Is dining plan worth it?

[babesboo99]

My Dh and I with our family went to disney this past October and didn't have the dining plan. When we saw how easy it could be we said next trip we will get the deluxe dining plan. I guess my question is, is it worth it now that they raised the prices to $85.54 per adult and $23 and change for kids. We would be going for 8 days . Please help not sure what to do

 

[3pletprincesses]

To me it's still worth it as we saved over $600 even after paying for the tips. It all depends on how you plan your trip. We did character meals every morning ans signature meals every evening. To us it was worth every penny and even with the price increase it still would save us tons.

 

[sjs314]

In all our trips to Disney we have always paid OOP. After some serious considerations, we decided to go with the DxDP for our October trip this year. I did do an analysis taking into account what we might order and even after adding in 20% for tipping came out with a substancial saving of 38.75%.

I have switched a few ADR's and plan to do another analysis but I am sure there will be a savings/

As far as the price increase for the 2012 DP from $78.99(2011) to $85.54(2012) I have no doubt prices at restaurants will also be increasing so it should still be a good bargain.

 

[Bete]

regular dining plan and not go deluxe. Remember, you can get an appetizer to a meal for OOP; the same is true of getting a mug. You can even pay OOP for a few cheaper TS meals (like Tusker) to save credits for those two, signature meal TS restaurants. I think this makes the most sense. You are not locked in to just using the plan; you can add OOP for some extras on the regular DP and still be money ahead from the deluxe plan.

It's a time waster to me to have so many TS meals if you are planning 3 meals a day or even 2/day. Are you there to dine or enjoy the parks? If you want to dine more then it's ok with the higher priced deluxe plan, but you give up park time doing it.

Think about your last trip and compare somewhat with the two plans and then decide which one makes more sense. For example, if you did many days of 3 TS meals/per day then the better plan may be the way to go. If you like signature restaurants a lot then the better plan may be the way to go. If you like appetizers all the time for everyone at each meal then the better plan may be the way to go.

One reason there are so many choices is because everyone dines differently and feels differently about their dining experience.

I think to jump from paying completely OOP to deluxe dining is a bit radical. Go for a compromise with regular dining and you'll save money and enjoy TS restaurants without going overboard. Gratuties are another issue. The more TS you do the more tipping is needed.

If you absolutely hate QS food then you may want deluxe. All of this is based on your family likes and dislikes. We find the regular dining plan to be the best of all worlds.

 

[Cafeen]

After many, many numbers, the DxDDP still can save money provided the following:

• You intend to use the plan as designed. This means:
  • Utilizing all (or most) entitlements per credit (App, Entree, Dessert, Drink). Skipping a couple desserts or apps won't be too bad, and you'd come out ahead still.
  • You eliminate (or severely limit) instances of sharing meals.
  • You eliminate any adults ordering from the kids' menu
  • You plan to dine at DxDDP accepted restaurants
• You utilize at least 3/4 of the credits at TS restaurants if not using any others. If spending the unused at CS, this pushes it down to about 60% (note, the old 2/3 number did change from the 2011 plans!)
• You are ok with the amount of time and planning it takes to use DxDDP. Remember that each meal can take up to 1.5-2hrs including travel time. (This is why I rarely recommend DxDDP for first timers!)

Now, it seems like a lot, and I'd certainly agree that it looks that way. However, you may already be planning (without thinking) of doing much of the above. If that's the case, and especially if you're ok with the park-time and planning-time that it requires, it'll more than likely work for out.

Remember, it is quite a bit of food, and that each meal takes roughly 1-1.5hrs from getting seated to paying the check. Add in travel and pre-ADR wait time, and it could be even more. Very commonly (and what I do) is to plan for 2 meals a day, with signatures for several dinners, and some CS thrown into the mix.

For me, DxDDP is the way to go for my solo trips. I enjoy the 3 course meals and I do shift it over to 2 TS meals a day (well, technically per night, but you get what I'm saying). I mix in a few signatures (doing 5 on my 9 night trip this year) and plan for a few CS meals. I should then be left with about 3-4 credits if I did my math right, which perfectly fine, since I'm already coming out quite a bit ahead (~$200).

 

[havoc315]

Cafeen... The new interesting analysis.... Is for people getting free DDP, what makes the upgrade to DxDP worthwhile. About $36 per day to upgrade during peak pricing, and off-peak.. About $34 difference.

