Saved money by NOT using Dining Plan

[lyn9856]

Examining our total bill on check out...we definitely saved a lot of money by not having the plan. And we wouldn't have liked to be tied to ADRs ...being in a set place at a set time. The down side though, was less opportunities for walk in dinners at table service, although we did get some.

Funny story...On our last day, we had some counter service at the POFQ whilst waiting for the ME to pick us up for airport. DH got his, but I had a bit of a wait for my quesadilla thingies. A pleasant older lady came over to me whilst in cashier line..and offered to pay for my meal..and she bought me a drink and sweet too! Seemed she had so many meal credits left that she decided to ensure they were put to a good cause, so she and her friend paid for lots of people's food till she had none left! Such a kind lady. I guess they won't be using the plan again! The cashier was laughing..and said he'd seen it happen before. Guess its too much food for an older person unless they are used to large meals!

 

[n2mm]

We have enjoyed the dining plan twice the past few years and saved quite a bit. If you're trying to go on the cheap and eat cheap then sure, the DP won't save you money. We enjoy a nice TS dinner each night of our vacation. We could not afford to do so otherwise.

Our TS dinners averaged about $105 for the 2 of us. CS averaged about $28. Total for 10 nights is $1330 for 2. Cost of DP is 10 x $38 x 2 = $760. That doesn't even include the snacks. A great value to me.

I realize this year will not include the appetizer (don't really want them) or tip but we'll still save plenty.

I'm very curious to this amount. While this might have been a figure for the past, please let us know where in WDW you might be eating that cost $105 per TS meal for 2 adults. Even when we ate at Kona Cafe we still did not exceed $50. 2 Entrees, 2 beverages, 2 deserts. (your entrees would have to cost over $40 each and I just don't know any TS locations that entrees costs that much--unless you are talking about a 2TS location.)

 

[momjkm]

I have booked ddp for July-- we have 7n but 8 full days-- so the leftover will be used. BUT ds is 11 so I am buying adult plan for him but he only eats chiken tenders/pancakes/vanilla ice cream/grapes/popcorn/french fries. That is all he will eat at WDW... ( I am bringing cereal, his specific yogurt, and cheese that he will eat..have no fear!)
I have tried to figure out if it is worth it--- still doing that... we will do 3 or 4 character meals that we wouldn't normally and I am going to get to try places dh wouldn't eat at (and he is not going this trip). I also plan on saving ds ts for me for the extra day and crystal palace and chef mickeys on the same day....

Normally don't have dessert with cs... or dinner either... especially since no one will share and I don';t NEED IT lol...
sorry this got to rambling...

I do have a question: do you think I could cancel it if I have already booked it?
Jill

 

[ReneeA]

I've added up going without the DDP and eating how we normally would - 2 CS each day - maybe throw 1 or 2 TS for the entire week in there. We are paying $94 a day for the DDP, and I would end up spending at least $80 a day without it.

It's worth the extra $14 a day to me to get one sit down meal a day. Things may change drastically, however, when my children become "adults" on the plan. At that point, it will be more cost effective to go without the plan.

 

[bigbabyblues]

It's worth the extra $14 a day to me to get one sit down meal a day. Things may change drastically, however, when my children become "adults" on the plan. At that point, it will be more cost effective to go without the plan.

This is us too, for the time being, anyway. Our 2 children are still Disney "kids", so we can't beat their price. Also, DH insists on at least one sit-down meal per day, sometimes two. As long as he can eat, he's happy, and that makes for a stress-free trip!

OP and all, I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. This thread shows that there isn't one answer that works for everyone.

 

[maj42169]

Well, for my family..........even without the appetizers and STILL paying OP for a few meals..........we are making out on the dining plan! Just the table service meals alone come very close to the cost of the plan price per day! As I see it, if I want an appetizer then I will just pay OP for it as well.......still sticking with the DDP!

 

[Girly_Qs]

I've added up going without the DDP and eating how we normally would - 2 CS each day - maybe throw 1 or 2 TS for the entire week in there. We are paying $94 a day for the DDP, and I would end up spending at least $80 a day without it.

It's worth the extra $14 a day to me to get one sit down meal a day. Things may change drastically, however, when my children become "adults" on the plan. At that point, it will be more cost effective to go without the plan.

