To Dining Plan or Not to Dining Plan

[Brygida]

Now that I've done the math, I know how much our NO DDP trip cost us in food. To recap, we kept thinking they were going to offer FREE DDP the 3rd week in August as Disney has the past 6? years.... but they didn't. So we ended up getting a great deal on a bounceback offer for a room only discount. (and we did not add on the DDP).

First, the Coronado Springs moderate resort (value season standard view) goes for $184/night. We got it for $122/night with the bounceback offer.

For the 1st 5 days (1 adult and 1 child), I averaged $84/day for food. This included snacks, tax, and tip. We ate when we liked, where we liked. We did not do anything different than if we had had the DDP. For the 2nd 5 days (2 adults and 1 child), I averaged $156/day for food.

This trip included usually 1 sit down / day and we ate at: California Grill twice, Boma twice, Raglan Road, Rose and Crown twice, Chefs de France twice, and Japan. We sometimes had an appetizer and entree instead of the required entree and dessert on the DDP.

So with the cost of the DDP being $46 for adults and $12 for kids, would it have been worth adding it on to our bounceback offer? The answer is yes! We would have had to change a couple things around (dessert instead of appetizer?), but would have been just as happy with the dining experience.

What about FREE dining? Is it worth paying full rack rate for room to get the dining? Again, the answer is YES. Our cost per day for food for 3 of us exceeded the cost of the room! nevermind the $62 difference in the daily cost.

I think the only time it may not be cost effective is for a single person in a room, or if you were staying at a deluxe resort concierge room with a special discount offer (let's say 40% off) instead of the free dining offer. But your special offer savings would have to exceed your cost for food per day.

So in conclusion! Get the DDP! Especially if it's FREE!

 

[havoc315]

Now that I've done the math, I know how much our NO DDP trip cost us in food. To recap, we kept thinking they were going to offer FREE DDP the 3rd week in August as Disney has the past 6? years.... but they didn't. So we ended up getting a great deal on a bounceback offer for a room only discount. (and we did not add on the DDP).

First, the Coronado Springs moderate resort (value season standard view) goes for $184/night. We got it for $122/night with the bounceback offer.

For the 1st 5 days (1 adult and 1 child), I averaged $84/day for food. This included snacks, tax, and tip. We ate when we liked, where we liked. We did not do anything different than if we had had the DDP. For the 2nd 5 days (2 adults and 1 child), I averaged $156/day for food.

This trip included usually 1 sit down / day and we ate at: California Grill twice, Boma twice, Raglan Road, Rose and Crown twice, Chefs de France twice, and Japan. We sometimes had an appetizer and entree instead of the required entree and dessert on the DDP.

So with the cost of the DDP being $46 for adults and $12 for kids, would it have been worth adding it on to our bounceback offer? The answer is yes! We would have had to change a couple things around (dessert instead of appetizer?), but would have been just as happy with the dining experience.

What about FREE dining? Is it worth paying full rack rate for room to get the dining? Again, the answer is YES. Our cost per day for food for 3 of us exceeded the cost of the room! nevermind the $62 difference in the daily cost.

I think the only time it may not be cost effective is for a single person in a room, or if you were staying at a deluxe resort concierge room with a special discount offer (let's say 40% off) instead of the free dining offer. But your special offer savings would have to exceed your cost for food per day.

So in conclusion! Get the DDP! Especially if it's FREE!

Certainly when it's free, it saves money. But your example is difficult to compare. You are including the tip in your total cost -- but that wouldn't have been included in the dining plan. As you said, you would have to change some of your appetizers to desserts, but you seem happy to do so. But also, you used more than 10 credits -- meaning you would have had to pay some of your means OOP.

I am willing to bet, that under the 2011 pricing, if you made the adjustments... took out the tips, paid for your extra credits OOP.... It still appears you would have saved a bit under the DDP. Using your last 5 days as the example -- I don't think your total cost would drop all the way from $156 down to $114 (the cost of 2 adults and 1 child). Just factoring in tips, the price difference would be more like $156 versus $130. And as you were using some extra credits during that time, if you had to pay OOP for those extra credit meals... the price difference would be even smaller (or non-existent).

The 2011 DDP is indeed a cost saver for people who plan to eat in the way that the plan is designed. But then you need to factor in the cost of appetizers instead of desserts, of using "extra" meals, etc. With the 2012 price increases to the DDP, the margin for error is even smaller.

 

[Brygida]

Certainly when it's free, it saves money. But your example is difficult to compare. You are including the tip in your total cost -- but that wouldn't have been included in the dining plan. As you said, you would have to change some of your appetizers to desserts, but you seem happy to do so. But also, you used more than 10 credits -- meaning you would have had to pay some of your means OOP.

I am willing to bet, that under the 2011 pricing, if you made the adjustments... took out the tips, paid for your extra credits OOP.... It still appears you would have saved a bit under the DDP. Using your last 5 days as the example -- I don't think your total cost would drop all the way from $156 down to $114 (the cost of 2 adults and 1 child). Just factoring in tips, the price difference would be more like $156 versus $130. And as you were using some extra credits during that time, if you had to pay OOP for those extra credit meals... the price difference would be even smaller (or non-existent).

The 2011 DDP is indeed a cost saver for people who plan to eat in the way that the plan is designed. But then you need to factor in the cost of appetizers instead of desserts, of using "extra" meals, etc. With the 2012 price increases to the DDP, the margin for error is even smaller.

Good points with the price increases about whether it is worth paying for DDP.

However, with FREE DDP, it is good to do the math with the cost savings on the room if you have a room only offer available to you, as seems to be the case lately. In that example, if you are paying for a moderate resort (like we did), even paying full rack rate and getting FREE dining plan, seems to be worth it.

It has always "felt" like I paid less with our FREE dining packages, now I have the numbers to back it up. Having stayed at the Grand Floridian this time, I know how much those rooms can go for, and in that case, a room discount would probably win.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

Our kids are both under 3 so its not as worth it for us (although we have AP's, military discount and are DVC owners, lol). It also depends on the time of year since rack rates vary in price drastically by month it seems.

 

[havoc315]

However, with FREE DDP, it is good to do the math with the cost savings on the room if you have a room only offer available to you, as seems to be the case lately. In that example, if you are paying for a moderate resort (like we did), even paying full rack rate and getting FREE dining plan, seems to be worth it.

It has always "felt" like I paid less with our FREE dining packages, now I have the numbers to back it up. Having stayed at the Grand Floridian this time, I know how much those rooms can go for, and in that case, a room discount would probably win.

Free dining is a great discount in moderate hotels.

As to comparing room only discounts...... It may be less of an issue, as Disney seems to be significantly cutting back on room only discounts for the general public. None have been offered for fall 2011 yet, despite the season starting in just a couple of weeks.
So there is no question that free dining is better than no discount at all.

Whether it's worth paying full price for the dining plan, really depends completely on the ages of your party, and how you like to eat. With the dining plan prices increasing at a faster rate than menu prices, there is becoming less and less room for error.