How to Apportion Dining Plan?

[JohnNJ]

Has anyone come up with some figures to apportion the components of the dining plan? IOW, assigning a dollar amount to each meal type (table, counter, snack) for the $37.99 for adults and the $10.99 for children.

I'm starting off with $25 (table), $11 (counter) and $2 (snack) for the adults. It's a lot harder for the kids. Possibly $6, $3 ans $2? Not sure.

Any ideas?

Thanks, John

[DarthGoofy]

I did $25 $10 and $3. I don't know which would be closer. The dining plan seems to be a good deal if you are planning on using your TS credits for dinner. It is easy to spend $25 on a sit down meal for dinner at Disney.

[JohnNJ]

Thanks DG.

Using those figures, I agree that it's a good deal when it's a one for one exchange. I question the savings in a two for one exchange at the Signature restaurants especially for people that can't pack in that much food. :hurl: Hoop-Dee-Doo would be an even exchange.

I guess someone could use their credits at only Signature restaurants, thereby eliminating every other sit-down meal, giving their bodies a chance to recover.

OTOH, the DDE card almost forces you to have sit-down meals for lunch and dinner. The more you spend, the more you save.

John

[DarthGoofy]

Using those figures, I agree that it's a good deal when it's a one for one exchange. I question the savings in a two for one exchange at the Signature restaurants especially for people that can't pack in that much food.

We plan on using two for a dinner at Jiko. The best I can figure is that my meal will be more than $50 and that is without tax and tip.

[gopherit]

Thanks DG.

Using those figures, I agree that it's a good deal when it's a one for one exchange. I question the savings in a two for one exchange at the Signature restaurants especially for people that can't pack in that much food. :hurl: Hoop-Dee-Doo would be an even exchange.


According to the math I did on the dining plan, kids make out like bandits on the DDP. HDDR costs $25.43 for a kid, and will cost them two TS on the dining plan. But 2 nights of dining plan for a kid is only 21.98, and comes with 2 CS meals AND 2 snacks! Plus the pocket-change difference of $3.45. Adult HDDR I agree is break-even.

We have always felt we got more bang for the buck in the evening meals anyway. Breakfast foods (like eggs, waffles, cereals, etc) are pretty cheap and filling. DInners that involve hams and roast beef or steak and salads and shrimp, plus a dessert - much more costly. Yet the difference in price between a character buffet b'fast versus dinner is usually just a few bucks. (For example - price goes up by $7 for adults at Crystal palace... but only $1 for kids).

We have 3 kids (two of which are kids... the eldest Disney seems to think is an "adult", though Lordy knows, don't tell HIM that, there will be NO reasoning with him when he's a teen if he thinks he's already an adult at age 11! :sosad: )
The DDP looks more or less like a break-even on the adult meals for us. What sold me were the kid prices. Of course, there are some good deals to be had, even for the adults. I imagine someone could run up a pretty hefty tab at Le Cellier, for example - isn't it still one TS? :scratchch

[DarthGoofy]

I went to allearsnet.com and looked at the menus for all of the restaurants we have ADRs at. I added up the cost based on what I would probably eat. My total came out to $160 withouth tax and tip. The total for the DDP for 5 nights is $190. This is going to work out great for us.

[DarthGoofy]

Ooops. I fogot to say that that $160 price does not include my snack or CS credits at all.

If all my math :teacher: is right I should come out ahead.

[gopherit]

Ooops. I fogot to say that that $160 price does not include my snack or CS credits at all.

If all my math :teacher: is right I should come out ahead.

Thanks for the clarification, LOL -- for a minute there, I thought you were being sarcastic! (as in, oh surrrre, this will work out "great" for us.... NOT!)

I think what you did (i.e. lumping it all together) is VERY important when figuring out the relative costs! I will have to work extra-hard to keep my DH from worrying about "best value" and either getting things he would not normally get (and having too much food to deal with, or too rich / heavy a food) or also "worrying" if we aren't using a TS or CS in as cost-effective a way.

