The Dining Plan - Why don't some people like it?

[CluelessDisFan]

We love the DDP. Granted we always get free DDP. We love that it's paid for in advance, we know if we were paying OOP on site we would limit ourselves from getting what we want. However, in a couple of years we'll be ready to buy into DVC, and I doubt we'll eat out every day for lunch and dinner. Although I'm curious what this TIW card is people are saving with.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We love the DDP. Granted we always get free DDP. We love that it's paid for in advance, we know if we were paying OOP on site we would limit ourselves from getting what we want. However, in a couple of years we'll be ready to buy into DVC, and I doubt we'll eat out every day for lunch and dinner. Although I'm curious what this TIW card is people are saving with.

It's a dining discount card available to Florida residents for $100, AP holders for $75 and DVC members (unsure of the price). It gives you a 20% discount off your total dining bill including alcohol, specialty beverages, appetizers, etc. The restaurant automatically adds an 18% gratuity to the check based on the original check amount.

The card is issued to one person and is good for them and 9 guests. It is accepted at most TS and some CS establishments. I'm sure there's a list somewhere but I don't have a link.

The card is valid for one year. The break even point is pretty low if you are going to be in Disney for more than a few days. $375 if you pay $75 for the card or $500 if you pay $100 for the card.

 

[MinnieGolf]

I've been mulling over this issue for quite some time, but after our latest visit in December, I've decided that the dining plan is not worth it. I've had multiple visits with and without the plan, and the final tally always has shown that the financial difference is negligible. However, this latest trip proved that the dining plan is not flexible enough for us and, quite frankly, took a lot of the fun out of the trip. So here's a list of why I don't like it:

1. We typically eat table service each night, but on this particular trip we felt locked in to our ADRs because of the dining plan. If we had been paying OOP, we probably would've canceled one or two of our ADRs and eaten more simply.

2. At some signature restaurants, I would rather have an appetizer and a salad, not an entree.

3. With a few exceptions, the desserts that are included in the counter-service meals are not worth the calories. I would rather have a salad at lunch and grab a decadent dessert somewhere else. (And fellow Disneyholics know where the best desserts are!)

4. If I have an entree at a signature restaurant, I typically do not have "room" for dessert. Also, I'd rather have water with my dinner. The beverage/dinner/dessert table-service credit doesn't work for me.

5. I learned on previous trips to not even order beverages and desserts for table service if I don't want them. Otherwise, I'm paying extra in tips.

6. Too much time is spent negotiating with the other members of the traveling Are you going to use your counter service? Can I take your snack credit? Should we try to split a table-service credit? I have enough negotiation and stress in the real world. I don't need it on vacation.

7. It doesn't save money for me, especially since the "free" dining requires paying rack rate for the hotel room.

8. Since the DDP doesn't fit my eating style, I ended up spending extra dollars on what I do want to eat or drink.

So, in the future, I plan to wait for a room discount and pay OOP for food and drink. No more DDP for us.

 

[teffy]

I am a person who always looks at the right side of the menu...it is a luxury to order what I want, which is generally the most expensive item on the menu.

This is totally me! I think we're doing the DDP so we don't have to worry about paying then and can eat with the characters and have signature dining a lot too.

 

[havoc315]

40% off on a Deluxe would save more than free dining in a Deluxe if you were only 2 adults and possibly 1 child. 2 adults with 2 older kids would save more with free dining.

You could use 2TS credits another night for a signature restaurant or show. But the QS credits may be tougher to use as I don't normally need 3 meals in a day.

I find the exact opposite. Buffets are much cheaper than most of our 1TS dinners if you figure in entree, dessert, drink and tax. Our TS dinners average about $40-$45 per person. Most buffets are less than that.

For our upcoming trip, 30% room discount was a bigger savings than free dining, with 2 adults and 2 children.

Most of the dinner buffets are now over $40.
There are many many regular Ts meals, where it is mathematically impossible to hit $40.

 

[Huff]

For our upcoming trip, 30% room discount was a bigger savings than free dining, with 2 adults and 2 children.

Most of the dinner buffets are now over $40.
There are many many regular Ts meals, where it is mathematically impossible to hit $40.

Yes, there are some TS dinners that would be under $40. We prefer the more expensive restaurants. For our 9 nights on DDP, most dinners would be over $40 including dessert, tax and drinks. I do agree that a decent room discount on a deluxe could be cheaper if you have kids ages 9 or under or only 2 adults. Our kids are now over age 9. But when they were 8-9 they outgrew the nuggets and pizza thing so we got the adult DDP for them.

 

[pilferk]

It's a dining discount card available to Florida residents for $100, AP holders for $75 and DVC members (unsure of the price).

