Dining plan cost OUTRAGEOUS for 2012

[eliza61]

It also depends on the resturants. If you dine at the more expensive restaurants, still 1TS, then the dining plan does make sense. For example some of the entree options at the Epcot restaurants are on the higher price scale sot he dining plan is still the better option

for example some of the entrees at Tutto Italia are $36

I would have to eat some where like that every day. so for a normal 10 day trip the cost for my family is $220 bucks. Even at Tutto Italia the probability of everyone ordering the most expensive thing is remote.

And thats exactly what ends up happening. you no longer really order what you want but what is the most expensive dish simply to justify paying that outrageous price.

What I don't understand is that Chefs de France which is a pretty pricey joint has a 3 course Prix fixe menu for $40 bucks. LOL. and that I would get an appertizer, main dish and a dessert. LOL

plus this does not include tip. No way

 

[shenaniganzz]

I wouldn't do the dining plan unless we had free dining. We like DxDP too, so we always upgrade it but wouldn't pay for it outright.

 

[CrossOverGuy]

I'm going next month during Value Season. I'm getting off either 20% or 25% of the resort fee, so paying for the Regular Dining Plan. By my calculations, if it is $51.54 per day, a TS is worth about $33, a QS is worth about $16.50 and a snack worth about $2. (You can add or subtract a dollar here or there). There are plenty of snacks, including the wonderful list on this board, where you can find snacks up to about $4. If you order some of the higher priced items on a 1 credit TS, you can easily exceed $33 with the tax included on the bill. The QS if sought out with some research and including tax, dessert and beverage can be done in the vicinity of $14-17 or so. Plus the refillable mug, if you drink soda, coffee, tea, iced tea or cocoa once or more a day (at approximately $2 or $2.50 each) would still make this worthwhile. However, if you eat vegetarian or lower priced entrees as opposed to steak or fish, and don't eat too much dessert, you might want to price out the restaurants you want to do and see if you would do better OOP.

These numbers also made me eliminate from consideration most of the Signature Restuarants (at least for using the DDP on them). If 2 TS is $66 (again, based on $33 per TS credit) and the entree at one place is $40 plus a $10 dessert and a $2 or $3 beverage, plus tax, why cover a $52 plus tax bill with a 2 TS credits equaling about $66? This worked out as being worthwhile as far as the Hoop-Dee-Doo dinner show which is about $69 OOP for the last show (Category 1 seating) including tax, tips and all-you can eat and drink. But at places like the Brown Derby, etc., it would probably be better to pay OOP if you want to eat there.

Of course, on the Deluxe Plan, all bets are off, insofar as each dining credit would be worth less (approximately $27) each, since there are 2 snacks and you can use these 3 main credits at a TS or QS. (But it would be a huge waste to use a $27 credit for a probably at most $17 QS meal!) On the other hand, it would then probably be worth it to use these credits for Signature restaurants, especially since on these and other TS on the deluxe plan you get appetizers. For me, it's just too much food. Perhaps Disney might be counting on that fact as well; some people overestimate how much they can eat and might not eat all they've paid for. For big eaters and lovers of more haute cuisine, it's probably a good deal.

Also, when folks talk about the free dining, they may want to price it out and see if they'd be better off looking for discounted hotel offers (if they can travel at that time of year when discounts are offered) and seeing if the numbers work better without "free" dining. Of course, if you can get a discounted hotel room and free dining, that would probably be worth it.

 

[cmurray234]

I'm going next month during Value Season. I'm getting off either 20% or 25% of the resort fee, so paying for the Regular Dining Plan. By my calculations, if it is $51.54 per day, a TS is worth about $33, a QS is worth about $16.50 and a snack worth about $2. (You can add or subtract a dollar here or there). There are plenty of snacks, including the wonderful list on this board, where you can find snacks up to about $4. If you order some of the higher priced items on a 1 credit TS, you can easily exceed $33 with the tax included on the bill. The QS if sought out with some research and including tax, dessert and beverage can be done in the vicinity of $14-17 or so. Plus the refillable mug, if you drink soda, coffee, tea, iced tea or cocoa once or more a day (at approximately $2 or $2.50 each) would still make this worthwhile. However, if you eat vegetarian or lower priced entrees as opposed to steak or fish, and don't eat too much dessert, you might want to price out the restaurants you want to do and see if you would do better OOP.

