Please help me decide.. dining or not?

[Toraliina]

I had initially booked a MYW package with a TA for 2 rooms (tower - bay view) at CR from Dec 10-15 for 2 Adults and 3 children (aged 11, 9 and 4) with the FD promotion.

When the fall discount appeared, my TA applied it to my earlier reservation but sadly no Garden View rooms at CR were left, so we are still with the tower bay view rooms. (I have decided that I must stay at the CR this round...) The savings were a less-than-expected $200 for both rooms together, as she has convinced me that I should keep the regular dining plan.. I have some niggling at the back of my head even though the numbers seem to justify it. I've made the following ADRs:

MK - CRT Lunch
DHS - H&V Fantasmic Package
Chef Mickeys breakfast
Epcot - Tokyo Dining

Was mulling over Yak & Yeti at AK as well but as I'm already out of TS credits, will limit it to these few above! The total for our dining package is about $923.00. Based on the average cost for the above 4 ADRs, it comes up to a bit less than $600.00 (If I got it right!), leaving about $323.00 for all our other meals on the DDP.

If you were me, would you keep the dining plan?

 

[MMS1125]

I'd add up the cost from the menus of your ADR choices and see your total and justify if it's enough to keep the DDP or not. You'll have to price 3 adults and 2 kids for CRT, H&V, and CM. Not sure on Tokyo if it's set price or menu I can't remember. It will be 150+ each buffet just decide if you can eat cheaper than 923 dollars. Only you will know that

 

[MMS1125]

Do you have to keep 2 rooms? You get 2 queens and a daybed in 1 room for 5 people. I know having a family of 5 2 rooms is nice we do that most of our visits but wasn't sure if it was a must for you

 

[kddisney502]

Do you have to keep 2 rooms? You get 2 queens and a daybed in 1 room for 5 people. I know having a family of 5 2 rooms is nice we do that most of our visits but wasn't sure if it was a must for you

That's a very good point. I fell asleep on the daybed one afternoon at CR. It was very comfortable. It is the size of a regular twin bed. The rooms are also larger at CR than some the other deluxe hotels so you may be comfortable with everyone in one room.

 

[Toraliina]

thanks - while we could fit into one room, my husband prefers to have a separate room (and additional bathroom!) as he sleeps short hours and some of my kids and I are very light sleepers! We tried GCH in one room last yr, and we were at the end of a 2 week trip, bags and stuff were filling up so much space, that this year we decided...2 rooms are the way to go.

Still thinking..does anyone know what will happen to my ADRs if I drop the dining plan since I've linked the ADRs to the DP?

 

[MMS1125]

I'd probably call and link your credit card to the ADRs if you plan on dropping the DDP.

I ran some numbers just out of curiosity and you are cheaper staying in a 2BR villa at AKV which is available thru Disney with the discount than you are with 2 CR rooms. I know the CR is where you said you were set on staying and it's hard to give up the convenience but I'd keep the amount of room in mind. If I ran the numbers right 2 rooms at CR is around 4400 for your time and a 2 BR AKV-Kidani is 3713. That's a pretty big difference and a lot of room and kitchen.

If you were willing to change but set on the monorail you could do the Poly for about 3600 for 2 rooms which is a big savings as well. I obviously have too much time on my hands tonight.

 

[Toraliina]

thanks. I may a strange one, but I don't like the theming of the poly and prefer the more modern lines of the CR. Thanks for the suggestion of AKL villas, the space sounds great, but from what i've read, it's pretty far from anywhere besides AK, so not ideal for me.

Gonna mull over it a while more..

 

[maryj11]

I'd probably call and link your credit card to the ADRs if you plan on dropping the DDP.

I ran some numbers just out of curiosity and you are cheaper staying in a 2BR villa at AKV which is available thru Disney with the discount than you are with 2 CR rooms. I know the CR is where you said you were set on staying and it's hard to give up the convenience but I'd keep the amount of room in mind. If I ran the numbers right 2 rooms at CR is around 4400 for your time and a 2 BR AKV-Kidani is 3713. That's a pretty big difference and a lot of room and kitchen.

If you were willing to change but set on the monorail you could do the Poly for about 3600 for 2 rooms which is a big savings as well. I obviously have too much time on my hands tonight.

I should of had you helping me yesterday I was going nuts yesterday trying to figure out what to do about my resort since today is my 45 day mark and needed to think fast ! There were no rooms available for one of my days with the discount, I tried every way to figure out something and ended up making ressie at a different resort with AAA discount. Finally today I have it all settled with the room discount on all my days at exactly the place I want to stay

 

[MMS1125]

thanks. I may a strange one, but I don't like the theming of the poly and prefer the more modern lines of the CR. Thanks for the suggestion of AKL villas, the space sounds great, but from what i've read, it's pretty far from anywhere besides AK, so not ideal for me.

Gonna mull over it a while more..

