Disney dining plan

[crista]

If there is anyone who can give me any info on the dining plan that would be great. I was also wondering if as a season passholder we receive a disount when we purchase the plan? Thanks again

 

[Rustyflwr3]

The dining plan is awesome!! You can choose to eat at basically any restaurant on property!! Not all, but the majority!

I believe you must be staying in a Disney resort (not swan and dolphin, shades of green, etc.) and have a MYW ticket package!

The way it works is that you get per person each day:
-One counter service meal (includes appetizer, drink (non alcocholic), entree, and dessert or full buffet and gratuity/service charge)
-One Snack (There are signs all over Disney resorts and parks about what constitutes as a snack--basically, icecream bars, chips, drinks, apples, etc.)- They have to be under 4$ to qualify!
-One table service meal (appetizer, entree, dessert, and non alcoholic dessert)

There are some places that you can swap two counter service meals for one table service meal per person: for example, the dance shows, restaurants like citricos or narcoossees at the GF of Flying Fish at the boardwalk. Also, you are able to get room service with this deal (2 for 1)

As an annual pass holder, you aren't eligible for the Disney Dining plan unless you have purchased MYW tickets separately. You can, however, purchase the Disney Dining Experience card which I think gives you 20% off of your meal at most restaurants on property. I want to say that is around 60$ but you can use it for a party up to 10 or so! We went to the Chefs Domain at Citricos for a thank you dinner during the week of our wedding and was able to get that discount. It saved us close to 200$!

I hope this helps!

 

[SRUAlmn]

We chose to use the Disney Dining Experience instead of the Disney Dining Plan. Here is why...

1. We weren't sure if we would eat that much food everyday.

2. We booked our rooms with our wedding discount, so to be eligible for the DDP we would have to buy 2 1-day MYW tickets and we would have to add the no expiration option, or they wouldn't be any good to us since we're staying with our APs. However, the no expiration option is only good with a 2 day pass. So we would either have to use the tickets one day during our stay and just waste our APs that day, OR buy another day pass which would cost an additional $302.46 (for the 2 days for 2 people with no exp.) on top of the cost of the dining plan.

3. We have the DDE card already which will save us 20% at most of the places we go.

4. We would have 1 day where we had wedding things all day, so we would have to make up for that day another day or by using 2 TS credits for something.


We crunched a lot of numbers and decided that the DDP would cost us around $1000 once we added in all the tickets. We weren't sure that was going to be feasible. We're still discussing it, though, so I'm interested to see more info too.

 

[kmab00]

So what's the difference between the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Experience?

We are using the Dining Plan for our Disneymoon, and I KNOW we won't eat all that food!!!!

 

[SRUAlmn]

So what's the difference between the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Experience?

We are using the Dining Plan for our Disneymoon, and I KNOW we won't eat all that food!!!!

The dining plan is what you have through your MYW ticket package.

The DDE is something available to FL residents and AP holders. It is just a discount card that gives you 20% at almost all TS restaurants, some CS restaurants, and some other perks like free parking and discounts to PI. It costs $60 for AP holders, $85 for FL residents, and is good for 1 year.

 

[bicker]

So what's the difference between the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Experience?

From the Dining Plan FAQ:

The Disney Dining Plan includes one Quick Service Meal, one Snack, and one Table Service Meal per person, per night of your package stay for everyone in the party ages 3 and over.

Is this the same as the DDE card I keep reading about?
No, it is not the same thing. The Disney Dining Experience is a dining discount program for eligible Florida residents and annual passholders, 21 and older, which provides a 20 percent discount on food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages) at a number of Walt Disney World Resort hotel and theme park restaurants and lounges.

There are literally dozens of common questions about the Dining Plan that are answered in the Dining Plan FAQ; you may find it useful in understanding the plan better.

 

[hematite153]

You've gotten most of the general overview so far.

I'd just like to correct a couple of things:

There are some places that you can swap two counter service meals for one table service meal per person: for example, the dance shows, restaurants like citricos or narcoossees at the GF of Flying Fish at the boardwalk. Also, you are able to get room service with this deal (2 for 1)

The swapping of 2 credits for "signature dining" is actually a swap of two table service credits. So, you reduce your total number of "sit-down" meals. That said, if well chosen they can be a great addition to a vacation. (Plus, at least one of the dinner shows is a single TS credit.)

