Paying OOP...Need advice

[the other micki]

We are considering paying out-of-pocket for dining during our next trip. For those who have ventured away from the dining plan, I need advice on how to get the most bang for my buck! We plan to dine at about three TSs and the rest CSs. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Was going to ask the same thing. We ordered pizza to the room late - made my DS very happy. We've grabbed DD coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts. We are seriously thinking that we will attempt some cooking or grilling on this next trip. We have the kitchen - with a little forethought and planning it could be easy, tasty and almost free.

The restaurant costs are just too high - the work of prep can be done as fast as the journey to the restaurant. At a minimum, we hope to eat breakfast in room and a few dinners off property.

 

[Stitch808]

We went OOP last year and we shared many larger entrees from the park QSs. We stayed at Pop Century and loved to get the pizza at Everything Pop. It's pretty large and only $16! It would serve three adults comfortably.

 

[joannamet]

We always go OOP unless we get free dining. I don't eat much so I'm careful not to pay for food I won't eat. I order from the kids menu or share with DD. I also check menus online before we go so I can choose places that have food we like at reasonable prices. We love a lot of the CS places so we don't feel like we're missing out.

We bring food for breakfast in the room and carry water and snacks into the parks with us. Buying drinks and snacks in the parks really adds up. Then we splurge on an occasional snack and TS meal that we really want.

Last trip the food budget, not counting the groceries we brought with us, was $100 a day for 2 adults and 1 child. Most days we spent less and put the extra toward days when we splurged on TS meals. If you really want to save on dining at WDW it can be done.

 

[ColoradoDis]

We always pay OOP for dining. We've found the dining plan is too much food. In March, it was me, DH and DD (22). We usually got two entrees and an appetizer or two to share. In this case, we bought APs and a Tables In Wonderland card. This card usually saves 20% (before 18% tip) on TS meals including alcohol. We've found it's a much better deal for us than even free dining (since we can take advantage of room discounts). We rarely get snacks or more than one dessert for the three of us. It also frees us up to eat what we want - sometimes it's only appetizers!

 

[alex9179]

My (with various family members) three trips have all been OOP for food. We drove the last time, and were able to pack several things that could handle a long ride to have available for breakfast/snacks in the park. Sandwich bread, peanut butter, pre-packaged snacks, fruit, baby carrots, water, etc. An alternative when flying is to ship a box to your resort or utilize one of the grocery services. I find an easy (cheap!) breakfast in the room to be much more relaxing than going to the food court or an early ADR. I'm not a breakfast person, though!

We also share entrees. We're 5 and I'll order 3 meals (especially at CS) to share. We get water while touring the parks, which is free if you ask for a cup. At TS, I usually get an appetizer as my entree (because they often sound better than the entrees) and this will work for my Disney adults who are still young kids that like adult options but can't handle those large portions. Or share an app and entree with DH.

If you have a Disney Visa, you get 10% off certain TS locations. Click on "Perks at WDW Resort" for the list.
https://disneyrewards.com/vacation-perks/

There's also the TIW card available to AP holders/DVC/FL residents for 20% off at TS and lounges. It's not an economical option if you don't go often.

 

[MissouriPrincess]

We're buying Disney gift cards from Target with the Red Card debit card. You can get them for 5% off that way. You can also buy them online if you are not near a Target. For our last trip, we paid for all of our food and trinkets with gift cards. You can charge to your room and pay the charges with the gift cards, too. Just pay the charges by the night before you check out to avoid having your credit card charged instead.

 

[the other micki]

Thanks so much for the great ideas, everyone! Anyone else...?

 

[hawaiilife]

I say just enjoy yourself. When I am on vacation, I don't focus on how I can save money, especially when it comes to food. Just pick the restaurants you want and enjoy

I do notice that many of the prices at the signature restaurants are not much more than standard TS meals. If you are looking for "bang for your buck", perhaps you would like to book a few TS meals? Particularly Hollywood Brown Derby - it is 2 TS credits on the DDP, but many of their prices do not justify wasting 2 credits on a meal there.

 

[garris3404]

At TS, lunch is cheaper than dinner. Sharing meals is always good (at CS and TS). Eating breakfast in the room. Carrying in snacks & water.

 

[JenSop]

I'm very pro-dining plan, but now that i can just get TIW with my DVC membership (as opposed to needing to be an AP holder), we are going to try that route on our next trip. If not for TIW, we would use the DP for sure.

 

[momofboyz3]

I say just enjoy yourself. When I am on vacation, I don't focus on how I can save money, especially when it comes to food. Just pick the restaurants you want and enjoy

I do notice that many of the prices at the signature restaurants are not much more than standard TS meals. If you are looking for "bang for your buck", perhaps you would like to book a few TS meals? Particularly Hollywood Brown Derby - it is 2 TS credits on the DDP, but many of their prices do not justify wasting 2 credits on a meal there.

