Disney dining plan

[I❤️Disney]

Im thinking about getting a Disney dinning plan what's your thoughts on it?

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

There are numerous threads talking about the dining plan. You might want to read through so of those.

Whether or not to get the dining plan is a personal choice. You should only make that decision after you have decided how to tour each park and how you plan to fit dining into that plan.

Some trips we get it, some we don't.

 

[FelisLachesis]

My family doesn't get it, but most of us eat rather small.

If your family loves to eat, and wants snacks all day, by all means get it. If your family eats to survive, and doesn't go "oooh, Mickey bars!" everytime you pass the ice cream truck, then save your money.

 

[TeamEvansGo]

My family doesn't get it, but most of us eat rather small.

If your family loves to eat, and wants snacks all day, by all means get it. If your family eats to survive, and doesn't go "oooh, Mickey bars!" everytime you pass the ice cream truck, then save your money.

We are the opposite. We eat responsibly and moderately at home, but at WDW we get the dining plan and we go all out ( I literally do go "ooh! Mickey Bars!" every time I see them)!! So it definitely depends on your vacation eating style.

 

[ears2BWV]

Choosing to get a dining plan requires a little homework on your part. You have to look at the current offerings, quick service only, and the table service options. Next you have to almost pre-pick where you want to eat and look at the menu and prices. It is convenient, and for some it's worth it for that alone. We have done it in the past, but for us now, we just aren't eating at the restaurants or ordering the meals that would make it a wise choice for us.

 

[stickeymouse]

You will hear many differing opinions on this subject. Personally, I like the dining plan, if only for the convenience of it. It's nice to have most of your trip (including meals) paid in full before you go. That said, I do not even consider whether it is a good value. I probably should, but I usually only get it when free dining is offered, and I am willing to pay a little more for the convenience anyway.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

You will hear many differing opinions on this subject. Personally, I like the dining plan, if only for the convenience of it. It's nice to have most of your trip (including meals) paid in full before you go. That said, I do not even consider whether it is a good value. I probably should, but I usually only get it when free dining is offered, and I am willing to pay a little more for the convenience anyway.

It is amazing how so many people do Disney so many different ways. And not one of them is wrong.

Each person needs to figure out what they want to do.

 

[stickeymouse]

It is amazing how so many people do Disney so many different ways. And not one of them is wrong.

Each person needs to figure out what they want to do.

This is so true! Opinions are just that.

 

[samsteele]

I find the Dining Plan works for me but financially only during the Fall Free Dining promotion. Even then, I crunch the numbers carefully each year to decide if it's really financially worthwhile. Worth means different things to different people. For me, the numbers have to work for me to justify it. Others enjoy knowing their food is pre-paid & that's the draw. If you are considering the Dining Plan in terms of whether it is a deal, you really need to put in the time to figure out how much your family spends on food, etc. It is definitely not a deal for everyone and does not fit well or play well with all families.

 

[I❤️Disney]

I find the Dining Plan works for me but financially only during the Fall Free Dining promotion. Even then, I crunch the numbers carefully each year to decide if it's really financially worthwhile. Worth means different things to different people. For me, the numbers have to work for me to justify it. Others enjoy knowing their food is pre-paid & that's the draw. If you are considering the Dining Plan in terms of whether it is a deal, you really need to put in the time to figure out how much your family spends on food, etc. It is definitely not a deal for everyone and does not fit well or play well with all families.

This is our first time going. So I'm sorry not all familiar with everything in the fall you can get it for free?

 

[I❤️Disney]

My family doesn't get it, but most of us eat rather small.

If your family loves to eat, and wants snacks all day, by all means get it. If your family eats to survive, and doesn't go "oooh, Mickey bars!" everytime you pass the ice cream truck, then save your money.

Hahaha we definitely eat a lot on vacation

 

[I❤️Disney]

It is amazing how so many people do Disney so many different ways. And not one of them is wrong.

Each person needs to figure out what they want to do.

That is so true! There is so more to Disney than I ever realized also

 

[dledger]

We have gone with it and without. We mainly like it because we know we can order whatever we want without having to worry. We are also very excited about the addition of an alcoholic beverage, as on our last trip we paid for at least one per meal. But, when we went without we did eat more like our "normal" at home habits and shared a bit more. Personally, we enjoy being able to not worry on vacation so the dining plan is usually a choice we make.

 

[samsteele]

This is our first time going. So I'm sorry not all familiar with everything in the fall you can get it for free?

Disney World releases this promo for booking in the Spring (so months in advance for Fall dates) & it is very popular. If you are using a Travel Agent, you should definitely check to see if there are any WDW hotel rooms left for this promotion. If you are booking yourself, perhaps call Disney to find out availability before booking online. My strong guess would be that there would not be many rooms left at this date. The trade off is usually you must pay full rack rate for your hotel room to get the Fall free dining promo. This does not work well for all families esp if you are looking at some Moderate hotels and esp Deluxe hotels. Do check out some of the Fall free dining threads on the Boards for more details.

 

[aballerina]

This is our first time going. So I'm sorry not all familiar with everything in the fall you can get it for free?

Well .......... sort of free. There is a promotion where you get the dining plan for free if you buy a package including hopper park tickets. However, you pay rack rate for the room so that's why I say it's not completely free. This deal came out in April with limited availability so unlikely you'd be able to get it for this year. You can check it out on the Disney website under "special offers".
As others have said you really need to research to see if it would work for you.

 

[AngieInOH]

We love it. I calculate everything out and we usually do a little better than just breaking even. I love that if my kids want a snack or dessert I'm not thinking about the price, I just say sure!

That may change however once my girls are charged the adult price. It's a big jump in price and I'm not sure I'll be able to justify it.