Anyone happy with No Meal Plan???

[herbg]

Uh, so if it's raining in Epcot we should change our plans and go to Hollywood Studios instead... where it won't be raining?

you're right.... let me go to the water park on the day it's raining because I need to go eat at a restaurant at Magic Kingdom on the sunny hot day because I made reservations for a restaurant in that park 6 months prior... just saying

 

[Anthony1971]

Some people like to plan others like the adventure....
We have been going for years and never plan what park we will go to and rarely where we will eat... If we go to a park and it is crowded we go to a different one... if the restuarant can not accomadate us we move on -- this has only happened once where we did not want to wait one hour and we go in September most years but do not get FD.
We also do not plan what we are going to do and when at other places although we would know what we would like to see ... if we get there we get there life is precious, our time is better spent enjoying where we are not sticking to a schedule .
OMG it is 12:45 here it is time for lunch even though I am not hungry

 

[AdventureLover67]

Some people like to plan others like the adventure....
We have been going for years and never plan what park we will go to and rarely where we will eat... If we go to a park and it is crowded we go to a different one... if the restuarant can not accomadate us we move on -- this has only happened once where we did not want to wait one hour and we go in September most years but do not get FD.
We also do not plan what we are going to do and when at other places although we would know what we would like to see ... if we get there we get there life is precious, our time is better spent enjoying where we are not sticking to a schedule .
OMG it is 12:45 here it is time for lunch even though I am not hungry

We have it done it that way before too. The Plan was Not to Plan!!!

Had a great time, too!!

 

[KungFoomF]

We would never get the dining plan unless it was free. With a family of 5, the free dining plan is a really good value, but yes, it absolutely dictates your day. It just destroys your flexibility.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Sometimes I think it's nice to not have a trip completely planned out way in advance and to wing it more when we get there. I always plan at least one or two ts meals though and make sure to have an adr for those.

 

[wonderbear2]

If you can eat between 8 and 9 PM, you should have no problem getting reservations at most any restaurant 24 hours in advances.

If you are an adult couple, that time is ideal, because it is much quieter; if you have children, then you may have to eat earlier than the normal dinner hour

 

[Nature Mom]

Our last trip in December, we had ADRs to very hard to get restraunts (Crystal Palace for example). People were walking up and getting tables at most of the places we ate at. I was kind of put off that I couldnt get any reservations, even tried from our room. So the last day we just walked up and was able to get a table in 5 minutes at the Mexican place in Epcot. And according to the CM when I called, there was NOTHING at Epcot that day! So as long as you dont have a must have, I would do what you feel comfortable with. We have a 4 yr old, so we have to make ADRs. Dont want to wait long when you have a hungry child.

Funny you mention that. Within the past few days of my obsession with the Dis boards and everything WDW, I saw a just back trip report of someone who did just that at Crystal Palace, at near peak lunch time. I thought at first 'yeah for her!' but then I see yours and realize that the DDP kinda stinks for you that way too, because you had to do so much work just to know you would be able to eat there.

Back to OP:

I just know for me, IMHO, it is exorbitantly highly priced and for my family it doesn't make sense to spend that kind of money on food since my DH is a SERIOUS foodie and wanna-be chef (he's really an engineer, lol) but there is absolutely nothing that we could want that he couldn't make (Thai, Indian, Morrocan, homemade pasta, seafood dishes, paella, bbq, etc.) Cooking is his vacation, lol, so we are staying at Fort Wilderness so we can have yummy dinners every night, breakfast in the morning before we leave, and I have highlighted a few lunch spots to see if they will work for us while in the parks. If it is not a park that has a particular place we are interested in, I will take chicken salad pita wraps or other easy food in a small cooler. For a family of 5 the prices would be astronomical to eat out everday! (It isn't just about saving money, though, I personally don't know how any of the park food can really be healthy. My DD has allergies and while I know WDW does a good job there, I know what she will eat already. I don't want to take the chance and her take one bite and say it is disgusting and then not eat it and then go hungry-because a lot of gluten free is quite yucky, lol.) Sorry, I digress...

The DDP does not work for us, we are not missing out, but we eat well anyway. Someone else might feel differently: it's their vacation, their gonna eat and spend their money how they want to. To each their own. Or in the hiking world: Hike your own hike.