Question about kids/adults.

[cuteduck223]

If you do the swap, that implies you're losing a child credit, yes?

No. At that point, we're out of child credits. Its our last day, and we will have used up everything except the 2 credits that DH would miss (garden grill and mama melrose). So, the idea would be that if I could take my DD to Chef Mickeys, I would use 2 adults credits for the adult and child. Not having to pay for anything additional. If it won't work, then the 2 adults will use those credits for dinner (probably somewhere in world showcase) and I will pay for DD's meal.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

No. At that point, we're out of child credits. Its our last day, and we will have used up everything except the 2 credits that DH would miss (garden grill and mama melrose). So, the idea would be that if I could take my DD to Chef Mickeys, I would use 2 adults credits for the adult and child. Not having to pay for anything additional. If it won't work, then the 2 adults will use those credits for dinner (probably somewhere in world showcase) and I will pay for DD's meal.

Ah. I see. Or maybe you can change an existing 1 point TS to a 2 point one. But then you'd have to pay OOP for the child since you'd run out of child TS points.

The only gotcha with using the adult credit for a child is ordering off the kids menu. The server may not care if you use an adult credit for your child, but the computer system may not allow an adult to get a kids meal. Planning on Chef Mickey's or any other buffet is a good idea since the meals are the same. It ought to make it easier.

 

[cuteduck223]

i also wanna chime in on the mugs. I use them for coffee on my way to work when i'm at home. When we don't do the dining plan, we don't buy them. I do like them as part of the plan though--

haha. There I go again...EXACTLY like the infomercial example. Of course, I do use them in daily life once I'm home. I do have some old fantasmic mugs (the super fat ones) and we don't use those.

 

[gigi1313]

we see the mug double benefit, yes, we likely drink $15 worth of coffee/tea/hot choc and soda over the course of our vacations (which also could lend to this discussion... are you a four day per visit guest or a ten day at a time guest??) per person, PLUS we consider it a souvie... and yes, I have more than five "exact same mugs" in my cabinets and yet, when most are in the d/w, the kids fight over the remaining ones... we like them both on vacation and at home... so for us it's not some "extra widget that we won't use" but rather a valuable component of the DDP.

The DDP is definitely not "one-size-fits-all" and may not work for every guest... your mileage may vary... however, that being said, there is no blanket statement that "DDP is a waste, you can never come out ahead" because you most definitely can!

Also, we do not stress about getting the most bang for our buck on the DDP... if my teen kids want kids' chicken fingers, so be it... once I'm on vacation, I don't care if I got my nickel's worth or not... and I like having it prepaid, rather than putting it on a credit card when I'm there... nothing takes the wind out of one's sails faster than a big bill at the end of a vacation!!! Even on our DCL we prepaid everything including gratuities, shore excursions and put money on our onboard account prior to sailing so as not to leave with a bill as our souvie!

 

[maxiesmom]

No, she can't. If she's not going to take a entree and dessert for all party members all the time, she'll always be behind. That's a big problem with the DDP. You don't have peace of mind, because you're always worrying about using every credit to the fullest.

Maybe that is true for you. But it is not true for everyone.

I appreciate that you have your point of view on the Dining Plan. But you need to realize not everyone values the same things you value. For some, having everything paid for in advance holds great value. And they don't fret over using every credit.

It doesn't mean you are necessarily wrong, or they are necessarily wrong. You seem to think of the Dining Plan one way, and not everyone looks at it the way you do.

 

[mickeynut1]

we see the mug double benefit, yes, we likely drink $15 worth of coffee/tea/hot choc and soda over the course of our vacations (which also could lend to this discussion... are you a four day per visit guest or a ten day at a time guest??) per person, PLUS we consider it a souvie... and yes, I have more than five "exact same mugs" in my cabinets and yet, when most are in the d/w, the kids fight over the remaining ones... we like them both on vacation and at home... so for us it's not some "extra widget that we won't use" but rather a valuable component of the DDP.

The DDP is definitely not "one-size-fits-all" and may not work for every guest... your mileage may vary... however, that being said, there is no blanket statement that "DDP is a waste, you can never come out ahead" because you most definitely can!

Also, we do not stress about getting the most bang for our buck on the DDP... if my teen kids want kids' chicken fingers, so be it... once I'm on vacation, I don't care if I got my nickel's worth or not... and I like having it prepaid, rather than putting it on a credit card when I'm there... nothing takes the wind out of one's sails faster than a big bill at the end of a vacation!!! Even on our DCL we prepaid everything including gratuities, shore excursions and put money on our onboard account prior to sailing so as not to leave with a bill as our souvie!

ITA with everything here .

Maybe that is true for you. But it is not true for everyone.

I appreciate that you have your point of view on the Dining Plan. But you need to realize not everyone values the same things you value. For some, having everything paid for in advance holds great value. And they don't fret over using every credit.

