Help deciding on if dining plan is worth it this time

[monica9]

Hi.
We are going for 9 nights but first two are at one resort and last 7 are renting points at a DVC. We've been over a handful of times in the past 8 years and always had the regular dining plan.
It's me, DH, DD (9) DD(2).
We are going with my sister and her husband but they are staying at a different resort. They have the quick service plan.

I tried using the dining plan calculator but still having a hard time figuring out if it's right for us.

We will definitely be doing:
chef mickey breakfast
ohana for dinner
1900 park fare for dinner
artist point for dinner for snow white and dwarves.
We would love to do the space restaurant at Epcot if it opens (going late September this year)

We like to get at least one snack (ice cream or pretzel) per person per day. We just drink water from the kiosks and I will order bottled waters from prime, coffee and I'll order juice boxes.

We would love to grab a drink with sit down meals and I like that they give alcohol with dinners.
We also would like to do be our guest for lunch and my husband likes breakfast foods so will definitely be eating quick service breakfasts most of the days and others will be bagels or cereal that we will order from prime.
DH also likes desserts at least once a day.

What do you think?

 

[Wild4Walt]

For me, a QS plan never made sense. On our last trip, we were able to take advantage of the 'Free' Dining plan and I'm not sure we'll ever be able to go to Disney and NOT get it again. My DH loved the ease of it and I loved that we got to try different places that we may not have tried if we didn't have the plan ( like the Edison )

I am the frugal one in the family so for me it comes down to price. If the price I am getting with the plan with meet or beat what I expect we will pay OOP, then I do it. This does mean a lot of research on my part looking at menus and prices.

You didn't say when you are going - historically, do you know if there was a free dining offer during that time period last year? If yes, then I'd add the plan now ( I was told by a cast member that it's easier for them to convert if it's already on your package ) and if the offer opens up then I'd call back and see if they can convert it. We did that last year ( I booked at the end of 2017 for September 2018 ) and it only added 12.00 a day to what our current package price was at the time. We couldn't beat it.

 

[monica9]

I can't get free dining because I rented DVC points for a Poly villa.
We are going sept 29-oct 6 2019.
I'm the frugal one too and worry if we don't have the plan I will stress too much about the prices for everything we buy which is why I'm wondering if we should just get the plan. I calculated it and we would be paying maybe $200 more for a dining plan but the plan factors in tax so it might be less plus it factors in drinks, I won't have to purchase coffee or a refillable mug to get coffee.
We would also be able to get quick service meals and snacks for our 2 year old if we do the dining plan and convert table service to quick services. Icant see that that's cost effect but maybe it is since we would have to pay out of pocket without the plan for our little one.
I have 9 days to figure this out before ADR's!

 

[gharter]

You really need to look at where and what you would generally eat vs what you can get on the DDP.
We had the DDP free once and quickly realized it wasn't for us. It had too much food for what we normally ate. Several of the restaurants where we like to go, also were not on the DDP. When it was free, it was okay, but not something we would pay for.
For others, it has worked very well. YMMV.

 

[monica9]

You really need to look at where and what you would generally eat vs what you can get on the DDP.
We had the DDP free once and quickly realized it wasn't for us. It had too much food for what we normally ate. Several of the restaurants where we like to go, also were not on the DDP. When it was free, it was okay, but not something we would pay for.
For others, it has worked very well. YMMV.

Dining plan is always too much food for us too and we don't want to sit down every day. If anything we are definitely doing 3 sit down meals, ohana because it's my husbands favorite, chef mickey because we want one with all the characters, and Cinderella at 1900 park fare because she loves cindereall and fairy godmother. I can't see going to Disney and NOT doing the new snow white one at Artist point though so that might be our 4th. So right there is 4 sit downs for our 7 night trip. We would just do a quick service the day of our table service and then one snack. the days we don't do a table service we will just do 2 quick services and snacks.
So I don't know if it's cost effective to get the sit down dining plan, use 4 sit downs or maybe even do Cinderellas royal table instead of park fare and use two credits for that and just swap the last couple of sit downs for quick service meals. That way tax is included, alcohol is included at the sit downs and I don't have to nit pick about every dime we spend.

 

[KayaWildfire]

Honestly, if you aren't going to use all your table service credits, then the dining plan just doesn't make sense. Converting table service credits to quick service is a terrible use of them. We've done the dining plan on most of our trips, but it makes sense for us. We use all the credits and now that alcohol is included, we easily spend $60+ dollars a person a single meal(the adults) so it works. And just an FYI, you aren't going to get credits for your youngest as she is under 3 so is free in all respects, including all meals. So she will be expected to share off your plate or you have to buy food for her.

