CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Even if the kid wants a filet, they need to get the filet and a desert and a drink.
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Dining Plan: Doing the Math
- Thread starter prfctlyximprct
- Start date
MickeyMomV
Well-Known Member
Looks like all 2017 plans include 2 snacks.
Moonrayvin
Well-Known Member
I like the fact that yes, order what you like, I don't have to think about money!
Also, maybe I "break even" in terms of value but I can guarantee that I will try more things when it's "included" as opposed to not.
We went in 2014 with full service dining and it was worth it due to all the character meals we went to.
We went in 2015, NO DINING PLAN to save money, bought gift cards at a discount, etc. and spent way more than i budgeted we needed to be under to make NOT buying the dining plan worth it. And this was after telling my daughters they couldn't have the outrageously priced Rice Krispie treats they so desperately wanted!
We are now going in Nov under the quick service plan and my daughters and I are already drooling over and fantasizing about what snacks we will be able to get! (And this time they can get those Rice Krispie snacks whenever they want and we will still have made out cheaper!)
Also, maybe I "break even" in terms of value but I can guarantee that I will try more things when it's "included" as opposed to not.
We went in 2014 with full service dining and it was worth it due to all the character meals we went to.
We went in 2015, NO DINING PLAN to save money, bought gift cards at a discount, etc. and spent way more than i budgeted we needed to be under to make NOT buying the dining plan worth it. And this was after telling my daughters they couldn't have the outrageously priced Rice Krispie treats they so desperately wanted!
We are now going in Nov under the quick service plan and my daughters and I are already drooling over and fantasizing about what snacks we will be able to get! (And this time they can get those Rice Krispie snacks whenever they want and we will still have made out cheaper!)
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
The 2016 DDP for an adult is $63.70 (I'll round it to $63) per night. Subtract the value of a $5 snack and $18 counter service meal, and you're left with $40 worth of value that you need to get out of your TS meal (entree+dessert+drink, or full buffet) to break even - or in the case of a 2-credit TS meal, $80 worth of value to break even. As you'll see by consulting restaurant menu pricing, this will be easy at some places and impossible at others. What it will do is limit you to the most expensive 1-credit restaurants and more expensive entrees if you want to have saved money off of the sticker price of what you order (also driving up the cost of your tip), and possibly discourage you from ordering anything (appetizers, specialty beverages) that the DDP doesn't cover. As you said, however, if there is some value to the fact that can just "order what you like" because you've already paid (even if that means you might have overpaid a little) for it, then that may make all the difference. Just don't think that there's "no way it can not be worth it" -- there are several ways it can, and if your goal in using the DDP is to save money off of what you'd have spent for the same items out of pocket, you'll need to be cognizant of that goal, and make thoughtful choices throughout your Disney dining.
At the end of the day, though:
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MickeyMomV
Well-Known Member
And 2 sides. I know there is the thought of "you can never eat all of the food you get on the meal plan" and I get it and we never eat all of the food we are served. But we are on vacation and would like to try a few new things, especially deserts. If there was a way to get smaller portions for a lower price we would be all over it. In terms of Disney there is a "price" to try a variety of foods and the DDP helps with that "up to" 10%.
BAChicagoGal
Well-Known Member
I passed on the recent free dining plan offer. Not because the math of the meals did not add up, but because of two other factors. I had to pay full price for my room, and I had to purchase a park hopper, which I did not want. In the end, My discounted room, my cheaper park ticket, and my out of pocket meals is definitely cheaper than that "Free Dining Plan", which is not free at all.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
There is, it's called sharing. Especially, as you said, desert.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
I'm sorry, that doesn't make any sense. Paying cash, you can still order what you like and not have to think about money and at the end of your trip you'll most likely end up with more money than if you had purchased the dining plan. The underlying mentality here is that people don't budget appropriately for this trips. If you're putting everything on your credit card and ending your trip with a pile of debt, then I can certainly understand why pre-paying would be appealing. However, if you know going in that your budget is $X and you only bring $X with you and stick to the budget, then there's no worrying about money involved.
In fact, the dining plan actually encourages you to think about money more than you otherwise would. The existence of this thread is proof. People on the dining plan tend to spend the entire trip thinking about how to "beat" the system by ordering the most expensive item, regardless of whether it's what they want or not.
ETA: I think a more appropriate experiment than the experiment the OP proposed would be to do the experiment in reverse. Instead of buying the dining plan and figuring out what the menu price would have been if you had paid cash, load the equivalent cost of the dining plan (plus gratuity) onto a gift card. Use the gift card to pay for all your food and see if it runs out before the end of the trip or if you have extra money leftover. This eliminates the artificial positive impact of "saving" money on something like a desert or snack item that ends up in the trash because it encourages you to only order what you would have eaten in the first place.
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My head hurts after reading all this post...I'm not sure what is so hard about this post to understand...
MickeyMomV
Well-Known Member
I need help with the math on this one. So, if you're staying moderate at $250/night for 7 nights the total is $1750 (I'm estimating). Room only discount saves me 20%, so $350. Adding park hopper for a family of 4 would be $276 ($69/person). So you are looking at a package increase of $626 to get meals included for 7 days. That's $89/day for the family or under $23/day per person for your meals. How would that not be cheaper than paying OOP?
