So after calculations, the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan is cheaper

[Weather_Lady]

I use my Visa Rewards to pay for food. It's one way to feel like I'm almost getting free meals.

You make a good point! If you pay out of pocket using a rewards card, it's like getting a built-in discount. I use my JetBlue rewards CC to pay for meals.... and actually, all of our WDW expenses except for airfare (because there is no charge for it: we only go to Orlando when we have sufficient rewards points to fly for free). As a result, by the time we've charged one WDW trip's-worth of hotel, food and ticket expenses, we've already earned sufficient points to cover the airfare for 1 of the 4 of us for a future trip...

 

[jackpast]

The dining plan only saves you money if 2 people eat a lot! We’ve been dining for years paying cash at all restaurants except V&A. If we get dessert it’s shared. Most times we don’t. If everyone gets a dessert and a snack each day...whoo, love to see the calorie count on that.

 

[RookieMouse]

Never used the dining plan as it doesn't make sense for our family. We stay DVC and will usually make breakfast at the room before hitting the parks. We also don't exclusively do Disney; we will always include a Universal day in our plans for my Potterhead daughter. Because we always stay DVC, we also can never take advantage of free dining.

For our upcoming trip in 10 days, I was toying with the idea of buying a TIW card, as there are 4 of us (although the two teenagers are girls, and don't have the typical teenage appetites). AT $150 for a TIW card, I figured we would have to spend $750 on meals for it to pay for itself with the 20% discount, but then I remembered that I already get 10-15% off just by showing my DVC membership card, which means I would have to spend $1500 on food to justify a TIW card, so I decided to pass. We are only doing 4+ park days over a 7-night stay, and our only ADRs are:

Raglan Road
Jiko
Le Cellier (lunch)
Via Napoli Pizzeria
Afternoon Tea at the GF (for the girls... I will wander over to the Poly and hit up Trader Sam's)
Liberty Tree Tavern
50's Prime Time Diner.

 

[MinnieWaffles]

Eating the amount of food on the Deluxe Dining Plan in the Florida heat makes me feel sick just thinking about it!! I wouldn't be able to go on any rides for fear of revisiting my castle breakfast or primetime dinner...

 

[Dave B]

The dining plan only saves you money if 2 people eat a lot! We’ve been dining for years paying cash at all restaurants except V&A. If we get dessert it’s shared. Most times we don’t. If everyone gets a dessert and a snack each day...whoo, love to see the calorie count on that.

I would say it saves even more money as your party goes

 

[NCDJ2015]

To make a long story short, it's cheaper for me and my better half. Don't want to read, skip straight to bottom for the breakdown.

One of the things she mentioned to me is, "I'll go on all the rides you want as long as we get to dine in style." So then I had the dilemma of deciding whether to use cash or the dining plan for meals. So we went through every UP TO DATE menu of the restaurants we made reservations at, and picked what we would most likely order from apps to wine to desserts.

Little side note: The menu's on Disney's site are out of date. This site and Touring Plans are best IMO.

So for an 8 night stay, the Deluxe Dining plan gives 2 people a total of 48 dining credits and works out to be $1859.92 and we're using mostly signature restaurants with the other table credit for either breakfast or lunch. We're also doing 3 counter service and have it spaced out and worked out so it would fit our schedule in the parks.

Also there were some modifications. For one, if we were paying cash, we probably wouldn't order dessert alot because I don't normally eat it after a huge meal. Maybe a few meals. Also I did not take into consideration the refillable mug for two and all the snacks. I did not include those.

The breakdown for 2 people for 8 night stay:

Paying with cash: $1942.50 including tipping 20% at ALL table service restaurants

Deluxe Dining Plan COST for 8 nights: $1859.92 <- This is how much more you pay in the Disney World package price whether you get the Deluxe Dining Plan or not. For 8 nights that is.

Deluxe Dining Plan bill: $2137.50 including tipping 20% at ALL table service restaurants (This is the receipt or bill the waiter gives you while using your table credits to show you what you WOULD have spent including tip)

I mean it's not much savings but it's savings and when you add in the snacks and refillable mug drink, it's worth it by a mile.

Edit: Sigh, so I messed this up because I forgot to add the tips onto the DDP package cost ($1859.92). Tips add up to $336 additional which makes this post kinda moot. Sorry guys.

Not really accurate to include tips in your comparison since they are not included in DP cost....

 

[joejccva71]

Not really accurate to include tips in your comparison since they are not included in DP cost....

That's why they're added in the total cost afterwards based on 20% tipping.

 

[JoeT63]

Didn't read all posts...sorry if already mentioned: OP didn't mention the value of not worrying about paying as you go. To me that's a VERY valuable aspect of the dining plan(s). I'm not sure how to measure it, but not having to worry about money and a daily budget is a big deal.

