Rather disappointed in the disney dining plan :(

[Computer Magic]

The savings is less then when first released and it has been dumped down like most everything in Disney..

However, we did saving over 20% using the dining plan. We did pay for it out of pocket. It's the way we eat which may be different then others. We get smoothies instead of coke at most places. We use our snacks for bakery goods instead of water and popcorn.

 

[brifraz]

We get the DDP almost every visit and pay for it out of pocket. We are DVC, so we don't get the seasonal upcharge (as a teacher, we almost always travel in peak seasons). We have crunched numbers MANY times (esp. comparing to TiW) and the DDP always brings us out ahead. Would we rather an appetizer than desert, many times yes. Would we always buy a desert, no. We figure all of that into our calculations. It all depends on how you eat if it is worth it.

A basic day for us (two adults, 1 7yr old): get up and make coffee in the room. Put it in mugs and throw a bottle of H2O in the pack. Once in the park, use 2 snacks for pastries ($6-7). Some time in the late morning/early afternoon, go to a character meal ($70-100). Grab an ice cream somewhere midday ($3). Then in the evening, we get a counter service dinner ($35-45). So we get between $114-155 worth of food daily. The plan for us costs $105 per night. So, we might save a little, we might save a lot. TiW card would save us $15-20. So, for our average 5 night stay, we save about $120 with DDP, and would save about $25 with TiW (subtracting cost of card). Two trips a year and that's $240 with DDP, $100 with TiW. If we just ate what we wanted (less deserts, more appetizers) our average daily cash cost is a little more. So, we forego the appetizers. If we REALLY want one, we buy it. Many times, our counter service deserts go in the backpack and become the fireworks snack!

I've posted this before in other discussions. Your results may vary. The DDP fits our dining habits pretty well, so we get it. Was it a better deal before, certainly. But, for us, it is still a good deal.

 

[Disneykidder]

Tip is a pain too - but some places still incuded tip - they told me when I booked everything and I put it right on my spreadsheet!!

I didn't think any place included the tip. Which are the ones you know of that include it?

 

[Monty]

I didn't think any place included the tip. Which are the ones you know of that include it?

Hoop Dee Doo Revue and Cindy's Royal Table are two that include the gratuities.

 

[twinnstar]

When i figured it out this past year, the only way I felt it was worth it was going for the Deluxe Dining Plan. If you're sitting down at a restaurant, I think you are saving a significant amount. I also just like the relaxing feeling of knowing I paid for everything already. And I think I allow myself to get more snacks than I normally would if I was using cash

The only thing I really dislike still is the dessert instead of an appetizer, like most people. Who has a dessert with every meal!? PLUS snacks? Its a little insane. I feel obligated to have it, and then when the trip is over I feel like i need to be rolled out of WDW! Towards the end of our 7 day trip last fall, we just started refusing the desserts on the last few days! theres only so much my belly can handle! i have a feeling Disney knows this and figure they probably save a little by doing that app/dessert swap in the long run. Laaaame.

 

[htfdwlfpack]

ok i looked but im getting to many responses, What is TiW that two people are talking about?

 

[Monty]

ok i looked but im getting to many responses, What is TiW that two people are talking about?

Tables in Wonderland.

It's a dining discount card that can be purchased by Annual Passholders or Florida Residents. It gets you 20% off your food bill, including alcoholic beverages. The card can be used for up to 10 people on the same bill.

 

[htfdwlfpack]

ok THANKS now that i kow that ill try to remember and yeah ive heard about it, seems like a good deal.

 

[Rob562]

DDP worked for our dining habits in the past along with the kids. Saved us lots of money actually. As we continue to go to WDW those habits are changing and we are going with the TiW in March. We actually sat down one night (well the actuarial science major wife sat down one night) and we calculated out exactly where we normally eat, what we eat and the prices and figured DDP just was not quite the savings we wanted.

However, my idea is to come up with the DDP (Disney Drinking Plan) that's my kind of plan!

There *is* such a thing... It's called using your TiW card at the Rose & Crown pub all day...

Big hint: Read the list of locations that accept the TiW card carefully. There are many places where you can go just to get a drink, and it's 20% off with the TiW card. In addition to the Rose & Crown, you have pretty much all the bars in the resorts, as well as the Tune-In Lounge at Studios. (Not sure if the outdoor bar in Harambe in AK falls under Tusker House or not with taking the card)

-Rob

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

I think the value depends on a lot a variables, and it also depends a lot on the plan you choose.

We're using the Deluxe Dining Plan on this next trip, and after crunching the numbers we're paying significantly less than paying as we go.

For seven nights the dining plan is $504. Adding up the cost of the appetizer, entree, dessert, and drink at the actual restaurants we're booked to eat, plus an average of $5 a day in snacks and the refillable mug we're totaling up to a little over $665.

So it can work in your favor, but it depends a lot on how and where you use it.

I consider it a benefit to "prepay" for our meals leaving only the tip expense while at WDW. I also like be able to choose TS without having to consider the price. The last two trips we (family of four) saved a few dollars using the Deluxe Dining plan and enjoyed many restaurants, appetizers and desserts we never would have tried if "paying out of pocket". In order to not get overfilled we choose several Signature TS.

The plan still works for us and we will continue to use it.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i miss having the plan include the tip. 18-20% tip at a signature meal made the plan more worth it for us. otherwise we use it more for the convenience meaning when we travel with teenagers who use the snack credits but don't need to carry a lot of cash or have access to my credit card or for instance some members of our family are less able to afford say the signature dinners so several of us cover the dining plan for the entire group then when we actually sit down for the meal no one feels uncomfortable.