Does the dining plan save money?

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I just ran the numbers for our June trip, and paying OOP will be at least a few hundred dollars cheaper for us. I have eight TS meals planned for seven nights and will also book Hoop De Doo if they ever open up the June booking. We have three character meals scheduled, but they are all breakfasts because that it what we prefer. We have one signature booked (California Grill) - I estimated the cost for that meal with the most expensive entrees, but I am ordering a custom cake for DD's birthday, so we don't all need $12 desserts at CG. DH will also want to order some sushi (not included on the DDP), so we would have some OOP costs even if we wanted to use 2 TS credits there. Boma is our next most expensive meal at about $40 per person for dinner, but even if the DDP would be a good value on that day, it isn't on other days, like when our TS is 50's Prime Time for lunch and we'll likely have a CS dinner.

You just have to do the math for your particular trip.

I have a good friend who is getting ready to go to WDW, and she is struggling with the same question. She thinks the DDP might not save money, but she places some value on having everything prepaid and not having to feel guilty if she wants the most expensive entree. It might be worth it for her just to help her not worry about how much the final bill will be.

 

[LilGMom]

I have been to Disney, but never used a dining plan. Do you think it really saves money?

Only you can make the call as to if the DDP will save your family money or not.

For my family of four it used to save us some when it was $35/adult and included an appetizer and gratuity. Over the last couple of years it was a break even thing for us. But now that our oldest (10 yr. old) is considered an adult for the DDP and the cost is $52/adult there is no way that the DDP will save us anything.

Even when OOP we tend to have one TS a day but usually don't get four desserts and like an appetizer. We also don't always get four snacks per day so there were DDP trips when we'd be stocking up on snacks the day we left.

I have always done used a spreadsheet where I fill in what the DDP will cost us with the gratuitiy included based on where we would be eating. Then I figure out what it would be OOP using any AP/DVC discounts and what we'd like to order (appetizer instead of a dessert, etc.). Then I compare the two totals and see which would work out better for us. But, like I already said, since our oldest is now a DDP Adult yet still eating like a DDP Child the DDP will not be part of any of our upcoming trips. We can eat a lot cheaper than $176/day if paying OOP.

 

[The_Smiths]

I have to agree that just like every other question in life, the absolute correct answer is "it depends."

It really depends on how YOU do Disney. For my DW and I, the meals are part of vacation for us. Some people choose to make things in their own rooms, eat cereal in the mornings, do all counter service meals, etc. And that's great - really. That isn't how we vacation. Meals are not only part of vacation, sometimes they are a nice respite from the parks (especially when it's hot and crowded).

We went on the Deluxe Dining Plan (3 table credits and 2 snacks per day, and the refillable mug...and dinner includes an appetizer/salad/soup, entree, dessert and a non alcoholic beverage (the standard dining is just entree and dessert and beverage)) as a family in August 2011, and then as adults last week. I can tell you that for US, we made Disney regret offering it as an option . ESPECIALLY the adult trip where (for example) our last evening meal was at Narcoossee's at GF (just...plain...outstanding ). We had calamari, crab cakes (appetizers), I had surf and turf, my wife had whole lobster, and we had dessert. JUST the included portion of our dining plan meal came to $220. And we had breakfast early that morning at Crystal Palace (and just a snack for lunch). This is just an example - for us, the plan was completely worth it.

When we went as a family, we also made it work for us. First, it was so hot that I needed to get my DD out of the sun anyway. We made sure we ordered everything at once, and Disney got us moving along without exception at a nice quick pace (so it ended up being a nice "hey girls, let's sit down for a bite and get some rest"). But, we were able to do things like CRT twice (breakfast and a dinner), and I took DW to California Grill for her birthday, and Hoo Dee Doo Review and we never had to look at a price on a menu, pay for a meal, or hesitate to count "how many credits do we have left??" So for us, the meal plan has worked incredibly well. My extended family chooses the standard dining plan (they do less signature meals, and more counter services) and they've always found the piece of mind of the inclusion to be worth it alone. I tend to agree

However...if you are a Disney guerilla warfare person (get up and attack the parks and you want to eat quickly at the counters for the most part) I can see it not being worth while.

Hope this helps some !!!

