Meal Plan not worth it anymore.

[deerhart]

it really does depend. My two kids will eat dessert at EVERY meal, and in fact would fight over mine (since I am not a big dessert eater all the time), but then I woudl also order soup first before my meal.

We never thought it was too much food and our average ts ticket for 4 was $100.00 and the average qs was over $40 a day, then snacks on top of that (avg $10-$12). We saved about $50-$60/day buy purchasing the dining plan. Part of our vacation is dining!

Splitting meals doesn't work for our family. Neither DH and I could take eating at QS the entire trip. We did pay several TS meals out of pocket last year and we still spent the same or DDP meals. Once I paid for 2 adult entrees, 2 kids meals, and 2 desserts (for the kids), plus 4 drinks.

Also, many people talk about taking breaks and going back to their resort in the middle of the day. My family doesn't do that. Our break is our sit down meal. So some take a 3-4 hour break in the afternoon, we take a 2-3 hour break for dinner.

I really can't complain when the cost of a kids dinner at O'hanas is $13.99 per kid and you've only paid $11.99 for all their food that day! Plus I love not having to look at prices, eating what I want versus considering cost when I order.

This year our savings won't be as great because the oldest is at adult pricing. But it also means no more fighting over MY dessert (since we will get three now), which is worth its weight in gold LOL

 

[sowhat598]

I felt like the dining plan was worth it for my family. We were able to do alot of character meals that we would not have been able to afford otherwise. And it is nice to be able to try new things on the menu without having to worry about what the bill is going to be when it comes. It would be nice if the tip was still included though.

 

[julirina]

I really can't complain when the cost of a kids dinner at O'hanas is $13.99 per kid and you've only paid $11.99 for all their food that day!

Great observation...!

 

[msce2]

My 2cents. We did the DDP in May and saved a bundle. We had 2 adults, 2 children and a 2yo who was free. I had planned 5 TS meals and we had already surpassed the cost of the DDP. Basically the kids ate CS and snacks for free.

We are already planning for 2012 and my DH said there's only 1 thing he wanted and that was the DDP. Well I thought for sure it wouldn't work for us since my oldest DS is now 10 and we'd have to pay for our now 3 year old. But I priced it out and we would still save. DS10 (lineman on his varsity football team) is so excited he will be on the adult plan and get to order a variety of foods. (He ate and liked calamari at 2). And DS3 is following in his footsteps.

It totally depends on your personal preferences and what you enjoy on your vacation. Price it out and if it saves you money..... If not, pay OOP, TIW or however else.

 

[PrincessAurora]

I have used Disney dining on every trip since 2001. This year it is not worth it. I do a cost analysis on each trip. I plan where I plan to eat, check out the most up to date menus, select what I would choose on dining vs. ala carte then add in that isn't included on dining (tips, booze, extra non-covered meals since I like Signature dining for dinner a great deal).

I also would not get a chocolate cake or use snack credits but feel obligated since I paid for them upfront and don't want to waste. I don't drink soda, I rarely eat processed food or junk food (chips, hot dogs, etc).

This year it was $150 cheaper to just keep to a budget and eat out of pocket.

My ideal plan would put tip back in and give you the option of appetizer, soup, salad or dessert with your main. I don't want a main and dessert. Many times I would like a soup or salad instead of a sweet but don't have the option to get that.

 

[rubato]

We didn't do the dining plan the first two times we went to Disney. We did use it this time.

NEVER AGAIN!!!!

What a waste! I brought home 20 of our 21 snacks and all of the desserts that could travel. The ones that couldn't got eaten for breakfast or thrown away. I felt way too full most of the time. We don't do soda or bottled water, so we couldn't use our snack credits for those things. And, dessert for lunch is just foreign to me.

Plus, we spent about $350 on tips when all was said and done. Divided out over the 7 days, that's another $50 a day added to the cost of the dining plan.

Next time, hubby and I will split a CS meal for lunch. We won't get a dessert and only get a glass of water (because this is how we eat at home). We will have a TS dinner with an appetizer but no dessert. We may just get an appetizer and no entree even. Again, glass of ice water. I will probably save $300-$400 over the course of my week.

 

[mom2wyattnaaron]

we us ethe meal plan for the first time in Jan and loved it we are going again in Sept and wouldnt go back without it

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Sadly I have to agree with you OP. DH and I may buy deluxe when we take our 20th anniversary trip next year since we want to eat at a lot of signature restaurants, but I don't see us buying the regular DDP for our family trips anymore. We really enjoyed the convienence and experimentation of it all but I always feel guilty for eating more than I really want and it was only saving us $50-$100 before the price increase.

 

[WDWjen]

and sat down and looked at what we ate and what we spent. We saved $75.00 by doing the DDP. So if saving money is the ultimate goal, then the DDP could be a good thing.

However, as previous posters have said, the dining plan as it stands now doesnt give you much freedom at all. If dining freedom while on vacation is your goal then dont do the DDP and just pay OOP.

For example. Now that so many people choose the DDP it is almost impossible to get a walk up table, you have to have a reservation. So that means choosing where you want to eat weeks or months in advance. We booked our ADRs in Oct. Now while we were there last week it was not crowded at ALL and some restaurants alllowed walk ups but that would never happen at a busy time! One day we were in the MK and didnt want to leave to get to Epcot for our Le Cellier and we couldnt switch so we had to cancel we wound up getting Nine Dragons, which was good but it wasnt what we really wanted.

