Is the dining plan worth it??
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olwyngdh
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For my family, the dining plan works well. You are going to get a lot of posts telling you it is horrible, but every family works differently. With the dining plan, my husband actually stops to eat instead of thinking we can all survive on snacks when he realizes he is hungry. It gives up an hour or so every day that we sit down, relax in AC, and eat a full meal without him fussing about every penny since it is already paid for. Depending on what and where you eat, you can save money, break even, or spend a few more bucks than you could have saved without it, but in the grand scheme of things, the possible savings aren't worthwhile to me. After one trip with him thinking a baked potato was a sufficient dinner and me having to deal with a hangry child, a hyperfocused husband, and my own teary response to low blood sugar from not eating, I will no longer stay off property and go without the dining plan. Peace of mind is worth every penny to me.
klitteral2009
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We love the dining plan. For my family of 5 it saves us a bit of money. Now that being said, it fits our style. We'd likely eat one table service and one quick service each day anyway and we are big snackers, so when we feel like some
Popcorn or a Mickey bar we can just get one. We also love that it's already paid for. We show up and don't have to get the wallet out at all (esp now that the magic bands do it all
) I know some will say you might save money just by buying disney gift cards and paying for food that way, but to me it's too much trouble. To me it's most about the way you eat, how much, how often and how expensive you tend to order.
Popcorn or a Mickey bar we can just get one. We also love that it's already paid for. We show up and don't have to get the wallet out at all (esp now that the magic bands do it all
) I know some will say you might save money just by buying disney gift cards and paying for food that way, but to me it's too much trouble. To me it's most about the way you eat, how much, how often and how expensive you tend to order.
MakiraMarlena
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Absent the free dining, it will totally depend on what you want to do about eating, especially since according to your signature only one of your kids qualifies for the children's plan. With the exception of the deluxe plan, the dining plans are always better cost-wise for families with several children under 10 (the more kids under 10 you have and the more buffet/AYCE/fixed price meals you do, the better the regular plan gets as far as value.)
If you are interested in using the plan to save money, assuming you want the regular 1 TS, 1 CS, 1 snack per night plan (the one most people get), then you have to ask yourself what you are planning to do about meals. In general, if you intend to have a table service meal every day or almost every day of your stay, if you intend to stick with character meals or other buffet/AYCE/family style/fixed price meals, if you're going to limit your bookings of meals that cost 2 TS credits each (these are not such a good deal on the regular plan) and your party is not into sharing/splitting meals, ordering plain tap water to drink or skipping desserts, and you don't have a family of picky eaters who are going to want a lot of substitutions and changes from the way the plan requires you to order (like adults who prefer kids' meals or those who would rather have an appetizer than an entree or dessert since appetizers are not covered by the regular plan), then you have the potential to save at least a bit using the regular dining plan.
Priorities change if you use the deluxe plan, as that plan works best for guests who either want 3 meals a day with the majority being table service or those who want to concentrate on the 2 credit per meal "signature" restaurants.
It's very difficult to have the quick service plan save you much money, and it's even somewhat easy to actually lose money on that plan, so consider that plan only if you just want to feel like you've gone somewhat all-inclusive and you find that convenient, and place a value on that.
Big thing to remember is that you are paying up front for most of your meals. If you start skipping meals, or you get sick and don't feel like eating, then Mickey gets to keep that money - you don't get it back. But see the post by the above poster who says that it doesn't really matter to her what it costs - for her, the true value in using a prepaid dining plan is to distract her husband from complaining about menu prices since they can order from the restaurant menu without regard for the prices, and to have a reason to ensure that he agrees to stick to a schedule for meals. Many users put a value above and beyond the specific cost of the ordered food on using a prepaid plan, and you alone know if your party will be one of those who does.
If you are interested in using the plan to save money, assuming you want the regular 1 TS, 1 CS, 1 snack per night plan (the one most people get), then you have to ask yourself what you are planning to do about meals. In general, if you intend to have a table service meal every day or almost every day of your stay, if you intend to stick with character meals or other buffet/AYCE/family style/fixed price meals, if you're going to limit your bookings of meals that cost 2 TS credits each (these are not such a good deal on the regular plan) and your party is not into sharing/splitting meals, ordering plain tap water to drink or skipping desserts, and you don't have a family of picky eaters who are going to want a lot of substitutions and changes from the way the plan requires you to order (like adults who prefer kids' meals or those who would rather have an appetizer than an entree or dessert since appetizers are not covered by the regular plan), then you have the potential to save at least a bit using the regular dining plan.
