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[niki1219]

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[lustergirl]

I would go with the regular table plan. The 3 TS meals a day is a lot of food for one person and you will spend most of your time going from restaurant to restaurant. For my upcoming trip I have 3 ADR's for the five days I am there. The other times I am going to wing it and eat when I get hungry.

 

[niki1219]

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[Fantaluminishes]

I did the Premium Package on one of my solo trips. Doing three full meals a day can be a lot of food, but having the flexibility to eat anywhere I wanted to was nice. If you will eat an appetizer, entrée and dessert on every lunch and dinner, the DxDP will work. If you don't have that big of an appetite, or like to order an alcoholic beverage, you will save money by going without the dining plan. Some prefer the dining plans just because everything is "paid for" ahead of time. I have no problem using my Magic Band to charge meals to my room account, and then settling when I check out.

 

[loves to dive]

Haven't done the dining plan in years, I ran the numbers and for me it was less expensive to eat OP. I'm not a big eater though. Solo or with family I tend to do the following: Bfast: Kids meal at resort or muffin or some pastry at one of the parks. That usually is all I want or need until lunch. Lunch: Kids meal at one of the QS places at one of the parks. Again, not a big eater so that works for me. Supper: Just depends, sometimes I eat a meal at a TS, more often than not I get an app/salad and dessert and a glass of wine. I don't tend to eat snacks during the day unless it's a piece of fruit so dining plan is just over kill for me.

 

[MrLight]

I'm going solo 5/9-16 and I have a free meal ticket to use at Planet Hollywood. But I feel weird going there alone to eat... would I be seated at a table alone...?

 

[niki1219]

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[Soulcraft]

I'm going solo in 7 days and I plan to do everything OOP. I went in November with some friends and we were on the deluxe free dining plan. It was a lot of food; almost too much. For this upcoming trip, however, I'm eating where I want and not worrying about the bill . Monsieur Paul's, Citrico's, and probably Jiko are on the agenda.

 

[ludari]

Unfortunately I never use the DP because I think it's too much food. Because of that I usually treat myself to a nice place for TS and I'm good for the day. On my visits lasting longer than a week I often purchase groceries so I can cook in my room a few times.

 

[samsteele]

I've used the regular DP on one vacation and paid OOP on others. I chose to pack some cereal & granola bars & instant coffee and eat breakfast in the room (buy milk and orange juice at the gift shop to keep in room fridge). I then saved the dining credits for lunch and dinner. Snack credits I saved for more $ snack items during the day. I really enjoy the extra 15 minutes or so of quiet before heading out to the bus line. Because of the rich food I am usually eating for lunch and dinner, its probably the healthiest meal of the day. It also allows me to get on the bus and rope drop with ease. Going to the cafeteria for breakfast is a huge time black hole because of the volume of people there. And I don't miss the crazy loud resort cafeteria in the morning, either.

 

[spiceycat]

I have food allergies - strange ones - that is one reason why I brought DVC years ago.
even then have had reaction to food (yes even at Disney). So now when eating out - bring my allergies list and be prepared to wait.
so on the whole eating out is just generally not worth it for me - too much time is wasted.

now my brother & his family - like to eat out - they did think that alot of the good restaurants were at DD not the parks

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I do the regular DP with one TS and one QS meal. I use the QS for breakfast at the hotel (the All-Stars), and the TS for dinner each night. Inbetween, I used snack credits for a funnel cake or whatever, since I was usually not that hungry at lunchtime. I ate at places my picky eater filled family wouldn't like, like Marrakesh. Their food was great and the atmosphere was wonderful.

