Dining Plan vs. No Dining Plan

[xxDisneyDancerxx]

Hello!

My current dilemma is that me and a few people are planning a very short trip in May and we are arguing over whether or not we should get the DP. It's been a long time since I haven't had the DP on a trip (easier for us) but I have gone without before. My BF and two friends have not had a trip without the DP.

My BF and I were planning this trip alone before we invited them and wanted to make this trip as low in price as possible. We didn't want the DP. Now our friends are pulling for it.

I have two questions. Do you think the DP, either quick service or regular, is worth it on a 4 day trip? And has anyone done a small trip recently and know about how much food would cost?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Clare Voince]

Food costs will depend on where you eat. I would look at the menus online to get an idea. I've never done the dining plan, so I don't have much experience with it. It doesn't appeal to me at all. From what I read on here, you get an appetizer, entree and dessert at a TS, which is way too much food for me. Sometimes I just get an appetizer at a TS! I also don't like the idea that I have to decide how many TS, QS that I want that far in advance. Hell, I've had a mickey bar for my breakfast. Of course, I'm a solo traveler, and I don't have to worry about other people when making plans, and prefer to be more flexible.

 

[dae3dae3]

It depends on what you eat. For my family I've figured out that is mathematically impossible for the dining plan to save us any money. If you did nothing but character meals or ordered the most expensive thing possible at every meal and every person at the table normally orders their own dessert. Meaning you would normally order four desserts for four people sitting at the table. If you do all of that you might be able to save money. You can look up menus on the Disney website and compare it to the ddp price and see if it is possible.

 

[dae3dae3]

Food costs will depend on where you eat. I would look at the menus online to get an idea. I've never done the dining plan, so I don't have much experience with it. It doesn't appeal to me at all. From what I read on here, you get an appetizer, entree and dessert at a TS, which is way too much food for me. Sometimes I just get an appetizer at a TS! I also don't like the idea that I have to decide how many TS, QS that I want that far in advance. Hell, I've had a mickey bar for my breakfast. Of course, I'm a solo traveler, and I don't have to worry about other people when making plans, and prefer to be more flexible.

No appetizer.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Do you all plan to stay in the same room?

If you are in different rooms, just put all the people who want the dining plan in the same room.

If you are all in the same room, you all must get the plan, or none of you can get it.

Whether it's worth it or not depends on why you want it. Can't just say that your particular 4 day trip will be "worth it." If you are talking about strict monetary value, it is very very difficult to break even on the quick service plan. You want that one only if you value the "convenience" of having your meals prepaid. There are ways to make the regular plan work to save you money over buying the same food up front, but would you really have bought the same food? Would your friends? Or do they just want "convenience?" Really the most common way to save money on the regular plan is to have some children under 10 and do mostly, if not all, buffets, AYCE or fixed price restaurants, because the children's price is more than paid for by these restaurants. Otherwise you're dealing with children's menus at table service. If you've got no kids, you're only going to save money if you order the most expensive items at every restaurant.

Regular plan doesn't include an appetizer at table service, just entrée and dessert plus a beverage (non-alcoholic) unless it's a buffet or AYCE.

AND, you're still on the hook for tips. So if you would do fewer table service without the plan, you'd be paying more in tips. Unless you WANT to do more table service. How much your food will cost is going to depend on where and how you plan to eat.

 

[DebbieB]

No appetizer.

No appetizer on the regular dining plan. There is on the Deluxe.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/disney-dining-plan/

 

[strat68]

As people said, it's difficult to save money on any dining plan. They are not designed to save you money. I don't think it's any added convenience either. You still have to deal with tax and tip and each meal as well.

A question to a PP, if they are not booking a package does it matter if everyone in the same room had the DDP? I thought it was just a package where everyone had to do the same thing. I could be wrong.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

A question to a PP, if they are not booking a package does it matter if everyone in the same room had the DDP? I thought it was just a package where everyone had to do the same thing. I could be wrong.

You can only get DDP as part of a package, so once you add it, everyone in the room must have it.

OP, perhaps suggest to your friends that they put the equivalent of DDP price on a Disney gift card as a way to "budget" and use it to pay for their food. The DDP only works if you use it exactly as it's designed and you use all the credits. We never purchase it as I typically prefer to get a salad and another app and we usually share dessert and my DS8 likes the option of ordering from the adult menu. DDP is just too restrictive for us. If you are on s budget trip and want the option of picking and choosing smaller things here and there, I think DDP will be a waste for you.

 

[tessiesevin]

We have always chosen the dining plan. It works for me just because I like to have everything paid for in advance and also having most of my ressies ahead of time. Last year I rented points and opted out of the dining plan and paid out of pocket. We ended up paying the same price but with allot less food. (no dessert for every meal) (no snack for every person on the dining plan). Were leaving in 3 days from today! I am back on my beloved dining plan.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

Loved the convenience of having the QSDP but have only had it once. DS5 doesn't eat enough to order his own food and DW would never get near her money's worth either. DS13 and I would gain about 15 pounds each eating all of the extra food.

 

[xxDisneyDancerxx]

Hello!

My current dilemma is that me and a few people are planning a very short trip in May and we are arguing over whether or not we should get the DP. It's been a long time since I haven't had the DP on a trip (easier for us) but I have gone without before. My BF and two friends have not had a trip without the DP.

