Dining Plans are Back!

[CSLucas]

We did it once. Ate way too much. Felt like I was cracking the whip half the time herding the kids into restaurants: "I know you're not hungry but you need to do your part to get our money's worth! So get in there and eat before we really give you something to cry about! Oh...and have a magical day"
Ended up toting two full grocery bags of French pastries from EPCOT to use the leftover benefits at the end of the trip.

Haha, glad I'm not the only one. I also was a crazy-person about trying to get the "good value" snacks and gave my husband a long lecture about using a snack credit instead of cash for a bottle of water. We still had 15 unused snack credits when we left Disney and he has never let me live it down

 

[Stargazer65]

Haha, glad I'm not the only one. I also was a crazy-person about trying to get the "good value" snacks and gave my husband a long lecture about using a snack credit instead of cash for a bottle of water. We still had 15 unused snack credits when we left Disney and he has never let me live it down

We managed to use them all, but we were down to wire at the French Patisserie, just pointing and bagging. I think we had to toss a few sad looking pastries until all was said and done few days later. Just couldn't eat another lol

 

[WIll C]

While it is possible (albeit difficult) to come out ahead on the DP, it is more for those who want to prepay for everything and not have a care in the world.

That's certainly the best part and we liked that but unless you really don't care about pricing on food, it gets out of hand with the higher plans. I guess we'll see how it prices out when it comes back. If they'd give an option to exclude alcohol for a lower price, we'd do it.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

While it is possible (albeit difficult) to come out ahead on the DP, it is more for those who want to prepay for everything and not have a care in the world.

But you still have to tip oop, right?
To me the defeats the entire “everything pre-paid” argument.

I would feel waaaaayyyy too restricted on the DDP.

 

[WIll C]

But you still have to tip oop, right?
To me the defeats the entire “everything pre-paid” argument.

I would feel waaaaayyyy too restricted on the DDP.

Yes, you are still presented with your bill at the end, just nothing owed except for items not on the DP and tip.

It's still nice and easy to use, especially with QS meals and snacks.

 

[The Jackal]

Rooting for TIW! We have a group of 19 going in October & November

Ouch$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[AdamsMum]

Still not sure if I'm sold on the dining plan. We've done a couple of iterations and I'm not seeing it come out for us (we don't drink so that's a major part of it).

I'll take my Visa/DVC table service discount instead.

For me it isn't a financial get even thing. I'm sort of a frugal person, and Disney food prices often have me retreating to the cheapest thing on the menu. I'm also Canadian so I find I'm always trying to add 30% onto the price. I get one vacation a year. I hate coming home with a big credit card bill and I hate that I try to be cheap with myself. I use the quick service plan (depending on what form it comes back as) and book a couple of table service meals during my stay. It is a lot of food though and I often have a bunch of snacks at the end of the trip. I also don't drink alcohol at every meal, so that's a waste for me.
Last year my son came to Disney with me, I booked 2 studios for us and only bought the dining plan for one reservation. Between KTTK tour which provided lunch, moonlight magic, and one table service booking, we had plenty of food for both of us on one dining plan.

 

[sssteele]

Glad to hear they are coming back…. Will this too be geared towards Certain Perks for Certain Guests… kind of like we re hearing that Xtra Hours will be for Deluxe Guests Only?
not sounding very INclusive to me, Disney?
what? Values and mods are not worthy of Xtra Hours? Talk about being disappointing.. and honestly Saddened by it… if it pans out to be accurate as is being reported.
Hmmmmm.

People who spend big bucks get perks.

 

[FionaP]

Yay! Hoping for the return of TIW also!

So what is TIW BTW?

TIW has been back for a while. We used it on our trips in March and May. It is definitely the best discount!

 

[npatellye]

TIW has been back for a while. We used it on our trips in March and May. It is definitely the best discount!

I didn’t think it was back? We weren’t able to buy TIW in May and were told it was unavailable.

