Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it?

[gabzee]

HI! I am traveling to Disney World in June for 6 days. I have been to Disney many, many times (FL residents) but only stay for 4 days and have never used the Dining Plan. I a very unfamiliar with the dining plan, its rules, and cost. I was wondering if you could help me with these questions and if you know whether the Dining plan will truly save you money?!? Just to give you a quick background about us we typically go to character breakfasts, counter service lunches, and sit down dinners (ex: California Grill, teppan Edo, Boma, etc.). Thanks for your help!
Debbie

 

[sscassel]

HI , Hope this helps. I have gotten the Fee Disney Dining over the past few years and to see how much I have saved, I always scratched in the amount it soct us for meals. We always have a counter service lunch and sit down dinner. There are 4 of us, the 2 kids now are 11 & 10. On the average for our family the lunch would cost us about $55 and dnners were always over $100+ depending where we ate. Hopefully this will help you calculate. I have always gotten the meal plan. We are going in August & have purchased it. But we always make sure we get dinner with it. Why waste good money on a Mickey pancake when I can use it on a filet mignon! I have also found that if you have children who are big eatters, for a minimal price, you can bump the child to the junior meal. I did it for my son about 2 yrs ago and for a 10 day vacation, it cost me about $30 more to move him to a childs meal to the adult meal. That's $30 for the 10 days , not daily!

 

[BriarRosie]

There is a dedicated sub-forum linked at the top of this page that says "Disney Dining Plan". There are a ton of posts and info that will help you, and lots of people who are pro and con on the plan that can help you figure it out based on how many people in your party are adult (10 years old and older) and how many are kids (3-9 years old).

There are many factors that can help you decide if the plans (yes plural!) are good for your traveling party.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I've used the plan 3 times (in different incarnations) and it's saved me money each time. You really have to run the numbers, pull up the menus and look at prices and kind of "fake order" and total it up to see what you come out with. Also consider your eating habits. If you don't go in for sitting down for meals that can be over an hour long, you probably don't need the basic plan but could go with the quick service plan. If you like to eat more than ride, and like a lot of food, you may want to consider the deluxe plan.

This past trip (Jan 24-Feb 2), we had the basic plan (1ts, 1cs, 1 snack per person per day) and we saved about $300 by using the plan. That being said, we were ordering some of the more expensive things on the menu. We could have saved a lot more if we had done the quick service plan, but I'm just not interested in eating that way. For what I was ordering, the plan worked well.

Like I said, you really just have to consider your habits with food, what you'd be ordering, and how much you're willing to spend.

 

[Cafeen]

The dining plans are worth it, so long as you already intend to dine according to them. They don't work so well when you try to dine outside their structure. Of course, that's very general and probably not very helpful .

As far as "is it worth it to you?", that wholly depends on existing plans, dining habits, family makeup, and what you're seeking to get out of the trip. It's too tough to just say "Yes" or "No" because everyone's experience is different.

I've tried a few times to put it into general terms, but I can't quite convey it more clearly than "If you already plan to eat that way, then yes. Otherwise, maybe. (You'd have to run the numbers.)"

From the little information you've given, it does sound like you're a good candidate for one of the plans. CS lunchs and TS Dinners or Character meals are typically the way to go to best maximize the value you're getting for your credits.

There is a lot ot cover if you want the complete run down, so I'd suggest you poke on over to the official Disney World site and read up on the plans. It will cover a lot of the basic questions.

To quickly figure out if you'd save money or not, check out the menus for the locations you're planning and get a general estimate of what you'd pay at each place, paying attention to what you are entitled to for the plan. Add tax to that (since the DDP covers that) and see if it's more or less than the plan would cost you. (You can see prices right on the DIS (www.wdwinfo.com) under Dining->Disney Dining Plan.)

After you've checked that stuff out, if you have more specific questions, let us know and we'll be glad to help .

 

[princess aleya]

We love the dining plan, we enjoy having everything paid for before we go. I don't think we would do it any other way.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I always do the dining plan. It fits how I like to eat on vacation. But it ain't for everyone. I don't eat dessert at home often, but on vacation I want sweets. Each meal comes with dessert. Each day you get a snack, although many go for pretzels. I'm a big guy, 275 pounds, so the volume of food doesn't phase me, but light eaters tend to explode. Well, walk around awfully full. But even they can use the plan to their benefit. I'd schedule my day around ADRs anyway. And I've tried places I'd never considered and loved almost all of them.

 

[jennyf2]

We love the dining plan, esp when its FREE ! I would have purchased it for our upcoming trip if I didn't get the FD pin . I think its a great deal & I love the fact that it's paid for upfront & you can order whatever you want (yes you can order what you want & pay OOP). But if I was paying for every meal OOP I would get the cheapest thing on the menu & save my $$ for other things than food....

