2018 Disney Dining Plan Prices & General Discussion

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Does anyone know the website that compares if it is more cost effective to use a dining plan or pay out of pocket if you won't have enough dining credits?

Also trying to work out roughly if it is better value to pay for Cinderellas Royal table separately or use the 2 tS credits?
I think the TS credit works out to be worth $40-42 for the 2018 plan. So any meal less than that will be the one to pay OOP.
Have prices gone up that much? I thought a TS credit was closer to $38 on the regular plan, or $33 on the deluxe.

CRT is different because the price includes tax and gratuity. Be sure to include that in your calculation.

The best website to compare value that I'm aware of is www.distripplanner.com.
 
Based on my handy-dandy math thread (and posted earlier in this one... like page 6 or 7 I think), 2018 TS value is about $44 and Dx value is about $35 (as compared to post-tax prices). Those numbers can vary a bit based on how much you value snack and mug credits.
 
Yeah, here's the post with the math:

Using my handy-dandy spreadsheet posted previously to these forums, and plugging in a value of $5.00 per snack credit and valuing the refillable mug at $0, I get the following break-even costs per credit:

CS - Adult $21.25 (compare to $19.95 pre-tax), Child $5.88 (compare to $5.52 pre-tax)
TS - Adult $44.24 (compare to $41.54 pre-tax), Child $10.75 (compare to $10.09 pre-tax)
Dx - Adult $35.42 (compare to $33.26 pre-tax), Child $10.00 (compare to $9.39 pre-tax)

Edited to add: If you want the numbers run for different assumptions on the snacks and mugs, just ask me, or alternatively, look up the thread where I posted the spreadsheet originally and plug in the numbers directly.
 
Ok....Riddle me this. We aren't DDP people but I'm trying to find out what affect the DDP dates have on crowds and the like. In other words, say you have a choice of a week that's not part of the DDP dates, or the week after that is part of DDP. Will one week look totally different then the other? Crowd wise, ability to get into restaurants...etc...etc. Basically talking about the first week in December of 2018...not DDP...or the following week, December 7, which is part of the DDP.
 


My understanding is that park crowds/wait times aren't significantly impacted by "free dining", but ADR availability is seriously impacted.
 
My understanding is that park crowds/wait times aren't significantly impacted by "free dining", but ADR availability is seriously impacted.

So.......if the week prior has no free dining, ADR's would be easier..I do kinda get that....but no effect on crowds????
 
So.......if the week prior has no free dining, ADR's would be easier..I do kinda get that....but no effect on crowds????

The way I heard it explained is that while hotel occupancy is up to take advantage of the dining offer, that just mostly just represents a shift of guests from off-site to on-site, not bringing in more guests onto property overall. The folks over at Touring Plans can go into greater detail.
 


So.......if the week prior has no free dining, ADR's would be easier..I do kinda get that....but no effect on crowds????

The consensus is that FD has more impact in driving guests who would have stayed off-site to Disney resorts and in encouraging guests to upgrade their experience (all-Disney instead of some off-site meals, daily TS for people who would otherwise stick to CS) than in convincing people to book trips they otherwise wouldn't have taken. There's a big impact on ADR availability, but far less difference in FP availability, wait times, or other measures of overall crowd level.
 
I've done what you're planning several times. I'm planning a trip this December for ten people, and we have 114 credits to divide between 9 of us (one's a toddler) over 7 days, even though we're mostly staying off-site, because doing so saves us over 25% on food.

If the grandparents want a meal alone, they will have to pay out of pocket.
 
I've done what you're planning several times. I'm planning a trip this December for ten people, and we have 114 credits to divide between 9 of us (one's a toddler) over 7 days, even though we're mostly staying off-site, because doing so saves us over 25% on food.

If the grandparents want a meal alone, they will have to pay out of pocket.
We are planning to have meals together and the rest of the time we will play by ear. It would be awesome to get my parents on the mine ride!! I am so bummed about Splash Mountain being down while we are there.
 
Hola!

I've booked my family (3 adults and 2 children) for 2 weeks next year at a deluxe resort. We are staying the last week of August and first week of September which is traditionally FD time. We are Canadian. We intend to add in the FD and upgrade to the DxDp when/if offered.

My question is, how easy is it to switch my package over to include the FD? Is this something I need to be on the ball with at 6 am in the morning when is announced? Am I able to easily do this myself online or is it better to call Disney directly?

Thank you for the advice!
 
