Meal Plan - Yay or Nay?

[MsTammy]

Just trying to figure out if it is worth it or not?

I haven't been to Disney in a million years. Is it cheaper to do Buffet's, snack stands, quick stuff, etc? or get the Meal plans?

 

[kermie1975]

Hi again! Didn't realize it was you until I started to reply. We were just there and didn't get the meal plan. I saved all my receipts to see if it was worth it. All in all, we never averaged $40/day on food to justify the meal plan. If we knoew we were going to have a big dinner we rarely at a big lunch (and not on purpose). We were just going going going and it was too ht to eat too heavy.

 

[MsTammy]

thanks for responding again! LOL

I am obviously nervous about this trip. It is my first time to Disney as the "mom". I have always been the kid and never had to worry about planning the trip. Plus, it is my son's first time and I want it to be memorable.

We aren't the type to eat at fancy sit down restaurants every night. More likely to grab a hot dog or something instead. That is what I am hesitating about.

 

[maciemouse]

I think the meal plan is worth it in my opinion. We have two little ones 3 and 4. So we paid $37. for each adult and 9.99 for each child. A total of around 94.00 a day (something close to that). I can tell you on our day of arrival we ate at the POR food court for breakfast. This was not on our meal plan because we were switching to the POLY the next day to start our stay. We all just had waffles,bacon, and a drink. Our meal cost for breakfast basics for four was around $42.00. You do that for each meal B,L,D and that is $120.00. So we thought it saved us money. We usually do sit down dinners for our table service. We ate at the Kona Cafe and our total was 102.00 for dinner, but we were on the meal plan and did not have to pay that amount. So if you want to do sit down dinners I think it is worth it. Some people do not like to take the time to sit down and do a table service. I think it is just a matter of opinion.

 

[Chellymouse]

If you plan to do sit down meals for dinner, yes the DDP is worth it because the dinner alone is usually more than what 2 adults pay per day to eat. DH and I saved a fortune on food and ate much better on the DDP last year. However, if you're only doing CS or if you do TS for lunch, the DDP may not have as much value.

 

[pooh2001]

Depending where you like to eat - it may pay for itself.
We have 2 teen kids.
We average $160 to $180 a day at WDW for meals.
Being on the DDP is good for our family.

But as I said- depends where and what you eat.
We like LeCellier, Coral Reef, 50 PT, 1900 Park Faire dinner, Garden Grill dinner, Cape May clam bake dinner, Chef Mickeys for dinner.

CS can even run us some $$'s, here is an example:
Cosmic Rays in MK - Counter Service
3 orders of 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken - with Mashed Potatoes and a seasonal vegetable $9.09
1 order of BBQ Rib Meal - 1/2 rack served with mashed potatoes and a seasonal vegetable $8.99
Plus dessert:
1 Strawberry Yogurt $1.99 (since DD has Celiac)
1 Brownie (no sugar added) $2.39
1 Carrot Cake $3.59
1 Triple Chocolate Cake $3.59
and Drinks:
1 Bottled Water - $1.25
Whole or Low Fat Milk - $1.29
Coffee - $1.89

Total for Comic Rays for lunch = $53.54

Then Dinner at EPCOT - Garden Grill
4 adults would be $115.96

And our snacks - 4 ice creams @ 2.50 each = $10 for snacks

Breakfast we do in our room - total for the day: $179.50


DDP per day = $151.96 for 4 adults

Our savings for the day = $27.54

Over our 14 day stay it could save us about $385.56

Plus we do not have to carry around so much cash or traverler checks with us.
Its very easy to use DDP.

 

[IlovemythreeC's]

Hey Tammy,

Before they started the dining plan, we never ate at any of the table service meals. We brought snacks and ate counter service at night. At the time we did not know that much about the character meals and we did not miss anything.

Then, I think about 3 years ago, they started the dining plan. (I have heard that they had something similar in place before then but we did not know about it)Any Disers can feel free to correct if I am wrong on the timing This opened up a whole new world to us. The character meals are SO MUCH FUN! The food is SO GOOD and it DOES add to the experience for us.

