Are Disney Dining Plans really worthwhile?

[HiHoWeGo]

I’m curious what people think of the Disney Dining plans. On our recent trip (not using a Dining Plan) I scheduled dinner ADRs for every night of our stay, as well as a couple for lunch. The families’ opinion of this was that it limited spontaneity making for a more rushed feel. Part of the reason I made so many ADRs was that we had plenty of Disney Rewards Visa points to use AND I had heard that getting in as a walk-up is becoming a thing of the past, at least at popular places and dining times.

I think on our next trip we would prefer to have maybe half as many ADRs for a few must-eat-at places. But if we went with the dining plan, and the need to get ADRs to ensure seats, we would be in the same boat as before. So, what do people think about the dining plans: Are they too limiting or can they be made to work in a flexible schedule?

 

[MommaBarb]

Our first trip to WDW, we didn't make ADRs for every day. We managed to get ADRs for every day we wanted them. And this was the week leading up to Easter. They were at the Plaza and Coral Reef (can't remember the others we made last minute), but there are definitely places you can get same day reservations if you want to.

We opt to get the dining plan because we do a lot of character dining, have food allergies and would just prefer to pay up front. Even if we don't save money per se, it's how we prefer to plan our trip.

 

[DebbieB]

The last time I used it was when I took my then 12 year old niece to WDW (2006) and we did a character meal everyday. The character meals were expensive and it made sense, I think it was only $42 then and it included tips. The downside once we got there is she eats like a bird so I ended paying all that mostly for mac & cheese and chicken nuggets for her. If I had to do it again, I would have done one or two character meals for the experience and the rest counter service.

 

[Networth]

I find it a big waste of money. I really considered getting the deluxe and even the platinum plan because we eat a lot of signatures and golf/spa/ rent boats etc. But the amount of food is just too much for dinner we usually split an appetizer order two entrees and split a desert. Considering the Deluxe plan would require us each to get an app and desert and does not include alcohol they don't make financial sense for us when it comes to dinner.

We don't eat sit down breakfast and only sit down lunch for about half the days of out trip. And when it comes to snacks we wouldn't even use half of the amount credits allotted. Also not including drinks or tip seems cheap on Disney's part.

For us the best bet is paying out of pocket. I'm also a firm believer the dining plan has made the quality of good worse in many places around the resort but that's a whole nother story.

 

[summermac]

For our travel party, they aren't worth it. We generally do better sharing meals/desserts and with 5 adults usually, it is cheaper that way. Plus honestly a sit down meal every day is a lot, at least it was for us. We had DDP in 2009 and didn't use all our snacks/CS credits so that was basically money wasted. In 2012, we opted to not add DDP and spent just as much as DDP would have been BUT that included appetizers and alcoholic drinks that wouldn't have been part of DDP anyway. We had 4 TS meals that trip instead of 7.

 

[jensen]

x

 

[HiHoWeGo]

We don't eat sit down breakfast and only sit down lunch for about half the days of out trip. And when it comes to snacks we wouldn't even use half of the amount credits allotted. Also not including drinks or tip seems cheap on Disney's part.

We are the same, we always start a trip with a grocery store run and stock up on breakfast foods. That way we can eat cheaply in the room and not waste morning hours in lines or in a sit down place.

Based on how we typically, and wish to, visit, the dining plans really don't seem to make sense. I had to ask this because every restaurant we went to asked if we are on the dining plan! I felt that maybe I was missing out on something. One thing I will also probably do is try to avoid the entire resort when free dining plans are offered .

 

[jimandami]

Out of 13 or so trips, we have only used the DDP once and that was when we booked "free dining." Even though we almost always eat a TS meal every day, I just didn't enjoy the DDP. I didn't like constantly wondering if we were using all our credits, or did we each have a qualifying entree, dessert, and drink at the cs locations. I just found it a hassle really, and we ended up with at least 6 desserts in the fridge on our last day! I mean, who needs dessert at 2 meals a day? Plus, a lot of snacks I wanted to try were also sweets and it was just too much. In addition, when we go to TS meals, DH and I may get an app and an entree and just split them, but you can't do that with the DDP. We now use the TiW card, which gets us 20% off at most TS places, including alcohol and a few CS places as well. It just works for us much better than the DDP.

 

[ilovebassets]

While I think the free dining promo is still a good deal even if it means paying rack rate for a room, I would never pay out of pocket for a dining plan. It really is just too many sweets. Dessert twice a day plus a beverage with every meal plus a snack a day. Even if you try to avoid sweets, a good deal of the time, those beverages and snacks end up being sweets. It's a bit much.

