Is Dining Plan still a good deal?

[DisBuckMan]

Good Lord.....unsubscribed.

 

[Farro]

Good Lord.....unsubscribed.

haha! Sorry we bored you! I guess we ran away with the discussion.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Or dvc members like us.
All this discussion of the dining plan reminds me the Gold card which was being used in the 80s and mYbe into the early 90s. The precursor to the dining plans. But this card covered everything, all meals anywhere, including Victoria and Albert, tips, boats, water skiing, tickets to all parks, water parks, etc. we got it for our family of four twice. The first time we added everything up at the end and literally saved about 1000 on everything. It was AMAzing. The kids rented boats every day, hired a driver for water skiing, went to Victoria and Alberts, ate at all the best restaurants back then, got in free to all the original bars and clubs in the old downtown Disney, etc. we used to laugh because the servers at all the restaurants would literally throw food at you since the tip was included and the more you ordered the higher the tip. We over ate incredible amounts! Disney quickly learned how people like us could take advantage. The next year we came back and got it. But the price had gone up so much we ended losing money. That was our last foray into buying prepaid Disney meals.

Disney was far more generous back in the day.

We would get the Food and Fun plan which included coupons for two full meals each day and 10 coupons per day that you could use for anything except golf. So you could rent pantoon boats, water sprites, etc. We were also able to book the pontoon for the fireworks cruise from the Y&BC or the Boardwalk when we stayed there with these coupons (can't remember how many you needed).

The meals included appetizer, entree, sides, dessert and a non-alcoholic drink. It also included tax and tip.

I can't imagine that Disney made too much money off of these plans.

When they stopped the Food and Fun we would get the DDE (Disney Dining Experience) card which I believe was only for Florida residents at the time and then they allowed AP holders and DVC members to get it.

But even that card (now it's called Tables in Worderland) had evolved over the years. They kept chiseling away at the times of year you could use it.

I believe when we first got the card it was $50 for 2 cards and renewal was of course cheaper. Tip was only added to parties of 6 or more and no blackout dates. Then they added Christmas as a blackout date, then Easter, then Christmas Eve, and so on and so on. You were able to use it at most restaurants. Then they started eliminating restaurants from the list (don't know if these restaurants are added back today because we don't buy the card anymore).

 

[North of Mouse]

The DDP has been discussed pros and cons since its beginning, and it will always boil down to the fact of what the value (not $$'s) it is to each family. From all I've read it's 'value' to most people is they don't want to think of 'cost' on vacation, so no matter the price - it's paid for!!

Money does not stress us on vacation - we always vacation according to our financial abilities and that's the way it is (and no, we don't have unlimited $$). We also eat the way we like and order exactly what we want - not the cheapest menu items. We also don't drink sodas (prefer water) and don't order desserts with our meals (prefer snacks/desserts later). Charging to our room, then paying when we check out is totally stress free to us. We never 'cringe' over the restaurant bills either.

A pp mentioned if Disney would only include an alcohol pkg. They actually used to have such a pkg. but I haven't seen any mention of it in awhile - maybe it was wine, not sure. Anyhow, must not have been too popular if it has been discontinued.

 

[AngiTN]

The DDP has been discussed pros and cons since its beginning, and it will always boil down to the fact of what the value (not $$'s) it is to each family. From all I've read it's 'value' to most people is they don't want to think of 'cost' on vacation, so no matter the price - it's paid for!!

Money does not stress us on vacation - we always vacation according to our financial abilities and that's the way it is (and no, we don't have unlimited $$). We also eat the way we like and order exactly what we want - not the cheapest menu items. We also don't drink sodas (prefer water) and don't order desserts with our meals (prefer snacks/desserts later). Charging to our room, then paying when we check out is totally stress free to us. We never 'cringe' over the restaurant bills either.

A pp mentioned if Disney would only include an alcohol pkg. They actually used to have such a pkg. but I haven't seen any mention of it in awhile - maybe it was wine, not sure. Anyhow, must not have been too popular if it has been discontinued.

More than likely it was quite popular and Disney lost money on it

 

[heather913]

We really considered the dining plan, but after looking at menus I decided the most we would do is break even. And that's fine for some people, but if I am going to break-even, I'd rather have flexibility on what I can eat. It was too much math and planning for a family of 6 to use all the credits without wasting them.

