Stay, Play, Dine Calculation

[dmunsil]

I have to say I feel honored to be swapping discount info and ideas with you on a DISBoards thread!

Thanks so much! This kind of thing is one of the real pleasures of working on MouseSavers; I love trying to figure out how things work and see if that leads to a better way to save money or get more value out of a vacation.

Don

 

[dmunsil]

Interesting!

With the above dining calculations and a 10 percent room discount (POR), the calculated difference is only cents off.

Which room type and what dates? I calculated a 5% discount on a POR Garden View from 1/11-1/14. If it's 10% on another room type or other dates, that's very interesting, because an SSR studio (also from 1/11-1/14) only came out to about 7%.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

A couple of resort breakdowns in Early February:

Animal Kingdom Lodge appears to be 55% off dining + $9 off per weekday night and $16 off per weekend night

Boardwalk Inn appears to be 55% off dining + $41 off per weekday night and $47 off per weekend night

I checked these same resorts for later in February (during a different rate season) and the amounts changed:

Animal Kingdom Lodge the last week of February increased to $30 per night on weekdays.

Boardwalk Inn increased to $64 per night for weekdays.


To me this means that the resort discounts are variable by resort, by weekday vs. weekend and by rate season. Basically - the resort component is WAY too hard to determine. This would explain why people's savings are sometimes drastically different. I think I've taken this as far as I can as it's too complex now. However, I think we've really made progress in understanding how this deal works!

ALSO - if anybody wants to post their dates, adult/child breakdown, resort, tickets, and dining plan option we probably can tell you how your specific deal worked.

 

[CdnSquirrel]

I've only calculated for our trip. I'll try some variants on the weekend. Its sort of like jeopardy, having the answer but not the question. I wonder what the average group consists of, I bet it is a factor. I also would guess that a certain number of nights stay are rewarded, probably six as that is the number the booking website automatically includes. More children are likely a bonus as they are the ones who generate the most revenue.

I expect there is an exact number of people combined with the number of nights of stay that are the most cost effective for Disney and numbers that are less so...

 

[CantWaitToGoAgain]

If you don't mind:
1. 2 adults, 1 child (4 yr)
2. January 16 - 22
3. Pop standard
4. 2 day park tickets no hopper
5. TS Dining plan

Looking at difference between TS vs QS (I think about $250)

Also, we can arrive a day early 1/15 if not too much more.

I also priced CBR. Everything else the same, but about $400 more.

Do you agree with my calculations? I'm not sure of the percentage saved, just looking to maximize my dollar.
TIA,
Denise

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Do you agree with my calculations? I'm not sure of the percentage saved, just looking to maximize my dollar.
TIA,
Denise

Rack rate on the room for those dates is: $752.64; Tickets cost $586.82; QS Dining is $600.06; cost to upgrade to TS Dining is $243; There's also a package cost that Disney seems to add to all packages of $1.40 per person (this is on packages of any length from what I know);
TOTAL: $2,186.72

The Stay Play Dine Offer works for you like this:

Tickets - Still $586.82
QS Dining - Save 55% new cost $270.03 (Saved over $330)
Room - $2 off per night (almost seems insulting!) new cost $739.23 (Saved
$13.50 after Tax)
Cost to Upgrade Dining $243 - No discount to upgrade
Package Cost: $4.20 ($1.40 per person
NEW TOTAL: $1843.28
Total Savings: $343.44

As far as whether you should add a day or stay at a different resort. You can just price all that out on the website, I'm not sure I understand what other questions you were asking. However, now you at least know how your discount is working. If you add a day you'll save $2 (plus tax) on the room and $55 on the dining. You'll have to pay for the upgrade to regular dining for that day too which will be $40.50.

Here's one other weird question - if you're only spending 2 days in the parks how do you plan to use your 12 table service meals? If you're only doing 2 park days because your spending a lot of time at Sea World or Universal I would not upgrade the dining plan because POP only has QS meals at the resort. If you won't be on Disney property a lot it may even make more sense to drop the stay play dine and just book the winter room offer discount and have no dining.

