dining plan question

[RA603]

if you don't have Free dining, is buying the Dining plan a part of your package worth it? somewhere I saw that you save 30%? is that right?

 

[ohanaMAMA]

Just like any other program. the better you make use of your plan the more you "save" by picking the best value for your credits you save more money. For instance you would get better value for a table service credit if used at le cellier for a $35 steak than you would for a $15 entree someplace else. its all in how you use the credits.

 

[akcire]

Buying the dining plan depends on your eating habits. Personally I find the dining plan has too many desserts. I don't eat dessert at every meal, nor would I choose to purchase it. That said, I eat too much dessert when we vacation on the dining plan--and I tend to skip quite a few.

You really need to evaluate where you would eat--you will need reservations--and look at the menus posted to see the prices. Then you can compare a day of eating with cash v. the cost of the dining plan. Menus can be found at allearsnet.com

Everyone will have a different answer to your question, but it really depends on your personal dining habits.

 

[wgwtgb]

I personally thought it was well worth it. When we totaled our receipts we would have spent way more if we had not purchased it!!!! We will definately do it again!!!!!

 

[worm761]

It depends on how you look at worth it. Boyfriend says he won't go back without it. But he is the kind that worries about money the whole trip and will order the cheapest thing in the menu, skip dessert and such just so he is not spending the money he thinks we don't have. I budget based on the most expensive thing I think each person in our party will order. So I had plenty, he just worried. So, to get him to order what he wanted, we got the dining plan. It was so worth it! He loved not having to look at the prices when ordering. I skipped dessert when I was too full or just didn't want a sweet. DS ordered from the kids menu when nothing on the adult menu appealed to him. We were there for 8 nights and had the basic plan. We definitely came out ahead money wise. When we go back, I plan to have the deluxe plan since we still had to pay out of pocket for quite a few things.

forgot to mention...we have never had free dining. We always pay for it. Also, we are a three meal a day family so that is why we are going deluxe next time. I thought eating breakfast in the room was a good idea. And it is, just not for my family though. We are a hot breakfast kind of family. I don't do cereal or poptarts so it doesn't work for us.

 

[cvjw]

We're DVC, so we can add the dining plan to any stay without having to purchase tickets from Disney. We add the dining plan on most every trip. We have found a couple of things that make it worth it for us. If you have a kid under 9, that is a great money saver. If you pick your restaurants to maximize the cost of the entrees, we find that we get our moneys worth. Some of the table service restaurants are cheaper to just pay out of pocket instead of paying for the dining plan. Also factor in the fact that you still have to pay tips on top of the price of the dining plan. Some trips we do split stays and have the dining plan for one part only. We will eat at the more expensive places then, and save the cheaper places for when we pay out of pocket.

 

[wgwtgb]

It depends on how you look at worth it. Boyfriend says he won't go back without it. But he is the kind that worries about money the whole trip and will order the cheapest thing in the menu, skip dessert and such just so he is not spending the money he thinks we don't have. I budget based on the most expensive thing I think each person in our party will order. So I had plenty, he just worried. So, to get him to order what he wanted, we got the dining plan. It was so worth it! He loved not having to look at the prices when ordering. I skipped dessert when I was too full or just didn't want a sweet. DS ordered from the kids menu when nothing on the adult menu appealed to him. We were there for 8 nights and had the basic plan. We definitely came out ahead money wise. When we go back, I plan to have the deluxe plan since we still had to pay out of pocket for quite a few things.

forgot to mention...we have never had free dining. We always pay for it. Also, we are a three meal a day family so that is why we are going deluxe next time. I thought eating breakfast in the room was a good idea. And it is, just not for my family though. We are a hot breakfast kind of family. I don't do cereal or poptarts so it doesn't work for us.

Okay, so this post was exactly what I should have said... I am that worry wart, and this is why the dining plan worked so wel for my family!!!

 

[RA603]

thanks! that helps so much!

 

[JCMHutch]

I personally thought it was well worth it. When we totaled our receipts we would have spent way more if we had not purchased it!!!! We will definately do it again!!!!!

DH & I agree! We tallied up our quick service and sit down each day an averaged over $100 a day (not including our 2 "snack" options). This past trip we did pay for dining plan, but got a $300 gc at check-in so that was our tip money for the week. We spent nothing during the trip.

DH loves to have one good, big sit down meal a day. The DDP allows him to order whatever he wants and he take advantage of ordering anything on the menu (he loves steak & seafood so it is worth it for him). He also will eat my quick service dessert in addition to his. He also loved the 3 scoop ice cream sundae dessert option at the Pop Century (you can request this as your dessert for your quick service meal).

 

[ilovepete]

I think it is worth it, even when not free, we generally buy it.

 

[SunnieRN]

Really appreciate the dining plan and prefer the QS plan and buying 1 to 2 TS meals within a 9 or 10 day trip.

I only eat dessert rarely, so use my dessert option for soup or fruit at our resort. At the parks, I tend to go for a fruit option or a pre-packaged item.

Don't get me wrong, there are some items that I enjoy that are sweet, but find that the heat takes away my dessert cravings.

Love the butternut squash soup at Mara and it is like a dessert! I always save money and if we have leftover childrens credits, we can turn them in for 3 snacks for each one. Great deal.