What do you think about the dining plan?

[vascubaguy]

I like it even though it doesn't fit well for us. In addition to just being way too much food than we need and should eat, we have the DDE card so that allows us to eat less and still save $$$.

We did use the DDP when it first came about and it was nice for our group of 8, especially since everything ended up being paid for before we left, so we didn't have a huge bill when we got home. It also allowed/forced us to try places that we might not have normally tried.

So, even though we aren't using it now (though we might again in the future), I still give it a

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I guess when I hear the term "free" dining plan...I think of free. The dining plan is NOT free at all. By the time you would pay rack rate for a room, then your park tickets...and then the $37.99 per day per adult charge...let's face it folks...its not free. I priced out all of this...and having a better room rate...a ticket...and maybe just the DDE card 20% discount...well...you get the picture I'm sure. Myself, nor my family have any interest in this package. We much prefer to eat whenever and whereever we wish...that what vacation is all about to me...total relaxation.

I remember last year the first thing almost any wait staff would ask us was "are you on the dining plan"...(a few even with a tone of sarcasm might I add). I finally got to the point that I would first say Hi then quickly inform them we were just there to eat...we had NO plan...LOL

nuff said,
Esmerelda

Let's see.....

Extra for the Annual pass vs a MYW ticket,
Extra $60 for the DDE
There are not many room discounts out right now (sorry not a Florida resident nor an annual pass holder which means AAA - oh wait - you need to be a member for that as well - $54 you say! oh there's another hidden cost).
Using DDE and only saving money on table service and not counter service meals (we eat our CS mostly in the parks), huh? That only does me good half the time then.
Mushroom and Filet with an iced tea at Le Cellier with DDE discount is $24.15 - add in 6.5% tax and 18% tip it comes to around $30 - hey if I had the dining plan my counter service and snack would only have cost me $8 that day.

I don't know - when you start comparing all of the hidden costs of the AP / DDE "discounts" free dining is looking pretty good to me!

 

[lustergirl]

We enjoyed the free dining plan last september and going back this september as well. For my family of 4 people the dining plan would cost us a little over a thousand dollars- so free is great to me. I have enjoyed great meals at spectacular places that I normally wouldn't pay out of pocket for. It is a person's option to waste food. If we feel ourselves getting full then we don't order alot of extras, plain & simple. I personally love the dining plan and would of paid for it this upcoming trip as I had planned when I made my reservation then the free dining promo came out- gotta love Disney!!!!!!!!

 

[sm4987]

Great value for us allowing us to try different restaurants that I'm way to cheap to try otherwise!

 

[WAHMto5]

We love it!! I don't think we will ever go again without it

 

[trulygoofy]

We loved it. We tried restaurants we probably would not have gone to without it. The kids loved getting appetizers and desserts. We usually would have said no, and the snack credits were a plus. We ate better/healthier with the plan than we would have without...more veggies, salads and fruit since we usually would skip the salads or just eat burgers or sandwiches at CS places to save $. It did save us money also.

 

[scrump]

If it's free, why not?

I think it's a great deal if it suits your dining style, which it doesn't for us. We don't usually eat the snacks, or do much counter service. Sometimes even eating at table service restaurants twice a day, we come out about even with the dining plan, and we're ordering what we want. I don't normally order drinks or appetizers, etc, so it's usually the cost of entree, tax and tip. I do see the appeal, though, and think it's great for families (no kids for us yet).

 

[tluvstink]

I love the dp. It allowed us to eat at alot of places we normally wouldn't. And the best part, for me at least, is that it's paid for before your trip. No looking at the prices on menus

 

[Cookie Princess]

In November we paid for it and loved it. I am giddy with delight that it will be free when we go this year.

It was nice to have the meals paid for ahead of time. We enjoyed some table service spots that we hadn't in the past and got to try some new foods. DS loved the fact that he could order whatever he wanted. It doesn't have to be wasteful. When we were too full for dessert we didn't order it. DS and I shared some counter service meals so as not to overstuff. If you try to "maximize the plan" that is when it can become wasteful. I learned this early on in our trip. I think people need to weigh their own options of whether or not they think ddp is a good deal. It won't work for everyone, but it is great for us. Just my 2 cents...