 

[lilandvisma]

For us, yes it is totally worth it. In fact, we are doing deluxe dining this time and will most likely go that route from here on through now. We saved a ton of money last visit on the DDP. Even if you think you aren't going to save money you most likely will, esp. if you have younger children with you. I'd have to say that if you are planning on eating TS twice a day, esp signature meals then you might want to consider the DxDP.

 

[Gitts2008]

I have debated us using the dining plan for our upcoming trip. I was figured out that it does not save money for the adults, but it saves for our daughter. The plan is $12.99 for our DD. $12.99 barely pays for 1 Character meal. We are not being eaters, but this give us an opportunity to eat foods that we would not normally eat. You specially mentioned character meals and this is where we find the savings. I also like that our meals are paid for and we can worry about how long the line is at Space Mountain and not if we will have enough money at the end of our trip to eat.

You mentioned that you do 2 TS meals a day. The deluxe plan may be the way to go since you need TS meals. The cost per night is 78.99 adult or junior $21.99 children (ages 3-9).

I remember seeing once that you can exchange 1 TS meal for 2 CS meals, but I do not know if that is still true.

Here is a site to help you:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

I print out the pdf of restaurants from WDW and I highlight where we know that we would want to eat.


GOOD LUCK and HAVE A GREAT TRIP!

 

[Hopefully]

It really varies and there is no single answer. As others have said, review the menus and prices, estimate what you would order and the cost of that, adding in taxes, and see.
There are several different plans. The DxDDP includes 3 credits (which can be used for CS or TS) and 2 snacks per person per night, and a refillable mug per visit. The regular DDP offers 1 CS, 1 TS and 1 Snack per person per night.
Everyone in your room must be on the same plan for the entire lenght of your stay. Children 3 - 9 MUST order off the childs menu, when available.
It works for us. We like a nice TS meal each evening. I never order the most expensive item just to maximize the "value", but rather I order what I want. We always save - not a lot, but some. The Unoffiical Guide estimated the basic DDP saved the average adult $7 per day.
Good Luck in your decision.

 

[housetomouse]

I've never done it, and I really don't know the answer, but Disney seems so eager for me to do it that I think it must be a better deal for them than it is for me

 

[NMAmy]

I've never done it, and I really don't know the answer, but Disney seems so eager for me to do it that I think it must be a better deal for them than it is for me

Excellent point.

I've done the math repeatedly and it just not work out to a significant enough savings for us to justify giving Disney my money up front. If we had to skip one TS meal due to illness, then Disney would have the advantage. I'd rather keep the money I'd have spent on the dining plan and spend out of that kitty. I've yet to come up short by eating whatever we want whenever we want it. We save money, and have more convenience and flexibility.

OP--check the menus, estimate what your family would spend on meals per day, and then you'll be able to make a decision.

 

[Cafeen]

You mentioned that you do 2 TS meals a day. The deluxe plan may be the way to go since you need TS meals. The cost per night is 78.99 adult or junior $21.99 children (ages 3-9).

I remember seeing once that you can exchange 1 TS meal for 2 CS meals, but I do not know if that is still true.

Here is a sites to help you:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

As far as changing credits, it isn't allowed very often and when it is, it's usually 1 for 1 (1 TS for 1 CS). On DxDDP, credits are just credits, they can be used at either type of restaurant. I do agree however that if the OP is doing Character Meal then CS Lunch then TS Dinner that DxDDP would likely be a good choice, as long as they're willing to utilize most of the entitlements per meal (DxDDP is more flexible than DDP in this aspect, DDP you really need to use them all, and all the credits, Deluxe, not as much).

I've never done it, and I really don't know the answer, but Disney seems so eager for me to do it that I think it must be a better deal for them than it is for me

It's a good deal for Disney compared to people going Off-site or bringing bagged lunches. It's all about volume. If you have 100 people, and 80 of them eat on-site at a reduced price, you'll make more than if only 50 of them ate on-site and the other 50 ate off-site.

Before the dining plans came about, many restaurants sat relatively empty and most people were only doing a few sit-downs per trip (if any at all). It may have been nice for those that just wanted to jump into a park and see what's open, but it's not ideal from a business standpoint. The plans have put more butts in the seats (much more), so it's certainly a win for Disney. The fact that you can relatively easily make it work out for you as well, so long as your plan matches what they structure, makes it a win for both sides .

 

[fla4fun]

I think it really depends on your personal dining style. It doesn't work for me. I tend to spend less per day on food than what the plan costs, and as most of my trips are solo, it doesn't even work out when it's free (since a good room only discount is much higher than the value of getting the plan free).

