If you weren't on free dining....

[Tnkrbelle565]

We had the MYW with Dining booked for the past two years and then lucked out with free dining both times. So yes, I would pay for the plan. I just can't stand the thought of eating burgers and chicken fingers two meals a day.

 

[magsmom]

I am paying for the plan on a portion of our trip - the portion we will be staying at BWV. We made this decision way back in the planning stages of our August trip back in January. The free dining on either side of our trip is an added bonus!

We have heard wonderful things regarding the dining plan from friends that have paid for it. Since I swear by DDE's great value, this trip is going to be a very interesting (and yummy) comparison.

We are bringing along the DDE card as well for libations

 

[mking624]

If it wasn't free, we wouldn't get it. We typically plan only 1 or 2 TS each trip, and we're fine with CS the rest of it. We're excited about the free dining because it's giving us an opportunity to try out some TS we've been wanting to try (especially since this will be our last trip for some time), but we wouldn't actually spend over $500 for a week of food when we don't even spend that much in groceries a month.

 

[cdntourguide]

When going previously to WDW on a AP discount rate, I budgeted $50.00 per day for food and snacks. Paying $38.00 per day is a saving of $12.00per day , plus there is a better selection of dining options. Best deal ever offered IMO

 

[Dizzy for Dsny]

We wouldn't buy it. We eat at least 1 TS everyday when on vacation, but we generally share because it is too much food! For what we would pay, we still could eat cheaper on our own. Of course, we don't have appetizers, dessert, etc..., but we don't order anyway unless we are in the mood and have room in our tummies!

 

[rumrunnergirl]

YES YES YES! LOL

Our last two trips we paid for the DDP, the next trip has free dining. The DDP is more expensive than brown-bagging it, but lots lots more enjoyable.

If we didn't do the DDP, we wouldn't get ANY TS - we would eat in the hotel, pack snacks, etc. - so it's nice for us and gives us a chance to eat super food, the kids get to go someplace besides McD's and work on their table manners, etc.

If we get full we just take our leftovers and dessert back to the room and snack on it later or have it for breakfast.

 

[TravelGrl]

I am getting the free dining for my upcoming trip, but paid OOP in my February trip and can't imagine going without it.

We got our money's worth on the table service alone. That plus not having to budget ourselves once we got there, and not having to carry much cash with us, all make the plan worth while for us.

We ended up using most of our snacks on drinks at the parks. These were things we would need to get anyway. All our left over snacks helped feed us for the flight back home.

I say money well spent!

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

Wow! I didn't think the DDP was this popular!
I guess I am alone in only going to one or two TS.

 

[Santa]

We use DDE with an AP. I come out ahead every time.
I feel DDP would be too much food.

 

[disneypharm]

We did pay for the dining plan last year and thought it was great. We planned to pay for it again, but are going during FREE DINING! We can't wait...let the gluttony begin.

The same for us. We paid for DDP last year and thought it was great too. We will be there in 4 weeks with free dining. Can't wait.

 

[Lisa_Belle]

Actually, I had already purchased the dining plan before the free offer was announced. Disney credited the amount back to my account, and I added two extra TS meals since I had "saved" so much money.

 

[PortieOwner]

In the past with no plan at all I'd expect to at least do a big breakfast every day, and then a table service dinner most days.

I am not totally sure I'd do as many dinners in the future--the prices at WDW restaurants have gone sky-high. It used to be about the same as a meal cost at a DC-area restaurant but not anymore.

Portie

 

[MScott1851]

Yes, and we're paying for it this year. We ended up booking a discounted room and paying for the DDP.

The way I look at it, it isn't saving us money, really....it's just convenient and prepaid. The first three times we went to WDW, we ate bagels for breakfast, a CS lunch, and supper off-site, with minimal snacks. We ended up spending almost exactly what the DDP is costing us.

