Summer meal offer weirdness

[rexmism]

Hi everyone,
We got the summer meal offer back in February, and I wanted to get some thoughts on this, because it wasn't as much as everyone seems to indicate it should be. I'm calculating an average of $7.85 per meal, with 2 adults, 4 kids over two years old, 7 nights (at Art of Animation, and 8 days of park tickets), for a total of 42 meals. I read it's supposed to be roughly $19 per adult or $8 per child. Essentially, it seems to have not charged us meals for adding the 3rd and 4th kid, even though they're three years old. Which turns a pretty bad deal, which we would not have bought, into a very good deal...
Here's my chart below. It shows total with no meals and total with meals, one line for adding our twin three year olds, and one line for excluding them. In each case, the additional cost for adding on the meals is almost identical, around $330. 330/42 = 7.85.

I did a Disney chat, and they said this was accurate. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.
Related to this, does anyone know when your quick service meal credits show up to view on MDE, and where exactly you view them? I want to make sure I have all of those 42 meals, but I'm guessing they won't show until our first day.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I'm confused......how are you coming up with a $7.85 meal average? Do you mean that all meals, adult and kids should average out to $7.85? If so I think that it way too low.

 

[rexmism]

I'm confused......how are you coming up with a $7.85 meal average? Do you mean that all meals, adult and kids should average out to $7.85? If so I think that it way too low.

As per the table, the summer deal without meals (for 2 adults and 4 kids) was 5572.62. With meals, 5902.14. That's a difference of 329.52 to add on the meals. 330 divided by 42 meals is 7.85. I agree it seems low, but those are the numbers we were getting.

 

[sharonabe]

But the summer meal deal was one FREE meal per person, so the meals are still free. The difference is you had to pay rack rate on the room. The total price has nothing to do with the price of the meal.

 

[rexmism]

But the summer meal deal was one FREE meal per person, so the meals are still free. The difference is you had to pay rack rate on the room. The total price has nothing to do with the price of the meal.

Ooohh, okay! That makes more sense! But two more questions stem from that... How come people were saying that the summer meal promo is 18 for adults and 9 for kids? And what is a rack rate? Just the normal non discounted rate?

 

[sharonabe]

Ooohh, okay! That makes more sense! But two more questions stem from that... How come people were saying that the summer meal promo is 18 for adults and 9 for kids? And what is a rack rate? Just the normal non discounted rate?

Sounds like you're referring to my post here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/cost-to-upgrade-summer-meal-deal.3660498/

That's just the value Disney has given it when you want to upgrade from that to a full dining plan. That isn't what you're paying for the free deal; it's what they are saying the free is worth to them.

Yes, rack rate is the normal non-discounted rate of a resort room.

 

[rexmism]

So you're saying if you want to upgrade to the regular QS meal plan from the promo meal plan, it's $13.64 more for each kid per day, which is about $8 less than usual?

 

[sharonabe]

So you're saying if you want to upgrade to the regular QS meal plan from the promo meal plan, it's $13.64 more for each kid per day, which is about $8 less than usual?

Exactly. And $34.37 per adult, which is about $18 less than the regular DDP cost.

 

[rexmism]

Okay. So $34.37 to add one QS meal and 2 snacks (and the mug, but you get a drink with your meal anyway)? Is it just me, or is that a pretty bad deal? You'd have to get an 18 dollar meal, 4 dollar drink, and 2 6 dollar snacks. Not impossible, but... You've still lost 34 cents. I knew it was an effort to get value from the dining plan, but it seems like it's only ever very useful if you get it for free, and you have enough people that you got it for free for.

 

[sharonabe]

Okay. So $34.37 to add one QS meal and 2 snacks (and the mug, but you get a drink with your meal anyway)? Is it just me, or is that a pretty bad deal? You'd have to get an 18 dollar meal, 4 dollar drink, and 2 6 dollar snacks. Not impossible, but... You've still lost 34 cents. I knew it was an effort to get value from the dining plan, but it seems like it's only ever very useful if you get it for free, and you have enough people that you got it for free for.

That's why some of us will not buy the plan ever again. However, if you have some kids who will eat adult QS meals, then they bring the total value up to a point of saving money. Let's say you have one adult and one kid who wants adult QS meals. You'd be paying about $48 for that extra meal and snacks. Four $5 snacks brings you down to $28 for two adult meals, so you only have to "spend" $14 for an entree and drink to break even. That's definitely doable EVERY time.

 

[rexmism]

That's why some of us will not buy the plan ever again. However, if you have some kids who will eat adult QS meals, then they bring the total value up to a point of saving money. Let's say you have one adult and one kid who wants adult QS meals. You'd be paying about $48 for that extra meal and snacks. Four $5 snacks brings you down to $28 for two adult meals, so you only have to "spend" $14 for an entree and drink to break even. That's definitely doable EVERY time.

Well, most times. There are always the 9 dollar hot dogs But clearly you have to cheat the system with kid prices to make it worth it!
By the way, do you know if you can do the "3 snacks for a QS credit" when you're using mobile ordering?

 

[sharonabe]

Well, most times. There are always the 9 dollar hot dogs But clearly you have to cheat the system with kid prices to make it worth it!
By the way, do you know if you can do the "3 snacks for a QS credit" when you're using mobile ordering?

Sorry, have no idea. Since you only have QS meals and no snacks, it might. You'll have to try it once you're there to see if the dining plan comes up as a form of payment.

 

[rexmism]

Sorry, have no idea. Since you only have QS meals and no snacks, it might. You'll have to try it once you're there to see if the dining plan comes up as a form of payment.

OK, thanks!