Which restaurants = "win" on regular dining plan?

[rutgers1]

I am referring to the dining plan where you get a snack, counter service meal, and one table service meal.

When I priced it out a couple of years ago, I realized that some places were break-even and some were even money losers. However, there were some - such as the Biergarten - which made the dining plan worth it. I recall someone once posting a list of places that, if you ate there, your dining plan would definitely be a great deal and save you money.

 

[jturling]

Some TS breakfasts,and some TS lunch are not worth a TS credit. We do dining plan every visit .You`re not going to save a ton but with research it is a good value.Some depends if you have kids(9 and under)one buffet covers the cost for one day.

 

[rutgers1]

Our youngest will just be turning 10, and after researching the prices, I am pretty bummed out at what Disney is doing. Here is the price for when we will be there in July:

For 2011 (peak season):
* Adults (Ages 10+) : $47.99 per day (peak season)
* Children: (Ages 3-9): $12.99 per day (peak season)

A few years ago, I remember researching this and seeing that the Biergarten was a great deal if you had the dining plan. Not anymore. Here are the prices for the Biergarten:

Lunch - Adult $25.99; Child 3-9 $13.99
Dinner - Adult $34.99; Child 3-9 $16.99

So, even if you eat a dinner there, you still have $13 to spend on your quick service and lunch (if comparing out of pocket expense). That doesn't seem like I am saving much. If you do your table service at the Biergarten for lunch, then you basically have TWENTY ONE dollars to spend for a quick service dinner and lunch. Once again, not saving me anything, as I can easily get a quick service meal and a snack for $21.

Dinner at the Garden Grille is $30.99 for an adult, which would leave $17 for break even (if you were comparing out of pocket expense).

If you go to Rose and Crown, you can get several meals for less than $20.

All of these situations are even LESS in your favor if you do your table service meals at lunch.

My conclusion -------------> The only reason to get this is for convenience. And considering it doesn't take any more time/hassle to hand them a credit card as it does my room key, I am not sure what the benefit is.

 

[HunnyJar]

Our youngest will just be turning 10, and after researching the prices, I am pretty bummed out at what Disney is doing. Here is the price for when we will be there in July:

For 2011 (peak season):
* Adults (Ages 10+) : $47.99 per day (peak season)
* Children: (Ages 3-9): $12.99 per day (peak season)

A few years ago, I remember researching this and seeing that the Biergarten was a great deal if you had the dining plan. Not anymore. Here are the prices for the Biergarten:

Lunch - Adult $25.99; Child 3-9 $13.99
Dinner - Adult $34.99; Child 3-9 $16.99

So, even if you eat a dinner there, you still have $13 to spend on your quick service and lunch (if comparing out of pocket expense). That doesn't seem like I am saving much. If you do your table service at the Biergarten for lunch, then you basically have TWENTY ONE dollars to spend for a quick service dinner and lunch. Once again, not saving me anything, as I can easily get a quick service meal and a snack for $21.

Dinner at the Garden Grille is $30.99 for an adult, which would leave $17 for break even (if you were comparing out of pocket expense).

If you go to Rose and Crown, you can get several meals for less than $20.

All of these situations are even LESS in your favor if you do your table service meals at lunch.

My conclusion -------------> The only reason to get this is for convenience. And considering it doesn't take any more time/hassle to hand them a credit card as it does my room key, I am not sure what the benefit is.

For my family it's the fact that we can have the whole trip paid for before we even get there. The only thing we need to worry about is tip, extra snacks and souvenirs. It's all budgeted out ahead of time and it feels like the trip is all inclusive.

 

[TDC Nala]

Prepayment and all-enclusiveness can also be achieved with a Disney gift card. You can order whatever you like and if you have money left over, you can use it for other things.

 

[sahmoffour]

Don't forget you also have to add in drinks/desserts as well. For sure the buffets for the most part are not as good of a deal as a regular TS since at a normal sit-down/order your food type dinner you also have to add in the cost of a drink and a dessert (assuming you would get/want one). I've found those and the snack push us over the $47.99/day cost. As well as when you add on the cost of dessert/drink to your CS meal. I added up the costs of what we would probably order from our ADR's and we'll be saving an average of $10/day per adult. For us it's a good value, especially since we have 4 kids! LOL

I wouldn't worry too much about just picking the places that seem to give you the best value though, I sat down and figured out where we wanted to eat based on menus, then I just wrote down what we would order and what it would cost us in total (make sure you inc. your drinks and/or desserts!), then added it up and compared it to the dining plan price.

