My math has to be wrong

[sam_gordon]

Starting to plan a trip for 2025 and debating the dining plan. There are some TS restaurants we want to go to, two of them are two credits each, one of them doesn't accept the dining plan.

Here's what I'm assuming:
Breakfast in room (we'll be staying DVC), except 1 TS using DDP (O'Hana)
QS lunch each day ($30pp?)
1 Snack each day ($10pp?)
Two dinners using two DDP credits each (HDD & BoG)
One dinner using one DDP credit (Fantasmic Dinner Package)
One dinner OOP (California Grill)
Two dinners OOP at QS ($30pp?).

If we paid OOP for everything, my math has us at $147pppn compared to the dining plan at ~$100pppn.

What am I missing?

 

[NYCgrrl]

Starting to plan a trip for 2025 and debating the dining plan. There are some TS restaurants we want to go to, two of them are two credits each, one of them doesn't accept the dining plan.

Here's what I'm assuming:
Breakfast in room (we'll be staying DVC), except 1 TS using DDP (O'Hana)
QS lunch each day ($30pp?)
1 Snack each day ($10pp?)
Two dinners using two DDP credits each (HDD & BoG)
One dinner using one DDP credit (Fantasmic Dinner Package)
One dinner OOP (California Grill)
Two dinners OOP at QS ($30pp?).

If we paid OOP for everything, my math has us at $147pppn compared to the dining plan at ~$100pppn.

What am I missing?

How did you come to your final figure? Adding, come to a total and then divide?
I’m coming up with one breakfast, lunch and snack daily (unknown number of days), and 3 dinners. Am I missing something?

 

[TheRichFam]

Starting to plan a trip for 2025 and debating the dining plan. There are some TS restaurants we want to go to, two of them are two credits each, one of them doesn't accept the dining plan.

Here's what I'm assuming:
Breakfast in room (we'll be staying DVC), except 1 TS using DDP (O'Hana)
QS lunch each day ($30pp?)
1 Snack each day ($10pp?)
Two dinners using two DDP credits each (HDD & BoG)
One dinner using one DDP credit (Fantasmic Dinner Package)
One dinner OOP (California Grill)
Two dinners OOP at QS ($30pp?).

If we paid OOP for everything, my math has us at $147pppn compared to the dining plan at ~$100pppn.

What am I missing?

I think this is relatively accurate but I'd mention a couple things for your consideration:

IMO, $10 per snack is a bit low. You can certainly find snacks lower than that, but I would say there are more snacks above $10 than below it. (Side suggestion- if you're ok with non-Disney snacks, get a Publix instacart ordered delivered to your room with snacks you can stash in your park bags.)

At the same time, I think you can probably get away with a bit less than $30 pp for lunch. I'd say you can maximize your expenditures at lunch by doing things like ordering sharable entrees or sticking to some of the more affordable options. For example, in EPCOT if you go to Via Napoli you can get one of their large pizzas for +/- $45 which will EASILY feed four ppl. Add drinks for everyone and a shareable app and you're still out of there for closer to $20/pp. There's tons of options like that out there in each park.

Also keep in mind the dining plan includes drinks, which can add up if your traveling party is large.

All that said, your math looks pretty close to accurate to me.

 

[sam_gordon]

How did you come to your final figure? Adding, come to a total and then divide?
I’m coming up with one breakfast, lunch and snack daily (unknown number of days), and 3 dinners. Am I missing something?

OOP Costs:
8x QS Meals (six lunches, two dinners) at $30 each = $240
6x Snacks @ $10 each = $60
HDD (one dinner) = $95
BoG (one dinner) = $90
Fantasmic Dinner package (one dinner) = $80
California Grill = $120
O'Hana Breakfast = $65

TOTAL (per person) = $750
PPPN = $125 (plus tax & tips)

Even taking Cali Grill out (since we'd have to pay OOP w/dining plan also), still looking at over $100pppn.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think this is relatively accurate but I'd mention a couple things for your consideration:

IMO, $10 per snack is a bit low. You can certainly find snacks lower than that, but I would say there are more snacks above $10 than below it. (Side suggestion- if you're ok with non-Disney snacks, get a Publix instacart ordered delivered to your room with snacks you can stash in your park bags.)

At the same time, I think you can probably get away with a bit less than $30 pp for lunch. I'd say you can maximize your expenditures at lunch by doing things like ordering sharable entrees or sticking to some of the more affordable options. For example, in EPCOT if you go to Via Napoli you can get one of their large pizzas for +/- $45 which will EASILY feed four ppl. Add drinks for everyone and a shareable app and you're still out of there for closer to $20/pp. There's tons of options like that out there in each park.

Also keep in mind the dining plan includes drinks, which can add up if your traveling party is large.

All that said, your math looks pretty close to accurate to me.

That's the kind of information I'm looking for. It's a group of 11, from three different states, and everyone would eat differently (except for some meals). So I wasn't trying to look at "here's what we'll get and what it will cost", especially since we're 10+ months away.