 

[Pfau]

Which room type and what dates? I calculated a 5% discount on a POR Garden View from 1/11-1/14. If it's 10% on another room type or other dates, that's very interesting, because an SSR studio (also from 1/11-1/14) only came out to about 7%.

1/27-2/03 for POR Garden View!

Of course, I'm NOT a math-thinker so tell me if my calculations are off or something is amiss.

My discounted total is 3192.16

- assuming the dining calculations up-thread (2 adults/2 children) = 87.84 x 7 nights = 614.88

- subtracting dining from grand total = 2577.28 which would be 6 day base tickets (2 adults/2 children) + resort

- subtracting 6 day base tickets (2 adults/2 children) NON-discounted 1295.04 = 1282.24 (which is the discounted resort rate for 7 nights)

- The difference between rack for 7 nights (1425.41) minus discounted rate for 7 nights (1282.26) = 143.15

OR 1425.41 (rack) minus 10 percent = 1282.87 (which is .61 higher than the actual discounted rate)

*head spinning*

 

[MistressGracey]

I recently changed my ressie to the new S/P/D offer for January.

1 Adult/4 Nights/3 day base ticket/ASSp Pref Room/QS Dining Plan.

When I retrieve my reservation on the MDE website it describes my booking as "MYW Pkg+Discounted Quick Service Dining".

Doing the math and paying full rack rate for the room and tickets my discounted dining plan works out to be approx $17/night which is just about what the children's QS DDP cost is... looks like I got just that... discounted dining at the children's rate and nothing more...

Still better than nothing though!

 

[marymal99]

We changed our reservation to Port Orleans Riverside January 17 through January 24 I think I got an okay deal
We've never stayed at Riverside tried to get French quarter but there were no rooms available

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Doing the math and paying full rack rate for the room and tickets my discounted dining plan works out to be approx $17/night which is just about what the children's QS DDP cost is... looks like I got just that... discounted dining at the children's rate and nothing more...QUOTE]

That is not how the deal is working. The math may coincidentally seem to work that way but that's not how it actually works.

You aren't paying full rack rate for the room. For January at AS Sports it seems to me like you are getting $4.50 off per night of the rack rate and the 55% discount on dining which we have documented throughout the thread. I can't say for sure since I don't know your dates. The 55% definitely holds true at all resort categories for any number of adults or children. We have definitively proven that SPD is not Adults at kids prices.

No that any of this matters but this thread is about dissecting how the deal works and I don't want anybody to be mistaken if they are interested in understanding how the deal truly works.

 

[msb578]

if you're only spending 2 days in the parks how do you plan to use your 12 table service meals? If you're only doing 2 park days because your spending a lot of time at Sea World or Universal I would not upgrade the dining plan because POP only has QS meals at the resort. If you won't be on Disney property a lot it may even make more sense to drop the stay play dine and just book the winter room offer discount and have no dining.

There are plenty of people who enjoy all the non-park things WDW has to offer, including the many good restaurants at all the resorts! I recently did a five night stay with only one park day.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

There are plenty of people who enjoy all the non-park things WDW has to offer, including the many good restaurants at all the resorts! I recently did a five night stay with only one park day.

Yup - I don't doubt that.

I'm just not sure of that poster's experience with WDW and wanted to make sure they understood that POP didn't have a TS restaurant and that if their plans were to do Universal and SeaWorld on those other 5 days (not stay around WDW) that it could be difficult to use all of those meals.

 

[CantWaitToGoAgain]

Hello again,
I will be in town for a conference. So while I'm attending the conference my husband and son will enjoy Pop and other resort hoping. We really only have 2 days for parks. I wanted to upgrade to the dining plan so we could at least do some character breakfasts and dinners on the 2 park days but also at the resorts.
Thank you for your calculations, it certainly helps me break it down for my husband.

 

[palpluto]

Can you tell me what my cost would be for S/P/D
2 adults + 2yo
Jan 4-6 or Jan 5-7 at ASM with upgrade dining plan and 2 day 1 park tix?
Thank you!!!

