Is the dining plan really worth it?

[earljam]

My wife and I are planing a trip this October but we can't decide on whether or not to get the dining plan. We are both 29 w/out the benefit of childeren, I just can't see where we will save much, if any, money on the plan. Is something escaping me? Are there benefits to the DDP that I'm not seeinf?

Any help/comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Earl

 

[Chuck S]

It depends upon your normal dining habits. I usually travel with all adults, and after the trips I've added up our costs, and the Dining Plan would usually cost the same (usually more) than what we spent on food, and would be of no benefit.

For a short stay of two to three days, the plan would probably be a break-even.

 

[earljam]

According to my math, that would be a fair assumtion. Thanks for your comment.

 

[Chic]

I just returned from Disney World during a Spring Break vacation and purchased the basic dining plan for $38.99. I ate lunch at Pecos Bills which totaled $14, I picked up a Nestle Crunch Ice Cream bar in the Magic Kingdom which would have cost $2.50, and had dinner at Chefs De France in Epcot with a bill of $43. The actual cost would have been $59.50 without the dining plan. I saved $20.51 by purchasing the dining plan. I stayed 5 days so I saved around $100, not a bad deal.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We too find the costs to be a wash. That is especially true if you have an AP and the DDE card. We just did a trip without the DDP, but used the DDE card where we could, and we tracked all our costs. We compared that to our trip last November where we did have the DDP, and it really is about the same. The big difference is that the DDP was more food than we could eat, and we wasted many counter service credits, since we don't do much counter service. We also ended up paying for some meals out of pocket anyway, because we like the Signatures, and they take 2 table service credits each. That alone makes it less of a value for us. Our preference is to do DDP for a short stay and DDE for the rest of it or a longer stay. We accomplish this by having one reservation for the time when we have guests with us, and a different reservation for the rest of the trip where it is just the two of us.

 

[ChelleinNC]

My wife and I are planing a trip this October but we can't decide on whether or not to get the dining plan. We are both 29 w/out the benefit of childeren, I just can't see where we will save much, if any, money on the plan. Is something escaping me? Are there benefits to the DDP that I'm not seeinf?

Any help/comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Earl

I think there are some benefits, depending on a variety of factors. We got the DDP in December - after being wholeheartedly against it. My dad & stepmom were coming with us for their 1st trip, I knew my dad would have sticker shock when he saw the prices at the TS we had planned and even more so after I saw the holiday surcharges Without DDP, my dad would have walked into Chefs de France and decided that he wasn't hungry and would only have ordered a bowl of soup and glass of water. With DDP, he didn't have to "worry" about how much dinner was and thoroughly enjoyed his beef tenderloine filet (31.95), onion soup (5.95) and his dessert (6.95) his $45 dinner only cost him $29 (granted this was the 07 plan, so in 08 it wouldn't be as good a deal, but still more than what the day cost)

My other reason/example is even though we always eat TS we had never spent as much as the DDP would cost for the trip. Then we realized that was because of how we ended up ordering. We'd have lunch at Le Cellier and as good as the filet sounded, it seemed over indulgent to spend $23 on an entree for lunch so we would always (without saying anything to each other about it) order the $13 steak sandwich instead. Dessert for lunch? and Dinner? Maybe 1 or 2 desserts to share, once a day.

With the DDP it was easier to say "yes" to the kids when they wanted a snack or a drink.

Will we use it everytime? No, especially now that the appy & tip are gone. But we will consider it each time depending on what our plans are. We also have the DDE with our AP, so we use that as well.

 

[earljam]

We also have the DDE with our AP, so we use that as well.

What is DDE, and can I get it for a 4-5 night stay?

 

[ChelleinNC]

DDE is the Disney Dining Experience card. It is only availble to annual passholders and Fla residents. It costs $60 (for AP holders) a year and gives you a 20% discount on many TS restaurants and a few CS. The discount is also good on "adult beverages" This year there is an automatic 18% gratuity added to your bill when you use the DDE.

Here's a link to more info: http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dde.htm

 

[Chuck S]

What is DDE, and can I get it for a 4-5 night stay?

Disney Dining Experience is a discount card that is available to Annual Passholders or Florida Residents. It provides a 20% discount at virtually all Table Service restaurants that are Disney operated, as well as Counter Service at Value Resorts and Animal Kingdom.

The cost of the card for Annual Passholders is $60, one card is good for up to 10 people, as long as you all dine together. The DDE discount is also given for Adult Beverages.

Unless you are a Florida Resident or a WDW Annual Passholder, you can not get the DDE.

Beginning in 2008, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to table service and buffet meals when using the DDE.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We have a DDE card. What I do is: When I plan each stay, I decide where we want to eat that trip. Then, I go on the menus and add it all up, with tax and gratuity and our DDE discount.

Then I compare that to the cost of the DDP. Whatever is cheaper, we do.

If you use this method though, try to be realistic about where you want to eat. We will do a TS every day, whether we have DDP or not, but many people would ordinarily eat mostly CS or have a meal in the room.

DH and I are are getting the Deluxe plan for our anniversary trip in July. It will save ALOT for us, as we are big eaters and are trying all the TS that we cannot do with the little ones.

For our May trip, the DDP was a little better than break even for us, but we are getting it for the convenience of having it prepaid.

For October, we are NOT getting it, as my sister and Mom will be with us, and my teens, so we will do more eating on the run and probably have more alcohol (sis likes her beer), so the DDE will be better.

