How do you take full advantage of Dining Plan?

[mommyof3princess27]

I just changed the dates for our November 2012 trip and now I have to rethink every ADR because of dif park days and etc. What i need to know is-everyone keeps talking about using the credits to their advantage and coming out ahead? What does that mean and how do you do it?

We have ADR's on our list as follows: (can omit some and add others if need be)

~1900 Park Fare
~Crystal Palace
~New Be Our Guest(this should open in Summer 2012)
~50's Primetime Cafe
~Princess dinner at Akershus
~Cape May Cafe or Ohana
~Tusker House
~T-Rex

 

[ccgirl]

I just changed the dates for our November 2012 trip and now I have to rethink every ADR because of dif park days and etc. What i need to know is-everyone keeps talking about using the credits to their advantage and coming out ahead? What does that mean and how do you do it?

We have ADR's on our list as follows: (can omit some and add others if need be)

~1900 Park Fare
~Crystal Palace
~New Be Our Guest(this should open in Summer 2012)
~50's Primetime Cafe
~Princess dinner at Akershus
~Cape May Cafe or Ohana
~Tusker House
~T-Rex

I make sure the places we would eat at cost more than the dining plan for the day does. Else, you end up losing money. Add up what you would order at those places and see how much it will come to. Then, add up the price of the dining plan and calculate the difference. Typically, buffets are not the best "value" with the exception of some of the dinner buffets. 50's Primetime is not the best value either as their menu is fairly inexpensive compared to the dining plan price. I also try to find the most expensive snacks possible that my family will like.

Hope this helps.

 

[TDC Nala]

You have two kids under 10 and are doing a lot of fixed price meals, you will likey come out ahead on the kids.

What it means is that sometimes a family can eat for less than the cost of the dining plan. Taking young kids to numerous fixed price meals is one way to get the money's worth, because the child's regular dining plan is usually the equivalent of getting the CS meal free in those instances.

For adults, it usually means you can get desserts and/or snacks where you might not have paid for those out of pocket. Savings for adults entirely depends on where they eat and what they order. Fixed price meals are not as good a deal for adults as they are for children, because adults can get more "value" from a dining credit by ordering judiciously at an a la carte restaurant.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

Gotcha~Thanks! 50's PT is a 'must' do for my DM so BUT everyone else likes the 'buffett' style.

 

[eliza61]

I just changed the dates for our November 2012 trip and now I have to rethink every ADR because of dif park days and etc. What i need to know is-everyone keeps talking about using the credits to their advantage and coming out ahead? What does that mean and how do you do it? We have ADR's on our list as follows: (can omit some and add others if need be)

~1900 Park Fare
~Crystal Palace
~New Be Our Guest(this should open in Summer 2012)
~50's Primetime Cafe
~Princess dinner at Akershus
~Cape May Cafe or Ohana
~Tusker House
~T-Rex

So for us it means that I sit down and do a cost analysis of where we like to eat and how we traditionally eat, some times that may mean letting go of hte dining plan. For us we are 4 adults. We don't do character meals anymore and rarely get the restaurant desserts.

We also tend to only do 1 signature restaurant. our favorite is chefs de France but they have a Prix fix menu for 40 bucks a person that includes appertizer, main plate and a dessert so it would be ludicrous for me to pay for the 51 dollars for the plan.

Not trying to sell you off of it, more like explain how we decide if we can get the value out of the ddp. So for us there is no way we would come out ahead at 4x51x7 days. Last year even when we went to Tutto Italia (which is probably the priciest we've done in a few years) we may have 200 bucks for that day on meals.
We do like shulas steak but that's not on the ddp anyway.

 

[leslie826]

our favorite is chefs de France but they have a Prix fix menu for 40 bucks a person that includes appertizer, main plate and a dessert so it would be ludicrous for me to pay for the 51 dollars for the plan.

I would think this example would be a great argument FOR the DDP. If the meal at Chefs de France is $40, then for only $11 more you get an additional CS meal and a snack.

 

[TDC Nala]

I would think this example would be a great argument FOR the DDP. If the meal at Chefs de France is $40, then for only $11 more you get an additional CS meal and a snack.

All depends on how you look at it. Where you see it as getting an extra CS meal and a snack for $11, others might say "Darn it, another meal I have to make sure I eat or I lose $11." And then, you also have to eat like that every single day of your trip. Not everyone wants to. The dining plan is by no means a fit for every guest.

 

[eliza61]

I would think this example would be a great argument FOR the DDP. If the meal at Chefs de France is $40, then for only $11 more you get an additional CS meal and a snack.

It would be if we ate at Chefs every day and if we had the cs meal during the day but from our normal trips of 7-10 days we don't eat like that. Usually when we know we are going to eat a big meal like that we don't have lunch and the cs credits go to waste.

For example the next day did HS. we ate at Mama melrose, here is the breakdown

4 sodas $20 bucks (generous because I can't remember if we got charged the refill for 2)
Me 19.00 (clams appertizer and cesaer salad)
dh 20.00 (chicken campenalla)
#1 son 18.00 chicken parmigana
#2 son 13.00 grilled chicken flatbread

Total with tax but no tip because either way tip is not included= ~96.30 cent I don't have my spreadsheet with me so I used a tax rate of 7%, can't remember what the actual rate is.


For lunch we had 4 combo packages of pizza with salad. 9.00 bucks we don't drink soda at lunch so 9x4 = 36 bucks plus 2.52 tax total of 38.52

Grand total for the day 135.82.

Even if each of us got a snack, no way would it cost another 60 bucks.

the next day we went to Animal kingdom. Now our tradition is to have lunch at Rainforest cafe. Here was the breakdown from last year.