These numbers also made me eliminate from consideration most of the Signature Restuarants (at least for using the DDP on them). If 2 TS is $66 (again, based on $33 per TS credit) and the entree at one place is $40 plus a $10 dessert and a $2 or $3 beverage, plus tax, why cover a $52 plus tax bill with a 2 TS credits equaling about $66? This worked out as being worthwhile as far as the Hoop-Dee-Doo dinner show which is about $69 OOP for the last show (Category 1 seating) including tax, tips and all-you can eat and drink. But at places like the Brown Derby, etc., it would probably be better to pay OOP if you want to eat there.

Of course, on the Deluxe Plan, all bets are off, insofar as each dining credit would be worth less (approximately $27) each, since there are 2 snacks and you can use these 3 main credits at a TS or QS. (But it would be a huge waste to use a $27 credit for a probably at most $17 QS meal!) On the other hand, it would then probably be worth it to use these credits for Signature restaurants, especially since on these and other TS on the deluxe plan you get appetizers. For me, it's just too much food. Perhaps Disney might be counting on that fact as well; some people overestimate how much they can eat and might not eat all they've paid for. For big eaters and lovers of more haute cuisine, it's probably a good deal.

Also, when folks talk about the free dining, they may want to price it out and see if they'd be better off looking for discounted hotel offers (if they can travel at that time of year when discounts are offered) and seeing if the numbers work better without "free" dining. Of course, if you can get a discounted hotel room and free dining, that would probably be worth it.

The price has jumped to $55 for adults, making its value even less. Basically, unless you order strip steak for every dinner or sea scallops, you're losing money.

I agree with whoever said you end up not ordering what you actually WANT to eat. I like an occasional steak, but I'm much more likely to go with pasta or chicken when left to my own devices.

I will have to pay $50 to cancel the dining plan off my reservation, but at this point, I still think I'll make out better.

 

[miprender]

This is the first time in 5 trips that we will not be doing the DDP either. We are going to purchase the TIW card and save money that way and use it for our trips next year.

 

[havoc315]

Disney usually adjusts their menu prices in August. I don't expect a second sudden increase to occur much before then.

Still not sure where $55/19 is coming from. We have the DxDP for February, but got prices for both the ddp and DxDP. Of course, CMs don't actually know the per day prices. They can only give you the total, and you need to go backwards to figure out the price.

Not that I'm defending the plan. For most reasonably eating adults, the basic ddp is a rip off.

As to someone citing Tutto Italia, I believe it is closing for a major makeover. Who knows what it will be like when it reopens

 

[nkereina]

Interestingly, it has ALWAYS been marketed that way. For years, they advertised that getting the dining plan would save you 25% or more. I doubt we would even save 5% this year.

I can tell you this much, there isn't much of an incentive to buy it if you aren't even going to save money. Very odd to me.

If you ordered the most expensive dishes on the menus each time, you'd certainly save the 25% or more they are talking about. That's how they can market it this way. But usually people don't always buy the most expensive meals on the menus. I buy it for the convenience of it, knowing my meals are paid ahead of time and I can be a glutton with desserts which I wouldn't normally pay OOP for. I know I could save money doing meals OOP but I don't buy the DDP for the savings.

 

[havoc315]

If you ordered the most expensive dishes on the menus each time, you'd certainly save the 25% or more they are talking about. That's how they can market it this way. But usually people don't always buy the most expensive meals on the menus. I buy it for the convenience of it, knowing my meals are paid ahead of time and I can be a glutton with desserts which I wouldn't normally pay OOP for. I know I could save money doing meals OOP but I don't buy the DDP for the savings.

