Is it worth it?

[Mommy2boys]

Is it worth getting the dining plan? I am travelling with my husband and our two sons (1 and 4)

[LovinWDW]

It's worth it if your planning to do a sit down meal every night or at least once a day. If your planning on eating fast counter service for you entire trip then I think your better off paying with cash. In addition, each member of your party will get 1 snack per day. These add up quickly. With the meal plan its nice to get an ice cream or water and not have to pay for them until all your snacks run out.
I was not sold on the plan at first. We went with it the first time in 2005 during a 2 week stay. I think we paid about $1,200 for 3 of us, 2 adults and 1 child. I added all my reciepts to see if I would get my $1,200 back. By the 8th evening we broke evenThats means we ate for free the last 6 days of our trip. Keep in mind we do a nice sit down meal every night. I would never go to Disney without getting the meal plan.:thumbsup:

[Natazu]

We routinely save $250 per person per week on the dining plan. Plus, we are more apt to try food items we might not try if we were paying for them.

[yasmina]

going to DW now w/o the dining plan. Not only do you save money in the long run, but, like the previous poster said, you're more inclined to try food items you would not have before.

Whenever I start thinking about staying off property (there are some great deals and beautiful resorts out there) I stop dead in my tracks b/c you can't get the dining package.

I guess this is another example of the genius of Disney to get people to stay in their resorts. But I don't mind, since we benefit too.

[Figgyluv03]

I looking forward to the Dining Plan. Less money we have to carry around and like a few other people said, I'll be trying places I would have over looked if I was paying OoP. The only thing we'll be paying for will be drinks since this is the first time I'm going since turning 21.

[ncscgirl2005]

I have been wondering about this as well. I am trying to sell DH on it but he's not giving in. I am going on VACATION therefore, I don't want to worry about "What's for Dinner" which is his favorite question EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. He thinks we will save money by eating in the room (which we won't be in very much) and eating late breakfasts/lunches. And I'm sure we will but I want to be able to go to the parks and enjoy myself and not have to worry about hiking back over to the resort to eat a TURKEY SANDWICH! Over the past 5 months I have cut back on eating out for lunch at work (only once or twice per month) so that I can have a good time at Disney. What he doesn't realize is that I have our days pretty much booked up (park hopping/water parks) and there's not going to be a whole lot of time to get back and forth to go eat a TURKEY SANDWICH. How can I sell him on this? I need some help please. My family includes DH, DD10 and DD6. DD10 eats more than I do (athletic-thin as a rail)! I already have two character breaksfasts and one character dinner reserved at $237. I would love to do dinner or lunch with Cinderella but that is most definetely out of the question with DH. Any ideas guys?

[Disney Doll]

We don't use the dining plan because for us it just doesn't seem worth it. We do not eat a table service meal every day. With little kids it just seems easier to grab something quick and get back to seeing the fun stuff at the parks.

[kathiep]

We definately recommend going with the dining plan.

First, the convenience of not having to pay each time you eat.

Second, not having to worry about a budget and then not ordering something because it's too expensive.

Third - trying new and different places.

Fourth - the snacks we end up buying with 2 little ones can really add up. The snack option works great.

Fifth - I think we'd end up not feeling too well if we ate every meal from a counter service.

[Dedivah]

Totally Worth it!! :thumbsup: With small children you are going to need some down time. Sit have a great meal then head back out to the parks! :number1:

[tarzan_rocks]

My family is similar to yours. We have a four-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy. When we run the numbers, we come out a little bit better not doing the meal plan, but it’s close. We love eating at WDW, especially the table service restaurants. We savor opportunity to sit, relax, and enjoy some of the best food we ever eat. The free refills are quite refreshing during a long day.

We take the economical route doing things like eating table service at lunch instead of dinner, splitting entrees (between adults or in lieu of kids’ meals), appetizers instead of entrees and carrying our own snacks. The biggest savings for us comes from the Disney Dining Experience card that saves us 20% every meal. The DDE provides no benefit on the plan.

