Basic Dining Plan - Is it worth it?

[DisneyFr33k]

We just returned from a wonderful week at WDW. As with all my trips on the Dining Plan, I saved all my receipts and recorded the total cost of each snack, counter and table service.

Let's do some math: :teach:

We had 3 adults and 1 child, costing us $37.99 per night for each adult and $9.99 per night for the child. For our 7 night stay, it cost us $867.72.

I computed what all our snacks, counter and table services would have cost us and subtracted out the tips we had to pay this year.

The total food bill came to $1160.51. Tips cost us $154.73 leaving our total food worth of $1005.78.

This leaves us saving only $138.06. Plus, our resort gave us 4 free counter services (1 for our whole party) due to some medication being delivered late. So really, our savings are under $100.

Not at all meeting the $300-400 savings we've had in years past. This year is the worst as we no longer get an appetizer :mad: and have to pay tips :flame:

So now is the question for our family and many others: is the dining plan really worth it?

Not so sure we will do this again. :unsure:

[HoosierDisneyFan]

I would agree from a "math" prospective that DDP may be a wash but there are other factors involved. These factors may not appeal to everyone but I think make the DDP worth adding:

1) Before DDP I did not eat at any TS resturant. I would eat every meal at CS locations on the run (and been sick from all the hamburgers & fries I had eaten :ack:). The DDP opened up a whole new area of the Disney experience I may not have encountered.

2) I love the "prepaid" meals. True I liked it when the tip was included but... Now I do not worry at all about the cost of the meal. Without DDP I would have looked at the menu and thought, the steak looks good but the chicken is $5 less. With DDP, I look at the most expensive item first and get what I really want!!

3) Since the dessert is prepaid, we always get a dessert. Not something we would normally do but this is vacation isn't it? Again, I liked getting an App as well but...

4) My son knows we get 1 "snack" per day. So when he asks for an ice cream sandwich or pop corn, I remind him of the 1 per day limit. This helps reduce the number of times I get asked to stop at every vending cart. OK I sometimes cheat on this one.

5) Before DDP I would just show up at the parks and run myself (& family) to death. The DDP requires a lot more planning which I love (I realize that some people hate this part). I have learned so much from INTERCOT :rocks: and other sources about WDW that has increased our enjoyment.:thumbsup:


I now consider the meals to be a major part of my week at Disney. :mickey:

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Marker]

If I'm reading your post correctly, you are saying that if you can't save as much as you did before, you don't want to save anything at all.

Personally, I'd still gladly take a savings, any savings.

We enjoy using the Dining Plan. There's no way we would have taken the opportunity to experience a many table service locations without using the Dining Plan.

We also like the pre-paid aspect of it. Sure, we could formulate our own budget and basically implement our own dining plan, but that would require our own effort to track the expenses on a daily basis, and keeping track of who spent what. Using the Dining Plan, that's all taken care of for us.

And if it saves me a few buck, even a few, I'm ok with us.

[TheMartellFamily]

I like the idea too of pre paying for our meals. It makes it a little easier while on vacation. We have our favs like O'hanas and Chef Mickeys. If you do mostly TS off a menu rather than buffets it more cost effective. While I would rather have an app rather than dessert I will keep doing the dining plan while staying on site at WDW.

[Seasonscraps]

I think the plan is worth it if you enjoyed the meals you are having and it didn't alter what you would typically want to eat. I mean if you never get dessert or if you are only going to a TS place because of the plan then it's not worth it.

But you still saved money. $138 is not nothing - that's a few extra souveniers, a couple of tickets to one of the party events, a photopass CD, a round of minature golf, sea raycer for 30 minutes, etc.

(I didn't count the free counter service the medicine mishap as it was an extraordinary circumstance).

[DisneyFr33k]

My post was mathematical and based on the fact that we are just coming off the trip. I believe if we all were adults on the dining plan we would have saved a good bit more.

We found that it was just entirely too much food to eat. My husband became ill from eating too much (he never wants to waste anything).

After computing 2 adult counters to share per day and a $125 table per day (dessert included), it does come very close to the cost of the plan with full counters every day and a snack.

We'll see - it does seem worth it if we all 4 are adults. I just wish they would not have taken away the tipping and to give us the option of an appetizer OR a dessert.