That's us too. Especially since our younger dd doesn't cost anything on DDP but can eat well w/ the # of character buffets we'll be doing. Thanks to DDP we'll be doing 4 character meals that my girls will adore, while we might do 1-2 (maybe) if we were dining OOP. Plus, we enjoy the break from the day, that we likely wouldn't get OOP as we'd be doing far more CS meals.

 

[juliana_sd]

We saved money by paying OOP because we didn't do TS every day... that seems to be the deal-maker or breaker I charged everything to the room so it was just as convenient, and it was just easier for me to be able to order what we wanted without worrying what kind of credits it was using and how many were left over.

 

[pta-mom]

I'm fairly confident that we could save money by not doing the DDP but it would just not be the same. We love the idea of eating whatever we want at all kinds of different restaurants & I know that without the plan, I would limit my family on what they could & could not order, based on the prices!

*** Are you sure you need that $8 dessert?
*** What if we just split this meal?
*** No, you can have a milkshake or a dessert but not both!
*** Why don't we just have water instead?
*** OMGoodness!!! We are not getting that!!

For us, the DDP just works!

 

[patsal]

I don't limit what anyone orders and I have found that currently no dining plan Disney offers meets my needs so I will opt to use the DDE card. I know from running numbers and from our previous trips ( we usually go 2-3 times per year) that when I pay OOOP using the DDE we spend the least and enjoy ourselves the most. No way could we eat teh DXDDP in July/August--just too hot for all that food and snacks but that is us and others may find it works fo rthem, I also have no one under 10 in my party so at full price for four that is crazy expensive IMHO for 2 weeks. We like appys more than desserts and we use a villa so breakfast is not an issue. I'll save my reciepts in July/August this year and see if my plan is accurate or if I will be seeking change for next year.

 

[mskayjay]

We have never done it before and our only using it this trip because it was free so it will be interesting to see how it works out cost wise for us. We usually just do a grab and go in the morning.....muffin or something.....have a quick service late in the day or a table service and then maybe another light snack. I find I don't eat as much there but with the DDP this time I'm sure I will! lol I know that when I go to France I stop at the bakery for a treat and then a wine so it will be interesting to see how we work those traditions in with the plan.

 

[Eventer98]

This is really key as to whether or not the current plan is worth it for you. DH and I like to have one TS meal every day on vacation, I drink diet soda or iced tea with meals, DH drinks iced tea or coffee, I almost always want dessert and he does at least sometimes -- more often if there is something intriguing on the menu. It's nice to not worry about how much our entrees are, and be able to order more expensive items on the menu if we want to -- without obsessing that we have to get the biggest bang for our buck and order the priciest dishes, either. But even going with the mid-range prices at the less expensive restaurants, with one TS, one CS, and a snack, our food budget is well over $40 per person per day. So even paying OOP for tips and the occasional appetizer if we want it, I'm sure we will still save money on the plan. Could we eat cheaper -- breakfast in our room, eating mostly CS? Absolutely, and we have, many times at DL (no dining plan there). Do we want to? Nope, wouldn't be as much fun

That's exactly how we feel!!

 

[LizinSTL]

We decided to go ahead and go with the DDP… and this is my reasoning (very long, sorry, lol)

At home, we do occasionally split meals between dd’s, but I figured this is their vacation too, and they should be able to get exactly what they want to eat at each meal. Also, this way we won’t get any arguments about what food to get, lol.

I went ahead and looked through the menus and wrote down what I *think* all of us would be getting, and added it all up…in my list, I’m 1st, dh is 2nd, then dd#1 and dd#2.

The cool thing is, once I added up all the totals, added in the tax (assuming 6.5%?), and we’re actually already breaking very close to even… so far, looking at $754.26 OOP vs. $767.68 DDP.

And that’s even with us eating our main meal during lunch hours, hence cheaper menu prices, and the smaller counter service places as our dinner hour meal.

Then I did not even add in any dessert prices, since we usually consider those a “splurge” here, so with each of us getting a dessert (or even just getting 1 to share), it’ll add quite a bit to the total… figuring a safe $5 per dessert for the 2 of us (since dd’s are included in their meal for the most part), that’d be $160 worth of those for the 8 days.

