Dining Plan or Discount

[ShannonMarie]

I am debating on whether or not to go with the dining plan or room discount - both will probably end up about the same savings - give or take a bit. We've always gone with the discount but this time may do the dining plan just to eat at some places we normally couldn't/wouldn't. My hesitation is being tied down to a reservation? Do people find this to be a pain?

 

[mountdew1]

Not sure when you last went, but for the most part, to eat at a TS restaurant, especially at a "normal" meal time, you will need an ADR. Which will tie you to a reservation if you are doing the DP or paying out of pocket.

Look at the places you have an interest in eating at. Check out the menus, and see how much a meal you would eat would cost you. Add up the totals, and see if if the DP or the room discount comes out in your favor. If you wouldn't eat all the food the DP would get you, then you most likely would do better off to pay out of pocket. Especially if you look at the meals that take 2 credits, they don't usually justify two meals. I.E. a 1 credit dinner might cost you 25 out of pocket, but a 2 credit might only cost you 40. So you lose 10 dollars worth of food (or whatever the real world numbers work out to) by dining at the 2 credit restaurant.

I personally see no benefit to the dining plan unless your menu choices will break even. Most dining plan numbers I have run come out to no real discount. It sounds like you have already done the math to see which works better for you, but that is really the deciding factor in my opinion. Some families do much better to take free dining than a room discount due to family size.

 

[snykymom]

Not sure when you last went, but for the most part, to eat at a TS restaurant, especially at a "normal" meal time, you will need an ADR. Which will tie you to a reservation if you are doing the DP or paying out of pocket.

Not really. If you're paying out of pocket, you can just decide to skip an ADR and eat CS without worrying about how to retrieve the "extra" TS credit that you've already paid for. That's one of the reasons I don't do the DP. (Of course, I try to call as soon as I know I won't make an ADR!)

The other reason is that I don't always want an entree and a dessert. Sometimes I want one or more appetizers and no dessert, or just appetizers, no entree. Or dinner at one place and dessert somewhere else (particularly at Epcot!). Or suppose I'm just not hungry one day? Or like on the last trip, I get sick and lose my appetite? I haven't paid for something I'm no longer interested in using.

As far as I'm concerned, this is why I don't do the DP. I may even spend a couple of bucks more (I like signature dining), but I like the flexibility of not being on the dining plan! I budget for what I think I'll spend (generally I budget a lot more!) so I think of it as being prepaid, but I get to keep any overages in my own pocket, not Disney's!

 

[princssdisnygina]

I am debating on whether or not to go with the dining plan or room discount - both will probably end up about the same savings - give or take a bit. We've always gone with the discount but this time may do the dining plan just to eat at some places we normally couldn't/wouldn't. My hesitation is being tied down to a reservation? Do people find this to be a pain?

The only way the room discount saves you more is if you stay in a deluxe resort or a villa. The free dining plan is better if you are staying value or mod.

With that being said... we love doing the free dining. Just so happens this time we are using the room discount because we are staying at the Contemporary but we added dining to our package. By using the room discount and adding dining to our package it saved us about $500.00.

Of course reservations in a TS place are meant to be kept, but if you decide you don't want to go you can always just cancel that day and try someplace else? Depending on the time of year and the restaurant you may or may not be able to get in someplace. If you do a TS meal everyday you do save more by having the dining plan. You can always do breakfast. We like to do the Hoop Dee Doo every other year which takes 2 TS meals per person. Now, if you make a reservation at someplace that requires a credit card hold and don't show up they will charge you but that is no different with or without the dining plan. If you dont show up they wont take your TS credit.

Either way... I think the dining plan is a good idea unless you just plan on eating in the quick service places. You don't HAVE to have a reservation to use the TS meal... but to guarantee you get to eat there it is suggested. Some places you can just walk up or even make a reservation that day when the park opens but during busy season that is very difficult.

Good luck with your decision!