I really have to stop worrying about not getting a good enough value on TS credits

[CarolA]

This is my big problem with the dining plan. People are eating more food then they want (or NEED) just to "get the best deal" In other words, would you eat like that in real life? Probably not. Remember once on the lips, straight to the hips (and NO you don't burn that many calories walking at Disney. Look it up. It takes about TWO hours of walking at a moderate speed to burn off just the steak. That does not include stopping to ride, eat your snacks etc....)

 

[TravelinGal]

We DO eat more than normal at WDW and we DO lose weight on ever single trip. Maybe because we are pretty sedentary at home and so this is a 1000% increase in activity for us?

It's up to each person to eat what is best for them. If it's about ENJOYMENT then ENJOY! Don't feel guilty because once every few years you endulge for a week.

 

[OhMari]

Remember when you add your bill up, to include 18% tip. I added all our receipts up and it came to $40.00 a day, but when the tip was added, this is where our savings came from.

We ate at Boma, Biergarten, Crystal Palace, Rose and Crown, LeCelliur, Cape May Clam Bake, plus counter services at Epcot and POR and Pizzafari. We enjoyed the Biergarten the most-go figure.

 

[Carys]

Fair comments from many on not needing to get the "bang for your buck" factor maximised. As the original instigator of the value per credit spreadsheet, I intended to update it last year, and did in fact begin (going even further, working out medians and mediums and so forth).

It is so hard to give a dollar value to the atmosphere of a restaurant though. Sitting in Ohana (sp?) while a flock of giggling kids races by your table with brooms and coconuts, a server on his way with spears of meat, the vibe of the restaurant - how do you put a dollar value on that, compared to the quiet, dark peace of finishing up dessert at Le Cellier 20 minutes before Illuminations is about to start, or eating dinner with Cinderella stopping by to say hello at Park Fare, or saving time in character lines by eating a bustling breakfast at Chef Mickey, or watching crazy sci fi clips in a drive in while you eat in your car? Also, some restaurants offer more bang in that they are better located for watching evening entertainment.

And philosophically, once you've paid for your package, and you know that you'll at least break even with the lower priced options - what money are you "saving" by eating steak 10 nights in a row? Does more money get put back in your pocket? Sure, you'd pay more for it off the plan - but you're not off the plan. Sure, you'd save money in comparison if you knew you wouldn't be on the plan next time - but everything will be more expensive the next time you come because of inflation. There is a difference between eating something that you want to eat but normally wouldn't at that price and eating something just because it is priced more than other dishes.

So anyway, I have put updating on hold for a long time now, and I haven't checked back to see if someone's updated the value per credit to take account of menu changes. It's a useful tool for choosing which places to use credits on and which places to pay for out of pocket if your credits don't match the number of table service meals you have planned. If I update it again, it'll be because I'm curious as to where the best dollar value lies, rather than because I'm intending to book meals based on it.

Hope this rambling has made some sense! I'm not turning my back on getting the bang for my buck - I'm just trying to relax a bit more for my upcoming trip in October, and take to take heed that some of that bang will be from the atmosphere rather than the dollar values on the menu.

(And this time I will definately not be trying to clean my plate! Woah was that alot of food. Nice to have the option and a taste, not so nice to be clutching your tummy for the rest of the evening.)

 

[Katiebell]

We also have more TS meals booked then TS credits.

I was going to figure out when to use credits and when to pay OOP. But to be honest, I just can't be bothered. When the credits run out I'll start paying OOP.

It wasn't too complicated for us to figure out, but then again, we only have 6 nights We have 8 TS meals planned, including 3 character breakfasts, so we'll probably end up paying OOP for 'Ohana and CP because they are less expensive than Akershus (18.99 vs 22.99 for Akershus). Our other choices aren't known for particularly expensive meals -- Boma, Mama Melrose's, Grand Floridian Cafe, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, and Rose and Crown -- but I believe they'll be more than those two character breakfasts at 18.99 each. CP is also our last meal on the morning we leave, so if we ended up having TS credits left over for any reason (if we cancel any of our other ADR's), then we can always use the credits for that last breakfast.

 

[Nancyg56]

We also have more TS meals booked then TS credits.

I was going to figure out when to use credits and when to pay OOP. But to be honest, I just can't be bothered. When the credits run out I'll start paying OOP.

