Do you do the "Dining Package" or not?

[aubriee]

I have an AP and the DDE card. I originally booked room only, using the AP code. I had said I would never do a pkg, because I didn't like the cancellation policy and could do it cheaper booking each component seperately. Blindly I had just never looked at the dining deal. However when the free dining deal came out, I finally had to take a look at it and run the numbers. For us and the way we eat it was too good to pass up. I love trying new restaraunts. To me it's part of the vacation. I canceled my AP room and rebooked paying rack rate at a Value. I'll use the DME card for any extras.

I then got to looking at how much I spent on food for my January and May trips this year and realize I could have saved money by buying the dining plan (if I had been willing to stay in a value resort every time). In order to get one more trip out of my AP I've booked my Dec trip using the AP Best Deal Rate. However when I return next spring, I have every intention of paying for the dining plan. I usually just grab a granola bar/cereal bar for breakfast. When you consider that the dining plan includes a CS, TS, and a snack I would have all my meals prepaid. You would easily spend more than $35.00/day for two meals and a snack. I may also be taking my 9 y/o GD with me in the spring and there is no way I could feed her for $10.00/day. That would barely cover one meal.

 

[MomofKatie]

I wondered about the cost of the Dining plan, too, when booking our trip. We usually do a TS every other day, and do CS otherwise. We were going to pay for the plan, but got it for free when the offer came out.

To compare costs, I went to Deb's site and added up the cost of likely menu items for the 7 days of our vacation. According to the way we usually eat at WDW, the Dining plan was almost exactly the same $$ amount. But, on the plan, we could go to many more TS places. So, we opted to pay for the Dining plan.

I figure, if you don't normally eat all that food, don't order it! You are still saving $$, since you end up spending the same as if you ate CS the whole time. Plus, for me, the real thing that put me over the edge was the fact that we could pick anything off the menu. I tend to be rather- ahem- thrifty at retaurants, and have been known to order according to the price, not what looks the best to me. It is a great thing just to know that the food portion of the budget was (with a few exceptions) already paid for. We could choose to eat what we liked best, not what cost the least. If we wanted appys and desserts, great! If not, thet's fine, too.

To get all that peace of mind for free was an added bonus. And, yes, for us it really is free- we don't have APs, AAA, and there were no codes for our dates. We were going to be paying rack rate anyway, as well as getting tickets from WDW.

 

[Hollymom1229]

It sounds weird, but we are doing a mix of DDE and the free dining. I had an AP Rate and when the free dining came out I ran the numbers and discovered that with our eating habits it would save us about $200. Not a whole lot, but enough to be worth it. We'll be eating at V&A one night and the DDE will come in handy there. Also, I'm going to purchase my entree separately at the signature places. That way it's only 3 apps and 3 desserts. A reasonable amount of food for our group.

 

[clombardi]

When adding your "savings" remember that to get the dining plan you have to pay rack rate for hotel and tickets .

We paid the AAA rate for our concierge room at the Poly, and added the dining plan earlier this month.

 

[thelionqueen]

After booking our trip with the free dining, DH & sat down for quite awhile and did an apples to apples comparison. We planned our menus as if we were paying out of pocket (including splitting large plates, kids meals, etc). After looking at prices & costs for hours (literally) and "dismissing" this restaurant because of cost, this one because of location, etc. we came out with a budget of $1150.00 for a 10 day trip (being conservative). After looking at all the restaurants we would LIKE to go, but couldn't afford, and adding those up it would come to over $1700.00 without the dining plan.

Now, keep in mind, you cannot possibly compare what you would actually buy, with what you would order for free. For example, we would skip an appetizer that we really wanted because of cost....same for dessert. But, if it were free, we would definitely order it.

So, here is the breakdown. You can scavenge, save, plan and sacrifice without the plan, or save TONS of $$ and eat like Kings & Queens with the plan....no brainer to me. Besides getting it free??? If they offered the free dining plan the month after we got back in Oct. I would book again in a heartbeat!

Disney if you're reading this, the free dining plan ROCKS and bring it back every year please!!!!