Dining plan?????

[Gamblers]

I do not know if this is the correct forum but here goes......I am trying to decide whether the dining plan is worth buying or not. Our travel agent has suggested that when we book our trip that she highly recommends that we include the dining plan. We have two adults and two children. We are planning on going Dec 10-17 the meal plan would run us $896. We are planning to go to Chef Mickeys, Breakfastosaurus, and Sci-Fi. Does this plan include these places? What does it include? Is this plan really that good of a deal?
thanks in advance

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

The dining plan includes one table service meal, one counter service meal and one snack for each person for each night of your stay (not day). It is about $100 per day for two adults and two kids between 3 and 9. The table service meal either includes the buffet with drink, tax and tip (like Chef Mickey's and Breakfastosaurus) or one appetitizer, one entree, drink, dessert, tax and tip at order-off-the-menu places like Sci-Fi. Almost all restaurants are included. It can be a very good value if you are planning to eat a table service meal each day. For breakfast, Chef Mickey's is 18.99 for adults, plus tax and tip. For dinner, it is 27.99 for adults. With tax and tip, the dinner alone is almost the cost of the plan for the day, plus you get a counter service meal and a snack. We did dinner at the 1900 Park Faire in January - the cost for me, DH, DD7 and DD4 for one meal was $100 - that is an entire day on the Dining Plan.

Now for the bad news: If you do not want to eat table service every day or do not want to plan ADR's in advance, you might not get your money's worth. If you typically share entrees or wouldn't order an appetizer or dessert, it might be too much food and you can go for cheaper on your own. If one of your kids is 10 or older, they pay the adult price, even if they really just eat chicken nuggets (they would pay the adult price out of pocket as well, though, at least for the buffets). Some table service places count as two table service credits - Hoop De Doo Revue, Jiko, Cindy's table, some others I can't remember. Also if your table meals are mainly breakfast, you wouldn't get as much value as you would at dinner since dinner costs more. However, if you want to eat at Le Cellier (very popular on the dining plan), you could easily spend $50 per person just on dinner if you chose accordingly.

Check out allears.net to see menu prices of places you are likely to go, and determine how many table service meals you might want. The Dining Plan can be a very good value, and lots of people like to know that their food is paid for befor ethey get there. Allears has a good description of what is included. Good luck planning!

 

[Ilovefozzie]

The PP was right on the money... I couldn't have explained it better.

We use the DDP and love it. Last year we ate at several restaurants that we wouldn't have stepped into without the plan. I know there were several days where we saved more than we paid. In fact we had more than half our snack credits that we had to use on our last day. We took 13 mickey rice krispie treats on the plane with us.

 

[JenEeyore]

Here is an awesome link right here on DIS that lists all the participating restaurants and many have sample menus to review.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/MagicYourWaydining.htm

There is also a whole discussion forum on DDP on the Restaurants board if you want to research more:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=116

We haven't personally used it yet, but I've heard good things especially if you want to try many character meals where you'll get good value out of the plan, or use some of the 2 credit meals to get bang for your price.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

The PP was right on the money... I couldn't have explained it better.

Thanks! That was sweet.

 

[Michigan]

We just got back and used it and I would NEVER go again without it! It was great It was me and my 2 daughters one is 9 and the other is 17 our meals for the 3 of us for the day was between $140 & $180.

1900 Fare evening buffet with Cinderella was fantastic and the next time will do that one twice and it only counts as one sit down.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I don't use it because for my family we'd spend more $ on the DP than without it. We don't eat table service daily, nor do we want to because for us it takes too much time out of our day and requires too much planning/scheduling. Most days the three of us (DH, myself, and a 12 almost 13 year old) spend less than $100 on food, although on the days we eat TS it is a bit more. When I look at what I actually spend vs. what we would spend on the DP, we do better going it alone.

Plus, I would never in a million years order both an appetizer and a dessert. I couldn't eat it all, and if I tried my already fat self would weigh 500 pounds.

 

[bzzymom]

We love the DDP. We have 2 kids as well. We loved eating at the different countries around the World Showcase at Epcot. Wouldn't go without it.

 

[tripplanner]

We never choose the dining plan. I always get a quote with it, then compare it to the amount of money we typically spend on our Disney vacations. So far, I just haven't been able to justify it. We tend not to get appetizers and sometimes split a dessert or even split our entrees with the kids. I could probably justify it if we really splurged at our meals.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I got the Dining Plan for the first time in December and it was GREAT!!!!! I never want to go without it!!!!! We absolutely LOVE doing a nice sit down dinner each night. To us, it's a part of our whole vacation experience. We love to try new places and this is the PERFECT way to do it! We have two children...1 is 5, and 1 is 21 months.

We are getting it in August FOR FREE!!!!!! (booked using the Bounceback Future Stay program when we were there in December) It will be our cheapest trip YET!!!

 

[Gamblers]

Thanks for all the responses. I think if I go ahead and take the dining plan I will gain 200 pounds!

 

[Ilovefozzie]

Thanks for all the responses. I think if I go ahead and take the dining plan I will gain 200 pounds!

I worried about that too! But we didn't gain a pound. We walked (of course), and we didn't feel obligated to finish everything on our plates. We told that voice in our heads to shut up. You know the one that sounds like your grandmother who tells you to clean your plate before you get any dessert?

 

[belle&beast]

We used the DDP in January 2006 and are using it again in December. The main reason is for the character meals with our kids. They really enjoyed them and it would cost more to pay for those and other meals and snacks than the DDP. So for us, it is worth it. When the kids are older and don't need a break and aren't that into characters. we might rethink it, but for now it works for us!

 

[latexscooter]

I'm another advocate for the dining plan because even if you don't normally eat TS during your stay you can still come out ahead. We recently opted out of the plan and the only thing I can say is NEVER AGAIN! Example:

DH and I went for a few days over marathon weekend. Because I made no intentions of visiting the parks other than one evening after the race we made a room only reservation with no tickets or dining plan. Eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks not on the dining plan is very expensive. For the two of us eating counter service over the 4 days we averaged $102 a day! That is about $20 more than we would have spent on the dining plan and we didn't have nearly as healthy of choices. I ran a marathon with cheesburger, fries, and chicken sandwiches for fuel.

I also hear the argument over and over again that it's too much food, well don't eat it. Just because it's there or a part of the plan you don't have to eat it, or even order it. We've opted out many an appetizer and desert on the plan and didn't feel bad about it. For us, the set cost for the day, even opting out of deserts and appetizers, still put us ahead of the game.

It's always a personal decision but don't let the idea that you have designated TS, when you don't normally do that sort of thing, or quantity be the reason for opting out. It is so cost effective.

 

[Disneyolic]

It was an easy decision to add the DDP on our next trip. Last October we went to the MK for just 1 day. We went to Crystal Palace for lunch, Pinocchio's Village House for dinner, and bought at least a couple of bottled waters, frozen lemonade, and I think an ice cream. When I did a quick total in my head of what we spent in just 1 day, it definitely went over $100. So, with our family of 5 (but daughter is under 3) it is just less than $100 a day to add the plan. Heck, with all that you get on the plan, it really was a no-brainer for us! Plus now we are looking forward to trying some new places and appetizers!