Priorities change if you use the deluxe plan, as that plan works best for guests who either want 3 meals a day with the majority being table service or those who want to concentrate on the 2 credit per meal "signature" restaurants.
It's very difficult to have the quick service plan save you much money, and it's even somewhat easy to actually lose money on that plan, so consider that plan only if you just want to feel like you've gone somewhat all-inclusive and you find that convenient, and place a value on that.
Big thing to remember is that you are paying up front for most of your meals. If you start skipping meals, or you get sick and don't feel like eating, then Mickey gets to keep that money - you don't get it back. But see the post by the above poster who says that it doesn't really matter to her what it costs - for her, the true value in using a prepaid dining plan is to distract her husband from complaining about menu prices since they can order from the restaurant menu without regard for the prices, and to have a reason to ensure that he agrees to stick to a schedule for meals. Many users put a value above and beyond the specific cost of the ordered food on using a prepaid plan, and you alone know if your party will be one of those who does.
OasterP
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Like others have said - it will definitely depend on your family and your eating style. I know that financially I can eat for less money than I spend on a dining plan. Even when it's "free" I would do better by taking the discount on the room and not getting the meal plan.
My husband likes the idea of the meal plan (QS) and is planning on doing it since we booked the "free" DP bounce back offer. My hope is that when we go in April and have no dining plan he'll realize how much cheaper we eat. Or maybe I'll realize we spend more than I think.
I have only done the regular dining plan, so my experience is based off of that. If you know you will definitely want to do a sit down meal every day, and you either choose the more expensive restaurants, order somewhat pricier options, and will typically eat dessert, then it can work. For our trip in September on paper it looked like we would be saving money with the free dining, but in reality - had we not had the dining we wouldn't have gone to most of the sit down buffets, and I guarantee would have eaten far fewer desserts.
We still ended up not making it worth it because I do not typically eat like that and ended up sharing some meals, and we had quite a few left over. We did end up technically using the credits, but not in the best financial way to do so.
For me personally I prefer to just eat what I want when I want. And if that means having cereal in my room, a pretzel for lunch, and a QS dinner, than that's what I want to do. I also personally don't love having the meal plan and snack credits b/c then I was much more tempted to get dessert, and I really do not need dessert every meal pretty much. Of course I could have gotten apple slices or given my dessert away more, but I didn't as much as I could/should have
My friends however, absolutely swear by the dining plan and will always get it. But they like to eat that way, so for them it makes a bit more sense.
I would look at menu's and try to think what you might want to eat. Then compare the price and see if it makes sense to you! I'm glad we tried it once, but I really could do without it again.
My husband likes the idea of the meal plan (QS) and is planning on doing it since we booked the "free" DP bounce back offer. My hope is that when we go in April and have no dining plan he'll realize how much cheaper we eat. Or maybe I'll realize we spend more than I think.
I have only done the regular dining plan, so my experience is based off of that. If you know you will definitely want to do a sit down meal every day, and you either choose the more expensive restaurants, order somewhat pricier options, and will typically eat dessert, then it can work. For our trip in September on paper it looked like we would be saving money with the free dining, but in reality - had we not had the dining we wouldn't have gone to most of the sit down buffets, and I guarantee would have eaten far fewer desserts.
We still ended up not making it worth it because I do not typically eat like that and ended up sharing some meals, and we had quite a few left over. We did end up technically using the credits, but not in the best financial way to do so.
For me personally I prefer to just eat what I want when I want. And if that means having cereal in my room, a pretzel for lunch, and a QS dinner, than that's what I want to do. I also personally don't love having the meal plan and snack credits b/c then I was much more tempted to get dessert, and I really do not need dessert every meal pretty much. Of course I could have gotten apple slices or given my dessert away more, but I didn't as much as I could/should have
My friends however, absolutely swear by the dining plan and will always get it. But they like to eat that way, so for them it makes a bit more sense.
I would look at menu's and try to think what you might want to eat. Then compare the price and see if it makes sense to you! I'm glad we tried it once, but I really could do without it again.
I know I was most happy to have dining points when we were already on our trip. Maybe we could have eaten cheaper outside of the plan (although I doubt it, considering the shock we saw on some of our receipts, especially from Jiko!), but for us the convenience of not having to worry about what it would cost outweighed whatever we would have saved.
Oh, and here's a tip...keep a Disney gift card to use for gratuity, and be sure it has at least $25 per person per day on it.