For that price -- You are getting 1-2 appetizers per day (depending how you use it), converting a CS meal to a TS meal, and getting 1 extra meal credit.

When it was closer to $30... I found the upgrade to be a no-brainer, IF you wanted 2 TS meals per day... but as it inches up to $36.... (and with the mug being included in the basic DDP now)... It makes the math a bit harder. Afterall, not that hard to pay OOP for 1 TS meal per day, for $36 or less.

 

[Cafeen]

Cafeen... The new interesting analysis.... Is for people getting free DDP, what makes the upgrade to DxDP worthwhile. About $36 per day to upgrade during peak pricing, and off-peak.. About $34 difference.

For that price -- You are getting 1-2 appetizers per day (depending how you use it), converting a CS meal to a TS meal, and getting 1 extra meal credit.

When it was closer to $30... I found the upgrade to be a no-brainer, IF you wanted 2 TS meals per day... but as it inches up to $36.... (and with the mug being included in the basic DDP now)... It makes the math a bit harder. Afterall, not that hard to pay OOP for 1 TS meal per day, for $36 or less.

Huh?

This doesn't have anything to do with FD, just a general guideline to making sure that the DxDDP is going to work for the user. If their plans match up closely to the outlined guidelines, then they're going to most likely come out ahead using a dining plan vs. going OOP, without having to do any detailed math.

For those with FD thinking about upgrading, if the above list is true, then the upgrade is still worth it. If you figure that upgrading grants you 1 Full Entree, 1 Upgraded Entree, 2 Apps (No apps at breakfast), 1 Upgraded Dessert (no desserts at breakfast), 1 drink, 1 snack on top of the existing plan. We can use some rough math and estimates to illustrate.

1 Full Entree: $20
1 Upgrade: $6 (Using a $8 CS meal, and $14 breakfast)
2 Apps: ~$6 ea
1 Upg Dessert: ~$3 (using a base $3 and a $6 TS dessert)
1 Drink: $2.50
1 Snack: $3

Totaling all that up, we get ~$46.50, so even a ~$10 gain at peak season. Of course, the numbers aren't exact, but I think they aren't far off really. Again though, this only works if you desire to dine relatively close to the way the plan is designed. FD gives a bit more leeway, but if you're not going to use it to your advantage, you're better off not upgrading or paying OOP and taking a room discount (depending on your situation and resort level).

But, all that's a bit off to the side, as the initial guidelines in how the plan is set up are a very important first step to determine if DxDDP is right for the potential user.

 

[Faldred]

Out of curiosity, where are the new price numbers coming from? Because $85.54/night is an awfully odd number for a company that usually likes things ending in xxx.99, at least with respect to dining plans.

 

[Cafeen]

Out of curiosity, where are the new price numbers coming from? Because $85.54/night is an awfully odd number for a company that usually likes things ending in xxx.99, at least with respect to dining plans.

Mostly via testing in the 2012 Prices thread, with the most detail in my post here.

I thought the numbers were also a bit odd, but I couldn't figure out permutations (e.g. taxes and stuff) where they'd make more sense. I thought it may be a 12.5% or 6.5% tax rate, but none of them work out that way. (Only when subtracting 6.5% from the adult DxDDP does it come out to something sensible, but that's the wrong number to take the percentage from). It also wouldn't necessarily explain why the QSDP stayed at the 34.99/11.99 mark, with only the strange numbers appearing for DDP and DxDDP (unless there was some weird tax thing that didn't apply to CS but did to TS, /shrug).

 

[havoc315]

Huh?

This doesn't have anything to do with FD, just a general guideline to making sure that the DxDDP is going to work for the user. If their plans match up closely to the outlined guidelines, then they're going to most likely come out ahead using a dining plan vs. going OOP, without having to do any detailed math.

For those with FD thinking about upgrading, if the above list is true, then the upgrade is still worth it. If you figure that upgrading grants you 1 Full Entree, 1 Upgraded Entree, 2 Apps (No apps at breakfast), 1 Upgraded Dessert (no desserts at breakfast), 1 drink, 1 snack on top of the existing plan. We can use some rough math and estimates to illustrate.

