Dining Plan- Is it REALLY worth it?

[dopeylover]

We are getting ready to book for Dec. 2-8. We are taking my sister now along w. us, and when we were there in Oct. 07 we didn't use it.

Is it really a huge savings? We would be getting the 'Magic Your Way Plus Dining' plan if we did, which 1 table service, 1 sit down, and 1 snack each day, and we usually eat breakfast in our room.

It just seems like so much more money when you book, I want to make sure we'd be saving money, and it's not just a convenience thing.

Thanks!

 

[toystorymaniacs]

I think it depends on your eating style. If you eat a table service meal most days then it is probably a savings for you.

 

[Monty]

To save money in any significant way, you have to plan to eat the more expensive menu items. I will only do DDP when it's offered for free because I don't get enough value from it to justify being tied down to a fixed number of credits for TS/CS/Snacks. I find I use all the TS and more, all the snacks and more, but invariably have half or more of the CS credits left when we leave.

If you can use all the credits and maximize your dollar value on TS meals, then yes it will save you money. I find I get better value from the Tables in Wonderland card and don't feel forced to eat CS, which I'm not crazy about.

 

[dopeylover]

What is Tables in Wonderland???

 

[Monty]

What is Tables in Wonderland???

Dining discount card available to FLA residents and AP holders. 20% off restaurant bills including all food and drink [including alcohol]. There's an up-front fee but it pays for itself quickly.

 

[sbkline]

The dining plan will definitely save you significant money if you do it right. By doing it right, I mean, don't eat at all the 20 dollar buffet places, or get the 16 dollar entrees and expect to save much on the dining plan. The dining plan saves you money if you plan to eat the more expensive items.

Now, whether it is worth it depends on how you like to do your vacation. My wife and I like to do several things off property, so after doing the dining plan twice, and saving money by doing it, I have decided we won't be doing it again. The reason why is because I don't like having to always be keeping track of how many credits we have and having to figure out in my mind how to use them right so they don't get wasted. Since we like to go off property, if we go to Universal, for example, obviously we're going to be eating at least one meal there and paying out of pocket. So now I have to plan to use that extra credit somewhere else during the trip so it doesn't get wasted. So, for me, all that hassle isn't worth it anymore. Next time, we're not doing the dining plan, and we're just gonna eat wherever we choose, whether on property or off, without having to give any mind to making sure we use our credits wisely. If we're in Kissimmee for some mini-golf and decide we want to eat at IHOP, we can be free to do so without feeling like we have to eat back on property to get our money's worth on the dining plan.

So, it can definitely save you money, but there are other things to consider other than money in deciding whether it is "worth it". Do you want to have the freedom to eat wherever you want, whether on or off property, or do you not mind being "tied down" (for lack of a better term) to having to eat 1)on property and 2) at 1 table service and 1 counter service per day?

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

OK, I may get lengthy here but I'll give you a breakdown of how I view the dining plan so you can see where I'm coming from. The dining plan is worth it for me but for me being "worth it" does not mean that it's the cheapest way to go.

I have done Disney on a budget without the dining plan. I ate at almost all quick service and chose one tabel service if I decided to splurge on a meal.

The dining plan is not a cheaper option for me but it is the one I prefer because it gives me the opportunity to eat at more expensive places that I couldn't otherwise afford.

For example one days meals from my last trip was a bagel for breakfast (about $2.50), lunch at Cosmic Rays: bacon Double cheeseburger, fries and coke (about $13) and dinner at Cap'n Jacks: spinach & Artichoke dip, shrimp and penne pasta, key lime pie and a juice (about $35) and it came with a lobster tail as a side for the pasta!

So that's $50 worth of food for about $40 maybe not a huge savings but on a 10 day vacation it's $100 and I got to eat at places I wouldn't normally.

Now if I didn't get the dining plan I would have spent about $3-5 on breakfast and about $12-$15 on lunch and dinner so I would be spending $27-$35 per day and not get to eat at any table service restaurants where the food and the theming are better (in my humble opinion)

So for an extra $5-$12 per day for better food options I think it's worth it. You'll have to decide what you're hoping to get out of it...only a savings in money or a better deal on more dining options.

Crunch the numbers and decide what you want and you'll find out if it's worth it for you or not.

 

[disneytopdog]

I view the DP as just another attraction at Disney. I don't pay for it to save money. I get it so I can sample TS resturants all over the property. It allows me to pay in full for the entire vacation(except for tips). I consider myself a "FOODIE" so a great meal at Le Cellier is like a fantastic ride on Space Mountain!!!!

 

[KeithVH]

Here's another way to look at it. If you are truly just valuing the cost relative to what you might spend otherwise, it is dependent on how many people in your party. It is more cost efficient for smaller parties. I've done the math a few times for our family of 5.

