Dining Plan Convenience???? Where's the Convenience?

[angelmav]

Are you staying at a moderate, party of 2, and 25% room discount (not sure what they are offering)? Just curious, if you would like to share.

No, were military so using Shades of Green. It's too big of a savings. I didn't mention that because it's not something open to everyone. The rack rate their beats everything we could get, even with the military discount or free dining. I tried every which way to make it work, and could only get close at a value resort while upgrading the dining plan. Even at that it was still a better deal for us to stay at Shades though close, but the upgraded accommodations won out. But I had to price out so many options to get to that decision before I was happy with our plans.

 

[Kingdome8]

For me is when kids ask for snack they can get it. I don’t have to sit and think about how much do we have to spend today. So great.

 

[tguz]

No, were military so using Shades of Green. It's too big of a savings. I didn't mention that because it's not something open to everyone. The rack rate their beats everything we could get, even with the military discount or free dining. I tried every which way to make it work, and could only get close at a value resort while upgrading the dining plan. Even at that it was still a better deal for us to stay at Shades though close, but the upgraded accommodations won out. But I had to price out so many options to get to that decision before I was happy with our plans.

Thanks for your service! And, that explains why the free dining didn't save you any money. I have heard there are great rates there! I watched a Youtube video on it and it looked really nice.

 

[mom2rose&john]

The convenience for me is the ability to splurge on the more expensive items on the menu. Instead of the dasani water I splurged on Smartwater or a frozen slushy. At the resort I would get a cocktail where if out of pocket I would never pay $9 for a mudslide. We went to The Polite Pig and if I was paying out of pocket I would of ordered a sandwich instead of the ribs for counter service. A venti at Starbucks the three times we went, where it would have been limited to one if paying out of pocket. We were on the qs meal plan from 7/10 to 7/16 2019 and we saved $105 paying for the plan at $1,265.36 for 48 counter service and 48 snacks. We did have to purchase snacks at the end because it is a lot of food but they are great treats to bring home for my kids friends and we utilized them for the more expensive snacks. While it is not for everyone or those that do not utilize the plan for the expensive items it worked out to our benefit and convenience.

 

[Summer2018]

The convenience for me is the ability to splurge on the more expensive items on the menu. Instead of the dasani water I splurged on Smartwater or a frozen slushy. At the resort I would get a cocktail where if out of pocket I would never pay $9 for a mudslide. We went to The Polite Pig and if I was paying out of pocket I would of ordered a sandwich instead of the ribs for counter service. A venti at Starbucks the three times we went, where it would have been limited to one if paying out of pocket. We were on the qs meal plan from 7/10 to 7/16 2019 and we saved $105 paying for the plan at $1,265.36 for 48 counter service and 48 snacks. We did have to purchase snacks at the end because it is a lot of food but they are great treats to bring home for my kids friends and we utilized them for the more expensive snacks. While it is not for everyone or those that do not utilize the plan for the expensive items it worked out to our benefit and convenience.

Agree wholeheartedly.

We like the freedom of being able to order whatever we want, and we tend to order the most expensive items on the menu. It’s so much more relaxing to not have to count every penny and worry about overspending. Every trip we save hundreds of dollars on DDP.

Eating at Disneyland was very stressful without the DDP. We are used to expensive restaurants. I want to enjoy my vacation not be worried about running out of money.

 

[angelmav]

The convenience for me is the ability to splurge on the more expensive items on the menu. Instead of the dasani water I splurged on Smartwater or a frozen slushy. At the resort I would get a cocktail where if out of pocket I would never pay $9 for a mudslide. We went to The Polite Pig and if I was paying out of pocket I would of ordered a sandwich instead of the ribs for counter service. A venti at Starbucks the three times we went, where it would have been limited to one if paying out of pocket. We were on the qs meal plan from 7/10 to 7/16 2019 and we saved $105 paying for the plan at $1,265.36 for 48 counter service and 48 snacks. We did have to purchase snacks at the end because it is a lot of food but they are great treats to bring home for my kids friends and we utilized them for the more expensive snacks. While it is not for everyone or those that do not utilize the plan for the expensive items it worked out to our benefit and convenience.

That right there is why Disney prices things the way they do and loves to sell the Dining Plan. You ordered things you wouldn't have if paying for cash. So any 'savings' is falsely inflated. You can only really get an honest evaluation if you do a straight comparison to what you would have spent if you were still holding that $1,265.36 in cash instead of credits. The Mouse wins at this game, even when we think we are ahead.

