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Has anyone done the math for the dining plan?
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RiversideBunny
New Member
For the two of us it sort of worked out like this:
We wouldn't save money but we would eat better.
The DDP would cost us the same, dollar wise, as what we were normally eating using a lot of counter service meals.
Now, with the DDP, the problem is that we will probably eat too much due to more sit down meals, but then calories don't count at WDW, right?
We wouldn't save money but we would eat better.
The DDP would cost us the same, dollar wise, as what we were normally eating using a lot of counter service meals.
Now, with the DDP, the problem is that we will probably eat too much due to more sit down meals, but then calories don't count at WDW, right?
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erasure fan1
Well-Known Member
Thats how we felt as well. I dont think we will do it again though, it just wasnt worth it. We did the math and what we normaly spend is less than the plan but we wanted to try it once. The kids meals are horrid and that was one of the most frustrating parts.
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miles1
Active Member
We just paid for the dining plan for our August trip this year AND got a package discount, after experiencing it free last year. IMHO, its definitely worth it. Under normal circumstances, we would have rented a car to dine off-site most evenings. This trip we're skipping the car, since we have no real desire to leave the property, and don't have to for meals, saving us another $200.00 or so in addition to what we would have saved on the food.
After having the dining plan last year, we found that eating in the park and resort restaurants was as much a part of the entertainment as some of the shows and attractions. Whispering Canyon, 50's Prime Time, and Chef Mickey's were particularly fun for the kids (and no bill at the end for the adults). Yes, we did feel a little pressured at times to leave the attractions to make it to our ADR's, but in retrospect this was a good thing because it forced us to take a liesurely, AIR CONDITIONED break from the August heat.
So for this year, Mickey got an extra $660 from us for the dining plan over last year. But we also saved $280 on the last-minute package discount, and about $200 from renting the car, for a net cost of $180 bucks which feeds the four of us for 6 days at nice restaurants. Seems like a deal to me.
After having the dining plan last year, we found that eating in the park and resort restaurants was as much a part of the entertainment as some of the shows and attractions. Whispering Canyon, 50's Prime Time, and Chef Mickey's were particularly fun for the kids (and no bill at the end for the adults). Yes, we did feel a little pressured at times to leave the attractions to make it to our ADR's, but in retrospect this was a good thing because it forced us to take a liesurely, AIR CONDITIONED break from the August heat.
So for this year, Mickey got an extra $660 from us for the dining plan over last year. But we also saved $280 on the last-minute package discount, and about $200 from renting the car, for a net cost of $180 bucks which feeds the four of us for 6 days at nice restaurants. Seems like a deal to me.
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CleveRocks
Active Member
Here's what must have been confusing a few people .... the promotionj of FREE Disney Dining Plan.
Disney doesn't let you stack discounts. A discounted room or package is a discount. AND free DDP is a discount ... can't have both! But if you are BUYING the DDP, if you are PAYING FOR IT, then it's not a discount. Getting a discounted room and buying the DDP is NOT an example of stacking discounts.
Therefore, you can buy the DDP as long as you book a package ... it doesn't matter if that package is discounted or not.
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CleveRocks
Active Member
sorry ... double post ... nothing to see here, move along .... :brick:
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spaceghost
Well-Known Member
Unless you book with AAA like we did. You get a discounted room as part of the package, and get the dining plan.
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JPVonDrake
Well-Known Member
To clarify...
The Disney Dining Plan is not sold separately...
The plan is available in only one of two ways, as part of the "2007 Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" or as part of a Disney Vacation Club Points Stay reservation at a DVC Resort.
In either case, the Reservation must be booked (or upgraded) at least 3 days prior to your arrival. The Disney Dining Plan cannot be added to a package or Points stay reservation by the front desk upon arrival.
Discount Marketing Offers cannot be combined...
Every Package or Room Only offer (discounted or not) has its own RMO (resort marketing offer) code. One and only one RMO code can be applied to a reservation. The way our SBC Reservation software works, it is not possible to use two different RMO codes on one reservation.
With that in mind however there are sometimes upgrade offers to many of our advertised offers.
For example, the current general public offer BUK is a room only discount offer. This offer can be upgraded to ZJY which is a "Magic Your Way Package" with the same discount amount, but is booked as a vacation package with room and MYW tickets. This same BUK offer can also be upgraded to ZJZ which is the "Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" again with the same discount amount but includes room , MYW tickets and the dine plan. If your not sure if an upgrade offer is available, just ask when booking.
Not all room only offers have package upgrades. Passholders do not need MYW tickets, therefore there is no package upgrade offers to passholder room only offers. Florida Residents get special year round discounts on MYW tickets, so there is rarely a package upgrade available.
Per our contract with AAA, Disney Reservation Center offers only a room-only offer for AAA members. If you book directly with a AAA Travel Agent however, you may be able to book a "AAA Discounted Magic Your Way Package" or "AAA Discounted Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" offer. Again these discounted package offers are only available when booking directly with an AAA Travel Agency, no one else.
As CleveRocks stated Disney does not allow you to stack discounts. If we advertise a discount offer such as FREE Dining, the discount amount covers just the cost of the dine plan. We will not offer a "AAA Discount Magic Your Way Package Plus FREE Dining." You may be able to book either the "AAA Discounted Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" offer or the "Magic Your Way Plus FREE Dining" offer through your AAA Travel Agent, but your reservation will not include both discount offers.