[HoosierDisneyFan]

I would agree with you that the DDP would not be worth it if you are ordering "extra food" just to use up the credits. This is not the case with my family.

I also agree with you about losing the tipping part of DDP. I remember reading many, many comments on this forum about the automatic tipping feature causing the service level to decline. I personally did not experience that. Frankly I felt that many people were blaming every bad experience on DDP, when it just could have been a bad waiter / waitess / staff.

I also wish we had a choice between dessert or app. This would be a great opinon!

DDP will always be a matter of person opinon. I know our famil loves it but I have no problem with others who do not.

[MinnieMommie]

At this point we do not think the DDP is worth it for us. For us it is a matter of getting more food than we normally would order/eat each day. My preference would be to have the option of selecting an appetizer or desert. I can see all the good reasons for going with the plan but for me at this time I am more comfortable selecting my food options without the plan each day. :mickey:

[DisneyFr33k]

I can see both sides. Our whole family were huge dining plan fans until they changed it this year. We decided to try it again and enjoyed our stay and food last week (even when we were sick!). It's just not such an obvious savings so we are considering options for our next trip. We really enjoy it and hope the changes made will adjust to be more of an obvious deal.

Thank you all for your opinions. It helps keep me level!!! ;)

[WDWFanatic]

We also felt it wasn't the best deal for our family. Just too much food for us to eat to get our monies worth. This year our boys will be 14 and 11 so both on the adult plan. Maybe if the came out with a junior plan it might be worth it.

[TheMartellFamily]

A junior plan would be a great idea too. When you have a 10 or 11 year old and have pay adult meal prices, it may seem like alot of waste. But I also have a 5 year old that eats alot to so I feel that it all evens out. My 5 year old would rather have steak than a hot dog. With everything while on the dining plan we still come up a head of it all rather than payng out of pocket.

[DisneyFr33k]

I second that! We traveled with a 9 and 11 year old last week. Our 11 year old couldn't even finish the child's menu - which we let her order from as our 9 year old son could attempt to eat off the adults. However, he couldn't eat but half and my husband would attempt to clean up - which made him sick!

I wonder why they couldn't do a junior level or allow 2 10-12 year olds to share an adult meal?

Great thoughts - I hope Dinsey is listening!

[princessesmom]

I believe it should be fine for two 10-12 years old to share an adult meal. We were not on the dinging plan last time, but my two older daughters shared a meal at WCC one night and it wasn't a problem at all. The server brought out an extra plate for them. It was plenty of food for the two of them.

We have priced out the DDP, comparing it to the way we actually eat. We always have a TS meal each day, we eat breakfast at the cabin most mornings, and share 3 to 4 counter service offerings between the 6 of us for lunch. We bring some snacks & water into the park with us, but will get snacks in the park as well - though not 6/day. Based upon our eating habits, the DDP does not save us money. And I don't personally consider it a benefit to pre-pay. It would definitely be too much food for us and I for one don't need to be motivated to eat more food!

Different things work for different people.

[yjgirl32]

For my group that went the last time- which consisted of 6 adults and one child who was 3 it was well worth our money. My husband is a big eater and whatever my son didn't finish my husband did. Plus I agree with another poster that I didn't care about the price of an item- if I was hungry for steak then I ordered steak instead of just another burger. Now on our next trip we won't save as much without the tip being included, but it's still well worth it for me to get the headache of keeping enough money out for our meals.

[Spaceship Tigger]

For us, the DDP has never made anything any easier. The past couple of trips we've had the DDP only because it was free in September. In my calculations, paying for the DDP never would have saved us any money because the resort discounts we would have been passing up would have saved us more than the DDP savings.

As far as ease of use though, this is definitely not true for us. In the past we have always planned our meals in advance but then still have to deal with the kids meals that we must pay for off of the plan as well as the alcoholic drinks that we get. Now if we want an appetizer we still have to pay off the plan, as well as calculate and pay our own tip. Then we've had to think about what snacks to pay for OOP and what others to use on snack credits.

And if we use two TS in one day (for a breakfast/dinner TS day or a two credit TS day) we have to decide what TS to pay for out of pocket by calculating the cheapest one in advance. Not too "easy" in my opinion.