And on top of that we’ll be getting 4 snack credits a day that I haven’t added in yet either, so just assuming each of our snack credits will be $3, we’d be spending an additional $96 in those…. And those will come in handy even for breakfast-type foods… planning on eating breakfast each morning in our room.

So all in all, we’re definitely going to be saving money on the DDP, and imo, it’ll make it a much more pleasant experience too, not having to worry about what we’re spending each meal, trying to buy cheaper foods, etc, etc. And if any restaurants do increase their prices on entrees, won’t have to worry about that either.


This is what my meal schedule looks like, with prices… arriving around 5pm to POR, so going to just stick around the resort that first night…. And some of these restaurants are definitely not set in stone depending on when EMH’s are (if they ever come out!)… but it’ll still be similar prices anyway.



1st Night:

Riverside Food Court:

Create-Your-Own Pasta - $9.19
Fish Basket - $8.19
Refillable Mug - $12.49
Macaroni and cheese - $4.49
Turkey Pinwheel Sandwich - $4.49

2nd day (MK):

Liberty Tree:

William Penn Chicken Pasta - $15.99
New England Pot Roast - $16.99
Drinks $4.00
Kids' Picks - $7.59
Kids' Picks - $7.59

Pinocchio Village Haus:

Pizza Combo Meal - $7.79
6 Chicken Breast Nuggets - $6.89
Drinks $4.00
Peanut Butter and Jelly $4.49
Macaroni and Cheese $4.49

3rd Day (Epcot):

Coral Reef:

8 0z Grilled New York Strip - $25.99
Grilled Pork Chop - $21.99
Drinks $4.00
Kid's Picks - $7.49
Kid's Picks - $7.49

Sunshine Seasons:

Asian - Two Entree Items and Two Sides $9.69
Asian - Two Entree Items and Two Sides $9.69
Drinks $4.00
Mini Sub and Beverage $4.25
Chicken Leg with Mashed Potatoes and Beverage $4.25

4th day (AK):

Tusker House:

Adult Buffet - Lunch $19.99
Adult Buffet - Lunch $19.99
Kid’s Buffet - Lunch $10.99
Kid’s Buffet - Lunch $10.99


Flame Tree Barbecue:

Beef or Pork Sandwich served with baked beans - $7.29
Beef or Pork Sandwich served with baked beans - $7.29
Drinks $4.00
Kid’s Hot Dog Meal - $4.49
Kid’s Hot Dog Meal - $4.49

5th Day (MGM):

50’s Prime Time:

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast - $16.99
Chicken Pot Pie - $16.99
Drinks $4.00
Grilled Chicken Strips - $7.59
Grilled Fish of the Day - $7.59

Rosie’s:

Chicken Strips with choice of potato salad or fries $6.89
Cheeseburger with choice of potato salad or fries $6.09
Drinks $4.00
Kids Picks - $4.49
Kids Picks - $4.49

6th Day (DTD)

T-Rex:

Planning on eating here, since dd’s both love dinosaurs, but did not add it in to either total, since would be paying OOP either way… so will break even here.. and also, eating here is freeing up the 2nd credit we’ll need for CRT.

Earl of Sandwich:

Best BLT - $5.75
Cannonballs - $5.75
Drinks $4.00
Peanut Butter and Jelly - $3.95
Grilled Cheese - $3.95

7th Day (Epcot)

Biergarten:

Lunch Buffet - Adult - $19.99
Lunch Buffet - Adult - $19.99
Drinks $4.00
Lunch Buffet – Child – $10.99
Lunch Buffet – Child – $10.99
Drinks $4.00

Tangierine Café:

Shawarma Chicken Platter $11.95
Shawarma Chicken & Lamb $13.95
Drinks $4.00
Kid's Meal - $6.95
Kid's Meal - $6.95

8th Day (MK)

CRT:

Adult Buffet - $35.99
Adult Buffet - $35.99
Child Buffet - $23.99
Child Buffet - $23.99

Casey’s Corner

Corn Dog Nuggets $3.59
Grand Slam All Beef 1/4 lb. Hot Dog & Fries - $5.79
Drinks $4.00
(For DD#1) Corn Dog Nuggets $3.59
(For DD#2) Grand Slam All Beef 1/4 lb. Hot Dog & Fries - $5.79
Chocolate Milk’s - $4.00

