I was told there would be no math...

[PrestonatorSR]

Hello Friends-
Our family has been to WDW about 15 times over the years--and we are headed back this weekend for a 9-night stay. Travel crew is me, DW, DD (25), DS(18).

We have never done Disney Dining Plan--mainly because a) I assumed it wasn't worth it and b)I just didn't want to have to think so much about all the planning logistics.

This time around we are toying with the idea with using a dining plan. In case we opted for it, I have already booked sit down restaurants for every night of our stay. So that's NOT a problem.

What IS a problem is understanding all the fine points of what you can and can't get during a particular table restaurant event. Most of it is pretty straightforward but I have tons of little questions. For example, when we go to Sci Fi Drive in, we love the malts. Can that count as our "dessert?" Or is it a "beverage?" I'm just a tad paranoid that we will drop all this money and then get nickel and dimed by our preferences that will somehow be outside what's part of the package.

Another little thing, my wife would like to find fruit as an option for snack that isn't simply a single banana or apple. She would like a fruit cup or something. I know these are little things.

So I guess I'm just wondering--am I likely to experience a little mental headache and/or frustration trying to find the "right" snacks and such--and track the usage? Or is it really pretty easy after you get the hang of how to use it?

Thanks in advance...

 

[bumbershoot]

There is a subforum to the Disney dining board here called the Disney dining plan forum. https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-dining-plan.116/

People tend to keep threads going if all the little intricacies like that there.

 

[sharonabe]

Our family has been to WDW about 15 times over the years--and we are headed back this weekend for a 9-night stay. Travel crew is me, DW, DD (25), DS(18).

We have never done Disney Dining Plan--mainly because a) I assumed it wasn't worth it and b)I just didn't want to have to think so much about all the planning logistics.

This time around we are toying with the idea with using a dining plan.

If you're going this weekend, and haven't added the plan yet, it may be a mute point. You have to add the plan 72 hrs before your check-in date.

The fruit cup at most of the little stands IS a snack credit, so that's not a problem.

Sci-Fi malts will at least be either a drink or your dessert, so you will be able to get them, but it may mean you will get entrée, drink, and malt or entrée, malt, and dessert.

 

[georgina]

Your b) is exactly why we never bother with the dining plan. I don't want to have to think that much about it, just order and eat what I want. I don't imagine it would really save us much, even if it saved a few dollars it's not worth it to me.

 

[Nancyg56]

The DDP is easy to use. It is easy to manage and track. What may not be easy is the preplanning. I think this may be too late for you this trip, but for future reference, math is part of this. You book your meals, and then look at the costs of the meals your family may choose. Add in snacks and beverages that they like. You already are paying gratuities, but now you do not pay tax on any dining plan purchase.
It is not hard, but it does take some time.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree I think it is too late for this trip.
We always do the plan. We find at worst we break even, we usually save a little.
But I don't worry about that. We order what we want. If we pay for a non included snack OOP, so be it.
But if you are going to worry and obsess over all that I don't think the plan is for you anyway

 

[Dis703]

I've done the plan once when it was free and for all the reasons you mentioned found it too much of a headache to deal with. It also changed the way we ate because we tried to get the most out of it. If we just eat the way we normally would on vacation we save money not having the plan.

With it we were always worried about which restaurants took the plan, what counted as a snack, what was the best use of our credit, what could we possibly swap, how many credits do we have left, etc. Without the plan we just order whatever we want wherever we want, no worries.

Like others have said, it sounds like it may be too late for this trip anyhow, but if you are concerned over all those things I say save yourself the headache and just skip it as you always have. You aren't missing anything.

 

[rwdavis2]

Unless you do a number of character buffets the dining plan is unlikely to save you money even with a lot of table service meals. Between trying to remember what is/is not included and trying to get value out of it we don't bother with it. We got it once at a heavily discounted rate and decided we would never pay full price for it. It's a bit more flexible now but we prefer just to order whatever we want.

 

[Tozzie]

There is a website www.distripplanner.com it will estimate costs oop v DDP.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

With 4 adults, unless you are ordering steak every meal or going to a lot of character meals AND getting the most expensive QS meals and snacks, it is hard to save any money with the regular dining plan.