Oh, and here's a tip...keep a Disney gift card to use for gratuity, and be sure it has at least $25 per person per day on it.
MaryLovesPoohBear
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As others have said it really depends on your family.
Like olwyngdh, I like the dining plan because it forces us to eat. But, when we don't have it, I am the one that figures we can survive on snacks.
I pack cheese crackers, apples and pretzels, to take into the park. And when someone gets hungry I offer them what I have. I mean honestly, if you are truly hungry, you would eat what I have, right?
With the dining plan, if someone is hungry, all they need is their KTTW, or now, their magic band.
Like olwyngdh, I like the dining plan because it forces us to eat. But, when we don't have it, I am the one that figures we can survive on snacks.
I pack cheese crackers, apples and pretzels, to take into the park. And when someone gets hungry I offer them what I have. I mean honestly, if you are truly hungry, you would eat what I have, right?
With the dining plan, if someone is hungry, all they need is their KTTW, or now, their magic band.
Ava
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Our trip last month was our first time using the DDP. After we got home, I added up what we would've spent OOP for all the meals/snacks we had, and we just about broke even on what the DDP would've cost us had we paid for it. (We had Free Dining.)
That said:
1. We didn't consciously attempt to maximize the plan value, we just ate where/what we wanted. All of our TS meals were fixed-price, and half of them were breakfasts. We're also vegetarians, so our QS meals were usually among the least expensive on the menu.
2. We ate a lot of QS desserts we would not have ordered if they hadn't been included on the plan. If I take out the cost of those, the DDP cost more than what we would've spent OOP. (We also didn't order anything that wasn't included on the DDP.)
I liked having the DDP because we did a lot of character meals that we would not have done if we were paying OOP. To me it's more about the feeling of splurging on vacation than about a potential monetary savings. Our meal plans were completely different when on the DDP, so it's difficult to say, "Oh, we saved $X by using DDP," because without DDP we would not have eaten a TS meal every day. We'd have done mostly QS and eating in the room, with a couple TS meals.
However, I don't think I'd ever pay for DDP. So therein lies the rub - I feel it's "worth it" when I'm getting it for "free" but I would never pay for it. Does that make me sound cheap?
That said:
1. We didn't consciously attempt to maximize the plan value, we just ate where/what we wanted. All of our TS meals were fixed-price, and half of them were breakfasts. We're also vegetarians, so our QS meals were usually among the least expensive on the menu.
2. We ate a lot of QS desserts we would not have ordered if they hadn't been included on the plan. If I take out the cost of those, the DDP cost more than what we would've spent OOP. (We also didn't order anything that wasn't included on the DDP.)
I liked having the DDP because we did a lot of character meals that we would not have done if we were paying OOP. To me it's more about the feeling of splurging on vacation than about a potential monetary savings. Our meal plans were completely different when on the DDP, so it's difficult to say, "Oh, we saved $X by using DDP," because without DDP we would not have eaten a TS meal every day. We'd have done mostly QS and eating in the room, with a couple TS meals.
However, I don't think I'd ever pay for DDP. So therein lies the rub - I feel it's "worth it" when I'm getting it for "free" but I would never pay for it. Does that make me sound cheap?
lblume91
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We love the dining plan, not because it saves us money but for the convenience of having our meals prepaid for. My DH is another one that grumbles about how much things cost & thinks the kids can go all day without eating just because he can. The DDP allows us to stop & eat (after all, he doesn't want to waste those credits) and not look at the menu prices. If the kids want the most expensive thing on the menu, let them have it! It's not costing me any more than the cheapest thing on the menu. When they want a snack, we get it without looking at the outrageous theme park price. We were in Orlando for the softball world series last summer & managed to squeeze in one day at MK & one day at DTD. Paying OOP for our meals & listening to my DH complain about how much it all cost was enough to ensure I will continue to get it for our normal WDW vacations!
I agree that it really depends on how your family eats. When we're in WDW, our DDs will eat a granola bar or pop tart in the room for breakfast. We use the CS credits for an early lunch, have a mid-afternoon snack & then a late (for us anyway) dinner using the TS credits. It's more than enough food for us & everyone is happy being able to order what they want (including dessert!) without DH grumbling about the cost.
