Need dining advice

[Dean]

thank you for this! nice to be able to compare the costs. Looks like our best option is TIW this trip and if we are willing to do multiple split stays do the deluxe ddp next trip with TIW otherwise just TIW. I just need to play with the meals to make sure we make out and Disney doesn't get the extra

Make sure you include the price of TIW in your calculation as well as whether there are other discounts without using TIW. Also, that for all of the buffet or set plate locations (many of your's listed), the cost of the DP for the kids 3 or over is as much as the cost of the basic dining plan itself for one meal and you'd have the snack and QS credit extra. Remember that the QS and Deluxe credits are not restricted to kids meals for their portion of the plan. Lastly, the snacks have value as they can be used for breakfast and the like. TIW would likely be best for us as well but because we aren't big QS fans and we usually have multiple rooms so we can use the credits in the most advantageous way now.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Make sure you include the price of TIW in your calculation as well as whether there are other discounts without using TIW. Also, that for all of the buffet or set plate locations (many of your's listed), the cost of the DP for the kids 3 or over is as much as the cost of the basic dining plan itself for one meal and you'd have the snack and QS credit extra. Remember that the QS and Deluxe credits are not restricted to kids meals for their portion of the plan. Lastly, the snacks have value as they can be used for breakfast and the like. TIW would likely be best for us as well but because we aren't big QS fans and we usually have multiple rooms so we can use the credits in the most advantageous way now.

thanks didn't think about the snack and qs. Was just thinking of the ts meals. Being that we don't plan on using the room to cook any meals these next two trips I should look at the cost with qs meals. Snacks we always have left over so that would just be a plus. Have less than two weeks to decide if we should get TIW. Knowing that we are doing at least one ts everyday and this trip some qs but not everyday. Next trip will depend on how we schedule the meals.

 

[Dean]

thanks didn't think about the snack and qs. Was just thinking of the ts meals. Being that we don't plan on using the room to cook any meals these next two trips I should look at the cost with qs meals. Snacks we always have left over so that would just be a plus. Have less than two weeks to decide if we should get TIW. Knowing that we are doing at least one ts everyday and this trip some qs but not everyday. Next trip will depend on how we schedule the meals.

You'll have to go through your numbers but with half your party being in the child category and a vast majority of the options (8 of 9 & 2 of 7) being things where kids are charged a significant price, I would expect the basic plan to be a clear winner. If you were inclined to do signatures or all TS options, the deluxe plan might be worth it but the places you've listed, likely not. You can get the TIW on property if that's what you decide.

The snacks can be a real benefit if you plan for them, esp with the length it appears your trips are. You can easily get breakfast out of them with planning for items like fruit, milk, juice, danish and the like. You can use them for a light lunch fairly easily. Since the QS credits can all be used for adult meals, you could use the QS to cover multiple meals for the adults and use the snacks to get sides or just get an adult meal and share between the kids if that works for them. We're often paying OOP for kids meals and using the credits for the adults.

The other variable is the DP options have risk. It's paid so if someone gets ill, you miss a reservation or had to leave for some emergency; its wasted. I generally require a 20% savings or a 20% added value to justify the risk. While it likely doesn't affect your choices very much (might at few locations) but since the basic plan includes dessert but not appetizer, one can get creative now. Often there are items on the dessert menu that are good for an appy (fruit, cheese tray) and some of the locations will now sub a salad or soup for the dessert. Sometimes you can get a specialty drink instead like a smoothie.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Thanks. Dining def would cost us 300-400 more. This trip. Next trip it's showing breaking even or saving 10.00.

 

[Dean]

Thanks. Dining def would cost us 300-400 more. This trip. Next trip it's showing breaking even or saving 10.00.