Things to Remember...
Remember with any discount offer there is a limited number of rooms available at each participating Resort in select room categories only. Once they sell out they are gone. Individual Guest cancellations do not increase the number of available rooms within a discount offer. The only way more rooms come available is if Resort Management feels there are too many unoccupied rooms for a particular set of dates and makes the decision to increase an existing offer's pool of rooms. This is very rare, but may happen as it gets closer to your travel dates.
The Disney Dining Plan is not sold separately...
The plan is available in only one of two ways, as part of the "2007 Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" or as part of a Disney Vacation Club Points Stay reservation at a DVC Resort.
In either case, the Reservation must be booked (or upgraded) at least 3 days prior to your arrival. The Disney Dining Plan cannot be added to a package or Points stay reservation by the front desk upon arrival.
Discount Marketing Offers cannot be combined...
Every Package or Room Only offer (discounted or not) has its own RMO (resort marketing offer) code. One and only one RMO code can be applied to a reservation. The way our SBC Reservation software works, it is not possible to use two different RMO codes on one reservation.
With that in mind however there are sometimes upgrade offers to many of our advertised offers.
For example, the current general public offer BUK is a room only discount offer. This offer can be upgraded to ZJY which is a "Magic Your Way Package" with the same discount amount, but is booked as a vacation package with room and MYW tickets. This same BUK offer can also be upgraded to ZJZ which is the "Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" again with the same discount amount but includes room , MYW tickets and the dine plan. If your not sure if an upgrade offer is available, just ask when booking.
Not all room only offers have package upgrades. Passholders do not need MYW tickets, therefore there is no package upgrade offers to passholder room only offers. Florida Residents get special year round discounts on MYW tickets, so there is rarely a package upgrade available.
Per our contract with AAA, Disney Reservation Center offers only a room-only offer for AAA members. If you book directly with a AAA Travel Agent however, you may be able to book a "AAA Discounted Magic Your Way Package" or "AAA Discounted Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" offer. Again these discounted package offers are only available when booking directly with an AAA Travel Agency, no one else.
As CleveRocks stated Disney does not allow you to stack discounts. If we advertise a discount offer such as FREE Dining, the discount amount covers just the cost of the dine plan. We will not offer a "AAA Discount Magic Your Way Package Plus FREE Dining." You may be able to book either the "AAA Discounted Magic Your Way Plus Dine Package" offer or the "Magic Your Way Plus FREE Dining" offer through your AAA Travel Agent, but your reservation will not include both discount offers.
Things to Remember...
Remember with any discount offer there is a limited number of rooms available at each participating Resort in select room categories only. Once they sell out they are gone. Individual Guest cancellations do not increase the number of available rooms within a discount offer. The only way more rooms come available is if Resort Management feels there are too many unoccupied rooms for a particular set of dates and makes the decision to increase an existing offer's pool of rooms. This is very rare, but may happen as it gets closer to your travel dates.
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Trishnh
Active Member
I actually went back to reprice my vacation to see what the cost difference would be if I made my room only ressie into a package with 1 day ticket and the dining plan for 7 people for 9 nights. to add the package (using the current discount code) it was going to bring my reservation up almost $2500 (more than double of what it is now!!) !! The MOST we will spend on food is $1500(with at least 1 character meal each day) and we already have our tickets so for us, if definintely is NOT cost effective. It would be nice to have it all paid for and not have to worry about anything, but not at that price!
!! The MOST we will spend on food is $1500(with at least 1 character meal each day) and we already have our tickets so for us, if definintely is NOT cost effective. It would be nice to have it all paid for and not have to worry about anything, but not at that price!
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RiversideBunny
New Member
Yes. I just reserved our Candlelight Processional package with it.
It's a little strange in that the DDP credit that you use, a Table Service credit, is the same no matter what Tier level of restaurant you use for the package. Also, as in our case, we are actually eating lunch at the restaurant because that's what you do for the 5 o'clock performance.
:xmas:
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Timothy Q Mouse
Member
Wow, JP! Thanks so much for writing that post. I don't think I've ever understood the plan/discount thing before, but you really put it out there very clearly. Thanks! :wave:
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I hate being wrong but in this case I'm glad I was swrong. We originally had a AAA discount on the room and I was told we could not get the dining plan with the discount. They were not specific to point out that it was becasue it was a AAA discount. We have since changed to the BUK discount and I have just called Disney and confirmed that with the BUK discount I can indeed add the dining plan. This now changes everything and I will add the dining plan to our reservation. To those that cleared this up I do thank you.
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santa's surpriz
New Member
Before making reservation I priced out the cost for me and calculated that for two people whe would probably spend about $100/day on food when you add the sit down meals. When I quoted my trip it was only a $250 difference. So I consider it a savings in my case. I bought the Passporter book and it prices out the meals per day. My real justification for going with the DDP is the out of pocket money. My trip will paid for in whole 45 days before I go including food...which means I will only I need to bring money for shopping/souvenirs. Food seems nickel and dime my budget. Peace of mind.
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