Am I the only one not doing the dining plan??

[bamamom]

We bought the MYW package but didn't add the dining. We were planning on do 1 character breakfast and 1 character dinner, doing some of the counter services and going out into Orlando for a couple of dinners, we want to try Boston Lobster Feast (We are not going during the free dining period). Should we purchase the dining plan? This is our first family and trip and my hubby and I have not been since our HM in 1992....so this is really all new to me.

I just can't wait to get there!!!
Thanks for all your tips!!

Pop Century Oct 7, 2005

 

[Jaime]

That is what we normally done on our other trips. We have the free dining but because we usually try to buget our meals we probably won't have paid for it.

 

[Jaime]

We'll be at the POP Century Sept 24! Have a great trip.

 

[pinkpiglettlover]

if you are only doing a few TS restaurants and mostly counter service, IMHO it probably is not worth it for you to purchase the dining plan. If it were during the free period, it would be a different story. Either way, enjoy your trip!

 

[stellaxluna]

We're not doing the dining plan either.....

 

[swimmom]

We are not doing the dining plan and I have to tell you it's because of the limitations and the excess it encourages. It costs no more to eat at a table service restaurant at lunch than it does to eat at some crappy chicken finger/burger joint. You have better/healthier more varied choices at TS restaurants. Why be forced into CS rubbish when you can enjoy a better meal in air conditioning!!!

It also makes me feel that everyone has to get an appetizer and desert so I get my moneys worth. My family are all big eaters (4 football playing boys!!!) You should see the damage we can do at Boma - but they pick their spots for pigging out, not every meal.

 

[DawnCt1]

We are staying at SoG so the dining plan is not an option for us. I will get the annual pass however and get the DDE card.

 

[mickeysaver]

I broke down the intinerary that we have planned for our December trip day by day with what would happen with and without the dining plan and the costs. I figured out that the dining plan would encourage us to eat more TS than usual, but still have us spending the extra $15 we would normally allow per person on the other meal of the day and bottles of fluids. Basically, it was about even money wise and I didn't like feeling forced into eating that many TS meals. There is enough variety in the CS offerings that we can certainly find meals that are varied and take up far less precious park time. Also, Gabby is a very picky eater and at most of the TS restaurants, she would be eating from the child's menu....not cool for a woman in her early 30's.

Don't feel bad. We budget a $100/day for food and always have money left over at the end of the week. We always have at least two great sitdown meals/week and never feel like we are missing anything. The left over money at the end of the trip is always exchanged for a special collectable piece. It encourages us to behave.....we need all the help we can get. lol Maggie

 

[Nicolepa]

We would never pay for the dining plan. We just can't eat enough to make it worth it. We are going during the free dining, but booked too late to get dining. At first I was upset but after calculating it out, we saved $100 a day on our room by getting an AP discount so it will all be even. We bought the DDE to save some $$, but I still doubt we will go over (on average) $100 a day. We will eat breakfast in the room most days, lunch we can do for $20 (on the high end). That gives us $80 a day for dinner, and that will do us fine at the places we enjoy.

 

[vanyel]

I wouldn't have paid for the dining plan because I didn't think I would get my money's worth. I'm going during the free dining so I did get it and the amount I paid for the rack rate room wasn't that much more than the AA rate (about $20 a day) so it was a good deal for us.

 

[jugglinfish]

I agree with swimmom - TS doesn't cost that much more than TS for lunch, and IMHO the selection is better. We also don't like the pressure of eating everything offered on the plan or not eating it and then feeling like we did not get our money's worth. I think the plan is great for some people and offers them a great $ savings, but it is not for everyone.

 

[fanofmickey]

We're camping at FW so we did not qualify for the free dining. To be honest, while we could certainly get our money's worth by adding the plan, we just don't want to spend all of our time eating. I mean, if you order an appetizer, entree, dessert, you're spending a lot of time in the restaurant each and every day for each and every meal. We usually make one PS a day, eat counter service once a day, and the third meal (usually breakfast) at our trailer. We'd rather be riding the rides and seeing the shows.

