Why is Dining Plan Working this time??

[mckelvey72]

When we went to Disney in April last year we had 3 Disney Adults (my girl was 11) and 1 Disney child. when I priced out the dining plan vs oop, oop won by about 200.00.

The trip I am taking in December is the opposite.....any ideas why? Is it the character meals and signature meals?

April Trip = 1 character meal, no signature meals
December trip coming up = 2 character meals, 1 signature meal

I mean, I figured it out and it looks like just the sit downs meals will be about 1050.00 and the dining plan for us is 1150. So taking into consideration we get 7 counter service plus snack...dining plan is working out for us.

Confused as to why..... I have been an advocate for OOP up til now....

Any ideas?

Donna

 

[sharonabe]

Can you tell us which character meals and signature and whether they are B, L, or D? $1050 seems a little high for 3 meals for four people and one of them a child.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Post your itinerary. Let's take a peek.

 

[WDWFANCBIIIME]

Like the others said what is your itinerary? But sometimes it does work, my last trip it saved several hundred dollars, this time it was going to cost us several hundred...

 

[TDC Nala]

Regular plan or deluxe? It would be hard to get the regular plan to work with a lot of signature meals. Character meals, sure. Since it's only one signature, then it's likely all about going to the more expensive a la carte meals. Or you're doing a lot of non-character buffets/family style places.

 

[6disneykids]

The reason DDP may be the better deal this time is more character meals. The child's price of a character meal is about the same as the daily price of DDP.

 

[mckelvey72]

Sorry, haven't been on for a few days.....so here are my sit down meals...

Cape May Clam Bake
Crystal Palace breakfast (considering dinner as well, not sure)
Donald's Safari breakfast
Rainforest
Coral Reef
Fultons Crab House

we have 7 days so Fultons will take up one of there other days. I did figure out that I was factoring in tips and appetizers...so when I took them out the cost of the dining plan is about even.....for table and counter service..so the snacks are the only thing we are saving. So thinking we might just do OOP again. That way, if we want to skip a meal and do something else I am not locked into using credits and freaking out HAHA!!! I know some of them are CC guarantee so those we will keep.

Stressing waiting for the December hours plus MVMCP days to come out. Thinking we will do MVMCP on Tuesday 12/3. We will either go over to MK and do the Crystal Palace breakfast and ride a few rides, take a break and come back for the party....OR will do whatever in the morning/day then get a Crystal Palace dinner at 4:30 then do the party. Any opinions which would be better?

Here is my tentative schedule so far......for 11/29 - 12/6

Friday - travel day then Cape May if i can get reservation
Saturday - Legoland
Sunday - Richard Petty Drive Exotic Cars then head to Disney Quest and dinner at Fultons
Monday - AK with breakfast at Donalds Safari...then Rainforest for dinner
Tuesday morning off then MVMCP with Cystal Palace for dinner......OR Crystal palace for breakfast, afternoon nap, then back for MVMCP..thinking first option sounds better now that i type it out
Wednesday - Sleep in and hit Epcot with dinner at Coral Reef
Thursday - Hollywood Studios with lunch at Sci Fi
Friday - whatever (more MK time??) and fly out later in evening

 

[JimmyV]

I come up with a calculus that favors OOP, but would be about even if you add in desserts/snacks.

Based on the way we dine, an Adult's Out of Pocket expenses might look something like this (using peak season pricing):

1. Cape May Clam Bake... $42.59 plus tax and tip (buffet, so app and dessert included.)
2. Crystal Palace breakfast....$28.75 plus tax and tip (buffet, so app and dessert included.)
3. Donald's Safari breakfast.....$33.01 plus tax and tip (AYCTE, so everything is included.)
4. Rainforest.....$26.00 plus tax and tip (Ordered app and entree).
5. Coral Reef....$38.50 plus tax and tip (Ordered app and entree).
6. Fultons Crab House.....$40.00 plus tax and tip (Ordered app and entree).
7. Extra OOP Meal.....$35.00 plus tax and tip (Ordered app and entree).

Subtotal for Dinners including tax and tip.....$305.00

7 x Counter Service Lunches including tax...$119.00 (Typical Combo meals with entree and drink).
Subtotal for Lunches.....$119

Total OOP=$424

****************************************
7 x Days of DP....$399.00 (Includes entrees and desserts, no apps).
Tip on the 6 TS meals included in the DP...$37
One OOP Dinner (needed because Fulton's uses up two credits)...$44 including tax and tip. (Ordered app and entree).

7 x Counter Service Lunches including tax...No Charge. Included in DP. (Includes desserts).

Total DP Expenses=$480

If you supplement the DP with appetizers at places like Fulton's, Coral Reef and Rainforest, then your DP costs will rise above $500. And if you supplement your OOP expenses with desserts and snacks, your costs will probably get to around the same level. However, if you are not big on desserts or snacks, (as we are not), then OOP wins every time.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Are you going to fill in breakfast and/or lunch on the Disney days with counter service? How many NIGHTS is your stay since that's how the DDP credits are assessed. Do you have an estimate on snacks per person, per day? What about desserts and beverages? Assume they will be purchased with every meal?

 

[sharonabe]

I'm counting 8 credits with your tentative schedule, but you only have 7 nights, so one of those you have listed will either have to be taken out or paid OOP which needs to be added to the DDP costs as well.

I didn't do the math yet, but my suggestion for your MVMCP day would be to get an EARLY (4:00-4:30) ADR at CP (you can enter with your ticket at 4:00), so you don't waste any party time with eating dinner. If you can't get one, I'd do the breakfast plan if you have the days on your tickets to go to a park that day.

 

[mckelvey72]

Thanks everyone!! Appreciate everyone's responses...and the calcuation above is awesome...thanks for taking the time to do that. We have 7 nights cause we are flying in Friday and flying out late friday evening. And I am just going to go ahead and get the 8 day tickets .... will give us some "extra" days if we want to go to 2 parks one day...it is cheaper that way then adding the park hopper. Might see how much it is to have no expiration as I don't think we will use all 8 days...and it will give me an excuse to go back HAHA!!!

So you have confirmed it for me....OOP it is! I liked not having to worry about using credits last year when we went. One lunch i just ate my boyfriend's salad as I wasn't that hungry. Stuff like that...plus a big breakfast buffet then early dinner is something we would do..in lieu of trying to fit in a lunch.

Awesome...thanks so much!!! I love these boards!!

 

[JimmyV]

And I am just going to go ahead and get the 8 day tickets .... will give us some "extra" days if we want to go to 2 parks one day...it is cheaper that way then adding the park hopper.

Careful. You can't do this. See thread below, particularly Cheshire Fiment's authoratative post at #5.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2642574

 

[mckelvey72]

Thanks for the information and letting me know....now I have to recalculate and decide what to do!! But glad to find out now HAHA!!!