I don't think (and if I'm wrong, PLEASE someone provide more updated info...we're considering this option for our upcoming December trip) simply being a DVC member qualifies you for purchase.

I think you still have to buy an AP (though you can buy a discounted DVC AP) in order to be able to buy a TIW card.

Edit: Looks like maybe there was an announcement at the annual meeting that, at some point in 2012...that benefit IS going to start!

WOO HOO!!

Anyone have links to further info?

 

[cluvsdisney]

I don't think (and if I'm wrong, PLEASE someone provide more updated info...we're considering this option for our upcoming December trip) simply being a DVC member qualifies you for purchase.

I think you still have to buy an AP (though you can buy a discounted DVC AP) in order to be able to buy a TIW card.

Edit: Looks like maybe there was an announcement at the annual meeting that, at some point in 2012...that benefit IS going to start!

WOO HOO!!

Anyone have links to further info?

I haven't seen anything other than the announcement. Per usual, Disney is slow to roll out benefits (opposed to the lightening speed with which they implement cutbacks and price increases ).

But I am pretty jazzed about this! DH & I can easily save with the TIW card with a couple of meals but we don't normally purchase an annual pass.

 

[pilferk]

I haven't seen anything other than the announcement. Per usual, Disney is slow to roll out benefits (opposed to the lightening speed with which they implement cutbacks and price increases ).

But I am pretty jazzed about this! DH & I can easily save with the TIW card with a couple of meals but we don't normally purchase an annual pass.

Someone posted a link in another thread that I asked about this in:

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-pro...l-months-away/

Looks like "early spring"! No pricing available, yet.

 

[havoc315]

Yes, there are some TS dinners that would be under $40. We prefer the more expensive restaurants. For our 9 nights on DDP, most dinners would be over $40 including dessert, tax and drinks. I do agree that a decent room discount on a deluxe could be cheaper if you have kids ages 9 or under or only 2 adults. Our kids are now over age 9. But when they were 8-9 they outgrew the nuggets and pizza thing so we got the adult DDP for them.

It's hard for me to think of many restaurants where it's even possible to go over $40... A few that are right around $40, but even then, only if you get the absolute most expensive item on the whole menu.

Tutto Italia used to be well over $40, but no idea what the new menu will look like.

Le Cellier used to be over $40, but it changed to 2 credits. (Guess it's still possible to go over $40 at lunch).

Chefs De France, still quite possible to go over $45 at dinner, but impossible to even break $40 at lunch.

For dinner, if getting the absolute most expensive items at some of the most expensive restaurants, it's possible still possible to go slightly above $40.

Looking at Kona Cafe as an example of a "not cheap" restaurant -- The most expensive item is the New York Strip at $28.99. Beverage is about $3. The most expensive dessert is Fondue at $6.99.
So it's basically $39, plus tax -- so about $42 with tax.


lol, personally, I can't imagine eating steak every night, between just a reasonable diet and varied tastes. But I do see plenty of people who actually do want to order that steak practically every night. And for such people, who order the $30 steak AND the dessert and beverage at every restaurant, then there is definitely savings under the plan. So if you know that's how you eat, the DDP is still a good value.

On the other hand, if you prefer doing TS lunch over TS dinner, OR you know you don't desire the most expensive items constantly, then the DDP probably doesn't make sense.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't think (and if I'm wrong, PLEASE someone provide more updated info...we're considering this option for our upcoming December trip) simply being a DVC member qualifies you for purchase.

I think you still have to buy an AP (though you can buy a discounted DVC AP) in order to be able to buy a TIW card.

Edit: Looks like maybe there was an announcement at the annual meeting that, at some point in 2012...that benefit IS going to start!

WOO HOO!!

Anyone have links to further info?

It was announced at the DVC meeting in December but all they said was "in 2012" and there is no further information as to when in 2012.

 

[ashenbiez]

we've done the dining plan twice and LOVED it!

in 2010 we did the quick service plan and it was wonderful! especially since that trip was tacked on to the end of a cruise where we were used to food being included haha our bellies were already stretched so we continued the pigging out. that year we booked with a gift card offer and used that for 2 table service meals.

in 2011 we realized how much we enjoyed the table service meals, so we did the regular dining plan. again, it was perfect for us. We used snacks for breakfast and quick service for lunch. We loved being able to "double up" our credits to get a fancy dinner at Narcoossee's for our anniversary - something we NEVER would have been able to afford.

my fiance loves the dining plan because it allows him to get steak whenever he wants. I love it because I feel more comfortable trying something new, knowing its already paid for. We don't like getting appetizers when we go out to eat because then we're usually too full for the main course anyways.
Vacations are all about indulging and desserts for us! haha

I think its just a personal opinion, though. I just love having everything paid for all at once. Makes it easier to relax and enjoy the vacation rather than worrying about going over budget with meals, snacks and drinks.