 

[lurkernj]

Before this year, I would have said yes, it was worth it. Now, it seems like an effort to make sure you eat $51 worth of food each day or lose out. We're planning a trip later this year with our two teen boys. That would be $204 per day, or $1428 for the week, not including tips. That's just rediculous, unless we can get free dining. We could just pick some less expensive places (50s primetime, plaza, lunches instead of dinners at other places, or even a late character breakfast) to eat and pay oop. That dessert with the CS is mostly not necessary (unless it's a cupcake from starring rolls), we'll generally bring water with us in the park anyway, so no drink necessary, and I'm usually pretty full from dinner and would skip dessert (or split one), and get a snack later in the park.

We've always done free dining, and I would have even paid for it in previous years, but now I think I would lose money, even with teenagers, unless it was "free".

 

[havoc315]

*I will also add that I have NEVER had a bad meal at WDW, ever. I love all the food (and I am a foodie). I think the character meals are great, and the added magic is great for kids (or adults!). With the new 2012 plan *most* of the character dining is now only one credit, meaning you get more bang (or magic) for your buck. We plan to do lots of character meals with our toddler this time.

Overall, I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of food at Disney. Most meals have been pretty good. But I've certainly had some mediocre meals, and some horrible ones. And generally, I found the character meals to suffer from the worst food.
Without getting graphic, I found the food at Chef Mickey to be truly horrendous.
While I didn't find the food at Royal Table to be disgusting, it wasn't "restaurant quality." The quality was what I would expect from a low budget wedding reception.
Of the character meals I've tried, only Crystal Palace fell into the "good range." While not as good as a sit-down restaurant with individually prepared dishes, it's quality was at least comparable to a cruise ship buffet. (which tends to be fairly good).

 

[havoc315]

I have to agree that just like every other question in life, the absolute correct answer is "it depends."

It really depends on how YOU do Disney. For my DW and I, the meals are part of vacation for us. Some people choose to make things in their own rooms, eat cereal in the mornings, do all counter service meals, etc. And that's great - really. That isn't how we vacation. Meals are not only part of vacation, sometimes they are a nice respite from the parks (especially when it's hot and crowded).

We went on the Deluxe Dining Plan

While I agree that it "depends" --- I find that the pricing now is getting to the level where it makes sense for fewer and fewer people, depending on how you eat.
Meals are a BIG part of a vacation for me. I generally don't eat counter service. And I prefer a signature meal every night.
Up until 2012 pricing, the DxDP was a natural fit.

Now... not so much. At best, it's a close call for the DxDP.

During peak season, the deluxe plan costs nearly $90 per adult.

While there are some signature dinners that will cost you $90 just for that meal, most won't.
And while you get 2 snack credits per day -- The deluxe plan includes so much food, that more than half the credits get left over for me. (or trades for rice crispie treats to bring home).
So without the snacks and the mug (which I don't use at all),
I need to get $30 of value out of every credit, just to break even on the food.

Even as a foodie who only does table service, who eats in lots of signatures, that's a pretty close call. Especially as I may not get dessert at every meal.

Take this example -- Doing 2 signatures in 1 day!!! Brown Derby for lunch, and Artist's Point for dinner. (A real day of ADRs on our upcoming trip).
So it would be 4 credits -- would need to spend $120 to make it worthwhile on dxdp in peak season:
Brown Derby lunch:
Lobster Bisque app -- $10.
Free range chicken entree -- $28
Grapefruit cake dessert -- $7
Beverage -- $3
About $51 with tax.
Artist's Point dinner:
Portobello soup app-- $9
Pork tenderloin entree -- $29
Cobbler dessert -- (though will probably be too full for dessert) -- $10
beverage-- wine, not covered by meal plan.
Total with tax -- Again, about $51.

So would need to spend $120 to break even on food under the deluxe plan -- but actually spent $102. Even with snacks, would have lost money.

Not saying you can't get value from the dxdp. It's still the best of the dining plans and easiest to get value from -- But much less clear cut than it used to be.

 

[The_Smiths]

That's a good point, havoc...I do have to admit that when the prices went up from the August 2011 trip to our January 2012 trip, we debated about the DxDP. And even then, it kind of depends...

I think we can all agree, if you're not doing a majority of table service meals the dining plan (or the DxDP) is likely not worth it.

