Going without a meal plan?

[gjl]

Removed

 

[homedad]

We have done the meal plan as a freebie, paid for it and paid for our meals as we went. We find the meal plan to be almost too much food and last time we had it booked, all our dinners were signature dining and at CS on off nights and split some lunches. That being said last trip we ate out most dinners and lunches and didn't spend nearly as much as expected. Pick good moderate dining choices and was very happy and didn't feel like we missed out.

 

[Aliceacc]

We've never gotten free dining, (though we have always been amazingly lucky with other discounts.)

But, until last year we had always gotten the meal plan. Last year, we took YES classes and, as a result, didn't get the DDP.

I've got to tell you: I REALLY Missed it!!!!!

No, it probably doesn't save us money... and now that my youngest is 10, it probably won't really save us money next year either. But I've done the numbers; we more or less break even.

But I LOVE that it's pre-paid. It got to the point where we felt as though we were hemorraging money. We would to to a restaurant, and I would check the prices before the food, and keep those prices in mind when ordering. Food onsite is more expensive than it is on our other vacations, and it felt as though we were spending so very much money!

I much prefer to pay up front, then not spend vacation time and energy caring about the prices of what's on the menu.

As to the desserts: we seldom order them in real life. So having the encouragement to order them at Disney feels like more Disney magic. (OK, I know it's not, and that we're paying for those desserts. But my kids love it!) And if we're full enough that we want to split a dessert, we do so. We're not that family who needs to "get our money's worth."

So, unless we end up with the teacher's discount at the Dolphin, we'll be getting the DDP.