My math has to be wrong

[lankman]

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.

We had a large party in 2019 of 9 with 3 very picky eaters.
Planning is great if you can get everyone reading from the same book.
But for our ot not so lucky.
We found due to our picky fussy eaters we were splitting up & eating at different restaurants q/s places.
This caused issues with getting together for rides & shows.
You can plan like your putting together a military operation & I can guarantee those picky fuzzy eaters will put a spanner in the works not intentionally though.

 

[kdka421]

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?

I second this.
If I update some of those meal prices, even adding tax (but leaving out gratuity since that isn't included in the dining plan either), and adjust down the snack prices (I agree with many posters that finding $10 snacks is very rare), my calculations put you around $83/night when you exclude Cali Grill and the 2 QS meals you'd have to pay OOP for in both scenarios.
I left the QS prices at $30 in my estimate but I think that is a high estimate as well, especially if you choose not to get an alcoholic beverage at every meal, and/or if anyone wants to share, etc.

Could you maybe break even with the dining plan? Sure. Could you save money without it? Very likely IMO.

 

[sam_gordon]

Here's my current math...


Keep in mind the amounts on the right are for 11 people (except for those marked "PP" or "PPPN") and the amounts on the right are are one person (except for "Total").

 

[kdka421]

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.

In short, it's just because the signature meals don't cost more than twice as much as a non-signature meal.
In the list of restaurants OP is looking at, the two credit meals cost about $75 each. That means he's only getting $37.50 value out of each credit. The other one-credit meals are valued $50-80, so those are both a much better use of a credit.

OP, this is definitely something to consider, if you do want to stick with the dining plan -- are you tied to these restaurants? If not, you could replace with some one-credit meals that would add more value.

 

[sam_gordon]

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?

Maybe that's what I did (include tax/tip) for those. Back to check numbers...

Changing HDD to $75 (because of course we want to sit on the floor), BoG to $70, and O'hana to $50 brings me to...

 

[sam_gordon]

OP, this is definitely something to consider, if you do want to stick with the dining plan -- are you tied to these restaurants? If not, you could replace with some one-credit meals that would add more value.

Those three are the specific requests from people. The question is whether, with THOSE restaurants, is the DDP the "better" way to go?

 

[kdka421]

Maybe that's what I did (include tax/tip) for those. Back to check numbers...

Changing HDD to $75 (because of course we want to sit on the floor), BoG to $70, and O'hana to $50 brings me to...
View attachment 883520

Aha - I think something is wrong with your 'tips' amount in your cost with DDP....that amount you have there is roughly the tips for 1, not total tips for 11. So that's throwing off your PP calculations.
With DDP I believe you will have to pay gratuities at all your table service meals except HDD.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Maybe that's what I did (include tax/tip) for those. Back to check numbers...

Changing HDD to $75 (because of course we want to sit on the floor), BoG to $70, and O'hana to $50 brings me to...
View attachment 883520

Isn’t tip included for HDD? Don’t know if it was changed after 2020..

 

[Disneylover99]

You’re factoring in roughly $40 per person for a quick service meal plus snack.

I think for simplicity’s sake, just figure out the average per person for the four table service meals you’re doing on the dining plan and add an additional $15 to $20 per person if they’re getting an alcoholic beverage. Add it to the $40 and see what the difference is in comparison to the price of the ddp.

Factor in the cost of the mug if you find there is some value to it. Some do, some don’t find value.

Forget about calculating all the oop meals or tips for now. You’re doing those regardless of being on the plan or not, so that really shouldn’t matter.

 

[Christine]

In short, it's just because the signature meals don't cost more than twice as much as a non-signature meal.
In the list of restaurants OP is looking at, the two credit meals cost about $75 each. That means he's only getting $37.50 value out of each credit. The other one-credit meals are valued $50-80, so those are both a much better use of a credit.

OP, this is definitely something to consider, if you do want to stick with the dining plan -- are you tied to these restaurants? If not, you could replace with some one-credit meals that would add more value.

Thank you for that! It was bugging me on why it's not a good thing to do.

 

[DanceDisney23]

I think comparing the cost for 1 on one side vs the cost for 11 on the other side plus adding tip is tripping you up.

Removing the tip from calculation, I’m getting $123 pppn out of pocket and $128 pppn on the dining plan plus extra meals.

 

[voxparse]

Kids and whether you drink alcohol are the biggest things that will change the math. Smaller kids are a great deal on the dining plan but if you have a kid under 9 that eats adult sized meals, the dining plan won’t be enough food and you will have to supplement.

 

[sam_gordon]

Aha - I think something is wrong with your 'tips' amount in your cost with DDP....that amount you have there is roughly the tips for 1, not total tips for 11. So that's throwing off your PP calculations.
With DDP I believe you will have to pay gratuities at all your table service meals except HDD.

Thank you!

 

[sam_gordon]

I think comparing the cost for 1 on one side vs the cost for 11 on the other side plus adding tip is tripping you up.

Very possibly. I was trying to create cells where the comparison is apples to apples. The PP, PPPN, and TOTALs should be valid comparison on each column.

Removing the tip from calculation, I’m getting $123 pppn out of pocket and $128 pppn on the dining plan plus extra meals.

I get the same...

