What we missing? Dining Plan not adding up

[TDluvsDaisy]

Before I do any trip to WDW totally OOP, try the Tables in Wonderland dining card! We've used this forever (had a different name years ago) and find it perfect for our eating habits: loads of TS, resort, and occasional character meals; not big eaters but want to enjoy the experience; not snackers but occasional "beverage". Saves 20% off everything (cocktails included) and over the years there's hardly any mainstay not included. With an AP it is a discounted purchase fee; good for a full calendar year, so we schedule 2 trips within a 12 month period. Loads of savings and the CMs love the ease at check out and in ordering.

You can only get the Tables in Wonderland card if you are a Florida resident, have an AP or DVC members.

 

[kddisney502]

Before I do any trip to WDW totally OOP, try the Tables in Wonderland dining card!

But the TiW card is only available to those with AP, DVC or FL residents, so not neccessarily a choice for everyone.

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

This I know is probably going to gain criticism, but for me the idea that I do not have to worry about budgeting for food while on vacation makes the plan worth it. Do we look at the menu and eat the most expensive items, no. But knowing it has all been paid for already and I only have to worry about money for souvenirs and tips makes it a win for us.

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I agree wholeheartedly. There is an intangible connivence factor that doesn't have a monetary price, but does factor in to the "value" of the DDP for me.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Maybe its me, but this just doesn't make logical nor financial sense.

It doesn't make sense if your primary objective is to spend less money. For us, it's more about enhancing our vacation. When we pay for things OOP, we tend to deny ourselves (even if it is something we can afford) because we are very frugally minded. When we are on vacation, it's nice to let go and not think about every penny we are spending. By purchasing the dining plan, we know that we will be able to enjoy dining experiences that enhance our vacation without having to think about the cost every time we eat something.

 

[okw2012]

The one advantage of the DDP with our kids is that they are not constantly asking us to buy snacks and extras at restaurants. They know what they can get each day. So less trouble for us. What we're trying this time is TiW plus budget exactly the same amount as the DDP for food. We'll let the kids manage their budget and possibly save on food and use the rest for shopping during the next day(s). The kids like the idea, we'll see how it works out.

 

[AshleyD1983]

This I know is probably going to gain criticism, but for me the idea that I do not have to worry about budgeting for food while on vacation makes the plan worth it. Do we look at the menu and eat the most expensive items, no. But knowing it has all been paid for already and I only have to worry about money for souvenirs and tips makes it a win for us.

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My thoughts exactly!!! I am all about the convenience of the dining plan and knowing that it has already been paid for... One less thing to worry about.

 

[Luvamouse]

For every trip we have taken, I have fretted about losing without doing the DDP. So to that end, I always take my end of trip statement and add up all the dining charges. Every popcorn, Mickey Bar, beverage, etc. Not having previously considered the fact that the KTTW Charges includes the tip, I can say that at least for us, we certainly win paying OOP, but utilizing the KTTW. Not being able to remember which charges included beers or a Lucky Leprechaun at R & C, I know some drinks went into that total also.

We are usually starving when we arrive, so an appetizer (no longer on plan) is what we order, we are rare dessert eaters, especially at a CS. We never get dessert there, so with the DP it would be a take back to the room food, but I don't care to lug it around the park either. DD 12 is a Disney Adult, but rarely eats like one. DH or DD 17 and I often share an entree and get and extra side. We eat everything we could possibly want, but all of the walking and rides makes full bellies not as enjoyable. All that said, we might dine TS on only 3 of our 7 days and I am not including Dinner Shows since I would never use credits for them. (We enjoy TS, but only occasionally as we really dislike too much structure in our plan.)

I overanalyze the DP every trip, and while I have already made a full slate of ressies in case FD comes out for our early January trip, I will not choose it unless we do not get a good PIN. If the PIN and FD have nearly equal values, we will take the % off. (The Free Dining option has never been there for our previous Holiday Trip times!)
I think it is like the Value/Moderate/Deluxe issue, you need to decide what it is worth to you. Convenience? Pre-Paid and therefore budgeted? Maximum value? Morethan you would pay OOP? Of course there are lots of right answers from all the PPs because in general, whatever each of us does works for us.

 

[klinlin]

This I know is probably going to gain criticism, but for me the idea that I do not have to worry about budgeting for food while on vacation makes the plan worth it. Do we look at the menu and eat the most expensive items, no. But knowing it has all been paid for already and I only have to worry about money for souvenirs and tips makes it a win for us.