 

[StLDisFan]

I've done both of those DPs while on solo trips and I honestly didn't feel like either one was really worth it. Like the others said, the deluxe plan is simply too much food and too much time. I'm a big guy and I love to eat (and can eat quite a bit too), but you will spend several hours a day working around those ADRs, especially if you need to park hop or get to a resort to eat. A few years back I took a long solo trip during the FaWF with the intention of trying out as many Disney restaurants and food options as possible. There were a couple of days I did 3 TS meals and that was just too much food. By the end of the trip, I was so full that I was simply "sampling" my meals and thus wasting money (and food too, which I hate doing). I also had a couple of days where I did breakfast somewhere and then using 2 meal points for a dinner signature meal; that plan of attack seemed to work out the best and it offered me the ability to eat at some of the best restaurants on property too. I don't think I would have considered those signature dining options if I didn't use the plan b/c I can't normally fathom spending $100+ for a meal (they are totally worth it though if you have the means!) As for those snacks, I went during the FaWF and so I got a lot out of those credits, but that trip was ridiculous with how much I ate. I probably could have made a decent dent starting up a WDW food blog

As for the the regular dining plan, this CAN be a good option IF you maximize your meals by getting the most expensive food items, but again, it could potentially limit your freedom to actually pick what you want off of the menus. Or perhaps you want an appetizer (not included in the plan) or you don't want dessert or you forget to use up all your snack credits. These things can add up quickly to not making the DP a good option. Plus, all those things can actually ruin a dining experience because in the back of your mind there is a niggling thought that you should have order something more expensive versus something you like or that you wasted food or alcohol isn't included in the plan so you didn't get any or whatever. Paying out of pocket eliminates those feelings as you only order exactly what you want. Portion-wise a QS, TS and snack is an "appropriate balance" is my normal routine anyways but it just depends on how much you normally eat. Maybe you need another QS or snack to get you through the day; just one more thing to consider.

Unfortunately I no longer have the few Excel sheets that broke down my costs per trip using the plans vs paying out of pocket. But I do recall that I generally saved money by paying out of pocket or it was a minute one way or another. For me, it is all about the freedom you get by NOT being tied down by the plan, whether in not feeling like you have to order the most expensive things, or not getting too much food that you waste half of it, or not getting the food you want. The time spent can be a different factor as its nice to slow down and maybe explore different resorts or experience new restaurants, but maybe that doesn't meet your needs/plans for your trip.

With the dining plan, you not only have to decide where you want to make ADRs several months out, but you also have to look at the menus to see if its worth a meal credit if you aren't going to get the most expensive thing or if desserts don't seem appealing or if alcohol or something else needs to be factored in. Deciding six months out that I want seafood or Italian or Mexican food is one thing, but to have the meals pre-selected as well is just too much for me; even if it saves a buck or two.

In short (sorry for the long-winded rambling), do your maths and crunch those numbers. Maybe you can use the DP to your advantage (obviously many people do!), but take into consideration how much you envision actually eating, your travel plans/trip goals, the pros and cons of being tied down to a plan or not.

Tom Bricker has a couple of great articles over on his site; just search for "2015 Disney Dining Plan Guide"

 

[com_op_2000]

Funny answer:
One bite at a time.
Trueful:
Never have done the DP. I always OOP and in the room. Get breakfast items to eat in the morning, eat your largest meal for lunch, then snack the rest of the time.

 

[samsteele]

do your maths and crunch those numbers

This is very good advice. The regular DP CAN be a good value If you are prepared to do the research and to order 1 of the 3 most $$ items on the menu. You then need to decide which QS and TS restaurants are more $$ to max value on the plan. If you aren't interested in this much planning, then it may not be worthwhile. We hear stories on the boards all the time of families who have left credits behind. Don't leave any credits behind to make it work. But that means quite a bit of thought before hand & some serious eating. I would also recommend Tom Bricker's website & his lists of best QS values (both on the DP and OOP) and best TS values (ditto). Everyone has their own tastes & preferences, but at least you know going in what financially works best for you.

 

[karly05]

I never do the DP - like others, I've decided it just doesn't make sense for me. And I'm a "3 meals a day" person, not using a snack for a meal - but no way am I doing 3 TS, that eats up too much park time!

