DINING PLAN: I "crunched the numbers" from our recent trip

[lynninpa]

Yes, I was curious to "crunch the numbers" from our recent trip with the Free Dining. No flames, please. I know, I know- it was FREE! I was simply curious, that's all.

There were nine of us: 6 adults, 2 children and 1 "free" child (under 3)

$ 2146.23 Total "bills" for TS, CS and snacks (6 Adults + 2 kids x 6 nights)

$ 1499.52 Total had we purchased the Dining Plan

$ 646.71 Difference

note: The total of our "bills" would have been higher since the last night we traded in our final TS dinner (for 9) for 5 CS meals and a lunch for 3. And we stayed with our original restaurant choices that we made before the free dining promotion was announced. Also did not always order dessert.

 

[MEK]

Nice!

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Max is my favorite cat!

 

[momof2disprincesses]

Even nicer when you got it all for FREE!

We've done the free dining plan twice now and both times our bills would have been over $1400 ... so I just keep pinching myself that we got all that food for free.

Gotta love Free dining at Disney

 

[aLitlGoofy]

How do you "trade" one type of meal for another? Just curious.

 

[lynninpa]

How do you "trade" one type of meal for another? Just curious.

While we were there the last week of August, they offered you the opportunity to trade a TS for the following: a CS, 2 snacks and the choice of a poster or a lanyard & pin. 5 in our family did this while the other 3 used their TS at another restaurant as walk-ins for lunch.

 

[disneymom3]

I have a question for you--do you think you would have ordered the same items--i.e. dessert etc--if you had not been on the dining plan? That is my sticking point. We don't usually get apps for everyone and rarely order dessert at all. It would be nice and during free dining it's a no brainer, but if I had to pay, I am just not sure.

 

[lynninpa]

I have a question for you--do you think you would have ordered the same items--i.e. dessert etc--if you had not been on the dining plan? That is my sticking point. We don't usually get apps for everyone and rarely order dessert at all. It would be nice and during free dining it's a no brainer, but if I had to pay, I am just not sure.

Hmmm...it is a tough question. On one hand, when we go out to eat near home, we never order appetizers and desserts for everyone and I for one do look at the prices on the menus.
On the other hand, when at Disney we are on vacation! And do lots of things we would not do "at home!" So it's a tough question for me to answer.
Even though we were on the free dining plan, we did not always order dessert. Since this was a surprise all-expense-paid-trip for my kids, their spouses and our grandkids the dining plan was the only way to go and we had all intention of paying for the plan. Sorry, don't think I was any help answering your question!

 

[disneyjunkie]

I have a question for you--do you think you would have ordered the same items--i.e. dessert etc--if you had not been on the dining plan? That is my sticking point. We don't usually get apps for everyone and rarely order dessert at all. It would be nice and during free dining it's a no brainer, but if I had to pay, I am just not sure.

I paid for the plan during our April 2005 trip. There were many times we skipped dessert and/or appetizers. Even without maxing out the plan, I came out ahead. There were only two of us in our party, myself and my son who was 13 at the time.

 

[Schucraig]

Thanks for adding it up!

 

[S.Poppins]

That is what I love about the DDP. It is vacation, we don't have to read the menu from right to left. If my DD wants salmon every meal, it does not stress me out. Plus it is all paid for before we arrive.

 

[dismom9761]

It was interesting to read the cost.There are fifteen people in our group and fourteen will be taking advantage of the Free dining.One child is two years old.My DS11 is looking forward to eating whatever he wants.

 

[dance2874]

We missed out on free dining and ended up paying for the plan. Our numbers were very similar to yours. I have to go back and add them up again. I know we came out about $700 ahead. I have to say we may not have ordered the exact same way if we had not been on the plan...but we also went to a TON of character meals we would not have paid for and we loved that. It saved us from having to wait in line to meet those characters and we got a great meal at the same time. I wont go back without the dining plan, whether I pay for it or Disney does.

 

[xpor2geechica69x]

WOW..I cant believe the numbers..Thats alot of money worth of free food when you put into terms like that..All the food was delicious...

 

[rumrunnergirl]

It *is* awesome, isn't it? We just got back - 2 adults, 2 kids for 4 nights - and we saved $680. Woo hoo!

 

[ReneeA]

Very good! We would have saved $606.78 had we paid for it. Even better that it was free!

I don't think we would have ordered appetizers or dessert for everyone at every meal, but we still would have come out hundreds of $$ ahead regardless.

 

[okapi]

What is Free Dining? (Sorry, I'm still trying to catch-up with the WDWlingo).

 

[outlander]

It is when Disney offers their Dining Plan for free.

 

[wilddog86]

We are planning to go to Disney in Feb. 07(first visit) I am having all kinds of stress over the advanced dining reservations for the DDP. My girlfriend who went in Jan of this year said the DDP was a nitemare cause every time they went to have a meal restaurants were filled to capacity with DDP diners. If you dont have ADR will this plan be a nitemare or was it bad timing for her? I cant imagine planning my trip so fully that I will know where every meal for every day will be eaten for 10 days.

 

[outlander]

We are planning to go to Disney in Feb. 07(first visit) I am having all kinds of stress over the advanced dining reservations for the DDP. My girlfriend who went in Jan of this year said the DDP was a nitemare cause every time they went to have a meal restaurants were filled to capacity with DDP diners. If you dont have ADR will this plan be a nitemare or was it bad timing for her? I cant imagine planning my trip so fully that I will know where every meal for every day will be eaten for 10 days.

For the table service (you get one per day) you will need adr's. You don't need adr's for counter service (and obviously, not snacks). During low attendance times, you may not even need adr's for some restaurants but for the more popular ones, yes, always.

 

[wilddog86]

Thanks