Hello, everyone,
I just joined this forum, so I'm sure that you have all seen this question a million times...I did try to look as previous threads, but all seemed a bit older, so I'm asking again.
I am the Master Planner for a family trip (6 adults - possibly 9 adults and 1 14-year old). I've been to WDW many times, but only used the Dining Plan once before, and that was a couple of years ago.
One visit we did use an "all inclusive plan"...I think that was before the Dining Plan was in place, but we spent most of our time in resturants, and had to have them ROLL US HOME!!
So for this trip I made up a "practive itinerary" using the Deluxe plan, and including several Signature Dinners, and some TS meals - the other QS meals are a couple of breakfasts, and quick lunches when we aren't planning a big dinner.
Then I went back and looked at the menus for each of these resturants, and priced out a "typical" meal with appitizer, main course, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. I was pretty hard pressed to have my plan's meals equal the $79 the Deluxe Plan would cost per day.
All the info on the Disney official site says that the
Disney Dining Plan saves you money. So my question to your all....is the plan worth it, or are we better off going with a pay as you go kind of thing?
Thanks for any input!!
And sorry if you have discussed this until you are sick of it....
For starters, you're on the right track. Figuring out a few examples of the different plans is key to figuring out if the plans will work for you. You can make them work, relatively easy (at least for Deluxe)
IF the structure of the plan already suits how you plan to eat.
One thing to remember, the credits are totaled per
night of stay, not per day. So, for example, on DxDDP on a 6 night/7 day stay, you would end up with 6 * 3 or 18 credits per person to spend from check-in until midnight following check out.
The other things to note are the plan structures themselves.
For DxDDP (Deluxe), do you plan on eating at least 2 TS per night of say (see note below about the 2/3 "rule")? Do you plan on each person getting their own meal using the entitlements available (app, entree, dessert, drink)? Will "adults" (those 10 and older) be getting all adult meals? Would you be picking up the majority of the snack credits (2 snacks per night)?
For
DDP, the above also applies, just with the altered entitlements. In other words, do you plan on eating at least 1 TS and 1 CS per night of stay? All meals including entree, dessert, and drink? Most TS being in the evening for dinner as opposed to breakfast and/or lunch? Adults getting adult meals? And spending most of the snack credits (1 snack per night)?
So, do the math and take a look at the overall cost of the plan vs what will be getting covered by the plan (rather than worrying about breaking even/saving extra each day). If the items being covered would cost more in total than the overall cost, you will likely come out ahead.
One thing to keep in mind when calculating for DxDDP is that you do not have to spend all of your credits to realize savings. DxDDP breaks even at around 2/3 credits spent at TS restaurants (this is the 2/3 rule), so doing even doing 2 sit downs a day (and 1 CS sometimes) will give you savings. Personally, I worry more about making sure that the plan would be cheaper overall then trying to get the ultimate theoretical maximum savings (experience is more important than numbers in other words).
It really depends on how you eat. Do you want an app, entree, dessert, and drink 3x [or at least 2x] a day? Do you normally only have an entree or drink water with your meals? Do the signature restaurants really appeal to you? Are you willing to spend a bulk [good amount] of your vacation time in restaurants, waiting for your table, traveling to/from a restaurant?
For us, OOP is definitely the better way to go. We don't do a lot of TS and we don't want apps and/or dessert at every meal. We drink water even when we are at home, so why drink soft drinks that we don't really want?
However, for some people, the food and the dining is a big part of their vacation and they can't imagine going without it. If you are one of those, than one of the dining plans will definitely be the way to go.
It really is a decision that only you can make.
For the bolded quote, this is absolutely true with those minor changes in tone and stuff
.
For me, DxDDP is what I choose as the dining is a big part of my trips as sharonabe here suggests. While I can see myself doing without the plan, that will only be at the point where it's cheaper to go OOP on the same itinerary.
The decision is certainly personal, and while everyone has their own experiences, the way you personally would use the plan should be the major key in determining if the plan is right for you (and which plan as well).
---(this is how I separate out responses to quotes from general talking)---
Now, moving on to personal itineraries, an example from my upcoming trip (no, I won't list out everything, just a general layout)
- Arrival Day: CS for lunch as flight lands at 10:30am. Signature dinner
- Days 1 - 4: 2 1 credit TS per day. My mom is joining me for this portion, so most restaurants have cheaper options (or are overall cheaper). 1 day has a TS breakfast and a CS lunch (along with a 1 TS dinner).
- Days 5 - 9: Typically a 1 TS lunch and a 2TS dinner. I'll be solo from here on out.
- Day 10: 1 TS breakfast
This plan has me spending 25 of my 27 credits leaving 2 credits. My total savings should be just under $200 for the 10 days as a solo.
Last year, I think (I can't find the spreadsheet, I think I left it on my work computer) I spent 20 of 24 credits and calculated a savings of around $150 even with 4 credits unspent.
Of course, that was just me and I did want all entitlements that I received with my meals. I also knew going in that the amount of dining I did was what I wanted.
Now, I know I could go cheaper if I paid OOP, but it would require cutting back a lot of the options and many of the restaurants. My "OOP" cost would be around $700 for next year if I did just that. I felt the $300 extra on my DxDDP itinerary was worth it for the additional experiences that I'd be doing.
