I just can't make it work!

[jessc79]

I want the dining plan to work for us. I like not having to think about how much things cost on vacation. But I just can't justify it!! The difference completely calculated out is about $150 more for the regular plan. I know people do make it work so what am I missing? We have ADRs at Boma, O'hana, Crystal Palace, Tusker House and Sci Fi. I have 4 total adults. Even with the most expensive QS items its not working! Ugh!

 

[TDC Nala]

You don't have kids under 10. That's who it works best for in a situation like the one you have described.

You would need to decide if the convenience you believe to exist from having a dining plan is worth the cost difference.

Every TS you picked is either a buffet or family style except Sci Fi, which is one of the least expensive a la carte restaurants. So you don't have the option of ordering expensive entrees or desserts at a la carte restaurants to maximize the plan value.

 

[jessc79]

You don't have kids under 10. That's who it works best for in a situation like the one you have described.

You would need to decide if the convenience you believe to exist from having a dining plan is worth the cost difference.

Every TS you picked is either a buffet or family style except Sci Fi, which is one of the least expensive a la carte restaurants. So you don't have the option of ordering expensive entrees or desserts at a la carte restaurants to maximize the plan value.

Ok thanks! I'm leaning towards no. I'll just try not to focus on the cost and since there's no specific menu at most I won't have to think about it!

 

[bdklein]

I know people do make it work so what am I missing?

There are plenty of people who say it works. And for some of them it does. But when you add it up, unless you work to maximize the plan and then follow it, it's not necessarily a winner. Works better with kids and with buffet/character meals (but not necessarily 2 credit signature meals).

 

[BringingUpDisney]

I want the dining plan to work for us. I like not having to think about how much things cost on vacation. But I just can't justify it!! The difference completely calculated out is about $150 more for the regular plan. I know people do make it work so what am I missing? We have ADRs at Boma, O'hana, Crystal Palace, Tusker House and Sci Fi. I have 4 total adults. Even with the most expensive QS items its not working! Ugh!

We went through the same thing. Additionally, it was just too much food for us and not the food we really wanted as we prefer to eat several appetizers instead of entrees. So to make it work for us, we get the pricing for DDP, put it on a Disney card and use it like the DDP. That way we aren't thinking about the costs. This ends up covering all our meals, snacks, tips and drinks, and we have money left over to spend in the shops before we leave!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We went through the same thing. Additionally, it was just too much food for us and not the food we really wanted as we prefer to eat several appetizers instead of entrees. So to make it work for us, we get the pricing for DDP, put it on a Disney card and use it like the DDP. That way we aren't thinking about the costs. This ends up covering all our meals, snacks, tips and drinks, and we have money left over to spend in the shops before we leave!

This is what my family are doing. We're 'pre-paying' our meals by buying Disney Gift Cards.
I originally really wanted the DDP as I like ordering things without thinking about the cost of each menu item (it's part of the reason I love cruises), but whatever way I crunched the numbers, it just didn't present good value for the places we want to eat or the type of food we'll order. Also, I want the luxury of being able to buy an entree at a restaurant and then a dessert/snack later at one of the park bakeries, ice cream stores, or F&W booths.

 

[jessc79]

Ooooh thanks for the gift card idea. I didn't know you could use it for tips-even better!

 

[M&M mom]

The gift card is a wonderful idea! I also love having things paid upfront, makes it much easier.

 

[brertoad]

Ok thanks! I'm leaning towards no. I'll just try not to focus on the cost and since there's no specific menu at most I won't have to think about it!

Also, you'd have to make sure to use the DP for dinner buffets, the breakfast buffets and lunch buffets are cheaper.

 

[shelbyf31]

The only reason the DDP works for us is because we have kids (3 and 5). If we didn't have kids we wouldn't get the plan.

 

[dadofgoofy]

For DW and I, we make it work by eating at TS restaurants that are not buffets, and eat pricier items. However, for us the biggest reason we choose the dining plan is that we know our meals are paid for in advance. I do not want to feel like I need to order the cheapest thing on the menu since I'm paying OOP, which I would to avoid feeling guilty or like I was spending money on food that I could be spending on souveneirs. That's the true benefit for us.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

dadofgoofy: You're missing the point. Even if you ordered the SAME things OOP, many times it's still cheaper. No need to deny yourself.

 

[delgrec]

I love the GC idea!!! The dining plan didn't work for us because we are not dessert eaters and hated trying to figure out what we can and can't get. The whole thing felt more like a job to us. But the GC thing would really be a smart thing for us.

 

[RainK]

I want the dining plan to work for us. I like not having to think about how much things cost on vacation. But I just can't justify it!! The difference completely calculated out is about $150 more for the regular plan. I know people do make it work so what am I missing? We have ADRs at Boma, O'hana, Crystal Palace, Tusker House and Sci Fi. I have 4 total adults. Even with the most expensive QS items its not working! Ugh!

