Want to Know if Will Free Dining Really Save You Money Over Your Existing Discount?

[CampbellScot]

We went with the 40% discount on a deluxe room, 2 adults 2 kids, paying for the DDP and it cost us less than it would have if we had done the free DDP instead w/ no discount on the room.

 

[robinb]

Lewis, I did miss your point. Blame it on the cold drugs.

So ... are you saying that you think the value of the food is worth more than what Disney charges for the plan? Sorry, still muzzy.

 

[robinb]

We went with the 40% discount on a deluxe room, 2 adults 2 kids, paying for the DDP and it cost us less than it would have if we had done the free DDP instead w/ no discount on the room.

Just curious ... did you get 40% off the whole package? Or just 40% off the room rack rate?

 

[Lewisc]

Lewis, I did miss your point. Blame it on the cold drugs.

So ... are you saying that you think the value of the food is worth more than what Disney charges for the plan? Sorry, still muzzy.

EXACTLY, if the value was exactly equal to the price I wouldn't buy it. Why give up a discount on tickets and get stricter payment and cancellation policies?

Disney says the dining plan gives guest a 40% savings on their food. I think that may be a little high.

Boma is worth around $32 with tax and tip, a CS meal is worth around $10 and a snack $3-$4 That totals around $45. That number would be higher if you assume a guest has TS meals in restaurants such as Le Cellier and Chefs de France or counter service meals at places like Pepper Market. The dining plan is popular, in part, because guests think they're getting, and some cases do get, a fantastic deal.

My point is guests should be using the value of the food they think they'll be getting in doing the analysis.

 

[Ziggy]

EXACTLY, if the value was exactly equal to the price I wouldn't buy it. Why give up a discount on tickets and get stricter payment and cancellation policies?

Disney says the dining plan gives guest a 40% savings on their food. I think that may be a little high.

Boma is worth around $32 with tax and tip, a CS meal is worth around $10 and a snack $3-$4 That totals around $45. That number would be higher if you assume a guest has TS meals in restaurants such as Le Cellier and Chefs de France or counter service meals at places like Pepper Market. The dining plan is popular, in part, because guests think they're getting, and some cases do get, a fantastic deal.

My point is guests should be using the value of the food they think they'll be getting in doing the analysis.

Totally agree and as we don't eat that much the AAA rate works out better for us

 

[robinb]

My point is guests should be using the value of the food they think they'll be getting in doing the analysis.

Ah, that's too hard! Of course I did it for myself ...

 

[eliza61]

This was our problem last year. When we did the math, the room discount came out ahead.

9 days at the beach club (standard room) with MYW park hopper tickets + water park from the disney site was $4,083.64 for 2 adults and 2 teenagers (12 &14)

9 days standard room at the beach club, AP rate =2,196.00
3 MYW park hopper + water parks tickets on line =$963.00
Total AP cost was $3,159.00

I only needed to buy 3 park passes because I already had an PAP. I usually renew it every year for the room discounts alone. I also purchased a DDE card and save 20% on my meals which helped.

 

[eliza61]

Just curious ... did you get 40% off the whole package? Or just 40% off the room rack rate?

Robin,
40 % off of room rack rate. Since I have an AP, I usually don't do a package because I only need 3 more park passes and I can get them from another vender (e.g. maple leaf tickets) cheaper.

 

[Lewisc]

Ah, that's too hard! Of course I did it for myself ...

Free dining, assuming the customer has the alternative of booking a discounted room, is exactly the same as the decision to pay for dining. What will dining cost, either by paying for it or by forgoing a discount, compared with an approximation of what the food would cost without the dining plan.

 

[stepdisney]

Heres what we did. We took the cost of our room at rack rate which is $215, multiply it times the amount of nights, 8, add tax and tickets AND purchasing the DDP. Then we added the rack rate times nights to tickets without the DDP. For us, we have two adults, one 12-year-old and one son 6. While we get a break on the 6 year old if purchasing DDP, we pay adult for son 12. We saved almost $400 getting the free DDP. I think you have to compare apples with apples meaning you can't figure out the total without including something for food. If you just get a total for rack rate with free dining and compare it to discounted rate without DDP the 40% will win hands down. I read in PP that you couldn't purchas DDP with discounted room but you can if you use a pin code and do not have an AP. It also depends on where you stay. 40% at a value is not going to amount to 40% at a Deluxe. We would have to stay somewhere where the rack is higher than AKL or WL or on Conceirge in order for the 40% to be a better deal.