Last morning:

Boatright’s

Omelet - $10.49
Banana-stuffed French Toast - $10.99
Drinks $4.00
Mickey Pancake $4.49
Mickey Pancake $4.49

I know you said you are flexible but let me just say, unless you guys are HUGE eaters (like double quarter pounder value meal large sized plus a sundae kind of eaters....) you won't need 4 meals at Tangeriene cafe - they are huge. You won't need 4 meals at Rosies or Flametree or probably most any CS place. Save your credits- share a couple meals at breakfast CS and then a couple at lunch or let your kids share a breakfast platter and then just get 3 meals at lunchtime/dinnertime. I know you said that you wanted to avoid the fights and I appreciate that but consider this if the girls both want the same meal or you find yourself leaving just too much food behind at CS meals.

I think we took turns choosing our 2-3 entrees at CS locations, there weren't any fights over that and trust me, we had plenty of fights for other reasons!

 

[mrudman]

I know you said you are flexible but let me just say, unless you guys are HUGE eaters (like double quarter pounder value meal large sized plus a sundae kind of eaters....) you won't need 4 meals at Tangeriene cafe - they are huge. You won't need 4 meals at Rosies or Flametree or probably most any CS place. Save your credits- share a couple meals at breakfast CS and then a couple at lunch or let your kids share a breakfast platter and then just get 3 meals at lunchtime/dinnertime. I know you said that you wanted to avoid the fights and I appreciate that but consider this if the girls both want the same meal or you find yourself leaving just too much food behind at CS meals.

I think we took turns choosing our 2-3 entrees at CS locations, there weren't any fights over that and trust me, we had plenty of fights for other reasons!

Wow, thanks for the input.... that's a great idea! As stupid as it sounds, I guess I never even thought of splitting up and spacing out the CS credits to include breakfast's also. That could really work well... could just grab quick CS breakfast from the food court while we're waiting on the buses, then use some of the CS credits that evening for dinner.

We're definitely not huge eaters.... in fact today we had a big lunch around 1pm (about the time i'll be making all our TS ressies), and I'm just now starting to think I should eat something again (at 7:00pm)... so that'd be perfect for just sharing a CS meal then.

And that would free up snack credits too then for other items between the 2 meals, or even to supplement the CS meal.

Don't know why I didn't think of that, lol.. thanks again!

 

[LizinSTL]

Wow, thanks for the input.... that's a great idea! As stupid as it sounds, I guess I never even thought of splitting up and spacing out the CS credits to include breakfast's also. That could really work well... could just grab quick CS breakfast from the food court while we're waiting on the buses, then use some of the CS credits that evening for dinner.

We're definitely not huge eaters.... in fact today we had a big lunch around 1pm (about the time i'll be making all our TS ressies), and I'm just now starting to think I should eat something again (at 7:00pm)... so that'd be perfect for just sharing a CS meal then.

And that would free up snack credits too then for other items between the 2 meals, or even to supplement the CS meal.

Don't know why I didn't think of that, lol.. thanks again!

Our family isn't squeamish about drinking out of the same cup or sharing a sandwich or mickey bar. So it works for us. If it works for you too, it's a really great way to "stretch" your DDP credits out to cover all your meals for the week. We just got back from 8 FULL days and 7 nights using the DDP and we bought breakfast stuff since we were staying DVC and had the micro, toaster, fridge, etc..... We really had too many credits for CS since we didn't use them for breakfast on this trip. We ended up leaving a CS credit behind and we ended up ordering more CS meals than we really needed the last 3 days of the trip or so. We were typically fine with 2, maybe 3 but if we had 4 it was just wasted food.

eta: We had 3 A/1C on the plan. We ate at several places w/o a child's menu and we ordered several kids meals during the week. I just glanced at our dining receipts and we ended up shorting ourselves 2 A CS credits if you want to get technical. We had 4 kids meals and 5 cs meals where there was no kid's menu. The DDP rules state that when it's available you need to order from the kid's menu and you can't necessarily order more than 2 A meals at a time if your card states 2 A/2C. But if you eat at Casey's there's no kids menu, at Sommerfest, there's no kids menu, at Yorkshire County Fish Shop, there's no kids menu....etc It really all works out in the end, I think.

