2018 Disney Dining Plan Prices & General Discussion

[sharonabe]

Huge, huge, huge liability issue given photo ID laws for Disney to allow multiple alcoholic drinks to be ordered by one person.

It's different than at a bar where everyone is required to be 21 to enter.

Please hear me, I HOPE and PRAY you are right, but where are they going to put the "photo ID must be presented" on the brochure. How many times does just Dad go order the meals while the rest of the family waits? If Mom and Dad both want a drink, when do they tell him that Mom needs to be there to present her ID?

 

[Faldred]

If nothing else, this is going to make CS lines worse as whole families will be in there together, rather than just one or two members.

Maybe this is a motivation for the rollout of mobile ordering: to reduce the standby line sizes so they're manageable with the DP changes.

 

[Allison]

Huge, huge, huge liability issue given photo ID laws for Disney to allow multiple alcoholic drinks to be ordered by one person.

But they allow it now so I don't see how having the dining plan would change that. I have ordered 2 drinks for myself and a friend in Mexico at Epcot at the counter service restaurant and have had friends do the same for me. Heck, I have ordered 2 drinks for myself because I didn't want to make a trip back. No questions asked, no id shown.

 

[Texans_loyal]

for us, this isn't a good deal. we will not be getting the dining plan in Jan.
we don't drink at all.
but if you get a drink with every meal, this is great! you actually end u saving money on DDP.

 

[MamaBelle4]

for us, this isn't a good deal. we will not be getting the dining plan in Jan.
we don't drink at all.
but if you get a drink with every meal, this is great! you actually end u saving money on DDP.

See, I'm kind of torn here. Normally, I do enjoy drinking on occasion. But, DH and I rarely drink together in case of an emergency. Now I know 1 drink per meal isn't a lot, but when you drink 1-2 x a week (if that!) it is a pretty significant increase.

Plus, I'll be nursing a 6 month old then. I would feel like I needed to get a drink at each TS at least to compensate for the price increase. I'd have to time nursing right before each meal, and we are really more of a nurse when needed family.

Plus, I don't really want my kids having a high calorie slushie or milkshake each meal once they're 10.

I know it seems like I'm complaining about it a lot. I just wish that it was an add on option. Funnily enough, if they did that, I probably wouldn't hesitate to add it on.

 

[Roy Disney]

You can use your beverage entitlement for any CS or TS meal to get a specialty beverage (including alcohol) in lieu of a standard beverage.

Reports vary, but you should still be able to trade excess credits for snacks; most reports I've seen say you still get 3 per credit traded, but they are at least some anecdotes of only being allowed 2.

Thank you

 

[Texans_loyal]

See, I'm kind of torn here. Normally, I do enjoy drinking on occasion. But, DH and I rarely drink together in case of an emergency. Now I know 1 drink per meal isn't a lot, but when you drink 1-2 x a week (if that!) it is a pretty significant increase.

Plus, I'll be nursing a 6 month old then. I would feel like I needed to get a drink at each TS at least to compensate for the price increase. I'd have to time nursing right before each meal, and we are really more of a nurse when needed family.

Plus, I don't really want my kids having a high calorie slushie or milkshake each meal once they're 10.

I know it seems like I'm complaining about it a lot. I just wish that it was an add on option. Funnily enough, if they did that, I probably wouldn't hesitate to add it on.

I agree. honestly, it sounds like it would be a headache more than a good time in your situation.

 

[Lesverts]

I am very confused by this move by Disney. They have essentially just thrown in two alcoholic drinks per adult per night at a rate of 3 dollars each. When getting a drink at Disney is easily going to be 9 dollars plus. This adds 18 dollars of value at a minimum for people that would partake. As someone that drinks and prefers to drink with a meal instead of as an alone item this is a tremendous value. Especially since it means that for quick service you are essentially getting half your value from the alcoholic drink.

One QS place I am planning on trying on my next trip is Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. Right now that is a use of a 17 to 19 dollar QSC for 16 dollars. But with the choice of a 10 dollar drink, that becomes a 23 dollar value for a QSC that costs 20 to 22 dollars. So where once it was difficult to extract value from QSC's unless you ate at someplace like FTB, BOQ or the Police Pig, you are now getting a much better chance of at least using your money.

But, I think this was a misguided move. The single largest source of visitors to WDW is from the driest part of the Western World. The Southern United States. This should have been an option. Not a universal thing.

 

[TomServo27]

But they allow it now so I don't see how having the dining plan would change that. I have ordered 2 drinks for myself and a friend in Mexico at Epcot at the counter service restaurant and have had friends do the same for me. Heck, I have ordered 2 drinks for myself because I didn't want to make a trip back. No questions asked, no id shown.

Only thing I've ever seen is at some places I'm talking arenas and concert venues they limit how many drinks an individual can buy at a time. But I have never seen be less than two. And who is to say I'm not eating both those meals I'm ordering why would someone else have to be there.

 

[hakepb]

I am very confused by this move by Disney. They have essentially just thrown in two alcoholic drinks per adult per night at a rate of 3 dollars each. When getting a drink at Disney is easily going to be 9 dollars plus. This adds 18 dollars of value at a minimum for people that would partake. As someone that drinks and prefers to drink with a meal instead of as an alone item this is a tremendous value. Especially since it means that for quick service you are essentially getting half your value from the alcoholic drink.

