Disney Dinning plan

[minniemoms]

I was searching old threads, trying to find out about Disney Dinning plans. Then I think I saw they changed the name, and just wondering who has used it? What the current price is? Is this different than a regular dinning plan that you purchase at the resorts? Do you like it? Is it worth it? Or does everyone just dine in.....

 

[Tara]

You might be having trouble finding threads with current information if you are searching for "dinning" instead of "dining."

That said, I've used the Disney Dining Plan twice, both when appetizers and tip were still included. (Once it was free and once I paid for the DDP.) Since then I've decided that the Tables in Wonderland discount card works much better for our family. As AP holders, we can purchase this for $75 and get 20% off almost all our meals. Since we eat a lot of signature restaurant dinners and virtually no quick service, the DDP doesn't work out too well for us.

This year I'm trying the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan for the first time. It's a trip where I have breakfast AND dinner ADRs every day because we're staying in a moderate and my son eats nothing served at quick service for lunch or dinner. And the best way to get food in him is a buffet breakfast, so we have those scheduled each morning. The DxDP works out about the same as the TIW discount - and includes snacks, which for us will be lots of frozen lemonades as it will be very hot when we're there in 13 days! How it works remains to be seen, but on paper it looks about the same and I'm willing to give it a shot.

There are only a few levels of the plan and they're the same regardless of how you purchase them. There's the Dining Plan, Deluxe Dining, and Quick Service Dining (no table service credits). There's also a wine & dine plan that includes a bottle of wine per night of your stay, but I don't know all the details for that. There's also a premium (platinum?) plan that includes recreation as well.

If you are a DVC member, you can buy the DDP, DxDP QSDP and I think the wine & dine plan. There is no season upcharge for dining plans for DVC members, but at peak times, regular customers will pay $2-$4 more per person per night for plans.

Another benefit of buying through DVC is that you don't have to buy any admission. If you buy dining as part of a package through central reservations/WDTravel Co, then there's a minimum admission purchase per person as well. (AP holders booking AP room discounts are also eligib

Another advantage of buying the dining plan through DVC is that you pay for it on check in, not in advance. This supposedly will change soon, but no one really knows when "soon" is. (and some don't see it as an advantage since the only real benefit of dining for many is pre-paying food costs, so they'd rather pay ahead of time)

 

[tractortippin]

I know a lot of people dont like the dining plan....we LOVE it!!!

The first time we tried it was during free dining and we've done that a couple times but we've also paid for it a few times.

We are big fans! I think its very worth the $. If you look at what 1 meal will cost you its almost as much as dining for the day.

Everyones different, but I would say at least try it...

 

[rklives]

its well worth it, we added up the costs of meals on several trips and we always came out much cheaper with the dining plan

 

[LovinmyDisneylife]

DH and I have been using the dining plan for the past 4 years and we are pleased with it. I do miss the days where the regular dining plan came with appetizer and tip was included. With that said we do always come out ahead by using the dining plan. For the regular dining it's $41.99 per adult per night. It's also a nice feeling knowing that your food expense is already taken care of. I believe it's well worth it.

 

[DebbieB]

You maybe thinking of the Disney Dining Experience card, which has been renamed Tables in Wonderland. It's a discount card available to Florida Residents and AP holders.

There's a thread that has all the details of the various 2010 dining plans:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2353648

 

[Anthony1971]

All are different we have used it for short trips for longer ones we do not anymore. If you have a younger children 3 and up to ?? most do not want to sit for an hour plus meal everyday... on the other hand If it is just adults you can do OK with the plan.

 

[drfish54321]

we love using the dining plan. that way you don't even have to look at the price of the food you are ordering. you order what you want and it is allready paid for

 

[minniemoms]

DINING.... Opps..
So, you get 1 quick, 1 snack and 1 table service.
I think I read Cape May buffett is included but NOT Yachtsmen steak...
So if cape may is about 38.PP and the DDP is 47??? That's probably pretty good. There are 4 adults. 2 -18 boys that eat a lot. So.. Trying to decide if is is worth it..
Thanks for all the responses...

 

[Tara]

DINING.... Opps..
So, you get 1 quick, 1 snack and 1 table service.
I think I read Cape May buffett is included but NOT Yachtsmen steak...
So if cape may is about 38.PP and the DDP is 47??? That's probably pretty good. There are 4 adults. 2 -18 boys that eat a lot. So.. Trying to decide if is is worth it..
Thanks for all the responses...

It's a misspelling I've actually seen a lot here! Yachtsman dies rake the dining plan, but it's a 2-credit per person restaurant. With older teens, it could be a good deal. With pre-teens who pay as adults but still want to eat child menu items, it might not work as well.

 

[saintstickets]

I was searching old threads, trying to find out about Disney Dinning plans. Then I think I saw they changed the name, and just wondering who has used it? What the current price is? Is this different than a regular dinning plan that you purchase at the resorts? Do you like it? Is it worth it? Or does everyone just dine in.....

Here is my analysis of the DP from our recent trip. It is post #9 of this trip report - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2481750. I took all our receipts and compared the DP cost vs what it would have cost paying cash. I also compared the TS meals vs TIW. A lot depends on what you plan on eating and if you want a dessert with each meal. I hope the numbers will help in your decision. Have fun!!

 

[JimMIA]

The best place to get info on the Disney Dining Plan, oddly enough, is on the Disney Dining Plan board in the restaurant section of the DIS.

As far as pricing and valuation of options, I think there are only two analytical techniques.

One is to compare the price of whatever DDP plan you chooose to the inflated menu prices of the Disney food outlets. (We find all of them to be about 25-40% overpriced.) Making that comparison is a fool's bet because the DDP is obviously priced to win that comparison.

The other possible comparison is to compare the cost of DDP vs. what you would actually spend paying cash. If you would not really eat dessert with each and every meal, cash may work out better. If you would not eat a sit-down dinner every single day (with dessert every time) cash might work out better.

Also, because of the pricing structure, the composition of your group matters greatly. If you are 2 adults, one 10 year-old and one 12 year-old, you're going to have a tough time justifying DDP. If you are one adult with 3 <10 kids, you'd be nuts not to get DDP.

If you have a car, eating offsite will almost certainly save significant money. However, if you are a captive onsite, and you really would do a sit-down meal or character meal every day, DDP may save you some inflated dollars.

That's the money part, but cost/value is not the only legitimate reason for buying DDP. Some people simply like having their food expenses pretty much known prior to the trip and paid in advance. OTOH, other people don't like having their vacations revolve around dining arrangements. Those are personal considerations and nobody here knows your family as well as you do.

It's best to consider all of the angles realistically, and make the best decision for your family. DDP does not work well for our family (2A, 1 C), but it may be great for yours.

 

[princessvacg]

I just found out from Member services that DVC members do not have to the upcharge for the 4th of July season. That made my decision to buy. For 3 of us it was $18 more per day. I was going to cancel until they said we did not have to pay that increase!! We have 2 reservations, AKL and BLT. We did not do it for the first 5 nights but we will for the last 5 at BLT. We are going to be concierge at AKL so being we will not have to pay for a lot of the little extras including breakfast and snacks so we are saving money by not getting the DDP. When we move to BLT that is when we do all the steaks and seafood and the DDP definitly save us money. I can not wait 20 more days!!!!!!!!