Disney Dining Plan

[jenavive]

My family and I have yet to have done the dining plan for our trips to Disney. Does anyone know how much each plan is per night? Also, for any of you who have used the dining plans, do you feel that they were worthwhile? I am just not sure if having to plan meals and make all the necessary reservations will be worth it in the long run.

 

[disneymayz]

There is a sticky on here about the dinning plans.
We do Quick Service Dinning Plan. You get / per night you stay.....
*2 Counter Service Meals (entree, desert, and drink)
*2 Snack Credits
*Also get a one refillable mug

 

[erionm]

2011 Disney Quick Service Dining Plan Pricing:

• $34.99 per night, per Guest ages 10+
• $11.99 per night, per Guest ages 3-9

2011 Disney Dining Plan Pricing:

• $45.99 per night, per Guest ages 10+
• $11.99 per night, per Guest ages 3-9

2011 Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Pricing:

• $78.99 per night, per Guest ages 10+
• $21.99 per night, per Guest ages 3-9

There is no seasonal adjustment in the pricing.

 

[ajkmom3]

We've used the dinning plan for our trips and have found it worthwhile. I usually make the reservations before we go, but have done it from Disney as well. It's nice to have that done so we're not having the "what do you want to eat" conversation every meal. It's already decided. Also limits our DS11 "growing boy" without us having to be the mean parents on vacation and having the 'don't order the most expensive items on the menu' conversation at each meal. If you eat 2 meals in Disney World, and don't want to waste time going back to your resort to cook a meal (it's vacation, isn't it?!) I think it's a good thing.

Couple of side notes, we usually travel in February, so dining reservations aren't hard to come by. May be different if you travel at a peak time.
Also, had to order off menu when DD was 2 since she could not get DDP. And sometimes children's menu wasn't enough when DS was 9. I shared with him a few times.

Cost is around $46/day for 10+ and $12 for kids 3-9, for standard DDP. Very possible to spend that much at one table service meal.

We like it, but to each his own.

 

[rhax07]

The DDP is extermely worth it, we really did save a lot of money. Plus you dont have the worries of how much the total cost is cuz its all paid up front. I agree that depending on when you go you will either have to make reservations in advance at the table service restuarants.

 

[DHar]

The DDP is extermely worth it, we really did save a lot of money. Plus you dont have the worries of how much the total cost is cuz its all paid up front. I agree that depending on when you go you will either have to make reservations in advance at the table service restuarants.

 

[kristie03]

We've done the dining plan for our last bunch of trips EXCEPT we tried our trip last weekend without and we won't be going out of pocket again.

Truly I believe it does matter how your family tends to eat, but for us the DDP is all kinds of worth it!

 

[Sandisw]

It is worth it if you want to eat the way the plan forces you to eat, you like to know ahead of time what your food budget will be or you would not order what you really want due to price.

We have used both the QSDP and the regular DDP several times. It has been a great deal for most of my family but not really for me. We considered not doing any of the plans this year but have changed our minds.

My DD is taking a friend who has only been to WDW once so we are going to be doing TS meals daily (which we do not normally do). Plus, with the ability to segment my reservation, I am able to get the DxDDP for the first night, nothing for the 2nd night, and have just decided today to do the DDP for the last 3 nights.

This will pretty much cover all our meals (as we can use the snack credit for our breakfast of a muffin, danish, bagel, or yogurt).

I also like knowing what my meals will be and I am someone who will not order what I want because of a price. If I am paying OOP, I will not spend $25.99 for a steak, even if that is what I want. I will chose a lower priced option. It is definitely a mental thing and the DDP allows me to just get what I feel like getting that day.

And, since I won't eat as many meals as I am allowed, my extra CS meals will be used on our last day before heading to the airport for the girls.

 

[disneymayz]

One thing that you need to remember when you factor in cost is the tips. Tips are not included in the meal plan. Sure you don't have to tip but most do and it is not included. Again if you do not want to be held to reservations and having to leave a park/line to make sure you get to your reservation then the quick service is the way to go. Eat when you want and there is a lot of variety.

