Disney Dining Plan calculator - Amazing Tool!!!

[serene56]

When I was a little more conservative with snacks, appetizers, and used the average priced option, OOP was about $130 cheaper. For that little of a difference, DH agreed that we would probably just stick with the DDP. The convenience of just using credits is worth it to us. I think if we were doing OOP I would be scrutinizing every meal, every price, every last snack that we bought to make sure we got the best value for our dollar. I don't want to have to be stressing about that at WDW.

But I seem to be in the minority anymore.

I would think I would be more scrutinizing if I paid for the dining plan to make sure I am gettign my money worth. Doing the math I figured I needed to spend a 15-20 for my counter and 35-40 and 5 bucks for a snack, by doing the math I didnt even come close to those amounts.
Eating at Earl of Sandwich and Sleepy Hallow for a spicy chicken sandwich doesnt even come to 10 bucks and we did not do desserts with every meal. Some meals I wanted an appetizer instead of the entree (T-rex)
and most of those I didnt want the dessert.

I am way ahead by paying OOP even with including tax

So dining plan plan would cost me 770 for 2 people. I put 800. on a gift card to pay for dining and and tips. Its like prepaying but i can order anything i want

 

[KiKi Mouse]

The DDP would have cost our family $2413.08 for 12 nights.

We ate OOP and spent $1681.01
This number includes some beer and wine. It also includes the gratuity. When you use a TIW card it automatically adds a 18% gratuity.

Difference of $732.07

See my post above for the TS restaurants we ate at.

 

[NotThatKevinSmith]

For those who use this spreadsheet it was updated today. First time in about 2 years. Takes a ton of time to update. Sorry about the delay.

 

[MrsUqdah]

Just used the updating dining calculator and it shows that I would save about $400....sounds good to me THANKS

 

[Shaden]

LOVE this tool. Shows we will save around $800 by Paying OOP, and doesn't include out TiW either ...

 

[Autumnslight]

For those who use this spreadsheet it was updated today. First time in about 2 years. Takes a ton of time to update. Sorry about the delay.

Awesome! I'm off to download it. I know Excel, so I can imagine how much time it would take to update. Can't wait to try it again. Thanks!

 

[MrsUqdah]

Still saving about $400 with the deluxe dining plan...and that without a discount applied! #WINNING

 

[KiKi Mouse]

Still saving about $400 with the deluxe dining plan...and that without a discount applied! #WINNING

Just curious how you are saving money by going on the dining plan.

 

[Autumnslight]

Just curious how you are saving money by going on the dining plan.

I've run a bunch of different scenarios, and found that usually if you have children 3-9 years old, plan mostly table service meals, especially at more expensive restaurants, and tend to order a lot of appetizers, then the regular or deluxe dining plan will usually save you money over paying OOP.

 

[bdklein]

... tend to order a lot of appetizers, then the regular or deluxe dining plan will usually save you money over paying OOP

maybe the Deluxe, but how does ordering a lot of appetizers on the regular dining plan save you money vs OOP?

 

[Shaden]

I've run a bunch of different scenarios, and found that usually if you have children 3-9 years old, plan mostly table service meals, especially at more expensive restaurants, and tend to order a lot of appetizers, then the regular or deluxe dining plan will usually save you money over paying OOP.

maybe the Deluxe, but how does ordering a lot of appetizers on the regular dining plan save you money vs OOP?

Yea .... that was my question too.

I have found that if you have kids and do character meals OR if you always go to the most expensive places and only order the most expensive meals you CAN save a little money on the DP. Otherwise you lose. You lose even more when you throw in the possibility of the TiW card.

 

[Autumnslight]

maybe the Deluxe, but how does ordering a lot of appetizers on the regular dining plan save you money vs OOP?

Sorry, I got distracted mid-post and didn't word my response well. I actually meant to say desserts and appetizers, not just appetizers. The appetizers obviously don't matter on the regular dining plan, just the deluxe. The other items (desserts, children, expensive restaurants, mostly table service meals) are a factor in savings for both the regular and deluxe plan.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

would you have to order a dessert for every person in your party and an appetizer as well to make it worthwhile?

We bought desserts occasionally. Just not with every meal and not for every person.

I think we only ordered one appetizer our whole trip. It's just too much if we did it all the time.

 

[Shaden]

would you have to order a dessert for every person in your party and an appetizer as well to make it worthwhile?

We bought desserts occasionally. Just not with every meal and not for every person.

I think we only ordered one appetizer our whole trip. It's just too much if we did it all the time.