For example, use a TS at Le Cellier or even Chef Mickey's for an adult and you come out ahead. Use a TS at ESPN or Sci-Fi and you may just break even - if that. I don't want the plan to alter our traveling style, so I may just have to do the math ahead (the way you did, which I've done, and have figured out it's a deal, just as you have!) and then take a few post-it-notes to cover up prices on the menus for DH, LOL!

[gopherit]

I think the other thing I like about this is it's like front-end loading (not sure if other businesses use those terms - it's our company's way of saying you have predicted the upcoming costs accurately! Kind of like payin' it forward?)

I like the idea of knowing exactly what our food price will be, and then having the "liberty" to decide how to eat. SOmetimes, especially towards the end of a trip, you might opt for a cheaper meal just because you think, "well, tomorrow I go home and face the reality of the bills...Wonder what we've spent thus far?" In this scenario, no surprises - and freedom to choose as you go.

Nice.

ANd best of all - no big grocery trip for me! YAHHOO! I am thinking all we will need is a bit of breakfast chow in the room - some cereal and milk and such, and some bottled water. Sweet! That huge kitchen on our OKW villa will seem like such a waste...

[DarthGoofy]

I like the idea of knowing exactly what our food price will be, and then having the "liberty" to decide how to eat. SOmetimes, especially towards the end of a trip, you might opt for a cheaper meal just because you think, "well, tomorrow I go home and face the reality of the bills...Wonder what we've spent thus far?" In this scenario, no surprises - and freedom to choose as you go.

Nice.

My feelings exactly. When I told my DW of the savings she said "yes but we wouldn't normally be eating at all these places." That is the beauty of it. We can eat at all the places and save money in the process.

[CRSNDSNY]

Do you all have any thoughts as to what kind of service we'll receive on the DDP? Since tip is already included, do you think the servers will think -- well, we got our tip anyway so we won't have to work as hard?

Or am I just being paranoid??? :idontgeti

[gopherit]

Do you all have any thoughts as to what kind of service we'll receive on the DDP? Since tip is already included, do you think the servers will think -- well, we got our tip anyway so we won't have to work as hard?

Or am I just being paranoid??? :idontgeti

I suppose it's possible, but whenver we have used coupons (such as Q&C vouvhers, which are a lot like the DDP in that the tip is included), we actually have received VERY good service. ANd I think they probably know, too, that sometimes, folks are even incllined to "double-tip" - that is, leave a bit extra for good service. Count us in that group... I know we have added a bit of cash at the table, knowing the tip woulds be 18%, for good service.

[CRSNDSNY]

I suppose it's possible, but whenver we have used coupons (such as Q&C vouvhers, which are a lot like the DDP in that the tip is included), we actually have received VERY good service. ANd I think they probably know, too, that sometimes, folks are even incllined to "double-tip" - that is, leave a bit extra for good service. Count us in that group... I know we have added a bit of cash at the table, knowing the tip woulds be 18%, for good service.
That is very good to know.

[lllovell]

Do you guys and girls not buy annual passes? We are AP holders so I can't justify this for us - - - maybe for a 10 day trip (ha!) where the cost of the ticket could be accounted for (not even sure if I could turn in those tickets towards an AP either), but I dont see this ever working for us and I wish it would! I want to try it!

If you are staying at a DVC, do you have to buy tickets for at least a day as well?

Laura

[Niki]

My husband and I like to eat at good places, but I am not sure that the 2TS for the Signature places are worth it. You can find alot of good places to chow even on the regular TS list. Try eating at Epcot a few times, and you have more than spent your $$ without even counting the CS or snacks. Teppanyaki Dining Room, Chefs de France and LeCellier work like a charm, even if you are making your main meal lunch. Spoodles is also great, but costly if you like the higher priced items. Basically, if you like to eat at Epcot full service ressies, you can't go wrong.:ale:
Now if they only had a "Booze around the World" plan, I'd be all set.:margarita

[CRSNDSNY]

Do you guys and girls not buy annual passes? We are AP holders so I can't justify this for us - - - maybe for a 10 day trip (ha!) where the cost of the ticket could be accounted for (not even sure if I could turn in those tickets towards an AP either), but I dont see this ever working for us and I wish it would! I want to try it!

If you are staying at a DVC, do you have to buy tickets for at least a day as well?

