Dining plan or no dining plan?

[mindeola]

I used to be a huge fan and would never go without it. The biggest plus for me was basically having an all inclusive trip that had already been paid for. With rising costs and really understanding that we do not eat that way made me really put thought into it. I did a QS only last summer because I was staying with my sister and she wanted it. I most definitely lost money on that deal. Now, I save the amount that the DDP would cost me. It is still no worries. The money has been pre-saved for meals. I keep it in a local savings account and then we transfer the money to our checking before the trip.

We are going in May and taking three kids that are 19, 20 and 22. I gave them all a menu for each place we plan to eat and had them circle what they wanted with no thoughts to money. I am looking to save $500 by not purchasing the plan. The 19 year old is picky and will probably want apps, side dishes or kids meals/ The 22 year old is a grazer and would rather have an app for her meal. Four of us usually only drink water and none of us like dessert with a meal- we would rather have a treat later. We will do one TS for lunch each day and 1 QS for dinner. Breakfast is eaten on the run from stuff we bring with us. We even have some expensive meals- a character breakfast, Ohana dinner, Coral Reef, etc. and are still saving this much money.

To make a plan just break even , you have to spend roughly $18 on QS and $39 on TS and $5 on a snack. Granted, your value could be a lot more if you use your refillable mug often. Four of us quit drinking soda so it is a zero benefit to us. We do not spend a lot of time at our resort either.

There is a great calculator to see if it makes sense for you! http://www.distripplanner.com/

 

[smiths02]

We don't eat like the plan (prefer more TS and snacks than QS, don't need a mug) so it has worked better for us without.
Tips:
1-Think about discounts you can get: AP, TiW, DVC, Landry's Club
2-If you want to do any meals that are a set price, do the cheapest meal you can (breakfast Crystal Palace instead of dinner, Biergarten lunch instead of dinner...even make it an odd time like brunch or really early dinner so you still get charged the lower price)
3-At most places, you can order apps, kids meals, water to drink, etc. You don't have to order entree, drink, dessert
4-Bring snacks or order some snacks (Garden Grocer, Amazon Prime Pantry, etc.) I just remember seeing things like a bag of pretzels or a bag of chips over $3 that I ordered through Amazon Prime Pantry for 50 cents a bag...That's the fuzzy math of DDP where you come out ahead because pretzels and a bottle of water are worth $7
5-Limit character dining...you don't need to do Chef Mickey, Garden Grill, Ohana, and Cape May to see Mickey. Same goes for 1900 PF dinner, Akershus, CRT...not necessary for one trip to do them all.