Now, we do not want to go without visiting all our favorite spots.

So, we think the dining plan is worth it.

 

[Lintasare]

Hey Tammy,

Before they started the dining plan, we never ate at any of the table service meals. We brought snacks and ate counter service at night. At the time we did not know that much about the character meals and we did not miss anything.

Then, I think about 3 years ago, they started the dining plan. (I have heard that they had something similar in place before then but we did not know about it)Any Disers can feel free to correct if I am wrong on the timing This opened up a whole new world to us. The character meals are SO MUCH FUN! The food is SO GOOD and it DOES add to the experience for us.

Now, we do not want to go without visiting all our favorite spots.

So, we think the dining plan is worth it.

The Dining Plan has been around in some form or another for ages. They change the names and such every few years. For example 6 years ago when I was a dining CM they had the Discovery plan which was like today's regular DDP and the Grand Plan which was like the Deluxe DDP where you get all your meals. Then after I left they changed it to the Silver, Gold and Platinum or something like that. Now it's just referred to as the DDP.

My parents remember when we went back in 85 and getting actual coupons for meals. And I remember getting meal coupons on a school trip in 94. So there has always been a dining plan.

 

[d1gitman]

thanks for responding again! LOL

I am obviously nervous about this trip. It is my first time to Disney as the "mom". I have always been the kid and never had to worry about planning the trip. Plus, it is my son's first time and I want it to be memorable.

We aren't the type to eat at fancy sit down restaurants every night. More likely to grab a hot dog or something instead. That is what I am hesitating about.

We never used the dining plan and only did TS a few nights during a 9n trip in the past. Then free dining came along and we are on that bandwagon. For kicks, i did a comparison to the DDP to see if paying for DDP was worth it for us. The results came out a resounding YES. However, this does not mean DDP is for everyone. Based on your comments, it sounds like your family is not the 'big eater' type.

what i would suggest is to make a list of what you expect your family to eat for a day. be sure to include snacks as the DDP does include snacks. then i would look up menu pricing (wdwinfo.com has this) for Snacks, Drinks, Counterservice & Tableservice location. This will give you a good idea of how much you would spend paying cash vs. DDP.

If you are inclined to share meals, not order the most expensive dishes, skip desserts, then DDP may not be for you.

However, there is another use for DDP even if you are not big eaters. Dinner shows. They are expensive and you can always use 2 Table Service points from the DDP for 1 dinner show (hoop de doo, cinderella's castle, mickey's backyard BBQ, Aloha Show, fanstasmic dinner package) you can also double up your points for signature dining. So while you may not want to eat a lot on a regular basis, you may want to use it to get you into some of the more expensive options like shows and signature dining.

Also, you have to add the cost of tipping at TS meals to the cost of the DDP. Tipping is NOT included this year, neither are appetizers.

One last thing to consider. Table Service meals are very time consuming. You might want to factor that in too. We find TS dinners are 90 minutes from check-in with hostess, being seated,eating, getting the check and finally getting out the door again. TS lunches are more like 60 minutes +.

Planning ADR's during park time can get to be complicated with trying to coordinate time for rides, parades, fireworks, etc...we find that TS in teh parks is yummy but we also feel slave to the clock as it seems every hour or two there is something we are supposed to be at. S

 

[missminniemouse]

The DDP was not worth it for our family. Thankfully, we had it for free the one time we tried it. I did a very detailed analysis of what we got on the DDP verses what we would have ordered had we not been on the plan. I also factored in that we're Annual Passholders and have a DDE card which gives us a 20% discount on dining AND beverages (even alcoholic ones) at most TS restaurants. Plus, we don't always order dessert, but prefer to order soups/salads or appetizers most of the time and these are no longer included on the DDP.

