My "Uneducated" take on Dining Plan

[PatsGirl]

After reading the many posts, pro and con, about the dining plan, I decided to make out a dining schedule for our (2A/2C) nine-day trip in November in 3 different ways: 1) Where I thought we could afford to eat and save a little money. Once at WCC, a few sit-downs, pizza sharing one or two nights, breakfast in the room, no HoopdeDoo or CRT but I think I did add an Ohanas as well. 2) Where and what I would eat if $ were no issue at all; and 3) Using the dining plan as a reference and mapping out restaurants from that for all meals. I've got to say that options 1 and 3 were within $50 of each other. #2 was much more but many of the same restaurants are those that I picked on the dining plan option (which only makes it an even better deal to me). After adding tax/tip/breakfast foods and the occasional snack to option 1, I think it all evened out.

Only problem now: I'm 1A/1C with a friend bringing her child. I cannot get her to read the menus and she cannot believe that they would possibly spend $45/day on food. I've tried to explain that kids meals alone start at $5, snacks will add another $3 or so, bringing kid expenses to about $15/day, a $5 savings right there! I know she is the pizza/burger type and I'm the lobster/filet type (with a pizza pocketbook) and she may end up ordering low-end cost items even with the plan.

Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with this plan as long as no tweens or teens are involved. If I were to bring my 15-year old son, I'm not sure it would then be a savings, but he loves to eat so...

 

[kandmwedding]

Are you sharing a room with the other party? If not, you can get the plan and she can decide on her own.

 

[SB in KY]

We were in a similar situation once several years ago with another couple and the old Food and Fun Cards...they were going with us (staying in a 2BR at OKW) and we all had to do the plan or none of us. They were reluctant to do the plan because it sounded epensive to them (but they had not been before, had no idea what prices ran and had no interest in doing the homework to figure it all out), but I knew if they did it they would love it...I ended up just telling them that their tab for 2 meals/day was X amount and they could order anything they wanted off the menu at the restaurants when we got there and all the rec stuff was thrown in for free....they ended up LOVING it...the fun of going into a restaurant and not even having to look at the price of something was the best for them.

If your friend is the type that can't be bothered to check out places to dine, etc...it might be just as easy to tell her that this is the best way to go and here is how much it costs and you will take care of making reservations, etc. Because even if she eats less expensive items on the menus she will still at least break even...especially with a kid....there is NO WAY you can feed a kid on $10/day at WDW.

If she is getting her own room you can let her make her own decision...if she is sharing a room with you and you are handling the arrangements you might just want to include this as a part of her cost and let it go at that.

 

[DisOrBust]

What about AP room rate and the DDE. Card? My problem with the dinning plan is I don't need to eat an app $ dessert at a sit down. With the diing plan I would feel compeled to get my monies worth.

 

[clombardi]

I amy sound like an idiot, but I'll ask anyway.....waht does 1A/1C mean? 2A/2C?

Thanks, just had to know.

 

[Luv2Roam]

A = Adult
C = Child

 

[Grumpy'n'Goofy]

I amy sound like an idiot, but I'll ask anyway.....waht does 1A/1C mean? 2A/2C?

Thanks, just had to know.

A=adult, C=child...took me a minute too

 

[bellarella]

Just order it for yourself and let her make her own decisions. Honestly, we saved spent less money on our trip by *not* doing the dining plan. I added up our receipts when we came back and our eating habits just don't match the way the plan works. Yes we could have saved money (but not that much) by conforming to the plan, but with two small children and our own personal eating habits (small, frequent meals) it was much more enjoyable to eat off of the plan, so it doesn't work for everyone.

 

[zdad]

Grumpy n Goofy..........LOVE THE PICTURE !!!!!! We're a Hokie family as well. EE '81 for me. DW did f3yrs inaccounting there until I swept her away to marry her. She finieshed at Maryland, but she still bleeds Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange. DS 16 wants very bad to go play football there, but I don't know.....maybe a walk on.

Love the DD.....seems really into the game. Would be a classic picture if she were rattling a set of keys !!!

GO HOKIES !!!
Z

 

[Lewisc]

You might tell her Disney prices the food the same way sports venues, movie theaters and entertainment venues like the circus.

If she's ever been to pro sports event, movie snack bar or even the circus she'll know what you mean. Has she ever been to Fenway? Tell her that's what you'll be paying for meals.

With your eating habbits you might not save a ton but it's far more likely you'll save money rather than lose money. Some guests, particularly the last day, have been able to use a TS meal credit for a CS meal.

If you want to do signature dining, HDD, or even a character buffet the savings are much more apparent.