Not sure if it's worth it anyomre

[sunshineNJ]

I have been lucky enough to get free dining twice and I have paid for the basic plan twice. It's at a price now where I'm not sure it's worth it. I was adding some numbers up and soem days adrs we will break even even with snacks figured in, soem days we will loose a couple bucks. Is anyone else feeling like this? Thanks

 

[Cafeen]

I have been lucky enough to get free dining twice and I have paid for the basic plan twice. It's at a price now where I'm not sure it's worth it. I was adding some numbers up and soem days adrs we will break even even with snacks figured in, soem days we will loose a couple bucks. Is anyone else feeling like this? Thanks

For me, for this next trip, yes. Partly due to the large increase in DxDDP and partly due to the changes in this trip in general (more time with family, less time with self). After everything was added up, my total savings on Dx would have been around $5, and that was after adding in multiple TS/Signature meals just to burn credits. Looks like I'm on par to save ~$700 by going OOP instead of Dx this year.

(Note: that doesn't mean I think they're a bad deal...yet...only that the plans didn't fit the trip this year).

 

[wdw4rfam]

Oh yes, right here. We were big fans of the DDP especially when we got it free. This last trip, we ran the numbers for the meals we wanted and figured we'd save money by paying OOP...and boy did we. First of all we did a TS everyday, sometimes twice when they were cheap ( we do mostly b-fast) and plenty of snacks and a CS. So 2 meals a day and snacks and saved $600. Plus got the freedom to add sci-fi instead of a CS at the end of the trip because we had extra $$. The freedom too of being able to not get a dessert with our lunch, and have it a few hours later. Also what a relief to get whatever we wanted and not have to worry if it was included in the DDP.

 

[davedmaine]

I have been lucky enough to get free dining twice and I have paid for the basic plan twice. It's at a price now where I'm not sure it's worth it. I was adding some numbers up and soem days adrs we will break even even with snacks figured in, soem days we will loose a couple bucks. Is anyone else feeling like this? Thanks

For convenience, yes. For cost savings, impossible.

 

[blueiis99]

We have always used the dining card instead of the dining plan
It's 20% off meals and drinks (you can see the lists of restaurants pretty much all TS)
We only do one BF and rarely eat a few snacks. So it's only big dinners we do
It was a better savings for us. The cost to join is 100 (but you need a AP)
I get 1 year pass cause it saves a bundle on the room. We usually book deluxe.

 

[Marionnette]

I have been lucky enough to get free dining twice and I have paid for the basic plan twice. It's at a price now where I'm not sure it's worth it. I was adding some numbers up and soem days adrs we will break even even with snacks figured in, soem days we will loose a couple bucks. Is anyone else feeling like this? Thanks

I go back and forth over the value of the dining plans every trip that we take. I guess that I keep thinking that maybe this time it will turn out to be a good value for us.

I used the Dining Plan Calculator on Seeyareelsoon for our upcoming trip and based on where we plan to dine and how we plan to eat, the DDP is not going to save us any money. To my surprise, it was not as big of a "waste" as I thought it would be, either. I think it's because the cost of TS meals in general have inflated to the point where paying OOP is comparable to getting the DDP if you use every credit. The problem for us is that we probably would not use every credit to its fullest and like the idea of skipping some ADRs if we don't feel like doing a TS meal.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I think our tipping point was when my youngest became an "adult". My 11-year-old does not eat anywhere near $55 worth of food a day, even with a TS thrown in. He would probably order off the kid's menu whenever possible. And we split CS meals quite often.

Now...when it's free, definitely worth it!!!! But we would never pay for it.

 

[max'sdad]

Agree with PP. We did the dining plan on two previous trips, but last year, with my "adult" 10-year-old, I was not about to pay $51 a day so that he could eat chicken nuggets and PB&J. So we went the OOP route, charging everything to our room and paying off the balance with gift cards. Worked like a charm.

Over a 9-day trip, our family of 3 averaged probably $70-$75 per day, mixing in five TS restaurants - Whispering Canyon, Plaza, Sci Fi, Beaches and Cream and Via Napoli - with counter service and usually breakfast in the room. If we were to do the conventional dining plan, we would have spent more than $150 per day plus around $20 for the TS tip.

It worked for us because we're not huge eaters (my wife and I split the meat loaf entree and a bowl of soup appetizer at Whispering Canyon and were very satisfied). My son would rather snack and graze than eat a huge meal, and when he'd want something like a corn dog in MK, we'd have to pay OOP anyway, because it didn't qualify as a snack credit. Also, I enjoyed not being tied to an ADR every day and having some flexibility there.

The dining plan used to be a value, but I just don't see it any more. First year we did it in 2009, we paid $40 a day for the regular plan. In just four years, the price has gone up 39 percent.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Both of our kids (12 & 10) will be 'adults' this trip, and there is no way the ddp is worth it for us anymore. It doesn't really fit the way we eat at Disney, but we have used it in the past (free once and paid for a few times), and just had leftover credits that we let go.

 

[Reddy]

I'm doing the quick service this next trip but I think after that I'm going to do the gift card idea
you put the amount you would spend on DDP on a gift card then use that for your meals - I would add in the amount you would tip & other drinks that aren't covered just so you pay with the gift card only to be nice to the server

 

[ProudMomTo3Boys]

Yes!!! We have gotten it free the last 2 times we went. This year we got the RO discount. We thought about getting it, but after crunching numbers, it won't really work for us. We would break about even. I don't always want dessert with my meal and neither does my 14 year old. He doesn't really like sweets. I also found that I was just making TS ADRs because I needed to make 9 of them. My 8 year old isn't the best at sit down restaurants in WDW unless there are characters. I don't want to do 9 character meals. I am going to Target to buy Disney gift cards to use for food. I still made 5 ADRs that we will keep, other than that, we are doing CS.

 

[maurihart]

I'm struggling with this too. We've never been though so I don't want to feel "cheap" but with an 11yo who's super picky and us not being big dessert eaters (DH and I would rather have an adult beverage with dinner or a salad and the two younger kids would be happy sharing a piece of cheesecake once or twice over the entire week) I'm just not sure. But, on the flip side, places like Ohana are SO expensive and I don't want to feel tempted to cancel that or some of our character buffets worrying with the obscene cost.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

But, on the flip side, places like Ohana are SO expensive and I don't want to feel tempted to cancel that or some of our character buffets worrying with the obscene cost.

Based on what you posted, you'd be paying more for the dining plan than OOP even with the character meals. Go ahead and splurge while paying OOP. You're saving money.

 

[maurihart]

Based on what you posted, you'd be paying more for the dining plan than OOP even with the character meals. Go ahead and splurge while paying OOP. You're saving money.

omg, that spreadsheet is awesome! i am really leaning toward just buying gift cards the month before we go and using those to pay our dining bill at the end. there's also going to be lots of times that i only feel like eating an appetizer or that we just want to split stuff. and with the F&W festival going on, we can snack it up that day. i was figuring for our family we'd pay $1000 for the DDP for the 5 night stay but then also spend $300-$500 on misc (drinks/tips/breakfast stuff). i think i might be able to beat that OOP.