Also - ALL the meals include a soda and a dessert. I would choose an appetizer anytime over a dessert. I wound up choosing a cookie that I could take with me.. and shared it w/my kids but if I were paying OOP I wouldnt have bought a dessert. So no freedom to choose there!! And my kids got an app, meal and dessert! They wouldnt eat that much at home!

The credits must be tracked - you dont want to wind up with 2 days remaining and no credits left, so I found we were stingy with credits in the first half of the trip and more than generous at the end! (we used leftover snack credits for the plane ride home)

SO if I could do it again I would budget the same amount for the week and pay OOP and just charge everything to my room. This way you can keep track of what you are spending...

Hope this helps. Wish I knew all this before I left

 

[MissBritt]

I take back part of my previous post- we saved $65 by using the QSDP for a one night trip, 3 adults.

 

[Dixiemom]

It's going to be worth it for our family. I originally had us booked with the DxDDP, but I didn't like the fact that you had to use those 3 meals that day or lose those credits. Since we really aren't big breakfst eaters I switched us to the DDP since we'll just grab something quick in out room for breakfast. Changing saved us $420, which more than covers our hotel on the way to Orlando and back. I also like that those credits DO roll over, it goes by credits not days. Just made sense and we will still be able to do CRT without paying OOP.

 

[MissBritt]

It's going to be worth it for our family. I originally had us booked with the DxDDP, but I didn't like the fact that you had to use those 3 mealas that day or lose those credits. Since we really aren't big breakfst eaters I switched us to the DDP since we'll just grab something quick in out room for breakfast. Changing saved us $420, which more than covers our hotel on the way to Orlando and back. I also like that those credits DO roll over, it goes by credits not days. Just made sense and we will still be able to do CRT without paying OOP.

Your credits don't expire at the end of the day, they expire at midnight on the day you depart. No plan has credits that expire before then.

 

[MissBritt]

Your credits don't expire at the end of the day, they expire at midnight on the day you depart. No plan has credits that expire before then.

And I know this because DH and I did DXDDP in December for a 4 day/3 night trip.

 

[fairestoneofall]

we love the dining plan, if for no other reason than we don't have to worry about it while we're there. that being said, we are skipping it on our next trip. i am running the half-marathon next january and we will have four park days. we have one-day passes left over from a previous visit (from a split-stay) and will upgrade those. it is going to save me $750 to do this. i can't imagine we'll spend $750 on food in five days. so, we're skipping it and going to pay OOP. we won't do as many table service options as we normally would. but, the money saved is worth it.

 

[Trinity524]

For us, it's definetely worth it. It's just my hubby, my 2 year old and myself this year . We are never a family who gets PIN (bitter party of one, much?) so the free dining is the best deal we can get. The room is 82 dollars a night for a value resort, so the free dining basically pays for the cost of the room. I wish is that you could add a dining plan and stay off site, or have a plan that's 2 CS and 1 TS. As for the tipping part that people don't like, We choose the CRT or MBB to count them out for at least one time per stay. We typically use the snack credit as Breakfast with our mugs, the CS for lunch and dinner it's the TS.

Hope this helps!

 

[wildcatfan]

I certainly think if you are getting free dining it is worth it. We have gotten dining the last 5 years and have loved every minute of it. However, this year we are going to try and pass on the dining plan. We are now a family of 4 adults (DD11, DS18) and the cost has gotten a little over budget, especially with the add on of the "hoilday season". I tried to run figures and got around $1500 with tip for a 7 day trip. Now I realize that we will not eat as nice as before but I feel we will still be full and not go hungry. I still think with a small family or children it is well worth the price, however if you are not planning desserts every meal then perhaps you should refigure. I will say the best part of the plan for me was not having to worry about paying for the meal oop. I loved the fact that it was already paid for when I arrived.

 

[Dixiemom]

Your credits don't expire at the end of the day, they expire at midnight on the day you depart. No plan has credits that expire before then.

Then someone should explain that to the 2 different dining agents I spoke with Just checked again, and apparently the agents I spoke with had not had enough coffee when I spoke with them.

 

[MissBritt]

Then someone should explain that to the 2 different dining agents I spoke with Just checked again, and apparently the agents I spoke with had not had enough coffee when I spoke with them.

I get how frustrating that can be. When we planned our December trip I got a lot of bad info from CMs, too. The DXDDP is great, and if you think you will order apps, want lots of table-service, or pay out of pocket for extra meals after the DDP credits, it's a great way to go.

 

[sue and co]

It just so much depends on your family. For us if free it is ok but otherwise it is no way a good deal. Given our style and pattern of eating it is not worth the cost so we are far better off paying as we go, however I know for some people the maths is different so the only answer is to sit down and work out your families rough meals using the menus and then see how it works for you.

 

[jenseib]

It's going to be worth it for our family. I originally had us booked with the DxDDP, but I didn't like the fact that you had to use those 3 meals that day or lose those credits. Since we really aren't big breakfst eaters I switched us to the DDP since we'll just grab something quick in out room for breakfast. Changing saved us $420, which more than covers our hotel on the way to Orlando and back. I also like that those credits DO roll over, it goes by credits not days. Just made sense and we will still be able to do CRT without paying OOP.

I've never heard that either. As far as I know all credits roll over and will expire at midnight the day you checked out. Are you talking to TA's or to CM's. I had a TA once tell me that you got a days worht of meals per amount of park days you had on your ticket. So if I stayed 3 nights but had 5 day tickets, I got 5 days worth of food. Once I found out how wrong she was (this was the first time we were going using the plan) I quickly found another agent to work with.