Disney dining plan

[special ed teacher]

I bought the dining plan with one table, one fast service and one snack. I added all up and I payed exactly the amount we used. We will not use it again because we forced ourselves to eat meals we were not wanting. I also didn't use one of them. I will next time go pay as we go. That is just my experience. We loved all our table service meals.

[faline]

Yes, my experience is that I make out better paying out of pocket for the meals I want rather than trying to fit myself into the constraints of the dining plan.

[Strmchsr]

The first time we went OOP we enjoyed ourselves a LOT more than with the DDP (and paid less, too).

[DVCBob]

And you can eat where ever you want.

[Itchy]

I guess that I am one of the few that like the dining plan. I guess it helps with our planning since we know where and when we will be eating dinner for the most part.

We really enjoy the fact that we have most everything paid for and we have not suprises to our budget.

Our dinners are really the only thing that we schedule. The counter service meals are either a breakfast at the resort or a light lunch in the parks or resort.

My lady friend is diabetic and needs her 3 meals a day in some form to help control her blood sugar.

But that is us I guess. Although looking at the price increase for 2013 we will need to take a close look at its value for us as dollars do matter.

[special ed teacher]

I guess that I am one of the few that like the dining plan. I guess it helps with our planning since we know where and when we will be eating dinner for the most part.

We really enjoy the fact that we have most everything paid for and we have not suprises to our budget.

Our dinners are really the only thing that we schedule. The counter service meals are either a breakfast at the resort or a light lunch in the parks or resort.

My lady friend is diabetic and needs her 3 meals a day in some form to help control her blood sugar.

But that is us I guess. Although looking at the price increase for 2013 we will need to take a close look at its value for us as dollars do matter.

You can still eat what you want and need and also plan and actually save money without plan. We ate deserts and we didn't even want them due to them being on the ddp. We like to plan too. We will eat more table during lunch which will be our bigger meal and eat less for am and pm.

[Itchy]

special ed teacher:

Thanks, Before the dining plan we paid out of pocket. I know that there are ways to save money by not using the dining plan.

Its a personal preference for each. I just make it easier for us. Plus we get to give Disney more of our bucks (I hope not ). Any way it works for us now and I do not have the need to carry extra cash. I appreciate all of your input and I will reassess my situation before the next trip.

[buzznwoodysmom]

The only thing we like about the dining plan is that it's prepaid. We have found that we do much, much better paying OOP. We don't normally eat as much food as what comes with the dining plan so we often feel we have to eat more than normal to get our $$$ worth!

[Pirate Granny]

We make out when we are doing a lot of character meals...have you seen the prices for the kids???? ARG. We got the deluxe plan for the one night we were at BLT...chef Mickey for dinner the night we arrived, the two snacks purchased our breakfast foods, had a light lunch in MK Then CRT for dinner...we came out ahead...then the next 7 nights at OKW it was out of pocket as we had every breakfast at the villa and most of the lunches too.

[TinkerbellT421]

The only thing we like about the dining plan is that it's prepaid. We have found that we do much, much better paying OOP. We don't normally eat as much food as what comes with the dining plan so we often feel we have to eat more than normal to get our $$$ worth!

Just my two cents but do you think it would be better to purchase a Disney gift card before your trip? then you can have the convenience of having it prepaid but not have to be constrained to only using the money for dinning? So if you have a few extra bucks you can use it to purchase merchandise at the end. That's my two cents though

To OP: agree. DBF and I did the math (or rather DBF did the math and told me ) that we were more profitable paying OOP and not being tied down to the DDP. So we take our savings and put it to the next years trip

[alongfortheride]

One option to look at, especially if you're going to do several table services is the Tables in Wonderland card. It's gives you a 20% discount at almost all of the sit-down restaurants, and some of the counter services as well (and the bars! ). I believe the card is $100, and it's good for a year. We've gotten one every year since we moved here and have gotten WAY more than $100 in savings out of it.

[Strmchsr]

One option to look at, especially if you're going to do several table services is the Tables in Wonderland card.

The TiW card is awesome and makes the savings over the DDP even more apparent. However, I think it's only available to AP holders and Florida residents (and maybe DVC, too. I'm not sure about that).

[Lindsey310]

Yes I feel the same way as you do. I don't like to overeat and every time we get the dining plan, I feel stuffed. I normally wouldn't order dessert but since the DDP comes with dessert, I feel inclined to get it. My husband on the other hand loves it! We are leaving the end of this month and since the dining plan was free, (a huge $$ saver) then obviously we will make use of it. Plus we are going with my in-laws who always overeat.
If the DDP had not been free, we wouldn't have purchased it, especially since the price just went up!

[Strmchsr]

YIf the DDP had not been free, we wouldn't have purchased it, especially since the price just went up!

