Is Dining PLan REALLY Worth it.

[Marci]

Hello. I really really need some sound advice for my trip in Sept 2008. My last visit was Sept of 2003 when there was no dining plan. I still have the receipts from our last trip and we spent around $50.00 a day on food for my hubbie and I. Well this year our trip falls within the free dining plan. For our 9 nights plus PH passes and free dining our total was around 2341.00. Well as you know there was a recent room only code released for the same time. I called to get the price for the Room plus passes and it was 1936.00. I just can't decide if the dining plan is worth the extra money. We usually have 2 counter service meals a day and then 1 nice sit down meal and really dont get snacks. So I figure if we do get the dining plan we are going to still have to spend an extra 20.00 a day on 1 more counter service meal. We have a 4000.00 dollar budget for this trip and have gone over and over the numbers but really need some knowledgeable advice. Thanks so much in advance.

[wildernesslady]

For 9 nights I think it is worth it. We usually use our snacks for breakfast and then CS for lunch. Remember, you get dessert with your CS also. We always feel there is so much food, even with the changes. I like the convenience of pre paying and also getting some better TS options included.

[MickeyMomof2]

What I enjoyed about the dining plan was being able to order whatever I wanted, including dessert, without having to think about cost at all. Because we are normally penny-pinchers, it made our vacation very relaxed to not have to consider the cost of what we were ordering.

[SBETigg]

It really depends on your eating habits. For us, it was worth it and such a great convenience to have it taken care of in advance. We normally have a counter service meal a day, a few snacks, and a table service dinner. You can go to the Dining section and check out menus, do a hypothetical of what you might order where, add it up, and see if it's a savings to you. If you do a lot of buffet meals or table service breakfasts or lunches, it may or may not add up for you. We saved money on the plan.

[disneydeb]

It is worth it to us.

[mdhiggin]

We are AP holders, but the free dining was a better deal than our room only AP discount. We even had to buy at least a one day ticket per person to get the deal, even though we already have tickets. Our tickets, as long as we don't use any days on them are transferrable towards our next AP.
This is our first trip with the dining plan. We would not have spent on meals what we will get with the dining plan. We're going to many restaurants we've never eaten at, like Coral Reef, Biergarten, Akershus, etc. We're going to one great restaurant a day. It's going to add extra excitement to our regular trip where we usually only go to one or two nice restaurants.

[BigRedDad]

To make it worth while, it is good on Holiday times when the bump the cost of a meal by $4-$5 each. The only way it is truly worth it is if your dinners are over $30. The $3 snack and $7 CS meal is only $10. That leaves another $29 at you TS meal to break even.

[WishingStar2006]

I agree...if we were talking about the old dining plan. Now that appetizer's and gratuity are not included in the dining plan it doesn't seem to work as well for us since appetizer's were our favorite part (we're not big sweet eaters). We have ALWAYS done the dining plan until this upcoming trip. We're going to use our Disney VISA rewards card as our "dining plan" but we will be cutting down on TS meals...couldn't get into LeCellier anyway!!!

The only way the dining plan really work is if you go to non-buffet type TS every day.

Good luck deciding!

[NJGIRL]

I think if you are big eaters it is probably worth it. My family are small eaters and don't eat three meals a day plus snacks so it would be a waste for us.

[Polynesian Dweller]

As said, it depends on your habits. We do not like table service all the time, we simply don't eat that much. Use the INtercot spreadsheets, and be honest about how you'll eat. That should help.

The crucial thing is to be honest. If you don't normally have desserts (we don't) then just getting a 'free' one (read prepaid) isn't any saving since you wouldn't have bought it anyway. If you wouldn't have 3 TS every day then don't calculate them in.

For us, it doesn't work and we aren't going to be on the plan this year.

[Jared]

I don't like the Disney Dining Plan, especially the 2008 version. It's only a value now for a very select group. Most families would not order all those desserts and beverages, and they end up spending more than they would otherwise. Right now, the plan is more about convenience than savings.

Be honest about what you will eat at a table service or counter service restaurant. You can find the menus and prices of virtually every location online and literally do the math.

I wouldn't buy the plan. Not anymore.

[Marci]

I never ever order deserts, but my hubbie loves deserts but most of the time he is too full to eat them. I always order water, and most of the time so does my hubbie, depends on his mood. I do see the point that I would not look at the cost of a dinner if I had the dining plan, so that is a plus BUT I just really don't know if overall it is worth it. I did the spreadsheet and it said that the dining plan MIGHT be a good idea. AHHHHH, what to do . . . . .

