Poll: Do you use the DIning Plan when staying DVC?

[Chuck S]

Just curious, as almost all of my traveling parties are adults, or at least 9 years old, and I've never been able to justify it vs. paying cash and using DVC/AP discounts. Even mixing in a 2 credit signature location every trip.

But I also don't have an adult beverage with every table service meal, though I do occassionaly imbibe.

 

[Smilelea]

Now with both kids being Disney Adults, we can’t make the math work.

 

[juliebee]

We've tried to pencil it out and it never is worth it. It's just my husband and I traveling, I often don't want to order the most expensive thing on the menu, and we don't drink alcohol so the math just doesn't make it favorable.

 

[Newsies]

When I'm traveling with my parents/family, yes. My mom just likes having as many vacation expenses paid off as possible before we travel and the "all inclusive" feel she gets from using credits instead of cash or card.

When I'm traveling solo, no. Have never done the math but I doubt it would be worth it because I so rarely have alcohol.

 

[Tumnus]

My family is two adults and two kids in the 'kids eat free' ages. The savings are there considering coffee is a snack. I don't see a world where I get it full priced though.

 

[Hubalorian]

I have a one night studio stay coming up before transitioning to a two bedroom for the rest of the trip. I am getting the dining plan for the one night so we get the refillable mug (2 adults and 1 child), probably will use the table service at 1900 park fare because we have not experienced it yet. Also, like that it’s a buffet so my two twin daughters eat for free, they’ll be around 18 months. Once they are over 3, I can see justifying the dining plan if my wife and I buy it to get three free kid plans.

 

[Chuck S]

I have a one night studio stay coming up before transitioning to a two bedroom for the rest of the trip. I am getting the dining plan for the one night so we get the refillable mug (2 adults and 1 child), probably will use the table service at 1900 park fare because we have not experienced it yet. Also, like that it’s a buffet so my two twin daughters eat for free, they’ll be around 18 months. Once they are over 3, I can see justifying the dining plan if my wife and I buy it to get three free kid plans.

I can certainly understand getting it with kids, at least during the current Kids Eat Free promo.

 

[Genie+]

We have a cash stay first night and just adding dining plan to that, not the rest of the trip booked on DVC points.

It’s been fun using DDP in the past but this current version takes alot of planning to make worthwhile. This trip we’re prefer to keep things more spontaneous. If we want to hop to an unplanned park or the mood strikes to hit a lounge, no being tied to a meal schedule mapped out to optimize DDP.

But I wouldn’t mind doing that for one day of credits over 2 days. Then we’ll get the resort mug, and we’ll use the snack credit at EP food booths, pick a good value TS for Day 1 or 2, same for the QS. That’s pretty easy since there’s 2 days to use the 1 night credit. We’ll do one of the park character buffets or Via Napoli for the TS, and Docking Bay or Primo Piatto for the QS. Then we still have out of pocket meals both days where we can do whatever.

So 1 or 2 nights with a split stay I might do DDP 2026, but would not for an entire stay.

 

[Lumpy1106]

We haven't used DDP in decades. It took us a couple of trips before I could convince my wife that it was more trouble than it was worth and it obligated us to sit down to expensive meals far more often than we would like. You also find yourself having to constantly monitor your meals and snacks so you don't either run out before the end of the trip or end up with a handful (or more) of snacks you will never eat. It wouldn't be so bad to eat fewer snacks, but you have already paid for it.

 

[GGGT]

We've never used it for our DVC or cash trips.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Nope. Since my kid is an adult in Disneys eyes.

 

[reddog21]

People who whip out a spreadsheet always make me laugh—it’s such a waste of time and effort. Just ballpark it! If you’re forcing yourself to order the most expensive meal on the menu just to beat the system, then the dining plan isn’t for you. To each is own but I couldn't fathom eating a steak(not much of a seafood person) every meal, I would feel like John Candy in the great outdoors after eater the old 96er.

For me, it is and always be just a convenience to prepay your meals, that's it.

 

[maui22]

We occasionally use it (2 adults) when we have a split stay. For example, 2 nights so we have DDP. Then, 8 nights no DDP. Allows us to book a couple restaurants and use the refills for both stays.

We find it’s just too much food for a longer trip. Plus, we don’t like to have many reservations.

 

[airjay75]

I have a one night studio stay coming up before transitioning to a two bedroom for the rest of the trip. I am getting the dining plan for the one night so we get the refillable mug (2 adults and 1 child), probably will use the table service at 1900 park fare because we have not experienced it yet. Also, like that it’s a buffet so my two twin daughters eat for free, they’ll be around 18 months. Once they are over 3, I can see justifying the dining plan if my wife and I buy it to get three free kid plans.

I am doing a similar thing in June. One night at SSR with QS dining plan for 2 adults, 2 kids, followed by 8 nights at RIV. Basically just doing it for the refillable mugs, and since we're only staying in SSR 1 night, a couple of QS meals should tide us over pretty well before a grocery deliver for our longer RIV stay.

I think the main problem with the dining plans is that it just ends up being too much food.

 

[Cfabar1]

we used it in February...
had a 2 night stay at BLT - included meals at park fare and Ohana...
made it a no brainer... saved us a little bit of money over our standard discounts...

for our summer trips we we will likely pass... why?
kids eat free is great - but our 1.5 year old gets left out of the promotion, creating some weird pricing situations...
40% AP dining is a pretty good deal this summer as well
we like signature restaurants and the 2 credit thing negates much of the value
we like the flexibility
CMs have varying degrees of knowledge in terms of how the thing works - we had to spend significant time fixing some issues with it at the front desk of BLT in February...

my view is also the longer the trip, the harder to make the dining plan math work...

 

[PolyRob]

I've tried repeatedly to make the math of a DDP work over the years and it just never makes sense for my dining preferences and travel group.

A friend was recently telling me that DVC can no longer use a Disney GC to purchase the dining plan. I don't think I will even bother running the math anymore since I will probably save more with AP/DVC discounts and Disney GCs.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I distinctly remember the look of relief on our server’s faces whenever we tell them that we are not on the dining plan….

 

[Sandisw]

The only time I do it is when I split stay to get the mug or if I am with others who really want it for budget reasons.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

No. Never. Not even when our daughter was a child.

 

[kilik64]

I didn’t vote as it’s a “it depends”. We didn’t do it last year as oldest is Disney adult, did it year before when she was still a kid, doing it this year because the 2 younger ones being free does some heavy lifting to make it work paying for 3 “adults”. Helps that she also does eat more now too.

But if kids were not free, wouldn’t make sense to do it. Even paying for 3 is a little Disney math, basically gonna load up on character meals (they all love em still right now) vs what we would have done without plan, was still like 2-300 cheaper to pay out of pocket, but doing more expensive meals helps make up the value.

Just for Mr. Anti-Spreadsheet, we did one and just figured what we would eat normally and how much that would cost, wasnt completely exact down to the penny, but close enough and that came out to $1460 for meals, some snacks, and the drink mugs. That was doing typical TS meals and QS that we would do anyways, including one character meal. Its $1775 for us for 3 adults (us plus oldest) and then other 2 are free. Value wise, throw in one extra character meal and value wise it works to come out ahead. We wouldn't do the 3 extra character meals we are planning on otherwise.