You do get more food with the plan with appetizers and desserts. But that’s just more food than we need. I don’t know the last time we actually ordered an appetizer, entrée and dessert for a single meal. For you, it probably depends most on your eating habits. If you normally order the appetizer, entrée, dessert then the plan makes sense for you. Also if you normally (or would like to while on vacation) order more expensive entrées or don’t want to feel encumbered by a budget. The dining plan makes it easy to just choose anything appealing to you at the time without having to consider costs.

You’ll also want to consider your kids’ eating habits. Does the one-year-old eat a lot? Under-three is free at the buffets, but they have to order kids’ meals or eat of someone else’s plate at regular table service restaurants. The buffets can be expensive, but they count as only one table service credit on the plan. Your dining plan money goes further if you eat a lot of buffets and your one-year-old gets fed. That depends too on how much they like dining with characters. Some kids get either too excited or too nervous to eat anything. If your four-year-old doesn’t eat much you could easily split all the kids’ meals on the plan between the two kids.

I know it’s a lot to consider. Good luck and good eats.

tr

[StillSimbaGirl]

For me, it always comes down to what discount on my room will I have to give up?

I feel like I lose money if I give up the discount on a deluxe hotel. I would probably make out pretty well with a moderate and do extremely well if I were in a Value resort.

[KAT1811]

We definately recommend going with the dining plan.

First, the convenience of not having to pay each time you eat.

Second, not having to worry about a budget and then not ordering something because it's too expensive.

Third - trying new and different places.

Fourth - the snacks we end up buying with 2 little ones can really add up. The snack option works great.

Fifth - I think we'd end up not feeling too well if we ate every meal from a counter service.

:ditto:

With the dining plan we do 10 times what we would normally do and save $$$. We've tried restaurants we normally wouldn't figuring if we don't like it no big deal because we have the dining plan. If you account for opportunity cost (the time you waste running back to the room to eat a turkey sandwich, approx. 2 hours if you rush) the dining paln is well worth it. The transportation service at WDW, although wonderfrul and efficient, still takes much time to get from park to resort and back again. Plus in the value resorts you have to pay for a refrigerator daily (assuming that is where you're staying).

[Jen C.]

Remember it you elect to go with the DDP, you would only be purchsing it for yourself, your husband, and your 4 year old. You cannot purchase the plan for a child under the age of three. That child would have to share with others, eat free at buffets, or you would need to purchase for him out of pocket.

For us, we thoroughly enjoy the dining plan. It is plenty of food, pre-budgeted, lots of choices, and offers us a chance to eat a lot more than we otherwise would. Without the plan, we always seemed to be eating hot doges, chicken fingers and burgers...:ack:

And most importantly....WELCOME to Intercot!!!!!

[ncscgirl2005]

:ditto:

With the dining plan we do 10 times what we would normally do and save $$$. We've tried restaurants we normally wouldn't figuring if we don't like it no big deal because we have the dining plan. If you account for opportunity cost (the time you waste running back to the room to eat a turkey sandwich, approx. 2 hours if you rush) the dining paln is well worth it. The transportation service at WDW, although wonderfrul and efficient, still takes much time to get from park to resort and back again. Plus in the value resorts you have to pay for a refrigerator daily (assuming that is where you're staying).

:thumbsup:Thanks for that info. We are staying at the POR but I still don't wanna go back to the room to eat whether I pay for a refrigerator or not ;). I guess we could have booked one of the Allstar resorts but I still think his attitude would be the same. Also I have to admit that a morning show personality "introduced" me on POR/PORFQ. Once I saw pictures of it, I was HOOKED (kids too). Seems like wasted time to me also to go back and forth. What also concerns me is that one of us (namely him) may get sleepy and not want to head back to the park if we go to back to the resort :sleepin:. I also want to be able to try foods that I might otherwise not choose for fear of wasting money. :eat:

:fit:

[Mickey'sGirl]

You cannot purchase the dining plan for your 1 year old. We purchased the Plan once -- when our kids were 7 and almost 2 -- and we could not pay for it for our almost 2 year old. Even so, there was plenty of food for all of us.