 

[Dakota731]

Did the math for us and it would be less to pay out of pocket. I kind of think of it as if I got Animal Kingdom Lodge for $300 more just because I paid up front, why would I do that? If it was a splurge for something nicer, I'd go for it, but to pay more just because I bought a plan in advance isn't good budget sense to me.
Two more questions since it's been awhile since we've been, can we get two checks for a table with two adult families? And is tip figured in if we have five adults and one toddler under three?

 

[compshu]

Two more questions since it's been awhile since we've been, can we get two checks for a table with two adult families? And is tip figured in if we have five adults and one toddler under three?

You can certainly split the check however you need to, just let the server know how it will be split. Officially, the toddler will still count in the party size, though some servers may not include them in the count.

 

[AngiTN]

Did the math for us and it would be less to pay out of pocket. I kind of think of it as if I got Animal Kingdom Lodge for $300 more just because I paid up front, why would I do that? If it was a splurge for something nicer, I'd go for it, but to pay more just because I bought a plan in advance isn't good budget sense to me.
Two more questions since it's been awhile since we've been, can we get two checks for a table with two adult families? And is tip figured in if we have five adults and one toddler under three?

Good comparison. Do folks really pay rack rate for a room vs. booking at a discount, when one is available? Isn't buying the DP, when it costs you more than OOP, the same? It's not a matter of what one can afford it is a matter of why pay more for something than you have to? I can afford rack rate at Disney. It would be rather foolish to pay it when there is a perfectly good discount right there for the use. And there are times where leaving rack rate is more convenient vs. chasing a promo but I'm still not leaving money on the table if the promo fits my trip.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

Here is a take: we did DDP this year because we were going with my parents and they like DDP. I was completely and totally stressed out by it: getting ADRs at places that offered "good value" for the dining plan, using all the credits in the best possible way, meting out the snack credits accordingly. The DDP definitely cased me major anxiety on this trip, especially since we spent SO much time in restaurants and that cut into park touring time. So, while some people love the ease of the pre-paid option and not having to worry, for me, it ended up being the opposite. Do I know this is crazy? Yes. Is it how I felt, regardless of knowing logically that it was nuts? Yes.

 

[2girlsR2good]

I've never gotten the DDP. BUT, I think we will this coming trip because I have booked us at a few places we've always wanted to try. I have two kids who are Disney adults and we are booked for O'hana, Tusker House, and Chef Mickey's, all for dinners. So, for this trip it appears we will do well to have the plan--we are there for four full days and just 3 nights. I feel confident we'll be able to space things out with meal splitting and getting dessert items that will serve as snacks/breakfast later.

 

[Nancyg56]

Does it show?

Your no's apply to yourself and many, many people. I know several families who have purchased the dining plan and left with lots of extra unused credits or used their credits on low cost meals. Disney does make a ton of money off of these guests. But you paint everyone with the same brush.

If you do enjoy eating dinner at buffets, or like to order expensive entrees, the dining plan can save you money. Many one credit buffets run in the $40/$50 range and the H&V Fantasmic package looks to be $60 now. The ddp may not have a lot of value to most, but it's not a money loser to all guests.

I will have to discuss it with hubby. When we bought the plan six years ago we spent more than we paid, but I had to do the prep ahead and eat at the most expensive places. Then I told my family they had to get the most costly item on the menu lol. This year my husband is watching his weight so it may not work for us if he doesn't want dessert. Question: what party size do they add 18% tip nowadays?

1) Hopefully, not "rudely so", just realistically.
2) To me (personal opinion, only) Disney vacations are very expensive, and guests should save money whenever/wherever possible.
3) I want to pay for value and worth, and not pay to increase the annual bonus of Ogre (yes, I again mean Iger).

It was rude. I know you do not find any value in the plan, but one thing you continue to refuse to consider is that you have a different perspective of DIsney then many guests. For many, the Disney vacation is a once in a lifetime trip. The plan allows them to order food they normally would not consider, go to restaurants that they may not normally justify, and to take any "guilt" out of their dining. I just do not understand why you disparage the plan but refuse to point out how to determine if it will be a value or not.