After all was said and done, our family would have saved over $200 using the DDE rather than getting the DDP. I had always suspected that this was the case for us, but had never really documented it until our trip in January. So, we'll just get the DDE card in the future and skip the DDP.

 

[brandylouwho]

We aren't the type to eat at fancy sit down restaurants every night. More likely to grab a hot dog or something instead. That is what I am hesitating about.

Then there is your answer--no. I would say the meal plan is not a bargain unless you use every TS credit. I suggest making a tenative plan, check out the menus (allearsnet.com has pretty extensive compilation) and guesstimate what you'd really spend out of pocket vs. the meal plan.

My family (DH, me, DD4 and DD1) do not find it to be a bargain. (we have used it in the past, don't plan to in the future). I do not feel comparing the receipts at the end of a trip on the meal plan is a true comparison--as we get things on the plan we wouldn't nomarly get or even want (dessert being a big example). We find we do not want a sit down meal everyday, often do not want dessert, often do want an appetizer, etc. On our next 10 day trip we only have 3 TS planned. Yes, we stay DVC now and we do use our kitchen sometimes, but we disliked the plan before we ever bought DVC.

But I know others that swear by the dining plan and I do not doubt it does save some people money, depending on their likes & habits. I just think it doesn't save everyone no matter how much Disney wants you to believe that it does.

 

[d1gitman]

Then there is your answer--no. I would say the meal plan is not a bargain unless you use every TS credit. I suggest making a tenative plan, check out the menus (allearsnet.com has pretty extensive compilation) and guesstimate what you'd really spend out of pocket vs. the meal plan.

My family (DH, me, DD4 and DD1)...we stay DVC now and we do use our kitchen sometimes, but we disliked the plan before we ever bought DVC... I just think it doesn't save everyone no matter how much Disney wants you to believe that it does.

Interestingly, i have done a cost comparison of DVC to paying cash and i can't come up with a savings with DVC...am i missing something?

 

[TinkrLiz]

We're getting the meal plan for my DH and myself when we go in Nov/Dec this year. I didn't want to get it but Hubby Dude did. I don't eat a lot at once but like to snack and eat small amounts more often. I could care less if we ate most meals counter service or some meals back at the resort. We have a one bedroom villa with a kitchen at SSR so breakfast every morning will be eaten there. He likes that so much of it is paid upfront and likes the idea of a sit down meal in a restaurant every night.

So for us, it's not worth it for me the way I like to eat but it is worth it for him So.... we're getting it.

I do agree with him that it's nice so much of the trip is already paid for by the time you go

 

[slp87]

We are a family of 3. On our last trip DD was 11, and an "adult" by Disney standards. We are DVC members and it was not available to us at that time, but I wanted to see if it would benefit us in the future. I kept all receipts for meals & snacks and we were definitely under what it would have cost for the DDP. My daughter is a picky eater and many times we shared meals. When we get counter service, we usually buy 2 drinks and share them among the 3 of us. We are not big eaters, and usually grab a breakfast bar in the mornings so I don't see it being beneficial for us. I think if you are planning some nice sit down meals and dinner buffets, it could work for you.

 

[goofy4tink]

It depends. I've used the DDP several times now. I also have the Disney Dining Experience card. I always figure out what my food budget is going to be when I first start planning. I know, pretty much, where and what I'm going to eat. So, I can check out the menus for those spots I'll be eating at, total up the cost and then compare it to the daily cost of the DDP. My issue is that now, without the tip being included and the absence of the appetizer, it's just not as good a deal for me anymore. We really enjoyed the appetizers, and usually didn't have dessert.
If I use my DDE card (you can buy one for about $60 if you have an AP), I can save 20% at most table service meals. They do add an 18% gratuity to your bill automatically, but since I normally just left a 20% tip (same as the discount) I save an addtl 2%!!!