 

[steve2wdw]

We did the DDP WAY back in 2006. We paid $32.99 pp (which was one quick serve and one table serve) and it INCLUDED tips. I believe we also received two snacks per day and the table service included both app and dessert. There also were not 2 credit dining experiences, every table serve was one credit, including character meals....We had usually broken even before the entree of our table service was even served. Prices then started to climb, elimination of the app with table serve, loss of a snack, and tipping now on top of the plan, and we found that it didn't make sense anymore. To top it off, IMO, the DDP homogenized most of the menus on property, to the detriment of everyone AND the cash prices are ridiculous too. The only way we've found dining at Disney to make sense is the purchase of Tables in Wonderland, and even that cost has been raised, but once you've covered that initial cost, the savings does add up. No matter how you look at it, Disney has taken something that at one time worked, whether it be the DDP, and even FP, and ruined it. Just my opinion.

 

[spock8113]

Personally, we've done the math on past visits by saving all food receipts-it was almost the same, penny for penny.

What I don't particularly like is getting an inconvenient dining time and then you schedule your daily visit upon having to leave for that meal slot.
Or worse, have two big dining experiences in one day!
(Did Ohana in the AM and Biergarten in the PM-was repeatedly mistaken for a Buddha statue-not recommended by me or your doctor)
I'd rather free range and then take a chance as I happen to stroll near by.

I’ve basically walked in on many of the selections listed below.
Restaurants that I would go out of my way for is Ohana's (B,L &D), Rose and Crown, Via Napoli, The Biergarten, SciFi Cafe, Prime Time Café (finish your veggies), Whispering Canyon Café (don’t ask for ketchup)

If you don't have kids I would pass on Cinderella’s Royal Breakfast, Be Our Guest and Hollywood and Vine.

Some of the better quick meal spots would be Columbia Harbor House, The Electric Umbrella, Backlot Express and Pizzafari.

What you’ll soon find is that all food, regardless of the restaurant is basically the same with some variations.
What you pay for at some of these dining areas is the “atmosphere”.

Though many may disagree with this, it’s a balance between theme park-ing, eating and dining.

PS-we never had room for dessert and if we took it to the room, it spoiled (yes, spoiled).

 

[joejccva71]

What you’ll soon find is that all food, regardless of the restaurant is basically the same with some variations.
What you pay for at some of these dining areas is the “atmosphere”.

I unequivocally and insurmountably disagree with this.

So you're going to tell me that places like Jiko, Flying Fish, Yachtsman Steakhouse, California Grill and the Hollywood Brown Derby are basically the same (food-wise) then all the other places? No. Just, no.

Let's not even get into Shula's. We'll leave that one out cause it's not on the DDP, but still probably top 3 restaurants on property without question.

 

[Minthorne]

OK the self proclaimed DDP hater (that's me) is thinking of getting it on my next trip. But hear me out, I think it makes sense...

On my next trip we arrive for 1 night at SSR followed by a week at BWV. Since I am DVC I can add one night of the DDP on for the single night at SSR that I can use on the arrival day and the next day until midinight.

Our first Day we land at 11am and have 6pm reservations for the Star Wars VR at DS. We planned to eat at a QS there that night at DS, maybe D-Luxe Burger. On the next day we move to BWV and have an evening reservation for Cape May Buffet dinner. That afternoon we were going to check out the Flower and Garden festival and have lunch at the kiosks.

DP - $75.49 pp

1 Table Service Cape May $48
+ alcohol drink $9

1 Quick Service D-Luxe $12
+ alcohol drink $9

2 Snack F&G $6
only use credits on items over $6

Refill Mug bonus - give no value as I would not buy regularly
----------
$90

Seems to save about $14.50 (plus taxes) not even counting the mug. Does this make sense? I'd have tipped anyhow and most likely bought a drink. Is this the seduction of the Dark Side?

 

[slappy magoo]

The dining plan only saves you money if 2 people eat a lot! We’ve been dining for years paying cash at all restaurants except V&A. If we get dessert it’s shared. Most times we don’t. If everyone gets a dessert and a snack each day...whoo, love to see the calorie count on that.

The Deluxe Dining Plan was worth it for us last bunch of trips because our kids were under 10, at times under 3 so no dining plan for her at all. The plan isn't all that affordable for just adults unless you really sock it away, but if you have kids and do a lot buffet/character meals, there's a definite saving there. We'd easily save a couple of hundred because of all the pay one price character meals we'd go to and still bring home so many snacks like the trail mix because we just didn't need to eat them all. This year my oldest will have just turned 10, we couldn't swing getting there before her birthday, so all those pay one price meals, IF we do them, it's just not economically feasible to pay $115 a night for her, and she definitely won't have the appetite of an adult.

But I will say there's a better chance of the deluxe plan being worth it for adults since alcohol is now included. However, I'm not much of a drinker at all. I suppose were I on it, I could ask if my wife could get two glasses of wine with her meal and I'll pay out of pocket for a soft drink. Plus then she might get really soused.

Regardless, no matter how I crunch the numbers, it seems getting a Tables in Wonderland card makes more sense this time, and probably going forward.