JD80
Well-Known Member
Personally, no thanks to carrying 5 of those things around all day for my family.
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News Disney Dining Plan Returns in 2024
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
Personally, no thanks to carrying 5 of those things around all day for my family.
cranbiz
Well-Known Member
You are not incorrect here. The only thing I have to add to this is that the most expensive meal at a restaurant may have an upcharge item as an option. Like at Space 220, the lobster tail is an upcharge and not included in the dining plan and an OOP expense.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
That is true and we don't have those details yet. Will it be a lot of things or only like where there is the upcharge already for the crab legs at Cape May?
cranbiz
Well-Known Member
Are the refillable mugs not length of stay at $17 anymore?
I agree one can easily justify the cost of a mug over a 7 day stay for soda and coffee at the resort but to justify the dining plan, nope.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
That is true, just thinking more from a value standpoint
I know Universal has the mugs that you can refill in the parks and family friends of ours always get that and track how many refills they get - usually if the frosty/icee drink. Has become like a challenge for them to see how many they can get
Remember, friends, there is a difference between the Disney Dining Plan and the *Free* Disney Dining Plan.
The DDP is something you buy for each person in your party.
The Free DDP is something you get for buying a Disney Resort room package that includes "Free" DDP.
The DDP was never intended to be a discount plan. Its selling point is "convenience" in pre-paying for your meals. Tho, I find it hard to believe there is a noteworthy difference in convenience than just handing the server a credit/debit card. Also, there is danger in pre-paying for your meals in that you may not eat your full complement of meals. Feeling a bit down one day of the trip and so you skip the parks? Well, that's a few meals you paid for and will never get a chance to eat. Pre-paying for something for which there is no discount, but can wind up having you just throw money away for a meal you may never get to eat is... not smart.
So why do folks go gaga over the DDP? They don't. They go gaga over the *Free* DDP. And, they have children. The Free DDP can indeed be cost-saving since everyone in the room -- as part of the Free DDP resort package -- gets the DDP. The extra cost of the Free DDP resort package pretty much is priced for two adults. But for each extra person/child in the room beyond the first two... all their meals are essentially free. This is why parents with children are in a frenzy to grab a Free DDP package as soon as they become available.
Right now, there are no Free DDP packages being offered. So, there are no food discounts at this time, since the DDP per person cost isn't meant to be, or, in actuality, a discount plan. In fact, it can cost you more than just paying as you go.
The DDP is something you buy for each person in your party.
The Free DDP is something you get for buying a Disney Resort room package that includes "Free" DDP.
The DDP was never intended to be a discount plan. Its selling point is "convenience" in pre-paying for your meals. Tho, I find it hard to believe there is a noteworthy difference in convenience than just handing the server a credit/debit card. Also, there is danger in pre-paying for your meals in that you may not eat your full complement of meals. Feeling a bit down one day of the trip and so you skip the parks? Well, that's a few meals you paid for and will never get a chance to eat. Pre-paying for something for which there is no discount, but can wind up having you just throw money away for a meal you may never get to eat is... not smart.
So why do folks go gaga over the DDP? They don't. They go gaga over the *Free* DDP. And, they have children. The Free DDP can indeed be cost-saving since everyone in the room -- as part of the Free DDP resort package -- gets the DDP. The extra cost of the Free DDP resort package pretty much is priced for two adults. But for each extra person/child in the room beyond the first two... all their meals are essentially free. This is why parents with children are in a frenzy to grab a Free DDP package as soon as they become available.
Right now, there are no Free DDP packages being offered. So, there are no food discounts at this time, since the DDP per person cost isn't meant to be, or, in actuality, a discount plan. In fact, it can cost you more than just paying as you go.
dmw
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
remember that the dining plan comes with drinks so if you eat at a resort and use the refill mug instead of the drink that comes with the meal, you are not getting value from one or the other. And, the mugs only work in the resorts, so how many times will you actually use it over the seven days?
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
I think I saw somewhere it’s up to $22 now. But yep the value should just be 22 divided by length of stay. So for a seven night trip it’s about $3 a day for the mug which is barely anything in terms of the DDP value.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Actually, I had included $144 for snacks (1 pp/pd) in my calculations, but forgot to put it in the list. I've revised the list to add it. (The grand total for out-of-pocket costs is still the same.)
Basil of Baker Street
Well-Known Member
The DDP deal breaker for us as we sometimes split a meal or just order 2 apps with drinks. Especially if it's hot. We also like to cruise around WS during festival times ( which is pretty much year round) and hit various booths. There is no possible way for us to come remotely close to breaking even.
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The first few years it was sold as a way to save money. It included appetizer, dessert and tips. Snack credits could be used to buy a box of donuts.
It was hard not to come out ahead. Now it's the opposite, hard to come out ahead
Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
How is there **still** a freaking virtual queue to book a room right now? I’m sorry, there is no way they have this kind of demand to book 2024 rooms. They are clearly trying this as a desperate attempt to make it look like rooms are scarce and people need to book or get shut out (like with the AP’s).
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
I feel like they did this a few weeks ago with APs
JD80
Well-Known Member
Depends on the throughput of their crummy website.
There are probably about a million travel agents doing their thing all day today. Constantly hammering websites.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
yup - for considering the DDP it is almost more about how you eat vs what specifically you eat.
We are very much like you so the structure of the DDP doesn't work for us
JD80
Well-Known Member
DDP worked really well for my family, and still would if there was a good promotion with it. We loved it when the cost made sense. Especially with a family of 5 and the "free" portion outweighed rack rate discounts.
However my sister hated it. They are a family that orders a bunch of apps and desserts or just eats snacks all day. or just wants QS and go. DDP does not serve their style.
When assessing the DP or commenting on others using it, you have to take in to consideration that person's vacation habits. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't.
seabreezept813
Well-Known Member
We keep ours clipped to our bags and use them to split drinks in the park, when visiting other hotels, on the way back to our hotel room, to fill up with water in the park etc. I also use my cup everyday for my morning work coffee. We used them at soda refill stations at QS places too without feeling much guilt. Biggest disappointment was eating areas not open early enough for coffee before early entry for the parks.
Elizabeth Swann
Premium Member
- In the Parks
- No
MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
I buy the cup at Universal because it is truly so much cheaper but it is such a pain in the a** to carry around all day.