How much would free dining save?

[cap'njack.]

We are a family of two adults and 2 children, who will be 3 and 1.

How much do you think we would save with the fre DDP rather than eating outside of WDW everyday?

At Pop it's £1,399 and at Port Orleans it's £1,889.00 (tickets and hotel only)

 

[wayneg]

This is such a difficult question to answer. Do you mean also staying offsite as well as dining? Do you eat 3 meals a day.

Easiest way for me is compare our package. As we go regularly offsite I can give you an idea of what we usually spend for 3 adults(2x ad + 1x 6'2" 14 year old).
We stay in hotels like Country Inn & Suites, Courtyard or Fairfield Inn by Marriott all around £30/night, food we usually lunch in parks at around $30(we share a large soda and don't have desert) evenings we like to eat at places like Mimis Cafe, Logans or Texas Roadhouse, Chilis etc, we only have a main course each and share a desert, all these place cost us $50-60. somtimes eat cheaper at places like Sweet Tomatoe. So I would say average $80/day or £50 + £30 hotel sometimes free breakfast total £80/night

This August staying at OKW with free regular dining plan, costing £91/night, +$10/24 hrs internet.

Offsite you can get a meal as cheap as $5.99 (+buy one get one free) upto $50+ prices vary so much.

For us slightly more expensive onsite but hoping the resort is better than offsite and food is as good or better than we usually have.

Have you checked price of OKW or SSR, they include better dining plan. Personally I would not enjoy eating twice a day at counter service.

 

[Twilight Terror]

How much you save, all depends on what your family likes to eat, and if you can make the most of the dining plan. My sister is a bit of a fussy eater, so finding restaurants is difficult in the first place. Then, most often, it's hard to find anything on the menu, and when we do, it's the lowest priced meal. We also prefer buffet breakfasts over large dinner, which also means we don't get the most out of it.

I had worked out for us, that if we had to pay for the plan OOP (we're DVC and don't get free dining), we would lose money. For us, it is cheaper to buy our own meals, as and when. However, if you can get it for free, then go for it!!!

Based on the full plan (1xTS, 1xCS, 1XS per day), you can save about $30-$35 per adult, per day. Of course, it all depends on the type of meals and food that you go for. The above figure is roughly what we saved last year, but we did a lot of table service buffet breakfasts, which are some of cheapest table services meal around. We didn't normally go for much more than Hot Dog/Burger/Fries at counter services either, so they were the cheapest too.

If you decided to visit the most expensive restaurants (not including the 2TS credit ones), and bought the most expensive meals that you could get with DDP, and then did the same with the counter services and snacks, you could be up to the $40 per adult per day saving, if not more.

The only drawback with the full plan is that it is a lot of food, and more times than not, you will leave Disney with a few unused credits, be they table, counter or snack. Our first year on the DDP, when things were a little more relaxed, we came away with just 1CS credit each. Last year, when things were tightened up, we came away with 1TS, 3CS and 5S each! We used to use our snacks to buy cookies as pressies, but they year they clamped down on that and withdrew a lot of the old snacks from the list of those available on the plan.

If you opt for Pop, you will get no dining plan at all. POR will now only offer the Quick Service dining plan, which is 2xCS and 1xS pppd. Check out SSR or OKW, like Wayne said, as they will offer the full dining plan - 1xTS, 1xCS, 1xS

 

[Twilight Terror]

I found what I was looking for. The first year we had free dining (2007), we were at Pop, with the full dining plan (that's how much it's changed over the last few years!) I love my spreadsheets, so when I got home, having kept all our receipts, I made a list of what we spent where, and how much we saved. It worked out like this:

Table Service Meals: $1,128.31
Counter Service Meals: $462.95
Snacks: $131.00

TOTAL SAVINGS: $1,722.26

And so you can see what Table Services we had: Princess Storybook(B), Crystal Palace(B), Hoop Dee Doo (D), Donald's Breakfast(B), Holywood & Vine (B), Plaza Restaurant (D), Chef Mickeys (B), Sci Fi (D), Tony's (D), Cinderella's Royal Table (B-2TS credits), Rose and Crown (D), Planet Hollywood (L)

Again, that was when things we a little easier - like a snack coupon would get you cereal AND milk. Now, you only get one or the other, so cereal for breakfast can cost you two snacks!

 

[scottish mum]

We went last Sept and it was the first time we had used DDP. We got it free and felt like we made good use of it. We ate at lots of character meals, went to a few dinner shows. If we didn't have the DDP we probably wouldn't have gone to all these as the kids are fussy and we wouldn't normally spend that much on food.

I personally would never pay for the DDP as we can eat just as cheaply wthout it but if its free I'm not going to turn it down. Last year I think if we had bought the DDP we would have paid about £1200 for it, that is a lot of money for food.

I agree though with getting the full DDP and not just the one with counter service

 

[cap'njack.]