My question is, how easy is it to switch my package over to include the FD? Is this something I need to be on the ball with at 6 am in the morning when is announced? Am I able to easily do this myself online or is it better to call Disney directly?

This is one of the hardest questions to answer. For the past couple years, there have been some who could NOT make any changes to their reservations online when free dining came around; they change/modify "button" went missing. That meant they had to be up and on the phones early and many missed out on getting their dates and/or resort choices. You won't know if that's the case for you until it comes (if it comes).

It's not necessarily just a quick fix to "add" free dining. You may need to change dates, you may need to change type of room, you may need to change resorts, you may not be able to get it at all. If you're going whether you have free dining or not, then just keep what you have and hang out here for the announcement next Mar/April (if there is one). If free dining in the only way you can go, I wouldn't be making any non-refundable plane ticket reservations yet.
 
Disney offers free dining to fill rooms. If the rooms are already filled, there is less need to offer free dining

Each year we are seeing less and less offered, less resorts, less rooms, less dining plan types

When it is offered get on the phone and online asap. As pp indicated your resort may not offer anything, may require a change to room type or require a change in dates or resorts

Sadly it is so many rebooking than waiting to swap to the new offer that is driving less and less offers
 
Thanks for the info. Looks like ill be waking up early in mid April to check and see when FD drops than I'll get on the phone ASAP. There has also been room discount offers and whatnot during the time we are going. If FD isn't an option we could mull over a room discount. Ultimately we can afford to go regardless but it would possibly make a bounce-back a reality if we were able to get some sort of deal.

The Disney phone lines dont open up until 7 am est regardless of when FD is announced, correct?
 
Thanks for the info. Looks like ill be waking up early in mid April to check and see when FD drops than I'll get on the phone ASAP. There has also been room discount offers and whatnot during the time we are going. If FD isn't an option we could mull over a room discount. Ultimately we can afford to go regardless but it would possibly make a bounce-back a reality if we were able to get some sort of deal.

The Disney phone lines dont open up until 7 am est regardless of when FD is announced, correct?

Yes, that is correct. The phone lines open at 7 a.m. eastern, but booking online has been available as early as 3 and 4 a.m.

By the way, there was some sort of deal for Canadians this year that at least rivaled free dining. Seems like there were several Canadians waiting/watching for free dining, that ended up keeping their other offer because it was cheaper than or at least close to the same price as free dining, and they got to keep the resort they wanted instead of settling for something else. I don't remember who that offer was through, though. I don't think it was Disney. Let me see if I can find one of those posters.

ETA: @squirrel are you one of the 2017 FD watchers that kept your other discount or do you remember what it was for Canadians? TIA.
 
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Yes, that is correct. The phone lines open at 7 a.m. eastern, but booking online has been available as early as 3 and 4 a.m.

By the way, there was some sort of deal for Canadians this year that at least rivaled free dining. Seems like there were several Canadians waiting/watching for free dining, that ended up keeping their other offer because it was cheaper than or at least close to the same price as free dining, and they got to keep the resort they wanted instead of settling for something else. I don't remember who that offer was through, though. I don't think it was Disney. Let me see if I can find one of those posters.

ETA: @squirrel are you one of the 2017 FD watchers that kept your other discount or do you remember what it was for Canadians? TIA.
I went with the FD offer. We were given the extra week in August, just like Visa holders.

The other offer I considered was the Savory Summer offer and Canadian Ticket offer. The savory summer offer included one CS per person per night.
I don't recall how much more free dining was but it was worth it as we got hoppers and the extra in food.
 
I booked free dining for next August at BWI. I just want to verify that the entitlements noted on page 1 are in fact, accurate. I am assuming so since there's no edits. Thanks! :)
 
I booked free dining for next August at BWI. I just want to verify that the entitlements noted on page 1 are in fact, accurate. I am assuming so since there's no edits. Thanks! :)

They are accurate as of now. I'd keep an eye on this thread next Jan-Feb to see how it all plays out, and maybe periodically later in the year to see how/if Disney makes any changes to it.
 
I'd keep an eye on this thread next Jan-Feb to see how it all plays out, and maybe periodically later in the year to see how/if Disney makes any changes to it.

Agreed - some feel there may be changes to the "system" since an alcoholic beverage will be included in 2018; some feel there will be no changes for that reason, since ages 10-20 have to purchase the adult plan, but can't drink until 21. I tend to lean towards the latter (no changes)
 
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