Laura
Are you talking about the purchase of the Disney Dining Plan? If so, you can purchase this now as a DVC member for your DVC stay.
Is that what you mean?

[lovinlilo]

Because I'm not a DVC member (yet) we used the DDP last year not long after it was introduced and it was a huge success. We didn't encounter any problems with servers treating us bad because we were on the plan either - but a lot of people warned me in advance that I would. DH and I were on the plan our DD2 shared off of our plates and even got her own plate at the buffets without problem. It was nice to sit down and order what we wanted without any conciousness around cost. At the end of our vacation all up and in we saved (and I'm trying to go by memory because I actually wrote the number down in my scrapbook) just over $200.

For us, the DDP allowed for us to eat out every night in places we never would have otherwise. On all our previous trips we had always been worried about the dollar and eaten counter service, off site, or in our rooms. This time, we payed ahead, and just immersed ourselves in the dining experience. We became big fans of the plan and I'm glad they are now extending it to DVC members.

[dgaston]

I was so excited when I read that the DDP would be available for DVC members. We used the DDP last September (free dining plan) on a long weekend birthday trip. We used 1 TS at Teppanyaki, and 2 a piece to eat at California Grill. Our tab for that meal alone would have been $140! For the free dining we did need to purchase at least a one-day ticket, and pay rack rate for the room, so we stayed at Pop. We often share CS, so we had extra CS left and "spent " them at Earl of Sandwich to cover our meal on the flight home. We got water as our snack, too.

DH and I will get 2 nights DDP in October. We'll stay off property for Friday and Saturday night and have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday until we leave to enjoy the Plan.

[CRSNDSNY]

It is encouraging to see how great it worked out for you Debbie!

[lllovell]

Are you talking about the purchase of the Disney Dining Plan? If so, you can purchase this now as a DVC member for your DVC stay.
Is that what you mean?

Yes - but my question is do we have to buy a days worth of tickets to the parks? You have to buy at least one day's worth of tickets (which would be the highest price you can pay for tickets) and pay rack rates (which I understand that can't apply) for the plan right? So, if you are staying on DVC points, do you have to purchase at least a one day ticket per person in the room?

We have APs and use DDE, but there are times when we go down for a weekend or for a short period when the DDP would be GREAT, but not if we have to buy a one day ticket per person on the ressie.

Laura

[dgaston]

That's what so great about the DVC version. You just have to pay $37.99 for an Adult per day of DVC stay and it's NOT linked to tickets! So for that money you get 1 CS, 1 TS, and 1 snack per day. And I understand the meal credits are good until midnight of the day you check out. Some people complain there's too much food on the DDP, but for a short stay, and if you split CS meals the way DH and I do, it's perfect!

[lllovell]

Thank you Debbie!

That helps a bunch!

Laura

[CRSNDSNY]

Thanks for clarifying that Debbie.

We, too, have DDE and APs and stay DVC. This is really a great deal through DVC ESPECIALLY if your table service meals are dinners!

[onecdn]

I have yet to read anywhere that the DDP is not good value. People seem to agree that the strategy to get best value you should book TS meals at the higher end places, like LeCellier (as someone else already mentioned). I believe in most cases you easily could get your $37.99's worth in your TS meal without even considering the CS or snack, especially because tax and tip are included in the $37.99.
The comment I have read many times now is that it is too much food. I think this is because the CS meal comes with dessert plus the TS meal comes with both app and dessert.
I suppose people in their quest to 'get a deal' feel they must do what they can to get as much more than $37.99 worth as they can - even if they end up stuffed :yuck: or wasting food.:headscrat
For me, I look at it as an opportunity to try some new restaurants around WDW. I am certain that it will be worth it overall. I also enjoy knowing what we will pay for food before we go - it saves us from cringing when we see the final bill at the end of our stay.

[gopherit]

For me, I look at it as an opportunity to try some new restaurants around WDW. I am certain that it will be worth it overall. I also enjoy knowing what we will pay for food before we go - it saves us from cringing when we see the final bill at the end of our stay.