 

[Christine]

Starting to plan a trip for 2025 and debating the dining plan. There are some TS restaurants we want to go to, two of them are two credits each, one of them doesn't accept the dining plan.

Here's what I'm assuming:
Breakfast in room (we'll be staying DVC), except 1 TS using DDP (O'Hana)
QS lunch each day ($30pp?)
1 Snack each day ($10pp?)
Two dinners using two DDP credits each (HDD & BoG)
One dinner using one DDP credit (Fantasmic Dinner Package)
One dinner OOP (California Grill)
Two dinners OOP at QS ($30pp?).

If we paid OOP for everything, my math has us at $147pppn compared to the dining plan at ~$100pppn.

What am I missing?

I've done both the DDP and not. I always come out ahead by not buying it. When I did buy it last time I went (2019 and the alcohol was included), I had to work hard just to break even.

What I did was realistically map out everywhere I was going. I looked at each menu and jotted down what i was likely to eat at each restaurant--I did not swag averages. It might be the style of eating we do or what we like, but I just wasn't overly coming close. I made sure to order all the booze I was entitled to even if I had to pass my drink over to my son so he could have two. I made sure whenever I got a snack, I went for the priciest one (even if it wasn't what I would have normally wanted). It became a game to me.

Now I'll never find the rationale for this but I had read and had been advised that you should not use your 2 dining credits (signature) under the dining plan. That is apparently a bad value to do. I can't explain it but recall the whole analysis of it from when I last went. Best to pay for those OOP.

It rarely works out for people unless everyone in the party gets the most expensive everything AND doing a lot of character dining will work out in your favor also. I don't do that anymore since the kids are adults.

 

[sam_gordon]

I've done both the DDP and not. I always come out ahead by not buying it. When I did buy it last time I went (2019 and the alcohol was included), I had to work hard just to break even.

What I did was realistically map out everywhere I was going. I looked at each menu and jotted down what i was likely to eat at each restaurant--I did not swag averages. It might be the style of eating we do or what we like, but I just wasn't overly coming close. I made sure to order all the booze I was entitled to even if I had to pass my drink over to my son so he could have two. I made sure whenever I got a snack, I went for the priciest one (even if it wasn't what I would have normally wanted). It became a game to me.

Now I'll never find the rationale for this but I had read and had been advised that you should not use your 2 dining credits (signature) under the dining plan. That is apparently a bad value to do. I can't explain it but recall the whole analysis of it from when I last went. Best to pay for those OOP.

It rarely works out for people unless everyone in the party gets the most expensive everything AND doing a lot of character dining will work out in your favor also. I don't do that anymore since the kids are adults.

That's what I'm reading. That's why I figured I had to be doing something wrong. So a QS, a TS, and a SN. CAN it be done for less than $100/day? I'm sure. WOULD we do it? Like someone else said, if you share a meal, that changes the math. I can't plan out far enough to know where we'll be in a park when we get hungry for lunch, so looking for a specific place to eat and then looking at their menu doesn't work. That's why I was trying to WAG an average.

 

[Mommb]

I'm seeing $70/person for Hoop-De-Doo Review and Be Our Guest and $50 for O'hana breakfast. Did you use numbers that include tax and tip?

 

[TheRichFam]

That's the kind of information I'm looking for. It's a group of 11, from three different states, and everyone would eat differently (except for some meals). So I wasn't trying to look at "here's what we'll get and what it will cost", especially since we're 10+ months away.

So glad I could help! I'm the planner of the family, so this stuff is actually fun for me.

I'm not a sane person.

Again I'll stress this in the strongest possible way: Publix. Instacart. Lifesaver.

We use it for granola bars, goldfish/cheeseitz, gluten-sensitive snacks for DW, sunscreen, bottled water, fruit, and for stays with a fridge we get breakfast items and other perishable things that we can "grab and go" like yogurt tubes and string cheese. It REALLY reduces snack costs, which we then use on other meals/treats in the parks. Plus their sub sandwiches are famous for good reason!

 

[sam_gordon]

So glad I could help! I'm the planner of the family, so this stuff is actually fun for me.

I'm not a sane person.

Again I'll stress this in the strongest possible way: Publix. Instacart. Lifesaver.

We use it for granola bars, goldfish/cheeseitz, gluten-sensitive snacks for DW, sunscreen, bottled water, fruit, and for stays with a fridge we get breakfast items and other perishable things that we can "grab and go" like yogurt tubes and string cheese. It REALLY reduces snack costs, which we then use on other meals/treats in the parks. Plus their sub sandwiches are famous for good reason!

I get it. I'm the planner too. It's just so much easier to plan when you have the data though.