But I know what you mean. I have our trip budgeted, and worked out what we will spend where, but while in the moment, I won't know if the prices will change the decision making. But dining is not really cheap where we are, so hopefully it doesn't become an issue.

 

[Christine]

No, were military so using Shades of Green. It's too big of a savings. I didn't mention that because it's not something open to everyone. The rack rate their beats everything we could get, even with the military discount or free dining. I tried every which way to make it work, and could only get close at a value resort while upgrading the dining plan. Even at that it was still a better deal for us to stay at Shades though close, but the upgraded accommodations won out. But I had to price out so many options to get to that decision before I was happy with our plans.

It's very hard to beat SoG prices for what you get. I don't know if you can.

I've got a military rate at Grand Floridian. We got the dining plan last year with a military rate at Contemporary. I probably won't ever do the dining plan again. My calculations had me just about breaking even but I did not enjoy those meals where I knew we were probably coming under. I require value for my dollars over convenience and we are not the maxed-out eaters that Disney devised the DDP for; although we do drink the alcohol and get the desserts. But it was a break-even or just-under thing for us. For anyone who really has to pinch their pennies and watch all their dollars, I don't know how you come out stomaching that. I definitely get the psychological aspect of prepaying and getting the all-inclusive "feel" but I don't know how you can be a budget-conscious personality and yet not care if you are getting the $75 per day value per person.

 

[TeresaWen]

It is fantastic that this works for you! I will push back on the idea that you can go to a restaurant and order 'anything you please' and it is paid for. This is simply not true. You can order anything that the plan specifically covers and have it paid for. So if you have the regular DDP you can order any of the covered entrees and be all set, but if one of the apps looks better than any of the entrees you are out of luck. If you are happy with any of the included alcoholic beverages with your meal, you are all set, but if you prefer one of the more expensive beverages or one of the exempted flights, you are out of luck.

The dining plan also needs to work for how you eat and what you would typically order in order for it to have value, which is always my issue with it. Others find that it fits their eating style perfectly, and that's fantastic!

Exactly. I do not understand how the dining plan gives an all inclusive feel. I’ve been to all inclusive resorts. Believe me this is nothing like that

We in no way enjoy being tied down to this pre paid meal plan because it is just not the way we enjoy our vacations. Some days we graze all day, some days we have several appetizers and a bottle of wine at a restaurant. Sone days we have ice cream for dinner. Unless you are willing to stick to what is included at each meal and do not order anything else it is indeed not inclusive.

 

[Christine]

Exactly. I do not understand how the dining plan gives an all inclusive feel. I’ve been to all inclusive resorts. Believe me this is nothing like that

We in no way enjoy being tied down to this pre paid meal plan because it is just not the way we enjoy our vacations. Some days we graze all day, some days we have several appetizers and a bottle of wine at a restaurant. Sone days we have ice cream for dinner. Unless you are willing to stick to what is included at each meal and do not order anything else it is indeed not inclusive.

I was so curious about the dining plan and wanted to try it last year. In all the years, I had never done it because we had been staying off site or at Shades of Green. We can generally be big eaters; especially my husband and 23 year old son. We are also traditional eaters in that we like to have a table service dinner every day, a lunch, a breakfast. Basically we are the "three square meals per day" kind of people and I thought we'd be perfect for it.

But even with my two big eaters and boozers, we barely broke even. Yeah, there were those meals where we wanted the most expensive thing going and it worked out, but then there were days we really wanted that chicken or salmon dish and I could see right before my eyes that I was losing out that day. Felt like I was throwing money in the trash. Then, there were days that I just wanted to do counter service because it's gotten so good in some places and, frankly, we were getting stuffed, but I couldn't waste it like that.

 

[Dave Hollywood]

That right there is why Disney prices things the way they do and loves to sell the Dining Plan. You ordered things you wouldn't have if paying for cash. So any 'savings' is falsely inflated. You can only really get an honest evaluation if you do a straight comparison to what you would have spent if you were still holding that $1,265.36 in cash instead of credits. The Mouse wins at this game, even when we think we are ahead.

But I know what you mean. I have our trip budgeted, and worked out what we will spend where, but while in the moment, I won't know if the prices will change the decision making. But dining is not really cheap where we are, so hopefully it doesn't become an issue.