1 Full Entree: $20
1 Upgrade: $6 (Using a $8 CS meal, and $14 breakfast)
2 Apps: ~$6 ea
1 Upg Dessert: ~$3 (using a base $3 and a $6 TS dessert)
1 Drink: $2.50
1 Snack: $3

Totaling all that up, we get ~$46.50, so even a ~$10 gain at peak season. Of course, the numbers aren't exact, but I think they aren't far off really. Again though, this only works if you desire to dine relatively close to the way the plan is designed. FD gives a bit more leeway, but if you're not going to use it to your advantage, you're better off not upgrading or paying OOP and taking a room discount (depending on your situation and resort level).

But, all that's a bit off to the side, as the initial guidelines in how the plan is set up are a very important first step to determine if DxDDP is right for the potential user.

Thank you for the breakdown. The reason it applies to free dining -- At times, that is the only available discount.

So you have people (including myself), who probably would not pay for the basic DDP (we use very few CS meals, and don't need so many desserts or beverages). But if getting the DDP for free... and it is the only available discount, we are not going to turn it down.

At that point -- If we want more than the DDP provides, there is the question of whether to pay for the extras OOP, or to upgrade to the DxDP.

Check me if I'm wrong... but in 2011-- to upgrade from peak DDP to DxDP was $31? For that extra $31, you got the extra $46.50 in value you just outlined, plus the mug. (worthless to my family, but others would value it at $2-$3 per day.)

So, in 2011 -- For an extra $31.... you got approximately a potential extra $49 in value.

Take a family (not too different from mine) --- that wants 2 TS meals per day, including multiple 2-credit meals..... The extra $31 was a no-brainer.

Now, as you outlined.... there is still a pretty significant savings that CAN make upgrading worthwhile..... But... just as with any plan analysis, you need to consider whether you will use all the credits, want all the desserts, etc.
With the increased price difference, there is less margin for error. If you aren't going to use all the credits.. if you are going to waste some of the desserts.... The value of upgrading becomes more questionable.

It gets to a point.... where if I got free dining.... I might use all my TS credits for lunches... Pay for all my dinners OOP.... and basically waste all the CS credits (probably trade them in for rice crispy treats on the last day).

Truthfully, I'm probably still at the point where I would upgrade... (as long as I stick to almost all 2-credit dinners, it will pay the cost of upgrading).

 

[havoc315]

Mostly via testing in the 2012 Prices thread, with the most detail in my post here.

I thought the numbers were also a bit odd, but I couldn't figure out permutations (e.g. taxes and stuff) where they'd make more sense. I thought it may be a 12.5% or 6.5% tax rate, but none of them work out that way. (Only when subtracting 6.5% from the adult DxDDP does it come out to something sensible, but that's the wrong number to take the percentage from). It also wouldn't necessarily explain why the QSDP stayed at the 34.99/11.99 mark, with only the strange numbers appearing for DDP and DxDDP (unless there was some weird tax thing that didn't apply to CS but did to TS, /shrug).

The .99 mark is a marketing ploy, to make things seem cheaper to the eye. ($39.99 is... under $40!... even if only by a penny...)
But Disney dining plans are not "sold separately." In fact, Disney doesn't even list the prices on their website. (Back when it was $41.99, they actually did say that you could add dining for "under $42!")

It was actually because of me that they stopped listing the price on their website. (I complained when I thought it was $42... and later learned that they had failed to update the site, and I was actually charged $47. Few days after my complaint, I heard from the legal and marketing departments that they would change the site, and they did so immediately).

But anyway --- Now that they don't even formally list the price anywhere --- There is no reason to employ the classic ".99" marketing ploy. Since the customer is never even supposed to see the .99.
The only people who really will know the true dining plan costs and breakdowns, are people who do some pretty significant online research.

So quite possibly... in the past... when some computer decided that the ideal price for the DDP was $42.26.... Some person from marketing adjusted the number downward to $41.99. But now, since they don't break down the prices on the website anymore.... When the computer spits out $55.54 as the ideal price.... No reason not to use that price.

This is all just speculation of course.

 

[vicki_c]

But... just as with any plan analysis, you need to consider whether you will use all the credits, want all the desserts, etc.
With the increased price difference, there is less margin for error. If you aren't going to use all the credits.. if you are going to waste some of the desserts.... The value of upgrading becomes more questionable.

That's why the analysis is now using 3/4 of the DxDDP credits on TS meals, whereas last year it was 2/3.

 

[Cafeen]

Thank you for the breakdown. The reason it applies to free dining -- At times, that is the only available discount.