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I don't think the dining plan is best for everyone (unless it is free). But if you can estimate what your eating expensive may be and then compare it to the cost of the dining plan, you'll be able to tell if it is a good deal for you and your family.

 

[NMW]

I voted that I love it. I am not trying this particular version of a Disney dining plan until October, but I was a huge fan of the previous dining plans. When we decided to buy DVC in 2004, one of the very big things that made me hesitate was the inability for DVC members to get the dining plans. We bought AP's and the DDE card and tried to let it go. The DDE card is NOT as good as the MYW dining plan would have been for our family.


We kept very good track of our trip using the DDE card in Dec 2005 because we knew the DDP was about to become available for DVC members. Basicly, the DDP would have blown away the DDE card for our family. We spent more on JUST DINNER than the plan would have cost us, even with the DDE 20% discount! We bought CS lunch everyday (about $50) and bottles of soda/water (about $15) for everyone, every day. You can't use the DDE card for those things and on the DDP those things would have been "free."

Since we are DVC, the dining plan is not tied to tickets or room rates (we use our points). I can't possibly understand a downside to the DDP. We still payed for the DDE card again. We plan to use it for alcohol and OOP breakfasts and a couple of TS lunches. It's not bad, it's just not as good as the DDP for our family.

 

[Minniespal]

Think it is excellent value for lots of people.

 

[goodeats]

I wish they would bring back the Silver/Discovery Magic Plan where you got 2 wishes per day that could be used for meals or for certain recreation (including Cirque). It was a much better 'package' for us since we like the signature restaurants (which were 2 wishes) and the occasional breakfast buffet.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I wish they would bring back the Silver/Discovery Magic Plan where you got 2 wishes per day that could be used for meals or for certain recreation (including Cirque). It was a much better 'package' for us since we like the signature restaurants (which were 2 wishes) and the occasional breakfast buffet.

The bad thing about that plan was that it was almost twice as much as the current plan.

The silver plan would cost more than $120.00 per night for my son and I.

 

[disneybride2007]

I think it's a great deal, as long as they don't increase the price, anytime soon. We love the idea of not having to worry about the extra expenses and having a bill when we get back home.

 

[Hanover]

We LOVE it!!!!. We went during free dining in 2005 and have been happy to pay for it on trips since. We think it's a great deal for the money and it's enabled us to try restaurants that we never would have gone to if it weren't for the plan. Can't wait to use it again in December!

 

[Ms.Mouse]

We love it!!! We used to pay OOP for a TS meal at dinner-time and the price of the DP covers that +++. We now purchase the DP; We pay OOP for a small breakfast... juice or coffee and a muffin/donut etc... Lunch is 11:30-12 and we then eat a CS meal.... Between the CS and the evening TS, we get a Snack which is usually a frozen lemonaide or mickey bar or bottle of soda/water.... At about 7:30-8pm we go for the TS... So..... we do make great use of the DP for the $$$.

 

[tae1218]

Loved it!

 

[hayleypiesmom]

The dining plan worked out great for our family. Like the others said, we tried lots of new restaurants, (gave us some great "down time" every.)

The restaurants were part of the experience, as opposed to taking away time from the parks.

We were literally never hungry. I told my dh, that I didn't really feel "hungry" until two days after we got home!!! We ordered what we felt like eating-- i.e. appetizers, desserts, etc., and didn't order what we wouldn't eat.... according to the scale, I gained 1 pound.... I was expecting MUCH more!!!

I took breakfast snacks with us, that we left behind-- plus, we had leftover snacks that our cashier at Pop encouraged us to cash in-- we bought rice crispie treats for little gifts for my dd8's friends, plus some small snacks for the plane ride.

Our first meal at Pop, my dh would not believe me that all the food was included-- he refused to get a dessert, thinking that we were going to be charged extra. So he sat and watched me with my cheesecake and dd8 and her Mickey Bar... believe me, after that meal, he made sure he chose a dessert!!!

We loved the plan-- we've done WDW both ways, and this saved a lot of stress. (and money)

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

we have never tried it. we kinda just like to decide what we want to eat that day. i could not plan to have a certain type of food (like chineese) like 1 - 2 months ahead. but that is just me. it sounds like it would be good , to try places maybe that you would not usually go to. but we have been and just like to play it day by day. maybe we will get a chance one of our trips to try it though.