I save every receipt and always make a post visit spreadsheet. Compare the proposed budget vs. the actual budget. One year I did compare the DDP as we used to get the Deluxe Dining Plan Vs. having the Tables in Wonderland and without TIW. I have that excel sheet somewhere if interested I can look for it. The DDP did not save me any money, and the difference was considerable with the TIW. I also felt like it made us eat more than we wanted to. I remember when the DDP included an appetizer and not dessert, and we enjoyed that. But I think now it does not include an app but does include dessert. We enjoy having the dessert later in the evening and going to different ice cream or cupcake places and trying them. But as everyone agree's, it's all a matter of preference.

 

[Summer2018]

Bottom line:

Dining Plan works for some.
Dining Plan doesn’t work for others.

Period.

 

[Matt'sMom]

The dining plan ('free' version, which yes, I've done the math numerous trips and it works out to be as good or better a deal for us as the 30% off room rate) works for us for several reasons.

We are all adults in this family group, and the cost of a beer or other alcoholic beverage is covered with our meals, which adds $ value. We also vacation during food and wine, and we tend to hit a lot of the more expensive items at the Festival (Le Cellier steak, some of the pricier seafood, etc.) multiple times/days during our trip. Those F&W items would add up to a significant $ amount, if we were not using our dining plan snack and counter service credits for them (1 csc = 3 sc/3 F&W items) .

I realize the DP is not the best deal for everyone, but it works well for us based on what we tend to eat & drink... and the convenience comes in not having to think at all about prices of what we want to order. We don't even look at menu prices on the day. If we were paying OOP for every item, we'd definitely be thinking about costs and prices, and our vaca would be a lot less fun as a result. And tracking credits is a breeze -- every receipt prints out a running total of your remaining credits (no need to whip out a cell phone and check some app to figure out if we are still on budget).

So, for those asking why we find it convenient... this is why.

 

[smiths02]

I think the convenience part is that it is completely prepaid and gives an "all-inclusive" feel to the vacation. With prepaid VISA or just money put aside for dining, the convenience people wouldn't eat the same way they do with the DDP. They would look at prices, they would forego some snacks, they wouldn't book the same meals they do with the DDP. It's definitely psychological.

There are also those who use the convenience "argument" (for lack of a better word) when they are traveling with extended family or treating their parents or grandparents to the vacation. With the plan, their guests are more free to order what they want without worrying about over pricing their hosts. Those with older kids feel like their kids can go on their own and order what they want and Mom and Dad don't have to worry about the bill at the end of the trip.

This is the best response I've heard. I definitely see how purchasing a Dining Plan provides a bit more of a convenience than figuring out how your guests/older kids will budget their food costs.

The only time it has been more convenient for us was when we had a trip with my in-laws. We shared a room and split expenses. It was much easier to split expenses on the package than to split costs at every meal or have them refuse food/meals because of expense.

Also, while I totally get that people like me who maximize and track credits, etc. do a lot of math. I think for many people, the DDP is just less math while on vacation.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

The general consensus that I hear about the dining plan that it usually doesn't save money, however people like it because of it's convenience. This has always confused me. What convenience does the dining plan offer?

Dining Plan	No Dining Plan
Tap magic band to pay	Tap magic band to pay
Write in tip & tax on bill	Write in tip & tax on bill
Use your credit card to pay for dining plan before travelling	Electronically transfer money from chequing account to savings account before travelling to cover food costs. Use this money to pay off credit card when statement comes in.
Worry about not getting your money's worth all vacation, so force yourself to eat the most expensive meal, and eat even if not necessarily hungry.	Worry about paying too much out of pocket so try to eat cheaper items on menu & only eat when hungry.
If you eat over and above the budgeted amount of meals on the dining plan, pay for extra items with credit card.	If you eat over and above the budgeted amount of money in savings account, pay for extra items with credit card.
If you eat less than the budgeted amount of meals, worry that you wasted a whole bunch of money. Then bring home a bunch of prepaid, overpriced snacks that will probably get crushed in your suitcase.	If you eat less than the budgeted amount of meals, spend extra cash on something you enjoy.

What am I missing? If anything, it seems like the Dining Plan is actually less convenient as it traps you into a specific methodology of how you should consume your meals. This is the opposite of convenient.

It's conv

The general consensus that I hear about the dining plan that it usually doesn't save money, however people like it because of it's convenience. This has always confused me. What convenience does the dining plan offer?

