I wanted to point out
that you have to include tax in your meals, and I also wanted to point out that plan does include a CS dessert, a snack, and a refillable mug. I'm not saying that you will save money vs. oop if you don't buy everything that the DDP includes, but you WILL save money if you were going to buy those things anyway.

Oh, and who does this? We do! We love eating at WDW. That's why we do the Deluxe DDP.

 

[JimmyV]

I'm not saying that you will save money vs. oop if you don't buy everything that the DDP includes, but you WILL save money if you were going to buy those things anyway.

This is the precise calculus. The dining plans can only be evaluated in the context of how your family eats. No one here can tell another person if they will or won't save money because it all depends on what you choose to eat. If you are going to have two course at dinner and usually prefer an appetizer and entree with no dessert, the plan is not for you. If you prefer entrees and desserts at every meal, look into the DDP. If you like three course meals three times a day, look into the DxDP. If you are satisfied with a turkey leg for lunch and an entree for dinner with no between meal snacking, then go OOP. There is no right or wrong until you plot out your eating style. But once you do, then deciding on whether or not to buy should be fairly simple.