On the other hand, if I'm off the DDP, I simply pull out my room key and pay for everything normally. Not too hard there.

[diz_girl]

I'm another one who did DDP last year, but won't be doing it this year. We normally eat a TS dinner daily and a couple of TS breakfasts too, so whether or not we're on the DDP wouldn't affect the restaurants where we would eat.

When I was on the DDP, I didn't order the most expensive item on the menu. I don't eat beef or pork or most seafood (excepting shrimp, scallops or crab cakes), so I generally eat the lower-priced items on the menu. And I usually don't eat an appetizer and only sometimes eat dessert, so with the DDP, I'd be paying extra for food that I normally wouldn't eat. But I prefer the buffets, not for the amount of food, but for the variety. So the DDP isn't for me.

[mulderxcoltrane]

We really like the DDP for several reasons:
We really enjoy the planning phase of the trip and have fun picking out and scheduling which restaurants we're going to try. It also allows us to try out new TS places that we wouldn't otherwise have tried b/c we wouldn't want to spend the money. I also like being able to order whatever I want without settling for something cheaper just b/c it's cheaper.
However, it is a lot of food!! We haven't used it since they've taken off the appetizers, so that may help. But, we just don't normally eat that much! We would never get 2 full counter service meals for my husband and I. We would normally each get our own sandwich and share a side and a drink. Often would probably do the same at a TS restaurant. Not because of money, just because we can't eat that much food!
I can see both points of view about the plan. For us, it's not worth it if we have to pay for the DDP.

[Natazu]

That's a great assessment. I have a hard time getting behind the basic plan. Taking into account the tip thing plus the loss of the appetizer, I find it difficult to see the value. I'd rather have the DDE card.

[crmark1]

We have used the DDP twice before and saved each time over $300 in a weeks time. Sure I dont like the changes to the plan (tip and app not included) but we are using it on our next trip in April anyway. I like to plan our meals in advance and like others I read here before we used the DDp we didnt do TS meals often, now we eat TS everyday. I agree it would be great to choose between a APP or desert.
I thought about getting the new QS plan but couldnt see doing it for the small savings in cost compared to the DDP.

[DIppy Dawg]

If anyone is interested I have a spreadsheet that I use to determine if it is a good deal for my family. I have the most popular TS buffets shows and a way to estimate what an a la carte meal would cost. It calculates the total meal cost, including tax and gratuities. It also estimates what your CS and snacks woulc cost if you paid cash. It also calculates what the meal plan would cost for your family and estimates your tip bill for the trip to give a total meal expense. It compares this to the estimated cost and gives you the difference. For my family of 5 (3 children 3-9 and wife and myself) for our upcoming trip (21 days away!!!!!) wwe estimate the meal plan saves us about $300.00. If anyone is interested in a copy of the sheet email me {see my profile} It works for the basic and deluxe dinning plans.

ps and this was before the free dining for Disney Visa cardholders was applied for part of our trip, making it a no brainer for us!

[Figment104]

I have to admit that we've always been big fans of the DDP. We just got back from a trip (10/11 - 10/18) and once we got home and I did a comparison we decided that for our next trip we are going to go a different rout. We're going to save the same amt we would have for the DDP and then just charge everything to our room card as a few others have mentioned. After I added up all the tips and the occasional appitzer and of course alcohol and the OOP meals (just a couple since we like to do one or two character meals at breakfast) it just didn't seem to make sense anymore.

I completely agree with those who have said it would be nice to have the option of a appitizer or a dessert, not just the dessert. Plus on this last trip we didn't have a TS until our 2nd day so we were eating more CS at the beginning then we previously would and half way through the trip we realized we were just about out of CS's and then had to really watch and plan for those so that we didn't run out or not use them all. Still not too sure how it happened but it did.

Just my two cents so hopefully it'll work out well for us. I also did like the idea that almost all of our food was pre-paid for though, but that's why we're saving in advance for it.

[Nurse Kim]

We are trying the basic dining plan on our March trip. We are all adults on the dining plan. I have tried to do the math so many ways to make sure it's worth it and finally decided to just go with it. We are all fairly big eaters at dinner. Most our reservations are for dinner so I believe it will save us money.