 

[CarolynFH]

The DDP does not work for us because we like to begin our meals with appetizers or salads, and we rarely order dessert. So DDP creates very unnatural eating patterns and isn't worth it to us.

 

[khcruise]

We spent our first trip there in August 2010. We were convinced we did not need the dining plan as we would eat some meals in our room. We were wrong. We found that fixing meals ourselves was not appealing for us. I guess it really depends on what you typically eat and where. We had reservations at some of the higher end places and we ate out most of our meals. After we got back we commented about how we would have saved money on the DDP. In fact, we would have saved money AND been able to eat even more meals out. Next time we are definately getting the plan.

Whatever you decide, have a blast

 

[bangzoom6877]

Whether or not the DDP is a good value for you is really an individual thing. Sometimes it is based on each individual trip.

Our first family WDW trip was in summer 2008. This was before we became DVC members. It was very easy to see that the basic DDP made sense for our trip because we knew all the TS dinners we wanted, and all of them were price-fixed (character meals, Boma and Biergarten). We had a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old with us. The 3-year-old was on the DDP, the 1-year-old was not and he was free at the price-fixed meals. We ate CS lunches, and my little guy shared our food with us. At times I would get a yogurt for my dessert and give it to him. I knew up front what TS meals would cost OOP since they were all a set price, so I saw that the DDP wold save us a good amount of money. We loved it on that trip.

Our first trip "home" as DVC members was this past July. When I was making plans for our dining, I found that we had several more TS meals than CS meals this time. DH and I knew the basic DDP would not fit into our plans. We looked at the deluxe plan and decided that for 10 nights, it would be too much. We didn't have enough meals planned to cover all the credits, plus among the 4 of us, it would have given us 80 snacks! I then looked into upgrading my ticket to an AP and then purchasing the TIW card. That is exactly what we did. After the trip, I added up the cost of all food, including any snacks we bought, plus the cost of upgrading my ticket to an AP, plus the cost of the TIW card and we came out close to $200 ahead of buying the deluxe dining plan for the 10 nights. So, as it turned out, this was the best option for our July 2010 trip.

Our next trip will be in July 2012. We will be going to our home resort (BWV) so we will be booking this coming August. With the new option of segmenting a reservation but not having to change rooms, DH and I are considering the basic DDP the first night, then 3 nights of the deluxe plan, then 1 night with no plan, then 4 nights of the deluxe plan. Right now it looks like that would fit our plans, but plans can and probably will change. I will just do the same thing I did last time we planned our trip. I will wait until I make our ADRs to see if we should add a dining plan, or multiple dining plans. I have also read several reports of problems during the trip when using a segmented reservation, so it may not be worth it to segment. The last thing I want to happen is going to the front desk one morning to "check-out/check-in" for the new dining plan, and having to wait a while because of a compter glitch or something. We like to be at the park before rope drop, and something like that could alter our park touring plans significantly. So it may be better to stick with the AP upgrade and TIW card just for the peace of mind.

 

[ladyhawk14624]

We just got back yesterday and for the first time we had the DDP. When we booked we weren't sure that it was right for us or that we'd have enough food. We had one QS, 1 TB and 1 snack per day. By the end of our trip we had 5 snack credits still left to use! Most days we shared one or didn't use one at all. We ended up stocking up at the French bakery and the Norwegian bakery. We had made all the reservations before leaving home but changed a couple of them once we were there. There isn't a T.S. meal that we regret, they were all amazing! We never ever felt hungry and in fact after most meals felt like bursting.

We are not DVC members (yet anyway) so I'm not sure how this will all work if (once) we join. We got the "free" dining with our room but I don't think I'd come down again without getting the DDP. It was so worth it! No worrying about paying OOP for anything which really helped us to relax and enjoy our vacation.

