Dining Plan--I'm so excited what they told me!!!!

[ColoradoBelle1]

I think it is great that you wrote them and they responded by saying: yep weve been getting lots of indications that DVC people want this too and we are looking into it~

AH, the power of the written word!!!!!!

I hope it works for ya...I'll tell you that when my kid was little she ate SOOOO MUCH that I would jump at a chance to feed her for 10 bucks a day!
HA!

Colorado Belle

 

[Uncleromulus]

Hope it all pans out.

OKW Lover: We've NEVER cooked in our unit since we bought back in 1992. Wouldn't dream of cooking on vacation--do enough cooking at home!!

 

[Sherri]

After getting so much conflicting information on possible dining plans, I wrote to MS to. I hoped so much that there would be something available for our trip next week, but seems not. But hopefully for the next one.
I am really pleased to read of all of the other people that feel the same as I do about wanting it as an option.
We never cook on vacation. Its nice to be able to take a doggy bag home and have the means to heat it up later. Other then that the kitchen goes unused. I wonder if there will be a big announcment if a dining plan becomes available.

 

[princess jackson]

Hi,

We have purchased the dinning plan from the UK, www.disneyworld.co.uk has information on it. We think it is value for money, we normal do not eat in the parks we normal eat on international drive.

We worked it out to be not much different in price, and think the character dinning will be a great bonus for our 3 year old daughter.

We will have less driving to do as well.

4 weeks today until we are there!!!!!!!

 

[jmminarik]

I think it is great for the people who dont want to cook on vacation. I think cooking on vacation is great if you like that, when I'm on vacation I'm on vacation. .

It is good to remember that our 90K+ families all have differing perspectives...for me, vacations means having time/energy to cook something other than a 5 minute meal, and dining out at Disney ain't no special thing foodwise. On the other hand, my brother-in-law who will be joining us later in the year is already lining up restaurants...they don't eat out much, and living in the heartland, they don't have the culinary variety we have living in Philadelphia.

So, having a dining option will be nice, even for those of us who don't view the stove as additional counterspace.

-Joe

 

[Sherri]

Hi,

We have purchased the dinning plan from the UK, www.disneyworld.co.uk has information on it. We think it is value for money, we normal do not eat in the parks we normal eat on international drive.

We worked it out to be not much different in price, and think the character dinning will be a great bonus for our 3 year old daughter.

We will have less driving to do as well.

4 weeks today until we are there!!!!!!!

You mean you a DVC member and were able to purchase the dining plan without getting the room/ticket package?

 

[Sherri]

It is good to remember that our 90K+ families all have differing perspectives...for me, vacations means having time/energy to cook something other than a 5 minute meal, and dining out at Disney ain't no special thing foodwise. On the other hand, my brother-in-law who will be joining us later in the year is already lining up restaurants...they don't eat out much, and living in the heartland, they don't have the culinary variety we have living in Philadelphia.

So, having a dining option will be nice, even for those of us who don't view the stove as additional counterspace.

-Joe

Your absoulutly right. Thats what makes us such a fun diversfied group (lol).
We all like to do different things, but all love Disney.
I know my sister in law also sees it as an opportunity to relax and take time and eat dinner as a family, when things are normally so hectic for her.
In the past when we all got condos in O.C MD, we always ate out, they always cooked. It's nice to have options.

 

[Mickey_Maniac]

You mean you a DVC member and were able to purchase the dining plan without getting the room/ticket package?

Doesn't appear so. If you try to order the dining package through the WDDW UK site, you have to select a room package. That would have been a nice discovery though...

 

[crisi]

I had originally thought this was a great deal, but as its developed, I become less sure that its a great deal for us. A lot of our favorites or want-to-dos count as two choices - or aren't on the plan at all. Alcohol (of course) comes out of pocket, and while we aren't huge lushes, we kind of reviewed our meals and discovered it wasn't a small part our bill! I'll rerun numbers when its offered to DVC members (and at what price). We were spending about $35 per adult for dinner - so my original thought was that it was basically a "free lunch" - but realized that included a drink for everyone last trip with dinner - that drink pretty much "pays" for the "free lunch". We often split appetizers and desserts - not intending to save money, but because we have similar tastes and don't need that much food! And in the last three trips I've bought one box of popcorn and two dole whips total as snacks for a family of four.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I like this one from All Ears:

Magic Your Way Dining Packages

I think the DIS has one, too, but I couldn't find it.

You'll also find lots of info on it over on the Restaurants Forum.