I agree that it really depends on how your family eats. When we're in WDW, our DDs will eat a granola bar or pop tart in the room for breakfast. We use the CS credits for an early lunch, have a mid-afternoon snack & then a late (for us anyway) dinner using the TS credits. It's more than enough food for us & everyone is happy being able to order what they want (including dessert!) without DH grumbling about the cost.
gabriellewatson
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I am currently weighing my options as to whether we should spend money on the DDP and stay at a value resort to stay within our budget $3000 OR we should just stay at the Deluxe with our "deal" for $2308 and pay OOP for our meals.
The last few times we've gone we got the free dining offer, so it was free and we stayed within our budget. It was nice not having to worry about how much each meal was costing us and get things off the menu that we ordinarily would never choose because of the price.
We are VERY cheap, no lie! On vacation, I want to feel like I can splurge on whatever I want to eat or snack on without worrying about the cost, so the DDP is worth it for me.
When I tally up what our meal will probably cost for all of our character meals and TS experiences we're looking at $1200. For the 4 of us the DDP is around $800, so I'm okay with saving $400 to get to have peace of mind and eat where I want and what I want.
We'll probably end up just staying at a value POP or AOA and paying the money for the DDP since we can't go when it MIGHT be free. Our daughter will be starting first grade the day after we get back. If I would pull her from school the 2nd week I completely would to go during free dining, but that would not be 'responsible' of me I suppose.
The last few times we've gone we got the free dining offer, so it was free and we stayed within our budget. It was nice not having to worry about how much each meal was costing us and get things off the menu that we ordinarily would never choose because of the price.
We are VERY cheap, no lie! On vacation, I want to feel like I can splurge on whatever I want to eat or snack on without worrying about the cost, so the DDP is worth it for me.
When I tally up what our meal will probably cost for all of our character meals and TS experiences we're looking at $1200. For the 4 of us the DDP is around $800, so I'm okay with saving $400 to get to have peace of mind and eat where I want and what I want.
We'll probably end up just staying at a value POP or AOA and paying the money for the DDP since we can't go when it MIGHT be free. Our daughter will be starting first grade the day after we get back. If I would pull her from school the 2nd week I completely would to go during free dining, but that would not be 'responsible' of me I suppose.
LindseyJo22
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I'm currently trying to decide if this is a plus for my (not yet booked) but hopefully October-ish honeymoon in 2015. Fiance and I love Disney food, and a big part of the "vacation" aspect for us is eating the food in the parks. But honestly, using places we ate on our recent trip and places we want to eat (Crystal Palace, Garden Grill, Chefs de France, etc.) I'm still not coming out with a real savings, and you still have to pay for tips!
So my question and what we're probably going to have to discuss is this convenience aspect. Would we rather pay more than we might otherwise and feel more comfortable ordering more expensive food (which is something I generally shy away from), or should we just order what we want anyway and pay OOP since it probably won't be as much as the dining plan would cost anyway. I don't know!
So my question and what we're probably going to have to discuss is this convenience aspect. Would we rather pay more than we might otherwise and feel more comfortable ordering more expensive food (which is something I generally shy away from), or should we just order what we want anyway and pay OOP since it probably won't be as much as the dining plan would cost anyway. I don't know!
gabriellewatson
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Isn't there usually a free dining offer in October? If it was free I'd say take it!
We went for our honeymoon (Aug. 2006) and one year wedding anniversary (Sept. 2007), and we got the free dining each time. It was totally worth paying full rack room prices. The hotel was inexpensive because it was in the 'off-season' then free dining on top, so we could eat whatever, whenever. It really spoiled us, so now that we can't get the free dining I'm weighing our OOP costs. We want to have the same kind of experience food and everything but with little money OOP on the trip.
We always brought $600 cash to cover: souvenirs, mousekeeping, tips, and whatever needs we had to fill. We usually came back with $200 in cash at the end of the trip.
This trip we plan to do the same but bring $800 cash since we are bringing small children and well they are different types of wants and needs.
We hope to come back with $200 in pocket at least.
We went for our honeymoon (Aug. 2006) and one year wedding anniversary (Sept. 2007), and we got the free dining each time. It was totally worth paying full rack room prices. The hotel was inexpensive because it was in the 'off-season' then free dining on top, so we could eat whatever, whenever. It really spoiled us, so now that we can't get the free dining I'm weighing our OOP costs. We want to have the same kind of experience food and everything but with little money OOP on the trip.
We always brought $600 cash to cover: souvenirs, mousekeeping, tips, and whatever needs we had to fill. We usually came back with $200 in cash at the end of the trip.
This trip we plan to do the same but bring $800 cash since we are bringing small children and well they are different types of wants and needs.
