Has anybody done the math on savings?

[bicker]

I believe rack rates only apply to free dining.

That was my original assumption as well, but I was quickly corrected by those-in-the-know, here. Apparently, even when you pay for the Dining Plan, you're generally restricted to rack rates. There are minor exceptions, but, for example, there is no way you would be able to get the Dining Plan with an AP or PIN code discount on your room.

Here's what the Dining Plan FAQ says:

As of today, you must pay rack rate for the room, unless you book your entire package with AAA.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1023429

 

[Roxanne]

I did the math on our trip last year. We got free dining. If we had paid for it, it would have cost us about $600. I kept most of the receipts and added them up when we got home - we ate over $900 worth of food. Yes, we ordered food I never would have if it wasn't free or we weren't on vacation. Yes, it was too much food. Yes, we could have shared meals and saved $$ if we were not on the plan, but in my family, everybody likes different food, so sharing is not easy. And when I'm on vacation I don't think it's fun to pinch pennies. It was nice to know our meals were already paid for and that we weren't racking up huge expenses as the vacation progressed. We bought souvies and did buy some food out of pocket, but we didn't come home with a $900 credit card bill for our meals and didn't have to carry cash on us. My little guy doesn't eat much, so we ended up tossing quite a bit of what we ordered for him. Sometimes I would share a CS meal with him. Keep in mind you will be hungry from walking, so even if you are a chronic dieter, you will eat more than you normally do, or you will pass out. And you will spend those snack credits on lots of water.

I would go with the dining plan again, even if I have to pay for it.