convince me to get dining plan, PLEASE!!

[pooch]

my family doesn't want to hear anymore! I've worn my calculator finger to the bone! please help me decide whether or not to get the dining plan.

The details:

Family of 4 (no small kids) 8 days/7 nights. We will, dining plan or not, eat at a table service almost every day. We've chosen, so far:

MGM: 50's Prime time and Brown Derby Fantasmic package
Epcot: Le Cellier and Alfredo's (Gnocchi's YUM!!!)
Resorts: Ohana's (for DH's birthday?) and Concourse Steakhouse (too hard to get to from AK?)


The dining plan will cost $1063. DS is somewhat adventurous in his eating habits. Expect DD to ask for kid's meal or a plain grilled chicken almost everywhere. DH LOVES Filet Mignon.

Is it worth it perhaps, just not to have to "watch" what everyone orders? Get tired of saying "are you really going to eat all of that?!?!.

As always,

Thanks

Pooch

 

[Littlemotherhaywood]

Well, I can't convince you one way or another. We planned on getting it originally and if our plan B (room discount) doesn't go through, then we'll definitely get it. I'm a calculator puncher too, lol. I would rather prepay and not "watch" myself. I know that theoretically, it could be too much food. I assume you don't have to order the apps or desserts if you don't want to. Honestly though, if you're going to do TS everyday, I think it would probably be a steal. Of course, you said your dd is picky and would still want stuff off the kids menu, but she's at the adult price right? Even still, you're all bound to eat at least $35 a day or more if you do CS and TS and snacks so there's a bargain if that's your plan. If you're a conservative eater...it may round out. Sorry, wish I was more help.

 

[DW mouser]

With some of the restaurants you have picked, I think you would get your money's worth!! La Celliars alone would be more then $35 for each of you!! I think the olny way the dining plan doesn't work is if you have several kids that want to eat off the kids menu all the time, and even then people are reporting they will charge the older ones an adults price. I am taking my son and his family and he has one 7 year ond and the other two are older but sometimes picky. I bet they will want to eat off the kids menu a lot but I decided to go ahead and get the plan because they always want to order dessert and we never let them since it's so expensive for the food at DW. This will give everyone a chance to try new, more expensive places and order whatever they want, dessert and all!! Just pick expensive set down meals and you'll more then get your money's worth! I've been reading reports on here of people who had the dining plan that figured they saved over a thousand!!

 

[mvav269]

We returned from WDW on Friday. We purchased the dining plan for our family myself, DH, DD 12 and DD 9. We ate ate LeCellier, Alfredos, Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare and Concourse Steakhouse. We had a CS meal every day plus our snack. We paid $575 for the plan but ate over $1100 in food. I think this is the only way to eat affordably in the world. Have fun on your trip.

 

[LglBlonde]

my family doesn't want to hear anymore! I've worn my calculator finger to the bone! please help me decide whether or not to get the dining plan.

The details:

Family of 4 (no small kids) 8 days/7 nights. We will, dining plan or not, eat at a table service almost every day. We've chosen, so far:

MGM: 50's Prime time and Brown Derby Fantasmic package
Epcot: Le Cellier and Alfredo's (Gnocchi's YUM!!!)
Resorts: Ohana's (for DH's birthday?) and Concourse Steakhouse (too hard to get to from AK?)


The dining plan will cost $1063. DS is somewhat adventurous in his eating habits. Expect DD to ask for kid's meal or a plain grilled chicken almost everywhere. DH LOVES Filet Mignon.

Is it worth it perhaps, just not to have to "watch" what everyone orders? Get tired of saying "are you really going to eat all of that?!?!.

As always,

Thanks

Pooch

I say go for it. We just got back from two adults on free dining plan - each table service was about $100. So for four "adults" it's probably going to average $200 a check if you got everything you can get. Probably $150 for 4 of you not on the dining plan at Le Cellier, Alfredo's and Concourse - so that's $450+ right there. Probably $100 at PT - total $550. Ohana - $150 - That's $600. Not even including your Brown Derby (not sure of those prices).

Then, counter service - for four "adults" - $50 each time for 7 days = $350.

The "snacks" are great for water/chips/drinks/mickey bars - and average $2.50 a "snack" 7 days x 4 is 28 snacks = $70. You'll get your money's worth then some, and it really takes a lot of the "stress" out of what your meal is costing or the whole do I order the $20 vegetarian entree or the $30 filet, etc... and the luxury to get dessert whenever wherever!! I say go for it.

We'd pay out of pocket for it now we loved it so much!

 

[TwinMom7]

We just got back - 4 adults using the free dining plan. It was absolutely fantastic!!!

I will definately purchase it from now on - as long as it's in that $35 per person range.