This was the only thing that I tried to plan ahead of time. We had more TS planned so I wanted to pay for the less expensive meals. In the end, I did forget to tell my DS when he and his wife split off from the group so we were shy 2 credits at the CG. This was a lesson because we only ordered an entree, dessert and a beverage and in the end saved money.
Your way would have made more sense for us, I think.

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

We are also ones with more TS booked that actual TS credits.

We have Beaches&Cream, Sci-Fi, Crystal Palace break & Chef Mickey break left over - only 2 TS credits total left.

I figured we will split 1TS credit at B&C and Sci-Fi, as we are going there for lunch and don't want anything big. We are going to pay OOP for CP and CM as those are the cheapest

 

[peyjax]

We are also ones with more TS booked that actual TS credits.

We have Beaches&Cream, Sci-Fi, Crystal Palace break & Chef Mickey break left over - only 2 TS credits total left.

I figured we will split 1TS credit at B&C and Sci-Fi, as we are going there for lunch and don't want anything big. We are going to pay OOP for CP and CM as those are the cheapest

FYI- We loved Beaches and Cream, it was one of our favs on our last trip. We paid oop for it. I would definatly take a look at the menu on allears. You might be surprised to find that cp and cm for breakfast will probably cost you more than Beaches and Cream. For 2 of us with burgers, fries and shakes, the total was around $25. Have fun!

 

[Colleen27]

By the end of the week I realized I wasn't using the DDP to it's fullest potential because it was lacking the "enjoyment factor". That won't be happening again!

Well said. Even if I did somehow manage not to get my money's worth out of the dining plan over the course of a trip, I'd still keep doing it. Why? Because not having to budget for meals on the fly is worth it to me. There is value in having the bulk of our dining expenses pre-paid, even if we weren't "getting our money's worth" based on menu prices.

That said, it is so ridiculously easy to spend more than the plan costs in a day that even for those who want to make sure the plan is cost effective, it doesn't take seeking out the most expensive restaurants and ordering filet at every meal. Even Sci-Fi, which we love BTW, easily works out to $30 for an appetizer, sandwich, dessert and drink once you figure in tax and tip. That only leaves $9 worth of value to get for that day out of the CS and snack credits. And if you look at it over the course of the week, that Sci-Fi dinner will no doubt be balanced out by someplace pricier like Le Cellier or Coral Reef.

 

[Colleen27]

The only problem is I have booked adrs for 17 credits and we only have 14!
We will probly pay oop for sci fi because it is for lunch and just for the atmophere then maybe pay for one of the breakfast.

We're in the same boat! 11 credits, 14 credits' worth of meals planned. I figure I'll pay OOP for CRT because it is pre-paid anyway, so rather than hassle with using the DDP credits and crediting the card I used to book it, we'll just leave it as is. And if we run out of credits, I'll pay OOP for Ohana breakfast on our departure day. But we couldn't decide between Narcoosee's and California Grill, so I'm planning to do both.

 

[aubriee]

Well said. Even if I did somehow manage not to get my money's worth out of the dining plan over the course of a trip, I'd still keep doing it. Why? Because not having to budget for meals on the fly is worth it to me. There is value in having the bulk of our dining expenses pre-paid, even if we weren't "getting our money's worth" based on menu prices.

I agree! For my trip in May I originally booked through CRO and paid it in full. When the AP discount code first came out, I called, applied it, and asked them to leave the credit on my account instead of crediting it back to my credit card. My plan was to then just add to that credit and use it (along with my DDE card) to pay for my meals. However, when the new code came out that allowed a room discount, plus allowed you to buy the DDP, I decided to give up my AP room discount (even though it was slightly more than the new code), because I wanted to have everything paid for before I arrived. I'm spending slightly more money than I would have, but am winding up with more desserts, appetizers, and snacks (plus a one day MYW ticket) than I would normally have.

I also used the Bounce Back program to get free dining for Sept 20th-Oct 7th. Yes, I had to give up my AP room discount and also had to buy a one day park ticket again, but I love the convenience of knowing everything is paid for before I get down there.

 

[Lisa F]

I look at it this way: Our last trip we used the DDP and before that it had been 3 or 4 years since we went to WDW. Back then before prices went up we averaged about $100/day for food. Now we're paying less than $80/day for the two of us and getting even more food. Doesn't matter where or what we eat, it's worth it.