So at what price, if any, would you skip the plan?
If the plan was $75, but came with an absolute maximum of $65 worth of food, would you still get it purely for prepayment convenience?

 

[nkereina]

So at what price, if any, would you skip the plan?
If the plan was $75, but came with an absolute maximum of $65 worth of food, would you still get it purely for prepayment convenience?

Of course not, but that wouldn't happen. Disney isn't going to make the plan cost more than if you paid OOP for all the most expensive meals. They will have to do one of a few possible things in the future: raise the price of the plans and at the same time raise the price of the menu items; raise the price of the plans but include more like appetizers again or something like that; have minimal increase in the plan prices such as $1-$2 for the next few years so the difference is basically negligible. There might even be more scenarios.

People will pay for convience and I'm one of them. I'm well aware that the plan price is not always the cheapest way for us , but if I don't have to think about budgeting money for food or worry about holding back on what I want to order, then I'll shell out the extra money.

 

[havoc315]

Of course not, but that wouldn't happen. Disney isn't going to make the plan cost more than if you paid OOP for all the most expensive meals. .

If the point isn't to save money, why not?

Truthfully, the plan already costs more than if most people paid oop for the food they want. (I am assuming most people don't always want the most expensive entrees at the most expensive 1-credit restaurants with always getting dessert).

If you don't order the most expensive meals, or do lots of character dinners, for such people, it would be cheaper oop. At this point, only a small percentage of adults actually would save money.
And if the children's price actually is $19-- then children won't save unless they do character dinners.

 

[no capes darling]

Of course the dining plan costs more, as I'm sure OOP meals at WDW have. Speaking only for myself, we're spending more on groceries now more than ever. It's not just WDW and the food there.

 

[loganpaulsmom]

I have been reading all that everyone has written and now I am seriously considering going without the plan.. I am going to look at the places that I have booked.. and the menu's.. and then I am going to price it out.. I will get back on this post with what I find out..

 

[cmurray234]

I have been reading all that everyone has written and now I am seriously considering going without the plan.. I am going to look at the places that I have booked.. and the menu's.. and then I am going to price it out.. I will get back on this post with what I find out..

Please do. That's what I'm doing this evening. I'm torn, because I certainly would not order 2 desserts per day and we likely wouldn't eat a snack per person every day either. I'm going to price out exactly what I would order, not the most expensive thing on the menu.

I'll report my findings back as well.

 

[Haley]

I think Disney just wants people to assume the DP is a "good deal" and add it on without breaking down the cost.

 

[cmurray234]

I think Disney just wants people to assume the DP is a "good deal" and add it on without breaking down the cost.

It does seem that way. I couldn't find the cost of the plan written anywhere in the Disney literature. I had to call and ask. The price went up since I asked the cost 2 months ago by $4.00 per person per day (including the child's rate).

That being said, this isn't a huge surprise to me. It's ridiculously difficult to get the pricing breakdown of things from Disney any more.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Hi I would really love to know what the actual cost for the DDP is!! We are going to be renting DVC points and so have been planning on paying for the DDP - at the " original" prices that have been previously posted at $51.54 per adult. If the price has increased then I will have to go back and work out if it really is worth it for us as 2ad 1ch aged 4.
I could call Disney dining but it would cost me a bit as I am in England!!, so if anyone can re confirm the prices I would be really grateful

Claire

 

[loganpaulsmom]

So I did the breakdown for myself.. there are 3 of us.. 2 adults and 1 child.. So, $55 + $55 + 19 = $129..I am going for 7 nights/8 days and this year instead of being bogged down by 14 ressies, I just booked 6.. 2 are signature.. I did not include drinks or counter service meals..
La Hacienda.. 87.00 + $55 = $142
Flying Fish..$145 + $55= $200
Citricos.. $105 + $55= $160
Via napoli. $60 + $55= $115
Chef Mickeys $88 + $55= $143
Ohana $90 + $55= $145

