Use dining credit or pay OOP? Cost ratio?

[Cin]

I have a few ADR's that we will be paying OOP. Now in trying to decide which ones based on cost of the meal, does anyone know the comparison cost? For example at California Grill my total for the flatbread $13, a salad $14, a dessert $12 and drink tea $6.89 the bill would be around $50 with tax, so would I be better to use a dining credit or pay OOP? I don't know the breakdown per unit of the plan since it came free with my package and am trying to get the best use of it I can. I have overbooked by 3 restaurants and have to pay OOP for a couple but trying to decide since the signature one uses 2 which is really messing me up on the math. If Mom orders the steak alone it's almost the cost of my entire meal including dessert, so it is a no brainer to use a credit for hers, or is it since it is two credits??? Mom and I will be sharing the dessert so if we use a credit for her meal I won't even order one we will share hers. Anyone know the maximum cost OOP before it is more beneficial to use a credit. It might be cheaper to pay for both of us OOP at California Grill as she is an appetizer and salad eater more than an entree eater. I need math help. Please, Help???

 

[Nadjalu]

THe best thing you can do is to figure out what everyone will be eating at every meal.
Make a list per person (a spread sheet would be perfect). Because you can pay OOP for one person at the table if that is their cheapest meal, and use credits for another's meal if it is a more expensive one. Just let the server know before ordering, who is OOP.

It can be a bit difficult when accounting for signature restaurants because you aren't getting more food, or even better food (in some cases), you are paying for atmosphere.
So you have to think of it like this: The meal you pick at a signature restaurant is it worth the price of 2 meals elsewhere? If not then pay OOP for the signature.
My friend hadn't done this and ate at Cali grill and had an entree that was ~$32, then ate at Chefs De France and that entree was $38. So she ended up paying OOP for Chefs when actually Cali would've been cheaper...and used 2 credits!!

When doing a signature restaurant, unless you are picking the most expensive thing on the menu it is often worth it to pay OOP for it. Because her $32 pork tenderloin at Cali gril really cost her over $60 because of the lost credit.

Good luck, hope you have fun on your trip!!!

 

[goofyintoronto]

I have a few ADR's that we will be paying OOP. Now in trying to decide which ones based on cost of the meal, does anyone know the comparison cost? For example at California Grill my total for the flatbread $13, a salad $14, a dessert $12 and drink tea $6.89 the bill would be around $50 with tax, so would I be better to use a dining credit or pay OOP? I don't know the breakdown per unit of the plan since it came free with my package and am trying to get the best use of it I can. I have overbooked by 3 restaurants and have to pay OOP for a couple but trying to decide since the signature one uses 2 which is really messing me up on the math. If Mom orders the steak alone it's almost the cost of my entire meal including dessert, so it is a no brainer to use a credit for hers, or is it since it is two credits??? Mom and I will be sharing the dessert so if we use a credit for her meal I won't even order one we will share hers. Anyone know the maximum cost OOP before it is more beneficial to use a credit. It might be cheaper to pay for both of us OOP at California Grill as she is an appetizer and salad eater more than an entree eater. I need math help. Please, Help???

DEFINITELY pay OOP for Cali Grill since you will be eating the flat bread, and she will have an app with a salad. Using 2 TS credits is such a waste in this case. This past trip I used 2 TS credits for myself cause i knew i wanted the steak (the most expensive item on the menu!) so i had no prob using the 2TS credits for it. For my DS11, he ate the kids meal (lol), so i paid OOP for his. Which was great cause that gave us 2 extra TS credits to use for Teppan Edo on our last night at disney! Otherwise we'd have to pay OOP for that one.

Many ppl go to Cali Grill just for apps and dessert and pay OOP for it. As I said, in a case like yours, i'd def pay OOP. That will give you 4 TS credits to use elsewhere.

Makes sense?

 

[goofyintoronto]

THe best thing you can do is to figure out what everyone will be eating at every meal.
Make a list per person (a spread sheet would be perfect). Because you can pay OOP for one person at the table if that is their cheapest meal, and use credits for another's meal if it is a more expensive one. Just let the server know before ordering, who is OOP.

It can be a bit difficult when accounting for signature restaurants because you aren't getting more food, or even better food (in some cases), you are paying for atmosphere.
So you have to think of it like this: The meal you pick at a signature restaurant is it worth the price of 2 meals elsewhere? If not then pay OOP for the signature.
My friend hadn't done this and ate at Cali grill and had an entree that was ~$32, then ate at Chefs De France and that entree was $38. So she ended up paying OOP for Chefs when actually Cali would've been cheaper...and used 2 credits!!

When doing a signature restaurant, unless you are picking the most expensive thing on the menu it is often worth it to pay OOP for it. Because her $32 pork tenderloin at Cali gril really cost her over $60 because of the lost credit.

Good luck, hope you have fun on your trip!!!

VERY good point to consider!

 

[Cin]

DEFINITELY pay OOP for Cali Grill since you will be eating the flat bread, and she will have an app with a salad. Using 2 TS credits is such a waste in this case. This past trip I used 2 TS credits for myself cause i knew i wanted the steak (the most expensive item on the menu!) so i had no prob using the 2TS credits for it. For my DS11, he ate the kids meal (lol), so i paid OOP for his. Which was great cause that gave us 2 extra TS credits to use for Teppan Edo on our last night at disney! Otherwise we'd have to pay OOP for that one.

Many ppl go to Cali Grill just for apps and dessert and pay OOP for it. As I said, in a case like yours, i'd def pay OOP. That will give you 4 TS credits to use elsewhere.

Makes sense?

Yes, that is what I was thinking is that I would be better off paying OOP for us at the signature and using those 4 credits elsewhere.

 

[Cafeen]

Typically, for 2011, aim for covered meals that will cost > $32 per credit (TS) to pay with a TS credit. This means ~$64 in COVERED items for Sigs. This is assuming DDP. If DxDDP, the numbers change to ~$26/credit (I believe, I don't have my spreadsheet here at work) or ~$52 per signature.

Now, obviously, this isn't a "DO THIS ALL THE TIME" thing, but when trying to figure out if it's better to pay OOP for a meal or use DDP, it works.

Keep in mind credit count too, it's better to lose some money on credits than be left over with any. Even if the meal ends up being $25 for 1 TS credit, that's only a "loss" of about $7, as compared to a loss of ~$32 for not spending it at all.

 

[Cin]

Thanks Everyone! Cafeen, the dollar amount is very helpful in my planning.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm assuming that you are on the regular DDP and not the DxDDP.

With the regular DDP, you DO NOT get apps, so your either your flatbread or your salad will have to be OOP anyway.

Your idea to use one person's TS credits for signature and pay OOP for the other is a good idea.