Should we do the dining plan?

[Picabo]

I'm trying to figure out if the Dining Plan is our best option. We'll be 2 adults and a 2 yr old and a 3 yr old. I plan to do several buffets and family style meals since the 2 yr old can eat for free at those places. Plus, it seems as if you will DEFINATELY loose money if the 3 yr old doesn't do the meal plan. (Most TS meals are going to be at least $10 for her.....not including CS and snack) But not sure that the loss for the OOP kids meals outweighs anything.

We'll be there 7nts and here are the places we plan to do TS at. (We'll end up doing at least one bkfst OOP)

We have 6 dinner places we'd like to do and 3 bkfsts we want to do. So obviously some days we'll have 2 meals a day already taken care of...maybe we won't need the CS credits on those few days and it's cheaper to NOT do the meal plan? Also, like the idea of not being locked into dessert and maybe having the option to do an appetizer...I figure the desserts are probably decent enough size that we can share it, eh? (We aren't usually dessert eaters anyhow...)

Please let me know your thoughts! THANKS....

'Ohana (dinner)
Kona (dinner)
Biergarten (dinner)
Cape May (dinner)
Chef Mickey (bkfst on last day)
Cyrstal Palace (Bkfst - OOP)
1900 Park Fare (dinner)
Akerhaus (Bkfst - OOP)
Coral Reef (dinner)

 

[Katiebell]

I consider our "break-even" point on the DDP to be $25 for TS (including beverage, dessert, and tax), $10 for CS (including beverage, dessert, and tax), and $4 for snack.

If you aren't a dessert eater, then don't count the cost of dessert if you normally wouldn't order it -- but there are a lot of good TS desserts. As far as CS, you can always request a piece of fruit or a bottle of water as your "dessert", and save those for later.

7 of the meals you've chosen are AYCE or buffets, and will be a fixed price, all appetizers, desserts, and beverages included. The cost for your 3 year old will exceed the cost for the DDP, so that's a no-brainer.

for the Adults:
'Ohana (dinner) -- 26.99
Kona (dinner)
Biergarten (dinner) -- 23.99
Cape May (dinner) -- 30.99
Chef Mickey (bkfst on last day) -- 22.99 (26.99 if during a holiday premium)
Cyrstal Palace (Bkfst - OOP) -- 18.99
1900 Park Fare (dinner) -- 28.99
Akerhaus (Bkfst - OOP) -- 22.99
Coral Reef (dinner)

CP and Akershus are definitely the least expensive...all of the others you would definitely exceed the $25 mark after tax. For Kona and Coral Reef, look at the menus and calculate what you would actually order for entree and beverage (don't include an appetizer, because that will be OOP, but do add in the dessert if one looks good to you). Don't forget to add in tax. Then look at the CS meals, figure out what you would actually order, and see if you go over $10 per person. And don't forget the snack credits!

 

[TxRabbit]

This topic was just on another thread, and I am curious to apply that logic here.

Using these costs, currently listed here on the disboards (not including drinks or desserts for the nonbuffets):

'Ohana (dinner) A:26.99 C:12.99
Kona (dinner) A:$16.49 to $28.99 C:$7.49
Biergarten (dinner) A: $23.99 C: $11.99
Cape May (dinner) A:$25.99 C: $11.99
Chef Mickey (bkfst on last day) A: $22.99 $12.99
Cyrstal Palace (Bkfst - OOP)
1900 Park Fare (dinner) $28.99 $13.99
Akerhaus (Bkfst - OOP)
Coral Reef (dinner) $16.99 $26.99 $7.49

Adult minimum: $162.43 + 10.56 tax = $172.99
Adult maximum: $184.93 + 12.02 tax = $196.95
Child: $90.92 + 5.91 tax = $96.83

Total TS min: $442.81
Total TS max: $490.73

DDP cost: $636.79

Difference in cost: $193.98 to $146.06 (This is what you would actually saved if you decided to totally pay OOP instead of using DDP)

Including one shared dessert:
Biergarten: Add $5.49 to $5.99 (tax)
Coral Reef: Add $6.99 to 7.99(tax)
Total: Add $13.29 to 14.89

New Totals:
Total TS min: $456.61
Total TS max: $505.62

New difference in cost: $180.18 to $131.17 (This is what you would actually saved if you decided to totally pay OOP instead of using DDP)

Again, your saving would decrease slightly more if you ordered all the desserts you were entitled to at Biergarten and Coral Reef.

