2018 Disney Dining Plan Prices & General Discussion

[Paulines]

From my understanding, everything is included unless the menu reflects an upcharge and/or the menu item is designated for 2 or more (which then diners could pool their credit(s)).

There are no separate menus and many of the expensive items are included, for example; the $75.00 steak at Cali Grill and the lobsters at Narcoossee, Boathouse & Yachtsman.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ Thanks, good to know, some combination of those 2 posts are how I expected it to work. I was just looking at a blog on YouTube which seemed to imply all menu items are included which didn't seem reasonable to me. Their view was unless you go to the pricey restaurants, eat the most expensive menu item & are big eaters, those dining plans are not really worth the money. Comments there were mostly that the advantages were the included alcohol (which is normally pricey at restaurants) and the idea of pre-paying for meals vs. actually saving money. So apparently lots of opinions online about what is/isn't recommended as it relates to these dining plans.

 

[HollyJoy]

Can you add the dining plan for only part of your trip? For example, we have 7 day tickets. Could we add the dining plan for just 4 of those days?

 

[pangyal]

Can you add the dining plan for only part of your trip? For example, we have 7 day tickets. Could we add the dining plan for just 4 of those days?

No, you must buy the plan for every night of your stay and for every person on the reservation in the same room.

 

[HollyJoy]

No, you must buy the plan for every night of your stay and for every person on the reservation in the same room.

Thanks.. that is what I thought the answer was, but couldn't find it anywhere.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Can you add the dining plan for only part of your trip? For example, we have 7 day tickets. Could we add the dining plan for just 4 of those days?

If you were doing a split stay you could.

 

[cajunfan]

I have a question and too lazy to read through 55 pages. If you are on the deluxe dining plan, the signature dining places, do you still use 2 table service credits? Or (if it were possible) could I book 3 signature dining experiences everyday of my trip? Hope this makes sense...

Thanks!

 

[sharonabe]

I have a question and too lazy to read through 55 pages. If you are on the deluxe dining plan, the signature dining places, do you still use 2 table service credits? Or (if it were possible) could I book 3 signature dining experiences everyday of my trip? Hope this makes sense...

Thanks!

Sorry, but you still need 2 TS credits to eat at a signature, even on the DxDDP.

 

[Nancyg56]

I have a question and too lazy to read through 55 pages. If you are on the deluxe dining plan, the signature dining places, do you still use 2 table service credits? Or (if it were possible) could I book 3 signature dining experiences everyday of my trip? Hope this makes sense...

Thanks!

Before booking any plan you might want to study up on the plans in general. For instance, the DxDDP is all about how many credits a night you are allowed, and the total number per trip. It has nothing to do with how you use them. These plans are expensive if they are not used to their advantage so it is best to understand how they work, what is included in each one, and the cost of any given plan vs the cost of the dining booked.

 

[kpd6901]

www.distripplanner.com

 

[sharonabe]

www.distripplanner.com

Be careful of this one. If you're not getting alcoholic or specialty drinks, it might be okay. But if you are, they don't calculate those in at all, so their OOP costs are low. I also couldn't figure out some of their QS averages. When I went in to see what we might order, some of their QS costs were really high and some were really low. High, as in, I couldn't come up with any combination of meals that even added up to the cost they had and low as in it was if they didn't include drinks at all.

 

[kpd6901]

I have an ADR at Sci Fi for my parents to take my two youngest kids. My parents have their own dining plan credits and my kids are on ours. Last day of dining plan for both parties. Our plans would simply be that my parents meals use my parents credits and my kids meals use our credits. Is there a logistical problem for the CM to scan one of my kids magic bands to apply our remaining child credits for their meals?

 

[DisBuckMan]

I have an ADR at Sci Fi for my parents to take my two youngest kids. My parents have their own dining plan credits and my kids are on ours. Last day of dining plan for both parties. Our plans would simply be that my parents meals use my parents credits and my kids meals use our credits. Is there a logistical problem for the CM to scan one of my kids magic bands to apply our remaining child credits for their meals?

Shouldn't be a problem, as long as you attach a pin code to one of their magic bands.

 

[kpd6901]

Shouldn't be a problem, as long as you attach a pin code to one of their magic bands.

Thank you. How/when do we attach the pin?

 

[sharonabe]

Thank you. How/when do we attach the pin?

It's done somewhere on your MDE account. I can't remember if it's a part of customizing the magic bands or if it is when you can do online check-in. You choose a pin and can make different ones for each band or the same one. The kids or the grands will need to know the pin. If you can't find it in MDE, just ask them when you check in to your resort.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you. How/when do we attach the pin?

In MDE you can assign a pin code to the bands. I have mine assigned to all bands on our trip and everyone can use their band for charging the meals on the account. I have it set up before we check in, and it is associated with your CC on file, I believe. Test it out before hand by having one of the kids scan their band for a snack, or for the meals you order one day.

I also give permission for my DGD to charge back to the room. I do not know if this is something you are considering, however that does need to be set up at the front desk.

 

[cajunfan]

Sorry, but you still need 2 TS credits to eat at a signature, even on the DxDDP.

Before booking any plan you might want to study up on the plans in general. For instance, the DxDDP is all about how many credits a night you are allowed, and the total number per trip. It has nothing to do with how you use them. These plans are expensive if they are not used to their advantage so it is best to understand how they work, what is included in each one, and the cost of any given plan vs the cost of the dining booked.

Thanks, I thought that was the case. We understand how it works with regular dining plan (just had never looked at Deluxe) and the way it read, I was not sure. I am a spreadsheet sort of girl, so yeah, I will do the math before deciding anything.

 

[Jabba Loves Disney]

I booked free dining promo for my December trip. We are staying at a value resort so we received the QS plan. Yesterday, I broke down and booked the standard dining plan and paid the upcharge. I keep thinking that maybe I should have just kept the QS and paid to eat TS just a few times. Did I make a mistake? If you have done this, do you still think you get a good value. If so, what restaurants did you eat at that made you feel like the upcharge was worth it.

 

[sharonabe]

I booked free dining promo for my December trip. We are staying at a value resort so we received the QS plan. Yesterday, I broke down and booked the standard dining plan and paid the upcharge. I keep thinking that maybe I should have just kept the QS and paid to eat TS just a few times. Did I make a mistake? If you have done this, do you still think you get a good value. If so, what restaurants did you eat at that made you feel like the upcharge was worth it.

You can probably take it back to just QS if you decide to do so, but do it sooner, rather than later because a change fee will apply at some point.

The only way to see if this is a good value is to do the math. How many TS do you want to do? Which TS do you want to do? Your upgrade cost is only about $23 per adult per night, which you will easily "spend" on just about any TS.

 

[sanapp]

I know it sounds like most believe that the dining plans are not a good value, but they really can be. I have a solo trip booked in February with dlxdp and I have calculated that I am coming out about $250.00 ahead of paying OOP. That is without buying the most expensive item on each menu. I think it works only if it works in with the way you really want to eat. If you aren't going to want to utilize all of the entitlements of the plan then you probably aren't going to come out ahead. I like to look at the menus on allears to try and price out what I would order at the places I am interested in eating at. I don't really add any value for the refillable mug as I almost never use it over the course of my trip. Of course you have to factor in what the tips would be ahead of time as well. I am figuring my tips to be a minimum of $200.00 for a 7 night trip.