 

[Tricia1972]

We too found that our eating style doesn't match the DDP, so we save without it. I am glad that it's there for others though.

(we saved $500 w/o the plan)

 

[momoflizandains]

I am leaving in just over a week with my girls (DD10 and DD7). We usually get the DDP, but this time I am leaning toward not doing so. We will have a rental car (got a great deal on priceline, $100 for the week, midsize), so we will be able to stop at a grocery store for bottled water, breakfast, snacks. I also thought about getting some cold cuts, etc for the room. I have made TS ressies for each night, but I think I would rather not use them. We have a couple of must-do's (1900 and Chef Mickey's) but other than that, I though we'd try counter service, especially since DD10 is now an adult. I would hate to get there and regret the decision. BTW we are DVC members, so I can add it up until we leave. Any advice?

 

[LizinSTL]

I am leaving in just over a week with my girls (DD10 and DD7). We usually get the DDP, but this time I am leaning toward not doing so. We will have a rental car (got a great deal on priceline, $100 for the week, midsize), so we will be able to stop at a grocery store for bottled water, breakfast, snacks. I also thought about getting some cold cuts, etc for the room. I have made TS ressies for each night, but I think I would rather not use them. We have a couple of must-do's (1900 and Chef Mickey's) but other than that, I though we'd try counter service, especially since DD10 is now an adult. I would hate to get there and regret the decision. BTW we are DVC members, so I can add it up until we leave. Any advice?

I think it's a toss up. You'd be 2 A/1 C?? You'll be there during the holiday surcharge period. Your dinners at Park Fare and Chef Mickey's would cost the same as your daily cost of the plan. Depending on your other ADRs, you may come out ahead on the DDP at this time of year. Figure each fixed price meal will cost $10-15 more than normal. If those are the only two TS you end up doing, you'll be better off paying OOP. If you won't feel like you are on vacation unless you do a TS meal a night and lots of your planned ADRs are fixed price or buffet, then buy the DDP for this trip. If your other planned ADRs are a la carte places, you'll likely spend less paying OOP.

There are a lot factors at play now when determining the DDP, I think.

 

[momoflizandains]

I think it's a toss up. You'd be 2 A/1 C?? You'll be there during the holiday surcharge period. Your dinners at Park Fare and Chef Mickey's would cost the same as your daily cost of the plan. Depending on your other ADRs, you may come out ahead on the DDP at this time of year. Figure each fixed price meal will cost $10-15 more than normal. If those are the only two TS you end up doing, you'll be better off paying OOP. If you won't feel like you are on vacation unless you do a TS meal a night and lots of your planned ADRs are fixed price or buffet, then buy the DDP for this trip. If your other planned ADRs are a la carte places, you'll likely spend less paying OOP.

Yes, we are 2A/1C. I forgot about the holiday surcharge. When we have used the dining plan, I believe we have saved money, BUT I am always about getting the most for our money. We are also planning everything based on ADRs. That being said, we love to eat also. It would be a no brainer of DD10 was considered a child. I guess it's a gamble for us at this point. Maybe DDE since we will also be there in October?

 

[LizinSTL]

Yes, we are 2A/1C. I forgot about the holiday surcharge. When we have used the dining plan, I believe we have saved money, BUT I am always about getting the most for our money. We are also planning everything based on ADRs. That being said, we love to eat also. It would be a no brainer of DD10 was considered a child. I guess it's a gamble for us at this point. Maybe DDE since we will also be there in October?

You could do DDE but IMO it doesn't save you a lot- just the tip basically- unless you are eating at a lot of a la carte places. The DDP would save you much more than that if you are eating at fixed price places (FOR DINNER.)

Essentially, your fixed price TS dinner would cost the same as the daily cost of the plan. Your CS meals and snacks would be a bonus. Yes, DDE would save you about $100 or so for 6 meals but you'd pay about $90 of that in tips and still have to pay for your CS meals and snacks. Just something to consider.

If your kids are both willing to order just an entree off the kid's menus at a la carte places, skipping the whole you pick it thing, it'll run you between $4-6 for their entrees at TS.