Like another person said, it really only works in your favor if you have kids under 10 and then have ADR at the restaurants you mentioned. The cost of the DDP for kids is about $18 a day and the cost of Kids TS meal at Ohana for example is $18..... So that is how it is favorable for families with kids....the other meal and snack is free that day technically.
It does work for us as we have 2 kids under 10 but it won't be a money savor next year when DD turns 10. Plus, we always buy the resort mugs @$13-$14 each and it comes with the DDP now.
I priced it out this trip coming up and we will save about $200 buying the DDP....although, I REALLY wish it was FREE for our trip...missing it by 10 days.

 

[mommyrosa2]

Well, and I think I'm going to be spending way more OOP on my next trip . I had a FD BB package booked for this coming August (4 Disney adults) and made all my ADR's (all but two are dinners). Yesterday, I switched to an awesome agency exclusive deal that was saving us more than the FD BB. I figured I would just put what the DP was originally costing us ($1557 for 7 nts) onto a GC and I'd be fine. Well, last night, I decided to look at all the menus of our TS ADR's and price out what I know we would be ordering. Combined that number with a rough number that I know we normally pay for lunches and I'm already at the 1557 figure and I still need to tally up breakfast/snack items There goes my savings....

 

[bdklein]

. Well, last night, I decided to look at all the menus of our TS ADR's and price out what I know we would be ordering.

How do you 3 months out what everyone will be ordering at every meal? What if the menu changes? What if dietary or allergy needs change? What if someone is not hungry at meal time, or is in the mood for just an appetizer because they just had a snack (unless it is preplanned that they can't have one)? There's goes the plan value.

 

[mommyrosa2]

How do you 3 months out what everyone will be ordering at every meal? What if the menu changes? What if dietary or allergy needs change? What if someone is not hungry at meal time, or is in the mood for just an appetizer because they just had a snack (unless it is preplanned that they can't have one)? There's goes the plan value.

With my family it's very easy...the girls are more creatures of habit and I know their likes and dislikes. Breakfast is usually the only meal that everyone gets by with something small (bagel, muffin, etc.). By lunch, everyone's hungry and we eat at a QS restaurant and we tend to visit the QS places we all like so based on previous trips, I already know how much lunches will be. Our ADR's are pretty much all Dinners and we all have our favorites, places like Yachtsman, Narcoossee's, O'Hana, Teppan Edo, Cape May, etc. Based on the fact we are already dining at a favorite, of course, everyone has their must-do meal. As an example: Narcoossee's, it's the surf n' turf lobster & filet, Yachtsman, it's the filet for the three girls and most like the Porterhouse for DH, etc. DH is probably the only one who may waiver a bit (he likes to try new things but I can tell you, he'll NEVER order a chicken dish because he isn't fond of chicken . We rarely will order an appetizer at dinner but if we are in the mood for one, we would just pay that OOP. It's going to be interesting but now that I know for sure we aren't using the DP, I may change a ressie or two to include some of the restaurants over at the Swan and Dolphin. Although, the minute I tell DH there is no more DP, he'll be wanting a ressie at Shula's for sure

Just wanted to add that my girls are teens and when it comes to food, my youngest, especially, can keep up with the best of them and has an expensive palette...I swear when she & her soccer friends come over - they eat me out of a house and home and they are all so fit....lol

 

[BuzzBelleMom]

I could never plan our meals that far in advance. DS11 is an adventurous eater (sushi and Brazilian churascaria are current favorites) and his favorite phrase when dining out is "I have never tried that before, I need to see what it tastes like". That's how he found out he really does not care for raw oysters, but loves raw tuna and salmon

DDP helps us avoid nasty little surprises when either or both kids choose the most expensive item on the menu....

 

[pilferk]

I want the dining plan to work for us. I like not having to think about how much things cost on vacation. But I just can't justify it!! The difference completely calculated out is about $150 more for the regular plan. I know people do make it work so what am I missing? We have ADRs at Boma, O'hana, Crystal Palace, Tusker House and Sci Fi. I have 4 total adults. Even with the most expensive QS items its not working! Ugh!

It worked really well for us when we had 3 kids who were under 10 (partially because of that, but even more because the DDP has slowly eroded in value).

Now, we have 2 kids under 10, and one over 10,...and it doesn't really work out. Mostly because my 10 year old (soon to be 11) doesn't eat like an adult and we don't do a LOT of buffets (usually 2 per 10 day trip..Chef Mickeys and Crystal Palace).

ONE thing I want to point out (because, as marginal an amount as it is, it can be your savings margin): When adding up your numbers on the "out of pocket" side...make sure you're adding in the tax.

Tax is included with the DDP....but not on the menu items you're pricing out at the various sites.

Still, even considering that, we would barely break even on the DDP, now. And, as DVC members, the refillable mugs really add no value for us. It just doesn't work out.

I am, however, going to "steal" the gift card idea. Makes things a little easier when planning.

 

[melissafox18]

It worked in our favor as 2 adults last trip, but not by much (maybe $30-$50 in savings?) We were full the whole time we were there and enjoyed not having to pull out the credit card, paying for things after the fact, worrying how much is left on the gift card we bought before our trip, etc. It was more convenience for us and we'll do it again even if it only saves us $5. It allowed us to try new restaurants we wouldn't have gone to had we not been on the dining plan.

I suppose that being said, we would have saved money had we not been on the dining plan - we probably would have done more CS meals vs. TS meals.