 

[DisneyHardin]

The frugalness in me is exactly why we always get the dining plan. I would only order the cheapest stuff on the menu if I wasn't "pre-paying" for it through the dining plan. I would never pay almost $100 for the two of us to have breakfast at Chef Mickey's if I wasn't on the plan. I know there are people who say just set aside the cost of the dining plan and then use that to pay for your meals, but I just can't do it. When I just pay for the plan as part of my package, I can just bury my head in the sand to how expensive dining is at WDW.

 

[rwdavis2]

I can't get free dining because I rented DVC points for a Poly villa.

I believe you CAN get the DDP but you have to buy it through the person from which you rented points.

 

[Karebear]

Given where you are eating, you will probably come out ahead paying out of pocket. Really look at what you will order. For example, I will often get a kids meal at CS places because the adult version is too much especially at places such as Satu’il Canteen. Since DD was about 9 she liked the adult menus better than kids so often she and I split an entree and also get a salad or something as well. We often split dessert...just too much food for all of us. Honestly we order what we want, high price menu items, alcohol, etc. and still always come in less than we would have spent on the plan.

 

[2hapykdz]

Hi.
We are going for 9 nights but first two are at one resort and last 7 are renting points at a DVC. We've been over a handful of times in the past 8 years and always had the regular dining plan.
It's me, DH, DD (9) DD(2).
We are going with my sister and her husband but they are staying at a different resort. They have the quick service plan.

I tried using the dining plan calculator but still having a hard time figuring out if it's right for us.

We will definitely be doing:
chef mickey breakfast
ohana for dinner
1900 park fare for dinner
artist point for dinner for snow white and dwarves.
We would love to do the space restaurant at Epcot if it opens (going late September this year)

We like to get at least one snack (ice cream or pretzel) per person per day. We just drink water from the kiosks and I will order bottled waters from prime, coffee and I'll order juice boxes.

We would love to grab a drink with sit down meals and I like that they give alcohol with dinners.
We also would like to do be our guest for lunch and my husband likes breakfast foods so will definitely be eating quick service breakfasts most of the days and others will be bagels or cereal that we will order from prime.
DH also likes desserts at least once a day.

What do you think?

If food is important to you....like it is to me...then the DP works. But remember a few things....with the DP....you have to plan to eat....meaning even if youre not really hungry...ya gotta go! So its a part of your vacation. And to make it worth it...you need to get the most expensive items. Sometimes you might be in the mood for that pasta dish for $24 ....but your mind says "I have to get that $38 steak to make it worth it. There have been times where I force myself to get the most expensive item....and it wasnt great and I really wanted the burger. If you think you need to have a lunch and a dinner everyday, it might be worth it. Sometimes we arent hungry and might skip a meal....harder to do with little kids....but you have to do the math on it!!

 

[Toolulu22]

We are trying the DDP on our upcoming trip. This will be our first time trying the plan. We are using the middle plan- with one TS per day.

We’ve resisted the Dining Plan in the past because it seems like more food than we would eat. However, this trip is a 5 night trip and we only plan on 2 park days, one water park (which is really a half day) and then some golf and DS. We planned this as a more relaxing trip with trying out some new restaurants specifically in mind and have TS dinner reservations planned each night.

The tipping point is the included drinks. Since we are doing a low key trip, we will be indulging in the one alcoholic beverage that comes included with each meal.

I don’t know that we will actually SAVE money, because $750 is more than we usually spend on food- but, we don’t normally eat TS every night either at places like Artist’s Point or California Grill. Going in knowing that we wanted to indulge in meals at new places this trip, I calculated the cost of food and we maxed out the DP by choosing some prime locations to eat. We’re not eating at some of our usual spots because then the DP wouldn’t be cost effective.

I’m interested in the convenience factor as well. I’m curious to see how much more convenient it will be to have drinks, snacks and our meals prepaid.

 

[sharonabe]

We are going for 9 nights but first two are at one resort and last 7 are renting points at a DVC. We've been over a handful of times in the past 8 years and always had the regular dining plan.
It's me, DH, DD (9) DD(2).
We are going with my sister and her husband but they are staying at a different resort. They have the quick service plan.

I tried using the dining plan calculator but still having a hard time figuring out if it's right for us.

