Magic Your Way Package with Dining

[disney_newbie]

how many buy the dining plan? Is it worth it?

 

[LegoMom3]

We tried it for the first time last Sept. with the Free Dining promotion. If Disney's intent is to get you hooked, it worked. We will get it from now on whether it's free or not!

I put a rough estimate of what DH and I would spend on meals & snacks if we did NOT do the dining plan, and only ate counter service meals, and the figure I came out with was so close to the cost of the dining plan that the small savings was not worth it to me. I'd rather do the plan and get a meal at a nice table service restaurant, too. Of course this is just our personal preference, but we did find with the dining plan that we got to eat at places we otherwise would not have tried due to the cost (our dinner at Boatwright's at POR cost more than the cost of the plan for a day so essentially we got lunch and our snacks "free" that day!).

All in all, we love the dining plan and will definitely get it again.

 

[ransom]

We did it for the first time last December. It worked out great for us!

Since we were going for 8 nights, we didn't think we'd be able to be happy with counter service for every meal of every day. So we knew we'd be eating table service meals at least once a day. After adding up how much that was going to cost us, I realized the DDP was going to save us about 40% (including tax and tip). That was good enough for me!

My only worry at that point was that we'd be treated like second class citizens since we weren't paying full freight for our meals. But we never had a bad feeling at any restaurant. In fact, several times it worked to our advantage as cast members volunteered to help us maximize the value we got from it! (One even insisted we *must* have dessert, and if we didn't, she'd be hurt!)

As long as they offer the DDP at a deep discount, we'll be getting it every time we go!

 

[hickchick]

Our first trip we did not have the dining plan - brought along a lot of snacks, ate a lot of counter service food, etc.

Our second trip, I decided we'd try DDP for the added convenience, plus we were looking to do several character meals and I calculated that the price of the DDP would pay for those and essentially get the other meals/snacks for free.

We are going back in April, and I booked the DDP again. So we are hooked!

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

It is worth every penny especially if you don't eat at the buffet and family style restaurants but even there it pays off. The cost of one buffet is the cost the dining plan for one day. I like being able to do the TS's especially with my DD's because we do alot of character dining as well. I think the biggest plus for me about the DDP is that I am paying for my meals before I get to the park and that helps keep me from stressing to much about the money part as to whether we brought enough for food and spending.

 

[MikeS.]

You gotta go with the DDP, well worth the money.

 

[ShellyMouse]

for the dining plan!!

we have done it everytime, and will continue....

 

[laura001]

We will be using the DDP for the first time in April. Our reasoning for choosing it is:

1. We like to have one nice table service meal per day, usually we pay out of pocket for it, once we figured out how much that was with tip we figured we were ahead of the game by using the DDP.

2. It is so nice to know that your vacation is pretty much paid for before you go, that there are not a lot of out of pocket expenses to pay for. AHHH!!

3. Prior to the way the packages are now, it was always more expensive to purchase the package than to piece it together yourself. Finally, it has become reasonable to go with the package!

 

[westbrush]

Worth it? You Betcha! A Example I paid $623.84 for the dine plan for the two of us for 8 nights, when I added up all my receipts came to a total of $1,524.44, so a difference of $900.60, the food you get is tremdous, for your table service at dinner you get a full course meal. appetizers, main meal, dessert and a beverage, for your counter you get your main meal and a dessert and a beverage, plus your snacks too. Use the dine plan for dinners better deal, what we did if we wanted breakfast we paid for it and used the dine plan for the rest of the day, well worth it, will not go to Disney without the dine plan, best thing Disney ever did!!

 

[meryll83]

I'm looking forward to saving all our receipts and tallying it up at the end of the holiday. Here's hoping we manage to make the most out of the DDP!

 

[amys]

Last year was our first time to Disney and we opted for the dinning plan and loved it! If you're looking for the cheapest meal options then eating counter service for all your meals is best OOP but it was really nice to sit at a table where your food was brought to you on real plates with none plastic silverware and you could order anything on the menu including appitizer - entree- and dessert without looking over the prices first. Just pick what you want and that's it. It is so much fun to tally up what you would have paid and you'll be so full. As my Sister in Law says "Fat and Happy!" We're going again this May and can't wait to try some new places - if not for the plan we would do maybe 2 TS meals and really watch what we ordered. Make some memories with it --- HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DDP!


