Dining Plan? Doesn't save $?

[DLR29]

I looked on WDW's website and I checked out a couple things. The price of a MYW package w/o dining for 4 people and for 6 days/5 nights was $1,513.82. With dining and the same situation it costs $2,435.62. That's a difference of $921.80. I don't know about you but I figure each day about $100-125 is sufficient for food. For 5 or 6 days this is a ripoff! Am I missing something?

 

[mking624]

Basically it's only a good deal if you're going to make the absolutely most of it and if you spend that much on food a day as it is. If you don't, then it's really not worth it. Check out the Restaurant board, there's a subforum all on the dining plan.

 

[Redwitch]

I agree to check out the dining plan forum. In a nutshell, if you typically eat one TS a day, you break even.

 

[HumphreytheBear]

It depends on what you are planning to eat. For my family it is a great deal because we like the sit down restaurants. When you add up appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks hubby and I alone can rack up a bil in the $80 range just for Dinner... So we fell that it is worth it for our eating habits.

 

[zurgswife]

The math is off a little...
4 adults X $38 =$760 for the dining plan.

My calculations
4 persons 2 adults 2 kids over 10 MYW w/dining $1519.88 value resort. $1639.78 with no dining and tax

$2279.72 w dining. Difference 759.84. Which is $152 perday for eating.

Total package with dining and tax..$2399.62

If you account for the tax of approx $120. The dining plan is approx. $760 which is $152 per day.

But you must eat table service restuarants most of the days you are there to get your moneys worth. If you typically don't eat at table service then it just isnt' for you.

 

[babynurse1]

For our family, it just doesn't work. We pick a few TS meals and then try to do some budget meals. Also, we go to Universal, Sea World, etc. So we eat there and not at Disney. In that instance, it really doesn't make sense.

 

[Mariaºoº]

It depends on how much you budget per person per day for meals. I always budget $50 a day per person per meal. So: 4ppl x $50 = $200 x 6 days = $1200 The Dining Plan costs $38 per day per adult so: $38 x 4ppl = $152 x 6 days = $912 So you would have a savings of: $288 Plus you don't have to worry about how much something costs on the menu and be able to have a good sit down meal each day of your stay instead of fast food.

 

[DLR29]

The math is off a little...
4 adults X $38 =$760 for the dining plan.

My calculations
4 persons 2 adults 2 kids over 10 MYW w/dining $1519.88 value resort. $2279.72 w dining. Difference 759.84. Which is $152 perday for eating.

Total package with tax..$2399.62

I'm just telling you what #'s showed up on the computer. Plus I don't think we would eat that much. We'd be stuffed by the second or third day.

 

[zurgswife]

It depends on how much you budget per person per day for meals. I always budget $50 a day per person per meal. So: 4ppl x $50 = $200 x 6 days = $1200 The Dining Plan costs $38 per day per adult so: $38 x 4ppl = $156 x 6 days = $936 So you would have a savings of: $234 Plus you don't have to worry about how much something costs on the menu and be able to have a good sit down meal each day of your stay instead of fast food.

$38 x 4 = $152.

It was 5 nights and 6 days which on the dining plan is 5 days worth of credits not 6. $152 X 5 = 760

 

[zurgswife]

I'm just telling you what #'s showed up on the computer. Plus I don't think we would eat that much. We'd be stuffed by the second or third day.

I agree it is not for everyone. I have 4 kids and with there appetites right now it would never be worth it for us. I have friends with 3 boys that are huge eaters....they definately get there monies worth.

I did get my numbers off the disney website so I'm not sure why the difference....maybe the fact that different resorts have different tax .

 

[Mariaºoº]

$38 x 4 = $152.

It was 5 nights and 6 days which on the dining plan is 5 days worth of credits not 6. $152 X 5 = 760

Yea, I had noticed the numbers after I had posted and then fixed it. I'm beat...going on just 4 hours of sleep. LOL Anyways, up above she states 5 nights/ 6 days. This deal is good from the day you check in until the night of the day you check out. So, that would be 6 days of meals.

 

[Mariaºoº]

Children 3-9 costs $11 per day.

 

[pouncingpluto]

I think a lot of it depends on whether you have children. The kids' price for the plan isn't bad at all! My brother and his family get it and take advantage of doing a character meal everyday (two kids, 2 and 6). It works really well for them.

For my husband and me... while we do like to eat a TS meal a day, I still don't think we'd save any money, since we only occasionally get appetizers and desserts and even then typically split them. Plus, I drink water most of the time, which is typically free at TS.

I'm tempted to try it because it seems so convenient, and it is a good deal if you can use it for Candlelight Processional packages again this year, but other than that it really doesn't make much sense for us! And even if you can use it for CP, I don't think that really makes up for the other three days of our trip.

 

[zurgswife]

Yea, I had noticed the numbers after I had posted and then fixed it. I'm beat...going on just 4 hours of sleep. LOL Anyways, up above she states 5 nights/ 6 days. This deal is good from the day you check in until the night of the day you check out. So, that would be 6 days of meals.

Sort of you would get 5 TS credits, 5 CS credits and 5 snack credits You can use them anytime during the 6days but it still only 5 credits of each type.

 

[Mariaºoº]

Oops, forget what I said. It is only good for the number of nights you stay. So that would be 5 nights and not 6 days. Geesh! I need to just go to bed.

 

[dakyak]

I guess I am in the minority here. When we used the plan when it first came out last year, we loved it. We were able to eat at places we normally wouldn't be able to, or think of because it was too expensive...My mom and I split the CS meals so we had breakfast and lunch on the plan every day...the snacks are great. They include water, so we would get the bottles of water to start off the day and keep refilling it.... we never went hungry (and i am pooh sized)...

i think we figured that we did save money....if you actually sit down and think about it, it may break even for your family....another nice thing, is not having to worry about carrying the money for meals...that is another nice convenience

i do agree to is something you need to research though....

 

[budbeerlady]

It was a great plan for us. We saw it as paying for the Ts and getting the Cs and snack for free. If not for the dining plan it would have been all cs or chicken for this family. It was wonderful to have prime rib and dessert everynight if I wanted it. We had a big cs breakfast platter and then a snack if needed, then ate (and were very hungry) our ts at 5:30p.m. The plan isnt for everyone but we enjoyed it and are using it again for this trip.

 

[jmskinner]

We used the Dining Plan and really enjoyed. Since it was added into the package price, I didn't really think of the the cost that much. Now, while at the park I would have been freaking out every time we ate. In fact, most times when we go to amusement parks we will buy meals, I will end up chicken strips because that is all my son will eat, but he can't eat a whole meal and I hate food to go to waste when it costs that much. We will also share a drink or the souvenir mug to save money.

It was so much fun to go to Disney and not worry about where to eat and what it will cost. We would not have tried all of those TS restaurants, appetizers, and the desserts. Some of the desserts were worth the plan itself. And we would order different things and share with each other.

Wherever we went,the CM's made sure we got everything our plan included.