 

[DanceDisney23]

Very possibly. I was trying to create cells where the comparison is apples to apples. The PP, PPPN, and TOTALs should be valid comparison on each column.

I get the same...
View attachment 883586

Okay, so the total difference is about $315. Negligible for a party of 11.

This is hypothetical of course because people won’t all eat and drink the same thing. You won’t really know how it compares until you have the receipts in hand.

 

[sam_gordon]

Okay, so the total difference is about $315. Negligible for a party of 11.

This is hypothetical of course because people won’t all eat and drink the same thing. You won’t really know how it compares until you have the receipts in hand.

And if I change the QS down to $25 each, the difference is only $20 (total, not PP).

This is why I wanted to talk it out.

Thank you all!

 

[TheRichFam]

One more thing I'll mention since you clearly have the same sickness as I do when it comes to maniacal planning.

If you want to get actual realtime data, download the MDE app if you haven't already. Sign in. Click on the "+" at the bottom of the app. Click on "order food." That will allow you to "place an order" at any dining location on property that allows mobile order. For the sake of research I just pretended that my family of four is on property today, at MK and ready for lunch (it's dinner time, but this is a training exercise ). I asked my wife, 9 y/o son and 6 y/o daughter to choose what they'd like to have for lunch.

We are "eating" at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Frontierland. I'm having the fajita platter with a fountain drink. DW is having a Chicken Rice Bowl and a bottle of water. DS is having beef nachos with a fountain drink. DD is having a kids beef taco meal with oranges for her side and a bottle of water for her drink (it's important to stay hydrated during long hypothetical park days, know what I mean?) We skipped dessert as we typically do for lunches in the park.

Fajita Platter: $15.49
Chicken Rice Bowl: $12.49
Beef Nachos: $11.49
Kids Taco Meal: $7.79
Two Fountain Drinks: $8.89. ($4.49 x 2)
One Dasani Bottle: $3.75

Subtotal: $59.99
Tax: $3.66

Total: $63.65

You can do this with snacks, meals or drinks at anywhere that offers mobile dining. Most other restaurants and bars have their menus online as well, but you can't place hypothetical orders at those places.

Happy Planning!

 

[NicoleLarson]

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.

I second this.
If I update some of those meal prices, even adding tax (but leaving out gratuity since that isn't included in the dining plan either), and adjust down the snack prices (I agree with many posters that finding $10 snacks is very rare), my calculations put you around $83/night when you exclude Cali Grill and the 2 QS meals you'd have to pay OOP for in both scenarios.
I left the QS prices at $30 in my estimate but I think that is a high estimate as well, especially if you choose not to get an alcoholic beverage at every meal, and/or if anyone wants to share, etc.

Could you maybe break even with the dining plan? Sure. Could you save money without it? Very likely IMO.

One more thing I'll mention since you clearly have the same sickness as I do when it comes to maniacal planning.

If you want to get actual realtime data, download the MDE app if you haven't already. Sign in. Click on the "+" at the bottom of the app. Click on "order food." That will allow you to "place an order" at any dining location on property that allows mobile order. For the sake of research I just pretended that my family of four is on property today, at MK and ready for lunch (it's dinner time, but this is a training exercise ). I asked my wife, 9 y/o son and 6 y/o daughter to choose what they'd like to have for lunch.

We are "eating" at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Frontierland. I'm having the fajita platter with a fountain drink. DW is having a Chicken Rice Bowl and a bottle of water. DS is having beef nachos with a fountain drink. DD is having a kids beef taco meal with oranges for her side and a bottle of water for her drink (it's important to stay hydrated during long hypothetical park days, know what I mean?) We skipped dessert as we typically do for lunches in the park.

Fajita Platter: $15.49
Chicken Rice Bowl: $12.49
Beef Nachos: $11.49
Kids Taco Meal: $7.79
Two Fountain Drinks: $8.89. ($4.49 x 2)
One Dasani Bottle: $3.75

Subtotal: $59.99
Tax: $3.66

Total: $63.65

You can do this with snacks, meals or drinks at anywhere that offers mobile dining. Most other restaurants and bars have their menus online as well, but you can't place hypothetical orders at those places.

Happy Planning!

These are all great advice and I 2nd all of them. Your estimate of $30 for a CS and a snack of $10 is WAY too high. MK you can't can't get anywhere near that since you can't get alcohol with your meals. A real example for my family of 4 (4 disney adults), just 2 weeks ago was Peco bills, our total was $53. None of us are soda drinkers, so we just got water. Our QS meal at TL was $56. We got 2 snacks at MK at $6/each. We all got what we wanted and spent no where near what the DDP would cost us.

In your calculations for 11 ppl, do you have any under 9 yo in that? Under 9 on DDP is still a deal if you are doing AYCE or character meals so that may be why your calculations for 1 vs 11 are so different.

I ran the numbers for our friends that have 2 under 9. They were going to do character meals everyday and drink alcohol at each meal whether or not they had the plan. They came out ahead doing the DDP, as in it will save them money. This is about the only scenario that will work these days.

 

[MickeyP]

Is the Hoop-Dee-doo 2 credits?

 

[Disneylover99]

Is the Hoop-Dee-doo 2 credits?

Yes.