Question for those that pay oop

[snykymom]

I also now have the TiW, but I would pay out of pocket for signature dining anyway. We love signature dining! I don't like the way the dining plan is set up, even if it's prepaid.

- We never each eat an appetizer, entree and dessert at a single meal; we either split the appetizer or dessert, or have one or the other. And we never do dessert multiple times a day, so the DxDP is too much food. (Yes, I know we don't have to eat it, but you only save money if you eat the way the plan is set up.)

- Sometimes we prefer the appetizers to the entrees.

- Sometimes we prefer to have a meal at one place and a dessert elsewhere (particularly at Epcot), or a dessert later.

- Signature dining is 2 credits. I calculated the approximate "cost" of each credit. I've found that unless I order the most expensive thing on the menu, and sometimes I don't want the most expensive thing on the menu, the "cost" of the two credits exceeds what I'd generally spend.

- Sometimes we change our minds and don't want to go to the ADR I have booked, or we're in the middle of something and have to miss an ADR. I don't have to worry that I've "wasted" the credits if I can't get another ADR. And using a TS for a CS, even if they let me, is a waste of money.

- Sometimes someone gets sick and has no appetite. I haven't bought something we can no longer use.

I just put into my budget about half again what the DDP costs. Then to my mind, I've "prepaid" my meals, but I paid myself, not Disney. And even without the TiW, I've always come out ahead.

 

[DW2010]

Does anyone know if California Grill accepts TIW? Looking on Disney site, it doesn't appear it's accepted. Thanks.

 

[snykymom]

Does anyone know if California Grill accepts TIW? Looking on Disney site, it doesn't appear it's accepted. Thanks.

It did last year.

 

[robinb]

Does anyone know if California Grill accepts TIW? Looking on Disney site, it doesn't appear it's accepted. Thanks.

Yes, it does. We ate there last month and paid OOP for the kids meals while using DDP credits for the adult meals.

OP, if you are going for 9-10 days every year and Annual Pass probably makes sense for you. Just arrange for your second trip to end before your year is up. You will have to spend $375 before you break even on the $75 fee but we usually do that in one trip which makes the 2nd trip all gravy. Given that you spend $1000 on tips and wine, I guess that you would have broken even about half way though your trip.

 

[MickeyNicki]

With just the 2 of us and the TIW card I think we spend $125-225 a day on food and snacks...it depends on if we have a signature dinner or not because that could run us $130-160

So for CS breakfast we spend $15-20. For CS lunch $25-30 and dinner $60-80 for non signature places.

 

[robinb]

With just the 2 of us and the TIW card I think we spend $125-225 a day on food and snacks...it depends on if we have a signature dinner or not because that could run us $130-160

So for CS breakfast we spend $15-20. For CS lunch $25-30 and dinner $60-80 for non signature places.

I just wanted to point out for other people reading this that most CS places are not covered under the TIW program. I think it's best to only consider TS places when calculating your possible savings.

 

[Puncek]

We eat OOP every trip, we go down for 10 days and spend 7 of those in the parks. The other 3 days we usually eat in the resorts (Grand Floridian, Kona, Luau, etc) or DTD. Almost all of our meals are TS and Signature. When we want a 'snack day' we usually eat at CS in England, go to 'Afternoon Tea' at the GF and snack throughout the other parks (Dole Whip floats, funnel cakes, turkey legs, waffle sundaes on Main Street, etc). For the two of us we will bring $1,000 for food.

 

[U2_rocks!]

We like doing OOP, and unfortunately I can't tell you what it costs because I really don't keep track.

We tend to eat at a mixture of CS, TS and signature. We don't do many snacks (we may bring our own cashews or granolas), and we bring a lot of our water in or just drink tap water in the restaurants (we are water drinkers at home too - my kids just eat better if they aren't full of juice or pop). We just cannot eat American portion sizes, so we do a lot of sharing - for that reason alone we could never be on the DDP! DH and I do like our wine and cocktails that's mostly what makes our cost add up.

 

[arkitekt]

I don't want to sound overly judgmental here. I really hope my reply does not get me banned on this board. But I think you have some issues. I don't know if they are money issues, binge eating issues, both or a combination of something else as well, but issues you have young padawan. $300 per day in food? Disney food? For nine days, you ate and paid like that? Insane. This is of course just my opinion. For all I know you are a doctor who makes $300,000/year and runs marathons. Of course, a doctor wouldn't eat like that nor allow his family to. I got 5 days with the prepaid dining plan. 1 TS, 1 QS and 1 snack for 2 adults and 2 children. We paid extra for our alcoholic drinks and paid tips and still did not break $1000, I'd bet. And at the end of the trip I gained 6 pounds. We ate the most expensive items on the TS every night as well. We were FULL, always. I felt bloated.

So the original question was, did $2700 sound like too much? My short answer is, no not at all.

 

[vicki_c]

I don't want to sound overly judgmental here.

Totally is and I think your response was uncalled for and rude. As I have said, and others have confirmed, spending that much on Disney dining is not out of the realm of possibility and doesn't involve being a glutton. If you eat at signatures or dinner shows, you can easily be talking about $200 or more for a family of 4 per meal. The amount spent doesn't equate to the amount eaten.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

@Arkitekt

$300 a day for 2 adults 2 children is not an astronomical figure say you spend $20 per person for breakfast buffet per day, $10 per person Counter Service lunch per day, and $50 per person for a Signature dinner is $320 per day. I wouldn't say it's binge eating or unhealthy. It depends on what you order and how much of the food you eat. To answer your question, yes, your comment was out of line.

How much a person makes per year and what they spend their money on is no one's business and shouldn't concern you.

