Ulu Cafe dining plan - worth it?

[squirk]

I am staying at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa next February on points. It will be our first visit to the resort.

It seems that, from time to time, the Ulu Cafe "dining plan" is offered for free as an incentive to book. Two questions:

1.) Am I correct in assuming the "free" offer is only available to cash reservations (i.e., no point bookings)?

2.) If I am right, and I would need to pony up the $15/person/day, is it worth it? I know that's a subjective question, but I am wondering if there was a general consensus?​

I'd be looking at $600 for that package for my trip. I am thinking that whatever convenience factor that dining plan can offer is vastly offset by the fact that I could buy a ton of groceries at Costco or Target for much, much less than that.

Please and thank you!

 

[BobNed]

If it didn't make them lots of money, Disney wouldn't offer it. IMHO, Disney Dining Plans are never worth it financially.

You are correct that you can buy a lot of groceries for $600 even at Hawaii prices.

 

[trs518]

From a pure price prospective, looking at the cost of food on the Aulani website, it isn't worth it. The cost per day is $15 per adult and most lunch menu items and a drink are right around that price. If someone ate breakfast there, they would probably be losing money.

 

[squirk]

If it didn't make them lots of money, Disney wouldn't offer it. IMHO, Disney Dining Plans are never worth it financially.

I have no doubt that this dining plan is a good deal for Disney. I was just wondering if it's a good deal for guests.

Like the DDP at WDW, you have to wonder how many guests actually do the math to determine if the convenience and peace of mind are really worth the premium you're paying for.

 

[BobNed]

I have no doubt that this dining plan is a good deal for Disney. I was just wondering if it's a good deal for guests.

Like the DDP at WDW, you have to wonder how many guests actually do the math to determine if the convenience and peace of mind are really worth the premium you're paying for.

I guess I don't understand your question then. If it is a good deal for Disney, it seems to me it can't be a good deal for guests. What am I missing? I don't see any convenience or peace of mind about it.

 

[squirk]

If it is a good deal for Disney, it seems to me it can't be a good deal for guests.

Oh, I don't know. If everything Disney sold was a lopsided "screw job" where people didn't feel like they got sufficient value for what they paid, especially for the price points Disney usually sets, I doubt the company would have survived this long.

Don't get me wrong: there are a LOT of instances in Disney Parks & Resorts where I do not feel like one gets sufficient value for the price charged. But there are also a lot of instances where, even though pricing was high, I still felt like I got a good deal. I don't think I'd be a member of this board or a DVC owner otherwise.

Maybe another way to phrase my original question is:

In general, do people feel like they would get (or got) their $15/person/day money's worth out of the Ulu Cafe dining plan?

 

[cgattis]

From a pure price prospective, looking at the cost of food on the Aulani website, it isn't worth it. The cost per day is $15 per adult and most lunch menu items and a drink are right around that price. If someone ate breakfast there, they would probably be losing money.

Plus, if you buy a refillable mug, you're paying "twice" for that drink. I agree--I see us losing money on it.

 

[squirk]

Plus, if you buy a refillable mug, you're paying "twice" for that drink. I agree--I see us losing money on it.

I agree 100% from a "dollars-and-cents" perspective.

Never having been to Aulani before, I guess I am not familiar with how long it would take you, on average, to travel back to your villa (i.e., to make a sandwich). Is it really that much of a PITA that it's worth paying the premium for the Ulu dining plan?

Maybe if a travel party has someone with mobility issues, or if nobody wants to prepare meals on vacation, I could see value beyond a pure-dollar standpoint. But otherwise, I am not seeing it.

This might be a case where the DDP in the parks provides better subjective value, as there is a far larger number of resort rooms without a kitchen, and even if they did have kitchens, it's still not nearly as easy to get from the parks back to your room to get something to eat as it is at Aulani.