I figured on adding at least $25.00 a day for counter service and that is definitely at a minimum.. As well as at least 4 latte's a day..(hubby needs his coffee and adding on drinks.. i would add another $20 on to our day just for drinks and then another $10 for snacks..
So, to me it looks as if the only day that it doesn't work out for us is on Via napoli day.. (but that was with me getting a pasta dish and hubby and son splitting a pizza, which probably wouldn't happen)

 

[havoc315]

So I did the breakdown for myself.. there are 3 of us.. 2 adults and 1 child.. So, $55 + $55 + 19 = $129..I am going for 7 nights/8 days and this year instead of being bogged down by 14 ressies, I just booked 6.. 2 are signature.. I did not include drinks or counter service meals..
La Hacienda.. 87.00 + $55 = $142
Flying Fish..$145 + $55= $200
Citricos.. $105 + $55= $160
Via napoli. $60 + $55= $115
Chef Mickeys $88 + $55= $143
Ohana $90 + $55= $145

I figured on adding at least $25.00 a day for counter service and that is definitely at a minimum.. As well as at least 4 latte's a day..(hubby needs his coffee and adding on drinks.. i would add another $20 on to our day just for drinks and then another $10 for snacks..
So, to me it looks as if the only day that it doesn't work out for us is on Via napoli day.. (but that was with me getting a pasta dish and hubby and son splitting a pizza, which probably wouldn't happen)

I'm confused by your extra $30 in lattes and snacks. Lattes would be a snack credit each. Only regular coffee is covered by the mug, and only at the resort food court. Not going to run back from the theme park 4 times a day for coffee refills.

So you have 3 snack credits per day to use for snacks and lattes -- adds up to about 2 regular snacks and 1 latte per day.
So it would appear you overestimated the value of the plan by about $20 per day. Plus, 1 of your meals would have to be oop, as you went over your credits.
It would actually appear that you would save money oop.

Even if your +55 is correct -- remembering that only 5 out of those 6 dinners are covered, you would get total value of $845 (I took out Via Napoli as the cheapest meal). And for 7 nights, the ddp would cost $903. So even at the +55, you would be losing $58.

 

[cmurray234]

Hi I would really love to know what the actual cost for the DDP is!! We are going to be renting DVC points and so have been planning on paying for the DDP - at the " original" prices that have been previously posted at $51.54 per adult. If the price has increased then I will have to go back and work out if it really is worth it for us as 2ad 1ch aged 4.
I could call Disney dining but it would cost me a bit as I am in England!!, so if anyone can re confirm the prices I would be really grateful

Claire

The rate is $55.00. I called Disney twice and talked to 2 different customer service people. The rate jumped by $4 per person. $55.00 per adult, $19.00 per child.

 

[MEK]

I will have to agree that the Disney DP is no longer cost effective. I purchased it the first time after I got free dining during the first promotion. I have since purchased DVC and have always thought the DP was a good value and have added it to most of my trips. That's until recently. When I priced it out for our December trip I decided to forgo it and purchase the TIW instead.

While I like prepaying for food and not having to worry about anything but the tips, I don't think its fun to pick out the most expensive entrees and desserts and snacks just to get the most value out of the plan. That's too time consuming.

It was during this last trip that I did notice a slight decline in food quality. Maybe I just had a few "off" meals, but the TS and signature dining wasn't as impressive to me as it had been in the past. And the dessert portions are pitiful for the prices they are charging.

I have to agree that I am much more inclined now to venture out and try some off site restaurants. I will also be eating more CS on my next trip.

I think the introduction of the dining plan and "free" dining has served its purpose in filling Disney restaurants to the brim, but it has also resulted in a general decline in value and quality.