One QS place I am planning on trying on my next trip is Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. Right now that is a use of a 17 to 19 dollar QSC for 16 dollars. But with the choice of a 10 dollar drink, that becomes a 23 dollar value for a QSC that costs 20 to 22 dollars. So where once it was difficult to extract value from QSC's unless you ate at someplace like FTB, BOQ or the Police Pig, you are now getting a much better chance of at least using your money.

But, I think this was a misguided move. The single largest source of visitors to WDW is from the driest part of the Western World. The Southern United States. This should have been an option. Not a universal thing.

Like the original dining plan (when TS included appetizer and tip, and QS locations made good desserts) Disney is in this for the money.
They will get people used to decent drinks, but then start changing everything to cans of Lime-a-Rita's.

 

[earfulofmagic]

I am very confused by this move by Disney. They have essentially just thrown in two alcoholic drinks per adult per night at a rate of 3 dollars each. When getting a drink at Disney is easily going to be 9 dollars plus. This adds 18 dollars of value at a minimum for people that would partake. As someone that drinks and prefers to drink with a meal instead of as an alone item this is a tremendous value. Especially since it means that for quick service you are essentially getting half your value from the alcoholic drink.

I suppose they are thinking what many people will likely discover: a beer, glass of wine, or cocktail with meal twice (or three times) a day for several days in a row gets to be ~a bit much~ combined with all of that food. Around day 3 or 4 I can see people saying "you know what... just an iced tea for me" at lunch. Just like with the snack credits and how people need an extra suitcase to stuff all their rice krispy Mickeys at the end, it's simply too much. If you have DDP for a week, are you really going to have a cocktail 14 times in that week? (Me- heck yeahs, but only if I plan appropriately for it )

OR they might think that someone will take the one cocktail included with their plan, then order another (some of the time) and pay for that OOP, rinse and repeat.

And just like with the dining plans before this change, there are ways to make the plan work well for each person. Yet I'd guess most people buy the dining plan for the supposed convenience and the freedom of sunk costs, not necessarily cost savings or the intention of maximizing value -- and those folks are Disney's favorite customers

 

[HopperFan]

But, I think this was a misguided move. The single largest source of visitors to WDW is from the driest part of the Western World. The Southern United States. This should have been an option. Not a universal thing.

I live in the south, and even those that proclaim drinking bad ........ often partake.

Drinking is def a hobby here, home to some of the top drinking colleges in the country.

For the few who don't they've lost nothing with this plan, and gained some specialty drinks.

Dining Plan is always optional. And maybe they have found DDP users down and doing this to entice them.

 

[nco91590]

I feel like this is some sort of trick lol.

Either that, or the DDP is so overpriced that they're willing to sacrifice the potential for a $15 drink (which is how most restaurants in the real world make the majority of their profits) and still they're making out ahead.

 

[123SA]

I don't like to drink at the parks. I would really like this if they'd let me cash in my two drinks once we are back at the resort.

 

[hodad]

Friday-Sunday
Room one: Mom and Grandma
Room two: Dad and three kids, with DxDP

Friday night:
Ohana with lapu lapus! $250 out of pocket, or 6 dining credits.

Saturday lunch:
Biergarten with grapefruit beer! $200 out of pocket, or 4 dining credits and $40.

Saturday night:
Grandma takes the kids to Akershus: $200 out of pocket, or 4 dining credits.
Mom and Dad have date night at Flying Fish: $200 out of pocket or 4 dining credits.

Sunday morning:
Chef Mickey brunch: $200 out of pocket, or 6 dining credits.

Cost out of pocket: $1050 ($44 per person per meal)
Cost with dining plan: $512 ($21.30 per person per meal)
(ignoring tip, you sillies)

 

[sharonabe]

Cost out of pocket: $1050
Cost with dining plan: $512

I'm not following your math.

The cost of the 2018 DxDDP for one adult and 3 Disney kids for two nights is $472.44. So what do your numbers mean? Is the OOP cost the cost of the meals for all of you eating or just the cost of the drinks? You're making my head hurt.

 

[hodad]

I'm not following your math.

The cost of the 2018 DxDDP for one adult and 3 Disney kids for two nights is $472.44. So what do your numbers mean? Is the OOP cost the cost of the meals for all of you eating or just the cost of the drinks? You're making my head hurt.

You would need 26 credits to cover everyone, so two kids pay out of pocket at Biergarten for about $40.

The OOP cost is for meals + drinks, but it's a low estimate.

 

[Elle23]

Okay, I got over my initial shock. And I'm in round 2.

Am I the only person here that thinks this is just totally bizarre on the part of Disney?

Yes, I know that lots of adults-only frequent Disney parks, but still for the most part this is a destination for families. And now Disney is supplying alcoholic beverages with every single adult meal on the dining plan? Seriously?

Now I am regretting canceling our trip in November. I could have gotten one more visit in before the madness commenced.

 

[Pumbaa_]

The real question, will Disney eliminate free dining?

 

[disprincess2213]

Not sure if this has been asked....but what about signatures? Signatures require 2 TS credits...any thoughts if 2 beverages would be included? I wonder if its 1 per meal or 1 per credit?