Is Dining plan worth it now? Please Help

[jen2009]

I will be going to Disney in March for my wedding. I was curious if the dining plan is still worth it. I know you no longer get appetizer with meal and you have to pay tax and gratuity. We are eating at some great places, but still have to pay out of pocket for three of them. Here is where we are eating....

Narcosses dinner
Rose and Crown lunch
Wolfgang Puck dinner
Le Cellier dinner
Chef Mickeys breakfast out of pocket
Yachtsman dinner
Ohanas dinner out of pocket
Whispering Canyon dinner
Spirit of Aloha dinner out of pocket

With these places does it make since to cancel plan or will I save money? I know we have counter service for lunches and the snacks. We are not big breakfast eaters. So we would just get lunch and dinner. I was just curious if you add up the cost for everything would it be greater than $640.00? If any has used plan before and canceled it, how did you fair?

 

[disneygirl76]

I will be going to Disney in March for my wedding. I was curious if the dining plan is still worth it. I know you no longer get appetizer with meal and you have to pay tax and gratuity. We are eating at some great places, but still have to pay out of pocket for three of them. Here is where we are eating....

Narcosses dinner
Rose and Crown lunch
Wolfgang Puck dinner
Le Cellier dinner
Chef Mickeys breakfast out of pocket
Yachtsman dinner
Ohanas dinner out of pocket
Whispering Canyon dinner
Spirit of Aloha dinner out of pocket

With these places does it make since to cancel plan or will I save money? I know we have counter service for lunches and the snacks. We are not big breakfast eaters. So we would just get lunch and dinner. I was just curious if you add up the cost for everything would it be greater than $640.00? If any has used plan before and canceled it, how did you fair?

Congratulations on the up coming wedding!! :sohappy: Yes, I think it is worth it - the Dining Plan is great!! I'm looking for the spreadsheet that I had that worked it out if it was worth it or not - i'll keep looking. But from that places you have mentioned, I think it is worth it. You may want to consider the Deluxe since you still have 3 out of pocket TS already. Congratulations again!!! (I'll post if I can find that spread sheet!) :wave:

 

[disneygirl76]

Found it! I'm going to send you a personal message with it!!! :sohappy:

 

[Monty]

Minor point, but you don't pay the tax, just whatever tip you wish to leave.

 

[jen2009]

Minor point, but you don't pay the tax, just whatever tip you wish to leave.

Are you sure we don't pay tax? I asked a cm when I called and added the package and she told me we would have to pay tax and gratuity. I will most certainly check on that.Thanks!

 

[carver922]

I will be going to Disney in March for my wedding. I was curious if the dining plan is still worth it. I know you no longer get appetizer with meal and you have to pay tax and gratuity.

Wait, why aren't the appetizers included? When did this happen!!?? It this is the case I have been misleading my family on their meals.

 

[Monty]

Are you sure we don't pay tax? I asked a cm when I called and added the package and she told me we would have to pay tax and gratuity. I will most certainly check on that.Thanks!

Taxes have always been included. Gratuity used to be, now they 'recommend' an 18% or 20% gratuity and your bill will show how much that would be.

Have a look through this year's brochure for all the specifics of the plan.

Wait, why aren't the appetizers included? When did this happen!!?? It this is the case I have been misleading my family on their meals.

They removed the appetizer from the basic Dining Plan last January. Deluxe and Premium Dining still include appetizers.

JPVonDrake posted all the details of this year's packages in this thread.

 

[tomm4004]

Narcosses dinner

This is signature dining, so it takes two TS meal credits. If you allocate say $25 (of the $39) per day to the TS then this is costing you $50. Looking at the menu a typical entree/dessert combo will be $33-$45.

Rose and Crown lunch

Entree/dessert combo here will cost $19 to $25.

Le Cellier dinner

Again, $26 to $43.

If you're planning on TS everyday and having dessert at every meal then it sounds like it's probably good. But I wouldn't use two credits for Narcossee's. You don't come out ahead. Go through the online menus and add up your costs and compare to the price of the plan. But keep in mind that it doesn't include appetizers or bottled mineral water so it restricts your choices unless you're willing to pay more.

 

[Tom]

The Basic Plan is definitely a deal. All 4 of us, on our trip 2 weeks ago, tracked the final cost (including tax) of every QS and TS meal, and snack, we ate. It came out well to our advantage.

However, my wife and I used the Deluxe Plan on our trip in May, and we just flat out couldn't eat enough to justify the cost/day of it. You really have to be able to eat a LOT to make the Deluxe worth it.

The new QS plan is a deal, barely.

 

[Monkeymama]

I crunched all of the numbers, going through the menus, adding taxes, additional purchases (apps and alcohol) and tips. After much thought, we are doing the dining plan. Even with having to pay for 3 meals out of pocket, and extras, it still ends up to save at least $45. My husband thinks I am crazy but he will be glad when I've saved us some $$$!

 

[tomm4004]

It depends on how much and where you want to eat. Ten days on the basic plan for two would be $800. We do not spend $800 on food for ten days and we eat where we want, including signature places, which would be two TS credits. We also get appetizers at TS and bottles of mineral water, which are not included. So for us, looking at the plan and at the places we tend to eat, it would never be beneficial.

 

[jen2009]

We actually sat down and looked at the menus and figured out what we would eat with and without the plan. My fiance likes to eat when on vacation.:slurp: So when averaging out everything including lunches and the dinners, we fair better to get the plan.

Thanks to all who gave advice!!!:wave:

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

The advice given to me is to avoid signature dining when on the regular DDP. That is not always true. It makes more sense for us to use two credits at the Artist Point than to use two credits at the Sci-Fi and T-Rex (which isn't DDP, I know). I say this because I look at what is served and what we would order. One meal at the Artist Point would cost us more than one meal at each of the other places.

You may be okay doing all of those signatures on regular DDP. However, look into the the deluxe DDP.