Dining Plan or Opt Out?

[BippityBoppity]

I am just wondering what opinions are on the dining plan. Its just the two of us. The last two times we went to DW we paid for the dining plan. Got the one with one quick service meal and one table service. Now, this has been about 8 years ago and now they've added the Quick Service Dining Plan. We are trying to figure out if it's actually cheaper to opt out of either dining plan since we have no children with us. Anyone ever tried it this way and if so, which was more cost effective?


Thank you

 

[Marionnette]

I am just wondering what opinions are on the dining plan. Its just the two of us. The last two times we went to DW we paid for the dining plan. Got the one with one quick service meal and one table service. Now, this has been about 8 years ago and now they've added the Quick Service Dining Plan. We are trying to figure out if it's actually cheaper to opt out of either dining plan since we have no children with us. Anyone ever tried it this way and if so, which was more cost effective?


Thank you

You will get a variety of opinions on the dining plans and none of them is wrong. So much is dependent on how you dine and what your expectations are. We usually travel as a couple now and we do not get the dining plan because:

• We can purchase TiW and that gets us a 20% discount at most TS locations and some resort QS locations.
• The dining plans include dessert with each meal, which is too much for us.
• The DDP no longer includes appetizers, which we often order.
• None of the dining plans include alcoholic beverages, but TiW does.
• The dining plans must be applied to each night of your stay and used by every person staying in your room. If we decide to visit family in the area or (gasp!) go to one of those other parks, we end up with extra credits.
• The cost for 2 adults is about $120 per night, not including tips. We typically average less than that per night when we take a 5-night trip.

 

[LJSquishy]

It's generally much cheaper to pay out of pocket for your meals. The dining plan may work out for you if you prefer to eat a dessert at both lunch & dinner daily as well as purchase beverages with lunch & dinner on top of also having a snack. You'll still need to pay out of pocket for certain meals since you only get 2 per day plus a snack.

Even if you order the most expensive items at restaurants, you won't necessarily come ahead with the dining plan. I find it restrictive in the sense that if you don't happen to be very hungry at your meal time you can't just order an appetizer as an entrée, or maybe you want to splurge nutritionally speaking and order coffee and 2 desserts! We found ourselves turning down 90% of desserts (especially the disgusting quick-service ones) and normally we drink water with our meals aside from maybe a different beverage with one meal. Having 2 desserts per day PLUS a snack credit to use is just way too much.

For the price my husband and I would pay for the dining plan (1TS, 1CS, 1S) we'll be able to pay out of pocket and eat 3 meals per day and still save money. This is because we don't each want our own dessert twice per day nor do we each want a sugary beverage at every meal. The dining plan usually doesn't make sense for adults. We'll also be able to eat at the restaurants we really want to eat at (such as maybe 2 signatures in a day, not sure if we would, but we'd have the option) rather than have to pick and choose certain restaurants based on our credit allotment.

Some folks like the dining plan because it's "prepaid", "easier", and it "allows them to order whatever they want off of the menu without focusing on the entrée price". That makes no sense. When you purchase the dining plan, you're essentially paying upfront for the most expensive menu items whether you eat them or not and using the dining plan is no more simple than swiping your credit card or having the server scan your Magicband to pay. It doesn't save any time.

 

[TravelMommy]

We have done the Quick Service Plan, years ago when it included 2 snacks and our "Disney Adults" were considered "Disney kids". It was a fabulous deal for us. We haven't done the dining plan again as it didn't fit our needs. Many people like the convenience, etc.
If you don't do the plan you might want to consider something like this: we do our own "plan" and usually get at least half of what we guestimate we will spend on food in Disney gift cards (through Target). I say half, as we have found in prior years that we often aren't hungry, just want a snack, etc. and we have never used all that we allotted for our food budget.
Whatever you decide, have a great trip!!!


Ps-you might want to look at the restaurant menus online, price out what you would get and see if the WDW Dining Plan would work for you.

 

[GatorMama]

We have studied it a lot. And for us, it made sense to pay OOP this time.
- Every other trip we've made has been super tight on funds (we would literally get to FL and something would go wrong so we cancelled our dining plans and cooked more in our condo- happened both of our last two big trips). So there are A LOT of places we've always wanted to eat at but haven't been able to yet.
- Since we are staying onsite for the full trip, in a standard room, we won't have access to a kitchen like we are used to (I do a little jig every time I think of it because it means I don't have to cook!!!!) but we will want full meals, not just fast food. We feel crappy if all we eat is fast food for more than a day.
- I will be nursing a baby and based on my history with that, I will be a bottomless pit. Everyone says the dining plan is too much food. There ARE lighter dessert options we can get or heck, I'll give my cupcake to one of my kids and I'll their apples if I want something lighter. I'm sure they won't argue.
- kids prices for buffets are ridiculous. $15-20 each. Know how much the dining plan is for a kid? $20/day. So if we go to ONE buffet a day (we aren't doing that every day, but a few for sure), the anything else they eat the rest of the day is "free"
- we will be there for F&W and I have written in my tentative calendar that our Epcot night dinner is: "use all remaining snack credits on Food & Wine Festival delicious goodies" if we need a snack the next day, we can order a quick service meal and share it amongst the four of us.