 

[photobob]

I have considered it before but it honestly didn't fit our eating or ordering habits. If it does for you then great! I can see the benefits of it but for me after crunching the numbers we would have spent much more than we normally do. We are DVC members and usually have a kitchen so we fix light meals and usually only eat one meal out a day.

I too am of the opinion that the DDP has brought the dumbing down of menus and caused increased pricing for those paying OOP. I could be wrong but I really don't think I am!!

 

[elaine amj]

I guess it all depends on your family. I recently did a price comparison after reading so many "DDP is not worth it" threads.

I ended up costing our food (OOP) at $1693 for 2 A, 2 K over 12 days. Paying for DDP would have cost us $1597. There are differences in what we would eat OOP vs DDP and we were a bit less wasteful in the OOP scenario (mostly fewer snacks and desserts and fewer drinks as we prefer water).

We got Free DDP - so it sounds like we have significant savings.

I then priced out a likely non-DDP scenario where we would stay offsite, rent a car, and get YES tickets. I actually expected our cost-savings to drop dramatically since when using DDP, we have to pay rack rate.

Our OOP scenario would have cost us over $700 more than our Free DDP scenario. It happens we fit the DDP profile well and that really makes the most difference when it comes to whether Free DDP is worth it. We enjoy the Disney TS places (there's pixie dust in the air and my DH inhales it!!) and we are 2 A, 2 K that stay at a Value Resort. I can see Free DDP being an even better deal when my kids are Disney Adults.

At this point and with our variables, we'd have to get a free room off-site and YES tickets to make up for not doing free dining.

If it wasn't free, then it likely won't be worth it for us to pay for it. Straight OOP vs DDP, we would save doing DDP but that would mean giving up other discounts. So I fully agree - DDP is not worth it anymore if you have to pay for it. The price it's gone up to is ridiculous.

 

[havoc315]

I then priced out a likely non-DDP scenario where we would stay offsite, rent a car, and get YES tickets. I actually expected our cost-savings to drop dramatically since when using DDP, we have to pay rack rate.

Our OOP scenario would have cost us over $700 more than our Free DDP scenario. It happens we fit the DDP profile well and that really makes the most difference when it comes to whether Free DDP is worth it. We enjoy the Disney TS places (there's pixie dust in the air and my DH inhales it!!) and we are 2 A, 2 K that stay at a Value Resort. I can see Free DDP being an even better deal when my kids are Disney Adults.

Free dining is a *great* value when staying in a value resort. No question about that. But that's largely because it's tough to stay off property for much less than the price of a value resort, especially when you factor in the necessary car rental.
So clearly, free dining is going to be better for a family, then the $20-$40 per night on your accommodation by going off property.

Where off-property can turn into a big savings, is when comparing on-property "deluxe" versus off-property "deluxe." An off-property deluxe room can be had for $200-250 per night (Hilton Bonnet Creek, for example), versus the $400-$600 per night to stay on property. If comparing a $200 room to a $500 room, free dining won't necessarily entice someone to overcome the $300 per night price difference.

 

[Maleficent53]

We did the dining plan once and really enjoyed eating dinner every night in a nice sit-down restaurant. BUT - we all agreed that we did not like having our days scheduled around where we had dinner reservations. We had to be at a certain park, or hotel, by a specific time because it is very difficult to change/make reservations at the last minute. We now pay as we go for meals and prefer to get a room discount (airline employee) instead....

 

[patsal]

Not difficult, just not something that saves my family any money. We do not eat at buffets, we don't always get desserts, I am a water drinker, not really any savings to be had for my family, so I figure why bother. I like to get what I want, where and when I want it. No dining plan works best for us!

 

[Mickeylivesinseattle]

The dining plan is not worth it......unless you want to eat sit down meals every day and have dessert with all those meals. For most people this is an obscene amount of eating.
Always take the good room discount over free dining because with free dining you pay full price for the room. Thus free dining is not really "free". You will save money with the good room discount, and eating normal.

 

[Goofydiane]

For me, there is just too much food....and with food allergies to wheat, flour, eggs, dairy, and a few other specific things, it is just easier to eat counter service food. It is always made fresh and they accomodate pretty much anything I want.

 

[mobesfamily]

For our trip this coming October we have decided to pay OOP and then compare when we get back. I see a lot of people post that they like having all their meals prepaid - well we are doing that - between Christmas & my kids' birthday we already have $450 in Disney gift cards to use. If I buy another $100 (or more depending on OT) worth every month until our trip then we will have over $1200 by the time we go. We will just have to see if it works for us.