Avoiding 9 days of the dining plan.

[YoMickey]

Is there any way to only get dining for a portion of your stay?

 

[goofy2477]

Maybe if you book 2 separate stays?? It's the only way I can see. Just say you want the same room so you don't have to move.
Susan

 

[Chuck S]

Only if you have two seperate, unlinked, reservations. Which means you'll likely have to change rooms, check out and check back in. Just "saying" you want the same room may not work at all, especially if it is a studio or one bedroom, as they may need it to convert to a two bedroom for another guest.

 

[JimMIA]

Only if you have two seperate, unlinked, reservations. Which means you'll likely have to change rooms, check out and check back in. Just "saying" you want the same room may not work at all, especially if it is a studio or one bedroom, as they may need it to convert to a two bedroom for another guest.

It's quite obvious Disney has zero interest in people taking the dining plan for only part of their trip.

Keep in mind, also, that the dining plan expires at midnight on your checkout day -- so if you did (for example) 6 days with dining plan and then three days without, the plan would not be available throughout the entire stay. It would only be available during the six days for which you paid.

 

[YoMickey]

Thanks. All good ideas. MS said tonight that a linked res would have to have dining the whole time. Unlinked may be the only way to go.

We may split the res into a studio for the days we're in the park and want dining and then switch/move to a one -bedroom and eat in or out while we enjoy SAB for a few days, however I think the extra points for the 1 bdrm are more than the dining plan.

Do you think more would use the dining plan if they could split it up?

Any other options are welcome.

Beleive it or not, we actually left Disney property last March and ate at a really nice "Non-Disney" restaraunt. Maybe we'll do that instead.

It's a shame that flexibilty isn't there for someone staying for 8-9 days and only wants to do the park and dining for 5 or 6 days.

What are they afraid of??

 

[debbiepump]

Why not just avoid the dining plan? Granted, it's supposed to be a great deal, but man oh man is disney adding to our obesity epidemic. Have you figured out the difference in the cost of not doing the plan and paying yourselves? Don't know about you, but we very, very rarely get appetizers and dessert at our meals and if we do, we usually split. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Chuck S]

Remember that Disney Travel, not DVC, set the rules for the dining plan and it was originally intended as part of a package to upsell rooms. In a sense, Disney Travel is being generous in allowing DVCers to even access the plan. It is a case of take it as it is offered, or don't use it. Annual Pass Holders staying in discounted rooms can not get it.

I wouldn't complain too loudly of the inflexibility of selecting days, they could simply not allow DVCers access to the plan any longer.

That being said, the Dining Plan does not work for us at all, like the previous poster, it is far less expensive for us to pay cash for what we want to eat rather than felling like we have to order more food than is healthy for us to "get our moneys worth" from a prepaid plan.

 

[starbox]

I love the Dining Plan - think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread - but even I will admit that more than seven days on it could get a little old - especially in the counter service. One thing we do is travel around to eat at resorts rather than in the parks so much. The Dining options are very limited at MK - unless you like crowded, rushed buffets. Table service is not even an option inside AK. MGM has okay dining. Epcot is dining paradise. But - we have always been very pleased with table service and signature dining in the mod and deluxe resorts and don't mind the extra travel to and from.

If I "had" to do nine days on the plan, I'd do seven TS meals and use 2 signature meals for Flying Fish and Yachtsman. There are fabulous CS options in Epcot (The combination platter in Morocco is perhaps my favorite meal anywhere) - and you could do CS as dinner there a few nights and feel like you ate well. Coronado Springs has the nicest CS area I've been to, and their table service restaurant is surprisingly good and vastly underrated in my opinion. Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge is great.

 

[getgill]

Just because you have the dining plan doesn't mean you have to over eat and it is usually less expensive than paying a la carte prices.

 

[DebbieB]

Thanks. All good ideas. MS said tonight that a linked res would have to have dining the whole time. Unlinked may be the only way to go.

We may split the res into a studio for the days we're in the park and want dining and then switch/move to a one -bedroom and eat in or out while we enjoy SAB for a few days, however I think the extra points for the 1 bdrm are more than the dining plan.

Do you think more would use the dining plan if they could split it up?

Any other options are welcome.

Beleive it or not, we actually left Disney property last March and ate at a really nice "Non-Disney" restaraunt. Maybe we'll do that instead.

