This is a no-brainer . . . right?

[hAm53]

So I was pricing some stuff up for my parents, and I think I might have stumbled across something . . .
here's what the plan is right now (trip is last week of aug/first week of sept)
8 nights at POR (figure $95 after tax w/ a code)
5 day MYW w/ PH
total = about $1400
they would need to buy thier meals

then I was thinking that if they did the meal plan, it would be easier on them since they haven't been to WDW in 15 years. so I callCRO and get the following quote on a MYW package:
8 nights POR
5 day MYW w/ PH
Meal Plan for the 8 nights
total = 2008.27
but with a 6 day PH = 2010.68

its a given that they'll eat way above $350 worth of food between the two of them over the 8 days, so that would make up the difference between the room only vs the package.
the only downside that i see for the package is that you need to pay it off in advance, as opposed to being able to pay the room-only at check-in.

does anyone know why they would NOT want to do the meal plan package?

 

[MagicKingdom05]

If I could at the dinning option to my AP rate I would do it in a heart beat.

I think that the dinning option is great because even with the limit on which resturants you can use, $35 a day is still a good deal.

 

[speedyf]

Looks pretty good to me....

The only thing that may be off a little is that first estimate. POR at $95 per day is $760 for 8 nights. You can purchase 2 expiring park-hopper MYW 6-Day tickets for about $230 a piece through TicketMania (reputable ticket broker). That brings you to $1220 before food....so, you are basically paying an extra $790 for 8 days of food for 2 people.

For that $790 (almost $100 per day for 8 days)...you get a counter service meal each day, a sit-down meal each day, and a snack (popcorn, drink) each day.

I guess it depends on how much they want to spend in food and if they are definitely going to do a sit down meal each night and where they might want to eat.

I would maybe book the room-only at POR now and wait for the code rates to come out. After the code rates come out and you know for sure what the room rate is, figure it out then. If the package seems like a better choice at that point, then I'm sure Disney will not mind upgrading your rack-rate room-only reservation up to a package....I don't think they "run out" of packages at any point and I don't think the package rate quoted to you will go up before August.

If the code rate ends up being a better deal, then all you have to do is call Disney and try to get the code applied to your existing reservation. If the rate is not available at POR, you can still always go with the package at that point.

speed

 

[disneymom3]

Maybe I am missing something--don't you have to book a package at rack rate in order to GET the dining package? (I sure hope so because that is what I just told someone else!) So for POR, $95 a night is not rack rate.

Nevermind, it was the math in the first post that was throwing me off.