Best wishes -

Thank you CarolMN!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I had originally thought this was a great deal, but as its developed, I become less sure that its a great deal for us. A lot of our favorites or want-to-dos count as two choices - or aren't on the plan at all. Alcohol (of course) comes out of pocket, and while we aren't huge lushes, we kind of reviewed our meals and discovered it wasn't a small part our bill! I'll rerun numbers when its offered to DVC members (and at what price). We were spending about $35 per adult for dinner - so my original thought was that it was basically a "free lunch" - but realized that included a drink for everyone last trip with dinner - that drink pretty much "pays" for the "free lunch". We often split appetizers and desserts - not intending to save money, but because we have similar tastes and don't need that much food! And in the last three trips I've bought one box of popcorn and two dole whips total as snacks for a family of four.

Keep in mind that the $35 per day rate includes tax and gratuities. This makes the actual "break even" point less than $30 per day for us. There are a good number of restaurants included where appetizer, entree, and dessert will easily exceed that price. Another strategy is to consider purchasing the dining package for only one guest of a couple, use it to pay for a meal and pay cash for a second meal. Now split the appetizer and dessert, as we frequently do in any case. I think this has the potential to save real money, particularly when you consider that I've ignored the cost of the counter service meal and snack in the equation.

Ralph

 

[Mike]

Another strategy is to consider purchasing the dining package for only one guest of a couple, use it to pay for a meal and pay cash for a second meal. Now split the appetizer and dessert, as we frequently do in any case. Ralph

I think the Dining Package has to be purchased for the entire party and for the entire length of stay so I don't think this is possible.

 

[crisi]

So did my bills. Tax and gratuity included - about $35 an adult sit down last year (Narcoosees was significantly more expensive).

There are plenty of restaurant where we spend more than that - but those restaurants are "signature" choices. Le Cellier is a signature choice, so is Brown Derby. Most of the Epcot WS restaurants aren't currently on the plan, including other favorites of ours - Marrakesh, San Angel Inn, Teppenyaki.

For instance, last year at Spoodles we got one flatbread for the table as an entree ($6 or $7), everyone got an entree (around $20 for the grownups, $5 somthing for the kids), we skipped dessert because we were late for Fantasmic. The grownups had $7 drinks, though. Total bill for two adults, two children was only around $80, including tax and tip. Had we been on the dining plan, we could have ordered more appitizers, but we didn't need to, and we would have skipped dessert anyway - we were late for Fantasmic. Take $80, minus the $15 in drinks, we spent $65. Vouchers for the family would have run $90 for the day, we'd have to spend $25 on lunch and a snack - we usually spend a little less than that.

I think this can work great for others, like where everyone wants their own dessert and appitizer - right now to me its looking like pretty much a wash for us, and probably more bother (remember to let your servers know you are on the plan!, only good at participating restaurants) than its worth.

I really do hope DVC offers it in the near future though, because I think its a great deal for a lot of people. (It reminds me of the "great voucher debate" - the way we ate at WDW, vouchers weren't a good deal, but a ton of folks saved a bunch of money).

 

[jnrrt]

You're right, it has to be for everybody. We looked into that since my husband and I always split everything and my 3 year old doesn't eat. We'd never be able to eat this much food, but we still think if we chose the restaurants carefully it would be a good way for us to try things we wouldn't normally do.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Well, I have a thirteen year old son whose favorite phrase is " I'm Hungry" So, even if my husband and I shared a meal and gave him and the six year old (no slouch either) the rest of the food, I don't think too much would go to waste....

 

[Greysword]

If they approve it, this plan option would be a good selling point for DVD to get new members who may be on the financial fence.

 

[sarhenty]

Also remember, (this I read on someones personal experience with the dining plan) that you can take your desserts to go as well as any leftovers AND since we all have kitchens...


I REALLY HOPE THIS HAPPENS, I have it all planned out...

 

[Alexander]

I REALLY HOPE THIS HAPPENS, I have it all planned out...

I have my PS's all made for our April trip with hopes that this will work out! If it doesn't I'll cancel some of them! We are not usually sit-down restaurant people, but this would be one heck of a deal for my family of 3 (2A, 1C). Even if it cost us $100/day for the plan (currently it is $80 for us) we would come out way ahead! We drop close to $100 at CRT for dinner with non-alcoholic beverages.

 

[disneyberry]

[SIZE=+0]While the MYW Dining Plan may work great for some families, I personally would be happier if they would just allow DVC Members to purchase the DDE card even if they are not AP holders and not FL residents.

I've written to MS a while ago and Carli D'Agostino did reply to tell me they will pass along my comments to the appropriate dept. Who knows if they'll actually consider it...

If AP holders can join DDE, then DVC Members certainly should also be eligible.[/SIZE]

 

[sarhenty]

DDE is another great option but unless your a big drinker (socially of course) and more of a table service diner it may not work for some. In the sense that wherever the discount is accepted, the savings has to pass the amount you paid for the card, $75, so if your stay is short and half the time your eating counter service with a little cooking in the kitchen, your savings might not meet or even pass what you paid for the card. The nice thing of the MYW plan is that it includes counter service eateries and it also has some flexibility. If you plan ahead you can come out ahead!