Thanks for the answers...I know it's like asking how long is a piece of string!!

I've always said that I didn't want to stay on-site (the hotels and being in Disney 24/7 for 14 days does not appeal to me) but I was thinking if the DDP saved a lot of money over staying and eating (the majority of meals) off-site then I might be pursuaded.

I guess you loose out on meals if you visit other places such as Sea World etc...so that may factor into it too, what do you guys do in that situation?

Thanks for the advice on the Hotels too...can you book into Port Orleans and pay to upgrade the DDP?

 

[wayneg]

I've always said that I didn't want to stay on-site (the hotels and being in Disney 24/7 for 14 days does not appeal to me) but I was thinking if the DDP saved a lot of money over staying and eating (the majority of meals) off-site then I might be pursuaded.

I guess you loose out on meals if you visit other places such as Sea World etc...so that may factor into it too, what do you guys do in that situation?

Thanks for the advice on the Hotels too...can you book into Port Orleans and pay to upgrade the DDP?

This was exactly my thoughts, I have stayed for 9 nights onsite in a Value resort and stayed 3 nights at AKL, said I would never stay a full holiday onsite. The OKW with free Regular DDP changed my mind, staying 16 nights this August. For us its no saving its about the same price but as I said hope the rsort and food is higher quailty.
When we visit other parks we usually have lunch then leave, this trip we will leave for lunch and get something at DTD or a resort using DDP.
If you do a dummy booking on Disney.co.uk it gives you dining upgrade options with prices but compare to OKW & SSR, the upgrade at POR might make it more expensive than these 2.

 

[scottish mum]

Thanks for the answers...I know it's like asking how long is a piece of string!!

I've always said that I didn't want to stay on-site (the hotels and being in Disney 24/7 for 14 days does not appeal to me) but I was thinking if the DDP saved a lot of money over staying and eating (the majority of meals) off-site then I might be pursuaded.

I guess you loose out on meals if you visit other places such as Sea World etc...so that may factor into it too, what do you guys do in that situation?

Thanks for the advice on the Hotels too...can you book into Port Orleans and pay to upgrade the DDP?

On the days we are out of disney we just eat out, thats another reason why I would not pay for it, if its free I don't feel like i'm missing out.

Yes you can upgrade the DDP. I think you can ony upgrade one level though, ie from quick service you can only upgrade to the regular ddp not the deluxe one.

 

[Twilight Terror]

I guess you loose out on meals if you visit other places such as Sea World etc...so that may factor into it too, what do you guys do in that situation?

You don't lose out on any meals - only if you don't use them by the end of the holiday. If you went to Sea World for a day, then one of your days in Disney you could do a 2-credit meal - Hoop Dee Doo, Cinderella's Royal Table, etc. Alternatively, you could have a TS in the morning, then another at dinnertime. You can mix and match as much as you want. If you want to (not saying anyone would, but you could) live off snacks all day one day, you can. If you fancy a small cooked breakfast for one CS, then have another 3CS in the park, you can. It is very flexible.

I also know that last year, they were offering downgrades of the TS to 2CS, which you could get exchanged at your hotel. However, no idea if they will be allowing that this year, since every year we go the restrictions get tighter and tighter.

Thanks for the advice on the Hotels too...can you book into Port Orleans and pay to upgrade the DDP?

Yes, you can. Even Virgin offer the option to upgrade. But if you book OKW or SSR with Disney UK, then they were (and I think still are), offering up to 40% the normal price. You will probably find that it's cheaper to go to OKW/SSR and get the full plan, than upgrading while at POR, unless of course, you want to stay at POR only.

Last year, while we weren't too keen to return to Pop, we were going to until the new free dining came out. You had to go to the moderates to get anything. So we priced up POR compared to Pop and paying out of pocket for meals, and POR was cheaper. I have a feeling the same will be true of POR+upgrade v. OKW/SSR - that the deluxe will be cheaper than the moderate.

 

[wifey]

You would probably have to upgrade your plan before you arrive I would ask first before you fly. It may be easier that trying to organise it when you reach the hotel check in desk.

We are making great use of our DDP this year it's our first time using it and it's quite simple to follow so far. We've got most of our ADRs sorted out and I will be keeping track of which credits we use where for the entire stay. That's just because I'm keen to make sure everything tallies up at the end as it should do.
To all you other DDP veterans you have taught me so much

 

[disneyholic family]

I found what I was looking for. The first year we had free dining (2007), we were at Pop, with the full dining plan (that's how much it's changed over the last few years!) I love my spreadsheets, so when I got home, having kept all our receipts, I made a list of what we spent where, and how much we saved. It worked out like this:

Table Service Meals: $1,128.31
Counter Service Meals: $462.95
Snacks: $131.00

TOTAL SAVINGS: $1,722.26

And so you can see what Table Services we had: Princess Storybook(B), Crystal Palace(B), Hoop Dee Doo (D), Donald's Breakfast(B), Holywood & Vine (B), Plaza Restaurant (D), Chef Mickeys (B), Sci Fi (D), Tony's (D), Cinderella's Royal Table (B-2TS credits), Rose and Crown (D), Planet Hollywood (L)

Again, that was when things we a little easier - like a snack coupon would get you cereal AND milk. Now, you only get one or the other, so cereal for breakfast can cost you two snacks!