IMHO, the only way to figure out if this makes sense is to plan out a mock vacation with meals, look at the menus and price it out. That's what we did. I can tell you that neither my DW nor I got a single entree (for dinner, that is) that was less than $43.00. Not because we felt we HAD to mind you, but because we wanted it and we knew we could. We found ourselves ordering what we WANTED regardless of price. At Narcoossee's for example, which ended up being our best meal (we ate at AP, CG, FF, and Yachtsmans as well), my ENTREE alone was $68.00 and my DW's entree was $65. I can tell you that my filet and lobster tail was amazing...best I have had in a while...and I never would have ordered it if I was paying OOP cause I wouldn't have gotten past the cost

Now...do you find yourself getting more than you might otherwise especially on the DxDP? I think you do. 2 appetizers and 2 desserts is likely more than we would do if it were OOP for us...but, we got to try alot of different things too. I think we definitely COULD have gone cheaper if we wanted to...we didn't want to ;-). It was like getting a deluxe resort at moderate prices in our heads...we got to live large, and pay at a discount.

That being said, if it goes up another $10 and you can completely disregard this post

 

[havoc315]

IMHO, the only way to figure out if this makes sense is to plan out a mock vacation with meals, look at the menus and price it out. That's what we did. I can tell you that neither my DW nor I got a single entree (for dinner, that is) that was less than $43.00. Not because we felt we HAD to mind you, but because we wanted it and we knew we could. We found ourselves ordering what we WANTED regardless of price. At Narcoossee's for example, which ended up being our best meal (we ate at AP, CG, FF, and Yachtsmans as well), my ENTREE alone was $68.00 and my DW's entree was $65. I can tell you that my filet and lobster tail was amazing...best I have had in a while...and I never would have ordered it if I was paying OOP cause I wouldn't have gotten past the cost

Now...do you find yourself getting more than you might otherwise especially on the DxDP? I think you do. 2 appetizers and 2 desserts is likely more than we would do if it were OOP for us...but, we got to try alot of different things too. I think we definitely COULD have gone cheaper if we wanted to...we didn't want to ;-). It was like getting a deluxe resort at moderate prices in our heads...we got to live large, and pay at a discount.

That being said, if it goes up another $10 and you can completely disregard this post

I agree about doing the math. I think your recollection is slightly off on the details of the pricing -- the most expensive entree at Narcoose's is $59. The lobster is $58.

But yes, we did the math for our upcoming trip -- We are doing tons of signatures and 2-credit meals -- California Grill, Luau, CRT, Artist's Point, Narcoose's, Brown Derby -- And we will do TS for lunch every single day.
Broke it down into the math for each person -- me, my wife, and my children:
For me, it was a tiny savings -- About $50 over 6 nights. I factored in that I would probably only order 1 dessert on most days, as opposed to 2 desserts. While I would pick some of the expensive entrees (I might get the $58 lobster at Narcoose's), there are also many moderate priced entrees I intend to order, because that's what I want -- Such as the $34 duck at California Grill. I'll probably always order an appetizer, but often a cheaper appetizer -- again, because it's what I want. Such as the Portobello soup at Artist's Point.
My wife -- would *lose* about $70 on the deluxe plan, because she will skip most of the desserts, skip some of the appetizers, order cheaper entrees, and even sometimes eat an app as her meal. For example, her California Grill entire meal might only be $30.
My kids --- only because of some of the set price meals -- ended up savings $40-$50 each.
So really, if it was just me and my wife --- I'd eat deluxe style, but I'd skip the plan.
WIth the young kids, it still made sense (just barely) to get the dxdp.

One of my problems with all the meal plans -- You talk about the freedom to order what you want. I always order what I want without a dining plan. I don't get scared away from ordering an entree because it is $5 more than another entree. But I do feel pressure under the dining plan to order more expensive items than I really want, and to order more food than I really want. I might truly sincerely not be in the mood for dessert, but I feel pressure to order it, since I already "paid" for it.
I might truly want nothing but the $22 sushi at California Grill, but I feel pressure to order more, since I paid a lot more already.

So personally, I feel the dxdp gives me less freedom to order what I want, as opposed to more freedom.

 

[mrsbicewdw]

The only 2 credit character meal is CRT (and Mickey's Backyard BBQ, which is considered a dinner show). It's always been that way, nothing new for 2012.

