Are the Dining Plans worth it?

[hsmamato2]

I think it can save money,if you want to eat an expensive onsite TS daily....but it is smart to go to allears and read the menus before deciding- since we plan to use it on an upcoming trip, we have ADR's at all the places we don't usually eat,and it more than pays for itself!
but I don't know if I'd do that again either...as usually we visit and eat mostly cs or offsite- (however, I am factoring in the cost of a car rental which we won't have this time)

 

[madcam]

I think it depends on not only the family but the specific vacation you are taking. We are doing the DxDp in Dec. Three years ago we did the regular DP (back when your tip was included) and really enjoyed not having to "budget" for food while we were there. It might've been too much food but my DD5 was not yet 3 so she didn't have any credits. We were able to share food with her. So why the deluxe plan if the regular was too much?

Well...we are trying to make this a really special trip for us so we are choosing to kind of splurge on this particular vacation. If this was a standard vacation to us (condo in Florida, cabin in Tennesse, etc.) then we definately wouldn't come close to spending this kind of money on food. We also don't eat full breakfasts and 3 course meals 2 times a day or eat apps and desserts at restaurants on a regular basis in our regular life. But for us, dining in a Disney World restaurant is an attraction in itself and we are looking forward to trying some of the signitures. When I make our touring plan, I always schedule my ADRs pretty late and according to our location on that day. I have NO problem canceling if it turns out we are still full from lunch or have a change in plans. This keeps us from feeling like we are being tied down to restaurant reservations. I'm also not concerned with whether or not we "max out" our credits. I doubt we will be ordering 4 apps, 4 entrees and 4 desserts at every meal. I just liked the idea of everybody being able to order pretty much whatever they feel like.

So I guess I am approaching the dining plan differently for this trip. I am looking at it as an added benefit to enhance our vacation and to allow me the convienence of pre-budgeting our food dollars and not so much as a savings plan. If this was a different type of trip, or if we had chosen accomodations that had a kitchen or kitchenette, then I don't know if I would choose to do a dining plan.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

we were there lst week from the 20-25th and we used the DDP because we were eating at the buffets alot because of my Granddaughter being 2 . It was worth it but we left with 11 unused CS meals .

We are DVC so we had to pay for it . We will be there next week for 4 days and it will be just 2 of us so we will not buy it .

I guess it really does depend on how you will be eating

 

[Ro Z]

Being an annual passholder, we feel the discount on rooms better than DDP. Even if it is free we would have to book a package with park tkts. Also feel like a slave to the plan and our whole trip revolves around where you have dining reservations. Sometimes we have eaten so much all day(Food and Wine Festival) we don't want a full meal. We also have TIW so we save 20% on food and drinks. But if you want a full sit down meal each night you probably would save $$ on your food if you work at it.

 

[ThePrince]

Yes I've found that they are provided you are dining at the most expensive TS restaurants for dinner (Tutto, Le Celier, Chefs, etc.) If you're going to be using TS credits at The Plaza at MK, then I would suggest not doing the dining plan.

 

[snykymom]

I like a TS meal every day, and I consider dining part of my Disney experience. I love good food. And I love to save money.

But I don't like the dining plans. Here's why:

1) I don't like to eat an entree and dessert at every meal (except breakfast, but whatever.) Sometimes I want an appetizer and dessert, or two appetizers, or share an appetizer and dessert with my companion and each have an entree, or some other similar situation. (DxDP won't work, since I can't eat an appetizer and dessert at meals twice a day.)

2) Sometimes I want a meal at one place and dessert at another.

3) I don't want to worry if a restaurant is "worth" a credit or two credits (you'll see questions like that all over these boards). A restaurant to me is worth what I'm willing to pay for it, not what Disney tells me I have to spend. I did the calculations, and found that I'd spend less at Jiko than 2 credits "cost."

4) I don't like feeling like I have to make an ADR or lose the money that I've already paid for a TS credit, or scramble to find another or lose the "prepayment."

5) Last time I was at Disney, I got sick on my last day. Didn't want to eat. I didn't waste money I had pre-paid for something I wasn't going to lose. So in that scenario, I saved money by not buying the DP.

I agree the DP works for some families. It just doesn't work for us.

 

[2girls4me]

It completely works for us. We get to eat whatever we want and try different restaurants.

On our last trip we did the oen CS meal, one TS meal a day and it worked out fine. We had to pay for DD's meals, but $5 or $6 dollars OOP is nothing. And she ate free at all the buffets anyway.

But we are simple eaters, and eat the same things everywhere we go, so that may be why it works for us.

But I have to say that at the buffets, I did try stuff I never had before. And we got DD a bunch of different things.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

I've only used it once and to me, it's worth it to get it for free but not to pay for it. Here's why:

For free, it is worth it because I would be spending a lot of money on food anyway. We like TS meals and we will be doing expensive buffets etc.

But I'm not really sure I'd pay for it because we like appetizers and would rather have appetizers than dessert. Also, I'd like to have more TS meals and less CS meals. CS is fine for some meals, but we really do prefer TS.