 

[szymcl]

Like everyone says, it is a personal choice. I think you should try the dining plan at least once though! I've used it twice, once the ddp a few years ago when the tip was included which was awesome! Then again, just the Qsdp, which included the mugs, which we were going to buy anyway. So for those times it was worth it to us, we were a family of 5, with 3 in their teens/twenties.
When it is just me and my daughter though, we just don't eat a lot at once, so we are better off splitting meals, and eating when we are hungry. Sometimes it is a tiny bit stressful to get all the credits used, and to decide whether or not to use a snack credit or save it (Use them! Sometimes you just run out of time!)
I think of it like the annual pass question and I try to do what will be the least stressful for me. Even if I might be better off with a non expiring 10 day park hopper, I like an annual pass, because there is never a question of "should I not go in today, say at 8 PM just to see one attraction" to save a day on my 10 day pass. Sometimes it is easier for me to just hand over a credit card and order whatever, than to ask what is included on the plan etc.
But try the plan at least once!

 

[mlm5l]

Dining plan is well worth the price. If you paid for the stuff you get outside the plan you will easily pay double.

 

[southerngirl1014]

I think the DDP is worth it. For our honeymoon we went without it and it was annoying to make sure we had enough money for each meal or to be self concious on what we were ordering. This last trip did have DDP and it was great. Even if there were some places we wanted aps (Yak and Yeti is one for instance we got aps!) Or if we wanted a drink it was a lot easier to be ok with that. Why? Because most of the meal was paid for so an extra $10 is a lot better when your bill only has that and tip OOP!

I do think it is a personal choice. I have not had the desire to sit down and map out what we think we would order and see if it is "making our moneys worth". To me having that paid for before hand is worth it enough.

Plus I LOVE making reservations and planning so it also does not hurt my feelings to plan before hand where we will eat. Actually I think that is half the fun!

 

[Chuck S]

It really boils down to your individual family dining habits, how many children (age 9 and under) are in your traveling party and if those children will be happy eating Disney childrens meals,

For us, as two adults that prefer appestizer over desserts and eat our large daily meal at lunchtime rather than at night, the DDP would not save us anything and would limit our choices. In fact, addding up our meal bills, we would pay more for the DDP than we pay out of pocket, and we would not be able to order our preferences.

If, on the other hand, you have a couple of youngsters that are perfectly happy eating mac & cheese and "happy meal" type things, it can be a pretty good value.

 

[Donna M]

We don't like the dining plan. We don't eat every meal out. If you plan to eat all your meals in a restaurant then go for it, but when I looked at menus for what we would eat, the DDP would cost us more than just paying out of pocket. So it really does depend on your eating style.

 

[2binak]

The DDP is not worth it to us. We don't eat dessert with our meals and we don't usually eat the most expensive item on the menu. I've totalled receipts after several trips and there has never been a trip where we would have saved money by using the DDP. Many people will get the dining plan and then make ADR's at the most expensive restaurants & order the most expensive item & dessert on the menu just to "make it worth it".

We (Dh, me & 2 yr old DD who was not on the plan) tried the QSDP this past trip and we broke even, but that was with alot of planning and eating the most expensive QS meals available. I was at the resort store the night before we left trying to spend out remaining snack credits. Between 3 of us, we couldn't use them all. It just wasn't worth the planning & hassle.

 

[aggiemullins]

The problem with the DDP these days is that Disney took it to the point where IMHO it's just barely worth it, price-wise.

Back in the good old days when tips and appetizers were included, it was extremely worth it. Now it's definitely a personal choice. If you eat the way it's set up, then yes, it's possibly for you.

I'm the type of person that doesn't like to sacrifice Park time for waiter time, so I lean to the QSDP. However, there is A LOT of food with the QSDP, so it's difficult to use up.

My family of 4 (2 adults, a 5 year old and 3 year old) went during F&W festival last year (on the QSDP) and were able to use the 2 snacks per day there at the different food booths, which was incredible. I definitely wouldn't have been paying $5+ per F&W snack item, if it was money out of my pocket. After 4 or 5 snacks, we typically weren't hungry and didn't use that day's meal. Plus my children were so stuffed that they just started sharing meals.

By the end of the trip, we had something like 12 meals and 5 snacks leftover that we ended up giving back to Disney! It's hard to feel like you got a "good deal" when you're trying to "burn" your extra meals and snacks. You're basically throwing your savings out the window. However, I hate watching my pennies too, so it's a choice I hate making everytime we go because either way I always feel like I made the wrong one...