Spinoff question from dining review thread - DDP value?

[Texa]

Great report... what would be interesting is if you can go back through and separate out what you would have ordered anyway, even if you were paying OOP for everything, versus what you ordered solely because you were on the DP.... that might be very interesting information....

I was going to post on the original thread but decided it was too off topic.

This post kind of read my mind. We went last Nov on rented points and the dining plan wasn't available but I remember wishing we could get in. Now I wonder if it would not be a good deal for us if we ordered the way we normally do vs the way we would on the dining plan. My mom and I split an entree, DH orders an entree and our two kids DD3 and DD9 split and entree and occasionally a dessert. We never order appetizers or get a dessert each. While we were there we did do the fantasmic dinner package where we each got an appetizer and entree and just about busted. I think it was a full 24 hours before the adults could eat again, (the kids just eat what they eat and not worry about value ) and we didn't eat the dessert. We took 2 back to the room to eat later, out of six of us, and ended up throwing them away at the end of the trip. It made me rethink the dining plan for my particular family. Although it is an unquestionably good value for what you do get I wonder what the value would be for people like us who people who snack or graze and don't do many large sit down meals?

Thanks in advance!

 

[SLM]

I think you've made some very valid points-my husband and I signed up for the DDP for our June trip, but it's just the two of us, we won't be concerned about seeing everything at the parks and will have plenty of time to get to and linger over our dinners. I think back to when we traveled as a family with our daughter-she and I would split so many meals. As much as the money, I would've hated throwing so much food away. I don't think I would've signed up for the plan at that point in our lives.

 

[bicker]

As I think I mentioned in that other thread (and I posted the two spreadsheets), I computed our costs both with and without the Dining Plan, including recomputing them based on not eating any appetizers or any desserts. Even with that minimal approach, the Dining Plan still saved money (though of course not as much).

 

[Lewisc]

Do you ever have 2 TS, character breakfast and dinner, meals the same day? Do you plan on dining in any 2 credit TS restaurants? If not skip the plan. I don't think the numbers will work with as much meal splitting as you normally do, particularly since you seem to skip appetizers and desserts.

 

[DebIreland]

I think you raise some very good questions and ones that I've asked myself too! I would love to get the Dining Plan (we're renting points for BWV in October) and thought I'd jump at the opportunity but on second thoughts (or more like 3 months of thoughts!) I've decided it's not for us.

We would never eat 4 appetizers, 4 entrees and 4 desserts - absolutely no way!! More like 1 or 2 appetizers to share between us (there are 5 of us, incl. a 2 year old), 3 to 4 entrees and 1 or 2 desserts to share. We would never have dessert after lunch or, at most, perhaps we'd get a portion of chocolate cake to take a bite each out of just for the taste (I love chocolate!!).

So as much as I love the idea that you could go a bit wild and eat at more expensive restaurants and eat what we want, I know it's not good value for us.

We were originally thinking of getting it for one of our reservations at BWV (we have 2 separate reservations) for 5 nights and spread it out over 6 days (early check in on Day 1 and then it's valid til midnight on Day 6) but our schedule doesn't allow for that unfortunately - we are leaving early to go to the beach on Day 6. Had we been able to do it that way (spread the credits over days) then that would have been great value!!

But you see the other thing that bothers me, outside of too much food, is that there are times when we will have unforeseen changes in our plans. With a 2 year old, who knows when she'll want a nap or an early night? Even my older boys (12 and 9) might be just too tired to make an evening ADR and if we cancel, we'd have wasted 4 credits. Oh my, that would kill me!! Honestly, I would stress about that big time!! lol At least, now that we're not doing it, I can cancel ADRs without a second thought if we decide to eat in or get a quick CS meal.

Oh also - and then I promise I'll be quiet - one of the major benefits to me of staying in a DVC resort is the ability to cook a meal (maybe not so much in studios but certainly in the 1 bed. villa with full kitchen). Now I can assure you we won't be slaving over a hot stove for hours making anything complex but a quick pasta dish with salad and ice cream for dessert certainly appeals to me while the baby naps or plays happily!

Good luck with your decision! I found it ridiculously hard to reach a decision on it myself!

 

[Sammie]

Deb, believe me very few DVCers slave over the stove while on vacation. But I can assure it is really nice after a hard day at the park to have a quiet, unrushed meal in your villa, as you said while possibly little ones nap.

We love the flexibility of picking up carry out in the area and having a meal, that we did not have to cook but no lines, no noise and, and a great view from our table.

With the dining plan those meals are eliminated as they won't let you get carry out on the Dining plan from Full Service.

We are also still debating this for our group. It sounds great on paper but not sure the working of it, fits our Disney lifestyle. We to have cancelled ADRs due to being too tired, or not wanting to go out in a rain storm. So I understand completely.

 

[DebIreland]

Thanks Sammie - I didn't even think of the carry-out idea! Oh, that's so convenient, and with a nice bottle of chilled white wine from the fridge too!! The weather too! That's important. Who wants to take a boat ride to MGM in the pouring rain to eat a TS meal?! But you can bet, if we had the DP (and so the meal is effectively paid for in advance) DH would have us putting on our raingear and wellies and pushing us out the door, rain or no rain.

OP, sorry don't mean to hijack - carry on, while I dream of our October trip which is taking too long to come around!