I'm curious as to what differences you're seeing that accounts for the difference in estimated savings because I'm having trouble seeing how that would be so. I used a different calculator and obviously had to make some assumptions without having your information, but I see about $100 savings for this trip and $350 for the next one without getting fancy. Assumptions I made and/or the calculator makes are 18% tip either way, average price for TS, CS & snacks, one TS per day so 7 days & 9 day stays, value for mugs, all kids credits used for the kids, a drink per credit, 2 desserts per TS (1 per adult credit), all credits used and I guessed at QS due to location of the TS but didn't go high end. IMO this should be about the worst situation if all credits are used. If one plans a little more, you can use the DP to cover items you'd have to do OOP otherwise like the third meal on those days by using snacks to cover them and/or conserving QS credits thus reducing other expenses not directly applicable to the DP. For us personally and using the same days and restaurant choices you've listed, we'd likely save about $300 on the shorter trip and $600 on the longer trip. We'd do this by only using QS credits for adult meals only, paying OOP for kids for QS, using snacks for more expensive items and choosing higher cost locations/meals for the QS.

 

[Anal Annie]

I think with younger kids (kids meals are just so much more affordable) it's hard to get the value out of the TIW with the current cost of buying it. Used to be a lot quicker to save but they've pretty much ruined it now. Once your kids eat like adults the value of the TIW will improve. But by that time it will REALLY cost too much.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

I'm curious as to what differences you're seeing that accounts for the difference in estimated savings because I'm having trouble seeing how that would be so. I used a different calculator and obviously had to make some assumptions without having your information, but I see about $100 savings for this trip and $350 for the next one without getting fancy. Assumptions I made and/or the calculator makes are 18% tip either way, average price for TS, CS & snacks, one TS per day so 7 days & 9 day stays, value for mugs, all kids credits used for the kids, a drink per credit, 2 desserts per TS (1 per adult credit), all credits used and I guessed at QS due to location of the TS but didn't go high end. IMO this should be about the worst situation if all credits are used. If one plans a little more, you can use the DP to cover items you'd have to do OOP otherwise like the third meal on those days by using snacks to cover them and/or conserving QS credits thus reducing other expenses not directly applicable to the DP. For us personally and using the same days and restaurant choices you've listed, we'd likely save about $300 on the shorter trip and $600 on the longer trip. We'd do this by only using QS credits for adult meals only, paying OOP for kids for QS, using snacks for more expensive items and choosing higher cost locations/meals for the QS.

so decided to do the quick service dining plan on the first night doing boardwalk bakery lunch, kona cafe lunch (oop), wolfgang puck dinner according to distripplanner.com save $.87 that night

then san angel lunch, contemp cafe dinner, yak and yeti cafe lunch, hollywood vine dinner, Pinocchio lunch, nine dragons dinner all out of pocket with dvc discount its cheaper than ddp

garden grill breakfast, 1900 park fare dinner, ohana breakfast on deluxe dining plan should save us $27.16

we are room hoping every night except for two nights so the only benefit is that we can add the dining plan as it benefits us this time.

I didn't calculate snacks in the cost as we typically don't use them all. did the mug for the first day and then didn't use that in the calculations the rest of the trip. for next years trip i'll have to run the numbers again as I don't remember how I came up with it, so I'll play around with it and see what comes out as a better deal. might just be worth doing the reg dining plan to get the snack and not worry about paying for each meal. but this trip we ended up changing our plans.

 

[Dean]

so decided to do the quick service dining plan on the first night doing boardwalk bakery lunch, kona cafe lunch (oop), wolfgang puck dinner according to distripplanner.com save $.87 that night

then san angel lunch, contemp cafe dinner, yak and yeti cafe lunch, hollywood vine dinner, Pinocchio lunch, nine dragons dinner all out of pocket with dvc discount its cheaper than ddp

garden grill breakfast, 1900 park fare dinner, ohana breakfast on deluxe dining plan should save us $27.16

we are room hoping every night except for two nights so the only benefit is that we can add the dining plan as it benefits us this time.

I didn't calculate snacks in the cost as we typically don't use them all. did the mug for the first day and then didn't use that in the calculations the rest of the trip. for next years trip i'll have to run the numbers again as I don't remember how I came up with it, so I'll play around with it and see what comes out as a better deal. might just be worth doing the reg dining plan to get the snack and not worry about paying for each meal. but this trip we ended up changing our plans.