It doesn't mean you are necessarily wrong, or they are necessarily wrong. You seem to think of the Dining Plan one way, and not everyone looks at it the way you do.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

If we would buy them anyway (which we would), that has to be included in the comparison. You can't pick and choose what you are going to compare and leave things out and then tell people "the DDP is a waste and will never save you money".

No, I said it will never save her money if she knows in advance that she will be leaving credits unused. Big difference. I also said that if you intend on spending $15 per mug and stand around the resort drinking beverages, then you should definitely count it. Granted, I don't think it's wise, but you seem to love it and that's all that matters.

We start using them the minute we get them until we go home, and then they get used quite often at home. We get more than $15 worth of coffee/tea/soda over the course of our stay. Maybe it's inconvenient for you to go to a drink station and fill the mug, but we spend a lot of time at the resort during our trips and while at some resorts you have to take a long walk to the food court, we always stay deluxe where the CS drink station is never far away (for us, anyway). Regarding "keeping track of 4 identical mugs", it's myself, DH, and our two DSs, so it's not like we are from different families and can't drink out of the same mug.

Too much information, mickeynut1. Too much information.

Wait a minute, if you all drink out of the same cup, then you should be only purchasing one mug. So $60 savings is cut down to $15 thanks to your family's...habits.

You asked for proof that the DDP saves money and I gave you that proof (according to MY situation).

I didn't ask you for proof. I asked you to post your itinerary so other people can see how to make the DDP work, because it ain't easy. I also pointed out that the majority of the "savings" was from the mugs. The $13 of dining savings would hold true as long as you never break script. I'll leave it up to the readers if $13 for an entire family is worth it if you have to count credits and force feed yourselves to make ends meet. If your family likes this arrangement, then more power to you all.

 

[cuteduck223]

We also try to get rice krispies at QS When offered as. Dessert option. They make great take home snacks . Most resort QS have that option

 

[mickeynut1]

Too much information, mickeynut1. Too much information.

Wait a minute, if you all drink out of the same cup, then you should be only purchasing one mug. So $60 savings is cut down to $15 thanks to your family's...habits.

Wow

 

[gigi1313]

Jonathan, if you were to do a cost analysis, do you include the delivered soda and water, as that would need to be included to compare apples to apples?

Also, who "force feeds" themselves with the DDP? Certainly not my family!

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Jonathan, if you were to do a cost analysis, do you include the delivered soda and water, as that would need to be included to compare apples to apples?

Only if you assume the mug is a magic mug that spews forth all kinds of beverages at will no matter where you are. Otherwise, no, because that would be wrong.

Why does there seem to be a high correlation of people who staunchly defend the DDP and poor math/logic skills?

 

[gigi1313]

Only if you assume the mug is a magic mug that spews forth all kinds of beverages at will no matter where you are. Otherwise, no, because that would be wrong.

Why does there seem to be a high correlation of people who staunchly defend the DDP and poor math/logic skills?

Do you not drink your prepaid, delivered bevs at the resort food court, or with a food court meal, ever? Because if you do, add it in!

I travel with my teens and a stroller (and my littlest who is still stroller age)... Ergo, my beverages are filled magically by thirsty teens going on their own mug runs, and we can fill them all up en route to a park as we have the stroller to carry them for us! plus, they make sharing a drink (with fresh ice) at a park easier.

Neither my math nor my logic skills are poor... The DDP works for me! YMMV!

 

[maxiesmom]

Exactly! Unfortunately I think the poster you are replying to will never get that, and will argue until the ends of time that anyone who "thinks" (knows!) they get their money's worth out of the plan is misguided at best.

The plan can work to your benefit! It depends a lot on your eating habits, and if the convenience is worth it for your family.

 

[gigi1313]

Exactly! Unfortunately I think the poster you are replying to will never get that, and will argue until the ends of time that anyone who "thinks" (knows!) they get their money's worth out of the plan is misguided at best.

The plan can work to your benefit! It depends a lot on your eating habits, and if the convenience is worth it for your family.

Here's the part I don't get... why does he (she?) have such a deep seeded interest in steering people clear of the DDP? Why not agree to disagree or agree that what works for one doesn't work for another, etc? Mr Swift, do tell...

 

[momto3gr8boys]

Here's the part I don't get... why does he (she?) have such a deep seeded interest in steering people clear of the DDP? Why not agree to disagree or agree that what works for one doesn't work for another, etc? Mr Swift, do tell...

This is an interesting thread that has derailed from the OP's question, but I think it sums up the general DDP debate.

For many families, the DDP works because, as with most aspects of a WDW vacation, the family understands it and uses it to maximize their benefits. So this family may use their snack for breakfast, CS for lunch and one TS per day with no signatures. They save their CS dessert for a snack, and only order an entree (usually an expensive one) and dessert at every TS meal, along with a non-alcoholic beverage. They also take advantage of their mugs at the resorts.

