If I rent a villa from David's, I'm guessing that magic bands are NOT included and we have to purchase our own and then link our info into the MME? Can we buy a meal plan when booking with David's?
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Davids VCR and Magic Bands
- Thread starter NelleBelle
- Start date
When you rent points, you will get the same reservation number that you can then link to your MDE account. Once you do that, the system should let you choose MBs for your party, as long as they are all your friends and family. Yes, you can ask the actual owner - going through Davids - to add the dining plan to your reservation, but I have to ask, why would you want to? It's not a good deal anymore, and you would save money by paying out-of-pocket.
The last time we've been to DW was in '09 *gasp* and it was included in our package. My DH is asking about having it again since he really enjoyed having it. Have they changed it that much that we would make out better by paying out-of-pocket now? WOW! I've got a lot of catching up to do and ALOT of readying to do on the forums
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sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Yes MBs are included just like any other reservation. Even though you are renting points you still get the same perks as any regular guest. Only thing you don't get is daily mousekeeping. They come every 4th day. You probably know that already but just to add on the 4th day they come do trash and towel service and the 8th (if stay is that long) they do a full clean or it is reversed Somerimes if you are staying over 8 days. Hope that made sense. Lol If you had paid cash for the room (regular booking through Disney for DVC) you would have gotten regular daily mousekeeping but renting points you get it like how is DVC owners do.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
The last time we've been to DW was in '09 *gasp* and it was included in our package. My DH is asking about having it again since he really enjoyed having it. Have they changed it that much that we would make out better by paying out-of-pocket now? WOW! I've got a lot of catching up to do and ALOT of readying to do on the forums
The DDP is never included with a DVC stay on points (your own, or rental points) you have to pay for it out of pocket.
What it basicly boils down to is, if you would have eaten exacty what the DDP provides (snack, QS, and TS each day for the most common) and you would have normally eaten the top one or two most expensive items on the menu, then it is worth it. Otherwise to, come out ahead on the DDP, you have to change your eating habits, and then it is not worth it.
Look at it this way, if you were going to the store to buy a $10 product (and the $10 product is what you wanted) but instead you ended up buying a $20 product because it was marked down from its $30 normal price, did you end up spending $10 extra, or savng $10?
My DH and I did the math on the DDP--that is a ridiculous amount of $ to spend per meal. We're vegetarian so we would not be getting the most expensive menu items so there is NO WAY we would ever break even. Unless it was offered free in a vacation package (which we wouldn't qualify for given as we are renting points for a villa), it doesn't make senses. So a HUGE THANK YOU to LuvTheGoof and Phonedave for the advice on the DDP. I think back when we were going, it was a good deal (boy, could my MIL really get every little thing entitled to you on that plan) but as I'm learning quickly, things have certainly changed in the 6-7 years since we were last there.
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Phonedave, forgive me for now knowing (not like your affairs are my business, but I'm apologizing for not paying attention more than not being a spy). But do you have kids? Specifically, kids who would be considered "kids" and not "adults" by Disney pricing standards?
The reason I ask is, yeah, the adult prices for the dining plan can be a bit of a wash depending on where you eat and what your order. But if you a: have kids under the age of 10 and b: do a lot of buffet meals for dinner, the dining plan can save you more than a little.
Right now, kids prices for the regular dining plan is $21 per kid per night, and the deluxe plan is (I think) $32.56. Now dinner for a kid at Garden Grill at Epcot is between $20-25. 1900 Park Fare is between $21 and $27. Chef Mickey's, between $25-30. Generally speaking, say around the $25 range. So for a parent like me with 2 kids, just on the regular dining plan, I'm already at a minimum of $8 saved per night on just one meal. Now with quick service meals for kids being between $5-10 most places, plus the snack, parents of small children can save quite a bit - if these are their normal eating habits, versus getting by with ordering less per person when it's ala carte, or doing more quick service meals. For a family who prefers 2 sit down meals a day, the savings for the kids can be sizable.
Of course, arguing about "value" is valid. Sure, a buffet dinner might be $25 per child, but am I really "saving" money if they just eat a couple of chicken nuggets, some mac n cheese and a brownie versus our not dining there at all, just going to a food court? No. But am I saving money if I'd really like to go to those restaurants, so I have to pay for my children regardless of what they order, if I go to the dining plan? Seems like a Yes.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
Yes I have kids, but no, in the eyes of WDW, they all pay full freight.
Your example reinforces what I was saying. There are scenarios where the dining plan will save you money - buffets with childern under 10 is one of them. If, as you said, you have childern under 10 and you normally eat at a lot of buffets, then yes, the plan fits your needs. But if you normally do eith QSFB or non-buffet table service, then changing to a buffet just to get a "discount" is not really saving money.
Like most things at WDW, the DDP requires a bit of research to see if works for you.
Here is yet an other way of looking at it. The DDP costs WDW money to run. The people to administer the program, the IT resources, the back of house accounting team, etc. If WDW was not making more money by offering the plan, than by not offering the plan, then they would not be going throught the hassle and cost of administering the plan.
-dave
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Well, there's a little more to it. Not much more, but a little. The Dining Plan is also looked at to WDW a bit like Disney's Magical Express and the pricing structure of the theme park tickets - an incentive for guests to not go offsite, ever, at all by creating an illusion of value and/or convenience. So the money spent on running it is considered worth it. It also works, along with Fastpass, as a crowd filter. Getting thousands of guests an hour in a restaurant helps siphon those guests off the lines while still providing a Disney-esque "experience." But some people need an incentive to take that time to sit and eat versus getting a snack and keep getting on line. So there's a cost-of-doing-business element to running the parks.
Besides, if the Dining Plan was implemented solely to make money, it doesn't explain why they offer it for free during off season. Truth be told, I wouldn't be surprised if the ability to offer free dining during the off season was a principal reason behind creating the Dining Plan in the first place. Considering how inexpensive they purchase food, it probably costs Disney less to offer a free dining plan that it would be to offer deeper discounts on room rates, while offering a better value to the guests. Provided of course they cut back on services offered (remember when non-Deluxe dining plan table service meals included Appetizer AND dessert? AND TIP?!).
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
All true, I just didn't want to get into the detalis of how a project is justified. There are hard and soft costs to everything, and there are hard and soft benefots. But, the Dining Plan does make money - in all the ways you describe above. People like the idea of all inclusive (heck I love cruises and places like Sandals myself) it makes vacation planning easy. The thing it, it is pretty easy to look at the DDP and see if it is indeed a savings for you, or not. Case in point, we were just going over dining reservations for our trip this summer - 2 adults and 3 "Disney adults". After looking a variety of things, we ended up booking 2 Table Service meals for the week long trip - we would like to try the Skipper Canteen, but they are not yet taking reservations. So, we at looking at maybe 3 table service. Lets say we go insane and eat at Olivia's one night. That is still only 4, at the most. We do breakfast in our room (2BR villa) - not even for the cost savings, but for the sake of efficenicy in the morning. Lunch is allways a toss up, we may be hungry, we may not. We may be in a park,or we may be taking a mid-afternoon break back at the resort. So there is no way I could justify purchasing a dining plan for us. However, if we did have a plan, we would be "forced" to eat a lot more.
The free dining was an other genious idea on WDW's part. Charge people full rack rate and instead give them a incentive to not leave property. You are correct. Instead of putting cash back into a customers pocket (you can see how much a room discount is worth) instead they give you free dining, a "$500 value" but that is the price of the free plan - the cost of providing that plan is much much less.
-dave