Remember, it's not technically "free" since you have to pay full rack rate on the rooms. If you don't like the DDP you can often get a room discount that will save you as much or more as the "free" DDP. Now, if you're staying at a value resort, the "free" DDP is usually the best deal no matter what, but at the other levels, not always.

[darthmacho]

I tend to spend a lot when I eat at restaurants, and find that having the DDP is like having a pre-paid budget. I'm certain it will save me money. It also keeps me on the one table service/one quick service meal per day, because I've been on trips in which I've had multiple ADRs each day, which is waaaay too much food. Sure I could just make the choices on my own, but as of right now, I do like the DDP!.

[phlo8810]

We are DVC and get the Deluxe Dining Plan every time we go. We keep our receipts and always come out way ahead, and we always have unused credits. There are usually 6 or 7 of us when we go and the snacks come in handy for the food & wine fest. We always get a character breakfast with the kids or a lunch and always do a 2 credit dinner. The only thing is we get a dessert every night but at home we would never get one when we go out to dinner.

[Jodi]

We have been fortunate enough to get the Free Dining for the past several years. We do prefer this as prior to that, we used to share meals to save money, perhaps even skip a meal. With DH and DD being diabetic, they cannot skip meals. We thoroughly enjoy being able to walk into and sit down to tables in restaurants that we never would have stepped foot in previously. We love it!

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Remember, it's not technically "free" since you have to pay full rack rate on the rooms. If you don't like the DDP you can often get a room discount that will save you as much or more as the "free" DDP. Now, if you're staying at a value resort, the "free" DDP is usually the best deal no matter what, but at the other levels, not always.

With larger families I would think the free DDP is usually the better deal, especially with Disney's classifying a 10 year old as an "adult". We have 10 nights at POR upcoming at end of November, even if we scored somehow how an unheard of 40% discount on a moderate and based it on the highest nightly rate, it would yield about an $80 per night savings, or $800 over the 10 nights. The free DDP for 3 adults and 2 kids for that same period is almost $2000, so easily a $1200 or more savings, a no-brainer for us.

What I like to do is use my Disney Visa rewards with the free dining. Usually we have $500-700 built up on a card, sometimes I use it towards the cost of the room (this year we had more so I actually used the new feature using Rewards to offset part of the airfare costs and it worked slick). So we will be down there will a prepaid Disney visa with at least $500 on it and the free dining. Most times we save the souvenirs towards the end of the trip, so for a majority of the trip, between free dining and the Visa Rewards card, I don't even need to carry a wallet with me, a very unnatural feeling at WDW I must say, but very relaxing when I walk into a restaurant or counter service or our food court and don't even have to glance at the prices.

All that said, I doubt I would ever pay out of pocket for the DDP again. As long as its free and the value greatly exceeds any room discount we'd get, then we'd take free dining. But I agree with others, without it being free, I think you are much better served paying for food OOP.

[Gator]

I'm not sure how you calculate that and come up even. Everytime I go, I use the DDP. Before each trip I calculate what I'd eat without the DDP, which means I'll be getting the cheaper items. Once I add up lunch and dinner for each day, I find that the DDP puts me ahead - but the DDP also gets me a snack and a dessert. Some people don't like to eat a heavy meal everyday, but we like to when we're on vacation. That's why DDP fits for us.

[azcavalier]

With larger families I would think the free DDP is usually the better deal, especially with Disney's classifying a 10 year old as an "adult". We have 10 nights at POR upcoming at end of November, even if we scored somehow how an unheard of 40% discount on a moderate and based it on the highest nightly rate, it would yield about an $80 per night savings, or $800 over the 10 nights. The free DDP for 3 adults and 2 kids for that same period is almost $2000, so easily a $1200 or more savings, a no-brainer for us.

What I like to do is use my Disney Visa rewards with the free dining. So we will be down there will a prepaid Disney visa with at least $500 on it and the free dining. Most times we save the souvenirs towards the end of the trip, so for a majority of the trip, between free dining and the Visa Rewards card, I don't even need to carry a wallet with me, a very unnatural feeling at WDW I must say, but very relaxing when I walk into a restaurant or counter service or our food court and don't even have to glance at the prices.

Yes, this. Even though many say that you can do better with room discounts of 40%....which I have rarely seen for the times we go anyway....I think this only applies if you don't have more than one kid. The free DDP always saves us at least $1000 over buying the DDP. And, yes, if we paid OOP, maybe it wouldn't save us quite as much, but it would still be hundreds of $$$.

Sure, we might feel compelled to get that dessert that we don't need, but it's FREE.

This being said, when the DW and I go in April, we'll be using DVC points, so no discounts on rooms, but we'll also be using an Annual Pass...so don't have to worry about tickets. We'll probably just pay OOP.