I feel like I HAVE to run the numbers, even hypothetical numbers, so when I get on the phone with them when "the deal goes down" I can make an educated decision. I do the same every trip with AP rates, I have the numbers all worked out ahead of time so I know if it is worth it to drop my
AAA rate and get an AP rate - requiring me to buy the AP.
If you don't run the numbers, Disney will make you *think* it is a better deal than it is. It is the same with the Dining plan. They always tell me it is a great deal, but for our family, it ISN'T a good deal at all. I KNOW, because I run the numbers. I know what we spend OOP, and I know we might break even with the dining plan but we loose flexibility.
We all need to educate oursleves about what Disney has to offer. They are not trying to do us any favors, they are trying to fill rooms the WAY too many rooms they have built that are sitting empty because of todays economy. Especially with the economy, each and every one of us needs to be able to sit down with a caluclator and calculate - well ANYTHING! We wouldn't be in a recession right now if americans knew how to calculate compound interest.