Is Disney Dining Plan worth it?

[awoogala]

It can be, but you have to crunch your numbers. If you do a ton of character meals and everyone eats, then it may work out (helped us our first trip, when we character mealed every day!)
We paid a lot of money, however, for my daughter, who ate like a bird, and really just wanted a yogurt, or a pretzel. My son, who eats like a horse, was never satisfied with the kids meals, and needed more almost every time (the skinny little thing has a hollow leg).
So, we stopped paying for it. We ended up being happier just doing one big meal a day(lunch), grabbing a quick aagel or breakfast sandwich in the room, and "picking" for dinner (a pretzel, some a la carte at counter, etc). Some days we did get a second meal, but really, after a few days, none of us wanted fries.
TIW seems like a much better deal with us, since we don't need the desserts or fries, but we do like to have some drinks on vacation. We are going with friends who dvc this year, and I will see if their tiw card make the difference worthwhile!

 

[polynesiangirl]

We do the math nearly every single time we book and it has never worked out to be a savings for us, so, for us the answer is no. I have to assume that someone is saving money by using it, we just aren't the right people for it, I guess. Also we very frequently already have park tickets so we usually opt to use those instead of buying a MYW package.

I also feel like it would box me in too much. Some trips we eat a ton of sit down meals and others we're too busy, or hot, or just not into it and we end up grazing around Epcot or something. We also don't buy a lot of snacks except for my obligatory Dole Whip. If I had the dining plan I would feel way too much pressure to use up all my credits and I feel like I'd end up eating stuff I don't really even want.

 

[G00fyDad]

I just did the math for our next trip, like I usually do. For the first time since they have had the DDP offered, it turns out that it will not save us money by using it. It would run us $2001 to get the DDP, and if we paid out of pocket it would come to $1455. Even less if I used TiW. So bottom line, if they do not offer the FREE DDP this next October, then I will skip it and pay out of pocket.

 

[real mad hatter]

I just did the math for our next trip, like I usually do. For the first time since they have had the DDP offered, it turns out that it will not save us money by using it. It would run us $2001 to get the DDP, and if we paid out of pocket it would come to $1455. Even less if I used TiW. So bottom line, if they do not offer the FREE DDP this next October, then I will skip it and pay out of pocket.

Completely agree.Free DDP yes,but no,we wouldn't pay out of pocket either.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

While I've found value in the Deluxe Dining Plan, we always leave with $ on the table when doing regular DDP. While I think we're going to be doing fewer TS meals next trip, we've also found the CS portions to be large enough that we really could get away with sharing meals at lunch...and in some cases, breakfast too. Now, if it's free and it's the only discount on the table...I'll take it, but I think a room discount still benefits us more based on our preferences. Of course, once the kids are considered adults- DDP might make more sense, but we'd have to revisit it come the time.

 

[Mawg]

I just did the math for our next trip, like I usually do. For the first time since they have had the DDP offered, it turns out that it will not save us money by using it. It would run us $2001 to get the DDP, and if we paid out of pocket it would come to $1455. Even less if I used TiW. So bottom line, if they do not offer the FREE DDP this next October, then I will skip it and pay out of pocket.

I did the math a few weeks ago and this time the plan only saves me $60 over eight days for a family of 4. I think we'll go without unless a discount is offered as I don't see why we need a dessert with a Quick Service and I like being able to order what I want at a Table service instead of a Main and Dessert. Sometimes I want a Salad, an App, sometimes split an app and a dessert with my wife. $60 is not enough savings to put the ridged ordering the Dinning Plan makes you stick too.

 

[Summerland24]

When it was just my wife and I DDP was totally worth it in our opinion. We would make all the reservations ahead of time, it was nice to know you were going to sit are relax for a couple hours and decide if we wanted to go back to the room and relax or head back out to the parks. I also found myself ordering items I would never order or pay for if I was ponying up for the bill everytime. We took multiple trips both paying for it as well as the free promo.
That all said now that we have a little one it has totally changed things, we are not on our schedule anymore we are on hers. At 2 years old we don't know what we will be doing or where we will be and making reservations has gotten more difficult. One of our largest pet peeves is people no showing for reservations and I don't want to be the next guy doing it. We have done a trip with her with and without dinning plan, each with their own pro's and con's. If we can plan a trip around the next free promo we will surely take advantage!

 

[Lil Fort]

It's just not worth it to the hubbs and I to purchase DDP and they don't offer the free DDP to Fort Wilderness campground guests. Even though a premium campsite is on par with a value room price wise, they allow up to 10 guests per campsite (not that I have ever seen that many on one site) so it wouldn't be cost effective for them to do so. So that means a big 'no' for our family.

 

[monkeysammich]

I did the math for our trip... and since we're going to a lot of character meals/buffets... we're getting plenty of value out of the deluxe dining plan, not even counting all the snacks.

As with anything... your mileage may vary.

 

[s&k'smom]

My daughter also eats like a bird and my son only eats french fries and apple juice at dinner (long story) so for us it's not worth it. Some of the buffets they don't charge us for anything for my son except the fries and if it's a say Chef Mickey were they will charge us the savings from not having to pay for others balances out in the end.

 

[tink33]

When we went in May and had the QS plan. At the end of our trip we had 7 meals left. We shared 2 meals for the 3 of us most of the time. Our child is now 10 so the next time we go the meal plan will cost more for her. My husband is going to price it out. But I think we wont get the meal plan next time. We paid out of pocket for Donald's breakfast at Animal Kingdom so we only got snacks that day.

