Dining Plan Yes or No

[yj3bjb]

My wife and I are going in late October. We've been there 15 times but not in the last ten years...teenagers!! Now we'll go to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I've been kicking around the dining plan but haven't decided one way or the other. Do I want to be tied to reservations at a place at a certain time...it seems so few of all the restaurants are on the plan, eg. 4 restaurants in the MK ...not being the biggest eaters, would it be more economical to pay for smaller meals at different restaurants in cash ? What are your thoughts, pro and con ? PS First but not last post Thanx in advance....

 

[TDC Nala]

There are only five table service restaurants in the MK to start with, and they are all on the dining plan. The only restaurants at WDW I can think of that don't participate at this time are Victoria & Albert's and the restaurants at the Swan and Dolphin. So I'm a little confused at the thought that "so few" restaurants are on the plan, because the vast majority of restaurants at WDW are on the plan.

The dining plan is tough if you're torn because by now (after the evolution of the DDP program since 2005) it really depends on why you want a dining plan. Are you thinking you may be able to save money over just purchasing your meals, or are you looking for the "all-inclusive" feeling of having your meals prepaid, or is it a little of both? If it's more the moneysaving than the prepayment you will need to do research into where you might want to eat and what it might cost you, then compare it to the dining plan prices per night to see where you might come out ahead. If you usually don't eat all the meals the DDP will allow you to order (for example, you don't have dessert at every meal, you generally share entrees, etc) then it will not save you money but you may feel you get to "splurge" by prepaying for items you ordinarily wouldn't order.

 

[yj3bjb]

Maybe I'm reading the Disney website incorrectly... but it seems the participating restaurants and the restaurants at disneyworld numbers are different. I know there are lots of places at DW but it doesn't seems alot are listed for sit down... my other concern is being tied to a reservation made months in advance...is it easy to make reservations when you get there? I have sort of done the arithmetic and it's almost the same cost with or without. I'm thinking of the freedom not having the plan...I've gone back and forth for a week without deciding so I thought I'd look for others experiences. PS my wife is from orlando and she remembers going when it opened for $4.75 or something and had a handful of tickets to use for the rides...only the Magic Kingdom was there !!!!

 

[havoc315]

Every restaurant in Magic Kingdom is on the dining plan, there simply aren't that many restaurants. The only 1-credit sit down restaurants are Liberty Tree Tavern, The Plaza, Tony's Town Square, and Crystal Palace. Then there is the 2-credit meal at the castle.
There are tons of restaurants... at the resorts and other parks.

For most adults, I do NOT recommend going with any dining plan.
The basic DDP only becomes an effective cost-saver, IF:
You eat a counter-service lunch (not breakfast) every day, and get dessert with every counter service meal AND
For dinner every night, you eat either a character buffet, or generally a 1-credit steak, plus dessert.

Skip a few desserts -- you won't save money. Order entrees besides the most expensive on the menu (usually steak), and you won't save any money.
For a 30th Anniversary adult trip - I would want to eat at signature restaurants. If you use the basic DDP for signature restaurants -- you typically lose money.

So if you fit into the narrow category of people who benefit from the DDP, go for it. If you want more flexibility, then skip it.

 

[tzeitel]

Something else the pps have not mentioned but you have as a reason not to get the DDP - making ADRs far in advance. Even w/o the DDP you will need ADRs for some restaurants. If you want the more popular restaurants (ie - Le Cellier, dinner shows, character meals, F! package) you need to make ADRs.

 

[TDC Nala]

Use this brochure, not the website, to get an idea of how many restaurants are on the plan and where they are located. The website is hard to follow and sometimes just plain incorrect.

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/StaticFiles/DTA-Domestic/pdf/2012Product/2012Dining.pdf

I know there are lots of places at DW but it doesn't seems alot are listed for sit down...

The reason it lists only five restaurants for MK is that MK only has five TS restaurants. You'll find a lot more counter service listed for MK. A sixth TS (at least for dinner) is set to open sometime this year but we don't know when. I'm not sure when you say "restaurants at DW" you are referring to Magic Kingdom or to the entire Walt Disney World resort. There are 74 WDW table service restaurants that accept dining reservations, and three that do not accept reservations. Only a few of these, maybe five or six, do not accept the dining plan.

As noted, one of the issues with prepaying for your meals is that you want to make sure you eat those meals, so it's suggested you have plans and reservations for your table service restaurants if you have a dining plan.

 

[icc2515]

We love the dining plan and always save money by using it. We only eat at buffet type places for dinner. We always have lunch with a dessert and a large beverage and we always get a $4-$5 snack. We hardly ever do breakfast and if we do it is OOP. That being said this is the way that we like to eat. It is not for everybody. If you are the type of people that share a lunch, have an appetizer for dinner, and would have an apple for your snack do not get the dining plan. Look over at allears and see what you would like to eat and add it up.

Now as for the tied to reservations thing. Now days you just about have to have reservations for a TS meal. I remember when I used to go many years ago. You could call and get same day ressy's no problem. As a matter of fact Epcot had little video phones for making reservations during your trip. Boy have things changed. I would rather be tied to a reservation than wait for an hour to get a table.

 

[DisGirl1971]

My wife and I are going in late October. We've been there 15 times but not in the last ten years...teenagers!! Now we'll go to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I've been kicking around the dining plan but haven't decided one way or the other. Do I want to be tied to reservations at a place at a certain time...it seems so few of all the restaurants are on the plan, eg. 4 restaurants in the MK ...not being the biggest eaters, would it be more economical to pay for smaller meals at different restaurants in cash ? What are your thoughts, pro and con ? PS First but not last post Thanx in advance....

Well, no one has mentioned it, but for the last few years there has been a free dining discount in late October. So, if you are wanting to try the Dising Dining Plan that is the way to do it. Here is a link here on the Disboards that has all the Free Dining booking info, historic dates and release dates:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2771101

Also, we love the Disney Dining Plan, can't imagine going to WDW without it. We paid for it before, but we now tend to try to book all of our trips around free dining promos. Of course, I don't mind making my dining reservations 6 months in advance and I don't feel "tied down" by eating 1 sit down meal per day.

 

[nooneshome]

We are not big eaters so the only way I would use it is if we had FD. Each dining plan is way too much food for our family.

 

[DJFan88]

Addressing the tied down concern: If you do decide to get the plan, it is actually not a tied down feeling but a freeing feeling to have the ADR's. I usually know which park we may be at, because it helps to know if you are going for an early entree (or avoiding a park because of an early entree). When you are starving, is no time to try and find a place to eat. Also, consider hopping over to a nearby hotel for lunch or dinner. (example - to CR, or Poly if at MK)(the walkway to BC/YC from Epcot).
We've done it both ways, and having a plan led to much better experience. If you do not get the DP, still have a plan -- plan a couple table service ADR
s and whatever quick service locations you may want to visit, know what and where they are. There are some good quick service location's out there, so if you plan on being spontaneous and going to them, at the minimum, know which ones to visit so you get decent food. Check allears or the menus listed on this site like suggested above.

 

[yj3bjb]

YOU guys are all fantastic....thats why boards are so nice....alot of info quickly....and from different points of view. Keep it up.