Hmmm....maybe my memory is serving me wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. When we went in 2009 for Spring Break, I want to say that Chef Mickey's was 2 TS credits...but I might be wrong.

In any case, I love me some character meals. I have never missed Crystal Palace, I have eaten there every time since I was a kid...sort a family tradition for my family. Now that I have a family of my own, we plan to dine with characters every time we go too. I'm a big dork like that.

But basically, my bottom line is that the stress reduction of knowing I can order whatever I want without having to budget is worth it for me. If I only break even or fall a little short, the peace of mind before the trip is worth it for me.

 

[The_Smiths]

I don't disagree with you havoc - to each there own

I wouldn't have posted again at all, since like I said this is really a personal preference based on how you vacation/eat/etc.... but for anyone looking for the pricing information I wanted to make sure people knew it was accurate. I just ate there Monday...we still have the menu (they gave us one wishing us a happy anniversary). So yeah, that was the price - it's also on Disney's website (and my receipt :

Butter-poached Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet Mignon
Boniato Mashed Potatoes, Fall Vegetables, and Shallot-Red Wine Butter Emulsion 66.00

Steamed Whole Maine Lobster
Baked Sherry-Cheddar Orecchiette Gratin and Broccolini 65.00

 

[YayDisney]

We are going in Feb. and we are Fla. natives, so we have never considered doing this. My husband and I normally take a big cooler w/ a gallon of milk and the kids have cereal for breakfast in the room and we then take a portable cooler with sandwich stuff for lunch and eat at whatever CS restaurant for dinner.

This year is our kids' 6 birthday and we wanted to do something special, so we booked at CRT. That was $200. Then we booked at SOA, that was another $200. Plus we wanted to do at least one, maybe two, Character Breakfasts, and that's another $100+ each. For 4 nights, the DxDP is $793, give or take. If we are going to do all these things (which we would normally not do), that's $600 +/- right there and we still have to eat 3 other days. We can't eat heavy three times a day, but with dinners that take up 2 credits, we could do the Character Breakfast, maybe a snack or two to hold us over and then the big dinners. At this point, I even booked the Hoop Dee Do dinner thinking that if we end up doing the DxDP, I may as well get all the bang out of this as possible. This is a very special occassion and it is just a completely different trip than what we ordinarily do. We are still undecided and I figure I can always cancel the reservations if we decide against it. However, after thinking about this for a LONG time, I think it makes sense for us ONLY because we are really going all out with the dinner shows - The cost of the two dinner shows and CRT plus 2 breakfasts is basically the cost of the plan. Anything after that is just "free."

There are pros and cons to this - as others have said - because you are required to maybe make ADRs or be in a particular place. While this is true, it's nice not to have to wonder 30 times "where should we eat" This is a big time splurge for us and I am pretty sure we'll be back to our cooler toting ways next time, but all the activities we never do will be a fun way to see a side of Disney we've never seen. . . . . ok I think I've convinced myself

 

[MHSweb79]

I think you've got a good idea on how the dining plan works well for certain situations. Since you're looking at several 2 TS meals as well as character meals, I think it could be a good bet for you. Also, there's nothing like having the dining plan to really get you into those Disney restaurants - without the plan we usually eat counter-service instead of those pricey sit-down meals. So that adds a lot of fun to your vacation too.

Just remember that you must purchase a package that includes a Disney resort stay as well as park admission for each person in your party in order to get the DP. I'm not sure what the requirements are or even if there are any considerations regarding Florida resident tickets or even Florida annual passes, so you should check that out.

We'll be there in February too so wave if you see me!

 

[havoc315]

I don't disagree with you havoc - to each there own

I wouldn't have posted again at all, since like I said this is really a personal preference based on how you vacation/eat/etc.... but for anyone looking for the pricing information I wanted to make sure people knew it was accurate. I just ate there Monday...we still have the menu (they gave us one wishing us a happy anniversary). So yeah, that was the price - it's also on Disney's website (and my receipt :

Butter-poached Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet Mignon
Boniato Mashed Potatoes, Fall Vegetables, and Shallot-Red Wine Butter Emulsion 66.00

Steamed Whole Maine Lobster
Baked Sherry-Cheddar Orecchiette Gratin and Broccolini 65.00

My apologies. Guess they very recently upped some of their prices. Since my wife will get the lobster, she might not lose as much money as I estimated!

