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Has anyone done the math for the dining plan?
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PhilharMagician
Well-Known Member
We have found that we save about $10 - $20 per day on the DDP. The big differance is we always have snack credits left over and end up going home with a suitcase full of cookies and find ourselves eating breakfast @ a CS restaurant. Prior to DDP we would buy breakfast foods to eat in the room and then have a early TS meal about 4:00 PM every day. Typically that 1 Table service would run $100.00+ w/ tax and tip for 2 adults and 1 child. We really like the DDP, except that it has really jammed up the TS restaurants and it is now harder than every to get the ADR's you want.
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Trishnh
Active Member
I think you also have to take into comsideration the fact that you are paying rack rate for the room to get the dining plan so that adds to it. We figured out it was cheaper in the long run to get a discounted rate on the room and pay for our food out of pocket. We did do the free dining one time and that was a great deal.
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We decided against the meal plan simply for the reason that you have to consider the difference in rom pricing. Paying rack rate vs a discounted room rate has to be factored into the cost of the meal plan. For us we would need to buy for 5 ... one of my kids is too old to be considered a kid ! So the cost for the meal plan would be $140 per day + the difference betwnn rack rate and discounted room rate ...so add on another $41 per day and add the taxes. The real price I would be paying for the dining plan would actually be around $200per day. My opinion is we can eat well for far less than $200. Bottom line is do the math and find out what you are really saving.
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slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Now I'm confused...I understand that you need tp pay room rack rates to get th free dining plan promotion when it's available...but they don't refuse people to PAY to get on the dining plan if they're getting a room dscount, do they?
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beachclubbasics
New Member
Also, don't forget that 18% gratuity is included in the price per day, based upon your actual bill, not the $38.99 that you paid for your day's meals. You can tip more (we usually do) but even if you don't, 18% is nothing to sneeze at, comsidering that tipping is voluntary.
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I wouldn't go any other way!
The meal plan is the only way to go! I love the fact that once everything is paid, the only thing you have to worry about is spend money. No worries at the end of the meal when you have to pay and that the tip is included is so worth it. Especially when the meal plan is free, how can you do better than that! Even if it wasn't free, I've still done it numerous times and it is worth it. My husband does not want to deal with paying, tips, and anything else you have to worry about when the check comes. It is just so much easier!:sohappy:
The meal plan is the only way to go! I love the fact that once everything is paid, the only thing you have to worry about is spend money. No worries at the end of the meal when you have to pay and that the tip is included is so worth it. Especially when the meal plan is free, how can you do better than that! Even if it wasn't free, I've still done it numerous times and it is worth it. My husband does not want to deal with paying, tips, and anything else you have to worry about when the check comes. It is just so much easier!:sohappy:
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DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
While it may be easier to pay upfront... the real question is would you and your family eat all these meals if you were not on the plan. I know alot of people who just said it was waaaay too much food and couldn't use all their credits.
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It is woth it if you normally eat a sit down meal every day. If your family is the type that is content with counter service lunch and dinner and skips breakfast it is not. If you're somewhere in between, you have to figure it out yourself. My wife and I always enjoy a nice dinner daily to unwind, it is definitely worth it for us, even though we stay in DVC villas and enjoy breakfasts in the villa before starting the day.
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slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
So it looks like there are two people saying discounted rooms can still add-on the Dining Plan, and two people saying no they can't. Still confused...
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KnK
New Member
Dinsey Dining Experience. It's a card available for at a cost that gets you 20% off the cost off most of your table service meals, including alcholol.
AP holders can purchase the card for $60.00. Between the AP room code discount and this ends up being about $400 less than the free dining.
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Lauraldove29
New Member
Disney dining plan
for adults the plan is 38.99 per day and children 9 and under are 11.99 per day. We have used this plan for the last three years every time that we have gone to disney. we absotuley love it.
There is a trick that you need to think about when buying this plan. you were wondering about the costs if it is worth it. Well for those who use it to there advantage it is. We seldom eat breakfast as a table servic credit only one per trip and for this summer we are paying out right for donalds at animal kingdom. the reason being is that the breakfast is much cheaper that the lunch character meals or the dinner ones so it makes more sense to pay out right for these or avoid them all together if value is your plan.