Check out the Menu's ( they have pricing also ) at www.allears.net and pick out what you would normally order and tally it up!

 

[leonger]

Hi, what did the packages with dining cost prior to the current packages? Just curious ...

3. Prior to the way the packages are now, it was always more expensive to purchase the package than to piece it together yourself. Finally, it has become reasonable to go with the package!

 

[iluvmickey76]

DH & I booked the dining plan last May and loved it! We booked it again for our upcoming anniversary trip in March. We loved the convenience, and the fact that our 'spending money' went towards souvenirs,etc. instead of food.

It is definitely well worth it, and enables you to try certain table service restaurants, appetizers and desserts that some may pass up otherwise (if being price-cautious). The server's tip is included and is based on the meal's total, so even if you're not really hungry for dessert, order one to sample to improve the server's tip.

 

[disneybass]

The only way to go!!

 

[jenseib]

If you don't want to do table service, then it isn't worth it.
For us, it seemed to be a no brainer. We wouldn't have to worry about how much for food. I won't feel bad buying a souveinir now either. Plus we are going to be eating much better than if we didn't do it. We would really be watching where and what we eat. We are doing 2 character meals, which I never even would've considered before.

 

[PlutosFriend]

We tried it for the first time last May. We enjoyed it a lot. The best part for me was paying for the food before we left and not seeing the bills at each different restaurant when I got home. If taking the time out to dine at table service restaurants works in your schedule, you may want to consider it

 

[mousehouselover]

Here's another vote for DDP. I won't do another trip with out it as long as it's being offered. I got to try a lot of new places, had several charater meals and it was all prepaid. We had tons of food, weren't hungry at all between meals and with the ADRs, I didn't worry about anything.

Go for it! It might seem like a lot up front but once you get there and start using it, you'll see that it's worth it.

 

[5starmom]

I think it will be worth it.

We love to eat out and want to do a sit-down meal each day, so for us the dining plan makes sense. On vacation, I don't want to cook or even slap together sandwiches! LOL

My dh is a big eater and our 2 oldest children (12 & 13) only eat on the adult menu now. We *don't* eat a huge breakfast and will be able to use the snack credits for a muffin, donut, etc. in the morning. We have 6 kids and having a bunch of food on the table to share is how we like it! (Having 1 very picky eater, this is actually a helpful thing so that she can pick and choose from all the plates and none of us mind. )

Also, I feel the dining plan helps us to work out our park strategy AND plan for food much better than eating willy nilly. It helps me to know what we're doing and that the meals are taken care of.

So all around, I'm sure the dining plan will be great for us whether we're blessed with it free or not.

 

[byoung]

It's a great deal, and being with DVC I don't have to buy any passes.

 

[WI_DisneyFan]

Tough call for me. We went during free dining two years ago, and I'll admit that we ate at places that we never would have attempted before. It also gave us the freedom to splurge on a $100+ meal at Fulton's since it was our honeymoon and that was the only meal we paid for all week. We loved not having to worry about how much we spent on food, and if we hated what we got from a table service restaurant we could always grab a burger for $5.

That being said, we are still debating about it for our upcoming trip in September. If it is free again, we'd be foolish to not go for it. But if it isn't free, then we have got a real decision to make. First, the cost is a little daunting. And extra $600 is a lot since we are building a house and trying to cut costs wherever possible. And second, I think you end up eating A LOT more than you normally would (at least we did). And my DW and I are trying really hard to lose some weight before this trip, so I am afraid of gaining it all back when we are down there.

But when push comes to shove, we'll probably pay for it if it isn't offered for free. It will probably be our last big trip before settling down and starting a family, so we will want to make the most of it. And while I would like to think that we would be happy with CS food for most of our trip, I think I am just fooling myself. So many good restaurants, so little time...