Does AAA save you any money on dining?

[jfranklyn]

We have a package booked through AAA for January. We don't currently have the dining plan attached. Does anyone know how much it would be to add it on? We are two adults, and 2 children in the 3-9 category. Does the AAA discount also discount anything on the dining plan? Thanks!

 

[HLAuburn]

It's my understanding that AAA does NOT discount the dining plan. It would be $38 per day, per adult and $11 per day, per child. So a total of $98 a day.

 

[LordAthens]

While AAA doesn't have a discount on the dining plan, they do have their Diamond Card which saves you anywhere from 10-25% at quite a few resturants at Disney.

For what it's worth, the dining plan is a good deal for some people and not such a good deal for others.

For example, just today I went over my "Disney charge" (IE, you're room key) itemized bill from my 2003 trip and realized we really didn't spend all that much on food. Our total for the entire 8 days was $755, subtract the ~250 that I spent on a little shopping spree at World of Disney and Disney@Home (I love that store!), pictures from rides, etc, food "only" cost us ~$320 for 2 people over the course of 7 days. That averages out to ~$40 a day (or for us, $20 per person, per day).

Now granted, most of that was counter service, but then again, I certainly wasn't going hungry either. The Dining option for us this year would add on almost $550 to our 8 day \ 2 person package, that's $69 per day! It makes absolutely no sense for us to add it on. Don't get me wrong, I realize you can work it so that your counter service is "worth" ~20 and your table service is worth ~40 and your snack is worth ~5 and it's a great deal if you eat that much, but some of us don't.

Something to think about

 

[jfranklyn]

Brandon - thanks for the advise. That's the way that I've been thinking all along, but was trying to figure out if the dining plan got discounted, it might be worth it. But my kids eat like birds, and we have always eaten breakfast in our room and lunch we usually brown bag to the parks, so I really don't think we could eat enough food to make the additional $800 it would cost us even close to worth it. But thanks again - so many people talk about the dining plan that I thought I must be missing something.

 

[LordAthens]

Brandon - thanks for the advise. That's the way that I've been thinking all along, but was trying to figure out if the dining plan got discounted, it might be worth it. But my kids eat like birds, and we have always eaten breakfast in our room and lunch we usually brown bag to the parks, so I really don't think we could eat enough food to make the additional $800 it would cost us even close to worth it. But thanks again - so many people talk about the dining plan that I thought I must be missing something.

I understand what you're saying. Like I said, the dining plan is great, if you eat like a horse at every sitting. Tiff and I don't. After a soft drink and a "basic" meal (burger and fries, chicken fingers, etc etc) I'm really not feeling up for desert as I don't want to feel "heavy" running around the parks. And usually never order an appatizer. I thought I was missing something too when everyone was saying how great of a deal it was. I'm really glad I kept my checkout-bill for our room charge. I was actually quite suprised going over it today. I was thinking before going over it that we were spending ~70 a day on food.

If you're eating breakfast in the room and bagging lunch, you guys should get away quite cheap on food in the parks.

Have a great trip!