This analysis is based on TS alone.

You would also receive:
14 adult CS credits
7 child CS credits
21 snack credits

I've seen that people generally budget between and $10 and $15 per adult CS meal. Based on those costs, figure this:

Minimum $10 cost: use between 20 and 14 adult CS credits to break even (I know you don't have 20 Adult CS credits)
Maximum $15 cost: use between 12 and 9 adult CS credits to break even

Credits you need to use to break even becomes less if you actually use any child CS credits or snack credits.

Because of your TS selections, it is really a close call in your case to know whether or not the DDP would be a good choice for you. I think that you will really need to figure out what CS and snacks you are likely to use during your stay because it's possible that you might not come out ahead on the DDP.

I hope you can follow my analysis. I've been curious as to the savings in using the DDP lately myself. Your situation is unique because you are using so many buffets, the difference in your possible maximum cost and minimum cost is fairly insignificant.

I hope this helps!
Happy planning!

 

[Picabo]

Katiebelle....Well, when you put it that way, seems silly to NOT to the dining plan right? It can't be too hard to spend $10 on lunch - I figure most lunches will be about $10-12.

So with the dining plan, the tax is included, right? So when looking up the meal prices/menus - those prices do NOT include tax but when we have the dining plan the tax has already been covered and we just owe TIP, correct?

THANKS!

 

[Picabo]

This topic was just on another thread, and I am curious to apply that logic here.

Using these costs, currently listed here on the disboards (not including drinks or desserts for the nonbuffets):

'Ohana (dinner) A:26.99 C:12.99
Kona (dinner) A:$16.49 to $28.99 C:$7.49
Biergarten (dinner) A: $23.99 C: $11.99
Cape May (dinner) A:$25.99 C: $11.99
Chef Mickey (bkfst on last day) A: $22.99 $12.99
Cyrstal Palace (Bkfst - OOP)
1900 Park Fare (dinner) $28.99 $13.99
Akerhaus (Bkfst - OOP)
Coral Reef (dinner) $16.99 $26.99 $7.49

Adult minimum: $162.43 + 10.56 tax = $172.99
Adult maximum: $184.93 + 12.02 tax = $196.95
Child: $90.92 + 5.91 tax = $96.83

Total TS min: $442.81
Total TS max: $490.73

DDP cost: $636.79

Difference in cost: $193.98 to $146.06 (This is what you would actually saved if you decided to totally pay OOP instead of using DDP)

Including one shared dessert:
Biergarten: Add $5.49 to $5.99 (tax)
Coral Reef: Add $6.99 to 7.99(tax)
Total: Add $13.29 to 14.89

New Totals:
Total TS min: $456.61
Total TS max: $505.62

New difference in cost: $180.18 to $131.17 (This is what you would actually saved if you decided to totally pay OOP instead of using DDP)

Again, your saving would decrease slightly more if you ordered all the desserts you were entitled to at Biergarten and Coral Reef.

This analysis is based on TS alone.

You would also receive:
14 adult CS credits
7 child CS credits
21 snack credits

I've seen that people generally budget between and $10 and $15 per adult CS meal. Based on those costs, figure this:

Minimum $10 cost: use between 20 and 14 adult CS credits to break even (I know you don't have 20 Adult CS credits)
Maximum $15 cost: use between 12 and 9 adult CS credits to break even

Credits you need to use to break even becomes less if you actually use any child CS credits or snack credits.