 

[Texa]

DebIreland and Sammie,
I totally relate to everything you said. We don't even do a TS every day. On our last trip (which was actually our first) I got so excited about the planning, picking and making the ADR's for our vacation, and made one, if not two for every single day. When we got to Disney reality set in for us and I cancelled all but 4 because it was just to much "full meal" eating for us and also too much "we can't go over there because we have an ADR over here at such and such time". Our kids liked eating in the villa also. I didn't really cook but we would have "picnics" in the evening with sandwiches, crackers and cheese, yogurt and fruit. It was a fun way to wind down But I love the idea of trying different types of food and the kids want to try a few character meal. Hmmmmm. I wish you could buy meal "blocks" like you can here at the University (although I wouldn't wish the food from here on anybody!). That would be good for people that are staying offsite and those who don't want the plan for full length of stay. But I guess that would defeat the purpose of getting people to stay on site! Okay now who's rambling on.

Hi Deb! I'm hyatt4 on TourGuideMike!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

As I think I mentioned in that other thread (and I posted the two spreadsheets), I computed our costs both with and without the Dining Plan, including recomputing them based on not eating any appetizers or any desserts. Even with that minimal approach, the Dining Plan still saved money (though of course not as much).

I did something similar for my upcoming trip - I know my mom's and my eating habits pretty well (i.e. if paying cash will tend to order one of the cheapest things on the menu - chicken, chicken and more chicken) but we do like to split the occasional appetizer and of course cheesecake. So, I estimated what we would spend, planning at least one table service meal a day not because of the dining plan, but because I know it will be hot and we would like a break and well, I admit, I like to be served every once in a while.

When I looked at the totals, I realized that it was about the same as purchasing the dining plan (for the time that we have the dvc points - while at BWI it's a room only so it's cash for food). The difference is we can order what we want and we can eat at the restaurants we want without worrying about a budget (for instance, I originally had Le Cellier planned for lunch but with the DDP I switched to dinner; I had booked Nine Dragons but changed it to Alfredo's with the DDP).

Am I "saving" money - maybe a little but the piece of mind and not worrying that my mother will turn into a chicken because she is trying to save me money is well worth $38 per person per day.

 

[paulh]

With the dining plan those meals are eliminated as they won't let you get carry out on the Dining plan from Full Service.

Why not do more 2 TS resturants that way you can eat ofsite if you want to thats what we will be doing
Paulh

 

[pdarrah]

Of course, everyone's trip is different - but just to join in here... I am one of the crazy people that keeps everything from a WDW trip - so I have all my receipts from prior trips. I took all those receipts and calculated what we actually spent on dining. We usually only eat a few TS meals and the rest CS. We often only eat a early lunch and dinner (no real breakfast). Once I had figured out where we had eaten and what we had spent, I tried applying the dining plan and my numbers came out about break-even (not counting snacks). We decided to try doing it this time just for the experience - if we end up actually saving money maybe we'll do it again in the future!

Our trip is in mid-June this spring and we have decided to do the Hoop-Dee-Doo and have made a couple other ADR's. Then I added up what we typically spend on those meals (they are mostly restaurants we've been to and I can calculate our likely bill) and assume we'll spend at least $20 per CS meal (2 adults, 1 child) which is very likely - most of our CS meals usually total around $25. We are about break-even. This is without snacks and I actually still have 2 TS meals I haven't scheduled. So, even if we don't use those last 2 TS meals we won't be losing money. I plan to make ADR's for those - but if we change our mind, we'll cancel and see if we can use our TS credits for a CS meal...

pdarrah

 

[formernyer]

I view this topic a bit differently than the people who have posted here.

If I did not purchase the DDP I would spend a lot less on food. I would probably spring for one TS meal as a "special treat" for my kids. Other than that, we'd probably eat poptarts in the room for breakfast, share CS meals for lunch (or bring sandwiches into the park with us) and eat in Kissimmee for dinner (fast food, buffets, and/or cheap TS meals). There would be no appetizers and desserts would be limited. I'd bring a few snacks into the park with us. Snacks in the parks would be VERY limited...probably only one or two times the entire trip. I'm a cheapskate when it comes to food...I fully admit it.

When we went to Disney last month my daughter still qualified for the child's rate, so it cost me $60/day for three of us. Without the plan it would have cost me about $35/day. The plan did not SAVE me money at all...it actually COST me about $25/day extra, but it made a tremendous difference in the quality of the vacation.

We ate like pigs and loved every minute of it. We ate in restaurants which, to me and my children, were top notch. We ordered whatever we wanted, without having to look at menu prices. My kids were able to have snacks at the parks. I had no stress over how much I was spending on food, because it was a fixed price no matter how much we ate.

The DDP was an incredible value for us, even though we paid more for it than we would have otherwise spent. The "value" was in the quality of the vacation.

I'm not sure I'd purchase it again, but only because my daughter is now $38/day instead of $10.99. Next year my son will be 10 and his cost will increase as well. For that reason, we booked a return visit this Fall so that we'll all be free. That'll probably be the end of our Disney trips unless they continue to offer free dining promotions. I couldn't go back to NOT using the DDP after having experienced it, yet I can't justify paying full adult price for my kids until they are a bit older.