 

[rutgers1]

Does a counter service meal come with a dessert under the dining plan? I guess that and the drinks would make it closer to paying off....but I still think it wouldn't unless we ate ALL of our table service meals at dinner and ate those meals at the more expensive restaurants. Considering my kids are just above the "adult" cut-off and would still most likely only eat chicken fingers, this would be a colossal waste for us.

 

[sahmoffour]

I agree that if you have to pay adult prices for your kids but they will still probably order cheap options from the menus, you would probably be better off just paying as you go. The Counter service meals do include a drink and dessert on the dining plan though. Just try picking a counter service and Table service restaurants that you would most likely go to, as well as a snack option. Add up the cost of what everyone would order for that whole day, then add up what the dining plan would cost for all of you and see what the difference is. Most likely though because of your kids just being over the child age limit for the dining plan prices, you would be better off paying though. Especially since at that age you could just order one adult menu item and split between a couple kids to save a few bucks.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

The savings really add up though when you have a child (3-9) and are doing buffets. Most of the buffets are paid for and the CS/SN is pure savings. So even in you are are only saving maybe $3 an adult you are saving about $10 per child. Multiple that by 3 kids and you are looking at a family of five saving $40 a day. If it fits how you eat it works.

We often do a split stay and we split the ddp too. We load our high dollar buffets on one end and use the ddp and then load the cheaper meals at the end and pay oop. It works and saves us quite a bit but it takes some planning for sure.

 

[HunnyJar]

Does a counter service meal come with a dessert under the dining plan? I guess that and the drinks would make it closer to paying off....but I still think it wouldn't unless we ate ALL of our table service meals at dinner and ate those meals at the more expensive restaurants. Considering my kids are just above the "adult" cut-off and would still most likely only eat chicken fingers, this would be a colossal waste for us.

Dessert and drinks are included with the dining plan be it counter service or table service. That includes milkshakes as a drink at some of the restaurants like WCC as well.

 

[TDC Nala]

Does a counter service meal come with a dessert under the dining plan?

All TS and CS meals (except breakfast) include dessert on the dining plan.

If you're going to do lots of buffets or other fixed price meals, whether your kids are Disney children or Disney adults, you may still want to look into the DDP. Even if they don't eat very much, you'd pay full price for them at fixed price restaurants. If you are doing mostly a la carte restaurants and have "Disney adult" kids who still prefer eat from the children's menu, or if your party doesn't typically eat dessert with every meal and are good drinking water, it may be better to pay as you go.

If your "Disney adult" kids prefer the children's menu, you can order their child's meal and pay OOP for it, and save the adult DDP credits for other meals.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I think that Le Cellier is one of the places that you get your best "bang for your buck". but only at lunch now that dinner is signature.

They do have about all of the same offerings at lunch as they do dinner and the steaks alone are $25+.

We went for lunch, party of 5. Our meal was $240 before tip. Divided by 5 = $48 per person. That one meal paid for our DDP that one day.

And I must say, the NY strip was amazing!!!!

 

[melissac]

WGP Express at DTD is by far one of the best for your CS credit. We always do the DDP because of the convience and that we have always saved money. Much better when it included the tip and appie but always come out ahead. But, we are a dessert family but usually don't get at a resturant because they are so expensive but on the DDP you get it included.

 

[smiths02]

For 2011 (peak season):
* Adults (Ages 10+) : $47.99 per day (peak season)
* Children: (Ages 3-9): $12.99 per day (peak season)

A few years ago, I remember researching this and seeing that the Biergarten was a great deal if you had the dining plan. Not anymore. Here are the prices for the Biergarten:

Lunch - Adult $25.99; Child 3-9 $13.99
Dinner - Adult $34.99; Child 3-9 $16.99


You quote peak season dining plan price, but is that the peak season Biergarten price PLUS tax? I thought you had to add $2-4 to get the peak season price for buffets?