That said, I am not convinced that it is such a great deal. I have two sons (9 and 3) and we eat at least one table service meal per day, often we have two (our kids are not big on fast food -- certainly not after a day or two of it!). Our dilemma is that we do not often order appetizers or desserts (we would oftentimes prefer a :bar: later on :tasty: ) -- so there is no real savings for us there -- and at the Counter Service restaurants, we usually share combos and NEVER order dessert (it's just too much food folks!) -- We simply don't eat as much as the plan provides for, and we would not spend as much on food -- even though we are at the TS restaurants -- as we would spend using the Dining Plan. I do understand the benefits of "pre-paying" for meals and how wonderful it is to not have to worry about paying for meals throughout your stay. So we are constantly on the fence with the Dining Plan -- and are even debating whether to purchase it or not for our upcoming trip.

[ncscgirl2005]

The biggest savings for us comes from the Disney Dining Experience card that saves us 20% every meal. The DDE provides no benefit on the plan.

tr
This Disney Dining Experience card sounds like another option for us but how do we get one?

[Mickey'sGirl]

This Disney Dining Experience card sounds like another option for us but how do we get one?The DDE card is available to Annual Passholders (and Florida Residents too, I believe). Ours just expired and it saved us a ton! It works better for our eating style....but you have to have the AP's.

[ncscgirl2005]

The DDE card is available to Annual Passholders (and Florida Residents too, I believe). Ours just expired and it saved us a ton! It works better for our eating style....but you have to have the AP's.

:-o...So much for that. Thanks for the info.

[DizneyRox]

The DDP has never worked out to be a value for us. It's been more of a problem because now the restaurants are very full.

I wouldn't be upset to see the DDP go the way of the wand.

[Mommy2boys]

Thanks soo much for all the info. We are looking at going during the off season soo hopefully the restaurants wont be too busy.

[DizneyRox]

Thanks soo much for all the info. We are looking at going during the off season soo hopefully the restaurants wont be too busy.
Good luck with that!

Make your ADRs ASAP, DO NOT rely on "slow" season speculation. As far as I've been able to tell, Disney resorts have been pretty much booked solid for the past couple of years. The last annual report seemed to indicate they were doing pretty well filling beds.

It's interesting to note that some of summer is now considered value season. We go all the time in the summer and if that's the slow season, WOW!

[shan-ash]

When our family went with the dining plan, I found that having a table service meal whether it be lunch or dinner forced us to take a break and just enjoy the surroundings without rushing off to the next attraction. Also, it was great to have it already paid for before you arrive! Have fun:mickey:

[Figgyluv03]

When our family went with the dining plan, I found that having a table service meal whether it be lunch or dinner forced us to take a break and just enjoy the surroundings without rushing off to the next attraction. Also, it was great to have it already paid for before you arrive! Have fun:mickey:
:ditto: It's DBf's first time there, and I don't want to kill him dragging him all around the parks, so taking the time to have a nice dinner will definetely break up the day and give us a chance to relax.

[EmcDuckRN]

We've done the Dining plane a couple of times, and done cash once.

with the dining plan you can go to some really fantastic restauraunts, and not have to worry about much of anything including the tip.

Cash gives more control and opens up options if you don't want a table every night.

If I have a complaint about the dining plan it is just that there is almost too much food.You get so full that the next meal arives and you think, "Ugh. is it time to eat already?"

But as for me and the DW, the restaraunts are destinations in themselves so a good part of our trip.

my tip? Make sure that you place a good amount of time between the two meals in a day.

my second tip? Use some for charater dining, very few require two credits, and it makes it easy for the kids to get to the chatacters without having to stand in lines.

[CleveSJM]

Another fairly big item is that you pre-pay for your meals with the DDP and if you use the Disney VISA that means you get 6 months at 0% interest. You eat in July and pay for it in January. That is nice. Not sure how to put a good $ figure on that one...

If you want to do a sit down every day and want to try a lot of nice restaurants for a little more $$$, then I say the DDP is a no brainer. I'd rough estimate the additional cost is about $15/adult and $10/kid per day for the DDP over what you would spend out of pocket. Well worth it in most case to make dining another magical benefit of your trip.

If you are on a tight budget, you can save $$$ without the DDP, but you'll be eating counter service meals and your dining experience will be pretty boring.

