Need help deciding to do the dining plan or not..

[Irishmommyof4]

Hey all- just found these forums, they're awesome!
There are 6 in my family, the kids are 8 and under, we're going to WDW in a couple of months... I can't decide whether or not to add on the dining plan to our package.
I wanted to go 3 character meals, and one meal at the 50's cafe- that would cost us about 330. So that's two breakfasts, and two dinners. We'll be staying 5 days. So that would mean 3 breakfasts in the room, via the fridge, and 3 dinners in the room and 5 lunches in the room (sandwiches for both, bringing BIG coolers!).
I know we'll get totally sick of sandwiches, and I do assume that at somepoint we'll waiver from the sandwich plan, plus buying any snacks in the parks. So, we'll definitely spend more there than $330 even if we bring a ton of food.
The dining plan would cost us $100/day (one kid we don't have to pay for). So, that's $500.
WWYD?

 

[fac]

Probably, you want to ask youself what is your motive of doing the dinning plan?
To save money, new dinning experience?

Will you be paying rack rate for the resort? Will you get discount for the tickets.

If it were to save money alone, and will be paying rack rate for the room, I think you will do better or no worse with the dinning plan.

It is the cost of
$500 vs ($330 + cost of the sandwiches + snack you may buy in the park)

With 4 kids all under 8, I suspect you may be able to use 3 CS for breakfast and 3 CS for lunch.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

At $10/day for your children alone it is worth it - take advantage of that while you can, soon some of your children will cost $35/day and that may change things.

Food at WDW is expensive - in fact your estimate of $330 seems low. Add the room breakfasts and other food and the dining plan will pay for itself. Plus you won't have to worry about food really at all. You'll get to try some really nice restaurants and have a good variety of food every day. I'd do it (and in fact did for our family of 4).

Have a great trip!

 

[Camping Griswalds]

We're going thee other way. Have a family of 5. 2 adults, one 13, one 9 and one 18 months. We booked a split stay at 2 resorts with AAA, saving about 20%, we will purchase tix through ticketmaster, saving $$ off Disney prices as well. While we could very well break even with the dining plan and eating, I don't think it can match up to the prices we will save by not doing a Disney package. We have gone to the World multiple times, and always do the cereal thing for breakfast, snacks like goldfish, peanut butter crackers, tootsie roll pops to graze through out the day, lunch we either do late to count as dinner, or pb&j, lunchmeat,tuna. Sure we get tired of it, but then we just buy a counter service meal that day. When we do eat out for dinner or late lunch as afore mentioned, we don't go the appetizer, entree and then dessert way normally. We do more character meals which are buffet.
We are going to try to watch on this trip and see where and when and how much we spend to see if Dining Plan will work for us, but really the kicker NOT to do it is the multiple savings on booking everything single and not a package. Heck we saved $36 per night for 6 nights at the POP and then 45 per night for 5 nights at AKL for total of $441 AAA savings. That would be a lot of food to eat to make up that difference.

 

[scrapperjill]

I have to agree with Pea-n-me with the kids meal plan costing only 10per day it's WELL worth it. Eating at just the buffet alone would be more than the daily cost of the meal plan...PLUS you still have the CS for the day and the snack....for everyone. IMO you can NOT beat the kids meal plan for such costs.


I just wanted to add that after looking over your plan on where your wanting to go (3 buffets and at 50s prime time)...eating those four meals alone on the dinning plan (for the kids) would more than pay for the rest of their food for those days...In other words on the dinning plan for one child at $10 they would be able to eat their character buffet breakfast...have a snack mid day...and a counter service dinner that night...(TS, CS and snack) for only $10 . Leaving you with only one other day to think about...

I also wanted to add that when your compairing the $330 to the $500 for the meal plan....keep in mind that the meal plan for $500 is covering 30 counter services, 30 table services and 30 snacks...and the $330 that your estimating is covering ONLY 4 meals...that's a $170 diffrence in price and 88 food service diffrences (30 TC, 30 CS, 30 Snacks vs 4 meals)

 

[HaleyB]

You will be way ahead with the dining plan and have more fun. You CAN add the dining plan to AAA packages so you might be able to get some sort of discount too.