I did use the DDP when we traveled with another mom and her dd. We each paid for our own plan. It just made it so much easier to just hand over the room key, have the meals subtracted from each acct..none of that 'I'll get this meal, you get the next one' stuff that always happens.
I would sit with the menus, figure out what it will cost you to eat, paying out of pocket, and then compare it to the $37 daily fee, pp, for DDP...see how it comes out, then decide.

 

[slp87]

Interestingly, i have done a cost comparison of DVC to paying cash and i can't come up with a savings with DVC...am i missing something?

I think if you compare the cost of the food you get on the DDP to what you would pay for the same food out of pocket, then yes, it's definitely a savings. My family doesn't eat that much at every meal, so I compared what we paid for a typical meal to what we would have paid for the DDP and we saved about $275.

But, I think every family has to look at their eating habits and do like another poster suggested. Look at the menus to get an idea of how much you would spend and see if it's worth it. I'm sure some families of teenage boys think it's a bargain!!

 

[mickeynut1]

We love the dining plan and it works great for our family of four, which includes two teen DSs that are priced as adults. One dinner buffet/character meal pretty much takes care of the cost of the dining plan and we still have a CS and snack left each day . So we definitely make out better with the plan . Plus we get to try more restaurants than we normally would paying OOP. Would we eat a TS meal each night if we paid OOP? Probably not, but once we tried the plan, we decided it was nice and it was a better deal, especially since we don't care to eat CS all day every day for a week with 1, maybe 2, TS thrown in there for variety . But as a pp mentioned, if you don't mind alot of CS and don't want to take time out of every night to eat a TS, then the plan wouldn't be beneficial to you. My two DSs can eat.....so the TS meals (most are buffets that we do) are great because not only do we all get a variety of food to choose from, but my DSs can fill up . So, IMO, getting the DDP or not getting the DDP is really a personal decision based on how you like to eat on vacation (TS vs CS) and the cost of the plan vs OOP. Good luck with your decision as the DDP isn't for everybody and only you can really decide whether or not it's beneficial for you and your family .

 

[PoohsFan1]

I think the meal plan is worth it in my opinion. We have two little ones 3 and 4. So we paid $37. for each adult and 9.99 for each child. A total of around 94.00 a day (something close to that). I can tell you on our day of arrival we ate at the POR food court for breakfast. This was not on our meal plan because we were switching to the POLY the next day to start our stay. We all just had waffles,bacon, and a drink. Our meal cost for breakfast basics for four was around $42.00. You do that for each meal B,L,D and that is $120.00. So we thought it saved us money. We usually do sit down dinners for our table service. We ate at the Kona Cafe and our total was 102.00 for dinner, but we were on the meal plan and did not have to pay that amount. So if you want to do sit down dinners I think it is worth it. Some people do not like to take the time to sit down and do a table service. I think it is just a matter of opinion.

I agree with you, it depends on what type of eaters your family are. Mine, well, we always have to sit down to eat our breakfast and dinners. For lunch we usually either just snack or go to a CS restaurant. My DH insists on sitting down a couple times a day just so that we can get out of the heat for an hour and also it lets our feet relax. Plus this is the time that we always discuss what part of the parks we want to hit next. Therefore the dinning plan is well worth it for our family of 4.

 

[brandylouwho]

Interestingly, i have done a cost comparison of DVC to paying cash and i can't come up with a savings with DVC...am i missing something?

I think DVC for us was an emotional buy, no upfront savings and definitely not a big savings over current value or even moderate hotel costs. We prefer those sort of accommodations (kitchen, washer & dryer, etc) & like to stay onsite, so we decided DVC was a good fit for us and might save us a bit over time. If we change our mind in the future, we'll sell the contract.

When I look at my next trip--if I were paying cash at rack rate it would be about $4800 for the same room, room only (very overpriced IMHO). But if you use those sorts of numbers a 160 pt contract could pay for itself in just a few years. Of course, I know it is much more complex than that in reality.

 

[bytheblood]

I think it is if you strategically plan your meals to get the most for your money.

If you do not want to feel like a "slave to the plan" then I think paying out of pocket is the way to go.