We booked our rooms with our wedding discount, so to be eligible for the DDP we would have to buy 2 1-day MYW tickets and we would have to add the no expiration option, or they wouldn't be any good to us since we're staying with our APs. However, the no expiration option is only good with a 2 day pass. So we would either have to use the tickets one day during our stay and just waste our APs that day, OR buy another day pass which would cost an additional $302.46 (for the 2 days for 2 people with no exp.) on top of the cost of the dining plan.

You do not need to purchase the no-expiration option in order to save the tickets. MYW tickets only begin their 14 day count down to expiry once used. So, you can purchase a 1 day base ticket, and get the DDP. Then, make sure that you do not use the park entry on the 1 day tickets and you can trade them in as a payment towards your next AP renewal. In other words, the cost of your MYW ticket should be thought of as a downpayment towards your next ticket purchase (you can upgrade them instead to a longer ticket if you aren't planning to renew your AP).

You can find more information on the dining plan here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1305783.

Enjoy your stay, regardless of decision!

 

[SRUAlmn]

You do not need to purchase the no-expiration option in order to save the tickets. MYW tickets only begin their 14 day count down to expiry once used. So, you can purchase a 1 day base ticket, and get the DDP. Then, make sure that you do not use the park entry on the 1 day tickets and you can trade them in as a payment towards your next AP renewal. In other words, the cost of your MYW ticket should be thought of as a downpayment towards your next ticket purchase (you can upgrade them instead to a longer ticket if you aren't planning to renew your AP).

You can find more information on the dining plan here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1305783.

Enjoy your stay, regardless of decision!

THANK YOU!!!!!!! I had totally forgotten about that. WOW! We might actually do the dining plan now

 

[SRUAlmn]

Just an update, which might help the OP. My DF and I just spent an hour and made a spreadsheet of all the places we might want to eat while in WDW during our stay. Then we factored in what we would most likely eat (using allearsnet.) Then we took off the 20% DDE discount for the places we would be able to use it and then added tax and tip to each total to get a general amount that we would spend on food without the DDP.

Our total was $937 (1 CS breakfast, 1CS, 1TS, and 1 snack each per day)

The dining plan would cost us $702
Then we would have to add 2 1-day MYW tickets for $143
For a total of $845

Not a huge difference, but enough to make it worthwhile we think. Plus, we'll have the tickets to use next year!! If you just look solely at the food difference, it's pretty big!! We're still on the fence about whether or not we'll really eat that much, but I just wanted to share our findings for others

 

[hematite153]

THANK YOU!!!!!!! I had totally forgotten about that. WOW! We might actually do the dining plan now

You're welcome. Glad to help.

My DF and I just spent an hour and made a spreadsheet of all the places we might want to eat while in WDW during our stay. Then we factored in what we would most likely eat (using allearsnet.)

In a perverse sense of overplanning, I tend to calculate these things with "what I would eat on the dining plan" and "what I would eat without the dining plan" since I am more likely to share appetizers and dessert when paying OOP. Plus, I think that the DDE discount applies to alcohol (I've never had one so I'm not certain). So, if you feel like adding to your spreadsheet you could add some columns with these things factored in. Oh yeah, and don't forget to factor in tax & tip additions to your DDE calculations.

Where and when you eat matters a lot, but my eating habits tend to make the DDP attractive.

 

[SRUAlmn]

You're welcome. Glad to help.



In a perverse sense of overplanning, I tend to calculate these things with "what I would eat on the dining plan" and "what I would eat without the dining plan" since I am more likely to share appetizers and dessert when paying OOP. Plus, I think that the DDE discount applies to alcohol (I've never had one so I'm not certain). So, if you feel like adding to your spreadsheet you could add some columns with these things factored in. Oh yeah, and don't forget to factor in tax & tip additions to your DDE calculations.

Where and when you eat matters a lot, but my eating habits tend to make the DDP attractive.

Glad to know I'm not the only one with a perverse need to overplan!!