My normal WDW eating day: Food Court breakfast (last week at POFQ, most mornings I got a breakfast croissant sandwich), QS lunch depending on where I am, TS dinner more often than not, but I did all QS on my full MK day. I like sigs, too, which use 2 credits, so I'd be running out of credits anyway.

If you're really wanting to do a DP, I'd do the regular one and just be prepared to pay out of pocket for the extras.

 

[samsteele]

This is very good advice. The regular DP CAN be a good value If you are prepared to do the research and to order 1 of the 3 most $$ items on the menu. You then need to decide which QS and TS restaurants are more $$ to max value on the plan. If you aren't interested in this much planning, then it may not be worthwhile. We hear stories on the boards all the time of families who have left credits behind. Don't leave any credits behind to make it work. But that means quite a bit of thought before hand & some serious eating. I would also recommend Tom Bricker's website & his lists of best QS values (both on the DP and OOP) and best TS values (ditto). Everyone has their own tastes & preferences, but at least you know going in what financially works best for you.

I was just thinking after I posted this that its a bit bare bones on details. If I book regular DP these are my preferred TS ressies I credit (and this reflects my tastes, I luv my steak & seafood and to try things I don't normally see in my home town eg duck, lamb & some fish): BOG dinner, Kona Cafe (steak), Tokyo Dining (scallops), Teppan Edo, Boma Buffet dinner (most $ non-character and most varied buffet on property), Coral Reef, Raglan Road, San Angel Inn, Chefs des France, Yak & Yeti and Cape May Buffet dinner (also $ non-character buffet with seafood). QS preferences: Flame Tree BBQ, Tangierine Cafe, Sunshine Seasons, BOG Lunch, Wolfgang Puck Express and Columbia Harbor House. I use 99% of my snack credits at Epcot Food & Wine Kiosk on the most $ items (eg filet mignon in Canada, lamb chop in Australia, shrimp taco in Mexico, etc.) If paying OOP table service: Trails End Buffet dinner (least $ buffet on property), Marrakesh (lunch only, less $ than dinner), Biergarten buffet (lunch only, less $ than dinner), Yak & Yeti (appies for lunch), Brown Derby (cobb salad appy & dessert for lunch), Sanaa (appies for lunch - the bread service) and The Plaza. QS choices OOP: Tangierine Cafe, Flame Tree BBQ, BOG lunch and Earl of Sandwich. Good luck & good eating!

 

[StLDisFan]

Funny answer:
One bite at a time.
Trueful:
Never have done the DP. I always OOP and in the room. Get breakfast items to eat in the morning, eat your largest meal for lunch, then snack the rest of the time.

I really wanted to have a witty response, like "with your hands and your mouth.... well at least use your mouth" or "solo travelers are truly unique in that we don't actually need to eat while on vacation" Humor is always a plus haha

 

[goofyernmost]

I'm going solo 5/9-16 and I have a free meal ticket to use at Planet Hollywood. But I feel weird going there alone to eat... would I be seated at a table alone...?

Why? It seems that eating is a human requirement and unless you need someone to cut your meat, I can think of absolutely no reason why eating "alone" is a problem. Eating is a physical event that sometimes is social, but, the second is not a necessity.

Yes, you would be seated at a table alone. There are very few locations on WDW that have community dining with strangers.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Some people are uncomfortable eating TS alone. It doesn't bother me at all, but I've gone solo about 15 times-that's LOTS of solo meals! However, the first 3-4 times I went solo, I was very uncomfortable with solo TS, and what made it worse was sitting there thinking "Everyone says this shouldn't bother me." That's what I would worry about with the OP. If you're sure you'll be comfortable with solo TS, go for it. If not, don't push yourself! I wouldn't recommend the Deluxe DP, but then I love to snack-the cupcakes, the bakeries, etc. Three TS meals in addition would be too much. Frankly, I prefer to pay OOP than to have any DP, because it givesme the most flexibility.