Is my math correct or not???? (DDP vs OOP)

[SeaSpray]

We're a family of 4 with a trip scheduled for May 2008 (5 nights at Polynesian concierge).

I'm trying to figure out how much the DDP would cost us.

Here's what I have figured so far:

$38 (price per person, per night, of DDP)
X 4 people
X 5 nights
$760

PLUS DH and I would have to get 1-day base tickets with this package since he and I have Annual Passes, so:

$760 DDP price
+ $142 (cost of 2 1-day base tickets)
$902.

I didn't add in the price of DSs tickets because we'd have to buy them their tickets whether we do the DDP/package or purchase them separately.

The thing is, for $902, I don't think that's such a great deal as compared with us just paying OOP for all of our food.

We're staying concierge so we plan on having breakfast in the lounge either way, regardless of whether we do DDP or not.

For lunch and dinner, on the DDP plan, we'd pretty much have to do counter service restaurants, whereas if we don't purchase DDP we can choose exactly the places we want to dine at.

We usually only do sit-downs, but if the price/savings was good, then we'd do the DDP and the counter service meals.

I just don't see that paying $902 is all that great of a deal. I mean, I realize that if we do ALL sit-down restaurants that it'll probably cost us more than $900 over the course of 6 days, for the 4 of us....but I'm honestly just surprised that the "savings" isn't greater. Am I missing something here? It's totally possible that I'm missing a piece of this DDP puzzle! LOL

Any comments or opinions are greatly appreciated! What would you do????

Thanks!

P.S. I also have to factor in that the DDP no longer includes the tip, AND we own the DDE which basically saves us the equivalent of a tip (20%).

 

[debbiedoo]

hi seaspray

we stay on our DVC points and usually have breakfast at our room(will do one breakfast out) We buy AP's and get the DDE card, and I have always thought that was a better deal for my family.

 

[beacher]

We are AP holders and have the DDE card, and I've run a bunch of comparisons to the 2008 DDP plan and can't make the case for DDP no matter what. I analyzed the dinner/TS first, then see what the day's DDP additional cost was and that is what I figure I'm paying for the CS and snack. At ~$10 left over I figure it's about break-even, since that is what an average CS + Snack runs. I realize I could do better finding a $13 CS and a $3.99 snack, but here goes:

An adult buffet meal at Cape May or 'Ohana is $26.00. On DDE, deduct 20% discount but add the mandatory 18% tip plus 6.5% tax and the final cost is $26.82. That day on DDP will cost $38, but you now owe a tip on the TS and to be fair I used the same 18% but no tax (+4.68), so the DDP day now costs $42.68. Subtract what you would have paid OOP for the same dinner ($42.68 - $26.82) and you're left with $15.86 premium paid for that day on DDP. For that $15.86 extra I get one CS and one snack? Doesn't work for me.

In truth the comparison is closer for a la carte menu restaurants, but even at my most generous assumption of ordering a $30 entree, I calculated a $10.40 premium paid for DDP (keep in mind that the more expensive entree you choose to maximize the plan will cost you additional gratuity). Plus for the a la carte places I would order an appetizer OOP anyway and the free dessert doesn't appeal to me (would rather share and cut calories) so the new 2008 DDP just doesn't work.

We go 3x per year and will miss the old DDP, but it's purely DDE for us from here on -

 

[Pakey]

Another AP holder with the DDE card here; also eat breakfast at our DVC resort room or concierge if we go that way. I haven't found that the DDP or even the Deluxe DDP works for us as we only do one meal per day and that's usually a signature for dinner.

 

[mommykds]

Hi Seaspray!

Fan of all your trip reports & photos here!

We are booked for 5 nights in April 08 & 11 in August 08. (family of 5) We are going with the DDE card instead of the DDP mainly due to the changes for 2008. I am also looking forward to the flexibility of not being tied down to 1TS, 1 CS & 1 snack a day. We do not see the benefit of the DDP anymore for our family with the new changes.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd agree with the OP's analysis - the Dining Plan doesn't make sense for them.

 

[DeeDeeDis]

We tried the ddp for the first time in August and it worked out great for us, family of 5 plus one all over 16 years old who eat alot and who all love a good meal so the meal plan along with the dde save us quite bit of money.

But i know it would not have worked out for us when our boys were small since they never really ate off a "kids" menu. Chicken nuggets & Cheese pizza would not have gone over big with them so i would have been paying out of pocket for them.

The boys are not dessert eaters so we most likely will not use the plan in 08 due to the changes they have made (wish you had an option either dessert OR appetizer).

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

We found the DDP and concierge to be too much. I wouldn't do both.

 

[Hopefully]

Hi SeaSpray,
I have a question for you. You state:
"For lunch and dinner, on the DDP plan, we'd pretty much have to do counter service restaurants, whereas if we don't purchase DDP we can choose exactly the places we want to dine at.

We usually only do sit-downs, but if the price/savings was good, then we'd do the DDP and the counter service meals."