If you do all of the above, you will come out ahead every time - maybe only $100, but still ahead. The "problem" for many families (and this is the category my family falls into) is that we don't do Disney this way. We choose our ADRs based on where we want to eat each trip - maybe it's more than one a day, maybe 3 signatures a trip, maybe it's less depending on that specific trip. We will do a GG order and eat breakfast in the room. We'll split a CS meal, or maybe just grab some fruit for lunch. I will go into Le Cellier (2TS credits) and order the cheddar cheese soup and maybe an entree, but maybe not - maybe I'll just go with a side or a second appetizer. Either way I need to pay for that soup and there's no way I'd be hungry for dessert. In fact if we ate 5 desserts for lunch and dinner a day in August we'd feel sick because we are an appetizer family. So as you see, for us we would not benefit. But again, I understand the way the plan works, and I can make an informed decision. The peace of mind that some feel by having things pre-paid for would drive me bonkers because I would "know" how much we were not utilizing the plan.

So where does the debate come in? Generally when people say I'm on the DDP and based on their posts, it is clear they don't really understand the caveats and hidden costs, more experienced posters try to help out. In another thread in the past day or two a CS CM discussed the difficulties when the majority of guests have no clue how the plan works - they just think they have "free dining" so everything and anything they want should be available to them or they argue that they paid ahead of time without realizing an appetizer is not included or a kids' meal can't be purchased with an adult credit, etc. This is, of course, what Disney is counting on - people to buy it and then end up either not using it or adding on extra costs - the only real favor they are doing is to give you convenience, if you consider counting everything you eat and keeping track convenient. So I think what happens is people get stuck on what works for THEIR family and want to help others. Or they see clearly that a poster has no clue how their plans will affect the costs because Disney says you will save if you do this without spelling out the caveats, and they are trying to help.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Do you not drink your prepaid, delivered bevs at the resort food court, or with a food court meal, ever? Because if you do, add it in!

No, but you just raised an interesting point. When mickeynut1 estimated the $13 savings, he was assuming he was going to purchase beverages at all of the CS locations. Any CS at a resort would mean he could have used his mugs! Therefore, the $13 savings goes away and can even go negative. So the DDP didn't save him as much as he thought. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[aaarcher86]

Exactly! Unfortunately I think the poster you are replying to will never get that, and will argue until the ends of time that anyone who "thinks" (knows!) they get their money's worth out of the plan is misguided at best.

The plan can work to your benefit! It depends a lot on your eating habits, and if the convenience is worth it for your family.

Here's the part I don't get... why does he (she?) have such a deep seeded interest in steering people clear of the DDP? Why not agree to disagree or agree that what works for one doesn't work for another, etc? Mr Swift, do tell...

I'm with both of you. It works out for a lot of people, and it doesn't for others. It's not that hard to figure out.

I've also ALWAYS seen people who do save/enjoy the DDP tell others to run the numbers and let them know it doesn't work for everyone. It's not like they're parading the DDP to be the best thing in the world no matter who you are or how you eat.

The DDP bashing is getting crazy old. It's weird to be THAT invested in other people's decisions.

 

[FreeTime]

In response to the OP's original thought, she technically shouldn't be using DH's credits for her and another adult or her child. So they would be losing these meals if following the plan guidelines. I agree due to this reason and my own experience using DDP, much better to pay OOP.

 

[gigi1313]

No, but you just raised an interesting point. When mickeynut1 estimated the $13 savings, he was assuming he was going to purchase beverages at all of the CS locations. Any CS at a resort would mean he could have used his mugs! Therefore, the $13 savings goes away and can even go negative. So the DDP didn't save him as much as he thought. Thanks for pointing that out!

Actually, even with my mugs, I still take advantage of the drinks that come with meals while at the resort... that's how I get my bottled water and soda/juice/powerade in my room, rather than tacking on the expense of ordering from a delivery service! Ergo, I continue to come out ahead... way ahead!

In response to the OP's original thought, she technically shouldn't be using DH's credits for her and another adult or her child. So they would be losing these meals if following the plan guidelines. I agree due to this reason and my own experience using DDP, much better to pay OOP.

I disagree... credits are pooled by all members of the same reservation... if I were traveling with three friends, and I opted to eat all of our meals while they went to the beach, there is nothing in the Disney details that prevents me from doing just that... however, if I were traveling with six friends and three were in another room on a separate reservation and all six of them went to the beach, and I got my mitts on one of their room cards, I would NOT be permitted to eat all six of my friends' meals... only the three on my reservation!

Nice try though

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Actually, even with my mugs, I still take advantage of the drinks that come with meals while at the resort... that's how I get my bottled water and soda/juice/powerade in my room, rather than tacking on the expense of ordering from a delivery service! Ergo, I continue to come out ahead... way ahead!

So on top of the $15 per mug, you're paying a premium for drinks at the resort rather than shipping them for free from Staples or Costco? Boy, you are a savvy shopper! You must work for the government. I've got an $800 hammer I can sell you for $400. It's a steal at that price!