Our trip w/o the dining plan

[tink20]

Just back, and thought I would share our experience w/o the DP.

Myself, DH and DS (13). DS and I have small appetites. (especially in the summer when it is hot out)

So here is a break down of what we spent. Our trip was Sat 5/30 (arriving for dinner) thru Sun 6/7(leaving after breakfast)

We ate Breakfast at resort (All Star Sports) 5 mornings $106.91
3 TS tips included (Plaza, Big River Grille and Tony's) The Tony's meal included my DD and her husband (I paid for both of them) $268.33
12 CS (for lunch or dinner) one includes BOG $93.16 (again paid for DD and her husband @ BOG) $304.26
2 refillable mugs for DH and I $35.29
snacks/candy/drinks for DH in the park: for 8 days $80.62

Total $888.57 (tips and tax included)

If I remember correctly, DS and I shared a CS one time. DH and I shared a CS one time. I ordered a kids CS twice and once at breakfast. We ate 3 breakfast in our room (food that we brought with us) At all CS meals (except BOG) we did not order dessert and most times I had a free water and DS ate off the kids menu. At BOG we all had dessert and sodas and at Tony's we all had dessert and soda (DD picked this restaurant, I didn't really enjoy it and it was the most expensive meal) Also, we brought bottled water with us each day in the parks.

CS included : Pizzafari, All Star Sports (several times for convenience), Electric Umbrella, ABC Comm., @ Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon, BOG and Columbia Harbour.

I enjoyed The Plaza, the most, will definitely go back here.

QS meal plan would have been roughly $1008 and Reg meal plan would have been $1455.

We ate what we wanted, never felt deprived or hungry.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Typical for us too. We buffet about 1g for dining off the the plan. We add dinner shows and dessert parties which jack it up a bit. Dining plan never really works to buy it the way we eat. This summer we got free dining but will still have oop expenses.

 

[tami82]

That's really great to see. We usually do the FD but booking for next year through another source so we wont be able to do that. I was just figuring numbers and using the Disney calculator and seems like it comes out much cheaper than if we had to add the dining option on.

 

[CraigInPA]

At the other end of the spectrum, my wife and I eat signature meals and table service lunch. For a 10 day trip, we saved over $500 paying out of pocket versus buying the deluxe dining plan. And, yes, we had the whole Maine lobster at Narcoossee's (twice), the oak grilled filet at California Grille, the tomahawk chop at Artist Point, Cioppino at Hollywood Brown Derby, etc...

 

[mchelle77]

This is what I'm struggling with now ... my last two week+ trips we got free dining. This next trip is my mother's first time there and she is pushing for it, if only to have it prepaid and not have to think about what to spend (she and I are splitting the cost). I'm thinking we may be better off just taking a gift card with the amount of what the DP would cost us and use THAT for food - my mother and daughter (10) are picky eaters, but WOULD get a steak ($$!) now and then. We may want an app, and may not want a dessert, etc ... We WILL be having a TS meal each day, so maybe knowing where we will have those reservations will help. (Chef Mickey's, Ohana, Raglan Road, 50s Prime Time, haven't decided on Epcot restaurant yet .. so it's a range of prices, making it a little difficult to figure out its value.)

 

[shortnsassy730]

This is what I'm struggling with now ... my last two week+ trips we got free dining. This next trip is my mother's first time there and she is pushing for it, if only to have it prepaid and not have to think about what to spend (she and I are splitting the cost). I'm thinking we may be better off just taking a gift card with the amount of what the DP would cost us and use THAT for food - my mother and daughter (10) are picky eaters, but WOULD get a steak ($$!) now and then. We may want an app, and may not want a dessert, etc ... We WILL be having a TS meal each day, so maybe knowing where we will have those reservations will help. (Chef Mickey's, Ohana, Raglan Road, 50s Prime Time, haven't decided on Epcot restaurant yet .. so it's a range of prices, making it a little difficult to figure out its value.)

Use this site hun, http://www.distripplanner.com/. It lets you put in your party number, your chosen restaurants, the course you tend to prefer, etc. Then it breaks down the average cost including tip for out of pocket versus each available dining plan. It is super helpful to get a good idea of what you're looking at and really user friendly.

 

[mchelle77]

Use this site hun, http://www.distripplanner.com/. It lets you put in your party number, your chosen restaurants, the course you tend to prefer, etc. Then it breaks down the average cost including tip for out of pocket versus each available dining plan. It is super helpful to get a good idea of what you're looking at and really user friendly.

Decision made, thank you! Looks like even with overestimating (putting in 4 snacks per person, per day - never! - one extra TS meal, one extra breakfast at the end, etc) it would save me money to not get the dining plan. Thanks for the link!

 

[shortnsassy730]

Decision made, thank you! Looks like even with overestimating (putting in 4 snacks per person, per day - never! - one extra TS meal, one extra breakfast at the end, etc) it would save me money to not get the dining plan. Thanks for the link!

You're welcome!! It has helped me tons!

 

[Monykalyn]

That link helped lots with my last trip too. I put all our receipts in a spreadsheet when we got home just to see how close we came to that estimation- pretty close. What we actually spent was about $400 less than estimated. The biggest thing is we ate what we wanted, had drinks at Star Wars Weekends etc and much of what we did would have been extra or off the dining plan. I did buy one refillable mug for me that I definitely got our use out of. We also did most breakfasts in the room as none of us are usually big breakfast eaters.

 

[mchelle77]

That link helped lots with my last trip too. I put all our receipts in a spreadsheet when we got home just to see how close we came to that estimation- pretty close. What we actually spent was about $400 less than estimated. The biggest thing is we ate what we wanted, had drinks at Star Wars Weekends etc and much of what we did would have been extra or off the dining plan. I did buy one refillable mug for me that I definitely got our use out of. We also did most breakfasts in the room as none of us are usually big breakfast eaters.

That's us too .. my mother rarely eats breakfast, and my daughter and I could do with sharing something if anything, or grabbing something quick. Tea, coffee and juice, that's required LOL So we'll do at least one mug as well. I was mostly swayed by the fact that we would do an app more than a dessert (except for my kiddo!) and that I would still be tipping AND paying for a drink here or there ... makes no sense to pay more just to have it "prepaid".

Thanks all!

 

[goofy friend]

We(party of 3) spent 7 nights at Disney in May, first time in several years that I did not have the standard dining plan. After the trip, I took the cost of the plan and added the appropriate amount for tips for the nightly table service meal. Comparing this to my actual expense including 3 of Disney refillable beverage mugs, We saved over $200.00.

 

[tami82]

I used the calculator a few days ago using various situations, all counter service, 7 counter and 7 table service like with the regular meal plan, and then counter services with 4 table service for 7'days and was amazed at the results. It's not too bad at all. We usually get FD but now with them offering it too late in August we have to go another route both with booking and meals so we can go earlier in August. I think it's very doable so I'm glad I at least got a ball park with the cost of meals

 

[DeniseR]

Thanks for that link! It just helped me see that getting the Deluxe plan is better for us! We are taking twin 2 year olds though and taking TS breaks during the day and evenings so I guess this is a good thing because it lets you see your situation and how it works with the plans.