But each family is different. Just look at the menus and calculate a sample for the six days, and see if it would benefit you. If you're a resident who visits frequently, you may be better off with the Tables in Wonderland card, so you might want to calculate that way as well. Don't forget to add in the cost of the card, and don't forget to figure in gratuities when considering the dining plan, as those are not included.

 

[MissionMouse]

HI! I am traveling to Disney World in June for 6 days. I have been to Disney many, many times (FL residents) but only stay for 4 days and have never used the Dining Plan. I a very unfamiliar with the dining plan, its rules, and cost. I was wondering if you could help me with these questions and if you know whether the Dining plan will truly save you money?!? Just to give you a quick background about us we typically go to character breakfasts, counter service lunches, and sit down dinners (ex: California Grill, teppan Edo, Boma, etc.). Thanks for your help!
Debbie

DDP are not always a savings and what one person states or another does not mean it without a doubt applies to your situation and family. As others have stated, you have to run some simulations if you want the real answer. It takes time and patience and there are no shortcuts. Disney is like any business with variable rates just like the airlines and telephone companies. It pays to do your own homework and look at all your cost and what you are paying for and what you will actually use or want.

 

[Chipndalenut]

We go to WDW once a year and always get the Basic dining plan. It truly does save our family money (2 adults and a 7 yr old.) Just like you, we LOVE the character meals and we normally use our TS for those for dinner, which is more expensive than breakfast or lunch. (We eat our main meal at home at dinner as well, so it keeps us on the same routine.) We also love to eat at one of the countries at EPCOT during our stay so you can see why we love the basic dining plan. Hope that helps...have a great time when you go !!!

 

[Pakey]

It does not work for us. We've done the regular and deluxe. Even if the money had worked out, which it didn't, we hate being restricted to certain restaurants and a certain style of eating.

 

[Tracerr00]

These are the reasons that I love the dining plan.

1. Yes, I really could save money by pay out of pocket. But it's amazing to have the freedom to eat pretty much whatever I want on the menu without having to worry about the price. Normally I wouldn't be ordering the dessert and that would save you money as well, however I've been able to try and fall in love with some amazing desserts that I wouldn't have ever ordered had it not been for the dining plan.

2. The peace of mind knowing that my food is all paid for up front. I plan on tip money and that is it. I don't get the deluxe plan and it was sufficient. I was never hungry. I never had to think twice about whether or not I needed to save money for something else when my daughter said she wanted something to drink or an ice cream. You can always just say "of course!". And there are some pretty awesome "snacks" that are included on the dining plan. Hello hot sugary beignet! It's also nice if we decide to separate for a while and get hungry - just use your card and get yourself something to eat!

3. I love food and I love taking a break to sit down at a table service restaurant. Thanks to the dining plan we are able to try many different restaurants that we probably wouldn't have tried if we were just trying to save money. It might save us money on one trip, it might be a wash the next trip but it works for us. And it sounds like you already eat like you're on a dining plan anyway with a breakfast, CD lunch and a TS meal. I love it but it depends on your family's habits and what your goal is. Good luck and I'm sure you'll be happy either way, it's Disney after all!

 

[ReallyRosie]

I agree with everything here. For us, we would most definitely save money without it. We tend to share entrees, get water instead of soft drinks, and skip dessert. But we have found that the dining plan forces us to relax and enjoy a nice sit down meal, which has the overall effect of improving our mood on vacation. We have gone with and without and the difference for us was obvious. If I was trying to go on a tight budget it would be an obvious choice to eliminate it, but as long as it works into my budget I think it is well worth it.

These are the reasons that I love the dining plan.

1. Yes, I really could save money by pay out of pocket. But it's amazing to have the freedom to eat pretty much whatever I want on the menu without having to worry about the price. Normally I wouldn't be ordering the dessert and that would save you money as well, however I've been able to try and fall in love with some amazing desserts that I wouldn't have ever ordered had it not been for the dining plan.

2. The peace of mind knowing that my food is all paid for up front. I plan on tip money and that is it. I don't get the deluxe plan and it was sufficient. I was never hungry. I never had to think twice about whether or not I needed to save money for something else when my daughter said she wanted something to drink or an ice cream. You can always just say "of course!". And there are some pretty awesome "snacks" that are included on the dining plan. Hello hot sugary beignet! It's also nice if we decide to separate for a while and get hungry - just use your card and get yourself something to eat!

3. I love food and I love taking a break to sit down at a table service restaurant. Thanks to the dining plan we are able to try many different restaurants that we probably wouldn't have tried if we were just trying to save money. It might save us money on one trip, it might be a wash the next trip but it works for us. And it sounds like you already eat like you're on a dining plan anyway with a breakfast, CD lunch and a TS meal. I love it but it depends on your family's habits and what your goal is. Good luck and I'm sure you'll be happy either way, it's Disney after all!