We will definitely be doing:
chef mickey breakfast
ohana for dinner
1900 park fare for dinner
artist point for dinner for snow white and dwarves.
We would love to do the space restaurant at Epcot if it opens (going late September this year)

Here's another option. You could get the DDP for your first 2 nights. Do two of the meals you have planned during this time and maybe BoG lunch. You would then have the mug which you could use for your second stay as well to save on coffee.

Your 2 yr old will not have a plan, by the way, so if you do get the plan for the 7 nights, you won't have extra credits for her. So either way, you'll pay OOP for her.

If you're not going to do 7 TS meals during that part of your trip, I wouldn't get any plan and just pay OOP for what you want to do. Getting it for just the 2 nights could save you some money for that portion of your trip.

 

[monica9]

The frugalness in me is exactly why we always get the dining plan. I would only order the cheapest stuff on the menu if I wasn't "pre-paying" for it through the dining plan. I would never pay almost $100 for the two of us to have breakfast at Chef Mickey's if I wasn't on the plan. I know there are people who say just set aside the cost of the dining plan and then use that to pay for your meals, but I just can't do it. When I just pay for the plan as part of my package, I can just bury my head in the sand to how expensive dining is at WDW.

THIS! Exactly my dilemma. The only thing I can think of that will make me feel better is buying a $1000 gift card with my sisters target red card so will get 5% off and we will just use that.

 

[dachsie]

Reading some of the posts has me confused. Some are referring to DDP - is that the deluxe plan? I would think if she was getting one, it would be the regular plan. I think the idea of getting the regular plan for her 2 days to get the mugs would be one way to go. Book the more expensive meals you are wanting during those two days and enjoy the mug the rest of the trip.

 

[monica9]

I calculated and realized even with drink and 4 sit down meals we'd come out $200 less by paying out of pocket. I know my 2 year old won't get meals with the plan but I didn't explain myself correctly. I just figured if we got the plan and had all of those extra snack credits we can grab her things at quick service stations and then with table service and the restaurants we picked, she'd be eating off the buffet or our plates anyway.

Thanks for the help. We will definitely purchase gift cards hopefully at a small discount and then I won't feel as bad handing over the gift cards at the end lol

 

[_19disnA]

Reading some of the posts has me confused. Some are referring to DDP - is that the deluxe plan?

I agree, not always sure what people are referring to with those acronyms, would be clearer if people used the actual terms. There are TWO dining plans available. Some seem to use the term DDP to mean DISNEY dining plan while others are talking about the DELUXE dining plan versus dining plan. The deluxe plan is much more expensive.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/plans/

 

[2hapykdz]

Reading some of the posts has me confused. Some are referring to DDP - is that the deluxe plan? I would think if she was getting one, it would be the regular plan. I think the idea of getting the regular plan for her 2 days to get the mugs would be one way to go. Book the more expensive meals you are wanting during those two days and enjoy the mug the rest of the trip.

DDP is Disney Dining Plan. Generic title.

 

[sharonabe]

Reading some of the posts has me confused. Some are referring to DDP - is that the deluxe plan? I would think if she was getting one, it would be the regular plan. I think the idea of getting the regular plan for her 2 days to get the mugs would be one way to go. Book the more expensive meals you are wanting during those two days and enjoy the mug the rest of the trip.

Most of the time on DISboards, DDP means the regular plan, DxDDP or DxDP is the deluxe plan, and QSDP is the quick service plan.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I calculated and realized even with drink and 4 sit down meals we'd come out $200 less by paying out of pocket. I know my 2 year old won't get meals with the plan but I didn't explain myself correctly. I just figured if we got the plan and had all of those extra snack credits we can grab her things at quick service stations and then with table service and the restaurants we picked, she'd be eating off the buffet or our plates anyway.

Thanks for the help. We will definitely purchase gift cards hopefully at a small discount and then I won't feel as bad handing over the gift cards at the end lol

Since you've decided to go the gift card route check out the Budget forum to find out which places give the best discount for buying them.
Also keep in mind that you do not have to make up your mind about gift cards or dining plan at the time your reservation window opens; that decision can wait until a few days before arrival thus giving you more time to decide w/o the pressure.

 

[pixiedust23]

We are DVC, we always come out ahead paying OOP. I don't want a dessert at my meals, I'd rather have an app if anything. Plus we get discounted meals (I think 10% off between AP and DVC). I hate feeling like I HAVE to get certain things or go to certain types of meals to make it worth my while. We save several hundred dollars by NOT doing the DDP.