Also if I paid for it, I'd be more focused on maximizing the value. With it included as "Free" I pay less attention to that. Last year, I calculated that without desserts we basically broke even. So it's a way to prepay your meals. But I don't really see it as offering savings and the tradeoffs are signficant limitations in how to eat.

 

[conandrob240]

We did deluxe dining on a recent 3 generational trip during 4th of July week. We think we got our money's worth and it was really nice to sit down to two nice meals together as a family each day - something we do very rarely in our busy adult lives. We had lots of leftover snack credits and used those to buy small candy packages to bring home to others as gifts. We thought that almost all the restaurants we tried were excellent and it was nice to pre-pay the dining and not have to worry about it every day. Did we save $? Not sure but the pluses were there for us even if the actual $ figures = "break even".

 

[lovin'DVC]

Our last trip, we were going to do a dining plan, but then we decided to buy gift cards for the amount we would have paid. It was fabulous. We spent the same amount on dining, but we ate what we wanted, wherever/whenever we wanted. Some of it definitely wouldn't have been covered, like alcoholic drinks. And I liked that it was all prepaid, I was able to buy the cards over time, and if someone had gotten sick we wouldn't have lost the credits, since gift cards balance never expires. That's what we will be doing for future trips.

 

[Lola_Kisses]

For us, we decided it is worth it. We have a three year old and we plan on doing several character meals (Akershus breakfast and dinner, 1900 Park Fare breakfast and dinner, etc.) The cost of her meal plan for 2011 is 11.99/ day. Those meals by themselves are 12- 22 dollars each. That pays for itself right there. Then, she has the cs and the snack basically free. This is the first year she is really into Princesses, so we wanted to do several of those meals anyways. So for our family, it makes sense and saves us money!

 

[danceintherain]

Sometimes it's a good value and sometimes it isn't.

My husband LOVES the Dining Plan. He's a big eater, and he loved being able to order a steak at every meal without having to look at the cost. When we bought it for our honeymoon, it was a good value for us in theory, but it was basically a "free" dessert with every meal. This ended up being kind of silly, because we were given "celebration" desserts at some meals, so even though we would not have necessarily ordered a dessert at every meal, we got an additional one to share at least once. They even gave us cupcakes at breakfast buffets.

For our trip next week (yay!), we're not getting the dining plan. It didn't make very much sense for us this time, because we're traveling with our 3 month old son. Our touring will be very much molded by him and how he reacts to the parks. Since we're not on the Dining Plan, we will be free to cancel ADRs and make new at our leisure. I did make 1 table service ADR per day, but they're for less expensive meals anyways (Plaza, Rose & Crown and Shutters). The only one that is expensive is Brown Derby, which is 2 TS credits on the DP, so it wouldn't necessarily be the greatest pick.

Another factor in our decision was the Food & Wine Festival. We may decide that we just want to graze at Epcot all day, and not worry about CS or TS meals.

 

[OurDogCisco]

We've done the dining plan and liked it. I didn't think it was too much food. But we aren't snackers in my family so, for us the snack credits were the worst as they went to waste during the trip and then, on the last day I would go to the gift shop and buy as much as I could. We also, try and mix up our meals like counter service breakfast and then, sit down dinner or sit down breakfast and then, counter service dinner. Then, the food seems right portions for us. We also stay at DVCs too so, we tend to use one or two meals that are 2 TS points and then, we eat in at our villa those nights or do counter service. However, in the last few years we haven't used DDP because our kids are in the 10 to 12 age range and are considered adults so, it isn't worth the cost for us as my kids may or may not order the adult meal. Just depends on what it is. So, we haven't done the DDP since they gotten rid of the tip and tax part as part of the price.

What we have discovered in the last few years is that we are definitely TS people. We like to take a break for the park for 90 minutes. Our kids are old enought that we do not go back to our villa midday for a break anymore. Usually we stay at the park all day so, the sitdown dinner is our only break of the day (we plan resort days where we spend all day at our resort using the pool , etc). Our dinners have never gone longer than 90 minutes--Sometimes we get in and out in 60 minutes. This is one area where Disney is very quick. We do not like fighting for a table at the counter service places and waiting in line. Just not fun for us, so, we find it more relaxing to do TS. So, I guess, it just depends on what you prefer. We tend to visit during school holidays like Xmas, Thanksgiving, Summers so, it is defnitely more crowded when we go.

 

[canopynut66]

Hi folks!

Now I know on the surface that the folks that want a sit down to a full special meal every night.........of course it does work.....saves money....etc!

We have talked with 4 family/couples who have used the plans and have gotten a different story.

All of them felt that by buying the plans, thier trips were run around when and where dinner was?......taking alot of time from thier vacations. In addition having a big meal every day,..... was...well, as Lee put it *JUST TO MUCH FOOD*

3 of the groups got to the point they were so full, they were handing out the counter service coupon to families they thought could use them!

We have 8 days next May.........my wife and I, and my DD and her freind.....we decided to make reservations for the Hoop de Doo.(which I love), Ohana and the last evening narrcouses(spl?). the rest we will do as the mood presents!.. no DP. if we only have counter service one evening ...fine, we love knockwurst and a beer from the counter at Germany!