If you have to pay the regular DDP price for that many people, you're looking at a LOT of money for 7-8 days. Since none of my 3 DD's or my DW eat that much, we can easily enjoy at least one TS per day, order what we want and still, at the least, break even with the plan. Instead, we always splurge for Poly concierge and we end up saving there with the breakfast and evening meals (we do big lunches usually - that also keeps TS prices down). All that is usually way more food than we can eat.

But I think for 3 or 4 people, you'd probably come out ahead in the long run.

 

[jmfuents]

When we used it back in 2006, it was definitely worth it because you got an appetizer, the tip was included, and an entire box of donuts (and other large items) counted as a single snack. Now that the rules have changed, it seems that the savings aren't so significant.

And the biggest drawback to us was that everything seemed to revolve around our dinner essies. A lot of spontaneity was lost!

But we're trying it again this year because it's FREE!!!!! And that's definitely a bargain!

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Yes and no, the food variety and quality have declined since its initial inception, the plan does not cater for those who enjoy appetizers but dont care for deserts and the gratuity is no longer included.

However, free food is not to be refused, it does fix (roughly) your food spend and may encourage some to try places they wouldn't normally.

 

[meatloafsfan]

If you are planning to eat on site, want to eat counter service lunch every day and want to eat a table service dinner every night and plan to order an entree (not vegetarian), than yes it is a good deal and yes you can save money.

Even if you are eating at dinner buffets which on average are $27 to $29 a night you can still save money.

If you go to "menu" restaurants, you almost recoup your costs on the TS meal alone: For instance - Kona Cafe

Macadamia Nut and Chive-crusted Mahi-mahi - served with watercress salad with warm shiitake-soy vinaigrette and sticky rice $21.99

White Chocolate Cheesecake - $5.49

Soda - $2.29

with tax = $31.70

that means your counter service and snack only have to total $8.30

If you like steak and order expensive desserts and drink milkshakes or smoothies, you actually recoup your daily cost with each TS meal - Kona Cafe

Teriyaki-style New York Strip - sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini $27.99

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee - with a chocolate spiral $5.99[/FONT]​

Smoothies - A Creamy Blend of Tropical Fruit Juices Served Frozen - Mega-Berry or Supercharged Tropical $4.29

Total with tax = $40.75

 

[dopeylover]

Wow you guys are awesome!!! Still mulling it over, but I REALLY appreciate all of the information!!!!!:sohappy:

 

[Lucky]

Every family is different, and the DDP works for some but not for others.

We love the free DDP, and we even time our trips to take advantage of it. But we would never consider paying for the DDP. My 10- and 11-year-old kids would be charged the adult price, and they don't eat much.

 

[Springer]

Every family is different, and the DDP works for some but not for others.

Absolutely right! :king: If you really want to, you can make your ADRs first and then go to a site like allears.net to figure out whether, based on what your family might be inclined to order, you'll save money. I did that and estimate that we'll save $50 to $150 over 7 days.

Here are a few basic principles to consider:
1) You're more likely to save money if you eat seafood or steak.
2) You're more likely to break even if you eat chicken or pork.
3) You'll lose money if you're vegetarian.
4) Buffets tend to be pricey; you'll save money at most, especially if you go during "seasonal" price increases.
5) If you wind up skipping a meal (that is, having an unused credit), you're much more likely to break even or lose money.


Enjoy!

 

[2Siamese]

We just got back (family of 4) from a 7 night stay. We had the dining plan with 1 TS, 1QS, 1 snack. I kept track of the $ amounts on all the TS and QS bills and it averaged out to be aprox:

TS $170 (Kona cafe, Tepan Edo, Lecellier and Sci fi cafe are some examples)
QS $45

We used all TS, Left 1 QS and had 4 snacks left over.

The only thing we seemed to have trouble using consistently were the snacks but over all I really believe we got more the our monies worth

 

[melissw]

My boyfriend and I chose the dining plan for our last trip. 7 days of food using the same plan the OP is considering - 1 QS, 1 TS, & 1 snack. We did end up using every last credit but didn't have to to get our $$'s worth. I think we ate $150 - $200 more of food than what we paid. We didn't always order the most expensive items, but it was nice not to worry as much about the total bill since a majority of what we ordered was already paid for.
Like many have already said, if you don't mind planning for reservations 90 days out, planning your days around your ressie time, and enjoy eating (it is a lot of food and much of it very tasty :slurp then go for it!!

 

[Lance]

I think its worth it if you like to eat a lot... cause that dessert always was what killed me....

BUT... Tip is not included, and I'm a decent tipper, always try to leave at minimum 20%... so that KILLED me at Tutto Italia($78 bill for 2 of us), Ohana, etc....

plus its Florida, so they're not making bank...

but if you're a lousy tipper or don't tip at all... then its worth it, I suppose...