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Dining Plan
- Thread starter MICKEYMOO42
- Start date
Awesome thanks, I didn't know you could buy milk there. Buying breakfast and milk might be the way to go. Avoid the craziness of the hotel and get to the park before it opens sounds good to me! Ill give that caluculator thing a try too. Wow $700 for a meal that's crazy but I guess those are Disney prices! And yes more room for lots and lots of souviners 
we also got a $100 gift card from AAA because we booked 2 separate rooms that's not a lot in Disney but every bit helps
we also got a $100 gift card from AAA because we booked 2 separate rooms that's not a lot in Disney but every bit helps 
Thanks, we don't have any kids in our party. That's why we were originally thinking that it wouldn't be worth it but now that I'm more educated about it it seems to make sense with our party having 5 adults
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
I usually write a multi point novel on why it's not for us, but I'll keep it short-er #1 tip is do the math and when doing the math- do it based on what you'd order...not on what the plan provides. Yes, it's convenient to have it all paid for in advance...assuming you're good with staying in the confines of the plan for your trip. Lots of people will say they don't mind spending a bit more for it as it's the price of convenience, but look at it from the other side. One could easily argue that by not using the dining plan, you're paying the price of dining freedom...which can sometimes be cheaper.
#1 tip is do the math and when doing the math- do it based on what you'd order...not on what the plan provides. Yes, it's convenient to have it all paid for in advance...assuming you're good with staying in the confines of the plan for your trip. Lots of people will say they don't mind spending a bit more for it as it's the price of convenience, but look at it from the other side. One could easily argue that by not using the dining plan, you're paying the price of dining freedom...which can sometimes be cheaper.
Yes thank you another thing I have to keep into consideration is that I know I'm a picky eater myself. I'm sure there and the basics such as hamburgers, chicken fingers ect but in the event that there's not i'd probably order something else. so there's a good change someone will order something that's not included in the food plan.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
And that right there feeds into one of my most common arguments against the plan --->
"Sometimes I want chicken!" - Your best odds of seeing a savings with DDP is by ordering the most expensive menu options. So, at dinner...if I want the $17 chicken dish instead of the $33 steak...I'm likely not to see any kind of savings with the plan. If you're ordering hamburgers and chicken fingers (since they will often accommodate adults with such items), that's even lower cost to Disney than my chicken example. In a nutshell, Disney often makes more $ off of the person who doesn't use their dining credits wisely. So, if you use them on breakfasts vs. dinners, use them on cheaper menu items, etc. - it's unlikely you'll see any value in the plan and you'll be praying a premium to have the convenience of food paid for in advance. Hope that makes sense
Yes it does thank you!
If we do decide to do the dining plan is there a certain time before we leave for our trip we need to change it or can someone change it at Disney
englanddg
One Little Spark...
You can add it at any time before your arrival date.
If you add it within 45 days of your trip, you will be asked to pay for it at that time.
However, after your final payment due date (45 days out from check in) if you remove it you will be charged a change fee.
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
Ok thanks! and sorry about that I will
Don't be sorry. This is just one of those questions we see here all the time and has been discussed at length.
Asking if the DDP is "worth it" is like asking us what your favorite color should be. No one knows you, your family, or your eating likes and dislikes. I have always suggested that anyone trying to answer this question for themselves should take the time to sit down with their family with menus and prices for each dish, add up what they would likely spend at each place they would go to, add a couple of snacks per person per day, then compare that cost with the cost of the DDP. In the very least calculate a rough estimate of a sit down meal for your family and a quick service meal for your family and tally that per lunch and per dinner then compare that to the DDP cost.My family and I are creatures of habit. We may try something different sometimes, but those different choices are still within the cost of our original plan (No Victoria and Alberts in place of LTT). We can sit down and total up what we would spend out of pocket with a great deal of accuracy and then compare that to the DDP. Usually it is a no brainer for us. We skip the DDP unless it is offered free for our stay. We spend around $500 less out of pocket. But that is just us.
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Everything is usually included in the plan at 98% of the restaurants in property. The only items that are not included at frankly only 2-3 restaurants is 1 or 2 items at those very few restaurants like at Bongos the seafood paella is not included because it is huge and feeds numerous people etc.
I have never had to experience something not being included and we have eaten at 90% of the restaurants in property. So there is no reason you would be needing to get something at any table service or counter/quick service that is not included. Yes there is usually a chicken or steak dish, hamburgers/sandwich at some, at most restaurants for picky eaters. That is the biggest myth that with the dining plan you are restricted to what you can order!
DisneyDebNJ
Well-Known Member
This is us as well. The Dining Plan has always worked well for us. Even during free dining promotions, we upgrade to Deluxe. I think it's more of a convenience than anything else, but personally, I like knowing all of our needs are taken care of, prior to our arrivalIt's all on personal preference. Me and DH always pay for it because we like our food being pre paid for and we usually break even or come a little ahead. Again all on your eating habits and your whole parties eating habits and if you want everything paid ahead of time. (Except tips and alcohol is extra etc).
Okay so it's just a matter of personal preference then. Well have to sit down and talk about food and what restruants were looking at going to. We're on the go people so I can't image we would do a big sit down meal every night.
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Another little tidbit if you don't want to do a sit down meal every night you could just do some signature restaurants in there as well that take 2 credits mixed with some that only take 1 credit so you would be eating every other night or something like that. You can use the credits in any order while there and whenever you like. You don't have to use 1 snack, 1 Qs, 1 TS every day. For example if you wanted to you could use all your snack credits in one day or use 2 in one day etc. You could use 2ts in one day or 2qs in one day and so on and so forth. You use them in any order until 11:59pm on checkout day.
This might be a stupid questions but how many credits do you get a day?
Or is it a certain amount your whole trip?
englanddg
One Little Spark...
A bit of both.
First, it depends on which Dining Plan you get.
The standard Disney Dining Plan is 1 Quick Service, 1 Snack and 1 Table Service credit per night of stay.
The Deluxe Disney Dining Plan is 3 Quick/Table Service (they can be used for either), and 2 Snacks per night of stay.
However, for your question, all credits are allocated at the beginning of the stay and may be used in any order (and in any amount) starting from check in at the hotel through midnight of the day you check out of your hotel.
Since you indicated you have a 7 night stay, you'll have:
For the DDP, you'll each have 7 QS credits, 7 snacks and 7 TS credits.
For the DLX, you'll each have 21 QS/TS credits and 14 snack credits.
One other note, all the credits are assigned to your room, but calculated by the individual.
So, if all 5 adults are in the same room, then they can "share" credits. You aren't "supposed" to, but the system doesn't know any better.
Or, if 3 adults are in one room, they can "share" credits, and the 2 adults in the other room can "share" credits.
Hope that helps!
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Thanks that helps clear things up! We booked 2 different rooms so it'll be 3 in one and 2 in another!
Thanks Again!
Thanks Again!
englanddg
One Little Spark...
So, in that case...
If you have DDP:
The room with 3 adults will have 21 snacks, 21 QS credits and 21 TS credits.
The room with 2 adults will have 14 snacks, 14 QS credits and 14 TS credits.
If you have DLX:
The room with 3 adults will have 42 snacks, 63 QS/TS credits.
The room with 2 adults will have 28 snacks, 42 QS/TS credits.