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This is exactly the way I feel. To me the value is in having it all paid for before we go, and ordering whatever we want to once there. I do not try to maximize my credits per se, but find the dinner bill alone is close to what we have paid for the whole day. We all get to try new things without worry, and if we have straight snack credits, which we often do, we use those for "souvenirs." I have been able to charge all the tips back to the room, and pay my room charges with Disney Visa rewards. So far, it has been a win win for my family. It may be different this time around as my oldest is now a Disney adult, but I may pay out of pocket for some of his meals as the appetizers look more up his alley than many of the adult entrees.

I never understand why people feel the need to argue their position so strongly on this issue. To each his own. It may not make the most financial sense to stay at a deluxe over a value resort, but it's my vacation, and my hard earned $$ to spend any way I choose.

 

[Dean]

This is exactly the way I feel. To me the value is in having it all paid for before we go, and ordering whatever we want to once there. I do not try to maximize my credits per se, but find the dinner bill alone is close to what we have paid for the whole day. We all get to try new things without worry, and if we have straight snack credits, which we often do, we use those for "souvenirs." I have been able to charge all the tips back to the room, and pay my room charges with Disney Visa rewards. So far, it has been a win win for my family. It may be different this time around as my oldest is now a Disney adult, but I may pay out of pocket for some of his meals as the appetizers look more up his alley than many of the adult entrees.

I never understand why people feel the need to argue their position so strongly on this issue. To each his own. It may not make the most financial sense to stay at a deluxe over a value resort, but it's my vacation, and my hard earned $$ to spend any way I choose.

Your choice of course but one should realize there is risk and potential higher costs with this approach. There are other ways to "prepay" if that is the goal.

 

[QueenElinor]

Hi All,

Okay, first the vitals:
Who: Me and DH
How long: 8 days

We were at WDW two years ago. We did not use the dining plan. We enjoy dining in many of the "nice" restaurants, not Rose and Crown nice, but Le Cellier, etc....

DH took our ADR list and added up how many dining points would be used up. He then looked at the menus and did a guess of what each meal would cost us if we paid cash. We then compared the weekly total to the cost of the DP for the week. The DP is a LOT more expensive. Are we missing something?

A lot of our meals are 2 TS credits because they are either character buffet or "nicer" places. We just don't see the DP value. Are we missing something?

Thanks!
Dreams

No, you're not missing something. We eat like you do and it doesn't work for us either. For one thing, it's too much food. And we're just not foodies- it would not be at all unusual for us to go to a nice restaurant and I would just have salad and a glass of wine (which would be OOP), or split something with another family member. And there's no way all five of us would eat a dessert, unless we were skipping the entree, which we have been known to do.

I like to eat out in order to relax in a nice atmosphere with the family. The DDP would not contribute to that in any way. It would add unnecessary stress and introduce another factor into the planning mix, which I just don't need. As much as possible, I want to eat what I want, when I want to. Even if it's french fries and ice cream for dinner.

 

[klinlin]

Your choice of course but one should realize there is risk and potential higher costs with this approach. There are other ways to "prepay" if that is the goal.

Again, no risk for me. I know exactly what I am doing and the amount I am paying before I leave my house. Historically, the value for me has been in the convenience of having pre paid, and feeding the kids at an extremely low cost. We only go to WDW every two to three years, and when we are on vacation, we will eat and drink as we please, without worrying about the price. That being said, I may have chosen not to do it this upcoming trip as my oldest is now 11. However, I received a "Stay, Play, and Dine" pin code post card this year, and I was able to upgrade from the quick service offered to regular DDP for less than $200 for 3 Disney adults and 1 child for 7 nights.

My point is that as long as you are making and informed decision on what is best for your family, you are not missing anything. You are doing what works for you.

 

[xipotec]

For us, it about one less thing to think sbout.

We feel we got more than our moneies worth every time we used it.

But if its too expensive you should stick to pay as you go, you will probably spend less eat less,

We just value the sit down family time everyday that the restaurants offer.
Making ADRs 6 months out, and planning the day around those meals really helps us focus our days

 

[DisneyDiana]

I think it all depends on your vacation psychology. We will be staying at AKL for ten days and I have been back and forth about the DDP. Finally, my husband just said lets treat ourselves and do it. We made lists of where would eat if we were on the plan and off. For example, we love Boma, if I didn't do DDP I'd probably only go once but with it we'll go two or three times. When we go to Wolfgang Puck Cafe I'll get a nice entree instead of a pizza. If I wasn't on the DDP, I'd order pizza. I enjoy the nicer entrees. It is not a chore trying to "max out" my value for me. I can see how it would be for others.