 

[_19disnA]

Are you trying to set a budget since this is some sort of work related event that the company would pay for? If not, with 11 people arriving from 3 different states, I would let each of them do their own planning for meals and/or decide for themselves if a dining plan works for them. Everyone probably doesn't eat the same way. Perhaps the entire group can get agree to get together for a lunch/dinner on some of the days.

Only those staying in the same room need to agree on if they do/don't want the dining plan.

 

[TheRichFam]

I get it. I'm the planner too. It's just so much easier to plan when you have the data though.

Loves me some data!

Here's a pretty good article concerning food costs currently:
https://magicguides.com/how-much-does-food-cost-at-disney-world/

For the record (and the DISBoards overlords ) I AM NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM ASSOCIATED WITH THAT SITE. But the info is pretty solid and it's a quick read.

 

[honeymo78]

OOP Costs:
8x QS Meals (six lunches, two dinners) at $30 each = $240
6x Snacks @ $10 each = $60
HDD (one dinner) = $95
BoG (one dinner) = $90
Fantasmic Dinner package (one dinner) = $80
California Grill = $120
O'Hana Breakfast = $65

TOTAL (per person) = $750
PPPN = $125 (plus tax & tips)

Even taking Cali Grill out (since we'd have to pay OOP w/dining plan also), still looking at over $100pppn.

You'll also need to take out 2 of the QS meals since you'd only have 6 with the dining plan. Once you remove those and California Grill, I think it's about $95 per person for the meals that would be covered by the dining plan.

 

[sam_gordon]

Are you trying to set a budget since this is some sort of work related event that the company would pay for? If not, with 11 people arriving from 3 different states, I would let each of them do their own planning for meals and/or decide for themselves if a dining plan works for them. Everyone probably doesn't eat the same way. Perhaps the entire group can get agree to get together for a lunch/dinner on some of the days.

Only those staying in the same room need to agree on if they do/don't want the dining plan.

Family trip. 11 people staying in two rooms. Everyone in a room has to have the same plan.

 

[_19disnA]

Correct, meal plan based on room. Lots of older discussions about meal plans. Mostly depends on how you eat. Some like the idea of pre-paying like it is an all-inclusive vacation, regardless of if the math works.

 

[WDW_Michael]

QS meals (lunch & dinner) are closer to $12-$20 Per Person per meal, unless you are buying alcoholic beverage with each meal..and even then it would most likely be under $30 per person. There are snacks that can cost $10, but by and large most snacks are more in the $4-$8 range.

 

[sam_gordon]

You'll also need to take out 2 of the QS meals since you'd only have 6 with the dining plan. Once you remove those and California Grill, I think it's about $95 per person for the meals that would be covered by the dining plan.

I calculated the extra QS meals and the California Grill as "added on" to the plan, so they should "even out".

Here was my total. The tips probably aren't right, but I think they are both equally wrong.

The big comparison is the PPPN. The OOP costs is per person. The DDP costs are total for 11.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think this is relatively accurate but I'd mention a couple things for your consideration:

IMO, $10 per snack is a bit low. You can certainly find snacks lower than that, but I would say there are more snacks above $10 than below it. (Side suggestion- if you're ok with non-Disney snacks, get a Publix instacart ordered delivered to your room with snacks you can stash in your park bags.)

At the same time, I think you can probably get away with a bit less than $30 pp for lunch. I'd say you can maximize your expenditures at lunch by doing things like ordering sharable entrees or sticking to some of the more affordable options. For example, in EPCOT if you go to Via Napoli you can get one of their large pizzas for +/- $45 which will EASILY feed four ppl. Add drinks for everyone and a shareable app and you're still out of there for closer to $20/pp. There's tons of options like that out there in each park.

Also keep in mind the dining plan includes drinks, which can add up if your traveling party is large.

All that said, your math looks pretty close to accurate to me.

QS meals (lunch & dinner) are closer to $12-$20 Per Person per meal, unless you are buying alcoholic beverage with each meal..and even then it would most likely be under $30 per person. There are snacks that can cost $10, but by and large most snacks are more in the $4-$8 range.

These two posts are very different (yes, I know they're from two different people).

 

[WDW_Michael]

These two posts are very different (yes, I know they're from two different people).

well just to give you a quick look, here's a list of about 30 snacks. They are listed as the 2024 "best snacks", however that's obviously subjective. The reason i send this list is because it shows you a wide variety of different snack options throughout the resort and their prices, and not one of them is $10 or more..everything is under $10.

https://wdwprepschool.com/snacks-disney-dining-plan/

 

[Disneylover99]

I think if you’re all going to be ordering alcoholic beverages at both quick service and table service meals and if you all want and would use the refillable mug, the dining plan might be right for you.

But keep in mind, even the best laid plans can go awry when you’re travelling with a large group. People bail on dinner, get sick, tired, etc….want something light to eat or would rather eat a couple of snacks a day and skip a quick service meal. It can be restrictive to many.

I’d personally be leaning towards skipping the dining plan and just paying as you go. It seems way less stressful.