Debating on Dining Plan

[ShellieMimi]

You also have to consider how you eat at home. How does the amount of food included on the plan compare with the amount of food you normally eat? Yes, you're on vacation, but your stomach is simply not going to expand that much if you're usually a light eater, and then you will feel stuffed & sick.

 

[skuttle]

We don't do the dining plan, and haven't for years. It's not worth the cost or hassle for our family, especially with the ages of our kids and the way we like to eat on vacation. And, I think it ruined disney dining. I know lots of people love it, and plan their trips around "free" dining. We still go and eat what we want, where we want. I just rather pay for it as we go rather than keeping track of credits.

 

[Bay_Lake_Tower]

IMO, the DDP is worth it only if you would be eating at the fixed price meals and/or more expensive TS restaurants while also ordering dessert for the majority of your stay whether or not you were on or off the dining plan. I think for families who love doing lots of character meals, buffets, etc, the dining plan can still work out.

That said, the above is only true because of the crazy prices Disney charges for those meals. So if you are okay with those prices and would be paying those anyway (even paying $$$ for the 14 year old who may not eat much at all), the dining plan can work and even save you money. It's very, VERY easy to eat well for much less money than the dining plan costs, but from my point of view it's a question of how you like to vacation.

 

[excited4dis]

Personally, I think Disney dining prices are ridiculously expensive. There is no reason for a group of 3 to have to shell out $180 for a buffet meal just because characters show up there. I plan on doing 5 of those meals, and was looking forward to the experience, but maybe that is just overboard. I hate though that I will have the fear of missing out. Good thing I have time to still to decide what I would do.

 

[lubob]

The DDP works for us all the time . Many of the restaurants we go to is because we have the dinning plan. It is nice to have all your meals paid for already and not having to worry about it. Also the snacks and the drink cup you get is a big help. If you don't want to plan then get the quick service plan. You can get a lot more than just burgers and sandwiches on quick service plan. Also Ohana is really worth going to. It's on our must do list all the time !!

 

[georgina]

I've looked at it and it doesn't work with the way we eat. Now, if they had a Disney Alcoholic Drink plan, maybe!

 

[Elleshoodat]

I've looked at it and it doesn't work with the way we eat. Now, if they had a Disney Alcoholic Drink plan, maybe!

Now that I could get on board with. Part of the reason the dining plans don't work for us is because adult beverages are an essential part of our vacation.

 

[jayfo]

I've gone back and forth on this way too many times to count.

Taking my 2 nieces this summer for 4 or 5 nights and I have ADR for:
BOG dinner
Akurshus (sp?) Breakfast
Tapan Edo Dinner
5O's Prime time dinner
Whisp Canyon
Ohana Breakfast

I'm trying to add up the costs of DDP vs using my AP discounts/OPP and it's giving me the shakes. I've used the calculating website and it still isn't helping. It all keeps coming down to picking restaurants I know these little girls will love vs the sticker shock associated with them

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

I've gone back and forth on this way too many times to count.

Taking my 2 nieces this summer for 4 or 5 nights and I have ADR for:
BOG dinner
Akurshus (sp?) Breakfast
Tapan Edo Dinner
5O's Prime time dinner
Whisp Canyon
Ohana Breakfast

I'm trying to add up the costs of DDP vs using my AP discounts/OPP and it's giving me the shakes. I've used the calculating website and it still isn't helping. It all keeps coming down to picking restaurants I know these little girls will love vs the sticker shock associated with them

How old are your nieces? If 10 or more, I would guess AP discount is the way to go (just as guess, didn't do math) with those TS choices. If <10 I would guess DDP (didn't do math). I would suggest doing the math.

 

[jayfo]

How old are your nieces? If 10 or more, I would guess AP discount is the way to go (just as guess, didn't do math) with those TS choices. If <10 I would guess DDP (didn't do math). I would suggest doing the math.

They are 5 & 6

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

This should help with the math for the buffet/fixed priced restaurants.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/buffet-character-shows-aycte-pricing.3108466/

 

[Denise K W]

I'm going back and forth on the Dining Plan. My youngest son will be 14 when we go to WDW next year. He has never been a big eater, so unless he goes through a major growth spurt in the next year, I don't see that changing much. We are doing a lot of character meals, so the dining plan calculator shows that for 3 adult meals, the plan is worth it. However, I'm not sure how much he will actually eat from an adult entree. Will they let him order a children's meal if he isn't on the plan? Will they let my older son and I do the plan and leave my younger one off of it?

I understand completly the first time we went we were not sure on the dining plan because of my picky eater who was 11 at the time. He will be almost 15 when we go in June same boat. I know that alot of restaurants will accomodate and they know especially 10-12 year old still dont eat alot or are picky. I know when we went to the Corral Reef my son didnt want fish he wanted mac and cheese off kids. We asked if he could get that they made it into a adult mac and cheese for him. So all you have to do is ask the restaurants.
This year we are doing alot of character breakfast since I know he will eat that. The only ones we are not doing is Via Napoli which is pizza which he loves. And our favorite place to eat at the Magic Kingdom is the Plaza Resturant so we are eating there for lunch one day. So just ask the waiter you can even call Disney and ask about the menus and see if the chef can make an adult menu from a kids menu.
Just a suggestion
I feel you alot of places me and my husband want to eat at but he is so picky I cant
Breakfast is the way to go with us
Good luck