2 appertizers (hot wings and quesidias) 22.00 bucks
dh burger and fries 16.50
Me Barbeque wrap and fries 17.00
#1 son BBQ bacon cheesburger and fries 16.50
#2 son same 16.50
1 ice tea 3.50
1 lemonaide 3.50
2 sodas and refill $12.00 (guesstimate)

Once again total with tax ~98.00 bucks.

That night we didn't want another big meal so we stopped by beaches and cream and got 2 no way Joses, a bananna split and fudge mud slide. each at $8.00 bucks a piece so that came to 35.00 bucks with tip.
Total for day 2 $133.00 as opposed to 204.00

Since we no longer do character meals (our kids are 18 & 20 now) and we don't do buffets. our daily spending on meals average 160-170 as opposed to 204.

 

[havoc315]

I just changed the dates for our November 2012 trip and now I have to rethink every ADR because of dif park days and etc. What i need to know is-everyone keeps talking about using the credits to their advantage and coming out ahead? What does that mean and how do you do it?

We have ADR's on our list as follows: (can omit some and add others if need be)

~1900 Park Fare
~Crystal Palace
~New Be Our Guest(this should open in Summer 2012)
~50's Primetime Cafe
~Princess dinner at Akershus
~Cape May Cafe or Ohana
~Tusker House
~T-Rex

As others explained, its a matter of whether it would be cheaper to just pay Out of pocket, or if the DDP is going to save you any money.
With young children and fixed-price meals, the DDP usually saves money...
EXCEPT -- at breakfasts. Not sure if your meals at 1900 Park Fare, Crystal Palace, Cape May and Tusker House -- not sure which meal of the day they are.
But for example -- The dining plan would cost your family of 4, approximately $140 per day.
Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare is approximately $27 per adult, and $15 per child.
So your meal at 1900 Park Fare, IF breakfast -- would be $84.
Meaning, your CS and snacks would need to add up to $56 -- just to break even.
CS meals are about $7 per child, and anywhere from $9-$18 per adult (depending on the entree, depending on whether you get dessert).
So as you see -- if doing a breakfast with your credits, you aren't going to do much better than break even -- maybe save or lose a few dollars.

On the other hand, if you are doing the dinner at 1900 Park Fare -- Dinner for your family would run about $130. Meaning you have almost paid the entire price of the dining plan, just based on dinner.
Even with moderate snacks and CS meals thrown in, you can easily save $20-$40+ for the day.

Thus, a good demonstration of how the DDP does save a family money-- IF IF IF -- they have young children, AND they do lots of character dinners.

 

[Bete]

You have to maximize your credits by using them for expensive meals and snacks.

Tusker House is one of the cheapest buffets around and we often pay out of pocket for it. Then we will use the extra meal credit for another more expensive eatery or we will go to a 2 credit signature place.

If you do quick service it's the same. You have to get the expensive items like combo meals.

Getting the Fantasmic package meal is a great way to maximize your credit. You even get an appetizer that way with the regular dining plan besides reserved seating for the show.

Also, you need to make sure you use all your credits or you may find yourself paying too much for the plan.

A free dining is still great value, but if you are paying for the plan make sure you do the numbers.

I have prety much decided that our 2012 trip will be without the DP; unless, we get it as a promo free. The cost is a factor and it doesn't suit our eating plans, either. We have a vegan in our group and a picky, small eater. This does not allow for maximizing the plan.

 

[Huff]

I would think this example would be a great argument FOR the DDP. If the meal at Chefs de France is $40, then for only $11 more you get an additional CS meal and a snack.

Furthermore the $51 includes drinks and tax. Does the $40 meal?

 

[distherapy]

I recommend doing it this way:

First step, pretend the dining plan doesn't exist.

Second step, think about your family and how you like to eat and travel. Pick your reservations based on that and that alone. Look at the menus on allears and pretend you're ordering. Only order what you think you'd truly want (no dessert if you're not a dessert eater normally, etc). Put the prices in a spreadsheet and so on until you've gone through all of the restaurants. Don't pick the highest price food just because it's the highest price, etc. Think about what you're picking, too - my first trip, I assumed that I would want crab cakes everywhere they were offered, but I pretty quickly tired of them and just really wanted a salad.

Now, for the third step, do the math. How much will you have spent on food for the trip? Then compare it to the cost of the dining plans. Do any work for you? You can throw in snacks and the refillable mug in your analysis, too, but again, make sure it's stuff that you would otherwise get.

If you're spending time worrying about getting the most out of it, you may sabotage your vacation with stress.

 

[My sister's princess]

For me, being the cheapest person alive Worth it is not dealing with paying for my meals, or worrying that I want the steak, but "should" get the chicken.

I did the math. We would save money, but that would be because I wouldn't get dessert, or a soda, both of which I LOVE having on vacation!

I could say I am going to get what I want, till I was blue in the face, but for me, in the moment I wouldn't

 

[2goofykiddos]

LOL, that sounds exactly like me. I would be comparing prices and eating less because of the cost, which is why we do the DP. I have considered calculating the cost, but I am still not sure it is worth it. It is vacation, I'd like to have 1/2 a piece of pie, KWIM?

 

[ToddyLu]

Seems like I read a thread where the DDP was changing for 2012...oh it was on ALLears. They have added a few restaurants and now you get the mug free on the regular plan.

 

[BillyBuckner]

Everyone probably has their own reasons for picking or avoiding the dining plan.

I have done the plan on every trip so far; however, I only PAID for it the first time. As kids get older and I wean them off of the expensive character dinners, and also in consideration of the rate hikes every year, it is my expectation that I will never again PURCHASE the dining plan, although I will gladly take it for FREE when offered.