That's my take on it as well - I like the fact that I won't have to sit and debate and budget once we are there. I also like not having to make the big grocery run, and then face the issue of waht to do with uneaten foods at the end of the stay! Now I can just buy a few b'fast items and the rest is taken care of! As for broadening our dining... I do wish we could trade a few CS for TS (I would gladly do a 2 or 3 for one swap...) BUt oh well, we have never really done counter service, so we will just consider this a whole new world of Disney dining to explore! I like WOlfgang Puck express and Earl - and I'm sure there's stuff in EPCOT to love, and I am actually excited about trying Flame tree!

I also like having the option to grab a bottle of water or ice cream for kids in the park each day as their "snack". It will lighten our load - normally we carry lots of water and snacky foods with us. THis is our first "stroller-less" year, so carrying less "stuff" is a real perk! :blueflowe

[Rozzie]

ya'll got me thinking this morning of trying this DDP out. Not for the May trip, it is too up in the air, but definately for the "mothers" trip in Jan, and maybe our F&W trip in Nov. I know we would come out ahead if we stuck to eating out every night.

It would save my morning check out race to the door handle! I make sure I get up way before DH and stuff it in my carry on, hidden away from his naive eyes, LOL. He has a much better time if he lives in "lala land" about vacation costs. It is our little agreement.....

I got a dumb question though. For the boozers out there, I know the alcohol comes in a seperate bill. If we had a DDE, could we use the discount of that on the booze bill?????? (confusing sentence sorry!)

gopher--we just drool over Flame Tree. Best counter service on property! Actually some of the best meals on property! The pork sandwich is AWESOME!!:woohoo:

[DarthGoofy]

Rozzie

Yes, I believe you can use the DDE for your "booze bill"

DW an I are really looking forward to using DDP in May. I am sure that it will be great.

[lllovell]

Are you staying on points in May (if you can make it) Rozzie?

That is what got me. We are staying at Pop for a bit of a "value" trip so in order to use the DDP, we would have to buy one day's worth of tickets for everyone - so not a good deal in that case.

I would have LOVED to have done it for our trip in 9 days ( :doublejum :doublejum :doublejum ) BUT, I cannot see me sitting in a restaurant each night with 3 little ones since hubby wont be there until Wed evening! Especially when PJ is just now learning how to sit in a high chair, so we still tend to swap her back and forth so the other one can eat.

I can't wait to use the DDP in December though!!! Woot!

Laura

[Rozzie]

Laura--yeah, we staying on points, but I'll be solo for 2 days, and my niece and nephew may or may not be there. Their mom got a new job, so their presence is a bit "up in the air". I am not even buying their tickets till' we are at the resort. That is how much I don't except them to show up. Hey, you are still going down in May right? Or did I dream that???


thanks DG for the info! I hope you and your wife have a wonderful trip, and can't wait to hear how you liked the DDP!!:howudoin:

[lllovell]

yeppers - we are going down in May for Star Wars weekend! :clappingh This is when I discovered the whole "you have to buy at least one day's worth of tickets" thing (which I think I KNEW before but had forgotten) because we are staying at Pop for that trip. I got so excited reading everyone's stuff here that I decided to give it a try and found out it isn't worth it for us.

I hope we can meet for an ice cream or something!

Laura

[CRSNDSNY]

So what you're saying is if you are using your APs to stay non-DVC (no points usage), you cannot get the DDP?

[lllovell]

That is what I was told when I called to add the DDP to our ressie at POP in May.

Does someone else know differently? I would LOVE to be on the "plan" for this trip but I can't justify it for a long weekend if I have to buy at least one ticket per person on the ressie.

[dgaston]

That's how it worked when DH and I used the DDP during the "free dining plan" last September. We had to book Pop at RACK rate and each buy a 1 day ticket. We figured we would have spent more on food than the markup from the AP discount, and are saving the tickets for applying to the purchase of an AP next time we need them. We were only staying for 3 nights, so it wasn't a bad choice for us.

The only discount I've heard of on the Dining Plan is through AAA. I'm not sure how consistent that is.