Dining Plan	No Dining Plan
Tap magic band to pay	Tap magic band to pay
Write in tip & tax on bill	Write in tip & tax on bill
Use your credit card to pay for dining plan before travelling	Electronically transfer money from chequing account to savings account before travelling to cover food costs. Use this money to pay off credit card when statement comes in.
Worry about not getting your money's worth all vacation, so force yourself to eat the most expensive meal, and eat even if not necessarily hungry.	Worry about paying too much out of pocket so try to eat cheaper items on menu & only eat when hungry.
If you eat over and above the budgeted amount of meals on the dining plan, pay for extra items with credit card.	If you eat over and above the budgeted amount of money in savings account, pay for extra items with credit card.
If you eat less than the budgeted amount of meals, worry that you wasted a whole bunch of money. Then bring home a bunch of prepaid, overpriced snacks that will probably get crushed in your suitcase.	If you eat less than the budgeted amount of meals, spend extra cash on something you enjoy.

What am I missing? If anything, it seems like the Dining Plan is actually less convenient as it traps you into a specific methodology of how you should consume your meals. This is the opposite of convenient.

It’s convenient for the people who don’t want to do a little more research for their vacation and check out the menus and add up the amounts they may spend.
People complain all the time that Disney is costing too much money now but they gladly pre-pay for their food without knowing how much it will cost. If it didn't make money for Disney then Disney wouldn't offer the "deal".

 

[tguz]

It's conv


It’s convenient for the people who don’t want to do a little more research for their vacation and check out the menus and add up the amounts they may spend.
People complain all the time that Disney is costing too much money now but they gladly pre-pay for their food without knowing how much it will cost. If it didn't make money for Disney then Disney wouldn't offer the "deal".

That might be true for first timers but the people that have been multiple times know generally what meals cost so they don’t really need to check out menus and it’s a little easier to get a good value out of the dining plan now that u can get a higher priced mixed drink per meal. Now if you usually only eat qs and this trip you are doing the ddp which allows a table service credit, I’d say take a look at some menus of places you might eat and do the math.

 

[MarkinNM]

That right there is why Disney prices things the way they do and loves to sell....

Disney prices things because
1) they can
2) people pay the prices regardless of the DDP

I can 1000% say with no DDP the prices would be where they are at, in the restaurant business the prices are based on a cost per plate, plain and simply put not on a assumed assumption that some tend to give.....

And yes Disney does love to sell as they are in a for profit business after all.......

 

[MarkinNM]

It's conv


It’s convenient for the people who don’t want to do a little more research for their vacation and check out the menus and add up the amounts they may spend.
People complain all the time that Disney is costing too much money now but they gladly pre-pay for their food without knowing how much it will cost. If it didn't make money for Disney then Disney wouldn't offer the "deal".

Funny as I did not read the thing about a "deal" when reading about the DDP, trust me there is no "deal".....

I personally have spent hours researching dining costs and in our case found it to be actually saving us some $$ and once more for the 1000th time, it saves me time (which is money while in Disney) in dealing with how to pay for ones meal by paying oop and or which credit card to use and the bills that come afterward or fumbling with cash, etc......

Convenience "the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty. "

Its paid for so little to no effort is needed on my part for the food whilst we are in Disney thus I come out ahead regardless of the $$ amount involved, simple .......

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That might be true for first timers but the people that have been multiple times know generally what meals cost so they don’t really need to check out menus and it’s a little easier to get a good value out of the dining plan now that u can get a higher priced mixed drink per meal. Now if you usually only eat qs and this trip you are doing the ddp which allows a table service credit, I’d say take a look at some menus of places you might eat and do the math.

First-timer or not you should be looking at the menus multiple times depending on how early you booked your trip.

Disney increases and adjusts their menus (either by ingredients or by meal options) frequently. It is completely possible to change the menu pricing under the 180 days too.

When I went for my Sep 2017 trip I tracked pricing. I actually went through all the restaurants I may be interested in eating at and what meal options I would be most likely to eat. In the year or so time frame that I had tracked the menu pricing and the ingredients and the meal options changed multiple times.

$1 or so here and there NBD but with so many menu adjustments that can be had that sure adds up. Especially if it's a several dollar hit to the pricing.

Skipper Canteen is a place that is still undergoing menu changes for example. I know the menu item my husband ate hasn't been on the menu for a long while now so if I was counting on that in the past I'd be out of luck.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

Free dining gives me the chance to order what I like on a menu instead of feeling pressured to share with DH. How that man eats so much meat I'll never understand but you say the word tofu to him and hes running for the hills!

 

[Smoomoo]

Hi All
Being from the UK and staying at the CBR i get the normal plan for free.
I upgraded to the deluxe because we as 2 adults like a table meal in the day for a break from the heat we also like a nice meal to end the night.
I looked at the menus and not even ordering the most expensive items makes it worth it for us.
I totally understand it's not for everyone though