 

[Cafeen]

Those are the regular prices for Biergarten, so for peak it'd be about:
Lunch: A $29.99, C: $15.99
Dinner: A: $38.99, C: $18.99

Still means if wanting lunch, they'd have to get a roughly $15 CS meal along with $3 snack to break even. Which is pretty close to pushing it.

Many lunches at TS restaurants don't work too well on the DDP, due to the typical lower price at lunch. However, there are several that do (but yes, it's typically the more expensive meals). At dinner, it's relatively easier to make the TS work, due to the dinner "upcharge" and higher priced items on menus.

For the DDP now, it does take math and planning to make it work, it's certianly not a given and certainly is not a "one size fits all" plan (anymore).

As far as the "list" of average prices and which give you more bang for the buck. The sheet is around here somewhere, but it looks like it hasn't been updated since 2009 .

OandA has a sheet coming out (well, an update of his current one that he had a few people test out) that ranks the restaurants by average price once you choose them, but that pricing data is hidden and locked (for the most part).

 

[smiths02]

Those are the regular prices for Biergarten, so for peak it'd be about:
Lunch: A $29.99, C: $15.99
Dinner: A: $38.99, C: $18.99

Still means if wanting lunch, they'd have to get a roughly $15 CS meal along with $3 snack to break even. Which is pretty close to pushing it.

Many lunches at TS restaurants don't work too well on the DDP, due to the typical lower price at lunch. However, there are several that do (but yes, it's typically the more expensive meals). At dinner, it's relatively easier to make the TS work, due to the dinner "upcharge" and higher priced items on menus.

For the DDP now, it does take math and planning to make it work, it's certianly not a given and certainly is not a "one size fits all" plan (anymore).

As far as the "list" of average prices and which give you more bang for the buck. The sheet is around here somewhere, but it looks like it hasn't been updated since 2009 .

OandA has a sheet coming out (well, an update of his current one that he had a few people test out) that ranks the restaurants by average price once you choose them, but that pricing data is hidden and locked (for the most part).

But even just having 1 Disney child changes things so much
Lunch: A $29.99, C: $15.99
*Adults (Ages 10+) : $47.99 per day (peak season)
* Children: (Ages 3-9): $12.99 per day (peak season)

Our family is 2 adults and 1 child, so for one day we pay $108.97
Our Biergarten lunch would be $75.97 (before tax?)
Plus we have 3 $3 snacks=$9
1 CS kids meal $6.50
that leaves me only $17.50 for two adult CS (with beverage and dessert)

But, yeah, if you would normally eat table service only breakfast or lunch or you would normally not use any of the extras (drink, dessert, snacks), or you are adults with no Disney children, or you normally avoid buffets and character meals...then the math is harder to work (But I think that was true 3 years ago and last year and this year)

 

[rutgers1]

So....Are we concluding that the dining plan really only works out if you:
- eat your table service meals at dinner
- eat at the more expensive restaurants
- and to make SURE it works, have at least one child (9 or younger)?

That's what I am concluding. I can't see a way that it works unless we are TRYING to make it work (buffets, most expensive item on the menu, etc.).

 

[JLS]

Two years ago (summer 2009) we had the DDP for 2 adults, 1 child, and we kept every receipt and added up exactly what we would have spent OOP for every meal vs. the dining plan cost. It was a substantial savings (almost $300). See below: (my last category below is OOP costs like tips and extras that we would have incurred with or without the DDP)