Does your $330 count in tax and tip? Those are included with dining.
You will buy snacks, there is almost no way around it and that will run you $10-$15 a day. (Water, drinks, popcorn, fruit, icecream).

For examples of prices to help you decide go to www.allearsnet.com
They have menus with prices listed. You can use the Counter Service credits on adult meals. Table service the kids have to order from the kids menu.

Also if you have a child 3 or under you do not pay the $10 a night for them (but you also do not get the dining credits for them). 3 and under are free on the buffets/all you care to eats. Otherwise they often can share off someones plate/meal. Disney portions are big most of the time.

 

[bounceliketigger]

Hey all- just found these forums, they're awesome!
There are 6 in my family, the kids are 8 and under, we're going to WDW in a couple of months... I can't decide whether or not to add on the dining plan to our package.
I wanted to go 3 character meals, and one meal at the 50's cafe- that would cost us about 330. So that's two breakfasts, and two dinners. We'll be staying 5 days. So that would mean 3 breakfasts in the room, via the fridge, and 3 dinners in the room and 5 lunches in the room (sandwiches for both, bringing BIG coolers!).
I know we'll get totally sick of sandwiches, and I do assume that at somepoint we'll waiver from the sandwich plan, plus buying any snacks in the parks. So, we'll definitely spend more there than $330 even if we bring a ton of food.
The dining plan would cost us $100/day (one kid we don't have to pay for). So, that's $500.
WWYD?

ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION--DO THE DINING PLAN! We have done without for years and did it this year for the first time. We could kick ourselves for not having done it sooner. I actually saved as many receipts as I could and found that we would have spent $600 more in food without the plan. We are a family of 3, the little one being 2 yrs. Granted, we were not doing the sandwich thing, but by the time you consider even just drinks and snacks...and believe me, you're not going to want to go back to the room to eat or carry around all that food. We recommended the plan to another family who had also gone before without it and they said they'll never go again without doing the plan! (not to mention, you really get to experience all the great food Disney has to offer!) Have a great trip!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

A few thoughts in reading the posts this morning:

- The MYW Dining plan as it is just started in January 05. We used it the second week it was available so some of the information is outdated, but here is my Dining report if you care to read it. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=725618&referrerid=70088

- You get so much food you can honestly do without a "third" meal of the day. I myself felt full much of the time.

- Normally we eat on our trips like the Camping Griswolds do (hey, nothing wrong with that! ). But financially it made sense to do the dining plan since our two children were 7yo (only $10/day). Wow, it was really fun to try restaurants we normally would never have gone to all in one trip! And when we checked out of our resort our entire bill was just over $100 which was mainly spent on souveniers. That was a first!

- To the Camping Griswolds: we also normally book the way you do, too. But this time we booked the whole package through AAA and we got a discount on the entire package which I think was something like 15%?? Can't remember exactly. Did you check out what the entire package would be with the AAA discount? (You have to book directly thorough AAA and make sure they are quoting you the discount; there is a special code they have to put in that not all AAA TAs know about, problem reported here and it happened to me as well, must ask for a Disney specialist). Check it out.

Here's what our MYW trip cost with AAA and I thought it was a great deal.

6 nights Pop Century 2 adults, 2 children 7yo - January 05
MYW Dining
MYW base tickets 6 day
$1721

The dining added $540 to the cost of the trip but we more than got our money's worth.

- Irishmommy if you decide to use the plan be sure to report back how you liked it and if it was worth it!

 

[eeyore45]

Also when I debated the cost of Room Only vs Pkg and buying tickets thru ticketmania...


I did a side by side comparasion, like you are doing, and when you have all the food, snack, sandwiches, you said yourself, you will factor in "extras"... on the dining plan do note that you can 1. share meals (for instance I need to eat protein for breakfast, so I plan on getting an egg platter, then for a CS meal, share with dh, and the TS will be too much food, I plan on getting some 'desserts' to go - and then I hope not to over stuff at a one time, but to draw out the food - - in this way I believe it will fit our lifestyle a bit better. Also, because of the food plan, I know I can deter dd with the "can I have a snack" we have a plan that includes eating a so many different places...


just our thoughts

 

[ncbyrne]

We booked our package thru AAA and did get a discount, even including the dining plan. Another factor for choosing MWD is that the gratuity is already included! Every $ adds up.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

- To the Camping Griswolds: we also normally book the way you do, too. But this time we booked the whole package through AAA and we got a discount on the entire package which I think was something like 15%?? Can't remember exactly. Did you check out what the entire package would be with the AAA discount? (You have to book directly thorough AAA and make sure they are quoting you the discount; there is a special code they have to put in that not all AAA TAs know about, problem reported here and it happened to me as well, must ask for a Disney specialist). Check it out.

