I am ALSO Debating between onsite and offsite

[robinb]

I didn't want to hijack Mama Steph's thread so I thought I would start my own.

We will be 4 people, 2 adults and 2 "Disney Adults" who are 10. My DD will be celebrating her birthday at WDW and we are bringing a friend to keep her company. My family has APs, we will have a rental car and we have the Tables in Wonderland card that gives a 20% discount at most TS restaurants and some CS restaurants. The friend will need a 10-day PH ticket.

I currently have two reservations, each for 6 nights. One at POR with Free Dining (a value of $168 per day value) and one at Visana Villages in a 1BR with a full kitchen. After the first 6 days we will be moving to a 1BR at AKV for an additional 4 days.

The POR reservation costs $1684. It includes the regular DDP and 4 2-day base passes. We plan on pocketing our 3 passes and upgrading them in December for our annual NYE trip. This cost of those passes is not included in my calculation since I will spend that money anyway either in August or in December. We plan on upgrading the friend's pass to a 10-day PH for an additional $148. The cost at POR without our passes and but including the friend's pass plus upgrade is $1333.

Our TS reservations are:
Cape May Cafe - D
Boma - D
California Grill (my DD's birthday wish) - D **
Turf Club - D **
Tusker House - L
Sci Fi -L **
Coral Reef - D **
Crystal Palace - L

** Kids will eat off the children's menu OOP and their adult credits will be used for another meal

Our CS meals are planned:
Pecos Bills
Flame Tree (note TIW Discount here)
Sunshine Seasons
Yakitori House
Fairfax Faire
Reiverside Mill

We have 24 snacks.

The total for these meals with the TIW discount and minus the desserts on the CS meals comes out to just over $1000.

Our other reservation is at Vistana Villages in a 1BR (the confirmation claims 830 sq feet) for a total of $454. No meals or housekeeping is included. We would purchase the friend's ticket from UT for $297. The total cost of SVV is $749.

POR is $584 more over 6 days, or $97 per day. If I thought I could eat for close to $100 per day I would consider keeping the SVV reservation because of the additional room. I will definitely keep the Boma reservation and the CG reservation. We plan on eating breakfast in the room at either resort but I'm not a cooker while on vacation and I am not the type to pack in a lunch. If I'm at the parks when I get hungry I will eat at a CS restaurant (that will cost approximately $50 per shot). We will sometimes eat lunch offsite but it's more like a pilgrimage to Sweet Tomatoes or Sonny's BBQ. I would consider 1 dinner back at the condo, probably a cook out or maybe pizza.

I am leaning toward POR and free dining, but does anyone have any ideas on how to make SVV work instead? I plan on putting together a spreadsheet including only the meals we would purchase if not on the DDP. But then I might feel myself somewhat deprived of all those more special meals.

 

[Upatnoon]

How much are those extra out of pocket costs for the kids on the dining plan you indicated on your eating agenda? What if your plans change in December and you decide not to buy annual passes for next year?

If your priority is to save money, stay at SVV, eat breakfast there, eat table service lunches at the parks and eat dinner at the condo and off-site. As you know, dinner at Sweet Tomatoes for your entire group would run about $30 with a coupon -- the price of one meal at Boma.

If you eat just as your agenda indicates, it would probably be cheaper under the dining plan, but if you want to spend less, I think you can.

 

[Metsoskil]

After reading all your calculations, I'd stay on-site. Especially since you'll have a washer/dryer at AKV after your 6 days anyway.

 

[Kat&Dom]

Looking at all of your calculations - I would say - stay on-site - mainly because I think that your total cost will end up being fairly close. The Sheraton Vistana is a nice resort - I stayed in a 2 bed though but for you, having 4 "adults" on the DDP is a great value and with all the places you want to dine - it makes sense. Also, I think that it would be more comfortable for your DD's friend to know that she can get a snack and not have to watch you pull out your wallet to pay for it each time.

 

[robinb]

I'm just popping in to share my decision. We went with POR and Free Dining. I am bummed that we are passing on such a great rate at SVV but I couldn't see how we could stay there and not pay more for our stay. Sure, we would have a lot more room but I would be paying more for the extra room and lesser meals (all CS and offsite meals v/s buffets, character meals, etc).

Thanks to Kat&Dom for reminding me that I can tell the girls to use their key card for snacks back at the resort. We almost never use all our snacks but we might on this trip!

If it were not free dining I would be at SVV in a heartbeat!