 

[BUZZCRUSH]

We debate this every time we go. We've done the DDP once. This last trip we did not and I kept all the receipts of everything we ate out of curiousity to see if we made the right choice. We had 4 adults and one child. After adding everything up excluding tips and alcohol we came out ahead money wise paying cash than doing the DDP. We never scrimped, we ate wherever and whatever we wanted. We did Artist Point, Tuttu Italia, Biergarten, Cape May, Big River and ESPN. We also did a character breakfast and several CS lunches and snacks here and there. The difference was we ate what we wanted and that was it. We didn't always eat a full breakfast or lunch, we had snacks we bought at the grocery [which I included the cost of those in my total] So overall I think we ate less food than if we did DDP and as a result spent less and lost some weight. We also paid with gift cards bought at Kroger which saved us another 10% if you consider every $500 gift card got us over $50 off our fuel. It depends on what you consider "worth it" - if you really plan to eat all the food you get on the DDP then yes it's worth it. For us it isn't cause we couldn't eat that much. When we did DDP the last time I felt like I had to track every credit, make sure we got our money's worth by eating etc. .

There were a few moments I wished we did DDP however because my MIL was with us and kept exclaiming about the cost of everything and kept worrying about what she ate. If we are in that situation again then I probably would do DDP again. When my kids are older and eat more we'll probably do it again.

 

[dreamfinder]

If you eat to the plan, and exactly to the plan, you can save a few bucks. But deviate one bit, and you will lose money. Don't want a soda with your CS meal? That negates any savings you had for the day. Forget to use a snack? Or throw away some of your fries because 2 orders was too many? You wasted money. I think you can still do well with deluxe, but you need to be able to eat 3 TS meals in a day, and not worry about getting many rides/shows in during the day.

 

[hiptwinmama]

We do the dining plan every trip, it works great for us. We have small kids and do several character meal. They run $65 adutl/$35 kid. The dining plan runs around $52 adult/ $17 kid. So for us it is great! Not to mention the quick service meal and snack it include. Use that snack credit for an $8 funnel cake, and a $10 lunch and you are already up about $30 a day. Times 5 days that is $150. If you do a lot of character meals and use your snack credits wisely than it is great, but if not you might just break even.

 

[Master Yoda]

We do the dining plan every trip, it works great for us. We have small kids and do several character meal. They run $65 adutl/$35 kid. The dining plan runs around $52 adult/ $17 kid. So for us it is great! Not to mention the quick service meal and snack it include. Use that snack credit for an $8 funnel cake, and a $10 lunch and you are already up about $30 a day. Times 5 days that is $150. If you do a lot of character meals and use your snack credits wisely than it is great, but if not you might just break even.

I am not sure where you are going, but the 1 credit character meals peak out at about $55 for an adult and $24 for kids during peak season. CRT is pushing into the $70 range but it is 2 credits.

 

[hiptwinmama]

Your numbers for the Characters meals are inaccurate. Our bill at Chef Mickeys for 2 adults and 2 kids for dinner was with 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine was around $220, before we applied the dinning plan. We use it every year and I am very familiar with the prices.

 

[hiptwinmama]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/akershus-royal-banquet-hall/

 

[Master Yoda]

Your numbers for the Characters meals are inaccurate. Our bill at Chef Mickeys for 2 adults and 2 kids for dinner was with 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine was around $220, before we applied the dinning plan. We use it every year and I am very familiar with the prices.

It looks like Akershus is the only one close to your number at $55.37 per adult during holiday and 42.59 off holiday. The others all come in under $50 even during holiday periods.

Chef Mickey $45.79 holiday $41.53
Crystal Palace $43.66 holiday $39.40
1900 Park Fare $42.59 holiday $38.33

http://allears.net/din/dining.htm

 

[G00fyDad]

If you eat to the plan, and exactly to the plan, you can save a few bucks. But deviate one bit, and you will lose money. Don't want a soda with your CS meal? That negates any savings you had for the day. Forget to use a snack? Or throw away some of your fries because 2 orders was too many? You wasted money. I think you can still do well with deluxe, but you need to be able to eat 3 TS meals in a day, and not worry about getting many rides/shows in during the day.

That's a tad too black and white. We have run the numbers each and every trip with the DDP and we, up until now, have used it every time. The difference was usually a $350 savings by using the DDP. So, by your analogy we threw away a $350 pack of fries.

People should still run the numbers to see if it benefits them to use the DDP. Look at the menus, see what you think you would order, tally it all up (plus tax), and see how much the savings would be. If the savings are less than $100 to $150, or no savings at all then skip it and pay out of pocket. Simple. But skipping one item is not going to throw your DDP into a waste.

 

[hiptwinmama]

I agree, it is not for everyone. I can tell you that for our family, the dining plan runs $138 per day. Even if those "accurate numbers" from allears.net are right and a child is $35 , than the cost of Chef Mickeys would be $161.58. We already would have saved $23, add in 4 snack credits for say a $6-8 funnel cake (again using snack credits wisely)that's another $24 savings, plus a quick service lunch at $35 for a family of 4 and you are now at a Daily Savings of $82.58.

No, it's not great for everyone, but if you use it to your advantage it can be. For example ordering Steak and Shrimp instead of a grilled chicken breast.