My BF and I were planning this trip alone before we invited them and wanted to make this trip as low in price as possible. We didn't want the DP. Now our friends are pulling for it.

I have two questions. Do you think the DP, either quick service or regular, is worth it on a 4 day trip? And has anyone done a small trip recently and know about how much food would cost?

Thanks for all the help!

You can only get DDP as part of a package, so once you add it, everyone in the room must have it.

OP, perhaps suggest to your friends that they put the equivalent of DDP price on a Disney gift card as a way to "budget" and use it to pay for their food. The DDP only works if you use it exactly as it's designed and you use all the credits. We never purchase it as I typically prefer to get a salad and another app and we usually share dessert and my DS8 likes the option of ordering from the adult menu. DDP is just too restrictive for us. If you are on s budget trip and want the option of picking and choosing smaller things here and there, I think DDP will be a waste for you.

thats a really good suggestion. Thank you. They like that it is paid for when you get there. I don't eat a lot, I hardly finish my meal let alone eat a dessert as well. I usually end up with a fridge of old desserts I never ate. I'll give them the option!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

We never use a DP......it ends up being just to much food!


AKK

 

[eliza61]

Dining plan is not meant to save you money. we stop getting it once they eliminated the tip and appetizers. And if you don't do a lot of character meals it's really not worth it.
Last August I save a little over 350 bucks NOT on the DDP. We definitely ate what we wanted.

So the question is really how much is convenience worth. lol for me it's not worth 400 bucks.

We simply do not spend 245 bucks a day every day on food. Also we prefer appetizers to desserts. 7 days of forcing ourselves to eat dessert every night got old quick.

Lastly, I stress way more on the plan. there are many times when I simply don't want a big meal. on the plan I forced myself to get an entree regardless, I'm certainly not paying 60 bucks and only getting a salad, lol

 

[jmkjr72]

The only way to tell if it will save is to do your own math only you know what you will eat
So basicly every one in the party has to do the math to see if it will save you money

Up until our last trip we had never done a dinning plan we stay dvc and normal 10 to 12 people so we cooked most meals

Our last trip was only 2 adults yes we could have cooked but decided to try the deluxe plan we saved alost 300 each
With the changes it looks like this trip we will only save 150 to 250 between the 2 of us that will make it a wash for what we think dad will eat
But again we had to sit down look at every meal and every menu to do the math if we eat fancier at lunch then we plan then our savings will go up

The big thing my fiance likes about it is the meals are paid for we only have to worry about tip

 

[tlmadden73]

The Disney Dining Plan hardly seems worth it. Save your money and just pay for your food as you go.

1) If you look at the cost, you more than likely will spend less money on food than the dining plan costs. But if you are a big eater and like desserts, than it may be for you. Unless you plan to eat all your table service meals at big (expensive) buffets, it just seems like you lose money.
Deluxe Dining is $111/per person per day. Even on vacation I don't plan on spending that amount of money on three meals A DAY. That is over $35 a meal! I am not eating three giant meals a day on vacation.

2) If you look at the convenience it is more convenient to use a Disney Gift Card or your Magic Band to pay for the meals. No need to keep track of what you "left" either.

3) You essentially are PRE PAYING for your meals .. that you will then feel "obligated" to eat .. whether you are hungry that day or not.

4) Unless you go for the Deluxe dining plan, you still have to pay for a meal out of pocket, so why not pay for them all out of pocket?


I had it once . .and it just added stress and confusion (at least for my parents) to the trip. Can we use the dining plan here? Which credit? How many do we have left?
I have found it a lot easier since then to just go where I want .. and just pay on the go.

As to whether it is worth it or not for a short trip? I don't think the length of stay matters ..it is a cost per day, so whether it is 1 day or 10 days doesn't matter I think.

 

[MichiganScott]

Remember, you can always reserve dining whether you're on the DP or not. Also, given you can tie your ccard to the magic band, paying with it is just as convenient as with the DP.

Other than that, it's personal. We rarely eat desserts for meals, and drink water at meals anyway, so the DP is a terrible value for us (and unhealthy too).

 

[DoingDisney]

There is a reason Disney offers the dining plan, and its not to save you money, its to make them more money. I know some people do in fact save money, they book a lot of high end meals or character meals etc, but I think most people don't.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

purpose of the dining plan is kind of the same as it is for Disney's Magical Express. Get 'em on Disney property and keep 'em there. If you already paid to eat all your meals at Disney restaurants and you don't need transportation from the airport, you likely won't rent a car and go eat meals offsite (or spend a bunch of time visiting those other parks just down the road).

 

[DIS_MERI]

It is incredibly variable. *If* you were already going to get refillable mugs *and* you were going to order more expensive CS meals and/or *if* you were going to eat at the more expensive buffets/TS meals (or if you share smartly and are smaller eaters) for full DDP, it can be relatively cost effective, especially over shorter stays. But, you usually have to work hard to make it save money. You can also help stretch out some of the meals for sharing by using your drink and/or dessert to sub a DDP snack eligible side (so you could get the pot roast and 2 soups at lunch BOG, and I know for sure that would feed my girls and I, and maybe DS too, for 1 CS credit).

 

[mzsarah10]

Agree with what prior posts have said. One year, just to prove to myself we save money not buying the dining plan, I put the same amount of money that the DP would cost on a gift card. We saved enough to pay for souvenirs.