We are booking through Dreams Unlimited for the first time this time, not through AAA. I may price it out with AAA (package I mean) but our plan is to stay at Disney for 11 nights, buy the 10 day no exp and actually use those passes for 2 trips. We are probably going to Seaworld, Univ and IOA this trip as well. We aren't planning on purchasing the no exp option though until we get down there and see how many Disney days we do. We're driving, so we have the flexibility of driving to the other parks. Might even go to Kennedy and Gatorworld for fun. I think with these things in mind, a package might not be the best way for us for this trip. Even if we don't go to all of those extra parks, and just stay in Disney. We really figure our DD (18 months then) will need to do the afternoon naps, and we know we're going back probably next year as well. We've skipped years before and I always end up depressed!! We're actually shopping for a new home, and I told my husband that when we are figuring out a mortgage payment, I want the cost of a Disney trip added in for every year!!! I'd rather have a smaller house and a Disney trip, than a big house. FUUNNY!!!

i would like to try the dining plan, but when you start thinking about going to other parks, it dosen't seem as beneficial.

 

[disneyvacalover]

Irishmommyof4;

I too have 4 kids 11, 8, 5 and 18 mos. This is our plan for our Feb trip. Getting 2 rooms at the POP. One with an AP rate of 59.00/night reserved with my husband (AP holder) and my 11 year old. The other through AAA. The AAA is a Magic Your way package with Dining. With the AAA discount the room is only 64.00/night. So that's only 5.00 more per night. Any way this room is for me and my 8 and 5 year olds (baby is free). This way the dining plan is only 55.00/night total. My girls eat like birds and can eassily share a kids meal with the baby and have food left. I'll use the 3 credits/day for me, husband and 11 year. You can use the credits as adult meals even though you paid the child rate.
The only draw back is you pay full price for the park tickets with a package. I don't think the tickets are discounted at AAA with a package. If purchased at Ticketmainia we would save 88.00 on the tickets. My only other option is to get the ticketmainia tickets and book the AAA package with one day tickets and then trade in all the one day tickets toward my husbands AP renewal. The only thing is the he will need to renew while we are there so I'm not sure how that will work.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[ktink]

We just got back on 9/10 and we did the dining plan, we did get the "free dining" but I would pay for it in a heartbeat. It is ALOT of food and we are fairly big eaters. We ended up having 12 snacks and 4 CS meals left at the end of our stay.. The plan even if paid for will save you $. I highly recommend it.

 

[fac]

Irishmommyof4;

My only other option is to get the ticketmainia tickets and book the AAA package with one day tickets and then trade in all the one day tickets toward my husbands AP renewal. The only thing is the he will need to renew while we are there so I'm not sure how that will work.

GOOD LUCK!!!

You cannot apply *ALL* the one day tickets towards ONE AP renewal. It is a one-to-one situation. One ticket can be used to apply to one renewal. It has been discussed in this boards. I think allearsnet pointed that out as well. I personally also checked it when I was in DWD in Aug.

 

[disneyvacalover]

thanks
that help's with my decision.

 

[4greatboys]

I think its very worth it. We just got back from using it and the TS meals alone were pretty much close the the $35 per day (and many times more). Plus you can enjoy many sit down meals you might otherwise have skipped. Burgers and chicken fingers get old pretty quick.

 

[HillPete]

Our original AAA package (before we switched to free dining) included:
-discounted room (15-20%)
-discounted park tix of whatever type we wanted (AAA discount is almost identical to the 'early purchase' discount I got at the Disney Store)
-dining plan that includes tax and gratuity.
-Diamond parking pass
-discount card for purchases at some stores and restaurants (I don't have it in front of me right now. Mostly DTD stores)
-pass for a free drink at the AAA lounge (not a big deal, but tasty none the less!)
-cute luggage tags for all of us

All in all, a rockin' good deal.
--H