should i get dining plan?

[j_lehr]

We are going Dec 23-27. Right now i don't have the dining option and it would cost us $455 to add it on for 3 people. We plan to spend all of our time at the parks or resort...probably won't go downtown or anywhere else since our stay is short. Someone said not to get the dining plan to save time eating but I am thinking that we have to eat sometime and would this be better money wise in the long run?

Thanks for all the great help this board offers!

Jes

 

[jrsmom]

You might want to check out the menus on allearsnet.com . They have most of the prices listed so it should be easy to figure out if it would be a good deal for you. The dining plan also includes tax and tip. For us it is a great deal.

Vickey

 

[Ms.Mouse]

We've been adding the dining plan. For us and the places we eat, it works for us to save us $$$$. You would certainly spend more than $455 to feed three people if you plan a sit-down meal each day. From the sounds of the posts, most feel it saves them $$$ while some say it's not for them. For our family it is also important for us to have the sit-down meal at the end of the day so we can relax and talk to each other after the busy days at each of the parks.

 

[malibuconlee]

With that being such a busy time, I would try and get ADR's for one table service per day before you decide to purchase the plan.

As for value, DH and I would definitely get the plan. We like to eat well, especially on vacation!!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Yes.
. . . if you eat at more expensive sit-down restaurants
. . . if you usually eat a lot of food while at Disney
. . . if you won't use the plan for table service breakfasts or lunches
2) No.
. . . if you eat at moderately priced restaurants
. . . if you do a lot of signature restaurants (2-coupons needed)
. . . if you will use the plan for table servioce breakfasts or lunches
. . . if you usually don't pig out while at Disney
3) Maybe.
. . . if you can plan ahead to eat at more expensive eateries
. . . if you can eat more than $40 per per per day


NOTE: For many (maybe even most) people, they lose money on the dining plan. They use their coupons for things like dinner shows (eg Hoop Dee Do) or for sit-down breakfasts and lunches. They never reach the $40/day average cost of the plan.

 

[WAHMto5]

It depends on where you plan to eat. If you want to do any of the table services, I would for sure say "YES"!! It will be soo much worth your money. I would also say don't wait to do it. I would do it asap and make your reservations so you can get into the TS restaurants you want, especailly for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

 

[allaboutmm]

We give the DDP the thumbs up. We found it was worth it and saved us $ in the long run. That just IMO

 

[Alice28]

I say GO FOR IT! We loved it both times we used it- one time was a 'free' offer and the other time we paid for it. It's so worth it, just to save the hassle of feeling like you are always pulling your wallet out.

I think it easily pays for itself. My favorite example is this- a day where we didn't overindulge, and still the dining plan paid for itself.

Mom and I had lunch at Flame Tree BBQ in AK- I think for the two of us, lunch was about $34-35 for two rib lunches, 2 drinks, 2 desserts & we used a snack option so we could try the onion rings I had read so many raves about. I do remember eating everything but my dessert- I took a couple bites and called it good.

We split a water later for our other snack credit. $2.50

We had dinner at Crystal Palace at the MK. I think after tax and tip (gotta love that that is incl in the DDP!) it was about $70.

So without doing much different than we had if we paid OOP, we saved about $30-32 that day. I probably would not have gotten dessert at Flame Tree, but we might have gotten 1 dessert and shared it.

And there were other days where we saved WAY more- I think our meal at le Cellier was about $100 including the tip. And that was just the table service, not incl our snack and counter service meal for the day!

I am a bit bummed because our next trip we will stay at Shades of Green, a fabulous deal, but we can't add the DDP to our room.

 

[Randy K]

We just returned and were a party of 3. We averaged $190.00 a day in food. So with the dining plan we basically got a 50% discount on the food and had some really great meals. So yes this is an incredible deal unless you have small kids and/or really picky eaters.

 

[indigoxtreme]

Im not sure were the poster is getting his info about most people losing out on the plan. We have had it for free and we have paid for it. We have come out at least 40% to 50% ahead with the plan. We did not maximize the plan either. We ordered what we wanted etc. I will not return w/o the plan unless the make it real expensive or take it away.

 

[LuvTony0508]

wouldn't do Disney without it ever again. This was the first (of 3) visits that I did the DP and LOVED IT. It was well worth the money and it worked fabulously for our family.

 

[bdb7607]

Our family will be able to do more character meals, try TS restaurants we wouldn't normally try and will probably have some CS credits left over to use at Earl of Sandwich for the plane ride home!!

Last trip we averaged $116.43 per day on meals / snacks without the DDP eating mostly CS, this year it will be $108.90 per day with the dining plan with better options!

 

[LoveMyBoys]

The time you are going, the parks are open later, so you won't lose as much park time eating. And with the parks being crowded it might be nice to have a sit down meal, and get away from all the hustle and bustle.

 

[Gina35]

Im not sure were the poster is getting his info about most people losing out on the plan.

I totally agree. We have NOT been on the plan b4, but we're going in August and I am sooooo excited making my ADRs, etc. We are eating at places every night where we would normally eat only 2 or 3 times during the week. Even for "cheaper" restaurants, we end up spending at least as much as the dining plan, when you add in a counter service and snack. We're so glad not to have to worry about whether or not we can afford something once we're there. I agree that you should definitely go for it!!

 

[HaleyB]

We are going Dec 23-27. Right now i don't have the dining option and it would cost us $455 to add it on for 3 people. We plan to spend all of our time at the parks or resort...probably won't go downtown or anywhere else since our stay is short. Someone said not to get the dining plan to save time eating but I am thinking that we have to eat sometime and would this be better money wise in the long run?

Thanks for all the great help this board offers!

Jes

I just love the DDP and I think it is a fantastic value. However if time is a concern, you may want to skip it. A 4 course meal each day will take up about 2 hours of time start to finish. You can easily eat a CS meal in 45 even with pretty long lines.

If you will eat TS meals either way go for the DDP, but if you plan to do CS to save time it is a bad fit for you.

 

[JimMIA]

We used on our recent trip and loved it. We used our 5 TSs for Le Cellier, Teppenyaki, Coral Reef, and the LTT and 1900 Park Faire character meals.

Not looking at menu prices, but comparing to what we normally would have spent for those five meals with the 20% DDE discount, I computed we saved at least $70. I considered the five days of CS and snacks - all of which we used - as free bonus items.

I do think comparing to your normal dining pattern is the best comparison.

 

[angelmav]

We are a family of Big eaters, so I think the DDP may be for us on our next trip, seems to me that the only people that it wouldnt benefit are the light eaters, those who prefer to go off the grounds for meals or those that dont want to take the time to sit down for meals, that is unless the DDP drastically changes before we go next summer!

 

[V677]

yes, you should get the dining plan.its way worth it.