 

[arkitekt]

My bad. It sounded like he wanted an opinion.

My opinion is that I could certainly do it for less going oop as well as on a dining plan. I don't pretend to know the OP nor his drinking,tipping or eating habits. He could be doing the princess theme dinner every night and what he pays is entirely up to him and his creditors.

So be it.

 

[robinb]

@Arkitekt

$300 a day for 2 adults 2 children is not an astronomical figure say you spend $20 per person for breakfast buffet per day, $10 per person Counter Service lunch per day, and $50 per person for a Signature dinner is $320 per day. I wouldn't say it's binge eating or unhealthy. It depends on what you order and how much of the food you eat. To answer your question, yes, your comment was out of line.

Well ... kids that are 9 and under are much less. $10 breakfast buffet, $5 CS and $10 Signature dinner come out to $25 per day instead of $80 per day. So ... 2 adults and 2 kids (9 and under) would be just about $200 per day instead of $300. I have been going to WDW 2-3 times a year for nearly 15 years and I find $300 per day to be excessive. Then again, I find the entire DxDDP excessive ... .

 

[Sleeping Becca]

It wasn't stated how old the kids were, I was assuming that the kids were older.

If you order a bottle of wine each night at a signature restaurant you are looking at $70 per bottle.

Bills for dinner for 2 can easily run up to over $200 with 3 courses and a bottle of wine. So $300 per day seems reasonable to me.

Some folks don't get to go on vacation multiple times per year, so they like to go all out, when they get the chance. I personally wouldn't do the deluxe plan, seems like too much time spent in restaurants. I like the signature restaurants but I like seeing the nighttime spectaculars too.

@arkitekt
creditors? Believe it or not some folks spend over $8000 on a vacation and don't put a dime on a credit card. Truth.

 

[robinb]

It wasn't stated how old the kids were, I was assuming that the kids were older.

If you order a bottle of wine each night at a signature restaurant you are looking at $70 per bottle.

Bills for dinner for 2 can easily run up to over $200 with 3 courses and a bottle of wine. So $300 per day seems reasonable to me.

Some folks don't get to go on vacation multiple times per year, so they like to go all out, when they get the chance. I personally wouldn't do the deluxe plan, seems like too much time spent in restaurants. I like the signature restaurants but I like seeing the nighttime spectaculars too.

@arkitekt
creditors? Believe it or not some folks spend over $8000 on a vacation and don't put a dime on a credit card. Truth.

Oh ... I understand that some people like to "shoot the wad" when they go to WDW. If the OP can afford to "shoot the wad" and it makes them happy then I think that's fine . I was just stating why I agree with arkitekt and don't think $300 a day to feed a family of 4 is particularly reasonable. Especially when (according to another one of the OP's posts) both the kids are under 9.

FWIW, someone upthread mentioned a spreadsheet where you can compare the Disney Dining Plans with paying OOP with the TIW card. I didn't create it, but I host it on my ISP.

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW Dining/DisneyDining Template 2009.xls

Enjoy .

 

[Sleeping Becca]

It does make a difference if the kids are under 9. I was thinking teens since they were spending that much time in restaurants.

My DD has always liked dining in nice restaurants, still she wouldn't want to spend 4 hours a day of her WDW vacation eating.

 

[robinb]

I did want to pop back into the thread and make it clear that I don't agree with arkitekt's ideas on padawans' "issues". I agree with vicki_c when she said it was uncalled for and rude. Arkitekt, you can make your point without insulting people.

 

[wdw&sonny]

Yup! that's the only answer...just depends on how your family eats. I did the math and for my family of 4 in July for 7.5 days, it was better for us to go OoP. Here's why...we learned long ago that when it's hot, we don't eat as much. Plus we love to have a treat, so at TS or CS meals, we share entrees/appetizers. Saves $$ and we are not too full to enjoy a snack or the next meal. There's nothing I like less than being full before a meal or leaving food on the table. OoP also meant for us, that we weren't calculating what we could/couldn't eat and how many credits we had left. We had 11 TS meals and 11 CS meals plus plenty of smoothies, snacks etc. and was about same as basic dining plan for 8 days.

 

[padawans]

Oh ... I understand that some people like to "shoot the wad" when they go to WDW. If the OP can afford to "shoot the wad" and it makes them happy then I think that's fine . I was just stating why I agree with arkitekt and don't think $300 a day to feed a family of 4 is particularly reasonable. Especially when (according to another one of the OP's posts) both the kids are under 9.

FWIW, someone upthread mentioned a spreadsheet where you can compare the Disney Dining Plans with paying OOP with the TIW card. I didn't create it, but I host it on my ISP.

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW Dining/DisneyDining Template 2009.xls

Enjoy .

A charachter breakfast for 4 is $80 for 4 adults and 2 kids. A signature dinner is 150-200 and that is not including wine or gratuity. I don't consider 2 meals a day excessive eating nor do I find it unreasonable to spend $300 a day. Disney prices are unreasonable, but it is what it is. I budget accordinaly. In my original post I was asking people that ate similar to us and paid oop how much they spent. I wasn't asking for people that eat cs or 1 table service meal day to tell me my spending is excessive. I was just trying to find out if I would spend less or the same spending oop because I can get a room discount but can't get the dining plan with it. I find that so may threads on this board become judgemental instead of just answering the question.

 

[vcgirl925]

This coming november would be our 3rd time on the disney dining plan. Prior to that we ate at one or two table services for the week OOP. The rest were breakfasts in the room (we would stay off site with a kitchen). We'd eat snacks or lunch/dinner at the park or lunch/dinner out of the park.

We still have no ever eaten at a signature.