 

[Dean]

Again, no risk for me. I know exactly what I am doing and the amount I am paying before I leave my house. Historically, the value for me has been in the convenience of having pre paid, and feeding the kids at an extremely low cost. We only go to WDW every two to three years, and when we are on vacation, we will eat and drink as we please, without worrying about the price. That being said, I may have chosen not to do it this upcoming trip as my oldest is now 11. However, I received a "Stay, Play, and Dine" pin code post card this year, and I was able to upgrade from the quick service offered to regular DDP for less than $200 for 3 Disney adults and 1 child for 7 nights.

My point is that as long as you are making and informed decision on what is best for your family, you are not missing anything. You are doing what works for you.

I would disagree on the lack of risk. What happens if one or more members of the group become ill or if there's an emergency and you have to leave early or tend to group members? Therefore I maintain that there is real risk to everyone but more for some than others depending on their exact situation and issues. The risk is similar to that of a cruise without trip insurance and just as costly potentially.

 

[klinlin]

Do what works for you Dean. There's a risk my plane could fall out of the sky, but I don't worry about that either. If there were an emergency and we had to leave early, I can assure you the last thing on my mind would be my remaining meal credits. If paying OOP is best for you, I would never try to convince you otherwise.

 

[Dean]

Do what works for you Dean. There's a risk my plane could fall out of the sky, but I don't worry about that either. If there were an emergency and we had to leave early, I can assure you the last thing on my mind would be my remaining meal credits. If paying OOP is best for you, I would never try to convince you otherwise.

I'm not trying to convince anyone, just make sure that people know about real issues and risks, which these are. Everyone can make their own decisions. I can't count the number of times I've seen posted on these boards something to the effect of "I never thought this would happen to me".

 

[Nancyg56]

Maybe its me, but this just doesn't make logical nor financial sense.

What the poster was trying to say is that while they enjoy having nice sit down meals they would not feel comfortable doing that f they focused on the daily costs of those meals.

A lot of people like to vacation in a different manner than they live at home. I know that we do. If they purchase the plan and work that cost into their vacation budget there is no remorse at eating a $32 dollar steak dinner and then splurging on a dessert. If they had to pull that cash out of the wallet they may just have a burger. Not quite the same experience.

My DH is like this. He likes to eat well on vacation but he also likes to know what we are spending before we spend it. We add the DDP so that the majority of the meals we choose are paid for and then I just figure out about how much the additional meals we plan will cost. I would never pony up for the plan if I was a CS kind of person, that would not make financial sense. It does make sense for us to buy the plan knowing that we can enjoy our meals without looking at the prices.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would disagree on the lack of risk. What happens if one or more members of the group become ill or if there's an emergency and you have to leave early or tend to group members? Therefore I maintain that there is real risk to everyone but more for some than others depending on their exact situation and issues. The risk is similar to that of a cruise without trip insurance and just as costly potentially.

While I agree that there can be risks to the DDP you must admit that if one was concerned about that there would be no pre purchases made at Disney.

No Hard ticket events. No Hoop-de-Doo. No Cirque du Soleil.

Yes, you risk losing money if someone falls ill. But I am not going to let that prospect make me fail to buy Party tickets or book a tour. I refuse to worry about an illness making my DDP a loss. If I had a family member whose health was something I needed to factor into my trip decisions, well that is a different story. But that is not what you are talking about here, I think.

 

[dawnhaze]

I don't do the dining plan for cost savings - I come out about even every time I make a spreadsheet and do all the math. I do the dining plan because I really like having everything paid for before I get on the plane to go on vacation. Plus, I use my Disney Visa for the 0% financing. It's a nice little benefit and helps me spread out paying for vacations. Otherwise I might just buy a gift card with my food budget on it, like I do for my souvenir budget. Heck, if I could prepay for some souvenirs as part of a package, I'd probably do that too!

Am I taking a risk? Sure, spending money on vacations is always a risk. I could get sick, a hurricane could sweep through Florida, unseasonably early or late snow could ground me at home in the northeast. But as a previous poster said, if a emergency arises, the last thing on my mind will be my dining credits.

 

[QueenElinor]

While I agree that there can be risks to the DDP you must admit that if one was concerned about that there would be no pre purchases made at Disney.

No Hard ticket events. No Hoop-de-Doo. No Cirque du Soleil.

Yes, you risk losing money if someone falls ill. But I am not going to let that prospect make me fail to buy Party tickets or book a tour. I refuse to worry about an illness making my DDP a loss. If I had a family member whose health was something I needed to factor into my trip decisions, well that is a different story. But that is not what you are talking about here, I think.

But that's a good point you've brought up. I wonder how many people include the cost of the DDP in their travel insurance? Is it nonrefundable, as part of a package? I don't know, I never buy packages. But if you're getting it "free" and you're buying insurance on the room, you definitely are paying more for insurance, because the room costs you more.