 

[bballdiva]

Me and my bf are not doin the dinning plan iether. We are going in the end of oct. He is a picky eater and i dont want to eat when i'm not hungary just cause i already paid for it. I also am more of a fast food person so i think the counter meals will be just great for us. With acouple of sitdowns maybe.

 

[magsmom]

No, on our last minute August trip we will be using the DDE card and any DVC/AP discounts, since we are staying at the Swan. DDE paid for itself on our last trip (we love to eat at the more expensive places) and I generally do not see the dining plan to be a good deal unless you stay at a value.

I can't see the point trouncing through the parks in late August/early September (in 90 degree heat) then sitting down to a LARGE counter service/dinner every single day. In all of our sit downs on our last trip we never did an appetizer, main course, and dessert for all of us except at Boma (and we are good eaters).

I really need to make some decisions about dining for August and October, however...

 

[jonestavern]

No dining plan here, either.
we like breakfast in the room (early start) or off site. Our TS is at lunches. the world knows I am a fat lady & I don't eat--or need--an appetizer, entree & dessert (not all at the same time anyway! ) ! DH about 50% of the time can eat 2 out of the three, & only rarely will DS16 eat all three courses.
we will use any DVC/AP discounts available

Jean

 

[Disney Fans]

Hey bamamom,
Its fine if you do or don't buy the meal plan whatever you think is best for your family. There are alot of us that have the free meal deal and may not usually have gotten the meal plan either if it wasn't for free. I have a friend that just now booked to go also Oct 1st week like us and even though she missed out on the free meal plan she still bought the meal plan because she thinks its worth it even if you have to buy it.
Good luck and have fun! 12 hour drive-hum let me guess you live around Mobile area or not too far from around LA.LOL. Thats were I am lived and my family still lives there. Hope you didn't get hit with too much with wind or rain yesterday from Dennis!
Have a Magical time in Oct! We will be there also!

 

[Anewman]

It is all a matter of how much per day you think you will spend on food with out the plan.

Adults(10 and over) pay $35 per day for the plan, for some of us that is less than 1 Table service Dinner would cost. So I see it as getting a Snack and counter service meall for free.
But if you are a light eater, or have 11-12 year olds that pay that price but wont come close to eating the $35 worth of food...

Kids(3-9) Pay $10 per day. If you have a small eater that likes chicken fingers, Hot dogs, and Mac'N cheese, you might be able to feed him for around $10 per day with out the plan. But if the kids can EAT, there is no way to beat the plan. And at Flame tree BBQ the person that takes your order has no way of knowing that 1/2 slab of ribs is for an 8 year old(kidding).

 

[poohluvrs]

swimmomWe are not doing the dining plan and I have to tell you it's because of the limitations and the excess it encourages. It costs no more to eat at a table service restaurant at lunch than it does to eat at some crappy chicken finger/burger joint. You have better/healthier more varied choices at TS restaurants. Why be forced into CS rubbish when you can enjoy a better meal in air conditioning!!!

ITA!!! Were going during free dining but our AAA discount on room was a better deal than the free food! Plus just reading the threads w/ people fretting over how many points a lunch costs would take all the fun out of not having to cook for the week

 

[newholidayx2]

DS13 & I will be at WDW for 14nights in Aug. We're mostly staying using our DVC pts - middle wknd is w/member cash discount.
I bought us both APs this yr w/the DVC discount. And I bought a DDE card again w/discount.

I need to keep a close eye on my diet - lowfat, low sodium. I really dont think we would eat all the food that is allowed on the dining plan anyways.

 

[maxaroni]

I think that you have to look at how it works for your own family and you are the judge of that. Prior to the 'free' dining plan, we vascilated over 'plan or not' as we had to look at the menus and price things out. We had thought of possibly going 'offsite' for a meal or 2 (first nite as we don't have tkts to the parks etc) but after reading that some feel it is more of a hassle to go offsite for meals and the time it actually takes and the fact that the restaurants will probably be packed and who knows how long you wait for a table etc....we decided we'd eat all of our meals on site. we then know that we want TS for dinner as we have tried only a couple of TS's for dinner and the rest CS and that wasn't for us. It turned out to be a good deal for us but even better when it became free.