I do have to say I like the ability to eat table service in the parks, though. It was really nice last year NOT to have to leave to eat dinner. But it's not a "savings" because we would NEVER spend that much on dinner each night. We never order an appetizer apiece, or a dessert apiece. Plus Disney's prices are grossly inflated. So I don't look at it as "I got to eat at LeCellier...$130 for FREE!" because that food wouldn't cost $130 anywhere else but Disney.

Convenience and prepayability (I just made that word up.. ) are the two selling points for me.

 

[amy4bruce]

The same for us. We paid for DDP last year and thought it was great too. We will be there in 4 weeks with free dining. Can't wait.

Ditto. We bought it last December, and wouldn't consider going without it. Free is a bonus. (And yes, we probably could have gotten discounts otherwise, but it doesn't add up for us.)

DW has often stated that she likes the TS meal as a good break from the park. She also feels that the best thing about the DDP is that it is already paid for, so you don't have to worry anymore about overspending.

Me? I don't acknowledge the concept "too much food."

 

[lisabelll]

I didn't see my situation posted either. We wouldn't be going if it weren't for the DDP!!! When that came out I totatlly convinced DH of our need to go on vacation, so we booked 3 days. Then I rationalized 6 days, since food was free and we were staying at a value. Then we decided that we HAD to eat at the castle, but it would be better to pay OOP. So, I put on my rationalization cap and called to find out the cost of the meal (lunch at the castle for 2A 2C plus tip) and decided that it would be worth the less then $20 a day to go for 2 extra days (to be able to get the 2 dining credits for CRT).

Now DH is on board and talking like this is a "once in a lifetime trip." I think we will be so spoiled by DDP that this is just the first

Anyway, I put that if the DDP weren't free we wouldn't get it (next trip, I do see it in our future free or not ) and that we would pay for one or 2 TS.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Since October will be a split-stay trip, we're going to try it for the first 3 days, and then go back to non-DDP for the next week. We don't usually eat the amounts available, so we'll do only one 2-credit TS and one 1-credit TS. We're more worried about feeling "Thanksgiving-ed". The CS's and the snacks won't be a problem.
If we like it, we'll arrange split-stays for each trip and repeat it; getting it for an entire trip would be too much food and too much money for us; this way, it'll be a treat for every trip (plus we'll get a chance to "sleep around" at the various DVC resorts )

 

[Dopey Sharon]

We are trying it, for the first time, this upcoming trip in November.

It's just the two of us and we usually eat at a sit-down place for dinners. We don't usually order appetizers and dessert, though. I have a feeling it's going to be too much food and I can see me taking my dessert to go. Fortunately, we are DVCers, and have a refrigerator to put the leftovers in for breakfast the next morning!

 

[lyzziesmom]

I've paid for the DDP twice and loved it. When I didn't use it, we did not go to TS, just ate at CS.

 

[4shinystars]

We just got back from free DDP, and I have to say we probably wouldn't do it if we had to pay. You get in this mentality of "I have to order everything or it's a waste", and you look at the pricier choices, even if they aren't what you'd usually order, just for the sake of getting the full value of the plan. That's not to say that's what we did all the time, but to have 2 adults, a 10 and 15 year old, and have 1 TS meal come to over $200, well that's not something that would ever happen in real life for us. I hated to waste food, and so much is wasted. You look around and see half eaten appetizers and desserts, and kids 10-12 with barely half of their adult entree eaten. We brought many desserts back to the room, and still tossed out 3 upon checking out.
If we weren't on the plan, we would do mostly CS, maybe 2-3 TS, not order appetizers and few desserts, DD10 and I would share meals, and we'd drink tap water with Crystal Light packets added. We wouldn't spend $160 a day on food (cost of DDP approx. $40pp/day).
If it was just DH and I, then maybe we'd do the plan, but not with kids who eat little.

 

[Dolce27]

Yes, I would - and actually did do. I booked my trip (with dining plan) just before the codes came out for the free dining promotion. I was able to call and switch over to the free dining plan. My impression (since this will be the first time I will have used the dining plan ) is that it is a great deal if you enjoy eating at TS restaurants.