[FaithTrustPixieDust]

I think the DDP is particularly good if you have a child under 3, because they are essentially free. Most small kids don't eat much anyway, so a bit of sharing always worked fine for us. I really regretted when I had to start paying for my 3 yr old on the DDP!!

One of my favorite perks to the DDP is that we use almost every TS credit for a character meal. Our kids are young and really enjoy the character meals, so the DDP truly does give us a chance to experience that for less money.

[wdwfan]

DDP never did much for us either, except add a few pounds. :secret: We eat one sit down meal each day for dinner, then usually share cs for lunch. We usually have cereal for bf. I figured pricing both ways and it was a wash for us. Since we're making two trips this year, I got an AP and DDE to save $ that way. Plus you get discount off :marg::beer::wine: with the DDE. :thumbsup:

[Mommy2boys]

Thanks for all the info. I have decided that the dining plan is the way to go.

[Here we go again...]

Thanks for all the info. I have decided that the dining plan is the way to go.

I think you have made a wise decision.

We never used to take time to sit and relax... we would just run all day. Now that we get the dining plan, we look forward to that 1 sit down meal per day to relax and unwind. We eat at some wonderful restaurants that we would probably skip if we were not on the plan. We always end up saving money.

Since your 1 year old eats free at buffets you already know that you do not have a problem there. Keep in mind that you can use the appetizers in other restaurants as the little one's meal. That way you do not end up eating so much and nothing goes to waste. I agree with everyone that says there is just too much food sometimes.

We use our snack credits to get boxes of donuts at the resort for breakfast. Then, we have a CS for lunch then TS for dinner.

Watch for the great deals on snacks too!! You can get a single serving bag of chips for a snack credit or you can get a BIG bag of chips for 1 credit. Go for the big stuff! I noticed that some places like CBR do not put the big bags in the dining area, they now only have them in the gift shop. You can still get them on the dining plan, but you have to know top go to the gift shop for them.

[Mommy2boys]

I think you have made a wise decision.

We never used to take time to sit and relax... we would just run all day. Now that we get the dining plan, we look forward to that 1 sit down meal per day to relax and unwind. We eat at some wonderful restaurants that we would probably skip if we were not on the plan. We always end up saving money.

Since your 1 year old eats free at buffets you already know that you do not have a problem there. Keep in mind that you can use the appetizers in other restaurants as the little one's meal. That way you do not end up eating so much and nothing goes to waste. I agree with everyone that says there is just too much food sometimes.

We use our snack credits to get boxes of donuts at the resort for breakfast. Then, we have a CS for lunch then TS for dinner.

Watch for the great deals on snacks too!! You can get a single serving bag of chips for a snack credit or you can get a BIG bag of chips for 1 credit. Go for the big stuff! I noticed that some places like CBR do not put the big bags in the dining area, they now only have them in the gift shop. You can still get them on the dining plan, but you have to know top go to the gift shop for them.


Thanks for the tips!

[vamaggie]

We are planning on having the DDP for our Nov trip. At $39adult and $12kids a day I think it is a good deal. I know folks say it is a lot of food but running the numbers for us (me, DH, DS10 & DD4) it still seems that we will come out even or ahead even if we don't always order (or finish) appetizers or dessert. We have a TS ADR booked for every day already(inc LeCellier, Ohana, Kona & Chef Mickey). We are planning on using the CS for lunches (probably to share) and maybe a Breakfast or 2 to share as well. Snacks I am thinking will be either breakfast, unique snack options (as we always travel with snacks for the kids for those unexpected premeal meltdowns!) or stuff to take home if we have extras. Looking at the menus, it seems that we will pay for the DDP each day with table service alone mostly.

[wedway fan]

I know folks say it is a lot of food but running the numbers for us (me, DH, DS10 & DD4) it still seems that we will come out even or ahead even if we don't always order (or finish) appetizers or dessert.

i think this is the take-home point for those who argue the DDP is "too much food". no one's ordering those appetizers or desserts but you, and while i won't even go into the ethical argument of wasted food, you could certainly order the appetizers and desserts just to taste. even if you didn't order apps/dessert, the entree, drink, and gratuity alone at most of the nicer places (le cellier, cali grill) would account for most of your DDP cost for the day.

the calculator on the info central section of intercot helped me realize it's all about where you choose to eat, and if you're up for a nice relaxing meal in a beautiful new restaurant every day, the DDP's well worth it.