Also, Im assuming the Christmas stuff will be gone that week?

 

[msb578]

Yup - I don't doubt that. I'm just not sure of that poster's experience with WDW and wanted to make sure they understood that POP didn't have a TS restaurant and that if their plans were to do Universal and SeaWorld on those other 5 days (not stay around WDW) that it could be difficult to use all of those meals.

I definitely agree with what you said about looking at the room-only discount too. People sometimes miss out on the better deal.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Hello again,
I will be in town for a conference. So while I'm attending the conference my husband and son will enjoy Pop and other resort hoping. We really only have 2 days for parks. I wanted to upgrade to the dining plan so we could at least do some character breakfasts and dinners on the 2 park days but also at the resorts.
Thank you for your calculations, it certainly helps me break it down for my husband.

Cool - hope you have a great time! I didn't double check but I think with your breakdown the SPD is the better deal than the room only. It typically is at a value resort. If you do consider upgrading to the Moderate Resort level you may want to compare your savings to a room only with dining Out of Pocket. It could save you money but only if you price out what your meals really would cost.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Can you tell me what my cost would be for S/P/D
2 adults + 2yo
Jan 4-6 or Jan 5-7 at ASM with upgrade dining plan and 2 day 1 park tix?
Thank you!!!

Also, Im assuming the Christmas stuff will be gone that week?

The S/P/D deal starts on Jan 5th so if you check in on the 4th you are not eligible unfortunately.

It also requires a minimum 3 night stay so the 5-7 would not qualify - you have a couple of options:

1) Go Jan 5-7 and use the winter room only discount. You could add dining or you could just pay for meals OOP.

2) Go Jan 5-8 and do the S/P/D deal. It's very easy to price out what this would cost you using the Disney Website.

I haven't been during that time of year for about 5 years however the last time we went around then there was still some Christmas stuff out.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

1/27-2/03 for POR Garden View!

Of course, I'm NOT a math-thinker so tell me if my calculations are off or something is amiss.

My discounted total is 3192.16

- assuming the dining calculations up-thread (2 adults/2 children) = 87.84 x 7 nights = 614.88

- subtracting dining from grand total = 2577.28 which would be 6 day base tickets (2 adults/2 children) + resort

- subtracting 6 day base tickets (2 adults/2 children) NON-discounted 1295.04 = 1282.24 (which is the discounted resort rate for 7 nights)

- The difference between rack for 7 nights (1425.41) minus discounted rate for 7 nights (1282.26) = 143.15

OR 1425.41 (rack) minus 10 percent = 1282.87 (which is .61 higher than the actual discounted rate)

*head spinning*

Ok - you're on the right track. Here's how I would figure your savings to work:

Rack rate on your package = 3,878.02
SPD Discount Rate = 3,192.16

Total Savings = 685.86

Dining Savings = 615.00
Resort Savings are $9 per night (see below for calculation)

Resort Savings = 70.86
Divide 70.86 by 1.125 to factor out tax = 63
Divide 63 by your 7 nights (it just so happens your weekend and weekday nights have the same discount amount (otherwise this step gets more complex)
Your savings on the resort = $9.00 per night

 

[Pfau]

Ok - you're on the right track. Here's how I would figure your savings to work:

Rack rate on your package = 3,878.02
SPD Discount Rate = 3,192.16

Total Savings = 685.86

Dining Savings = 615.00
Resort Savings are $9 per night (see below for calculation)

Resort Savings = 70.86
Divide 70.86 by 1.125 to factor out tax = 63
Divide 63 by your 7 nights (it just so happens your weekend and weekday nights have the same discount amount (otherwise this step gets more complex)
Your savings on the resort = $9.00 per night

Thank goodness!

And I just noticed we will be at the same resort at the same time. I'll wave to you!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Thank goodness!

And I just noticed we will be at the same resort at the same time. I'll wave to you!

Yes - I noticed that when pricing things out. We get there 1 day later but leave the same day. I think there will be a lot of us there at that time celebrating our awesome savings on the trip!