It's a shame that flexibilty isn't there for someone staying for 8-9 days and only wants to do the park and dining for 5 or 6 days.

What are they afraid of??

I think the requirement of all nights and all people in the room is the key to the profitability of the plan for Disney. If you could pick and choose and pay less, it would cut into the profits. Plus they want to keep you on property as much as possible (the main reason for free Magical Express).

 

[*elaine*]

Just because you have the dining plan doesn't mean you have to over eat and it is usually less expensive than paying a la carte prices.

My thoughts exactly. I, too, think that it is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[wonka27]

And don't forget...even if you eat the buffets...you still get a great deal of exercise walking around Disney to get to all the attractions.

I ate like food was going out of style down there a week and a half ago (on the dining plan), and actually lost 2 pounds when I weighed myself back home.

 

[starbox]

If you ate CS and TS and only ordered entrees, it cost about as much as the dining plan (and if you do TS lunch or breakfast - especially buffets like Chef Mickeys, it would be cheaper than the DP). What Disney is "giving away" on the plan is basically the drinks, appetizers, snack and desserts - which have very high profit margins anyway. Also, people who don't make ADRs get stuck either losing meals altogether (the MK was out of TS spots our entire trip in June) or going to less popular restaurants - bumping up Disney's profit.
I have a feeling that lots and lots of people lose credits because they don't realize how important ADRs are.

I love the plan because it is convenient and I appreciate being able to prepay my meals - and I like desserts and appetizers. There are also some meals I would never pay for - like the dinner shows - but the plan makes it not seem like such a huge expense. After really looking at it, I've decided that the DP does not as much save money (I'd do just as well eating TS lunch and CS dinner and skipping dessert 75% of the time) as it provides a more relaxed vacation experience. There is something lovely about not having to think about food prices for a week. In that way, it's alot like DVC: DVC is not actually cheaper than a typical Disney vacation (and it is definately possible to visit for a fraction of the cost if you stay off-site) - it's a different quality of vacation. If dining is part of what makes a vacation memorable, you will love the plan. We're new to DVC (lack of DP was one of things that held us back), and I've used the plan and loved it for numerous 7 day trips.

9 days on the plan (or 7 days) can be a great experience if you have a plan for where you want to eat, take advantage of themed restaurants at resorts, can park hop or visit Epcot in the evening just for dining, and mix it up to get a variety of meals. Otherwise, you'll never want to see another hamburger, rotiserre chicken or rib as long as you live!

 

[flechette]

One thing some friends and I have talked about - since we want to visit just about every moderate and deluxe resort at WDW - do a package thru AAA for 4-5 days at a non-DVC resort w/ DDP then move and stay at a DVC for another 4-5 days. We can still go out when we want but all the men are excellent cooks so rotating shifts would be easy.

One question I still have regarding DVC and the DDP: if you make a reservation for 3 studios - do all 3 studios have to be on the DDP? I know everyone in the room has to be- but do all rooms have to be? I can forsee some friends who will not want to do DDP ever and I was wondering if the current system allowed you to put the party-poopers in 1 rm while rest of us had fun with food?

I do love the DDP but thats a lot of eating out!

 

[CarolMN]

One thing some friends and I have talked about - since we want to visit just about every moderate and deluxe resort at WDW - do a package thru AAA for 4-5 days at a non-DVC resort w/ DDP then move and stay at a DVC for another 4-5 days. We can still go out when we want but all the men are excellent cooks so rotating shifts would be easy.

One question I still have regarding DVC and the DDP: if you make a reservation for 3 studios - do all 3 studios have to be on the DDP? I know everyone in the room has to be- but do all rooms have to be? I can forsee some friends who will not want to do DDP ever and I was wondering if the current system allowed you to put the party-poopers in 1 rm while rest of us had fun with food?

I do love the DDP but thats a lot of eating out!

The plan is per room, so yes, you could "put the party-poopers in 1 rm" if you wanted to do it that way.

Best wishes -

 

[fkj2]

I've used the DDP once and I, too, like it, comparing it to the prices I paid for dining during other trips. Using the CS portion for brefex and the TS for a late lunch or dinner really worked well for me and I'd often take the desert from the TS to go. The servers didn't care; they got their gratuity regardless of where I ate the desert. And as far as the snack, I would get a soda or water and carry that away too. I'm sure that I'd plan even better for the next DDP experience.