OOP wins again!

[Princess Mulan]

As I always do after a trip, I calculated our food/drink/tip costs and once again discovered that we're better off paying out of pocket than getting the dining plan.

For the record, the travel party was two adult women spending 10 days in May in a deluxe resort. We ordered what we wanted and didn't worry about the cost of appetizers, entrees, snacks, desserts or drinks. Sit-down dinners included Yachtsman Steakhouse, Via Napoli, Trattoria al Forno, Captain's Grille, Rose and Crown, and Teppan Edo. Lunches included Be Our Guest, Yak and Yeti, Sommerfest, the French bakery and Columbia Harbor House. Since we were there during the garden festival, we made liberal use of the special food and beverage booths. I also included in our total our Dining with an Imagineer event.

So, all of that, including taxes and tips, rounded out to less than $60 per person per day. Since we had debated beforehand whether we should get the dining plan, I was pleased to see that our decision to pay OOP was sound.

All of that being said, I'm not trying to start an argument about dining plan v. OOP for all guests. I realize that for different parties, the dining plan makes sense. I just wanted to share our experience! As always, your mileage may vary!

 

[allison k]

Thank you for posting this! I'm going back and forth deciding on the dining plan. I think we're better off without it, but I tend to then worry about what I'm paying when I go OOP! I need to just order what I want, use my TIW card, and not worry so much!

 

[DisBuckMan]

Thank you for posting this! I'm going back and forth deciding on the dining plan. I think we're better off without it, but I tend to then worry about what I'm paying when I go OOP! I need to just order what I want, use my TIW card, and not worry so much!

If you've got TiW, then your mind should be completely at ease.

 

[CandiceF]

I think for some people it is better to pay OOP and some it s better to get the dinning plan. We are a family of 5 with 3 under 10 who stay in a Moderate resort. Almost all of our TS meals are character buffets and my DH and myself love using our snack credits for Starbucks while the kids get a fun treat. I do the math before we go and when we get back and we have always saved money with the DDP. When my kids get older and don't want as many character buffets it maybe cheaper for us to pay OOP.

 

[GillianP1301]

I love the deluxe dining plan, but I still find myself debating whether or not to try OOP. We are 3 meals a day people and love our TS restaurants in our plan and I somehow have it in my head that we would have to change our preference if we went OOP, which of course is not true. Ultimately I always end up going with the plan. Perhaps when my son is 10 years old (2 years to go), that will be the time to give OOP a try because I can't imagine he'll get value out of an adult DxDP, unless his eating habits change a lot between now and then.

 

[Lisa F]

I love the deluxe dining plan, but I still find myself debating whether or not to try OOP. We are 3 meals a day people and love our TS restaurants in our plan and I somehow have it in my head that we would have to change our preference if we went OOP, which of course is not true. Ultimately I always end up going with the plan. Perhaps when my son is 10 years old (2 years to go), that will be the time to give OOP a try because I can't imagine he'll get value out of an adult DxDP, unless his eating habits change a lot between now and then.

yeah I think as long as you are doing character meals with a 1:1 kid to adult ratio it works out to use the DDP. I am seeing a huge savings using the DxDDP right now ($830 worth of food for $577, many fixed price restaurants). with no kids all bets are off, as it seems like character meals drop off the older they get and the value is not as huge without paying $20 a day for a kid and then being ahead after any of the character meals which cost the same as the whole plan. I am glad we are using DxDDP on this trip but it will be the first and probably last time we use it.

 

[Rich M]

For me I choose to go with the DDP because when I get there I don't want to deal with cost. I like going to the restaurant and ordering what I want and know that its it is paid for. With adding it to the package I get to pay for it over time and when I get there I only have to worry about tips which I budget on a Disney Gift Card so even that has been paid for over time. Once I am there I don't try to worry about my decision at all and I don't calculate what it could have been because I don't want to feel like I got screwed lol. The one thing that I don't like about it is the forcing to get dessert and over eat during the trip and am happy that you can request something other than dessert.

 

[VACamm]

Thank you for your review! I like to see how everyone figures out what is best for their individual vacations. For my family, it usually ends up better for us to get the DDP. I have a husband and 2 boys ages 20 and 13 who eat and snack a LOT.

