Just Calculated All of My Receipts....

[NSL]

We saved $560.61 by not using the dining plan. This was our first visit to not use the plan. I have really liked it in the past because it was all paid for ahead of time. This time I just bought Disney gift cards, charged to my Magic Band, and had the cards applied to my account. We were there for 10 nights. We did eat differently than we would have, had we had the plan, but not necessarily in a negative way. We still ordered what we wanted, sometimes we ordered appetizers, sometimes we ordered desserts, it just depended on what we wanted to order. We never hesitated to not order something to save money. We ate what we wanted, when we wanted. I also figured out how many CS meals, TS meals, and snacks. If we had purchased the regular plan (1 TS, 1 QS, 1 snack/night), I would have used 43 snacks (we would have only had 40), 24 QS (so 16 more than we needed), and 47 TS + Shula's (which is not on the plan). So we would have been OOP even more with 7 extra TS and Shula's. We did have TIW -- which helped -- but 4 of the 10 days we were there were blacked out, so we couldn't use the card on those days. I didn't figure the tip into my calculations because you pay those regardless. I was very pleased!

 

[Tissa]

I was thinking about trying the dining plan this trip but every time I run the numbers with the places we eat I come out $200 ahead by not using the dining plan.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We come out ahead paying out of pocket also. We even manage to do it while still ordering what we want regardless of the menu price and eating at more table services then would be allotted to us if we purchased the plan. It's even better now that we use the TIW card. Since it includes alcohol drinks, we hit the break even point pretty quickly.

I know it works for some people and glad they have that option but it is definitely not a one plan fits all situation.

 

[Huff]

We've only gone during free DP and found that we've saved considerably over booking with room discounts instead. However, even if we had payed for DP we would have come out ahead. It really depends on what restaurants are chosen and what everyone orders.

Of course DP is no longer the huge value that it once was which included appetizer and tip.

 

[Pumbaa_]

The nice thing about paying OOP is freedom. Eat what you want when you want and ability to order what you want not what plan allows

Thanks for the summary on your real savings, will be helpful for folks on the fence

 

[momtwoboys]

we are trying this out for April... no DDP and put what it would have cost on Disney gift cards... interested to see how it will go. Either way its paid for now we may use it all, or end up bringing some home towards the following year !

 

[TeeterTots]

Great info! I was at Disney twice last year and neither time did we have the DP. We are new DVC members and I've booked a character dining or buffet almost every night in April so I was thinking why not get the plan at ~$60pp given buffet/ characters are more $$ it almost pays for the QS lunch but what gets me is the range $39-60 pp? What is it? I'm not sure how to calculate to compare. I don't like to worry about spending on vacation which makes the DP seem like a steal but really it's a trap. I think you save OOP. Ok that was long winded (hello I'm jenn and I'm a talker lol) How can I find out the price of buffet in April or other character dining prices?

 

[chilepeppr4]

Great info! I was at Disney twice last year and neither time did we have the DP. We are new DVC members and I've booked a character dining or buffet almost every night in April so I was thinking why not get the plan at ~$60pp given buffet/ characters are more $$ it almost pays for the QS lunch but what gets me is the range $39-60 pp? What is it? I'm not sure how to calculate to compare. I don't like to worry about spending on vacation which makes the DP seem like a steal but really it's a trap. I think you save OOP. Ok that was long winded (hello I'm jenn and I'm a talker lol) How can I find out the price of buffet in April or other character dining prices?

I am wondering the same thing! My dates are 9/21-9/29 I'm going to assume our range will be the lower range since that is "value" season. I was also hoping for free dinjng to come out. I get so confused with what to do its a little annoying. We are staying value so FD seems the right way to go with my fam of 4 but what you say about Paying OOP Makes sense as well. I crunch and crunch number and it has been making insane lol.. All in all I'm wondering if saving cash/gift cards for my TS meals and also IF free dinjng come out just take the QS plan and not upgrade. Use those quick services for breakfast and lunchs while paying OOP for dinner... But then again the upgrade will only be Abot $350

 

[robndani]

We did it once and spent around $100 more for the DP. It was a 4 day trip with people on the DDP, so we kind of followed their lead.

The DDP may be great for those who eat dessert with most meals and who like to drink soda, ice tea or lemonade, but that's not us. We're more appetizer and water people.

Thanks for the info!

 

[robndani]

There's a sticky on this board with the buffet prices, or call DVC and they can tell you too!

If you are doing mostly character dinners, then the plan may also work BC those are most expensive.

 

[nooneshome]

For this Disney family the DP is not cost effective. We are not big eaters and we enjoy the freedom not having ADRs.

The only time we would get a DP is the FD QSDP. The room only discount is not that much at the values so FD saves us more money.

 

[Gymbomom]

We have the dining plan for the first part of our stay since it was included in the special price. The other 6 nights, I crunched the numbers and it just didn't make sense. It was like saving $400 to not go with plan. And that doesn't account for not getting that stupid chocolate cake at the QS places.
That was the biggest reason of why I didn't want the dining plan. When we had it, we would get the stupid chocolate cake instead of the school bread I really wanted. We had left over QS and Snacks we were scrambling to use or stuff in our faces because it was paid for.

 

[TeeterTots]

There's a sticky on this board with the buffet prices, or call DVC and they can tell you too! If you are doing mostly character dinners, then the plan may also work BC those are most expensive.

Thanks! I'll check it out!

 

[leebee]

We have the dining plan for the first part of our stay since it was included in the special price. The other 6 nights, I crunched the numbers and it just didn't make sense. It was like saving $400 to not go with plan. And that doesn't account for not getting that stupid chocolate cake at the QS places.
That was the biggest reason of why I didn't want the dining plan. When we had it, we would get the stupid chocolate cake instead of the school bread I really wanted. We had left over QS and Snacks we were scrambling to use or stuff in our faces because it was paid for.

My experience EXACTLY!! The QS desserts are pretty disgusting in many of the places. Only thing worse the the stupid chocolate cake is the grossness that is now being served as tie-dye cheesecake over at POP- YUCK!!!

 

[CraigInPA]

My wife and I took the room discount, which saved us $175/night (at the Poly) and, after 5 straight years, decided to not buy the deluxe dining plan. Instead, we went completely out of pocket for our 10 day trip.

Did we change our eating habits? No. We still ate at Citrico's, Narcoossee's, California Grill, Artist Point, and other places we enjoy. Meals we ate, except for the last lunch before departing, were all table service. We had the same entrees we normally ate, including the whole lobster at Narcoossee's and the oak grilled filet. We ignored prices and just picked what we wanted.

So, how did we do? We saved over $500 over what we'd pay for the deluxe dining plan.

How is that possible? Sometimes we didn't like the dessert selections, so we simply skipped it and got funnel cake or ice cream in the park. Sometimes our entree choice was included in a price fixed lunch, such as at San Angel inn. Sometimes we didn't want an appetizer, or decided to share one instead of having one each.

Disney touts the value of the dining plan using the most expensive meals in the most expensive restaurants. But, when it comes right down to it, most of us could never schedule their meals and eat the way you'd need to eat to maximize that "savings". In the past, the plans were cheaper. My wife and I regularly saved 20-25%. But, each year the savings got less. In 2014, we calculated that there would be no way we'd achieve any savings by buying any plan. So, we went out of pocket, and it saved us over $500.