And while it's good value for things like many character meals and certain expensive entrees, it's definitely not good value for table service breakfasts and even several restaurants that have reasonably inexpensive menus or for vegetarians. I'm thinking Via Napoli, Tony's, Mama Melrose, The Plaza...

 

[Networth]

Yeah the TiW is great them removing Victoria & Alberts from it kind of stinks. But it's not a place we dine at usually unlike most the signatures which we go to every trip. Plus I love having drinks and tip in their. Once I get the bill give them the the card, swipe my band and done. And if they were really great servers/bartenders I'll give more than the automatic 18%.

 

[stinkpickle]

Quick service plans work for us if they're discounted or free. We only eat at one or two table service restaurants per trip anyway, so we use up the credits.

 

[jmm476]

I thought I would be in the minority by saying that I don't care for the dining plan. I'm surprised by the other comments, but I feel the same way. It just doesn't make sense for us for many reasons, but here are a few that I didn't see mentioned repeatedly before:

• I like to order the kids meal sometimes because I'm just not that hungry at meal time
• I like to snack in certain parks instead of sitting down for a full meal
• Some of my family members prefer to order an appetizer as their entree
• With the new costs for the dining plan, I figured that we saved over $150 by paying OOP instead of purchasing the dining plan (6 day trip)
• When given the option of free dining or a hotel discount, the hotel discount makes more sense when I run the numbers (except when staying at Value resort)

Overall, I just find the dining plan to be too restrictive and expensive.

 

[TDC Nala]

Whether a dining plan is worthwhile for your group depends on two issues:

1) Why you want it, and
2) How you will use it.

If you want it because you think it will save you money, absent a free dining resort discount offer, you need to do the calculations as to where you will be eating and what you will order, and see if it actually will save you money.

If you want it because you think it'll be convenient, and you don't mind breaking even or maybe even being down a little money, then you won't feel like you have to do so many calculations to determine if it's worth the money.

The dining plan (regular dining - 1 TS, 1 CS, 1 snack per night - the plan most guests who use a dining plan choose) is most worthwhile monetarily for a family with children under 10 who intend to do a lot of buffets or family style all you can eat places. These are the best value, especially with children. A la carte restaurants can be a good value if you are going to consistently order the most expensive items and all of you want your own dessert with every meal. However, a la carte restuarants are not nearly as good a value for children.

There's a couple of "niche" dining plans - the quick service plan, which is hard to save money on, and the deluxe plan, which works best monetarily for guests who like a lot of 2 credit signature restaurants (2 credit restaurants are not such a good deal on the regular plan).

If you don't want a table service dinner scheduled for every night of your trip (dinner is the best value of course, that's why I said dinner) then you probably don't want the dining plan, or you want a counter service plan if you're really after the convenience of having it prepaid.

 

[shanejoseph]

Sorry, I didn't think I'd be in the minority here. But to us, it's well worth it! We're adventurous eaters and like to try something new we maybe wouldn't get at home. We don't feel it limits spontaneity, because it's usually just ADR's for supper. The rest of the day is as spontaneous as WDW allows, depending on the time of year and crowds. We have gotten the DDP for every trip, and wouldn't consider any other way, just as we'll always stay on site. To us, it's part of being submerged in THE WORLD, where everything is taken care of for you! Just our two cents!

 

[mrsR123]

I've been runnng the numbers like crazy for our trip next week, and no dining plan is worth it for us. We're paying out of pocket. I'm not even getting Tables in Wonderland -- we're DVC-- since I can't use it on NYE or NYday. (I didn't pick it up last month, either, since our only table service meal that trip was Thanksgiving day. And this is likely the last trip on these tickets...)

We're doing a few table service meals and like 7-8 counter service over 6 days. We don't need or want mugs or three desserts a day. Bagels and Cheerios in the room for breakfast...

Can't wait to get there!

 

[sifko36]

My girlfriend and I ALWAYS get the dining plan. It's so much easier not having to worry about carrying enough cash to pay for dinner. Plus with the dining plan we are able to eat foods we normally wouldn't get due to the price. Doing the math on our last trip we came out ahead. We spent less on the dining plan than we would have if we paid outta pocket

 

[Sheri in CT]

Sorry, I didn't think I'd be in the minority here. But to us, it's well worth it! We're adventurous eaters and like to try something new we maybe wouldn't get at home. We don't feel it limits spontaneity, because it's usually just ADR's for supper. The rest of the day is as spontaneous as WDW allows, depending on the time of year and crowds. We have gotten the DDP for every trip, and wouldn't consider any other way, just as we'll always stay on site. To us, it's part of being submerged in THE WORLD, where everything is taken care of for you! Just our two cents!