[Marci]

WE also don't go to Disney to eat at all the "premiere" restaraunts. Trying to make all of these ADR's has been killing me because I don't like having to plan every aspect of trip. WE don't plan everyday and truely go there to relax.

[MicMouse]

I just got back from our 6 night stay. I am glad that we did not do the DDP. It was very hot and no one really wanted to eat any meal except breakfast. We didn't eat lunch any of the days and most nights just ended up grabbing quick service meals for dinner (and we mostly shared what we got anyway.) We had reservations for dinner 3 nights and ended up canceling them every time.

The DDP would have been a total waste for us.

[Marci]

Ok, Lemme do the math for you too to see what you think. I'm sorry, I know I'm obsessing.

DINING PLAN
2341.00 HOTEL, PASSES, FREE DINING
600.00 AIRFARE
150.00 9 DAY OF EXTRA COUNTER SERVICE
230.00 SONS PASS WHEN HE COMES DOWN
100.00 SONS FOOD WHEN HE COMES DOWN
=579.00 EXTRA MONEY FOR WHATEVER

NO DINING PLAN
1936.00 HOTEL PASSES
600.00 AIRFARE
600.00 FOOD FOR 9 DAYS FOR ALL OF US
230.00 SONS PASS
=634.00 EXTRA MONEY FOR WHATEVER

BUT we could spend more money on food, i made ressies for Cinderella's Castle one night, Chef Mickeys, Rose and Crown. I'm really torn.

[DizneyRox]

Ok, Lemme do the math for you too to see what you think. I'm sorry, I know I'm obsessing.

DINING PLAN
2341.00 HOTEL, PASSES, FREE DINING
600.00 AIRFARE
150.00 9 DAY OF EXTRA COUNTER SERVICE
230.00 SONS PASS WHEN HE COMES DOWN
100.00 SONS FOOD WHEN HE COMES DOWN
=579.00 EXTRA MONEY FOR WHATEVER

NO DINING PLAN
1936.00 HOTEL PASSES
600.00 AIRFARE
600.00 FOOD FOR 9 DAYS FOR ALL OF US
230.00 SONS PASS
=634.00 EXTRA MONEY FOR WHATEVER

BUT we could spend more money on food, i made ressies for Cinderella's Castle one night, Chef Mickeys, Rose and Crown. I'm really torn.

Add in at least one TS restaurant as CRT is going to consume TWO table service credits. I'm not sure about Chef Mickey's, that might be two TS as well.

We have never found value in the DDP for us, no matter how we slice it. We don't eat all that food. As someone mentioned above, in the summer, it's just too darn hot to eat that much food, and I'm burning through water bottles OOP as well.

The DDE card has worked out great though for many trips. I don't like the imposed surcharge however, but that's my problem to deal with.

[Marci]

DDE Card??

Sorry, i'm kind of new at this, And what surchage?

[MuchLovedMama]

150.00 9 DAY OF EXTRA COUNTER SERVICE

We are going in September & although 3 meals would be nice we are planning on using the snacks for some kind of breakfast item such as a bagel or muffin or fruit or something like that. I also plan to take some breakfast food such as pop tarts & stuff like that to hold us over. I think if we do that then we can hold off til lunch & then til dinner. Also we like to get as much done as possible in the parks & 3 meals is pretty time consuming. I'd rather ride then eat. Also if you do the DDP you may be getting fuller then you would've without if because you get the desser & a side whereas in the past I might have just grabbed a burger or sometihng to be quick & cheap but now you get burger, fries, drink & cake.

[Young@Heart]

It doesn't sound like you'd really save any money if you went w/out the dining plan. Remember, prices at all the food places in WDW have gone up, and for 9 days, I doubt you could even get 2 CS meals each for the $400 you'd save.

We can't go during free dining, b/c I'm a teacher and there's no way I can miss the first week of school. But when we do go, we pay upfront for the dining plan. Not only is it a good value for us, since we like a lot of character meals. It's also convenient! We don't have to carry around food money, or keep track of what we've spent. We don't look at prices on menus, and can choose from a large number of snacks each day!

IMO, the dining plan is DEFINITELY worth it!!!

[DizneyRox]

DDE Card??

Disney Dining Experience - Available to AP holders and Fl Residents. 20% off most Disney table service restaurants.

Sorry, i'm kind of new at this, And what surchage?

DDE comes with what they call included gratuity but amounts to a 20% surcharge since gratuity by definition is VOLUNTARY.