 

[npatellye]

Haha, glad I'm not the only one. I also was a crazy-person about trying to get the "good value" snacks and gave my husband a long lecture about using a snack credit instead of cash for a bottle of water. We still had 15 unused snack credits when we left Disney and he has never let me live it down

Same! One and done for us. My husband still won’t let me forget the crap ton of snack credits we had unused when we left.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

TIW has been back for a while. We used it on our trips in March and May. It is definitely the best discount!

If TIW has been back for a while I’ve gotten a bum steer from numerous CM’s, plus the Disney website.

 

[FionaP]

If TIW has been back for a while I’ve gotten a bum steer from numerous CM’s, plus the Disney website.

I have used ours on the past 2 trips. Not only did they not put the program on hold they extended the expiration by 4 months to cover the time they were closed. From the WDW website: “ To provide our Tables in Wonderland members the opportunity to use a full year of their membership benefits, existing memberships affected by the temporary closure of Walt Disney World Resort will be extended for an additional 4 months beyond the printed date of expiration”

 

[FionaP]

I have used ours on the past 2 trips. Not only did they not put the program on hold they extended the expiration by 4 months to cover the time they were closed. From the WDW website: “ To provide our Tables in Wonderland members the opportunity to use a full year of their membership benefits, existing memberships affected by the temporary closure of Walt Disney World Resort will be extended for an additional 4 months beyond the printed date of expiration”

However, I do see that they are not selling new memberships which might be what you are referring to.

 

[FionaP]

I didn’t think it was back? We weren’t able to buy TIW in May and were told it was unavailable.

Yes I just looked- you can use existing memberships (and they extended them by 4 months) but they are not selling new ones.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I have used ours on the past 2 trips. Not only did they not put the program on hold they extended the expiration by 4 months to cover the time they were closed. From the WDW website: “ To provide our Tables in Wonderland members the opportunity to use a full year of their membership benefits, existing memberships affected by the temporary closure of Walt Disney World Resort will be extended for an additional 4 months beyond the printed date of expiration”

Yes, mine was extended as well. The problem is my four extra months are long gone, and they are not selling new cards.

 

[Tiberella626]

Still not sure if I'm sold on the dining plan. We've done a couple of iterations and I'm not seeing it come out for us (we don't drink so that's a major part of it).

I'll take my Visa/DVC table service discount instead.

I LOVE the idea of the dining plan just order what you want it already paid for! In 2007 we.apent a week at AKL for our honeymoon with the "Platinum Dining Plan" that no longer exists but it was pure magic. That is where my love of DDP comes from.

A thing or two has changed in the last decade and we now have 2 kids. We too do not drink regularly. I did a full analysis in 2020 for our trip ended up being a victim of Covid. I looked at every single meal and the menus to determine what we would likely order (spreadsheets were involved). Here is what I found:
The dining plan would save us money over paying cash for everything we received in the dining plan. Now this assumes we would use all snack credits and no one would share or skip any meals. If we paid cash for what we got on the dining plan it would have been $2718. The dining plan would cost us $2330.

However if we ate what we wanted not what we should to maximize the plan we would spend about $2000.

After alot of stress I ended up cancelling our Dining plan. I love the convenience and idea behind it but the kids make it not worth it for us. They would be happy with uncrusables and hot dogs most of the time. I don't need to pay on property prices for that.

 

[starry_solo]

Haha, glad I'm not the only one. I also was a crazy-person about trying to get the "good value" snacks and gave my husband a long lecture about using a snack credit instead of cash for a bottle of water. We still had 15 unused snack credits when we left Disney and he has never let me live it down

Our first trip to WDW, we went to Contempo Cafe and a family who had leftover dining credits that was leaving the next morning bought our meals for us. It's never happened again...

 

[jagson]

With TIW is the 18% gratuity calculated on the full bill before the discount, or the 20% discounted bill?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

With TIW is the 18% gratuity calculated on the full bill before the discount, or the 20% discounted bill?

Before the discount, and before tax. That’s the way it should be.