2011 Dining Plan Pricing

[snykymom]

Might the difference for more people be the difference in the tax that needs to be charged?

ETA: You say you added "2 or more" guests. If you added more than 2 adults (over 18), you are also charged an "extra adult" charge for the hotel (from $10-25 per night). Limit your calculations to 2 adults, and it may make more sense to you.

 

[Cafeen]

Might the difference for more people be the difference in the tax that needs to be charged?

ETA: You say you added "2 or more" guests. If you added more than 2 adults (over 18), you are also charged an "extra adult" charge for the hotel (from $10-25 per night). Limit your calculations to 2 adults, and it may make more sense to you.

That will definitely throw a wrench into the works. Right now, the extra charge is $10/night value, $15/night mod, $25/night deluxe plus tax based on which resort and we don't even know if those prices are changing for next year... (do we?).

 

[crashbb]

Might the difference for more people be the difference in the tax that needs to be charged?

ETA: You say you added "2 or more" guests. If you added more than 2 adults (over 18), you are also charged an "extra adult" charge for the hotel (from $10-25 per night). Limit your calculations to 2 adults, and it may make more sense to you.

That doesn't matter. If all you do is add the DDP (which ever one) to a reservation and then compare the package price with and without dining, the extra adult charges are included in both packages and are "subtracted out".

 

[starwarsdisney]

I thought about that. Although, the increase this year is the highest ever...I would hope they will not continue that trend. Some have speculated that this is Disney's way of reducing the number of people that purchase the dining plan....and this will eventually lead to doing away with it.

I'm not sure that it will reduce the number of people on the plan by a ton. Yes, some people will just go OOP, but if your anything like us we work hard so we splearge on vacations. I'm sure certain ADR's will still be just as hard to get. I rather like the dining plan, but if the increases continue at the same rate at some point it is not worth it, kind of like my assocation dues. It is an interesting theory though.

With all of the increases in general at Disney for 2011 you have to wonder if the parks will have less traffic next year with the economy still being in the toilet. Maybe the increases are to cover the Fantasyland expansions? It will be interesting to see how it plays out in 2011 since Bob Iger said there would be no discounts offered in 2011. I can't see them sticking to that without losing traffic and therefore money.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

This may be already posted. I checked the above as a package price, and that is what they came out as. I didn't check the others.

Looks like 78.99 for Deluxe, too.

 

[bytheblood]

I'm not sure that it will reduce the number of people on the plan by a ton. Yes, some people will just go OOP, but if your anything like us we work hard so we splearge on vacations. I'm sure certain ADR's will still be just as hard to get. I rather like the dining plan, but if the increases continue at the same rate at some point it is not worth it, kind of like my assocation dues. It is an interesting theory though.

With all of the increases in general at Disney for 2011 you have to wonder if the parks will have less traffic next year with the economy still being in the toilet. Maybe the increases are to cover the Fantasyland expansions? It will be interesting to see how it plays out in 2011 since Bob Iger said there would be no discounts offered in 2011. I can't see them sticking to that without losing traffic and therefore money.

I completely agree.

 

[CathieArms]

Might the difference for more people be the difference in the tax that needs to be charged?

ETA: You say you added "2 or more" guests. If you added more than 2 adults (over 18), you are also charged an "extra adult" charge for the hotel (from $10-25 per night). Limit your calculations to 2 adults, and it may make more sense to you.

The resort room price was exactly the same for 1 or 2 adults as it was for 4 adults. I started with the room and the cost of the room was exactly the same across the board for 1-4 adults. I then added tickets, which obviously changed depending upon the number of people I had...and then I added the dining plan. I can't imagine that the tax would make the difference, because my numbers came out HIGHER every time than Disney's did and you'd think that - if it were the tax - that my numbers would come out lower.

 

[jlk806]

I honestly dont think 34.99 is worth it for the QS dining!

For example, I can get a grilled chicken sandwich and fries at Cosmic Rays for $8.39, beverage $2.49, dessert $3.59. $14.47 total for lunch

For dinner, I can get Pasta at Pop food court for $8.39, beverage for $2.49(which I actually wouldnt need if paying OOP, because I have my mug!)
And dessert for $3.59. Total = $14.47 for dinner

Snack = Cinnamon roll from Main Street Bakery - $3.49
Snack = Slushy for $3.62

Total for day: $36.05 - so yes, Id save slightly over $1.00 per day BUT I wouldnt actually NEED or even WANT dessert with both meals each day, wouldnt need a drink with any meals had at the resort food court because of my mug, or actually need 2 snacks a day. (or I could just bring some small snacks from home to hold us over.)

$45.99 TS

Breakfast - snack credit - muffin or danish - $2.39

Lunch at Pizza planet - Pizza & salad = $8.29, beverage $2.49, dessert $3.59= $14.37

Dinner At Crystal Palace - buffet includes beverage and dessert - $32.99

so $49.75 for the day, I do save a few bucks BUT again, wouldnt need dessert with CS meals, beverage with meals at resort, I could bring stuff from home to make breakfast, etc. And we could share meals at non-buffet restaurants.


IMO, I only believe the DP is a good deal when its free. For trips we take when free dining isnt going on, we pay OOP for food.

 

[Allison]

Keep in mind there is probably another higher rate during busier times of year as there was last year.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

To the OP: I also think that the QSDP has a ton of food. We had a package in July and we found it hard to use the snack credits because you always got a dessert with your counter service meals. We got the fruit cups most of the time, which were delicious! But found ourselves scrambling at the end to use up the credits. My DS girlfriend was complaining that she was always full.

When DH and I go alone, we don't bother with the dining plans at all. We just don't eat like that. We will be taking my daughter, son and their significant others during Feb and thinking of just putting them on the QSDP only because of the convenience factor. But we haven't yet decided if that would be easier or just giving them each money to spend on food for the day. Both my daughter and my son's girlfriend eat like birds . . .so it might just not be worth it.

 

[mickey2000]

2007 Plan:

The price for the DDP is per night of stay. The DDP price includes tax and 18% gratuity. The Dining Plan must be purchased for everyone registered on the reservation.
• $38.99 per guest 10 years old and over and
• $10.99 for children 3-9 years old.

 

[mickey2000]

2007 Plan:

The price for the DDP is per night of stay. The DDP price includes tax and 18% gratuity. The Dining Plan must be purchased for everyone registered on the reservation.
• $38.99 per guest 10 years old and over and
• $10.99 for children 3-9 years old.

 

[kandb]

We are doing the dp with our next trip in October. However, we too are probably not going to do it anymore. It's just not worth it. We would never get dessert with lunch. It's usually a waste, we have a few bites and throw it away. Just not worth almost $50 a day anymore, especially with no gratuity and appetizer included like it was in the past (then it was a great deal). Now not so much. Linda

 

[disneymom06]

Another vote that the plans are just not worth the commitment anymore.

For the QSDP, I always rationalized the cost, that with the cups, the beverage at the meal could be used later. (Samd goes for the desserts.)The beverage had value to us, but for a later us. If OOP, I would have purchased beverages cheaper at the grocery store for us later in the room. Same goes for snacks.

For the DDP, yes when tips were included, the plan was an EXCELLENT value, even if you didn't use all of your credits. No worry about value. Now, not so much. Again, while dessert was included, OOP we may have skipped a few,(meals and desserts) but again "boxing dessert" for a later snack always worked.

To commit to such an outlay of cash, when certain days we just ate lite or skipped a meal, the plans are pricing themselves where the convenience just isn't worth it for the cost.

Of course, when free dining is the discount, for us it is worth it, but that is in lieu of a room discount. The trip then requires full payment 45 days out. A room only, with one day deposit, is paid when I show up. Another plus allowing me to hold my money and pay for the room and food as needed.

 

[bytheblood]

I don't think it is about price anymore. It seems to be more about convenience and pre-paying. Honestly, me making interest on my money is better than Disney making interest on it.

 

[Huff]

so $49.75 for the day, I do save a few bucks BUT again, wouldnt need dessert with CS meals, beverage with meals at resort, I could bring stuff from home to make breakfast, etc. And we could share meals at non-buffet restaurants.

IMO, I only believe the DP is a good deal when its free. For trips we take when free dining isnt going on, we pay OOP for food.

Yes you could eat for less than the dining plan. But what if you could eat far better selections than you would OOP? We don't eat at the buffets. Instead we eat at the upper end 1TS restaurants such as Chefs de France and others.

For QS dining we eat at Wolfgang Express, Peppermarket or PORR Mill create your own pasta. Our bills average around $65 per person so savings is quite a bit.

 

[Huff]

We are doing the dp with our next trip in October. However, we too are probably not going to do it anymore. It's just not worth it. We would never get dessert with lunch. It's usually a waste, we have a few bites and throw it away. Just not worth almost $50 a day anymore, especially with no gratuity and appetizer included like it was in the past (then it was a great deal). Now not so much. Linda

Certainly not as good of deal as in prior years. But still allows us to eat at a nice restaurant each night that does save us money. For your trip many days in October have free dining so can't complain about that!

 

[Gina]

For me, being the tightwad I am , the QSDP "frees me up" to get things I normally wouldn't justify spending the $$ on, especially with the snack credits. I would talk myself out of spending $3.50 for a giant cinnamon roll at MK... but hey, if it's just a "credit," bring it on! LOL Does that make sense?? Seriously, I would hang onto every nickel, and DS and I would never try some of the yummy things we've tried with the QSDP, and I would order the cheapest thing on the menu. I know myself.

And, it's also about convenience for me. Makes my budgeting easier when I know that by the time we get there, the only extra expense I'll have is for souvenirs and such. But that's the great thing about Disney -- lots of choices for all of us, so we can do what works best for us!

 

[Kimi313]

We did the QSDP and I have to say it was convenient, DD and her boyfriend could go on there own and get what they wanted to eat, we did have too much food, and the last day we were trying to use up all our snack credits left and meals left (we did some TS on our own). With that said I don't know if we will do it again but I also think with the price going up so will the price of the food, this way they are still getting us to pre-buy our food. I don't know just thinking out loud.

 

[Sandisw]

For me, being the tightwad I am , the QSDP "frees me up" to get things I normally wouldn't justify spending the $$ on, especially with the snack credits. I would talk myself out of spending $3.50 for a giant cinnamon roll at MK... but hey, if it's just a "credit," bring it on! LOL Does that make sense?? Seriously, I would hang onto every nickel, and DS and I would never try some of the yummy things we've tried with the QSDP, and I would order the cheapest thing on the menu. I know myself.

And, it's also about convenience for me. Makes my budgeting easier when I know that by the time we get there, the only extra expense I'll have is for souvenirs and such. But that's the great thing about Disney -- lots of choices for all of us, so we can do what works best for us!

Yes, that is how I typically looked at things. But we just got back and had the QSDP for 3 days and the DDP for another 3 days (we are DVC so could do it with our split stay).

I realized that I just don't need or want to eat that much food. It works out well for my DH and sometimes for my DD 14 but for me, I ended up throwing out food because I was just not hungry. We even had snack credits left the last day to use up and I never tried to save them, using them for sodas or waters when we needed a drink.

Next summer, especially with the increase, I am going to buy gift cards ahead of time (I go through ebates.com so get a 3% rebate) for the amount of the dining plans. I will then use those as though I was on the plan and see what happens.

I will order dessert and snacks if I feel like eating them, even if I only want to try a bite. But, if I don't want something, I won't get it.

Worst case, is I spend a bit more, but I really don't think that will happen. At some of our sit down meals, there were appetizers that I would have ordered as my meal. While I could have done that on the DDP, it didn't make financial sense and at least wanted to try to maximize my savings.

Next year, I won't have to worry about that!