Dining Plan or not?

[Danielle Villeneuve]

My apologize if this is a duplicate thread... I couldn't see one with this question.

Brand new to the board and planning a first ever trip to Disney for next spring! My husband and I and our 2 kids (4,7)....

Looking into the dining plan.... Just wondering if it is worth it or better to pay as you go.

Thanks!

 

[Minthorne]

Pay as you go! While you "may" be able to save a little with the plan, it is designed by Disney to work out in their financial favor.

 

[MouseDreaming]

We pay as we go. We just don't eat like that, and I don't need to be encouraged to eat more than I would normally.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Depends on where and what you like to eat. To really know for sure, find the menus on All Ears or this site and do the math or have your travel agent do it for you. It can really work in your favor for your kids as the cost for them is low when they are age 3-9.

There are 3 different plans too - depends on which one you are interested in. (all quick service, basic, deluxe)

 

[Figgy1]

My apologize if this is a duplicate thread... I couldn't see one with this question.

Brand new to the board and planning a first ever trip to Disney for next spring! My husband and I and our 2 kids (4,7)....

Looking into the dining plan.... Just wondering if it is worth it or better to pay as you go.

Thanks!

Welcome and go to allears.net look at the menus and prices for what and where you want to eat! This is no easy decision except you have to do the math! Good luck with your planning!

 

[mousehockey37]

My apologize if this is a duplicate thread... I couldn't see one with this question.

Brand new to the board and planning a first ever trip to Disney for next spring! My husband and I and our 2 kids (4,7)....

Looking into the dining plan.... Just wondering if it is worth it or better to pay as you go.

Thanks!

You need to decide how you're going to eat when you are there. Are you going to take the kids to Chef Mickey's/Cinderellla's Royal Table/any other place that has a $$$$ sign next to it where the plates start around $50+? Or are you going to just find things to eat along the way?

If you want to treat the kids to some character dining and nice places, dining plan may work out in your favor, if used correctly.

Overall, there are a bunch of dining plans... Check them out, decide what and how you're going to eat when you are there, then go from there.

Good luck!

 

[englanddg]

This is a question that throws even Disney Vets for a loop! You will find responses all over the place. Some swear by it, some wait for free Dining, and some would never do it.

It is a function of how long you are staying and what / where you plan to eat. There is also some peace of mind by having it pre-paid.

I have crunched the numbers and I come out about a hundred bucks up using the Deluxe Plan, however I could easily scale back our eating / snack habits and argue that it is not worth it.

But, the kid and I enjoy doing Signature restaurants and Character meals, so it quickly has value to me.

In addition, I do like not paying attention to menu prices when ordering. I find that liberating.

Kids under 10 will be limited to the children's menu, where they exist, so be sure to take that into account. I did the deluxe plan with 3 adults and one child and the amount of food was insane! But, that was part of the fun. We all ordered different things and then shared it family style.

I have a link to an analysis spreadsheet that may help you make a decision. But, can't link it from my phone. I've seen it posted on this forum before, so maybe someone can help you out?

If not, I'll link it when I get home.

 

[RedDad]

We used the DP for our first 2 trips, but are no longer fans after actually doing the math. We find that we can eat out of pocket for much cheaper than the cost of the DP for most trips, and the times we have used it we end up with a bunch of left over food and snack credits. We typically do 1 TS and 1 CS meal per day, and maybe one or 2 snacks, but rarely get dessert.

It's very convenient to have your meals prepaid, and you *can* make it worth the cost if you carefully schedule your ADR's to maximize the value, but we avoid the DP. If you want to "do the math" for your own particular trip download the spreadsheet at the link below. You can enter all your ADR's and it will estimate the out of pocket vs DP costs for you.
http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon#!dining-plan-calculator/cxc0

 

[Disvillain63]

Every time we look at it, by our eating habits and not by what we can get on the plan, it is better to 'pay as you go'...dining plan is way more food than we care to eat at one time.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

If you are planning a longer stay, then maybe have one person purchase an Annual Pass, and then the TIW card. If you like an adult beverage with a meal, the DDP does not cover it at all, but the TIW still gets you the 20% discount. If you are really big eaters, and pick the most expensive items on a menu, the DDP can save you a bit, but remember that it does not cover the tip or alcohol, and you cannot share plates. If you go TIW or OOP, you have a lot more flexibility. The Allears menus are a great place to price your meals, to see what may work best for you and your families eating habits. Good luck!

 

[englanddg]

We used the DP for our first 2 trips, but are no longer fans after actually doing the math. We find that we can eat out of pocket for much cheaper than the cost of the DP for most trips, and the times we have used it we end up with a bunch of left over food and snack credits. We typically do 1 TS and 1 CS meal per day, and maybe one or 2 snacks, but rarely get dessert.