We hope to come back with $200 in pocket at least.
LindseyJo22
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Well, I should have clarified I think. Our wedding present from Fiance's parents is going to be the park tickets (!) and the use of some of their DVC points for the room (!!). So if I understand correctly, DVC people can't get the "free dining" promotion when it's offered. So at this point, it is more about what will make the most sense budget-wise for us, since we'd be paying OOP for either the food on the trip as we eat or the DDP when we book (again, if I understand everything correctly). The desserts definitely add some value to the DDP, but we wouldn't necessarily eat dessert if we didn't use the Dining Plan option. It would, however, be really nice to just have the price paid for and not feel pressured to get something cheap or that wasn't exactly what I wanted.
So I think it really depends (getting the thread back on topic) on what you like. I've never done the dining plan before, so I'm trying to weigh all my options! Part of me feels like the "all-inclusive" feel would be really nice, and it would be fun to be able to go to some places that are more expensive than we might usually pick, but on the other hand, if we're really just spending more money and eating the same way we did last trip, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Though I do like the idea of getting more desserts
Also, does anyone know if the desserts you can get as a part of a QS meal can be "saved" for later? It would be great to be able to use a snack credit or something if we didn't feel like dessert at lunch one day, but I haven't been able to find an answer to this question.
Sorry for the monster post, there are a lot of things to think about!
Mikie
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OP - I'm not sure if you're looking for info on the different dining plans, or simply wondering whether the standard dining plan is a better value than paying out of pocket for each meal.
I just got back from a trip with 12 people of varyig family makeups. We all got the dining plan (paid for since we were unfortunately in one of the October weeks where free dining was not offered) Despite my telling other families i advance that the dining plan is not necessarily wise for everyone, they all got it anyway. Here's how it stacked up for us:
Family 1 - 2 seniors with modest to small appetities. They thought it was too much food. They do not regularly eat 3 meals a day and definintely didn't want dessert with every meal that they DO eat. They either over-indulged because it was included or wasted soe snack or meal credits. Enjoyed watching the grandkids at the character buffets, but got tired of eating at buffets Financially not a win, and they din't like that they "ate too much"
Fmily 2 - 1 adult on her own. Just about broke even and loved the "don't have to think about it" factor. Drinks soft drinks at every meal, enjoyed splurging on desserts on vacation, used snack credits for a pastry or yogurt for breakfat most days.
Family 3 - 2 adults, 1 picky child, 1 "infant" 2-year old who doesn't pay for the dining plan. Didn't like their restricted choices, complained about what they paid for a kid to "only eat a few bites" of something, Although that was often at buffets and really not different from life in the "real world" where you never know if your kid will devour everything in sight or just nibble on free bread! These adults usually only drink water, may have often ordered only an app instad of an entree if not on the plan, and the picky kids didn't get much value from their meals. Definitely a financial loss vs. paying out of pocket.
FAmily 4 - 2 adults, 1 disney adult with a moderate appetite, 1 child who's a big eater, 1 child who's hit or miss. Definitely a savings for us. Our table service places were often character buffets, which are expensive and the savings is dramatic for kids on the plan. We used most of our snack credits for a quick breakfast item, the Disney adult/teen couldn't quite finish her adult entrees but could share with the 9 year-old whose child meals weren't quite enough. Adults shared our desserts with the kids, who don't get one on the plan. We are all get soft drinks or tea with our meals and didn't have to make a point to use up any leftover credits or anything. A financial savings for us and we really enjoyed not having the sticker shock at the end of each meal.
Without the dining plan, we wouldn't have made as many character ADRs, which was a part of our park day, so I would count that as a negative to dropping it. Financially, only the single traveler broke even and my family with kids balanced out the potential over-payment of ordering dessserts we otherwise wouldn't get and we saved money compared to following our exact dining without using the plan.
I think the "out of sight out of mind" factor is significant and would recommend perusing menus and using online calculators to see if the dining plan is a good financial choice. Generally, having kids who actually eat combined with expensive buffet meals makes the dining plan a decent choice. The more you eliminate beverages, desserts, or choose cheaper menu locations, the less you stand to save.