Thanks for clarifying, I see you have different choices now than first posted. Since you have multiple reservations (I didn't realize that before now), that does give you more choices as you've deduced. That situation also limits the usefulness of the basic plan. Don't forger the deluxe plan includes appetizers AND more snacks. As I note, you'd have to count each option with real value to make it work for this trip, for the list for next year you may have more luck. Another option is to modify your choices to take advantage of the benefits of 3 credits per day per person and the appetizer inclusion, maybe some signature's. This post also points out a point I've made before, don't forget about the other discounts that one may not have to pay for like TIW. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

thanks Dean! yes so if we did TIW we would save approx $48 this trip not including any alcohol drinks for three meals. thinking it might benefit us to try it out and just figure out how we want to do our meals next trip and then decide if its worth the dining plan. so many decisions signature meals are hard with our girls they don't act the best so not sure if its such a good idea to take them to meals without characters. this trip we will see how they do

on another note do you know if for the food and wine festival do they take the TIW discount? thinking we might try to squeeze in a weekend trip since we will have annual passes

 

[Dean]

thanks Dean! yes so if we did TIW we would save approx $48 this trip not including any alcohol drinks for three meals. thinking it might benefit us to try it out and just figure out how we want to do our meals next trip and then decide if its worth the dining plan. so many decisions signature meals are hard with our girls they don't act the best so not sure if its such a good idea to take them to meals without characters. this trip we will see how they do

on another note do you know if for the food and wine festival do they take the TIW discount? thinking we might try to squeeze in a weekend trip since we will have annual passes

I don't have any experience with F & W for TIW but I seem to recall you can use snack credits from the DP for many of the options, others will know for certain. Is the $48 savings taking into account the cost of purchase AND any missed non cost discounts? Some of the signatures can be worth it at this age like Narcoossee's and Cali Grill for fireworks or the lake show.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

$48 is towards the cost so bringing the cost of TIW to 102. $48 is what we would gain since dvc gives 10% the 48 is the other 10% plus covers kona. thinking it would help for CRT and mickeys bbq as it wouldn't pay us to do the dining plan for those unless we did deluxe and even then it might not pay to do it. still have a few more days to play with the numbers to see if its worth buying TIW. now wishing I got more disney gift cards at target to help cover meals.

 

[Dean]

$48 is towards the cost so bringing the cost of TIW to 102. $48 is what we would gain since dvc gives 10% the 48 is the other 10% plus covers kona. thinking it would help for CRT and mickeys bbq as it wouldn't pay us to do the dining plan for those unless we did deluxe and even then it might not pay to do it. still have a few more days to play with the numbers to see if its worth buying TIW. now wishing I got more disney gift cards at target to help cover meals.

So at this point it doesn't save you money for the TIW if I understand correctly. It sounds like no DP or TIW for this trip and DP for next trip might be the best, but as you note, it depends on how you'd use the DP. One really has to take advantage of it's benefits to make it work. Throwing away the snacks or using Deluxe mostly for QS will kill it in a hurry. As I noted earlier, there is risk with the DP so if it isn't a clear savings (to me at least 20%), it doesn't make sense to use it. Good luck.

 

[Anal Annie]

on another note do you know if for the food and wine festival do they take the TIW discount? thinking we might try to squeeze in a weekend trip since we will have annual passes

The food kiosks at F&W do NOT take the TIW card. Any regular participating restaurants will still be available, just not all the special stuff that one goes to F&W for.

Using any of these discount plans takes a lot of planning - sometimes it's not worth the few dollars you might save. (I'm really irritated over the last price hike on it.) We have enjoyed the TIW card in years past but for the 3 of us, even as adults it's harder & harder to recover the investment. We tend to avoid restaurants that don't take it so we miss out on some dining options (like La Hacienda - it used to take it then dropped off the list and Yak & Yeti at AK. Great restaurants but we don't usually go to them). Sadly we probably won't buy it again….

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Thinking the dining plan might be the better way to go just need to play with the meals we want to do and then book our reservations accordingly to benefit.

 

[moericus]

Thinking the dining plan might be the better way to go just need to play with the meals we want to do and then book our reservations accordingly to benefit.

Sometimes budgeting in advance saves you more money than trying to nickel and dime while you're there. Things happen. Of course... I used to be an accountant by trade so I'm a little biased.