Disney Dining Plan..yes or no...

[BLTSam]

Just trying to get a feel for everyone's opinions...with the AP and/or DVC dining discounts, does it seem like a better deal to get the dining plan or not?

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

Just trying to get a feel for everyone's opinions...with the AP and/or DVC dining discounts, does it seem like a better deal to get the dining plan or not?

Since joining DVC we have not purchased the DDP. We've gotten AP's and the Tables in Wonderland card. I doubt that we would ever do the dining plan again.

 

[Lost in Neverland]

We do get the dining plan due to we are not AP holders plus the fact that we would have to eat out a lot more than we do to recoup the expense of the TIW. For our one trip per year the DDP works well for us.

 

[We_love_WDW]

We use the dining plan...I think it is a good deal

 

[bangzoom6877]

We were going to get the DDP (actually we did originally add it and canceled it), but then decided against it.

We have 7-day base tickets. If I upgrade my ticket to an AP, I can cuy the TIW card. As DVC members, I will pay $100 less for the AP. Then, as an AP holder, I will only pay $75 for the TIW card (instead of $100 for FL residents...and we're not FL residents).

I did the math...we had more TS meals planned than CS, for which we would have had to pay OOP in addition to the DDP...not to mention that we wouldn't need 40 snacks. So...even with paying the difference for one AP, and paying for the TIW card, if I add those numbers plus the price of an average TS meal for us, we will be paying the same for food, but eating what we want where we want. Since we are spending 10 nights on Disney property (only going to Disney parks, and enjoying the resort and DTD the other days), the TIW card makes sense for us.

We only go every other year, but the TIW makes more sense right now than the DDP. We also get the occasional glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage with our dinner, so it is an added bonus that those are also discounted with the TIW card.

If we were going to WDW more than once per year we would all have APs and we would get the TIW card...the card is good for one year.

 

[hopare]

We are doing the dining plan in Nov. Our kids love the character meals like Chef Mickey's and the Crystal palace. I want to try Boma and le Cellier so it seems like it will work well for us.

 

[maryloubsw]

I am an obsessive planner so the DDP worked well for us, I had our ADR's all set up and used the DDP to get the full advantage. I didn't like the fact that I got desserts with every meal, would've rather not but whatever it was vacation and the convienence of it was priceless. I am doing DxDP next trip. I'm not an AP member or FL resident and only go to DW once a year so DP is worth it for us.

 

[Dean]

Just trying to get a feel for everyone's opinions...with the AP and/or DVC dining discounts, does it seem like a better deal to get the dining plan or not?

There are so many variables for how the DDP works that it's impossible to make a blanket statement. It varies with your dining style, restaurant choices, length of stay, timing of arrival/departure, preferred restaurants and how well you plan dining reservations (for those with TS credits). You should spend some time reviewing the menus for places you prefer and/or have eaten at to see how the numbers seem to work for you. Often we can eat cheaper than the DDP for 2 TS meals per day but we an also plan and get a lot of "paper savings" using the DDP to try things we would not normally get.

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

I like to think of the dining plan like this:

Your average full sit-down meal (drink and entree) will cost you $40 (give or take, depending on where you go)... which is the price of the dining plan for each night.

Your average counter-service meal (drink and entree) will cost you $15 (give or take).

Your average snack will cost you $1.00-$5.00.

Based on this I draw the following generalization:

For the regular dining plan: If you commit to Disney to pay for a sit down meal each night of your stay, and pre-pay for this, then Disney will give you: One free counter-service meal per night of your trip, one free snack per night of your trip, and desserts for each of your table and counter service meals. This gives you a value of $15-$20 for each night.

For the deluxe dining plan: If you commit to Disney to pay for two sit down meals each night of your stay, and pre-pay for this, then Disney will give you: One free sit-down meal, two snacks, a resort refillable mug, and desserts and appetizers for each of your meals. This gives you a value of $50-$75 for each night, plus the resort refillable mug.

For the quick-service dining plan: If you commit to Disney to pay for two counter-service meals each night of your stay, and pre-pay for this, then Disney will give you: Desserts for each of your meals, two snacks for each night of your stay, and a resort-refillable mug. This gives you a value of about $5-$10 for each night and the resort refillable mug.

Now, obviously, this only works if your eating habits match that of the dining plan. For a lot of people these plans are too much food and would rather split an entree and dessert, they'd rather have appetizers instead of desserts, or they'd rather have an adult drink instead. For them, the extras provided don't have any value to them which makes it hard to justify the plan.

