That is a big part of whether DDP is a value or not.
With alcoholic beverages, many people charged for a product that they cannot or choose not to consume. The alcohol costs are built into the overall price.
WDW charges the same DDP price for 9 to 20 old as a 21+ adult, but kids cannot legally get the beverage they are being charged for. Also, 1/3 of Americans do not consume alcohol at all so these guests are paying for an item they have no interest in consuming.
For split and short stays the math can work. Especially if you drink cocktails which can be spendy and If you load up your TS during that part of your stay.
I got it once on a two night stay and saved some money over what we would have bought (not counting the extra food we actually got).
Good point. But that’s true for the bill itself, right? I’m just trying to understand the reasons for opting to purchase a dining plan (in case there some huge benefit I’m missing…)
Some people will just get the cheapest item if confronted with prices. With DDP the same credit gets you the most expensive item, if that’s what you want.
I looked up the 2019 adult prices for the DDP regular plan, and it was $75 per person per day. Four years later, with the inflated cost of everything, that price is going to approach $100. With two $20 cocktails to go with 1 table service meal and one counter service and one snack, that is still cutting it close to getting your money’s worth.
I don’t see an equivalent to the deluxe plan of 2019 on Disney’s website for 2024.
I have to redo the math now that both my kids are charged as “adults”. The still eat very little though…
I can see how it could save money for some families.
And there you are. There is a reason for buying a dining plan.
You said you were trying to understand the reasons for buying one. You now have one. That doesn’t mean it is a reason that applies to everyone.
Some people seem to have the view that if it doesn’t make sense to them, then it doesn’t make sense for anyone else.
Neither @OBNurseNH or I are suggesting it makes sense for everyone. We’re both just trying to explain why it sometimes has made sense for us, and why it might make sense for other people.
Which is why shorter trips and spli stays come into play. On a two night stay, you have 3 days to use those credits. Then it entirely depends on where you dine.
I believe when it worked for me (agian based off what I would have eaten, not what we did eat) my DD was also 9. Perfect age. And that BOG QS breakfast!
Got it, thanks. I missed it initially bc I didn’t realize just how long the video was.
@len Can you have this TP IG video posted on TP’s TikTok and/or Youtube channels? It’s a lot easier to fast forward / rewind on those platforms which comes in handy for longer videos.
Edit: I liked the nerd Dad sneakers Len was wearing, New Balance 990’s. That part comes right at the end of the video though.
For us, we tended to break even on the DDP, which in and of itself makes it worth it for me because less worry/ thinking/ cash to carry on vaca. I like that it’s already taken care of. When the new price is posted, I’m sure people are going to flip out about how much higher it is from 2019, but I think it’ll still be within the same threshold vs paying out of pocket because that’s gone up a lot too. Over the past few years there’s been no plan, we’ve been “as-if” with MIL and she pays us the former DDP amount / night to us at the start of the trip. It stopped all of the back and forth money throwing around at the table when she kept trying to pay for everything.
I think it’s really going to come down to which places cost 2 credits. For instance, at current prices if one has dinner at Cape May Cafe (which isn’t a character meal at dinner) or lunch/dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern during a semi-peak to peak time and has a cocktail with their meal then that’s going to run you $65-77 right there, just for one meal. At Coral Reef a dinner or lunch entree, dessert, and cocktail is going to come in at about $60. If any character meals are included at 1 credit then that jumps the potential value of a TS credit up substantially.
Character meals were one credit before. Only the signature dining cost two credits.
I agree with your costs too. I was stunned at how expensive food was on our last visit. After the first meal I tried not to think about it and just accepted that food was going to cost us a huge amount. I never did add it up.
