You know those threads - those "Is it worth it?" threads....

[6loversofdisney]

I am actually questioning it. I have always gotten free dining when I have done the dining plan and if I didn't have it free, we just did CS restaurants and kept it simple and cheap.

I called to get a quote for this coming December and was kind of floored. I got a quote for 2 weeks, 2 rooms at value, 10 day park hopper - approximately $6,000.00 - then I said - okay, now add in the DDP (1 TS, 1 CS, 1 S) and guess what - $10,500.00 - I could not believe my ears. $4,500.00 for two weeks of dining. I am sorry but that is just crazy to me!!!

 

[sharonabe]

Considering you have 5 Disney adults, I'm not surprised at the cost. So can you feed your family of 6 for less than $4500 for two weeks at Disney? That breaks down to about $320/day. Personally, I think you can eat very well for far less than that. It may take some research and planning, but that's half the fun!

 

[summermac]

That seems a little high
5 adults @ 58.66 per person x 10 nights = $2933
1 child @ 18.88 per person x 10 nights = $188.80
Additional amount - $3121.80

Still a lot of money!

Wait, you said two weeks. Oops, yeah then $4500 is right. How about a split stay using DDP for half or a few days?

 

[kstgelais4]

That seems really high. We are a family of 5 Disney adults, 3 kids, 1 infant. Our 2 week december trip in 2011 was $4500. We had 10 day non hoppers, 2 rooms and free dining. I have a hard time believing that 2 years inflation plus DDP would be an extra $6000!

 

[TDC Nala]

The regular dining plan price figured for 2014 is $56.88 per adult per night. Multiplied by 5 adults staying 14 nights, the total cost for the plan alone is $4106.20. Add one child at $18.88 per night and you get $4370.52. It may seem high, but it's pretty much the correct price.

 

[sharonabe]

That seems really high. We are a family of 5 Disney adults, 3 kids, 1 infant. Our 2 week december trip in 2011 was $4500. We had 10 day non hoppers, 2 rooms and free dining. I have a hard time believing that 2 years inflation plus DDP would be an extra $6000!

You had FREE dining. The OP is saying paying for dining is $4500. There is still a $1500 difference, but OP has 4 more nights of lodging and hoppers. Add in three years' price increase on tickets and hotels, and it's probably pretty close to that $1500.

 

[kstgelais4]

I did say free dining. I also said we were there for 2 weeks. The most days you can get on a pass is 10, so that's what we got. Hoppers for them is only $300. That's still a $1200 discrepancy. Plus we had 2 more people than them. I realize dining for 14 days is $4500 for them, but to me that $1200 that is unaccounted for is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I am actually questioning it. I have always gotten free dining when I have done the dining plan and if I didn't have it free, we just did CS restaurants and kept it simple and cheap.

I called to get a quote for this coming December and was kind of floored. I got a quote for 2 weeks, 2 rooms at value, 10 day park hopper - approximately $6,000.00 - then I said - okay, now add in the DDP (1 TS, 1 CS, 1 S) and guess what - $10,500.00 - I could not believe my ears. $4,500.00 for two weeks of dining. I am sorry but that is just crazy to me!!!

Looks like you need to remove that " *Ask Me* - I'm a former Disney Dining Specialist " from your self-description.
The math is simple. The prices are published and available.
Now you know why so many people decide to pass on the Dining Plan, and eat the way they want instead.

Edit to add: Hope you have a wonderful Anniversary trip.

 

[Aliceacc]

For us, the DDP is ABSOLUTELY it.

Last trip we didn't get it, opting instead for discount YES park tickets. As much as we really loved the YES classes, I felt the difference every single time we ate. After a day or two, I felt as though we were hemorrhaging money. Food at WDW is EXPENSIVE! It got to where we would sit down to eat and I would look at the prices before the entrees.

Does DDP save us money? Sometimes yes, sometimes we break even. I've done the math, and it really does pretty much break even for us. But in terms of the quality of vacation it affords us, it's an absolute MUST for us at this point.

That's assuming, of course, that you want to do a table service meal each day. (I do. I love the fact that we stop for an hour and a half or so each day, and simply relax at one table and talk about our day. Counter service isn't the same thing-- we're focused on what we're doing next. But table service is family time, not "Disney time" for my family.)

ETA: I'm a math teacher. Here's the math for the OP: (I'll assume from this point on that "2 weeks" means 14 nights, not 13 or 15.)

1 child x 14 nights @ $18.88 = $264.32
5 adults x 14 nights @ $58.66= $4106.20

Total: $4370.52

That seems really high. We are a family of 5 Disney adults, 3 kids, 1 infant. Our 2 week december trip in 2011 was $4500. We had 10 day non hoppers, 2 rooms and free dining. I have a hard time believing that 2 years inflation plus DDP would be an extra $6000!

14(?) nights x 5 adults x $58.66 = $4106.20
14 nights x 3 kids @ $18.88= $792.96
Total: $4899.16

As to the additional difference, the inflation rate is probably a lot lower than the annual markup on both the resort and ticket prices.