DD had free dining at pop last year (the US version, which is TS + CS)...

for breakfast she had cereal and milk and it was only counted as a snack at the pop...(even though together they come to more than $4 - but it was specifically stated to be a snack at the pop)...
that's what she had every morning for breakfast, usuing 1 snack credit

 

[Twilight Terror]

DD had free dining at pop last year (the US version, which is TS + CS)...

for breakfast she had cereal and milk and it was only counted as a snack at the pop...(even though together they come to more than $4 - but it was specifically stated to be a snack at the pop)...
that's what she had every morning for breakfast, usuing 1 snack credit

Good job she wasn't staying at POR then, otherwise she would have only got to eat breakfast 7 days out of 14. We got cereal and milk as a snack fine at Pop in 2007, and it didn't come to over $4 back then, because you got the Mickey milk, not the normal milk. But POR were just not doing it last year

 

[Elise79]

Also bear in mind you can not include the 1 year old on the DDP. This is what is going to cost us in September as we will have to spend about $13 a day for DD food.

 

[scottish mum]

Also bear in mind you can not include the 1 year old on the DDP. This is what is going to cost us in September as we will have to spend about $13 a day for DD food.

Could your 1yr old not eat some of your food. At buffets you can get food for them and at ts restaurants I'm sure there would be enough food on everyone elses plates for them. I took my dd when she was 1 and I think it was only breakfast that we bought for her. Everything else she just had a bit of whatever was on offer. Most restaurants will give you an empty plate if you ask for one

 

[gemmybear83]

Just to add that obviously eating offsite is much cheaper than disney prices - we even found that table service was much cheaper at Universal than WDW. We paid the same price for a table service lunch in IOA that WDW charge for a counter service meal

 

[disneyholic family]

we're staying at the pop this year with free dining - i bought it through the US disney travel company.

i wanted to go the cheapest way possible and still get free dining..
so that was at the pop century (but it's not available with TS via the UK s- you have to get it from WDW direct)

 

[Cazbucket]

we're staying at the pop this year with free dining - i bought it through the US disney travel company.

i wanted to go the cheapest way possible and still get free dining..
so that was at the pop century (but it's not available with TS via the UK s- you have to get it from WDW direct)

I have done the same this year - we used to leave the parks to eat off-site but not driving it worked out quite expensive (probably more so!) and time consuming.

Depending what offers are about, the two years I have checked, the US Site offered the cheapest (in the long run) offers for us.
Caz

 

[Lizzybear]

To be honest I don't think free dining is necessarily cheaper than staying and eating offsite but if you already plan to eat onsite all or most of the time then it usually is. We go as a couple at the moment and like to eat all of our meals out on holiday but when we take kids this may well change, especially if the kids meals at WDW stay at their current standard (pretty dire IMO!) If I wanted to do WDW cheaply but still eat well I would stay offsite with a car and buy food from a supermarket for breakfast, probably eat lunch in the parks, then go offsite for dinner... (or leave for lunch then return and have dinner in the parks) There are some really good value places to eat, as an example one of our favourites is Sweet Tomatoes which is an amazing salad/soup/pizza buffet, everything is fresh and so yummy! Even though we're on DDP this year we'll still be squeezing it in

 

[chocolateMinnie]

I'm with Twilight Terror it depends onwhat you eat usually. When we first went in 2003 we had children of similar ages to yours (5 and 1) and ate little and often as this is what worked for them. The dining package at that time would have been useless but the QSDP if it had been available would have been ideal.

For our next trip in 2007 we would have profited from the DXDP had it been available as we ate two ts meals a day, many 2 credit meals and a couple of snacks. The DDP however was of no use to us.

This year we still had the benefit of an exchange rate of $2 to £1 (bought our dollars at peak last year) and when we calculated the cost of DXDP to OOP for what we wanted to do we were definitely better off OOP.

Because the rate at the moment is not so good and because we want to do a lot of 2TS again next year we have calculated a guestimate again and reckon we will be better off with the DXDP. Sadly we cannot get free dining even though we are there on free dining dates as we are staying at CSR and they won't let you upgrade to dxdp from qsdp so we lose the offer really. We calculated the ddp upgrade price and think we may as well book DXDP as if the rates fell again we would not be able to do all the meals and shows we want to in 2010.

We could have stayed at a deluxe resort and upgraded from free DDP to DXDP but when we stayed at GF two years ago we found that we didn't enjoy our stay as much as at CSR.