We expect to come out ahead but not by much. Have you seen the document that you put your meal choices into and it tells you the best bang for your buck? Might be a good way to help you decide!

 

[kmorey303]

We do the dining plan as long as we can get even a slight discount on it. We are big eaters in my family and the best part of the vacay is the food! We also try to choose the most expensive menu option for our plan to really make it worth our while!

 

[ValpoCory]

We do not buy the DDP anymore. We liked it when tip was included (up through 2007 or so), but since then, it has been a losing money proposition for us, even when buying the most expensive thing on the menu. And people often end up with extra QS credits. Frankly, two QS meals can easily feed my family of 4.

However, we "act" like we have the DDP. That is, we do lots of Table Service restaurants.

 

[Lisa71]

We love it. No one forces dessert on you and many times we trade for fruit or a bottle of water. We drink tea, other options. It is easier for us and the kids really like character meals which we would otherwise flinch at. We like not waiting Iines for characters and many buffets like Boma have encouraged my kids to try new things. We often split the kids desserts and there are lots
Is healthy kid choices now. It helps me to enjoy vacation more.

 

[BCV2003]

The past few trips, my husband and I have always used the dining plan and we were there last week for a long weekend and we decided not to get the dining plan to see if we would save money. We definitely didn't save any money and probably would have saved if we had used the dining plan plus we like the ease of the dining plan. So for our next trip, we will definitely be getting the dining plan.

 

[luvsJack]

I have always simply picked where we want to eat and esttimate what we will order and add it up to compare. always come out better with the ddp. At the very least break even. We do go to other parks on some days but just make it up by going to our favorite 2 credit place a day or two of our trip. It is only 2 meals but we have never paid for a 3rd meal. We use one credit for an early lunch/late breakfast and the other for late lunch/early dinner or early breakfast/snack/early dinner. It is plenty of food and we have never gone hungry.

 

[ThistleMae]

So...I agree that for some people the DDP works best, especially if you have a large number in your family. Even if you have extra credits because someone doesn't get a snack or their own lunch, for a big family it is just very expensive to buy the DDP. I have played with the $ for a couple weeks now. I looked at all the menus and priced the most expensive meals with tip costs. Then I gave myself a budget of $ 10.00 for breakfast, which may be just a snack. I gave myself $ 20.00 for lunch. I picked the most expensive meal at all my favorite restaurants. This is the result. If I bought the DDP it would cost $ 60.00 a day (I think it is $ 62.00 now?). 10 day trip = $ 700.00 if I include the tips. All my estimated meals for the 10 days....come to $ 800 including tips. That being said....I will most likely spend less than my lofty budgeted amount because some days I will share a lunch or dessert. I may have an appetizer for a meal. I may have two snacks instead of a full lunch. And...depending on your room discount...it will change the numbers. The bottom line for me is that for the
$ 100.00 difference is worth it for me because....I have the most flexibility with my food $...and I may not use all the $ I put in my budget. I can eat where I want and order what I want. I don't have to look to see if it is an approved Disney Dinning Snack. I can eat "Tonga Toast" without having to use a QS credit for it, when it is only $ 5.15. I can have a strawberry topped waffle instead of a sugar/cinnamon one. And...I got a better offer on a room discount through a travel agent, versus the 30 percent offer typically given by Disney, which offsets the $ 100.00 difference. I hope this is not too confusing. But...it does pay to really examine what your food needs are going to be and to give yourself the permission to eat whatever you want without worrying about prices. Have a great time!

 

[Pigeon]

I would look at the menus at the places you like to eat and add up the costs.

It is much cheaper for us to pay OOP.

 

[Vernie822]

I honestly think it depends a lot on how you eat and how you vacation! We had free dining this September.

Pros: We loved the convenience of it. Not having to look at price tags, getting pop and a dessert with each meal, and just really that all inclusive, pre-paid feel.

Cons: Just too much food for us. Ended up splitting lunches a lot and had a few extra credits by the end of the week. We don't usually do dessert with lunch, so I felt like I was being wasteful.

Although it had the all-inclusive feel that we really liked, and the ability to kind of just eat what we want when we wanted, I know for sure that we did not eat our money's worth. I did the math and had we eaten the exact same things, we would still have come out spending $100 less than the dining plan would have cost. Of course, it was 'free' for us, and we probably wouldn't have ordered nearly as many QS meals or desserts!

 

[kid-at-heart]

We "create" our own pre-paid dining plan by buying a Disney gift card and loading it with the money we anticipate we will spend for food. In that way, our food is pre-paid and yet we do not feel we have to buy a drink or dessert unless we want drinks or desserts. If we have money left over then we just reuse the card on our next trip.

Kate

 

[Happyjen27]

It's generally much cheaper to pay out of pocket for your meals. The dining plan may work out for you if you prefer to eat a dessert at both lunch & dinner daily as well as purchase beverages with lunch & dinner on top of also having a snack. You'll still need to pay out of pocket for certain meals since you only get 2 per day plus a snack.