The DDP has been discussed pros and cons since its beginning, and it will always boil down to the fact of what the value (not $$'s) it is to each family. From all I've read it's 'value' to most people is they don't want to think of 'cost' on vacation, so no matter the price - it's paid for!!

Money does not stress us on vacation - we always vacation according to our financial abilities and that's the way it is (and no, we don't have unlimited $$). We also eat the way we like and order exactly what we want - not the cheapest menu items. We also don't drink sodas (prefer water) and don't order desserts with our meals (prefer snacks/desserts later). Charging to our room, then paying when we check out is totally stress free to us. We never 'cringe' over the restaurant bills either.

A pp mentioned if Disney would only include an alcohol pkg. They actually used to have such a pkg. but I haven't seen any mention of it in awhile - maybe it was wine, not sure. Anyhow, must not have been too popular if it has been discontinued.

It was not a good value. It was a wine package, and it was expensive and restrictive. Better to just buy the bottle of wine.

THe DDP can be a value to some families. Unless we know the dynamic of your family, and where you want to eat it is not possible to tell you if it will be that for you.

I suggest you do the math. AS others have pointed out, you have to be honest about how you will want to eat, as well as what you think you want for your kids. The snacks, beverages and desserts add up if you think they will want them, and do you want to tell them no. If they wont eat the add ons such as beverages at meals, refillable mug and what ever snacks are added to the plan, odds are good the plan is not going to pay off. If they want the extras, the plan can be a life saver to parents who are shelling out for those extras.

 

[AngiTN]

I suggest you do the math. AS others have pointed out, you have to be honest about how you will want to eat, as well as what you think you want for your kids. The snacks, beverages and desserts add up if you think they will want them, and do you want to tell them no. If they wont eat the add ons such as beverages at meals, refillable mug and what ever snacks are added to the plan, odds are good the plan is not going to pay off. If they want the extras, the plan can be a life saver to parents who are shelling out for those extras.

The other piece to be honest about is what categories of dining you like.
Do you love TS meals and only fill in with a few QS meals? If so, there is likely no DP that will fit you. This is where we fall. Regular dining plan gives us too many QS meals, too few TS meals. Deluxe gives us too many meals period. QS wouldn't work either because we eat very few QS meals. Well less than 1 per day. While you don't have to eat 1 TS meal and 1 QS meal per day you do get the credits that way so look at the pool of credits you'll get and see if you can use them, even before you figure out how to get the best value for those credits.

 

[tricia]

We are traveling this trip with a party of 15 for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. We have a few different family groups traveling, GROUP 1: my parents and me, DH, DS19 and DS15 are all staying in a 2 bdrm, GROUP 2: brother and his wife, GROUP 3: brother, his wife and DS4, GROUP 4: Brother, GROUP 5: Niece, her hubby and DS 2. GROUP 1 is getting the dining plan as we are paying for my parent's trip and this seemed like a good way to make it all inclusive. Also, my teens will not be with me at all times and this will allow them to get their own lunches and snacks without me handing out cash every day. AND I won't give them a sideways look when they order the most expensive thing on the menu at dinner. GROUP 2: not doing dining plan as they are doing some off site stuff, GROUP 3: Not doing dining plan as the Room only discount and Canadian Ticket discount comes out cheaper for them, GROUP 4: Not doing dining plan as he never orders pop or dessert, so not worth it for him, GROUP 5: doing dining plan because they don't have a credit card and are poor budgeters so having almost everything paid up front works best for them.

See, even in the same family, we have different wants and needs so it makes sense to choose different options.

 

[bnhonest]

Paid off my hotel and park tickets last week for my upcoming trip in May. All that's left to pay for is dining. So I've been playing around with the numbers lately. Let me share what ive found.

Our trip is a 7 day trip. We have me, DW, DS (11) and DS(9). I have a 1 TS ADR per day and I'm accounting for a quick breakfast snack at the resort and another QS meal. If we were to do the dining plan, the mid-range DDP, it would cost us $1583 and then we would need to tip on top of that. But I've looked at the menus of the restaurants and reasoned out the eating habits of my family and have determined that, including tip, we'd spend $1326.