[tarzan_rocks]

I was really intrigued by this thread so I decided to run the numbers for our dining plans for our upcoming trip to see how it would compare to the dining plan. I originally didn’t have any intention of posting my results. I did it purely for my own edification. Then I thought it might be helpful to others.

Keep in mind we are annual passholders with a Disney Dining Experience card, which means not only do we not get the DDE discount with the dining plan, but we would also have to purchase a one-day/one-park admission ticket for three of us that we’d otherwise have no use for. Don’t worry, I’ll include numbers for all three; regular price, DDE discount, and on the plan since the annual pass doesn’t factor in for many of you.

My family is made up of me, my wife, a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy (turning two on this trip!). Note that the two-year-old would not qualify for the plan.

*All dollar amounts include tax and tip.

Day 1:
Dinner: Trail’s End ($55.86 regular/$46.09 DDE)
Wife: Buffet ($21.86)
Me: Buffet ($21.86)
Daughter: Buffet ($12.14)
Son: Buffet (under three - no charge)

Day 2:
Lunch: Nine Dragons ($27.33 regular/$22.55 DDE)
Wife: General Tso's Chicken ($17.97)
Me: Split with Wife + Drink ($2.37)
Daughter: Child’s Sweet and Sour Chicken ($6.99)
Son: Split with Sister (no charge)

Dinner: Whispering Canyon ($64.90 regular/$53.54 DDE)
Wife: Vegetable Enchilada ($17.00)
Me: Canyon Skillet + Drink ($29.70)
Daughter: Grilled Chicken Strips ($9.10)
Son: Kid’s Pick Mac and Cheese ($9.10)

Day 3:
Breakfast: ‘Ohana Birthday Party! ($59.49 regular/$49.08)
Wife: Buffet ($23.07)
Me: Buffet ($23.07)
Daughter: Buffet ($13.35)
Son: Buffet (under three - no charge)

Dinner: The Plaza Restaurant ($38.66 regular/ $31.90 DDE)
Wife: Plaza Club ($13.23)
Me: Angus Chuck Cheeseburger + Drink ($16.33)
Daughter: Two Mini-hamburger Kid’s Meal ($9.10)
Son: Split with Sister (no charge)

Total (Regular Price) = $246.24
Total (With DDE Discount) = $203.16
Dining Plan (Three Nights) = $284.25

As you can see, buying food out of pocket would save us $38 (13%) this trip versus the dining plan. It’s certainly understandable that the extra $38 may be worth it for some to have the freedom to order appetizers and desserts anytime they want. However, keep in mind also that you would have to convert some of the table service meals into counter service since the plan would only cover three.

Specific to us and maybe a few others out there, when we factor in the DDE card savings plus the fact we would have to purchase unnecessary park tickets it becomes a no-brainer.

I hope you found this helpful. I thought a real-life example might help make some of the numbers a little less nebulous to those considering their options.

tr

[Bluesky481]

It really depends on your appetite. I know with 100% certainty that I would make myself sick if I ate a sit down meal, counter service meal, and a snack EVERY day. I'm a very active person, and eating that much food makes me feel incredibly sluggish...not how I want to feel when I'm running around DW.

I've found that if I pack some breakfast foods in my suitcase (cereal bars, bagels, etc.) to eat in my hotel room before going to the parks (sometimes I take something with me), I'm totally fine with a quick counter service meal (usually costs approx. $8 depending on what you get), a snack (about $3), and possibly splitting a table service meal (approx $10 per person if splitting in half), I feel incredibly satisfied. I did this with my husband (and he's a big eater) and we were able to both eat at Disney on about $40-$50 a day ($20-$25 per day each). Far less than what it would have cost if we had each been on the dining plan. I will add that neither of us ever felt hungry...if anything we ended up eating too much at times.

I don't have my own children, but I am an elementary school teacher so I know how little most kids eat (at least 1/2 of what's on their lunch trays ends up in the trash)...don't think the dining plan would be worth it for kids IMHO.