I just got back from a trip with 12 people of varyig family makeups. We all got the dining plan (paid for since we were unfortunately in one of the October weeks where free dining was not offered) Despite my telling other families i advance that the dining plan is not necessarily wise for everyone, they all got it anyway. Here's how it stacked up for us:
Family 1 - 2 seniors with modest to small appetities. They thought it was too much food. They do not regularly eat 3 meals a day and definintely didn't want dessert with every meal that they DO eat. They either over-indulged because it was included or wasted soe snack or meal credits. Enjoyed watching the grandkids at the character buffets, but got tired of eating at buffets
Financially not a win, and they din't like that they "ate too much"Fmily 2 - 1 adult on her own. Just about broke even and loved the "don't have to think about it" factor. Drinks soft drinks at every meal, enjoyed splurging on desserts on vacation, used snack credits for a pastry or yogurt for breakfat most days.
Family 3 - 2 adults, 1 picky child, 1 "infant" 2-year old who doesn't pay for the dining plan. Didn't like their restricted choices, complained about what they paid for a kid to "only eat a few bites" of something, Although that was often at buffets and really not different from life in the "real world" where you never know if your kid will devour everything in sight or just nibble on free bread! These adults usually only drink water, may have often ordered only an app instad of an entree if not on the plan, and the picky kids didn't get much value from their meals. Definitely a financial loss vs. paying out of pocket.
FAmily 4 - 2 adults, 1 disney adult with a moderate appetite, 1 child who's a big eater, 1 child who's hit or miss. Definitely a savings for us. Our table service places were often character buffets, which are expensive and the savings is dramatic for kids on the plan. We used most of our snack credits for a quick breakfast item, the Disney adult/teen couldn't quite finish her adult entrees but could share with the 9 year-old whose child meals weren't quite enough. Adults shared our desserts with the kids, who don't get one on the plan. We are all get soft drinks or tea with our meals and didn't have to make a point to use up any leftover credits or anything. A financial savings for us and we really enjoyed not having the sticker shock at the end of each meal.
Without the dining plan, we wouldn't have made as many character ADRs, which was a part of our park day, so I would count that as a negative to dropping it. Financially, only the single traveler broke even and my family with kids balanced out the potential over-payment of ordering dessserts we otherwise wouldn't get and we saved money compared to following our exact dining without using the plan.
I think the "out of sight out of mind" factor is significant and would recommend perusing menus and using online calculators to see if the dining plan is a good financial choice. Generally, having kids who actually eat combined with expensive buffet meals makes the dining plan a decent choice. The more you eliminate beverages, desserts, or choose cheaper menu locations, the less you stand to save.
MaryLovesPoohBear
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Great breakdown.
Thank you.
Right now, we are deciding between out of pocket and quick service. It seems pretty close, cost wise.
It depends on how you define "worth".
There are a lot of naysayers when it comes to the dining plan, especially the Deluxe Dining Plan, but we like it. We're paying for it (e.g. no free dining) for the second time, in fact.
There's the "too much food" argument -
Well, yes, it's a ton of food for sure. But it's VACATION! I normally am a light and healthy eater. I'm a thin person. However, I LOVE food - vacation is my time to indulge. Food is fun. I try to limit eating out at restaurants in the "real world." But I vacation only once a year (and Disney only once every 3 years with more budget conscious trips in between), so this is my time to enjoy restaurants.
I hate the idea of splitting/sharing entrees, personally. This feels like the scrimping I do in a lot of my aspects of my life year round. I work hard, I saved hard for the trip, I don't want to split/share on my vacation. I want to order whatever appeals to me, and really enjoy it.
Also, I just don't relate to people who say they are "too full" 6 hours after their last meal. My body doesn't seem to work that way. Even if I had a BIG meal, I'm still hungry 5-6 hours later, especially with all the walking. Even though because of how we're using our credits, the majority of days we're only doing 2 sit down meals, I probably could still eat at 8am, 2pm, 8pm.
The "value" argument -
I am in the sweet spot - I've got 2 children still paying children's prices and enjoy character meals. I might change my mind when my DD has to pay "Disney Adult" prices, but for now, with a 4 & 7 year old, and character meals, Hoop-De-Doo, and Signature Dining, I think we'll come close to breaking even, possibly even coming out ahead.
I also want to avoid sticker shock. I know looking at those entrée and buffet prices would just stress me out. When I'm on the dining plan, I just don't think about it. I know if I was paying OOP, I would always choose the cheaper option, and cut out desserts, appetizers, etc.
The "it takes too much time" argument -
We're not staying on the monorail line this time, and taking the bus back and forth to our resort to take a break just seems like a pain to me. Instead, we consider our meal times as nice "time outs" for the family so we can sit and relax in a nice cool environment and get waited on. Because of how we're using our credits, the majority of days we're only doing 2 sit down meals anyway. I'll be looking forward to those times out of the park.
