How is it that you lose $$ with buying Vouchers?

[Shell4624]

I haven't fully wrapped my head around how you lose money by buying the dining vouchers. Can you help me understand?

We are planning breakfast at Ariels Grotto Wednesday Oct 31st.

What are the current prices for breakfast? I am not seeing breakfast as an option any longer at wdw dining info for Disneyland.

Being the planner and budgeter that I am, I wanted to buy the vouchers for my family of 4 (DH, myself, DD11, DD7) today rather than to wait until we arrive.

Also does anyone know if Princess Tiana is part of the Princess rotation during breakfast?

TIA

 

[yaya74]

Do you mean the Character meal voucher? $40 for adults and $21 for kids?
According to allears.net, the price for breakfast at AG during non-peak season is $29.99 per adult, and $17.99 per kid.

Without vouchuer, you would pay this much out of pocket with the assumption that tax is 7.75% and gratuity is 18%
Adult: $29.99 * 1.0775*1.18=$38.13
Kid: $17.99*1.0775*1.18=$22.87

For your family 2 adults and 2 kids and total bill at AG would come to
$38.13*2 + $22.87*2=$122

How much would the voucher for your family cost? $40*2+$21*2=$122

So in that scenario, the cost is the same whether you buy voucher or not.

But if you use vouchers for dinner, you would save some money by using vouchers. I already bought two sets of vouchers for my trip to DLR in Nov and will use them for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen and dinner at AG!

Don't get the meal plan though. The plan is not the same as the one for WDW and does not save you money.

Hope it helps!

 

[disneymom0104]

You wouldn't necessarily lose money on a character meal, but you don't really save money, either.

You lose money on the other meals if you don't spend enough. If you buy a meal for $9 and use a $10 voucher, they do not give you the $1 change back. So, you either have to make it work out exactly, or you have to make sure that you spend more than the voucher (so, buy $12 in food) and then pay the $2 out of pocket, which somewhat defeats the purpose of the vouchers.

Most people here say that buying a prepaid gift card works better if you want to prepay for your food, that way you do not run the possiblilty of losing any money you have put in (since they cannot give change if you go under, or you are having to have cash to go over).

When we were there last Oct. Tiana was not part of the princess meal, but I know a lot can change in 11 months!

 

[sonnyjane]

Most of the time that you read on these boards when we say "don't get the dining vouchers" we are referring to the Disneyland Dining Plan. If you're just buying a single character meal, then the costs breakdown as the previous poster mentioned - not a ton of savings, but they include tax and tip already.

The dining plan can easily cost you money because you don't get change back from your vouchers, so if you buy a meal that's $13 but pay with a $15 voucher, you'll lose your $2. That's why we don't really recommend the dining plan. A single character meal voucher is a little different.

 

[ValpoCory]

Most of the time that you read on these boards when we say "don't get the dining vouchers" we are referring to the Disneyland Dining Plan. If you're just buying a single character meal, then the costs breakdown as the previous poster mentioned - not a ton of savings, but they include tax and tip already.

Right, and unless you are absolutely sure you are going to eat there and not cancel the reservation for some reason, I'd stay away from the single order dining vouchers. I wouldn't risk it for such a small amount of savings.