I guess I could see the #'s getting closer for a room at the GF or CR.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Yeah, the value of Free Dine floats quite a bit based on resort, party size, and discount. You can imagine how the math would change in a Deluxe Resort with 30% Room offer and only two guests.
BAChicagoGal
Well-Known Member
During free dining you must pay full price for your room.
BAChicagoGal
Well-Known Member
I have used the dining plan only once, and that was back in 2007. The dining plan included a lot 9 years ago. Things it does not include now.
Disney tries to part us with as much of our money as they can before we even leave our homes to travel. The dining plan is way too much food for me. Sure I like the table service restaurants, and the character meals are fun. However, I don't buy a refillable mug anymore, and I am a very lite eater. I consume kid meals mostly when they let me order them. The portions are perfect for me. I am not a soft drink drinker. I bring my own mug for my tea, which is my beverage of choice at the hotel. I guess I might consider a dining plan, if I was about to do a character meal every day of my trip. Those prices are really ridiculous. However, I'd never include a dining plan during free dining. It just does not compute for me, regardless of which hotel I am staying at. Value only includes the quick service, which is where I prefer to stay since I can't afford deluxe anymore.
Disney tries to part us with as much of our money as they can before we even leave our homes to travel. The dining plan is way too much food for me. Sure I like the table service restaurants, and the character meals are fun. However, I don't buy a refillable mug anymore, and I am a very lite eater. I consume kid meals mostly when they let me order them. The portions are perfect for me. I am not a soft drink drinker. I bring my own mug for my tea, which is my beverage of choice at the hotel. I guess I might consider a dining plan, if I was about to do a character meal every day of my trip. Those prices are really ridiculous. However, I'd never include a dining plan during free dining. It just does not compute for me, regardless of which hotel I am staying at. Value only includes the quick service, which is where I prefer to stay since I can't afford deluxe anymore.
Mawg
Well-Known Member
I agree with most posters that the dinning plan in most cases cost more than out of pocket. I would like to add one exception to the rule though.
If you are doing mainly fixed cost table service restaurants for dinners, buffets and character meals, then the savings is there. If you are doing mostly table service with a menu then as other have said, you have to order the most expensive thing and not necessarily what you want to come out a little ahead.
I will also add that you better use all the snack credits and if not your are welcome to buy some cookies and send them to me. PM me for my address.
If you are doing mainly fixed cost table service restaurants for dinners, buffets and character meals, then the savings is there. If you are doing mostly table service with a menu then as other have said, you have to order the most expensive thing and not necessarily what you want to come out a little ahead.
I will also add that you better use all the snack credits and if not your are welcome to buy some cookies and send them to me. PM me for my address.
MickeyMomV
Well-Known Member
Yes, that I get. The point I was making is that a family of 4 staying moderate would still be saving a bit of money on the DDP if it was free. However, as I thought about it and Captain pointed out, It might be cheaper for a group of 2 staying Deluxe to take the room discount. SO it really does depend on resort level and group number.
BAChicagoGal
Well-Known Member
It all boils down to one's priorities, and it is definitely true that you need to do your math, so that you know exactly what you are getting for your money. I can certainly understand those that want to pay as much as possible up front. I don't like making debt for a vacation, and so almost always my vacation is fully paid for before I leave. I usually use cash, and rarely come home with too many charges on a credit card. I just paid off my trip, that starts in 12 days, and that really feels good. Makes it less likely that I will charge anything on my trip unless an emergency arises.
Po'Rich
Well-Known Member
For anyone still trying to mathematically figure out if the Dining Plan is worth the price compared to OOP, there is a calculator:
http://www.distripplanner.com/
http://www.distripplanner.com/
DisneyAubs
Active Member
I prefer to think about what restaurants I want first, and then determine whether the dining plan will be a benefit to me. If you're doing several character meals or other All You Care to Eat locations, you'll almost certainly see savings on the Dining Plan. However if you've been itching to try breakfast at Kona Cafe or dinner at The Plaza, you definitely will probably not see savings with the dining plan.
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
Coming from the UK, where as long as we book a year in advance, free dining is quite a standard offer this gives me a different approach.
I don't think the dining plan is as worthwhile anymore if paying cash for it. We only actually paid once, back when tip was still included in all meals. If I didn't have dining plan I would eat less dessert and a lot less table service.
But if I didn't get the free dining plan I also wouldn't be eating at the Cali Grill or Tiffins or several other places. Bundling the cost upfront with the hotel means I can ignore the menu prices and order something extravagant I wouldn't normally go for.
I don't think the dining plan is as worthwhile anymore if paying cash for it. We only actually paid once, back when tip was still included in all meals. If I didn't have dining plan I would eat less dessert and a lot less table service.
But if I didn't get the free dining plan I also wouldn't be eating at the Cali Grill or Tiffins or several other places. Bundling the cost upfront with the hotel means I can ignore the menu prices and order something extravagant I wouldn't normally go for.