THIS ^^^^

 

[acc82]

I second all the tips here. I am all about combing suggestions. We always pay oop. We also have an annual pass and Tables in Wonderland that gives us 20% off all food and drinks. I definitely recommend that if you are an AP holder.!

We will get the target gift cards at 5% off and use that with our discount PLUS share an entree at quickservice. For table service, order water instead of expensive drinks and look at prices of the meal you are ordering.

A huge money saver? Drinks and snacks in the parks! We bring a brita filter bottle and refill at water fountains in the park (makes the water taste normal) and we pack snacks in our bag like goldfish.

Bring breakfast to the hotel like Oatmeal or Danish (or kind granola bars). If you eat in the food court, get the refill mugs each and then share a bounty platter (they are huge).

 

[pumba]

if you go more then once during a year...like may and then the end of april.. maybe an AP is a good idea and then get the TIW card...we used it at the resort as we always had a big breakfast 20 off ..lunch in AK 20 percent off those CS and then we have been lucky enough to get a good deal on the AP room discount.....and also drinks at the bars at the resorts and a few other places...we love to go to Ohana, Crystal Palace, and Biergarten for dinners...and you get a 20 percent off those meals too..which actually the amount takes care of your mandatory tip...cosmic rays at MK has the best half chicken, mashed potatoes and veggie ever...easily enough for two kids or an adult and a kid...I could not finish it all...quite a few cs are huge portions...hope you have a good time planning

 

[GoBears 1980]

We are considering paying out-of-pocket for dining during our next trip. For those who have ventured away from the dining plan, I need advice on how to get the most bang for my buck! We plan to dine at about three TSs and the rest CSs. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Curious where you are from? I don't know the exact numbers, but I think the DDPs available to UK visitors are a better deal than the DDPs for Americans. I am from CA and never, ever used a DDP because they didn't seem to save me any money over OOP and they felt very restrictive.

 

[CraigInPA]

If you are a Disney Visa card holder, some table service locations and many non-food locations give a discount. If you have Tables in Wonderland, that gives you a discount. Likewise, DVC members get a discount. If you eat at Yak and Yeti, the restaurant chain that owns it has a discount program.

My wife and I gave up DxDP, went OOP, and never looked back. OOP is cheaper for us because we don't generally eat the "snack credits". We still do signature dining, but we happily skip desserts or appetizers if nothing appeals to us or we have a hankering for something not offered there. For example, we skipped dessert at HBD because we both wanted funnel cake (which we shared) later that evening. My wife isn't a big breakfast eater, so we only schedule breakfast the morning we're leaving, and I'll pick up something like a muffin from the hotel to munch on. Eating without the dining plan becomes more like eating at home. If you don't feel that hungry, you don't order big meals or have a 3 course feast just because it's "included in the dining plan".

 

[jlp879]

For us, sharing was the way to go when paying OOP. We always chose the QS lunch restaurants that had the larger portions and then shared. We supplemented meals in the park with snacks that we brought in like granola bars, water, fruit and individual servings of hummus and pita chips or baby carrots, things like that.

When we did have TS meals, we didn't worry about it and let everyone have what they wanted. We aren't big dessert eaters, so one or two desserts would be enough for our party of six. On our last trip, we ate about half of our dinners out of the parks. That alone will save you money.

We also will stock our mini-fridge with breakfast items: cereal and milk, yogurt and fruit. It makes starting your morning faster and easier. Either plan a quick stop at a grocery store or use one of the delivery services. Just remember to add paper bowls to your grocery list.

 

[aretha30]

We have done OOP the last trip and will be doing it again this trip. We saved over $300 last August. We use most of the tips that others have posted; the best is the gift cards from Target. We estimate the cost of what we will spend and make sure to take that amount + in gift cards. This ensures that it is prepaid (like the DDP) but it is flexible so we can eat what we want, where we want. Also if I have anything left over I can spend the money at Downtown Disney, the Disney website, or save it for our next trip.

 

[alex9179]

As mentioned above, signing up for the Landry's card will give you your $25 joining fee back the first time you use it, along with a $25 credit for the birthday month (when you're going wink, wink). I had a $50 credit (saving $25) for our Yak & Yeti lunch after signing up. You lose your birthday credit after a month, so watch your dates!

 

[srauseo]

We always go OOP. I don't want to think about what's on the plan and what's not and credits, and am I getting the most out of it. Plus, it always seems like too much food. I did the math once and didn't make sense for us. If I went during free dining I guess I'd do it. Otherwise, no. I can split meals or snacks in Disney and be perfectly happy. I find the portions to be very large. Sometimes we order several appetizers to share. Sometimes we have one big meal and just snacks for the rest of the day. We often eat breakfast in the room unless we have a pre-rope drop ADR. We order groceries from Garden Grocer and eat while we're getting ready. This gets out the door and to the park faster. We also have drinks and snacks in the room for our afternoon break. We aren't doing this to cut costs. It's purely an efficiency issue. I want a nice bottle of white chilled and waiting in my room when I come back for my break!