The DDP decision is always my least favorite. I loathe math.

 

[earljam]

It sounds to me that there is no real advantage to the DDE except when it comes to convenience. I will probably do some research on the restaurants I want to visit and decide from there. If the price is about the same then I will get the DDE to save myself from the headache of having to count every minor charge.
Does the gratuity get charged back to my room or do I have to Tip at the table with cash/card?

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

It is also a better deal if you have younger kids. For example the kids DDP is $9.99. Most dinners for children fall in that area. You still get a snack and lunch! Great price for kids.

 

[ChelleinNC]

It sounds to me that there is no real advantage to the DDE except when it comes to convenience. I will probably do some research on the restaurants I want to visit and decide from there. If the price is about the same then I will get the DDE to save myself from the headache of having to count every minor charge.
Does the gratuity get charged back to my room or do I have to Tip at the table with cash/card?

If you get the DDE card, the tip will be added to your bill and you can charge it (the whole bill)to your room or pay with cash/cc

DDP can be worthwhile if you will be ordering expensive meals(if your TS meal is $30, then it's a "deal" to get your CS & snack for just $8 more) , if you eat TS everyday and eat CS everyday.

As I said before, you have to look at it each and every trip to see what will work best.

 

[Chuck S]

It sounds to me that there is no real advantage to the DDE except when it comes to convenience. I will probably do some research on the restaurants I want to visit and decide from there. If the price is about the same then I will get the DDE to save myself from the headache of having to count every minor charge.
Does the gratuity get charged back to my room or do I have to Tip at the table with cash/card?

For DDE Discount is applied, and the gratuity is added to your bill, which you pay at the table the normal way, either cash, credit card or room charge.

For the pre-paid DDP (Disney Dining Plan) the automatic 18% gratuity only applies to parties of 6 or more. You would pay it at the table with cash, credit or room charge.

For DDP with less than 6 people, the gratuity is up to you, and you can either charge it to credit card, room charge it, or leave in cash.

 

[pjzkent]

My dad & stepmom were coming with us for their 1st trip, I knew my dad would have sticker shock when he saw the prices at the TS we had planned and even more so after I saw the holiday surcharges

Haven't been to Disney over the holidays--what holiday surcharge????

 

[Susan C]

My wife and I are planing a trip this October but we can't decide on whether or not to get the dining plan. We are both 29 w/out the benefit of childeren, I just can't see where we will save much, if any, money on the plan. Is something escaping me? Are there benefits to the DDP that I'm not seeinf?

Any help/comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Earl

We are a family of 3.. it was totally worth it. We are eaters, and enjoy having the dessert on vacation. My husband is a tax attorney who kept adding up the numbers...for us it was a savings

With our leftover snack credits, I brought home Rice Krispee Treats..

Susan

 

[pjzkent]

When we were there in 07, buying the rice krispie treats was totally what we did with our leftover credits !!!
I actually hid them in our bags, and about 3 or 4 days after we got home pulled them out, and you would have thought my kids were back at Disney they were SO excited (they were 5,3 and 3 so it didn't take much)

 

[ChelleinNC]

My dad & stepmom were coming with us for their 1st trip, I knew my dad would have sticker shock when he saw the prices at the TS we had planned and even more so after I saw the holiday surcharges

Haven't been to Disney over the holidays--what holiday surcharge????

Basically from Thanksgiving thru the Christmas Holidays, Easter/Spring break and from May 25-July 5th, 2008, Disney raises the prices at the buffets and family style restaurants by around $5.

From allears.net the list of restaurants involved:
Holiday Dining Surcharges that were in effect for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday seasons will also be in effect from March 16-30, 2008Holiday Pricing: May 25, 2008 - July 5, 2008 :Yes, we doubled and triple checked. The holiday pricing includes the entire month of June!

Prices will be higher at the following restaurants: Boma Breakfast and Dinner, Cape May Breakfast and Dinner Buffet, Chef Mickey's Breakfast and Dinner, Trails End Buffet, 1900 Park Fare Breakfast and Dinner, 'Ohana Breakfast and Dinner, Captain's Grille Breakfast Buffet, Tusker House, Garden Grill, Princess Storybook Dining, Crystal Palace, Liberty Tree Tavern Character Dinner, Cinderella's Royal Table, and Play 'n' Dine at Hollywood and Vine.

 

[LSchrow]

while not "big" eaters, DH & i will eat a CS for breakfast or lunch (depending upon what time we get up), an iced mochacino for a mid-day snack, & a nice TS every evening (mostly EPCOT).
based on exactly what we ordered last year, the DDP saves us about $25 per person, per night over OOP (approx $350 saved for our 7 night stay in may). even the DDE didn't come close to the savings we would recognize with the DDP (we don't drink that much, so the DDE savings on alcohol wouldn't help us).
we don't even look at the menu prices, instead basing our orders on what we actually want to eat without any concern for the cost. btw, on longer stays, we eat at one or two signature restaurants (using 2 points), so we have days where we are elsewhere & don't need to come back for an ADR. the DDP adds a "little something" to our vacations, & makes them feel more like a cruise or all-inclusive......we love it!!

 

[swhall]

We recently purchased the dining plan for our party of 5. We ended up saving approximately $200 for our 6 night stay. We were also there during the holiday surcharge time frame. We had a table service meal each day or character buffet which certainly made it worth our while. Had we not purchased the dining plan, yes, we may have not enjoyed so many table service meals but all in all we were happy with dining plan, it was a good value for us!