It sounds like you think you are limited to CS meals on the DDP. This is not the case. With the DDP you would have 1 CS and 1 TS meal per person per day (or in whatever order you choose to actually use them).
We stayed at the BCV in October and were on the DDP again. We ate breakfast in the room, most days a CS lunch and a TS dinner. We did TS lunch one day and Jiko (2 TS) one night. So one night dinner was just "Noshing Around the World" at the F & W Festival.
There is no question the DDP was a good deal for us.

BUT, with the changes for 2008 we will need to carefully rethink the DDP.
I will look at the menus for A la Carte meals and compute the cost of what we are likely to order each day. I have a good sense of that. I will then add the gratuity and try to calculate the actual cost vs the DDP cost.

I am not sure that it will work for us in the future.
Good Luck with your decision.

 

[LSchrow]

i would take the price of 1 day passes out of the picture (b/c those can be applied toward your AP renewal, effectively reducing the cost of your next trip).
BUT DDP still might not be cost effective b/c (some as you or others have stated):
~ you're already getting "snacks" (& an occassional light lunch) with concierge
~ paying rack rate on the room lol (assuming you're not using pts)
~ you have the DDE

btw, we "crunched numbers" (2 adults staying DVC with AP's) & found that for us at least, the 2008 DDP still saved quite a bit (even if we removed the dessert & paid OOP, and/or purchased DDE ~ we really don't drink much alcohol, so one of the biggest DDE cost savings is lost on us ). DDP essentially pays for our TS's (non-buffet: entree, beverage, & tax ~ the last 2 items oft overlooked in calculations); CS's & snacks (love those mochaccinos!! ) are the "bonus".

good luck with whichever you choose!

 

[CamColt]

Hi there!

In general I prefer the DDE over the dining plan as the DDP doesnt fit our way of dining. When we got it for free it was wonderful, but I wouldnt pay for it.

If you have the DDE, I would definitely stick with that. Even when we were on the DDP we still earned our money back on the DDE on just that trip(it saves a lot on alcohol).

So yes, I would skip the DDP in your case.

 

[Pirate's Princess]

I'm curious as to the new gratuity included with the DDE. Is that included on drinks? Because you save the 20% but then 18% is added. That seems like you're not saving that much. I mean I usually tip a dollar for a drink.

 

[SeaSpray]

Thanks to everyone who replied! I wasn't sure if I was overlooking some element of the DDP or not. We'll stick with just paying for each of our meals, and not get the DDP.


Hopefully: I know I worded that in a confusing way, but I am aware that you get a TS and a CS for each night. I only mentioned the CS because we don't normally go to them, but I meant that if the DDP was a big enough of a savings, then we'd plan this trip with the CS places, in addition to the TS places.

 

[MarieA]

In the past our family has always used the Dining Plan. We are booked for May and have decided to go the DDE route instead. With the changes for 2008 we don't feel that either dining plan is worth it anymore. I used the menus on Allears to figure out what we would order and how much it would cost. It actually came out to be cheaper for us to use the DDE. We have ADRs at California Grill, Jiko and Flying Fish.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I agree that the DDP isn't a good deal for 2008.

We got "free" dining in August that we booked on a Bounce Back last December. If I would have had an AP discount on the room and used DDE for our meals we would have come out better.

We just went for a quick trip this month. The "rule of thumb" for OOP dining seems to be $50 per person, per day. My DDE was expired so we paid full price for everything and had no trouble staying in the $50 guideline, even though that wasn't really a goal. I discovered that today when I added up our receipts.

Next summer we'll buy a new DDE and not give the dining plan another thought. The tip combined with the rack rate room cranks the price up much higher than having an AP (or AAA, or Disney Visa, or whatever) room discount and using DDE.

I WANTED the deluxe plan to work for us. I REALLY wanted it to. I tried to make it work, and it just won't. DS11 eats NOTHING, so he prefers to order from the kids menu. That means at TS places he can get an appetizer, entree, dessert and drink for about $8. At buffets we shell out $20 for a waffle and a handful of grapes. If he ever starts growing and eats portions larger than what a toddler eats I will revisit the deluxe plan.

 

[patsal]

I have stayed Poly CL and we did not use the DDP with that part of our stay. It really was not worth it to us. I know that CL food is not enough to fulfill eating habits for the five days but we didnt' come close to the DDP being worth it. I would pay OOP and I'd bet you'll have more flexibility for about the same price including your tips. As your math works now, you have not figured in the tips that will need to be added to the DDP. SO if your old DDP saving were in the 25-40% range subtract 18% from your savings.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Next summer we'll buy a new DDE and not give the dining plan another thought. The tip combined with the rack rate room cranks the price up much higher than having an AP (or AAA, or Disney Visa, or whatever) room discount and using DDE.

But, except during the (shorter each year) Free Dining Promotion period, the various discounts listed CAN be combined with the Dining Plan (at full cost for each Guest).

 

[kaytieeldr]

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