Even if you order the most expensive items at restaurants, you won't necessarily come ahead with the dining plan. I find it restrictive in the sense that if you don't happen to be very hungry at your meal time you can't just order an appetizer as an entrée, or maybe you want to splurge nutritionally speaking and order coffee and 2 desserts! We found ourselves turning down 90% of desserts (especially the disgusting quick-service ones) and normally we drink water with our meals aside from maybe a different beverage with one meal. Having 2 desserts per day PLUS a snack credit to use is just way too much.

For the price my husband and I would pay for the dining plan (1TS, 1CS, 1S) we'll be able to pay out of pocket and eat 3 meals per day and still save money. This is because we don't each want our own dessert twice per day nor do we each want a sugary beverage at every meal. The dining plan usually doesn't make sense for adults. We'll also be able to eat at the restaurants we really want to eat at (such as maybe 2 signatures in a day, not sure if we would, but we'd have the option) rather than have to pick and choose certain restaurants based on our credit allotment.

Some folks like the dining plan because it's "prepaid", "easier", and it "allows them to order whatever they want off of the menu without focusing on the entrée price". That makes no sense. When you purchase the dining plan, you're essentially paying upfront for the most expensive menu items whether you eat them or not and using the dining plan is no more simple than swiping your credit card or having the server scan your Magicband to pay. It doesn't save any time.

This is my experience, too. After our first trip which included the dining plan, we realized it was encouraging us to eat in a way we don't ordinarily eat, so we could "get our money's worth". The second trip, I booked dining as I always would have, with no regard for price. Then, we simply paid out of pocket. Because we were out of pocket, we could order just an appetizer and salad, or split entrees. It was less waste of food, and less junk in our bodies. Plus, I find the appetizers pretty innovative because they aren't included in the DDP, they can still "play" a bit with them.

When I looked at menus and guessed at what we would get, I added it up, and we were about breaking even with the DDP. I knew from experience that we would eat less than my guess, and I was right. I ended up never saying no to any snacks, meals or desserts that any of us wanted, and still saving about $200 by paying OOP. I prefer the freedom to listen to my belly instead of needing to "eat my money's worth".

 

[lovewdwdvc]

This is my experience, too. After our first trip which included the dining plan, we realized it was encouraging us to eat in a way we don't ordinarily eat, so we could "get our money's worth". The second trip, I booked dining as I always would have, with no regard for price. Then, we simply paid out of pocket. Because we were out of pocket, we could order just an appetizer and salad, or split entrees. It was less waste of food, and less junk in our bodies. Plus, I find the appetizers pretty innovative because they aren't included in the DDP, they can still "play" a bit with them.

When I looked at menus and guessed at what we would get, I added it up, and we were about breaking even with the DDP. I knew from experience that we would eat less than my guess, and I was right. I ended up never saying no to any snacks, meals or desserts that any of us wanted, and still saving about $200 by paying OOP. I prefer the freedom to listen to my belly instead of needing to "eat my money's worth".

I agree that it is usually cheaper to pay OOP. The food and drinkis wonderful at WDW so sometimes we get the meal plan to have a wonderful, relaxing, eating vacation. I also consider how much time we want to spend eating.

 

[Julylady]

We eat better and save money when not buying the Dining Plan. I still prepay for food by purchasing $50 Disney gift cards at Target (using the Red card.) I charge all our food back to the room. Every couple of days, I stop by the Front Desk and pay down my account. For the last couple of trips, I have had a card or two left over which I put aside for our next vacation. Like others, we tend to drink only water at meals, share desserts, and share counter service meals. As a family, we prefer to "snack" our way around Disney World, so eat lighter at actual meals.

 

[ebonyeyes]

I am also trying to decide on the DDP. We would probably do QS plan for a family of 4 (kids are 13) adults x 9 days. We will have a car...what are some off property eating choices? We don't mind some fast food but we like to eat a "meal" for dinner.

 

[eliza61]

I am also trying to decide on the DDP. We would probably do QS plan for a family of 4 (kids are 13) adults x 9 days. We will have a car...what are some off property eating choices? We don't mind some fast food but we like to eat a "meal" for dinner.

Tons of very close off site eateries. right outside of downtown Disney (state road 535 I think) there is a long line of chain type restaurants. from Olive Garden to Joes crab shake, to Bahama Breeze. along with a few regional places.

We always have a car.

So we stopped doing the ddp a few years back.

1) after the tip and appertizers were excluded, it stopped saving us money.
2) interestingly enough I stressed way more about eating when on the plan. I was obsessed with "getting the most for my credits" instead of just relaxing and ordering what I really wanted.
3) vacations became more focused around making "adr's" than it was on having fun.

I have not missed it at all. this year I'm going to experiment with getting gift cards as a previous poster mentioned.

 

[supersnoop]

I am also trying to decide on the DDP. We would probably do QS plan for a family of 4 (kids are 13) adults x 9 days. We will have a car...what are some off property eating choices? We don't mind some fast food but we like to eat a "meal" for dinner.

The counter service plan provides the least potential savings, and the adult price (which you'd pay for your 13-year-olds) makes it a terrible value. No matter if you'd eat on-site or off, I'd skip the plan.