[DisneyFr33k]

ps and this was before the free dining for Disney Visa cardholders was applied for part of our trip, making it a no brainer for us!

Thanks for the info! I would totally do the DDP if it came in part of whole free! I know in September they have offered free dining, but we can never get away that month. And now I hear another free plan is being offered in November?? Not sure the details, but I'm up for learning how our next trip could include some free DDP meals!! :eat:

[FenwayGirl]

DDP does not work for us at all.
It would make our trip to structured. We just take our chances and only reserve a few sit down meals...

[jonahbear2006]

I agree that it is structured, since you have to have reservations for everything that is TS, however, even if you dont save very much It is part of my magic. I love that I can carry my KKTWC and my phone and some cash; leaving everything else behind at the hotel. We never open our wallets, sliding credit cards, on Disney's property and it feels great to feel like Disney has taken care of your meals for you. It is not just a savings, it's is a psychological vacation and that is what makes Disney's Marketing schemes so seamless compared to other resorts. That altered state of mind is also a savings. AND, without the DDP we wouldn't have tried all the different foods that we have. We would have just tried to look for the cheapest thing on the menu and get out of there. They allow you to vacate from the constant need to mentally control your financial budget, and to me that is AMAZING!

[mouseketeer mom]

I only think it's helpful and worth it in the sense that meals are prepaid. I would do the basic dining plan again just to have things prepaid, but I would never to the deluxe plan again. We spent all of our time in restaurants, all of our time eating. It was actually ridiculous.

[Figment!]

It's a little late in the thread, but INTERCOT does provide a tool just for this.


From Disney Dining Plan FAQ (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/../infocentral/dining/diningplan/estimator.asp)
Q: Is the Disney Dining Plan a good deal?

A: The value of the Dining Plan depends on a number of factors not easily calculated.

The INTERCOT Disney Dining Plan Estimator is intended to assist INTERCOTees make a better informed decision if the standard Disney Dining Plan is cost effective for them. The Estimator compares the cost of the Plan to the amount saved by the Plan.

Disney Dining Plan Estimator Spreadsheet (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/../infocentral/dining/diningplan/estimator.asp)

In 2008, the Disney Dining Plan's value has significantly changed. The removal of gratuity from the price of the Plan and the subtraction of the Table Service Appetizer from the Table Service Credit Value has lowered the value of the plan.

The Disney Dining Plan still has value to some types of Guests, but has likely lost value for others.

The 2008 version of the INTERCOT Disney Dining Plan Estimator reflects the 2008 changes to the Plan. If you had previously used the Estimator prior to these changes, it is recommended you re-run the Estimator to see how these changes may have effected your estimated value.

A Deluxe version of the Dining Plan has also been introduced for 2008. An Estimator for this plan is currently not available, although one may be available in the near future. Generally speaking, this plan is likely to be of value only to those who typically eat 2 or more table services meals each day while vacationing.

[Disney Doll]

I think you have to look at how your family normally dines in WDW. If you normally do one TS meal per day and always order desert then it might be worth it, but if you don't then you are just using credits because you have them which isn't saving money. I also agree that there are other factors involved. I find that my 12 month old does not have the patience for a TS meal each day and I like to leave our schedule as flexible as possible so I wouldn't like having set reservations every day. The prepay aspect really isn't a consideration for me. We always save for our trips in advance so that we don't have to worry about what we spend while we are there. I pay for everything with my AmEx card (so I can earn the points) which is no more or less convenient than paying with the key to the world card. I have considered the dining plan many times, but always decide that it just doesn't fit the way we normally eat.

[oliver&bianca]

We probably will not do the DDP again. Back in 2006 we loved the DDP. This year, we were NOT so thrilled with how it worked out.

I think next time, we will just schedule a handful of TS meals. Because of the changes in tipping, we noticed that we were at some of our meals for almost 2 hours. Part of it was waiting for them to bring us the bill so that we could sign it (and determine the tip amount). Back when tipping was included, they brought you the bill in the middle of the meal. Now they wait till the very and I mean VERY end of your meal.

Also, I am not a very big eater, nor is my youngest son. Therefore, I know we didn't get our $ worth.

I think just eating at a TS every other day would be sufficient for us.