...snip...
​

Now, as you outlined.... there is still a pretty significant savings that CAN make upgrading worthwhile..... But... just as with any plan analysis, you need to consider whether you will use all the credits, want all the desserts, etc.
With the increased price difference, there is less margin for error. If you aren't going to use all the credits.. if you are going to waste some of the desserts.... The value of upgrading becomes more questionable.

It gets to a point.... where if I got free dining.... I might use all my TS credits for lunches... Pay for all my dinners OOP.... and basically waste all the CS credits (probably trade them in for rice crispy treats on the last day).

In this case, for this user that I was specifically replying to, FD doesn't come into the picture as they weren't asking what's the best deal, FD vs Room Discount, but moreso "Is the DxDDP a good value?" The fact that FD may or may not be an option is moot, as if the DxDDP doesn't work then the answer is "No", no matter what the available discounts are.

The points about waste and different than normal usage are covered by the "checklist" of seeing if it is appropriate. This should be taken into account even before you do the raw math. If your intended experience doesn't match (and relatively closely) with this list, then chances are the DxDDP isn't going to be a good value.

• You intend to use the plan as designed. This means:
  • Utilizing all (or most) entitlements per credit (App, Entree, Dessert, Drink). Skipping a couple desserts or apps won't be too bad, and you'd come out ahead still.
  • You eliminate (or severely limit) instances of sharing meals.
  • You eliminate any adults ordering from the kids' menu
  • You plan to dine at DxDDP accepted restaurants
• You utilize at least 3/4 of the credits at TS restaurants if not using any others. If spending the unused at CS, this pushes it down to about 60% (note, the old 2/3 number did change from the 2011 plans!)
• You are ok with the amount of time and planning it takes to use DxDDP. Remember that each meal can take up to 1.5-2hrs including travel time. (This is why I rarely recommend DxDDP for first timers!)

Remember that there is still a lot more leeway with the DxDDP than with the DDP, so using the credits to the fullest extent is not required. Of course, the amount of savings will drop when entitlements/credits are unused, but the goal is to save money, and even leaving out several of each that is an entirely reachable goal.

The .99 mark is a marketing ploy, to make things seem cheaper to the eye. ($39.99 is... under $40!... even if only by a penny...)
But Disney dining plans are not "sold separately." In fact, Disney doesn't even list the prices on their website. (Back when it was $41.99, they actually did say that you could add dining for "under $42!")

...snip...
​

But anyway --- Now that they don't even formally list the price anywhere --- There is no reason to employ the classic ".99" marketing ploy. Since the customer is never even supposed to see the .99.
The only people who really will know the true dining plan costs and breakdowns, are people who do some pretty significant online research.

So quite possibly... in the past... when some computer decided that the ideal price for the DDP was $42.26.... Some person from marketing adjusted the number downward to $41.99. But now, since they don't break down the prices on the website anymore.... When the computer spits out $55.54 as the ideal price.... No reason not to use that price.

This is all just speculation of course.

This, I agree with and is totally plausible (insofar as it's likely probable imo). It just threw me when I got the final numbers as it was the first time they weren't the typical *.99

(snipped out the parts that needed no response .)

The 3/4 number is actually a bit high, but I looked again at 2/3 and that was slightly low, so it works.

 

[tzeitel]

My Dh and I with our family went to disney this past October and didn't have the dining plan. When we saw how easy it could be we said next trip we will get the deluxe dining plan. I guess my question is, is it worth it now that they raised the prices to $85.54 per adult and $23 and change for kids. We would be going for 8 days . Please help not sure what to do

How many adults/kids? are you thinking of going to shows, signature restaurants or a lot of character meals?

We did the regular DDP last time we went (8 nights, 4 adults/1 child) and it worked for us. We did the luau (2 tix) but then went off property one night so it evened out. Next year we are going DxDP (10 nights 6 adults, 3 kids) but we are going to the luau, HDD, CRT, AK grand gathering and Brown Derby. The plan is a TS breakfast or early lunch and TS dinner. We have gone to WDW many, many times and are also ex-CM so we are not in a rush and we don't think having sit down meals as wasting park time.

 

[babesboo99]

We would have My DH and I and my 21 year old DD and my twins who will be 5 at the time of vacation. We ate breakfast with the princesses went to chef mickey's and coral reef. So I guess in the long run it would be worth it because we did buy a few snacks.