Hey, to each their own! But for me, the dining plan fits my "vacation style."
There are a lot of naysayers when it comes to the dining plan, especially the Deluxe Dining Plan, but we like it. We're paying for it (e.g. no free dining) for the second time, in fact.
There's the "too much food" argument -
Well, yes, it's a ton of food for sure. But it's VACATION! I normally am a light and healthy eater. I'm a thin person. However, I LOVE food - vacation is my time to indulge. Food is fun. I try to limit eating out at restaurants in the "real world." But I vacation only once a year (and Disney only once every 3 years with more budget conscious trips in between), so this is my time to enjoy restaurants.
I hate the idea of splitting/sharing entrees, personally. This feels like the scrimping I do in a lot of my aspects of my life year round. I work hard, I saved hard for the trip, I don't want to split/share on my vacation. I want to order whatever appeals to me, and really enjoy it.
Also, I just don't relate to people who say they are "too full" 6 hours after their last meal. My body doesn't seem to work that way. Even if I had a BIG meal, I'm still hungry 5-6 hours later, especially with all the walking. Even though because of how we're using our credits, the majority of days we're only doing 2 sit down meals, I probably could still eat at 8am, 2pm, 8pm.
The "value" argument -
I am in the sweet spot - I've got 2 children still paying children's prices and enjoy character meals. I might change my mind when my DD has to pay "Disney Adult" prices, but for now, with a 4 & 7 year old, and character meals, Hoop-De-Doo, and Signature Dining, I think we'll come close to breaking even, possibly even coming out ahead.
I also want to avoid sticker shock. I know looking at those entrée and buffet prices would just stress me out. When I'm on the dining plan, I just don't think about it. I know if I was paying OOP, I would always choose the cheaper option, and cut out desserts, appetizers, etc.
The "it takes too much time" argument -
We're not staying on the monorail line this time, and taking the bus back and forth to our resort to take a break just seems like a pain to me. Instead, we consider our meal times as nice "time outs" for the family so we can sit and relax in a nice cool environment and get waited on. Because of how we're using our credits, the majority of days we're only doing 2 sit down meals anyway. I'll be looking forward to those times out of the park.
Hey, to each their own! But for me, the dining plan fits my "vacation style."
LindseyJo22
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2014
- Messages
- 852
OP - I'm not sure if you're looking for info on the different dining plans, or simply wondering whether the standard dining plan is a better value than paying out of pocket for each meal.
I just got back from a trip with 12 people of varyig family makeups. We all got the dining plan (paid for since we were unfortunately in one of the October weeks where free dining was not offered) Despite my telling other families i advance that the dining plan is not necessarily wise for everyone, they all got it anyway. Here's how it stacked up for us:
Family 1 - 2 seniors with modest to small appetities. They thought it was too much food. They do not regularly eat 3 meals a day and definintely didn't want dessert with every meal that they DO eat. They either over-indulged because it was included or wasted soe snack or meal credits. Enjoyed watching the grandkids at the character buffets, but got tired of eating at buffets
Fmily 2 - 1 adult on her own. Just about broke even and loved the "don't have to think about it" factor. Drinks soft drinks at every meal, enjoyed splurging on desserts on vacation, used snack credits for a pastry or yogurt for breakfat most days.
Family 3 - 2 adults, 1 picky child, 1 "infant" 2-year old who doesn't pay for the dining plan. Didn't like their restricted choices, complained about what they paid for a kid to "only eat a few bites" of something, Although that was often at buffets and really not different from life in the "real world" where you never know if your kid will devour everything in sight or just nibble on free bread! These adults usually only drink water, may have often ordered only an app instad of an entree if not on the plan, and the picky kids didn't get much value from their meals. Definitely a financial loss vs. paying out of pocket.
FAmily 4 - 2 adults, 1 disney adult with a moderate appetite, 1 child who's a big eater, 1 child who's hit or miss. Definitely a savings for us. Our table service places were often character buffets, which are expensive and the savings is dramatic for kids on the plan. We used most of our snack credits for a quick breakfast item, the Disney adult/teen couldn't quite finish her adult entrees but could share with the 9 year-old whose child meals weren't quite enough. Adults shared our desserts with the kids, who don't get one on the plan. We are all get soft drinks or tea with our meals and didn't have to make a point to use up any leftover credits or anything. A financial savings for us and we really enjoyed not having the sticker shock at the end of each meal.