For some people (who eat very much like the dining plan prescribes), the plan provides a great value. I also like the fact that before I go, it's VERY easy to budget. The cost is fixed, it's easy to budget for, and once it's paid for I don't have to worry about anything else.

I hope this helps

 

[La2kw]

We've never done it, and don't plan to either. We use TIW. We don't eat TS every day, but do enjoy one about every other day. There's no DDP for that. Plus, I don't need three desserts a day.

 

[disneynutz]

It all depends on how much food means to you and do you love to eat at Disney?

We have found that on the DDP's most of the day is spent eating and planning to eat.

As far as value, you need to look at the price of the plans and the normal cost for the type of food that you would order.

Bill

 

[sissy_42]

It depends on what kind of trip you have planned. When I had my nephews with me last year I got us the QSDP and was worried it would not be enough for the boys. Oh was I wrong! We has so much left over it was insane! I'm going with my BF this year and considered the DP but I we are really only planing a few TS meals and it is during F&W so I want to have as much flexibility as possible. Plus with only grown-ups we can wander around more.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I can actually use it or not use it. We enjoy the DP and always go on adult only trips, no children. I think it is just nice to have your dinning at WDW sorta "paid" up front....if that is how you eat.

 

[Crystal_27]

We always opt for the dining plan (not for any cost savings, just for the convenience - - although we do usually see savings of a couple hundred dollars). We usually build one sit-down meal into each of our days, and having an additional CS and snack helps fill in the gaps. I'm a bit bummed to read that Disney has taken away some of the great snack credit items that were offered in the past (i.e., the make-your-own creations at Goofy's Candy Co.) but I'm sure we'll manage somehow...

 

[speakupjc]

We love the deluxe dining plan. One time we tried cooking all meals in our villa and found out that we weren't saving money over what we would have spent on the dining plan.

 

[DisneySJB]

I forgot to add the dining plan for our most recent trip. I didn't realize what a good deal the dining plan was until we had to pay out of pocket. One dinner at Boma pays for an entire day of DDP. We loved it before, but going without sealed it for DH and me.

 

[Hollymom1229]

For DH and I, TIW makes more sense than the DDP. We split so much when we eat at restaurants that the DDP is really too much food. Also we love apps, but aren't huge dessert people. We also love adult beverages and the TIW gets us a discount on those. So it works best for us.

 

[katieandemismom]

The DDP works well for our family. We have two girls who are still children by Disney standards. Dh can't drink (alcohol) so neither do I. I also discovered on our last trip how much I enjoy sit-down meals (we did the QSP - never, ever again). We order groceries for breakfast, eat a qs lunch, and finish the day with a nice dinner. When I figured out the cost of the TIW card vs DDP, we came out waaaaaaay ahead with DDP. This may completely change once the girls hit 10 years old. No alcohol and young kids makes it a no-brainer for our family.

 

[Sandisw]

We will most likely always do a split stay so we have gotten the DDP for one part of the stay and the QSDP for the rest.

We don't like being tied down to all those TS meals and right now, we are allowed to book separate plans when we change resorts. As long as we can continue to do this, we will get the DDP for the first part of our stay.

If, at any time, they change this and both reservations need the same plan, then we will go without it as I don't want to be tied down to nightly sit downs. I would still probably book ADR's for each night of our trip, but cancel out those nights that we decide not to use when we get there.

Good luck!!!

 

[lark]

We have an upcoming trip planned for 7 days. I made 5 ADRs for TS and then tried to calculate what we would spend out of pocket for those TS meals not counting gratuity but counting tax. It came out to about $480 for 5 meals -- two character meals, the fantasmic dinner package, and two other TS meals (Biergarten and Whispering Canyon).

The cost of the dining plan for the same 7 days would be about $755. So, for the extra $275 we would get: 2 TS meals, 28 counter service meals, and 28 snacks. I can't imagine we'll actually eat all those desserts, or even 28 snacks. But in looking it over, it does seem to me as though I'm getting a much better bargain by getting the DDP even if we just get 1 counter service per day for five days.

The math is really being affected by the fact that we're going in July. Disney now charges a premium for character meals during the summer, which jacks up the cost of all that table service if we go out of pocket. But, for DVC members, there is no seasonal premium added to the dining plan.

Still haven't decided, but I'm having a hard time seeing the downside to the DP. I guess we could be losing value if we don't add in those 2 TS meals. And, frankly, I'm not thinking I want table service every day. At a minimum, though, we could use them for room service, which is not something we would ever do otherwise. At a minimum, I will use most of those counter service meals, and the ability to just grab a bottle of water with a snack credit whenever we want in the park seems like it will add up over time and make it worth it.