Is Dining plan worth it?

[Miss Tink 2]

We are planning a trip for May 2009 and are wondering since the changes to the DDP-gratuity is no longer included and you no longer get an appetizer, is the plan really economical anymore? Thoughts for those who were recently there this year and have also used it previous years before the changes....Thanks!!

[SBETigg]

You're going to get mixed responses. It's really up to you and how your family dines. For some, it's still very worth it. For us, it's still a money saver. Others say no, it's not. Think about where you would be eating, what you would be ordering, and add it up to see if it offers you a savings or not.

[BMan62]

As SBETigg said, you'll get mixed responses -- I personally like it and DW and I still make out because we can now go to some of the more expensive restaurants and save a little.

If you are more interested in buffets and/or CS meals, it's probably not going to be worth it to you.

BTW - If you are looking at the "new" CS dining plan, I would skip that one completely -- $31 a day for 2 CS and 2 snacks and a refillable mug (for your resort only??) -- not buying into that one!

[mook3y]

The 2009 DDP has appetizer back on it.

If you enjoy eating at sit down meals, especially Epcot world showcase, it is still a good deal.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

We have always found it to be a good deal for us. My thoughts on this are, where are you planning on eating and what would you probably order....if you are a burger and sandwich person and would order that over steak or seafood even in a TS restaurant or prefer TS at Lunch instead of Dinner when prices are higher ...no, it probably wouldn't pay... they are supposed to start offering another option that is 2 counter service meals and 2 snacks which might be an option for you.....Take a look in Info Central at the menus and see what you think:)

[Ksmith75]

Yes, I think it is worth it. We went in 07 - when it included appetizer and grat, and we went in 08 when it didnt. But it is still a good value, especially when you get lunch and see 2 burger combos or ribs, 2 drinks and 2 dessert for just the two of us is $31-36 dollars!!!

Plus, it is good for dinner. We like the Yachtsmans - it takes 2 sitdown dinners each, but we still save alot.

We also like the fact that we can pre-pay our meals......

We are going in April/MAy 09 and are getting th dining plan again!

[joonyer]

There's two ways of looking at it. We used the old DDP which included appetizers and desserts for every person (and included gratuity, which really added to the savings) First, it usually saves you money for what you get on the DDP, in other words, the same food paid for out-of pocket (OOP) would cost you a lot more (with tip). So in that sense, it saves you some $$$. But on the other hand, your buying a LOT of food on the DDP, and for us, it was WAY more than we would have ever eaten on our regular eating habits. We spent more on the Dining plan than we normally spend for food at WDW, because we were simply paying for a lot more food. While we did enjoy eating at all the nice TS restaurants, it was simply too much food for us, and we found that we actually spend less money on food when we go without the dining plan. Even when we eat counter service, most of the time DW and I split one meal and it is plenty of food for us. And we rarely order an appetizer or dessert. So we just got too much food. Now that appetizers are no longer included on the DDP, it may not be so much food, but the price has stayed about the same, and it does not include the tip, so I don't think the current DDP is really a money saver. In fact I'll bet that Disney makes a really nice profit off the DDP.

I think its more realistic to think of the DDP as convenience thing. You know ahead of time what your food budget is, it's already paid and you don't have to think about for the rest of your trip. You can just enjoy the food. That's where its real value lies for Disney guests.

[Cheloconnell]

We like the dining plan for the fact we know we don't have to worry about paying out of pocket when we go down there. We set aside enough cash for tip and that's it, we're done. I know it saves us money since we tend to gravitate towards the more expensive places. We enjoy it and in fact even before they had Disney dining we used to use our "Magical Wishes" they used to give for T-shirts, etc on meals instead. That used to be a great deal. i would say the new counter service plan does not seem worth it and how many times do you want to eat junk - burgers, hot dogs, etc.?? It is always nice to have a sit down meal with veggies, salads and all. :mickey:

[BMan62]

The 2009 DDP has appetizer back on it.

Only on the Deluxe Plan or for ages 3 - 9 on the standard plan.