DDP COST: $545.82
WHAT WE ATE COST: $827.36

$64.58 – 3 TS breakfast at Tusker House
$8.00 – 3 snacks at Animal Kingdom
$89.76 – 3 TS dinner at Boma
$2.75 – 1 snack at Epcot (popsicle)
$4.57 – 1 snack at Epcot (Chocolate Pretzel at Kringle-La)
$50.68 – 3 CS meals at Sunshine Seasons
$92.34 – 3 TS dinner at Teppan Edo
$2.66 – 1 snack at Hurricane Hannas (fries)
$6.92 – 1 CS (child) meal at Hurricane Hannas
$27.97 – 2 CS meals at Beach Club Emporium
$39.00 – 2 CS meals at Wolfgang Pucks Café
$11.58 – 3 snacks (Dole Whip floats and citrus swirl) at Magic Kingdom (Aloha Isle)
$32.43 – 3 CS meals at Beach Club Emporium
$2.76 – 1 snack at Main Street Bakery (cinnamon roll)
$95.24 – 3 TS dinner at Crystal Palace
$59.28 – 3 CS meals at Pepper Market
$29.88 – 2 CS meals at Beach Club Emporium
$13.85 – 4 snacks at Goofy’s Candy Company
$13.13 – 1 CS meal (breakfast) at Gasparilla Grille
$14.84 – 1 CS meal (lunch) at Polynesian (Captain Cook’s)
$3.08 – 1 snack (Dole Whip) at Polynesian (Captain Cook’s)
$84.29 – 3 TS dinner at Cape May Café
$66.96 - 3 TS lunch at Animal Kingdom Kidani Village (Sanaa)
$10.81 – 3 snacks (Diet Coke, two zebra dome boxes) at AK Lodge (Mara)
TOTAL = $827.36

OOP Charges while on DDP:

$11.00 - Tip at Tusker House
$16.00 – Tip at Boma
$10.11 – Kring-la School Bread and Carlsberg Beer
$26.00 – Refillable mugs
$8.00 – waters/soda at gas station
$30.56 – starters and tip at Teppan Edo
$8.47 – breakfast items (cereal/bananas) at Beach Club Emporium
$17.39 – tip at Crystal Palace
$2.12 – cereal for Thursday breakfast (Adrian)
$7.00 – tip at Pepper Market
$15.12 – tip at Cape May Cafe
$1.06 – banana at Beach Club Emporium
$4.25 – Saag Paneer at Sanaa
$13.00 – tip at Sanaa

TOTAL = $159.08

One factor here is that DVC members don't have to pay an upcharge on the DDP during the more expensive times, which helps. But I think where you really get your values is on the dinner buffets and the more expensive CSs, and the child DDP is a real value if you are going to buffets. Some buffets, particularly in the more expensive time, cost more than the child's daily DDP charge.

One place where the math could break down is if you would never get snacks, desserts, etc. if you did not have a dining plan. If the dining plan does not really reflect generally how your family likes to eat then you are not saving anything, you are just prepaying for stuff you may not really want or need. But for us the DDP works. The one year that I did not get it (2008), I was horrified every time a bill came at one of the buffets or restaurants. Even if DDP was just break even, I love being able to order whatever we want and not think about the price while we are there. Somehow it is more palatable to me personally to pay upfront $700 or something, and then just not think about it again, rather than be faced with bill after bill of more than $100 per meal. I know that may not make sense financially, but I like the prepayment. The point about prepaying with a Disney gift card makes some sense, but it is still money you are calculating, so for me I think I would still be thinking - oh, let's not get dessert or a drink, too expensive, save the money on the card.

 

[JLS]

Rutgers 1, I sort of agree with you above. You have to MAKE it work. I don't think you have to have a child for the DDP to work for you financially. But if you are planning to use TS credits at places like Beaches & Cream, Sci-Fi Dine-In, etc., or if you like to eat sit down lunches and you are not likely to order some of the more expensive meals, then you don't come out ahead. Also, if you are not a dessert person and you prefer to drink water with your meals, that also suggests that you may not save with the DDP.

One way to really know is to plan your ADRs and go through the menus and add up what you would likely order, including whether you would get dessert or a non-alcoholic drink, and just try to estimate that way. No doubt that a lot of people order the DDP and don't use all of the credits or use them in such a way that they lose money, and their loss is Disney's gain.

The way that I know that I want the DDP is by looking back at the trip where I did not have it and I spent most of the trip wishing we did.

 

[rutgers1]

For us, we feel that we had savings when our kids were both under 10, or the time we got the Tables in Wonderland card and took two trips in a one year period (card paid for itself early in our first trip and was all savings from that point onward).

I am not going to get it for my upcoming trip and, even though I might not get the TIW card, I think I will make out better because:
1) We will have a bunch of our table service meals for lunch, not dinner.
2) My sons, who will be ages 10 and 11, will still mainly eat "kids" type stuff (chicken fingers).
3) We will limit the buffet meals.