Agree 100%!!! I have 3 kids (6, 6 & 4) and we do a lot of character meals. It works great for us!

 

[LSUfan4444]

Haven't gotten it in years and haven't missed it one bit.

We too enjoy numerous different restaurants and love being able to order whatever we want, not what comes on the plan. I don't want dessert after dinner because I want a Dole Whip, Cinnamon Roll, Mickey Ice Cream etc during the day (not both). I want an app and/or salad with dinner, then maybe just an app as my entree.

I really think you have to crunch the numbers yourself, but it shouldn't be examined after looking at your receipts from a trip while on the dining plan, but rather the opposite. Go one time, eat everywhere you want, order whatever you want, eat when you're hungry, cancel and make changes when need be, remember to calculate in gratuities and alcohol purchases (and not just while at dinner, but by the pool, etc etc.

Here is my example from last year:

We ate and drank what we want when we wanted, and I wanted to see how that compared to the dining plan. Now, these costs are based basically on two adults and Molly (my daughter who was under three and free), but I compared them to what the meal plan would have cost us. I think the only way you can judge the value of the dining plan is after you dine without it because it is too hard to know what you would have ordered if you weren't on the meal plan. Alot of people see their receipts and think, "wow, look how expensive that is, good thing we're on the meal plan", but would you really have ordered a dessert for everyone at the table? Would you really eat a counter service, a snack and a table service meal each day? Anyway, for us the meal plan for 2013 is $55 per day. That comes out to $880 for both of us for eight nights.

In total we spent $1,058 on food and dining. Now, maybe you're asking how could I come out better not on the dining plan when I spent more. Well, this is why. That $1,058 included all of our groceries from Publix, which included a case of beer and two bottle of wine, plus other non food items for the room. That $1,058 also included alcohol that we ordered with our meals, AND gratuity we spent, both of which you have to pay extra for with the meal plan. Most importantly, it allowed us to order what we want when we wanted it. It isn't like we ate cheap. We ate at Ohana, California Grill, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review, Be Our Guest, Wishes Dessert Party (also not included on the dining plan), Mama Melrose, Big River Grill and did the Dine with Shamu experience at Sea World. Another benefit of not having the meal plan is it doesn't cost you any more money to dine at any of the Swan and Dolphin restaurants (Blue Zoo, Kimonos, Shulas, etc). At the California Grill, the night before the marathon, we ordered an app, two sushi rolls and a salad and it was MORE THAN ENOUGH food....thats impossible on the meal plan, no matter how full you are.

Notes by Cliff:
-Dining Plan would have cost wife and I $880 (no gratuity, no apps, no salads, no alcohol, etc.)
-Opted for out of pocket and spent $1058 (included all alcohol, all gratuity, all apps, salads and a grocery store strip which included alcohol for the room snacks and cleaning supplies)
-We ate at Ohana, California Grill, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review, Be Our Guest, Wishes Dessert Party (also not included on the dining plan), Mama Melrose, Big River Grill and did the Dine with Shamu experience at Sea World

 

[LSUfan4444]

My girlfriend and I ALWAYS get the dining plan. It's so much easier not having to worry about carrying enough cash to pay for dinner. Plus with the dining plan we are able to eat foods we normally wouldn't get due to the price. Doing the math on our last trip we came out ahead. We spent less on the dining plan than we would have if we paid outta pocket

That comparison only holds true if you ordered what you would have ordered if you didn't have the dining plan. Paying out of pocket allows for more flexibility of ordering different snacks, appetizers and different items without sides you you can actually try more, not less.

The dining plan does allow people to order whatever entree they want without regard to the price of the meal, but most could spend less and try more things by paying out of pocket, splitting a couple apps a salad and/or soup and an entree.

It all comes down to what you would want and order if you didnt have the dining plan, not what the receipt says when you're on the dining plan.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm noting in passing that the above cost of $1058 that the previous poster had for their total expenditure included alcohol, gratuities, groceries including non-food items, a meal at Sea World, and the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party, none of which would have been included in the dining plan.

So it may be worthwhile to also note how much you plan to spend that would not be covered by the plan when you are deciding if it is worthwhile for you.

When I used to do the dining plan, there would be dining events I'd want to do that were not covered by the dining plan, and I'd decide not to do them so I could stick with something covered by the plan. It's one reason I don't use the dining plan anymore.