To dining plan or not?

[ellone]

Background:

Us:
2 Adults, 1 3 YO & an infant

We're going to Disney World for my 35th and right now we have a room only reservation (no discount). Free dining starts 2 days after we get there & to change our flights would now double the price of our flights so it doesn't make sense to change our arrival date. We'll be there for 10 days.

So my question for the gurus is to whether we should pay for the dining plan.

Right now we do have a few sit down meals already reserved that we want to do.
We have
Garden Grill (dinner)
Tusker House (lunch)
Crystal Palace (lunch)
Akershus (lunch)
Hollywood & Vine (lunch) - this we may cancel if we don't do the dining plan

Now my husband is one that you can't split a CS meal with. I could maybe split with the 3 YO sometimes....sometimes she eats a lot though so it wouldn't be enough.

 

[mzozzietj]

It varies on everyone but for us traveling with our daughter we haven't always been able to enjoy table service meals depending on how overexcited or overtired she is from the fun of the day. We prefer not to do the DDP with her at this age. Also, we do not get desserts for every meal and that alone usually makes paying OOP cheaper for us.

 

[havoc315]

I'm not a big advocate of paying for the dining plan for most families. But free dining is a different story.
You can split your reservation and get free dining for the last 8 days. Book your first 2 days at room-only. Book the last 8 days as a package with 10 days tickets, and pick up your tickets 2 days early.
The only downside is you *might* have to change rooms after your second night.

 

[ellone]

I'm not a big advocate of paying for the dining plan for most families. But free dining is a different story.
You can split your reservation and get free dining for the last 8 days. Book your first 2 days at room-only. Book the last 8 days as a package with 10 days tickets, and pick up your tickets 2 days early.
The only downside is you *might* have to change rooms after your second night.

You can pick up the tickets early with a split stay? I didn't know that.

 

[TDC Nala]

Don't call WDW and ask about picking up the tickets early, they will tell you you can't do it.

It's up to 3 days ahead of time, and you're within that time.

On the Theme Parks board, there is a ticket sticky thread with info on how to get it done.