Trying to analyze if Dining Plan is a good deal for us or not. Help.

[crutnacker]

My wife, daughter, and I went to WDW several years ago when the Dining Plan was all inclusive (1 Quick, 1 Meal, 1 Snack with tip included in the table service meal).

While the convenience is great, I'm trying to figure out if it really makes sense to pay the additional amount. So I have a few questions.

First, the details.

1) We're travelling there most likely for a week starting on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

2) Probably staying in a value resort.

Now, the questions.

1) Is there a way of determining what the price of meals would be per person per day eating at the park in a restaurant and choosing low/moderate priced menu items on table service?

2) Does the meal plan make sense if you plan to go out of the park for a couple of days to visit other parks?

3) Is there a forum post, website, or other information where someone has done a thoughful financial analysis of the cost of the meal plan vs. simply budgeting the money and eating some combination inside the park and outside the park?

4) Has anyone stayed inside the parks without the meal plan? What feedback can you provide about what you did for eating? Was leaving to get food an ordeal?

5) Any thoughts or direction to provide?

I just feel like $120 a day for food seems pricey and wondered if you can make that $120 work without buying the meal plan up front.

 

[TDC Nala]

There are loads of sample menus online where you can determine the price range of what your party might order.

If you mean leaving Disney property to visit other parks like Sea World or Universal, you would then have to plan use of your dining plan so that you didn't leave a lot of credits unused. If you are going to leave a lot of credits unused, there is not much point in having a dining plan, unless you want it only for the convenience of having meals prepaid and do not care if it winds up costing you money over what you would be paying for meals had you paid as you went. You've used the DDP, so you know all the credits are pooled and can be used anytime during your stay.

Personally I think it's better for everyone to do their own financial and preferential analysis. I think if you're looking to use the dining plan for the sole reason that you think it might save you money, and you do one table service meal daily with either the group choosing the most expensive menu items OR you want to do a majority buffets/all you can eats/character meals you stand a better chance of saving money on the plan.

I have not used the dining plan since 2008, but my experience is going to be different from most because I am not traveling with a family. If you're talking about eating onsite versus eatiing offsite, I usually don't have a car and don't eat offsite - but I still don't use the dining plan.

 

[disneygirl15]

You might find this link helpful http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/disney-dining-plan
Scroll half way down the page to "Should You Get the Dining Plan?". The Unofficial Guide authors have done a fairly detailed analysis.

Also, as TDC Nala pointed out, you can do your own calculations using online menus. Here is a website with menus and prices http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm

 

[CozumelDisneyFan]

Everyone is different, so I tell you how we did it.... I sat down and went thru all of the restaurants that we love to eat at´s menus (allears.net). And priced what we would usually spend. For the days that we would eat in the parks, I priced breakfast at the hotel, and the same with dinner if we had something else scheduled for breakfast or lunch.

Do that, it takes,one hour max, and you will have the $$ for your family, and then compare it to the DP.

I have come to LOVE September, with FD... In the end, the FD saves our family about 800USD. We love character buffets

And we also save by not hopping parks... First, I use easywdw.com for park calendars. And then determine which park we will be in on which day (mind you first and last days are always MK, regardless.... just our tradition) and make my 180 day ADRs accordingly.

If we plan on Hoop Dee Doo or Downtown Disney, it is always scheduled on our AK day, as that park closes early.

I put my air travel dates in at Kayak.com, and as soon as flights are listed at 200-250pp, I book.

And Voila! off to see the Mouse!



PS, my 5 year old just poked over my shoulder, and asked me to add these:

ME
DH
DS

 

[goofy4tink]

Another vote for allears.net. Go to their dining section and bring up various menus. You can then get a good idea of what each person would eat at a particular restaurant.
So....this is how I do it.
I sit down, pencil and paper in hand, and list where we'll be eating each day...each meal.
I put down what each meal will cost..for the family.
I then add up my daily costs. I compare it to what it would cost if I did the dining plan. The one thing to be sure you do is to add in daily tips...a lot of people forget about doing that...and it can really add up.

When we went to WDW with another couple last Oct, I sat and figured every which way from tomorrow, what made the most financial sense for us. We wanted to eat very well...and I knew where we would be eating. So...had to figure out whether OOP, the regular dining plan, or the dxddp made sense. Or even if I should just buy the Tables in Wonderland card which is available to AP/DVC people.
For us....the dxddp made the most sense. We had a lot of 2 credit places we wanted to eat...so we could have signature dining at night and a big breakfast in the morning.

But, that isn't always going to work. You have to do your homework.

 

[crutnacker]

Thank you for your advice. Am I correct in saying that the tips are not included?

 

[cadale]

I actually just did this for a trip DH and I are taking in October. As others have said allears.net is a great resource for the menus and prices. I simply put together prices for each of our meals and then added tax and gratuity. I compared to the DDP, OOP and the Tables in Wonderland card (20% discount but you need to be a Florida resident, DVC or AP to get it).

We usually use the dining plan when traveling as a family. We went without once when just DH and I went down with another couple. We found that we ordered alot off the salad or appetizer menu because we knew we were paying OOP. While we had good meals it wasn't like we normally eat.

 

[cluvsdisney]

Thank you for your advice. Am I correct in saying that the tips are not included?

Yes, you're correct about tips not being included.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thank you for your advice. Am I correct in saying that the tips are not included?

Nope, those days are long gone!!! For our Oct trip, when we did the dxddp??? We spent about $200 per couple for tips!!