Disney's Dining Plan

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Can anyone tell me if you really do SAVE some money by purchasing one of the Disney dining plans? We are staying at the WL next November. We'll be using the Magical Express so we won't have the opportunity to stop at a grocery store and fill a cooler with light meals and snacks. There will be four of us, two adults and two 17 year olds.

Thanks in advance.

 

[OKW Lover]

It really depends on your dining habits. If you work at it, the dining plan can save you money. But I suspect that most people would have been better off paying out of pocket and just dining normally.

 

[butiflfeet]

I think the only way you can know is if you research the death out of it! I looked at the menues on this website and http://www.allears.net for the restaurants we would like to eat at and the cost of the meals we would likely eat. For just my husband and I we expect the Deluxe Dining plan will save us well over $200 for our trip if not into the $300 range.

Do your research and compare costs with paying on your own and paying on the plan. It works for us with the plan we chose but it certainly doesn't work for everyone.

 

[angieheinrich]

What a great site (allears.net). Thanks for that valuable resource!!

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I think it's simple. Does your family normally do, or want to do, at least one sit-down/table service restaurant per day? If so, then the basic DDP will save you money. Even before the DDP we always did at least one sit-down/table service/character meal per day, so we save money by getting the basic DDP. I am finding even greater value in it for our upcoming December trip, as most of the meals we have scheduled would be subject to the "holiday pricing" if we were not on the DDP. So on our December 12 - 21 trip we are saving almost $500.00.

 

[Twitterpated Dad]

I think the only way you can know is if you research the death out of it! I looked at the menues on this website and http://www.allears.net for the restaurants we would like to eat at and the cost of the meals we would likely eat. For just my husband and I we expect the Deluxe Dining plan will save us well over $200 for our trip if not into the $300 range.

Do your research and compare costs with paying on your own and paying on the plan. It works for us with the plan we chose but it certainly doesn't work for everyone.

We saved a lot more than that. In 2005, we did a week offsite, followed by 9 or 10 nights at OKW with "free dining." We were a party of 7 and had at least 3 or 4 dinners at Epcot that "cost" more than our entire nightly room rate. (I believe we were paying about $400 for a 2br.) Granted, we had several teenage boys with us. So, when people talk about the old dinning plan having too much food, I just laugh. (Too bad we'll probably just get the CS plan with "free dining" this year.)

 

[cruiseconvert]

Since you mentioned not having the grocery stop, I can tell you one thing I would do differently if we go again using DDP. As I have always done in the past, I brought muffins and things along to the hotel so we could eat a quick breakfast in the room before going to the parks. Last month, on DDP, we were so full from our CS and TS meal each day that my daughter and I didn't want our snacks. Next time, we would just plan on using our snack credits for breakfast items. So, if you would be buying breakfast OOP, that would be a savings.

 

[B-Ride]

Since you mentioned not having the grocery stop, I can tell you one thing I would do differently if we go again using DDP. As I have always done in the past, I brought muffins and things along to the hotel so we could eat a quick breakfast in the room before going to the parks. Last month, on DDP, we were so full from our CS and TS meal each day that my daughter and I didn't want our snacks. Next time, we would just plan on using our snack credits for breakfast items. So, if you would be buying breakfast OOP, that would be a savings.

I agree totally. We did 8 days on the Dining Plan last week and for our family it is more than enough food. We originally brought some breakfast bars at a grocery store but then discovered great pastries at the resort. On some of our mornings we used a snack or two to buy some pastries to share for breakfast. My wife is not a big eater so we had to be creative to user up her counter service credits.

Still, I think the Dining Plan saves you money. I calculated the cost of our food to be about 450$ more than the cost of the plan. Of course we were on the Free Dining so we saved even more. But as others have said, this only works if you eat at a Table Service restaurant every day for dinner (lunches and breakfasts are not as expensive). That said, I wouldn't get the Dining Plan unless you are willing to make your ADRs well in advance to ensure you get a Table Service meal in a restaurant of your choice for every night of your stay.

 

[TDC Nala]

Your party is all adults for dining plan purposes so you would have to calculate whether or not it would be a value for you.

Would you normally eat a table service meal every day? Do you mind scheduling meals and taking time out from doing other things in the parks to attend table service meals? In order to maximize the value of the dining plan, some go so far as to schedule TS for dinner only and plan to order the most expensive menu items (because tips are not included, ordering more expensive items does result in a higher calculated tip).

Would you normally have everyone in the party order an entree and a dessert with every meal? Everyone would be entitled to a dessert on basic dining for lunch or dinner at every TS and every CS. If you don't order the desserts, you lose some value on the plan. Would most people in your party order appetizers rather than desserts? Appetizers are not included in the basic dining plan, only desserts. The dining plan can hold its value if you order appetizers off-plan infrequently. The more you go off-plan, the more you may want to think about your restaurant eating habits and whether the plan will actually result in your spending less money than you would have if you didn't use it.

For value maximization, you'd need to plan to not skip TS meals, although it may be possible for you to trade them down for CS and snacks. For the dining plan to be as much value as possible, it's necessary to use all your credits the way they were intended to be used. Some posters report getting tired of TS meals (especially on long trips) and not using the credits.

 

[septbaby]

You have 17yos, not sure if they are young men or women, but esp. if they are young men the DP is like appetite insurance. I could not imagine feeding a typical active 17yo w/o the DP. It is a discount plan startig with saving you 6.5% because your sales tax are included.

Let's say you decide to have dinner at Chef Mickey's: $30 per adult or $120 for your family, plus tax $128. The DP would cost your $152. So for $24 more you family would get $12 in snacks and with 4 CS meals valued at $40-60. You'd save at least $30 that day alone.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

We saved a lot more than that. In 2005, we did a week offsite, followed by 9 or 10 nights at OKW with "free dining." We were a party of 7 and had at least 3 or 4 dinners at Epcot that "cost" more than our entire nightly room rate. (I believe we were paying about $400 for a 2br.) Granted, we had several teenage boys with us. So, when people talk about the old dinning plan having too much food, I just laugh. (Too bad we'll probably just get the CS plan with "free dining" this year.)

The free dining bounceback for 2009 is for the basic dining plan, just the same as 2008. I guess there is always the possiblity that they will only offer the CS Dining Plan in April when the FD Promo comes out for the general public. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Glampire31]

can someone tell me when the free dining option ends at Disney...... Is it in Sept Cause we are going in Nov and it will probably be over by then.

Just curious is all.

 

[TDC Nala]

The booking window for the 2008 free dining offer has passed, so it can't be booked for any 2008 trip right now.

Free dining has never been offered in November. The latest has been the beginning of October. The last free dining booking date for 2008 was September 27, but guests checking in on that date could get a free dining package for up to 14 nights past that date.