I would love to hear of more opinions? Thanks.

AKK

Your meals on your room key so hard to "give away" if someone told you that and are good until midnight the day you check out and can use for snacks it you have CS left was worth 3 snacks if you had them left over.

We have done the pay as you go we have done room discounts all over WDW and the free dining is by far the cheapest for us. we get the MYWD with 1 CS and 1 TS and 1 snack a day and we tend to eat around 6:30 when possible close to whatever park we were in for the day. If we want to leave a park for another then we pick our dinner spot for around that area. This is our 57th trip and it does not hold us from doing other things we also use 1 TS for character breakfast if there is a night show or something going on that day and use a CS for dinner. AP holder also and this fall the free dining better deal

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Let's say you are on the regular dining plan...

Every day, would you eat:
A counter service meal, with a drink and dessert
A snack
A entree, non-alcoholic drink, and dessert at a sit down restaurant?

If the answer is yes, would you except to may more than $50?

If the answer is yes, than the dining plan is worth it.

It is definitely worth it if you do any of the buffets, since the buffets are about $30 per person to begin with.

The only way to know for sure is to look at menus, decide what you MIGHT buy each day, add it up, and see if that costs more than the dining plan.

In 2009, we took a family of 11 (one under 3), and ate roughly $1,000 more in food than we paid for on the dining plan. So it was worth it to us then.

We had the quick service dining plan for free in 2010 due to a PIN, and actually got really sick of quick service meals very quickly. I don't think I would pay for that plan.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

All of them felt that by buying the plans, thier trips were run around when and where dinner was?

My family had the opposite problem. During our last trip, by not having a specific time to sit down for dinner our last trip, we felt too hurried and tired. Heck, one night we didn't eat dinner until 11:30PM, and we had to do it at the Main Street Bakery.

I love having reservations. It makes us take an hour out of our day to sit down and relax. And we don't have to negotiate long lines at quick service locations, or go offsite to eat.

 

[uncleleo]

We used DDP was our trip in 2009, when the cost was $42 per day for adults. I remember reading in the Unofficial Guide that they had done the algebra and determined that a table services credit was worth about $26, a counter service credit $11, and the snack credit about $5. That made it fairly easy to determine whether we were getting our money's worth at each meal. I did feel driven to always order on the expensive side of the menu, particularly since we did use two TS credits to dine at California Grill, so that I felt a need to "make up the loss" by maximizing our remaining credits.

Clearly, it's easy to get your money's worth at a buffet, particularly during peak times, when Disney adds that extra charge. Just as clearly, it's nearly impossible to get good value at some of the more modestly priced TS restaurants like Beaches & Cream. Regardless of the restaurant, it doesn't make sense to use DDP if you tend to order simple things like roasted chicken breast or vegetarian dishes that cost under $20. Seafood fans get better value than pasta lovers. If you measure value solely in dollars and cents, it's very easy to figure out whether DDP is worth it.

 

[snykymom]

My family had the opposite problem. During our last trip, by not having a specific time to sit down for dinner our last trip, we felt too hurried and tired. Heck, one night we didn't eat dinner until 11:30PM, and we had to do it at the Main Street Bakery.

I love having reservations. It makes us take an hour out of our day to sit down and relax. And we don't have to negotiate long lines at quick service locations, or go offsite to eat.

Just a note: You don't have to do the DP to have reservations. I have at least one TS scheduled per day, and don't do the plan. The biggest difference I see is that if I decide I don't want to do the TS, I don't have to worry about "making it up" to use the budgeted credit.

 

[aaarcher86]

We did the DXDDP for our February trip.

We thought it was great, and we plan on doing it again next year when we go. We ended up scheduling far too many meals, but next year our perfect balance will be to have a TS breakfast, QS lunch (if we want one) and TS dinner each day. Not using some of the lunches and just eating a snack instead will allow us to have a few 2 credit meals like a castle lunch or Fantasmic or something. Getting early entry into some of the parks was also a nice perk of having breakfast reservations. We just planned our dinners around what park we would be in that day, and various other things. I'm a chronic planner, so it came naturally!

Anything extra we cash in as snack credits (1 TS credit = so many snacks) and get things from the hotel cafeteria to take back with us on the trip home since we have a 15 hour drive.

We really enjoyed the freedom of not worrying about the cost of everything. When we pay out of pocket we tend to choose the less pricey items. With the DDP we were able to get a steak if we chose to, and try deserts that we have never had without the fear of paying for something we disliked.

 

[imLissy]

I made a spreadsheet and went through the menus of every restaurant we're eating in on our next trip and what we would be likely to order.
I then calculated different scenarios, if we got drinks, if we got desserts, if we used all of our counter service credits...
In the mostly likely cases, we'd come out even or lose money, so we chose not to go with it.
If you take advantage of all the plan offers, it's worth it. If you usually order cheaper entrees, prefer an appetizer instead of dessert, never order drinks, or prefer to eat more counter service, then it may not be worth it.
I suggest the spreadsheet method if you really want to calculate if it's worth it.