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Disney
World Vacation Packages vs. Annual Pass Discounts
Quite a few MouseSavers.com readers have asked me whether it's really
worthwhile to book a Walt Disney World vacation
package just so that you can buy the Dining
Plan add-on. The answer is, "it depends."
Usually if you book a Disney World vacation package, you'll be
paying "rack rate" (full price) for the hotel room portion
of the package. (Occasionally there are good package
discounts.) While the Dining Plan can be a good value in some
situations, any savings are offset by the lack of discounts on the
hotel room.
You may save a lot of money by purchasing one Annual Pass and
taking advantage of the many Annual
Passholder discounts. Those most likely to benefit from this
strategy include families, those staying 5 days or longer and/or those
staying at Disney's Deluxe resorts.
Here's an example of how the savings can add up. Both of the
2005 examples below are for a family of four (2 adults, 1 child age
6 and one child age 11) taking a one-week vacation at Walt Disney
World.
| Vacation Type |
7-Night Magic Your Way Vacation Package
Plus Dining (2005) |
7-Night Vacation with Components Booked
Separately, Using Annual Passholder Discounts (2005) |
| Items Included |
- 7 nights at Wilderness Lodge (standard view room, Regular
season)
- 7-Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper Option
- Dining Plan (one full-service meal, one counter-service
meal and one snack per person per day, at selected WDW restaurants)
- Additional meals (extra cost on top of package)
|
- 7 nights at Wilderness Lodge (standard view room, Regular
season)
- One adult Annual Pass
- 7-Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper Option for
the rest of the family
- 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners and 7 snacks per person
|
| Cost of Room |
$1865.40 (rack rate) |
$1084.90 (Annual Passholder discount
applied - note that this discount is not
always available) |
| Cost of Tickets |
3 Adult MYW Tickets with Park Hopper Option (advance purchase)
= $712.50
1 Child MYW Ticket with Park Hopper Option (advance purchase)
= $198.09
Total ticket cost = $910.59 |
1 Adult Annual Pass = $420.68
2 Adult MYW Tickets with Park Hopper Option (advance purchase)
= $475.00
1 Child MYW Ticket with Park Hopper Option (advance purchase)
= $198.09
Total ticket cost = $1093.77 |
| Cost of Dining |
Dining plan = $805.00
-
2 Character breakfasts
-
7 counter-service lunches
-
2 full-service dinners
-
1 buffet dinner
-
1 dinner show (dinner show uses two full-service
meal options)
-
7 in-park snacks: popcorn, soda, bottled
water or ice cream bar
Additional meals not included in meal plan = $286.00*
Per-meal or per-snack costs listed below cover the entire family
of four.
-
2 full-service breakfasts at the hotel @
$50 each
-
3 counter-service breakfasts at the hotel
and/or in the parks @ $28 each
-
3 counter-service dinners @ $34 each
Total meal expense = $1091.00 |
Per-meal or per-snack costs listed below cover the entire family
of four.
-
2 Character breakfasts (1 @ $68, 1 @ $82)
-
2 full-service breakfasts at the hotel @
$50 each
-
3 counter-service breakfasts at the hotel
and/or in the parks @ $28 each
-
7 counter-service lunches @ $34 each
-
2 full-service dinners @ $90 each
-
1 buffet dinner @ $70
-
1 dinner show @ $151
-
3 counter-service dinners @ $34 each
-
7 in-park snacks such as popcorn, soda,
bottled water or ice cream bar @ $10 each
Total meal expense* = $1145.00 |
| Total Cost |
= $3870.83 Total** |
= $3323.67
Total |
| Advantages |
It's easy and requires minimal
thought. Just contact your travel agent
and book it. |
- Your vacation may cost less: in this example, you
could save over $500 as compared with a vacation package.
- Still pretty easy: your travel
agent can book room and tickets for you.
- Dining is totally flexible. You can choose where
and when to eat, and in some cases you'll get a 10% Annual
Passholder discount. Plus, if you are able to join Disney's
Dining Experience before your trip, you might save as
much as 20% on many of your meals.
- You qualify for a lot of other Annual Passholder discounts.
Click here for a list.
- If you return to Walt Disney World within a year, the
Annual Pass will still be valid. That's one less ticket
to buy on your next trip.
|
| Disadvantages |
- Your vacation may cost more: in this example, the
vacation package cost over $500 more than the alternative.
- Dining plan is not totally flexible. If you want
to try restaurants that are not on the plan, you're out of
luck. Snack options are limited.
- Dining plan isn't always a good deal, unless you
plan ahead carefully and pick specific restaurants and items
that provide the best value.
- Dining plan can be a hassle. You have to stay on
top of how many meals and snacks you've used during your vacation,
so that you don't end up wasting any.
|
Annual Passholder discounts at
the Disney resorts are NOT guaranteed and frequently are
not offered during peak holiday periods. To see historical information
about when these discounts have been offered in the past, click
here. |
*When calculating the cost of meals, I used average prices for an
entree or combo meal and drink per person (plus a dessert with each
dinner), including tax and 15% tip if applicable. I assumed children
would order from the kids' menu. I did not apply any Annual
Passholder or Disney Dining Experience
meal discounts.
**The price of a Disney vacation package almost always varies by
at least a few dollars from the total "rack rate" cost of
the components. Generally the discrepancy favors Disney. I call this
"Mickey Mouse math." The total here is based on an actual
vacation package quote, plus the cost of the additional meals.
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