Dining Plan?

[WDWEric]

My (2 months pregnant) wife and our two kids (ages 1,2) and I, will be going to WDW April 21-28, is it worth more than 500 dollars to add the dining plan? MY Wife and I went in 2003 and we never spent more than 100 dollars a day on Food and Souvenirs. Just asking others opinion on this, Thanks!!!!

 

[summergirl32]

It is definitely worth the money if you love to eat (a lot). We enjoy the various table-service restaurants and these can be very expensive without the dining plan. We did find that we could not eat all the snacks so on our last day, I used them all on chips, cookies, etc things we could eat on the way home.

 

[Hoosierwdw]

We just got back yesterday and was on dining plan. We loved it because of freedom to eat off menu whatever we wanted. We ate waaayyyyy to much though. You get way more food than a human should eat. We found it did enhance our experience.

 

[whizGoofy]

My Wife and Disney Friends and I did the dining plan the past 2 times we went and I woudl suggest it to everyone. The first time (that got us hooked) we went during the free dining months. It was an excellent way for us to experience all that we normally could not afford. I mean everyday you eat like a king and queen. It is great. So since then we add it to all of our packages. It is worth it!!!

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I think it's all about how you eat while at Disney.

If you are the kind of folks that just eat walk-up type meals (sandwiches or cheeseburgers, etc) and don't do many sit-down meals while at WDW, then it doesn't make sense.

If you're the type that likes to eat a sit-down meal each day (or at least MOST days) then it makes great sense. We'll never go without the DP again, that's for sure. :wave:

 

[H20Babie]

Unlike most people here, I do not find the DDP worth it. Like you, I typically spend less than $50 day for me and my DS on food. We like to spend more on the souveniers, entertainment, recreation and tours -- the things that make a vacation in Disney unlike anywhere else! We are not big breakfast eaters so a croissant or something from the bakery is just perfect. We tend to eat a larger lunch and a smaller, light dinner. There's nothing worse than being "logey" from too much food! In addition, we also bring our own snacks with us, whether it's fresh fruit or cereal bars. Don't get me wrong, we do buy snacks and food in the parks and make ADRs for our must-eats, such as character dining, etc., but when we average it out, it is still just not worth the extra money. I think if I was on the DDP, I'd be eating more since I wouldn't want to "waste" my hard earned money. Don't forget that your children can munch off your own plates too, being the ages they are. My son, 5, still does that! IMO, you have to ask yourself, can you, with a 1 and 2 year old, realistically include the fine dining experiences the DDP offers?

Just MHO. Either way, you'll have a great time.

Congratulations!

 

[New2WDW]

My (2 months pregnant) wife and our two kids (ages 1,2) and I, will be going to WDW April 21-28, is it worth more than 500 dollars to add the dining plan? MY Wife and I went in 2003 and we never spent more than 100 dollars a day on Food and Souvenirs. Just asking others opinion on this, Thanks!!!!

Dining Plan:
2 Adults at $38.99 = $77.98 or $78 bucks per day (I believe kids under 3 eat for free or off of your plate)
8 days x $78 = $624

Previous spending:
8 days x $100 (food & souvenirs) = $800

So after food costs you technically would still have $176 for spending.
I do not know how much you spent on souvenirs in 2003 or how much ya'll eat but I would look up some menus on ALLEARS.net and do a run thru to see if you would spend less than what the plan costs and then make your decision.

The only other thing I can add is that it is great to go and eat without worrying about costs of every meal.

New2

 

[DizFanatic]

We go to WDW almost every year. December 2006 was the FIRST time that we used the Dining Plan. We are 2 adults & 3 children (1 of which is considered an adult). For our 11 nite stay we paid $1305. We ate a total of over $2100! It was great to eat at may of the fine dining locations and not having to worry about $$$.

Here's our take on the dining plan:
We calculated our dining costs based on previous trips. We average about $100 per day because we try to $ave dough wherever we can and go to 3, maybe 4 nice places durring a trip this long. That would be about $1100. So $1305 was 200 clams more, but we really got to dine in luxury like we never had before. So for us it was well worth paying $200 more to save over $800. You follow me? But if you're really on a budget, or you would just rather spend less on food, maybe it's not for you. Our next trip will include the dining plan. Either way, have a wonderful time!!! (and do the dining plan).:slurp:

Look at our trip report on our website for more information.

 

[DizFanatic]

Dining Plan:
2 Adults at $38.99 = $77.98 or $78 bucks per day (I believe kids under 3 eat for free or off of your plate)
8 days x $78 = $624

Previous spending:
8 days x $100 (food & souvenirs) = $800

So after food costs you technically would still have $176 for spending.
I do not know how much you spent on souvenirs in 2003 or how much ya'll eat but I would look up some menus on ALLEARS.net and do a run thru to see if you would spend less than what the plan costs and then make your decision.

The only other thing I can add is that it is great to go and eat without worrying about costs of every meal.