What about the GF? It was available too with standard rooms

 

[MMS1125]

I should of had you helping me yesterday I was going nuts yesterday trying to figure out what to do about my resort since today is my 45 day mark and needed to think fast ! There were no rooms available for one of my days with the discount, I tried every way to figure out something and ended up making ressie at a different resort with AAA discount. Finally today I have it all settled with the room discount on all my days at exactly the place I want to stay

Glad you got it all worked out!

I'm at a standstill planning ours until our 180 mark and the math teacher in me loves numbers so sometimes i can't help myself!

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

I had initially booked a MYW package with a TA for 2 rooms (tower - bay view) at CR from Dec 10-15 for 2 Adults and 3 children (aged 11, 9 and 4) with the FD promotion.

When the fall discount appeared, my TA applied it to my earlier reservation but sadly no Garden View rooms at CR were left, so we are still with the tower bay view rooms. (I have decided that I must stay at the CR this round...) The savings were a less-than-expected $200 for both rooms together, as she has convinced me that I should keep the regular dining plan.. I have some niggling at the back of my head even though the numbers seem to justify it. I've made the following ADRs:

MK - CRT Lunch
DHS - H&V Fantasmic Package
Chef Mickeys breakfast
Epcot - Tokyo Dining

Was mulling over Yak & Yeti at AK as well but as I'm already out of TS credits, will limit it to these few above! The total for our dining package is about $923.00. Based on the average cost for the above 4 ADRs, it comes up to a bit less than $600.00 (If I got it right!), leaving about $323.00 for all our other meals on the DDP.

If you were me, would you keep the dining plan?

Maybe I missed something in all this discussion, but going to your original question it seems like a complete no-brainer.

First, for the meal plan you actually have 3 adults (possibly 4 depending on when your 9 year old turns 10). Basically the cost of the DDP would run you approximately $200 a day.

Maybe I'm confused, I was thinking your total savings with the room discount was $200, but is your room savings $200 p/night? If that's the case then I would say the discount is a wash and I'd probably dump the DDP in favor of the room discount. If $200 is your total discount on the rooms for your entire stay, then the DDP is a total no-brainer to keep.

For my own preference, assuming its 2TS, I wouldn't waste 2 TS on the Fantasmic dinner package, especially at H&V, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[MMS1125]

Maybe I missed something in all this discussion, but going to your original question it seems like a complete no-brainer.

First, for the meal plan you actually have 3 adults (possibly 4 depending on when your 9 year old turns 10). Basically the cost of the DDP would run you approximately $200 a day.

Maybe I'm confused, I was thinking your total savings with the room discount was $200, but is your room savings $200 p/night? If that's the case then I would say the discount is a wash and I'd probably dump the DDP in favor of the room discount. If $200 is your total discount on the rooms for your entire stay, then the DDP is a total no-brainer to keep.

For my own preference, assuming its 2TS, I wouldn't waste 2 TS on the Fantasmic dinner package, especially at H&V, but that's just my personal opinion.

I think her savings was an additional $200 savings over going with Free Dining and that's with paying for the DDP OOP now. If she drops that the savings is even greater mainly b/c she was paying rack room rates on 2 rooms with free dining.

 

[TheRatPack]

Don't forget to factor in the refillable mugs if that is something you get during your trips. Last year we figured for the DP and against it and for our family (3 adults, 3 children) it always seems in favor of the DP. We go with the regular DP though, not the DxDP.

We use a lot of our snacks at F&W Festival too....so that saves us quite a bit at Epcot (snacks on average at those booths are 3.00).

 

[crazy4tig]

I believe the Fantasmic package is only 1TS credit on the dining plan

 

[Toraliina]

thanks everyone. I'm keeping the dining plan for now, still considering the ADRs I have... whether its worth it etc!! When is the latest I could cancel the dining plan, and would it affect my room discount & reservation?

 

[vicki_c]

thanks everyone. I'm keeping the dining plan for now, still considering the ADRs I have... whether its worth it etc!! When is the latest I could cancel the dining plan, and would it affect my room discount & reservation?

All changes to the dining plan must be made 72 hours or more before arrival. They will most likely charge in a change fee if you drop it that close though. I didn't read your earlier posts to see all your details but it should not impact your discount or reservation if you had a paid dining plan on your reservation and drop it.

Went back and see you have free dining from your first post. Well if you have free dining, obviously dropping your dining would affect things. That is your current discount in your package. You could possible find a room discount instead depending on your dates.

 

[MMS1125]

All changes to the dining plan must be made 72 hours or more before arrival. They will most likely charge in a change fee if you drop it that close though. I didn't read your earlier posts to see all your details but it should not impact your discount or reservation if you had a paid dining plan on your reservation and drop it.

Went back and see you have free dining from your first post. Well if you have free dining, obviously dropping your dining would affect things. That is your current discount in your package. You could possible find a room discount instead depending on your dates.

that was originally. She now has a room discount and is paying for the dining plan

 

[Toraliina]

yes, that's right. I think my initial title was not phrased clearly enough! The real qn is whether I should continue with the dining plan.