But this is an example of where I find pressure to order the expensive item...
I really do like lobster, quite a bit.....
But part of me wants to get the lobster spring rolls as my app, and then the spiced ahi tuna ($38) for my entree.
I feel a bit of pressure to get the lobster instead, or I'll "lose $30."

We'll see what I'm in the mood for when the time actually comes. And I'm going to try really hard to base my decision first on preference, second on healthy balanced eating... and try to disregard price.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

One of my problems with all the meal plans -- You talk about the freedom to order what you want. I always order what I want without a dining plan. I don't get scared away from ordering an entree because it is $5 more than another entree. But I do feel pressure under the dining plan to order more expensive items than I really want, and to order more food than I really want. I might truly sincerely not be in the mood for dessert, but I feel pressure to order it, since I already "paid" for it.
I might truly want nothing but the $22 sushi at California Grill, but I feel pressure to order more, since I paid a lot more already.

So personally, I feel the dxdp gives me less freedom to order what I want, as opposed to more freedom.

This is one of my problems with the meal plan, too (just me personally - not faulting anyone else's choices). There seems to always be a thread about which restaurant gives you more "bang for your buck" on the DDP. I don't pick restaurants that way. My kids love 50's Prime Time, and it is a must do every trip. It's not a great use of a TS credit on the DDP if you are trying to get $50 per day of value from a TS, CS and a snack, but it is where they want to eat, and we enjoy it. We may get $40 entrees at California Grill, but we might just get flatbreads and sushi and be completely happy. I feel that the dining plan gives me less freedom - I don't always want to be feeling like I am losing money if I just want a salad and/or an appetizer but have to order the steak to feel that I am getting my money's worth. If I want a steak every night, I'll order it, but I want the freedom to get what I want without feeling like I an overpaying for the meal. I don't want to feel like I need to eat the nasty CS desserts when I would rather have a Mickey bar later.

We choose the restaurants we want, then calculate to see if DDP or OOP is best for our choices. We don't scour menus to see where we can get a $20 CS meal or only book TS restaurants with $30+ entrees (not saying everyone does this, but there are always posts about where to eat on the DDP to get your money's worth). Paying OOP gives me the freedom to get category 1 seats for HDDR or to order three appetizers instead of one entree and a dessert. But for other people, DDP works great.

 

[wasabi girl]

The dining plan as it was introduced originally was great. It included appetizer, entree, dessert and tip. Then they removed the tip, then the appetizer and the price didn't come down (well, the year they removed the appetizer, I think it went down $1). As the dining plan stands now, I consider it a convenience rather than a savings. You can save money, but it is more for the convenience of having that part of your vacation prepaid. I no longer use a dining plan, if it happens to be a "freebie" for a time I'd already planned to visit, great, but otherwise I just don't bother with it. And I have to say, I still enjoy Signature dining and character meals, but also enjoy the flexibility of not having to make reservations for every single night (or on the Deluxe version for every meal). Spontaneity at Disney, who knew!

 

[YayDisney]

I think you've got a good idea on how the dining plan works well for certain situations. Since you're looking at several 2 TS meals as well as character meals, I think it could be a good bet for you. Also, there's nothing like having the dining plan to really get you into those Disney restaurants - without the plan we usually eat counter-service instead of those pricey sit-down meals. So that adds a lot of fun to your vacation too.

Just remember that you must purchase a package that includes a Disney resort stay as well as park admission for each person in your party in order to get the DP. I'm not sure what the requirements are or even if there are any considerations regarding Florida resident tickets or even Florida annual passes, so you should check that out.

We'll be there in February too so wave if you see me!

Thanks - Yes I know. We already have the resort and are holding off on the ticket purchase until we decide what to do about the plan. We then have to move the resort into a "package". . . .it's all so complicated

 

[eliza61]

I have been to Disney, but never used a dining plan. Do you think it really saves money?

1) We don't do character meals anymore.
2) we rarely get dessert
3) we perfer appetizers so we end up paying opp for it anyway.
4) We generally go in August and many times we don't want a big meal.
5) I did not have the stress of "eating" the most expensive thing on the menu because I didn't want to waste the credits. I ate more naturally, what I really wanted as opposed to what was the most expensive thing.
6) I have never averaged $210 bucks a day eating at disney. since my kids are technically adults that's what it would cost me next year.