It's very convenient to have your meals prepaid, and you *can* make it worth the cost if you carefully schedule your ADR's to maximize the value, but we avoid the DP. If you want to "do the math" for your own particular trip download the spreadsheet at the link below. You can enter all your ADR's and it will estimate the out of pocket vs DP costs for you.
http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon#!dining-plan-calculator/cxc0

^^^ That's the link I was referring to. Pretty neat little utility. Not sure how up to date the prices are though.

 

[armyfamilyof5]

We have used the dining plan a couple of times and it was a lot of fun for us to know that it was prepaid and we could order the most expensive items on the menu with no worries. Le Cellier was only one credit and the only meal we had that was 2 credit was CRT. We are all big eaters so it was worth it for us but if your family is not into it then it wouldn't work for you. We used the menus on allears.net and planned even our counter service meals to get more bang for out buck. To me it would be even more worth it if you come during one of Epcot's special times like the wine and food or flower and garden festivale's and can use your snack credits to try out items at the kiosks set up in the World Showcase.

 

[bethymouse]

DDP is more for "peace of mind" really.
BTW- welcome to the boards!
I don't believe you really "save" any money, but if you dine at buffets, character meals, signature dining, or dinner shows plus like to order pizza room delivery, then it's a good deal I think. The Deluxe Dining Plan is way too much food! We always do the snack, QS, and TS per night DDP. Plus the resort refillable mugs are nice to have.

 

[kamr211]

I was on the fence for our upcoming trip. However I decided to book the dining plan because I liked the idea of the meals being prepaid. We also are doing CRT for the first time and Hoop Dee Doo for the first time. Both are using two credits, but I feel they are worth it.

 

[englanddg]

I get the deluxe plan every trip to WDW, and have always found value in it...though the first year I didn't completely understand it, and that it was a credit system that could be shuffled around how you see fit. I thought you had to use breakfast credits for breakfast, lunch for lunch, and so on. Anyhow, in 2010 a lot of TS credits (even though with Deluxe they are ALL TS credits) went to waste. However, though that year I didn't crunch the numbers...we did CRT twice, Akershus once, and many other restaurants. I'm fairly sure it was a value.

In 2011, I also found it a value, traveling with a 10 year old who eats like a horse, his sister (my kid's mother), and the kid. The 10 year old qualified for the Adult Menu, and while it was a lot of food, we didn't stuff ourselves. We just all ordered something different and stole bites from each other.

This was a lot of fun, as we could really get a lot of variety at the restaurants we chose to dine at. Appetizers and meals I may not normally order, because I'm unsure about them, then became an option to test out.

In 2012, I *did* pay very close attention to the Dining Plan cost, including snapping pictures of receipts at the end of meals so I could add them all up, and I came out a few hundred ahead using the plan.

This year, I'm going to write it all up into a spreadsheet and see how close the estimator comes to what we really end up paying (including gratuity and adult drinks) and do it as part of my Trip Report...simply because I'm curious.

With respect to those who say it is too much food, I would agree. It is a LOT of food. The 1 QS, 1 Snack, 1 TS Dining Plan is much more reasonable than the 3 QS/TS, 2 snacks of the Adult Plan. However, we don't stuff ourselves. The question would be, if I want to manage a food budget while there? I don't. I like having it pre-paid, and the convenience of it.

Leftover snack credits at the end of the trip I use up at Goofy's Candy Company to buy various treats for co-workers and family members. Everyone loves Mickey Rice Crispy Treats at the office!

All that being said, it really is up to the individual, how they eat, how they picture their vacation, and what they are willing to pay for.

 

[rufio]

We never go without the dining plan. You should look up the menus and add up the cost of of everything your family would order, include snacks and quick service meals, and see which is cheaper.

 

[RedDad]

^^^ That's the link I was referring to. Pretty neat little utility. Not sure how up to date the prices are though.

My wife is on Lines chat with the guy who created that spreadsheet and according to her he does keep it regularly updated. It's a great tool!

 

[popcenturylover]

Welcome! I think that it all depends on how much food you eat & if you want to go to TS restaurants or eat at QS. We did the QS plan on our trip in 09' & I don't feel that it saved any money but, it was nice not having to worry about cash for meals. We had the TS plan for our last trip & I think that it does save money especially, if you go to the character & higher priced meals.

 

[von Slapschtick]

I only did it once and wouldn't do it again. I found it very restrictive and it really got in the way of the holiday. Very often we were eating dinner when a snack would have done. I found you really had to work the holiday around the food instead of re-fueling as and when.

 

[olinecoach61]

Welcome to the boards! We always use the dining plan. It's more convenient and allows us to not worry about food costs, which can be quite steep in WDW. We did the deluxe last trip and did find it to be a lot of food at times. Be sure to get the kids in some character meals, they are a lot of fun. They will also get you out of the heat for awhile.