[Niki]

If you like to eat at the "signature rest." on the plan, invest in the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It explains the plan and gives tips on how you can use your TS to maximize your bang for the buck. If you have kids on the plan, it can really save $$. Since all of the TS meals are pooled, you can use the kid's TS toward one of the signature places, and purchase a kiddie meal for much less cash. I won't try to explain. The UFG to WDW does it so well.

[greenban]

Hey Guys & Gals:

When we were at the world last December, many non-DVC guests had the DP, but at Teppanyaki Dining Room, many were disappointed when they were told, they did not have full choice of the menu, but only 4 entree options taht were covered (along with an appetizer, beverage and set dessert.

Is this how the plan always works?

Is it just at the Teppanyaki Dining Room?

or was it because of the Holiday season?

My DDE was a better value because of two American Icons, Booze and Freedom of Choice!

-Tony

[lenshanem]

We decided not to add it for our upcoming spring break trip. I fooled around with figures for days and finally got bored with it. It just doesn't make sense for us on such a long trip. We'll eat breakfast in the room, lunch will probably be CS - but my girls usually share a meal and (:shhh:) I usually get myself a child's meal. We sometimes even have a sandwich back in the room if we're going back to swim or something. We definitely wouldn't eat two desserts a day! My youngest would be spinning on so much sugar. We might use the snack option for a treat but still... We DO eat at one sit down meal per day, we always have.

It was close, but not close enough to justify it.

NOW, for short trips I think it is great. Especially when it is adults only. DH and I are going in October for three nights and I already added the plan onto our ressie. It was a little over $200. We would definitely hit that at our sit down meals alone. Too bad it doesn't include wine.

[mushu]

I'm doing the plan in May, We do TS meals every night. I'm sure we will get our value out of the plan.

[CRSNDSNY]

RIght now it seems like we'll be saving some money. But you can bet I will be crunching numbers when I get home! I love a good challenge!:hyper:

[gopherit]

Interesting comments, Niki - I had wondered about that (the "pooling" of credits when you have kids on the plan). We are going to do the plan for our August trip, and we have two kids plus one kid Disney calls an adult. We figure that where necessary (such as character buffet where they claim my vegetarian 11 yr old eats like an adult - yeah, right - NOT) we will use a TS for him, but typically, ds will opt for the kids' meal (so we will probably pay for the kids and save the TS for another event). At a place liek B&C, we will use 2 adult TS and pay cash for the rest, because I can't imagine having more than 2 of those No Way Jose between the five of us! THose things are HUGE. Using the TS for the buffets for kids is a good deal, since most buffet meals cost as much or more than one day of the DDP, and they get a CS and snack as a "bonus". So even if we end up with some unused CS, I think we will come out well. We have a long drive home (15 hrs), so if we cash in all our snacks coupons on the last day, it will keep us from buying snacks en route, LOL!

I do agree w/ Tony that freedom of choice is worth something, but to some degree, I have to take some choice OUT of my DH's vacation in order for him (and hence, me) to enjoy it! He is a PRIME reason we joined DVC - so that the "costs" became transparent while on vacation and we could enjoy a NICE place to stay without fretting over it while we were supposed to be relaxing!

If we are on the DDP, DH will not fret over the dining bills as much - much like our DVC, we will have those paid up front - and I think he will order what he wants instead of second-guessing cost and such. He's not a big drinker, so dde wouldn't be a perk to him there, either. Even knowing he would get 20% off with DDE would not cut the mustard and help him relax - he would still sit there and think, nah, better not. Maybe I'll just take a sandwich in the park instead.

Which means I'll have to go to the store to buy "stuff" for sandwiches .... which we will schlep into the parks. And he will want to bring his own water to wash it down.... so the little cooler will be heavy... And since we have these groceries, we will have enough food that I will probably end up cooking a few nights... all of which which means there will be leftovers... which means we will have to find a way to bring them home, just so we can look at them a week later and go, "Oh yeah... that was our dinner last week in WDW...", right before I pitch it out, and which means, as I'm scraping out the last vestiges of congealed whatever it was from my container, I'll be thinking I could really use a vacation from my vacation.....

In summary ...

If you give Gopherit's DH a cookie... you will eventually wish you had done it on a dining plan, LOL!:yes: