Oh thanks! And this is even for the Fantasmic package version of Minnie’s seasonal dine?
GREAT resource! We opted not to do the DDP for the first time on our last trip and I’m so glad that we did. We saved hundreds of dollars by paying out of pocket. Did we eat differently? You bet. We order less entrees and desserts, drank more water, and didn’t get as many snacks. We also were able to be more flexible day to day as to whether we wanted to keep TS reservations or reschedule for other things. I don’t know that we will go back to using the DDP in the future because of the cost savings we saw. (One item of note, we are not big alcohol drinkers. Now that the dining plan includes alcohol, I don’t know whether it is more valuable for those folks who enjoy an adult beverage with their meal.)
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Yes, It is the Fantasmic page
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'Ohana asked me at restaurant check-in. The servers are unlikely to trouble you about the kids ages after that point.
Like @Gnatjo, we’ve done the math in the past and found that based on what we would ACTUALLY eat, we save a LOT (in the hundreds) by NOT getting the DDP just when calculating for me and my wife. (Never calculated for the family, since we’d never stay on property with the entire family!)
If we DID get the DDP, we’d probably find ourselves eating more than we actually want just try to make it worth it…but then, we can do that if we wanted by NOT using the DDP.
It seems MOST amusement parks offer some kind of dining plan these days. In EVERY SINGLE CASE, when I’ve done the calculations, it was a windfall for the park, but not for the guest. (Well, not EVERY single case…there are a few parks that offer a pay once, eat for the entire season deal for season pass holders…those can be a good deal if you were going to get a season pass anyhow.)
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On our recent trip I calculated not using the plan saved about $200 for the week. We used Garden Grocer for breakfast food, fresh fruit and some wine & beer. We brought a few boxes of clif bars for in-park snacks.
The meal plan includes two snack/person/day If you don’t use all these snack you will be losing money, it’s also where you save money if you don’t use the plan.
Agree that the dining plan at Disney and most other parks does not save money. I finally had a time when it did though, last week DS14 and I went to Sea World San Diego. We planned on buying a one day ticket ($60) plus the quick queue thing for front of the line access to rides and shows which was $45 per person that day. So $105 each. Then I noticed they had an ultimate ticket for $109 per person that included the 1 day ticket, quick queue, and all you can eat (an entree, side/dessert, and a drink as often as every hour all day long). So for $4 each we ate lunch, dinner, had multiple drinks including bottled water and soda. It was a great deal!
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That’s a good deal. I can see Sea World doing it since they have been struggling. Probably helps them get more foot traffic…and benefitted you for sure!
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Oh! I am going to check if Tampa Busch Gardens offs a similar deal.
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Let us know what you find please.
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The BG version actually sounds like a pretty good deal. On my last trip I only had 2 half days so it wouldn’t have been worth it, but if I had a full day, I would have done it.
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Cp adult is currently $47/adult lunch so $200.22 with tax. Ohana breakfast $34.08/adult so $145.18 with tax, Dinner 45.80/ adult so 194.11 with tax. Believe the “$$ ($15 to $34.99 per adult) - $$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)” is just giving price range that can change slightly depending on season.
The link says that ‘Ohana breakfast is $36.21 for an adult . Maybe it does include tax?
I calculated knowing that snacks and QS meals can be used at F&W festival and pretty much broke even, but that is the only time. Still not going to do it, but for some folks it can be worth it
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That would make sense tax rate is 6.5% I believe.
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Does anyone know? Do travel agents make extra on the dining plan? I’ve felt like all the ones I touched base with have tried to push it on me. It feels different than in years past-we’ve never gotten the plan as it’s never seemed to make money sense for our family. And I’ve never felt like anyone was pushing it until this year.
Hmmm. Maybe they get a percentage of the entire amount you spend.
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TAs do get a commission on the total package price, yes! So therefore if you add the dining plan, it does slightly increase the commission. I don’t think it’s good practice to push it on anyone though. I am actually a travel agent who does strictly Disney vacations (not full-time, it’s sort of a hobby I get paid for if/when I do it, lol)…I do it how much/little I want and the benefits I get are what make it worth it for me!
Clients (which are usually my friends and family and referrals from each) always ask me about the DDP. I like to talk with them about how they plan to eat during the trip, ages of kids etc…and weigh the pros and cons. There have absolutely been people I have said I do not recommend it for.
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