 

[Monykalyn]

One thing that seems to be missing in calculating the dining plan is the ability to apply discounts by booking things separately-as an example-we saved hundreds of dollars booking through Orbitz (15% code on Disney spring discount), plus cheaptickets for park tickets (both through ebates portal for cash back). Then I used a spreadsheet when we got back and we would have spent a couple thousand more had we booked a package through Disney that included a meal plan. Plus DH and I like an adult beverage too. And believe me-no one was ever told no to a snack or what they wanted to eat at a restaurant. We did have gift cards so that helped with the "Prepaid" aspect too

 

[babesboo99]

We used the DDP back in 2014 and we loved it we liked the ease of ordering what we wanted and not having to worry about what we ordered all we had to worry about was the tip. This Fall we are going with the DxDDP because we have reservations at CRT and Lecelliur and we have other reservations as well. I have done a spread sheet and checked out the dis dining planner and looks like we will come out ahead we came out ahead about 2 or $300 when we used the regular dining plan and I believe we will come out ahead again. We like our snacks and we will also be there during F&W so we can use them there as well. and if we have any left over we will just get some goodies for the way home since we are driving from NY. It's different for everybody for us it works well for now and until i see it not working well we will always get the plan.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

One thing that seems to be missing in calculating the dining plan is the ability to apply discounts by booking things separately-as an example-we saved hundreds of dollars booking through Orbitz (15% code on Disney spring discount), plus cheaptickets for park tickets (both through ebates portal for cash back). Then I used a spreadsheet when we got back and we would have spent a couple thousand more had we booked a package through Disney that included a meal plan. Plus DH and I like an adult beverage too. And believe me-no one was ever told no to a snack or what they wanted to eat at a restaurant. We did have gift cards so that helped with the "Prepaid" aspect too

We never book a package. We have DVC. And we use an Annual Pass.

The dining plan cost is strictly the dining plan cost.

A couple of trips ago, we saved a bundle going with the plan. This trip? We are buying Tables in Wonderland. Two very different trips, two ways to save money.

 

[Lisa F]

We never book a package. We have DVC. And we use an Annual Pass.

The dining plan cost is strictly the dining plan cost.

A couple of trips ago, we saved a bundle going with the plan. This trip? We are buying Tables in Wonderland. Two very different trips, two ways to save money.

I am DVC too and wish TiW worked out for me... since it is just two of us, even going all out, we are "only" spending around $750 on food not including tips or hoop dee doo, which is the break even point on TiW. However for that $750 I am spending $577 on ddp for about $830 worth of meals, so that is a huge savings without having to lay out any money. It is hard as a single mother with a kid under 9 to see savings on TiW. I am not including booze but I'd be drunk off my butt the whole trip to make it worth it. It's great if used with an AP and two trips a bit less than a year apart... then you're really talking on money savings, esp with more than 1 adult and 1 child.

That's part of why it peeves me when people make blanket statements about what is worth it and what isn't. Run your own numbers and see. The patterns I have found running lots and lots of numbers are:

1:1 kid to adult ratio plus lots of character meals is pretty much always a win.

Kid who are disney adults but who eat like kids will almost always be a lose - unless you are going to AYCTE places, then you need to run the numbers.

Any party that does NOT eat the way the DDP is structured will almost always be a lose too.. if you would drink tap water and not get desserts at even some meals then you will pay more for the DDP.

Anyone who does not fall into one of those categories (ie 1 kid to 2 adults or eat dessert sometimes but not other times, sharing meals etc) needs to run the numbers for themselves.

 

[jkh36619]

What I posted on another forum:

"Not to "rebeat" a dead horse but the DDP quit being worth it for us years ago. We live 7 hours away so we drive. That is a huge benefit as we bring all of our breakfast food and most of our lunches since we usually take a mid day break so we're back at the hotel anyways. I have been known to smuggle a small microwave in our room instead of having to go to the food court..) It is just 3 of us so I always take the 30% rack rate discount if given the chance over the DDP. I have even found that if we eat a QS lunch, the kids menu has plenty of food for me. We always have a nice TS meal for dinner but its way under what I would pay for the DDP. Not to mention I never eat dessert. I think it would be easier for me to use the DDP but there is just no value. My wife and I work too hard for our money to just throw it away like that. I say the money I save by not buying the DDP gets me back to Disney the next year and over a number of years, its a free trip."

So it does show it's very different for everyone.

 

[Jonzy2]

What is TIW?

 

[DisBuckMan]

What is TIW?

Tables in Wonderland....a meal discount card available only to DVC members, Annual Pass holders, and Florida residents.

 

[rjcurry]

I am such a newbie- will someone explain the difference between OOP and DDP to me? Thanks y'all! Call me clueless.

 

[22Tink]

I am such a newbie- will someone explain the difference between OOP and DDP to me? Thanks y'all! Call me clueless.

OOP is out of pocket

DDP is Disney dining plan