Yea see this is how we generally work at a TS restaurant my wife and I will often order and App and an Entrée to split, and sometimes a desert to split.

Or 2 entrees and we will split a desert, though likely we don't eat all the food or aren't ordering the most expensive thing on the menu for both. One of use might have a pasta or salad while the other gets a steak/pork/beef.

It just doesn't work for us to be on the plan. You really have to try to get the value out of it ...

 

[Autumnslight]

I have found that if you have kids and do character meals OR if you always go to the most expensive places and only order the most expensive meals you CAN save a little money on the DP. Otherwise you lose. You lose even more when you throw in the possibility of the TiW card.

I agree. I did a big spreadsheets for our upcoming trip to see if we should do a dining plan, TiW, or OOP. We have two adults and two kids, we're planning mostly table service meals, including several character meals and signature restaurants, we like to order desserts and appetizers, and we generally buy a couple of snacks per day. Basically, food is a bigger part of our trip budget than almost anything else.

We'd save about $140 using the regular dining plan vs OOP, and about $240 using the deluxe dining plan vs OOP. We'd save about $70 using TiW over the regular dining plan, and we'd actually pay about $25 more using TiW over the deluxe dining plan. We'd save about $210 using TiW vs OOP ($110 savings after paying $100 for the card).

For us, the deluxe plan actually gives us the most savings. For other people though, it would be a huge waste of money.

 

[Shaden]

I agree. I did a big spreadsheets for our upcoming trip to see if we should do a dining plan, TiW, or OOP. We have two adults and two kids, we're planning mostly table service meals, including several character meals and signature restaurants, we like to order desserts and appetizers, and we generally buy a couple of snacks per day. Basically, food is a bigger part of our trip budget than almost anything else.

We'd save about $140 using the regular dining plan vs OOP, and about $240 using the deluxe dining plan vs OOP. We'd save about $70 using TiW over the regular dining plan, and we'd actually pay about $25 more using TiW over the deluxe dining plan. We'd save about $210 using TiW vs OOP ($110 savings after paying $100 for the card).

For us, the deluxe plan actually gives us the most savings. For other people though, it would be a huge waste of money.

Yea that sounds fair enough. I think the trick should almost be to plan what you WANT to eat, where you want to go and what you want to get, and THEN check if the DP or DDP works out best for you. Otherwise I have found my family trying to plan stuff to ensure we get the value out of it, instead of just getting what we want and then finding the best price on that.

My wife is afraid of the Characters, weird I know, she likes them at a distance, but not up close. But that basically keeps us away from the Character meals, and while we do a few signature meals, she/we just aren't huge eaters, even though we love food. The portions are too big for us to get it all in without feeling bad afterwards

I do like the sound of your trip though, food is half the reason I enjoy going to WDW as much as I do.

 

[Autumnslight]

would you have to order a dessert for every person in your party and an appetizer as well to make it worthwhile?

We bought desserts occasionally. Just not with every meal and not for every person.

I think we only ordered one appetizer our whole trip. It's just too much if we did it all the time.

I run my calculations assuming that the kids will have a dessert included in their kids meal, or share ours, and that my husband and I will each order a dessert with dinner about 75% of the time.

Appetizers only matter if you're considering the deluxe plan or if you have Tables in Wonderland. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if you order them or not, as you'd be paying for them out of pocket anyway.

 

[Autumnslight]

I think the trick should almost be to plan what you WANT to eat, where you want to go and what you want to get, and THEN check if the DP or DDP works out best for you. Otherwise I have found my family trying to plan stuff to ensure we get the value out of it, instead of just getting what we want and then finding the best price on that.

That's exactly how I've been doing it. I look at menus, figure out what we WANT to do, then price it all out and figure out the best deal.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

This trip (mid October 2013) was the warmest of them all for us.

We had more bottles of water and slushies than we have ever ordered in previous trips.

In the past when on the DDP I have always felt the need to eat all the credits and order the most expensive things.

This time we ate what we wanted. DH and I often shared a pop that we got at a CS meal because I don't care for that much pop.

A few times my 6 y/o had a regular CS meal instead of picking something from the children's menu.

My husband lost five pounds from all the walking around in the heat and not eating as much. I didn't feel stuffed sick this trip either.

 

[MrsUqdah]

Just curious how you are saving money by going on the dining plan.

Because we have a character breakfast every morning.line of which is CRT and we will also be eating at 2 signature restaurants. So for our 6 day trip we will save about $400 if ordering average priced meals....and considering I have a 2 year old I will not need to purchase much food for if any because of the portion sizes is a bonus as well