Breakfast for donalds is 17.99 and some dinners character wise are 27.99 a 10 dollar per person difference. if you were not on the dp for that day and you ate a counter service along with breakfast character wise and still had a snack then you might break even or be just under. Use your credits for more expensive meals and you get more bang for the buck.
My husband really loves steak and last year we tried the concourse steskhouse and the contemporary for dinner. we had a party of 7 and racked up nearly a sixhundred dollar meal. we are not big people. we did have 4 adults and three children. for the day the play was maybe 225.00 an incredible difference in price. this meal was one credit and darn good. we ate there one more time for dinner on our 2 week trip. the amount of food that you get is also great appetizer, main course, two sides, non alcoholic drink and dessert. thats a good deal of food and the even let us add skewers of shrimp on the plan.
Another place was the 50's prime time our waiter really wasnt the greatest that night but the food was good and the kids all got these keepsake mugs with light up ice cubes as a souviner to take home on the dining plan. now i know that when we later ate at the sci-fi they would not give us the mugs in the dining plan so it might depend on where you go what kind of deal you get.
So my advice is that look for the more expensive meals for Table service. even some character dinners can get expensive if you like those ( i do) and some buffet's to. and eat cheaper counter service meals anywhere as they can range, but all reasonable. However you do get a bang for the buck at cosmic rays at the mk. half rotissere chicken and half slab of ribs two sides drink, and dessert for counter service. its enough for my husband and i to split and that can save another credit for another day.
You just have to really look into where you want to eat and what times for table services. if breakfast is when you would want them then the dp may not be a good value for you. but if you pay out of pocket for this meal then you still get the chance to have the more expensive credit later in the day. and even with added price of paying out right for an occasional breakfast and the cost of the dinners at the more expensive places still comes out alot cheaper on the dp than not being on it.
Trust me its a great deal.:wave:
for adults the plan is 38.99 per day and children 9 and under are 11.99 per day. We have used this plan for the last three years every time that we have gone to disney. we absotuley love it.
There is a trick that you need to think about when buying this plan. you were wondering about the costs if it is worth it. Well for those who use it to there advantage it is. We seldom eat breakfast as a table servic credit only one per trip and for this summer we are paying out right for donalds at animal kingdom. the reason being is that the breakfast is much cheaper that the lunch character meals or the dinner ones so it makes more sense to pay out right for these or avoid them all together if value is your plan.
Breakfast for donalds is 17.99 and some dinners character wise are 27.99 a 10 dollar per person difference. if you were not on the dp for that day and you ate a counter service along with breakfast character wise and still had a snack then you might break even or be just under. Use your credits for more expensive meals and you get more bang for the buck.
My husband really loves steak and last year we tried the concourse steskhouse and the contemporary for dinner. we had a party of 7 and racked up nearly a sixhundred dollar meal. we are not big people. we did have 4 adults and three children. for the day the play was maybe 225.00 an incredible difference in price. this meal was one credit and darn good. we ate there one more time for dinner on our 2 week trip. the amount of food that you get is also great appetizer, main course, two sides, non alcoholic drink and dessert. thats a good deal of food and the even let us add skewers of shrimp on the plan.
Another place was the 50's prime time our waiter really wasnt the greatest that night but the food was good and the kids all got these keepsake mugs with light up ice cubes as a souviner to take home on the dining plan. now i know that when we later ate at the sci-fi they would not give us the mugs in the dining plan so it might depend on where you go what kind of deal you get.
So my advice is that look for the more expensive meals for Table service. even some character dinners can get expensive if you like those ( i do) and some buffet's to. and eat cheaper counter service meals anywhere as they can range, but all reasonable. However you do get a bang for the buck at cosmic rays at the mk. half rotissere chicken and half slab of ribs two sides drink, and dessert for counter service. its enough for my husband and i to split and that can save another credit for another day.
You just have to really look into where you want to eat and what times for table services. if breakfast is when you would want them then the dp may not be a good value for you. but if you pay out of pocket for this meal then you still get the chance to have the more expensive credit later in the day. and even with added price of paying out right for an occasional breakfast and the cost of the dinners at the more expensive places still comes out alot cheaper on the dp than not being on it.
Trust me its a great deal.:wave:
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