New2

I agree 100%

 

[GrowingUpDisney]

We have never used the dining plan because each time we figure up what it cost Vs what we anticipate eating, we seem to come out better without it.

Because you will not have to pay for meals for your two kids (under 3) I would imagine that you expense will not be much more than your last trip. Of course, prices go up, but we always bank on $100 per day for meals and food. Realize that your souviner purchases will go up since you now have two little ones.

 

[RiversideBunny]

For 2 people, when we did the calculation, we did not really save any money. What the DDP did was to allow us to eat better, not cheaper.
There is a danger of eating too much, though, forcing yourself to use the plan at sit down restaurants whereas without it you might just get a smaller counter service meal.

For 2 people who really don't eat much it may not be worth it.
For 2 people who like to eat well, it probably is worth it.

Good luck.
:king:

 

[jesserin]

My (2 months pregnant) wife and our two kids (ages 1,2) and I, will be going to WDW April 21-28, is it worth more than 500 dollars to add the dining plan? MY Wife and I went in 2003 and we never spent more than 100 dollars a day on Food and Souvenirs. Just asking others opinion on this, Thanks!!!!

If you plan on doing alot of the buffet and family style meals where your toddlers will eat for free... then yes, the dining plan will save you buckets. I think trying the Dining plan is something everyone should do at least once... I mean, Disney food is expensive... there's no getting around that, having the chance to really experience Disney and all their amazing restaurants and options without looking at the price tag is really a great experience. And besides... your wife won't feel so bad about eating an appetizer, meal and dessert when it's already paid for. :lol:

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I have saved SO MUCH money with the dining plan...I would highly recommend it if you have doing lots of sit down. But it was really great because you don't really have to think about the money you are spending, and you can just snack and meal to your heart's content. ENJOY!

 

[Dwarful]

If you want to do character dining then the plan would probably be more beneficial for you. More than enough food. I know we won't go without when we are a grand gathering..the money we saved on tips alone was worth it!

 

[3fordisney]

We have never used the Dining Plan and don't plan on it til our son gets much older (He's only 4 and a very picky eater as are his parents!:lol: ) We budget $125-$150 per day for food and souviners. We never spend it all in one day. We rather walk up to a counter instead of sit down for a meal. My son, right now, isn't a big eater. We will sometimes snack our way through a day. We have brought cereal and goldfish for our son to eat. We aren't big breakfast eaters either.

You have to weigh your cost and see if it would be worth it for you to spend the extra for the dining plan. If you aren't into the sit down meals (and you get one for everyday of your stay on the plan), I would forgo it.

We have done a character meal and its great, but I wouldn't get the dining plan for one character meal. Its still not worth it to us. Now when our son is older.... and starts eating us out of house and home, we would reconsider!:lol:

 

[slappy magoo]

As always, I suggest checking out the menus of all the restaurants at allearsnet.com Figure out the places you'd like to dine, especially when it comes to table service meals, and then you can come to a better conclusion as to whether or not it's worth it. Just remember:

Your counter service meal on the dining plan includes dessert.

Your table service meal on the dining plan includes appetizer AND dessert AND an 18% gratuity for your server.

And they both include sales tax.

There are some restaurants, especially in some of the Epcot World Showcase restaurants, where you could easily drop 39 bucks on just dinner, once you factor in appetizer, dessert, tax and tip.

 

[ELopez]

My (2 months pregnant) wife and our two kids (ages 1,2) and I, will be going to WDW April 21-28, is it worth more than 500 dollars to add the dining plan? MY Wife and I went in 2003 and we never spent more than 100 dollars a day on Food and Souvenirs. Just asking others opinion on this, Thanks!!!!

So sorry for this being TOTALLY off-topic, but congrats on your growing family! We had our first 3 children in 3 years and have never regretted it! Our first family trip to WDW was while they were 2, 1, and "in utero". We've been back every year since! Have a great trip!

 

[swimmom]

Although you can eat cheaper without the dining plan, it is worth the money to get all the table service meals. We haven't done the dining plan yet, but will on our next trip. I am really looking forward to a sit down meal each day that I won't think twice about what to order because it is already paid for. My MIL will be with us on our trip, and I think that she will need the break while we sit down and take some time out. I would think that with two young children and a pregnant wife you could also use this break in the day too.

 

[Papa Van]

We're using the dining plan for the 1st time in August because we really LIKE to eat, and we can't wait to try some of the sit down restaurants. There's no way we could get apps, entree's, and desert's for all 3 of us cheaper than the dining plan cost.

August can't get here fast enough.....:brick: :lol:

Papa Van

 

[SallyShine]

We used the DP for the first time last spring. We loved it! We ate much better meals than we would have on our own. I have 3 boys (2 teenagers) so they ate ALOT! Just be sure to make your ADR's in advance. It would be terrible to be on the dining plan and not be able to get into any table service restaurants.