On the DDP, my 11 year old is an adult. He likes adult things, like steak and seafood. But he doesn't need the $33 steak at Boatwrights. He can eat the child's steak tips and be perfectly happy. The DDP doesn't give the flexibility to pick a kids entree for him, so out of pocket works better.

Other considerations...we like appetizers and some of the appetizers look really good. Can't get them on the DDP unless we add it in to the bill. I like beer. Can't get that on the DDP unless I tack it on. We don't need 4 deserts. We'd be better off getting two deserts and splitting them. And I can tell you that if I eat a big meal at Via Napoli on Tuesday night, I'm probably going to want to go a little lighter at TRex for lunch the next day.

All that said, I think out of pocket will give us more flexibility and will allow us to come in about $250 cheaper. I'm putting back $1500 in Disney gift cards so that I can still feel like my dining is "pre-paid". But what doesn't get spent on food can go to some really nice souvenirs.

 

[Lisa F]

I just did the DxDDP with my 8 year old son and it was a tremendous value for us... I love the nice restaurants and we saved money (even over AP discounts) with it. I did a split stay and 4 nights on DxDDP (credits split over 5 full days) and 3 nights off. By the end of the stay I appreciated a bit of flexibility in not being on DxDDP. once he is a disney adult we will go back to paying OOP completely as it won't be worth it on the DDP when he can order kid meals still and be very happy (he is also a picky eater).

 

[loves to dive]

Paid off my hotel and park tickets last week for my upcoming trip in May. All that's left to pay for is dining. So I've been playing around with the numbers lately. Let me share what ive found.

Our trip is a 7 day trip. We have me, DW, DS (11) and DS(9). I have a 1 TS ADR per day and I'm accounting for a quick breakfast snack at the resort and another QS meal. If we were to do the dining plan, the mid-range DDP, it would cost us $1583 and then we would need to tip on top of that. But I've looked at the menus of the restaurants and reasoned out the eating habits of my family and have determined that, including tip, we'd spend $1326.

On the DDP, my 11 year old is an adult. He likes adult things, like steak and seafood. But he doesn't need the $33 steak at Boatwrights. He can eat the child's steak tips and be perfectly happy. The DDP doesn't give the flexibility to pick a kids entree for him, so out of pocket works better.

Other considerations...we like appetizers and some of the appetizers look really good. Can't get them on the DDP unless we add it in to the bill. I like beer. Can't get that on the DDP unless I tack it on. We don't need 4 deserts. We'd be better off getting two deserts and splitting them. And I can tell you that if I eat a big meal at Via Napoli on Tuesday night, I'm probably going to want to go a little lighter at TRex for lunch the next day.

All that said, I think out of pocket will give us more flexibility and will allow us to come in about $250 cheaper. I'm putting back $1500 in Disney gift cards so that I can still feel like my dining is "pre-paid". But what doesn't get spent on food can go to some really nice souvenirs.

Well thought out and this is what I recommend most people do, run the numbers and be honest. Just as an aside, unless you are getting a discount on the Disney cards you might want to think about pre-paid Visa or MC. That way if you don't use all the funds at Disney, they can be used elsewhere in the real world.

 

[Dakota731]

One last question - if we decide to do dining plan and we have a group with two different adult parties, can we charge tips and alcohol to our room separately if I bought the dining plan in one unit?

 

[kittyab]

We already decided on our next visit, we will mainly do QS with a few special TS. That will save us more money and give us more flexibility with park/resort time. TS is such a time waster.

 

[2girlsR2good]

TS is such a time waster.

See! This is why it is so dependent on your experience/needs! My family is the exact opposite--we really like TS, particularly when parks are crowded. It's a great break in the day and I get really frustrated trying to get everyone situated when using QS and fighting for table spots, standing in line to order, etc. That's why we don't do DDP--lunch TS isn't a great value and we aren't dessert with lunch people.

Our next trip is during a less crowded time, so the DDP makes sense for us only because we are doing fixed high-price options (character buffets, family style) for dinners and I ran the numbers--we're going to try eating as we go during the day, then enjoying a sit down dinner.