Because of your TS selections, it is really a close call in your case to know whether or not the DDP would be a good choice for you. I think that you will really need to figure out what CS and snacks you are likely to use during your stay because it's possible that you might not come out ahead on the DDP.

I hope you can follow my analysis. I've been curious as to the savings in using the DDP lately myself. Your situation is unique because you are using so many buffets, the difference in your possible maximum cost and minimum cost is fairly insignificant.

I hope this helps!
Happy planning!

WOW very impressive! Thanks for doing all that! Guess I really need to sit down (I have plenty of time as you can see by my ticker!) and figure out exactly what we plan to do and take a good guess at what we'd get. (Example: I know I want the steak at Kona and I know DH will have the Tuna) We'd also get drinks everywhere (soda/tea) and I beleive that SOME buffets do not include them. The thing I cant get beyond is that the kids meals at dinner (buffet) are well over the cost of what we paid for her - so CS and snacks are virtually FREE for her. So I keep trying to figure that part out when calculating how much we save or don't save.

Example:

Pecos Bill (CS)
A Chicken Wrap $7.59
Strawberry Yogurt $1.99
Soda $2.09

A BBQ Pork Sandwich $7.59
Peanut Butter Brownie Mousse $3.59
Soda $2.09

C Kids Pick Salad with grilled chicken $4.49

Ohana DINNER
A 26.99 C 12.99

Snacks 3x $3 = $9

TTL: Adult meals/snack $84.92 (plus tax)
Child meals/snack $20.48 (plus tax)

DDP cost for that day: $80 (adults) $10 (child)

Thing is...without the DDP, I wouldn't order dessert at counter service. But WOULD probably order fries or a side of some sort. WITH the dining plan, since we get dessert, I would not ALSO order a side. But the point I guess is that if not for the dining plan my CS meal would probably be about the same value by the time I paid for Fries or side salad, etc instead of including the dessert.

SOOOO I can see that doing buffets alone (with just adults) would be very "close" call but it's the kids saving that kind of kicks it up. (Not to mention, at buffets I do not have to pay anything extra for my 2 1/2 yr old to eat) But that would be the case weather we do the dining plan or not so that part is irrelavant to IF I should do the dining plan or not.

 

[Katiebell]

Katiebelle....Well, when you put it that way, seems silly to NOT to the dining plan right? It can't be too hard to spend $10 on lunch - I figure most lunches will be about $10-12.

So with the dining plan, the tax is included, right? So when looking up the meal prices/menus - those prices do NOT include tax but when we have the dining plan the tax has already been covered and we just owe TIP, correct?

THANKS!

Yes, tax is included, tips are not. DH and I are doing the DDP in a couple of weeks...it's "free", but we are paying rack rate for our room. We paid for the DDP last May, and really enjoyed it. It was too much food with appetizers included (we left a lot of food on the table). But we both like dessert, so I think it will work well for us this year, even though we have to budget for tips and the occasional appetizer if we want one.

I would do the DDP with kids under 10, teens that eat a lot, and adults that like one TS meal a day, and like desserts. I would not do the DDP if I had picky kids over 10 that I had to pay full adult price for, adults that were light eaters or didn't like desserts and would be more likely to just order an appetizer for their meal, and I wouldn't do the regular DDP if we planned on mostly signature restaurants, because most meals aren't worth the cost of 2 TS credits -- usually a much better deal to pay OOP for signature. And I'd also hesitate on the DDP if we qualified for the DDE, but we'd really have to use it a lot and use all of the benefits (like valet parking and discounts on alcoholic beverages) to make it worthwhile.

 

[TxRabbit]

I just started a thread to share some of the calculations that I have been doing to judge the value of the DDP for my family.

For our next trip, we will most likely be going with extended family. They are fly by the seat of their pants type people, and may or not be interested in doing TS. It might be hard to get TS for our big group too.

I have actually calculated that it would be the best value for us to pay OOP for breakfast buffets and pay for the QS DDP instead of the regular DDP.

If you really are pinching pennies, which I AM definitely, then doing the calulations is really a good deal.

Happy planning!