is the dining plan worth it for us ??

[cyndibelle]

ok here is the run down..me hubby ds6 and dd 9..we will be there november 26- december 3....wanna do these meals..
ohana character breakfast
chef mickeys breakfast
mama melrose lunch
we always eat at the rainforest cafe
we will eat breakfast in our room
or we could eat at pop century
we like to get ice cream in the park
i like frozen lemonades

i mean with that right there..does that seem like the dining plan would be worth it...its like an extra 700 bucks i think for the time we are going to be there....any advice ??? please..

 

[wright1baby]

I would say yes...dining plan would be worth it!! You want to do a lot of TS meals and you figure that takes care of youR cost of the DDP and your CS and snacks are FREE (BASICALLY)!
We will be there same time 11/26-12/1 and our doing DDP as we had done in June! Loved it--no restrictions, order anything you want and not have to worry about the check! When Kids ask..."Mommy...can I get _____(fill in the blank)?" I could say, "yes, you can get anything you want!"
What a great feeling!

 

[Tjaleks]

I don't believe the Rainforest Cafe is included on the DP. Though, we used the dp and truly enjoyed it. We only spent $3.82 out of pocket for food our entire trip.

 

[cyndibelle]

yea rainforest isnt on it..but with adding up those meals that i just said...it doesnt even come close to the price it costs for the dining....am i figuring something wrong ???

 

[bytheblood]

I believe the Dining Plan is totally worth the money if you plan your meals ahead of time and make PS for the restaurants you want to eat in.
If you try places like Le Cellier, Concourse, some character dining, Mama Melrose, etc...you will more than get your monies worth.

 

[bytheblood]

ok here is the run down..me hubby ds6 and dd 9..we will be there november 26- december 3....wanna do these meals..
ohana character breakfast
chef mickeys breakfast
mama melrose lunch
we always eat at the rainforest cafe
we will eat breakfast in our room
or we could eat at pop century
we like to get ice cream in the park
i like frozen lemonades

i mean with that right there..does that seem like the dining plan would be worth it...its like an extra 700 bucks i think for the time we are going to be there....any advice ??? please..

To further answer your question:

We paid $35 a day when we booked for our May trip.

ohana character breakfast - $22 per adult
chef mickeys breakfast - $22 per adult
mama melrose lunch - Approx $25 (the dinner would be better - $50+ per person)
we always eat at the rainforest cafe - not included
we like to get ice cream in the park - $3 at most


With the restaurants you have planned.....

Ohana $22 + Lunch $7 + Snack $3 = $32 (waste of money on dining plan)

However, if you try.....

Mama Melrose Fantasmic Dinner Package $40 per person + Counter Meal $9 + Snack $3 = $52 (well worth the cost of the dining plan)

You have to plan your dining based on the allowable restaurants and the meals you would eat. I to eat when I am on vacation. This is good for me. I never eat like this at home.
Some know they will never eat like that, so it is not worth it.

You are more than welcome to PM me and we can go over some details and help you get your monies worth.

 

[cyndibelle]

thanks so much...i will get some ideas together and email ya...

 

[mikey13v]

To further answer your question:

We paid $35 a day when we booked for our May trip.

ohana character breakfast - $22 per adult
chef mickeys breakfast - $22 per adult
mama melrose lunch - Approx $25 (the dinner would be better - $50+ per person)
we always eat at the rainforest cafe - not included
we like to get ice cream in the park - $3 at most


With the restaurants you have planned.....

Ohana $22 + Lunch $7 + Snack $3 = $32 (waste of money on dining plan)

However, if you try.....

Mama Melrose Fantasmic Dinner Package $40 per person + Counter Meal $9 + Snack $3 = $52 (well worth the cost of the dining plan)

You have to plan your dining based on the allowable restaurants and the meals you would eat. I to eat when I am on vacation. This is good for me. I never eat like this at home.
Some know they will never eat like that, so it is not worth it.

You are more than welcome to PM me and we can go over some details and help you get your monies worth.

Don't forget that tax and tip are included. If you figure that Ohana=$22, add tax and tip = $27. That part really seems to make a big difference, it adds between 21.5% and 25% to every TS, and 6.5% to 7% on CS.

If your still not sure if the DDP is right for you, just look at some sample menus that you will probably use and compare prices. allearsnet.com has prices included on their menus. Just remember to add tax (6.5%) to TS and CS, add tip (15%-18%) on TS, and snacks run $2-$3 each.

For the most part, even if you don't use all of your credits you will end up spending less than you would without the DDP. Although you may not have planned on eating that much or chosing the meals that you will with DDP.

 

[Mamu]

I know so many love the dining plan. I'm sure it great.

I'd rather stay concierge for the extra money. I'm a light eater, an appetizer is a meal for me. The rest of the group are also light eaters. I'm also at the point where I don't want to spend the whole day in restaurants. An hour here an hour there before you know it you've spent the day in restaurants. Not what I planned for a vacation.

 

[Hopefully]

We (3 adults) saved over $450 on the Dining Plan. However, we have been to WDW many times and we no longer tour the parks "Commando Style". We enjoy a sit down dinner at home and on vacation, so a daily TS fits our style. You will spend more time in restaurants and less on park touring if you use the dining plan.
As others have suggested, look at restaurants and menus on allearsnet.com. We researched where we would want to eat, and what we would most likely order and the cost of those meals. When checking restaurants remember to also check out restaurants in the resorts, as well as in the parks.
It was a lot of food, but we enjoyed the dining plan. You need to determine what your priorities are, what is your dining style and then the associated costs to determine what is best for you and your family.
Good Luck and Have Fun!

 

[MomofKatie]

If you like to do lots of Character meals, the DP is a pretty good deal. The kid's price for just the meal is usually the same as or more than the daily price of the DP for them. So, it's like you are getting their CS and snack free.

The places you list are great- but you will get more TS meals than those (based on the dates you will be staying, you will get 7 TS credits each). So, adding on a few more TS to the total will add value to the plan. Also, instead of breakfasts, you could go for dinners at some of the Chatracter meals- they are more expensive.

The DP also covers dinner shows- if you all went to the Hoop Dee Doo, you'd be getting some more value out of the plan, too.

As another poster said, tax and tip are included as well, so that adds more value as well.

Whatever you decide, have a great vacation!!