By the time you do an appetizer, drink, entree and dessert, plus have the 18% tip figured in - most of the places you mentioned will cost you at the very least $30 per person. We ate most of our breakfasts in the food court at POR - even that included fruit or pastry, drink and the entree - and the cost was ususally around $8 - $10 per person. Even if we didn't want the fruit or the drink (because we had purchased the refillable mugs), we always took the fruit or pastry and a bottle of water and then kept it in the refrigerator in our room for a late night snack when we returned to the room.

As for the snack, most of them average $2.50 - ice cream bar, bottle of water, or small box of popcorn.

So, you're looking at approximately $42 per person per day and UP - depending on the TS restaurant you chose.

I wouldn't hesitate at all to purchase the meal plan.

 

[dyna]

DH and I was on the Free Dining last week. Even at 35.00 a day it is a steal. Our TS meals would have been about 100.00 had we had to pay for them some of them more.

CS is gonna cost you at least 7.00 for sandwhich and fries plus the drink.

We skipped breakfast but usually got an early lunch or got a snack 10:30 or 11:00 NEVER did we get hungry all week. We did no buffets either just ate the food that was put before us and never finished all that.

DH has already said it's gonna be hard to do WDW without the dining again but he not gonna pay full price to eat in the TS restaurants either.

Dinners cost more than breakfast and lunch at the TS so we always did dinner which increased our value even more even tho we was on the free dining.

 

[jjohnson]

If you don't have an AP & DDE & planned on paying rack rate & full price for your tickets anyway, then yes the dining plan is worth it.

 

[jjohnson]

I forgot to ask. Where are you staying?

 

[KellyluvsDisney]

I would just take the plunge and do it! We were going to do it anyway before they offered free dining. I think for our family, it would have been way worth it.

Hope this helps.

 

[Lewisc]

The only reason not to do the plan would be if you were paying adult pricing for 2 or 3 children that were going to be eating very little.

I think for some people the DDE might be a better option. You'd get AP discounts on your room, a discount on adult beverages and you won't be tempted to get a dessert for everyone at the table "because we paid for it".

One of the negatives of the plan is it encourages you to eat more than otherwise would. Normally either share appetizers and desserts or share an entrée. We'd never order an appetizer, entrée and dessert for everyone at the table.

 

[pooch]

we're going to be at Coronado Springs.

 

[dz4disney]

We are a family of 4 (DS 11, DD 15, DH and myself). We went in August b4 free Dining Plan. I was in the same boat as you were. DH initialy did not want to go with the plan. At one point he said don't don't discuss anymore, decision is made However, when the children's age changed (11 to 9), we went over the meal budget again and decided to go ahead and purchase it at $980, considering we had TS scheduled every day. Once we got there, all of us agreed it was the best thing we did. First of all, all of our meals were taken care of, we didn't have to worry about what we were ordering, we saved about $500 in food, snacks and counterservices were plenty. We all enjoyed our dining experiences. It really was a great feeling knowing everything was taken care of on arrival.

 

[momof2disprincesses]

Just got back Sunday from 8 glorious nights at WL on the FREE dining plan. We originally had purchased it, but then it came out free. It would have cost us $960 (3 adults and 1 child).

We saved all of our receipts and it was $1346 worth of food.

Things I loved about the dining plan:

1. Eating new places! Lots of the places on your list are places we enjoyed. We normally eat just CS at WDW, so trying many new TS places was fabulous!

2. Having the tax and tip included! We often tipped extra though because we were eating for free and we shared at most places.

3. Having an appetizer, entree, dessert and drink included! We ate out last night and our kids said "we're not getting an appetizer and dessert "

Things I didn't like:

1. I felt like we scheduled our lives around eating. We were constantly leaving something fun to make our next ADR.

2. It is too much food. Even with sharing, I would NEVER eat that much food under normal circumstances.

3. There are many things not included on the plan we would have enjoyed (like soft serve ice cream for snacks, dole whip, etc.) but felt we had so many snack credits left, why pay out of pocket for something not included. I also enjoy going offsite once in awhile to dine at Orlando restaurants. I missed that this trip.

I hope you can decide what will work best for your family. Put the calculator down though, no matter how you add it up, you will save money using the dining plan. It just depends if you feel it will be a good fit for your family.

 

[jjohnson]

I've been going back & forth on the DP since January. We definitely saved more by doing the AP discount & DDE this past trip in August. My DS & DD will both be "adults" next summer but are far from eating like one. Last night I did all the numbers again & included most expensive entree, dessert & apps & it still comes out $300 less without the plan.

It probably works out differently for everyone. You really have to do your homework & see what works best for you.

 

[jrjac]

We just returned from WDW last week and did have the free dining. Would I pay for the plan next time? Yes! In a heart beat! One of the best features of the dining plan (free or paid for) is that you do not have to worry about budgeting money for meals each day. So carefree! After reading the info on your family it sounds like a win-win situation. Have a wonderful adventure!!