Without the dining plan, we wouldn't have made as many character ADRs, which was a part of our park day, so I would count that as a negative to dropping it. Financially, only the single traveler broke even and my family with kids balanced out the potential over-payment of ordering dessserts we otherwise wouldn't get and we saved money compared to following our exact dining without using the plan.
I think the "out of sight out of mind" factor is significant and would recommend perusing menus and using online calculators to see if the dining plan is a good financial choice. Generally, having kids who actually eat combined with expensive buffet meals makes the dining plan a decent choice. The more you eliminate beverages, desserts, or choose cheaper menu locations, the less you stand to save.
This is great! I am leaning toward dining plan if fiance will agree, mostly for that "out of sight, out of mind" factor, and to allow myself to indulge more than I might usually because I am definitely one of those who will get something cheaper even if it's not exactly what I want.
gabriellewatson
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2006
- Messages
- 176
If we go in September and free dining is not an option, then we will stay at AOA and pay for our dining plan.
If we go in September and free dining IS offered, then we plan to stay at CBR and invite my mom. She's always wanted to go, and this would make it super affordable for us to bring her. The food would be covered, and we'd pay an extra $400 for the room/ticket costs when all is said and done.
Completely worth it IMO. We love the dining plan. Makes Disney feel so ALL-inclusive.
If we go in September and free dining IS offered, then we plan to stay at CBR and invite my mom. She's always wanted to go, and this would make it super affordable for us to bring her. The food would be covered, and we'd pay an extra $400 for the room/ticket costs when all is said and done.
Completely worth it IMO. We love the dining plan. Makes Disney feel so ALL-inclusive.
nkereina
Last chance to lose your keys.
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2009
- Messages
- 21,037
The dining plan is not meant to be a savings so much as it is meant to be a convenience. You buy the dining plan because you want the convenience of pre-payment and that "all inclusive" type feeling. It CAN be a slight savings if you intend to order the most expensive entrees, but most people will break even or lose money as it would have come out cheaper paying out of pocket.
A lot of anti-dining plan folks will advise to just add your credit card to your magic band, or purchase gift cards ahead of your trip and use those for dining so you can still have it be convenient and semi-prepaid. For us, we'd still be watching what we order, checking our balances, possibly skipping dessert, etc. I want to order that steak and have dessert already included and not think twice about it.
We will always pay for convenience when we can, so we have no qualms about buying the dining plan. But if you are concerned about costs, you can probably do better paying out of pocket. If you're bad at saving, the dining plan forces you to pay ahead of time so that is good too.
A lot of anti-dining plan folks will advise to just add your credit card to your magic band, or purchase gift cards ahead of your trip and use those for dining so you can still have it be convenient and semi-prepaid. For us, we'd still be watching what we order, checking our balances, possibly skipping dessert, etc. I want to order that steak and have dessert already included and not think twice about it.
We will always pay for convenience when we can, so we have no qualms about buying the dining plan. But if you are concerned about costs, you can probably do better paying out of pocket. If you're bad at saving, the dining plan forces you to pay ahead of time so that is good too.
jtowntoflorida
Looking Like I Can't Really Afford To Go To Disney
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2011
- Messages
- 5,540
We've done two week-long trips with the DDP, and 1 without (plus two short trips without). I honestly prefer just paying OOP. The "out of sight, out of mind" argument doesn't really resonate with me...with room charging privileges, it really doesn't make a a difference to me. What I've found on our DDP trips is that I'm always counting...TS credits, CS credits, snack credits...it's just one more thing to keep track of in an increasingly complex Disney vacation, where we now need to keep track of ADRs and FP+s. The meal plan is just one more thing to coordinate and I'm kinda maxed out on that, mentally. I'd rather just pick what I want to eat when I want to eat it and go on my merry way.
We're not big dessert eaters, and on our last trip, we had about 10 CS dessert choices left in our refrigerator at the end of the week. It's hard to attribute value to something that just isn't used. We're not big soda drinkers and take our own water into the parks, so there is little value in the drinks, too.
We bought APs this year and plan to get a TIW card to help negate the high cost of the character meals that we do.
We're not big dessert eaters, and on our last trip, we had about 10 CS dessert choices left in our refrigerator at the end of the week. It's hard to attribute value to something that just isn't used. We're not big soda drinkers and take our own water into the parks, so there is little value in the drinks, too.
We bought APs this year and plan to get a TIW card to help negate the high cost of the character meals that we do.
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