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

I'm taking my 2 teenage daughters (along with my parents, sister and nieces) in October for our umpteenth trip. We've used the DP before when the kids were "kids" but now, there is NO WAY it has any value for ME. First of all, we typically eat one TS meal per day. In between, we "graze", either with snacks or by sharing CS meals. If we eat at a CS restaurant, we frequently order kid's meals or share adult meals since none of us have huge appetites. Second, I have the TIW card, which I treat as my "gratuity" card since it automatically adds the 18% tip. With the DP, the gratuity is in addition to the cost of the plan. Since we are doing all of our TS meals with the group, the 18% would be added automatically to all of our meals. Third, we often like to order appetizers in addition to or instead of entrees. This doesn't work on the DP and would add to the cost. Finally, since we travel during October, we sometimes do a F&W festival event in place of our TS meal for the day. This is not covered by the DP either which would leave us with more OOP costs and extra credits to use up.

Here's our TS plans for October. The estimated costs listed are based either on the actual amount paid (pre-paid events), the most recent AYCE prices that I can find, or the menu prices of the actual menu items that we would order if we were famished (i.e. apps, entrée, dessert...but we always share and we don't each order one for ourselves).

Friday: Dinner at Jiko ($200)
Saturday: Breakfast at O'Hana ($120), Parisian Afternoon (2 people, $125)
Sunday: Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern ($120)
Monday: Lunch at Sanaa ($100)
Tuesday: Breakfast at Tusker House ($120)
Wednesday: Dinner at Hoop-Dee-Doo ($190, Cat 1)
Thursday: Dinner at 50's Prime Time Café ($110)
Friday: Breakfast at Garden Grill ($120)
Saturday: Breakfast at Boma ($90)

That puts our TS budget at $1295. If I add $50/day for a CS meal and another $300 for snacks, that brings the total food budget to $1995. Compare that to the cost of the regular dining plan for 3 adults for 8 nights...$1811.76 which does NOT include any gratuities which would be a minimum of another $175. So, this would be essentially a wash...BUT...as you can see by our plans, I would need 11 TS credits and the DP would only allow us 8. That means that I would need to pay the $1811.76 for the dining plan AND I would still need to pay for at least TWO more meals out of pocket. In addition, I would also have to pay the $125 for the Parisian Afternoon event which is not included in the dining plan, but I did include it in my total OOP budget for comparison. That would easily erase any savings that the dining plan would provide.

I have saved my Disney Gift Cards (earned for FREE by utilizing websites such as Swagbucks, Rakuten and other rebate methods) and I accumulated $1850 worth of them so far. Since my dad is paying for our group breakfast at Garden Grill, I will have plenty left to cover the rest of our meals. For me, it is as close to FREE dining as I can get. I did not pay a single penny for any of my gift cards so ALL of my food is pre-paid for and truly free. I will have no worries at all when I have to pay for our meals. We will eat what we want, when we want and I know that there will be enough on the gift cards to cover it because I know that there is PLENTY of cushion built in. On our trip last year, I came home with over $100 left over and we NEVER went hungry and I never had to tell the girls that they couldn't have dessert:cake:.

Everyone has their own perception of convenience and value. For example, I like to use Uber to get from the TOTWL back to the AKV...my dad would rather save the $10-$15 and take the bus. I see the value in the time saved...he sees the value in the money saved...it's a matter of perspective, nobody is right or wrong. I would rather bring pre-paid gift cards to WDW and "pay" for my meals/food as I go and order and eat what I want without worrying about using up credits and trying to order within the parameters of the plan. If we have leftover funds on the gift card, we can use them for souvenirs or carry them over to our next trip without worrying that they went to waste. The point is, my "dining plan" is still pre-paid, it is just not converted into credits that are "use it or lose it".
 
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Could you give me an example of where you ate on the DDP? If it's valued at around $76 per day; where did you go and what entree etc did your order to get your dinners up to about $75 per person. Given that the one alcoholic beverage is anywhere from $12-$15 and a dessert is, let's say, about $8. On the lower end, that leaves with needing to get an approximately $55 entree or if the drinks/dessert were especially high priced, then maybe around $45 for the entree. Personally, I had trouble hitting that amount for an entree at the places I went, but would be interested in where you dined to break even with your dinner meal. Just some general ideas if it's not too hard. Thanks! I know the character buffets will easily get you there.
I can tell you what we've figured out...
We are doing a split stay and doing the DDP for the first 3 nights. We almost always find that this works in our favor as we have four days to use the credits.
We are eating at Boma ( 1st night), Boma ( 3rd night), and Chef Mickeys ( 4th day) for our TS. We figure it this way - $75x3 for the plan= $225 pp.
Minus $30 snacks , $20 mug ( good for whole trip)= $175 ( We would do these regardless. One night we are using at least 4 snack credits to make our own Illuminations dessert party).
$175 for 3 TS and 3 CS meals. Our buffets average $50 each.Were we not at these buffets we would likely order steak/seafood elsewhere, with salad. We drink a ton of water, but at Boma will have a drink. At CS I usually grab a soda with caffeine, so a $12-15 meal plus a drink would be around $16-20. We don't plan to be at our resort to use the mugs/have Cs the first few days.
So for 4 days ( 3 meal plan nights)
Day 1-1TS with a drink, 4 snacks for dessert party
Day 2- 1TS ( we'll pay for-Boma breakfast) 1CS, teens maybe another CS LOL or snacks
Day 3- 1 CS with a drink, 1 TS, snacks
Day 4- 1TS ( maybe a mimosa), 1CS, snacks
 
I'm taking my 2 teenage daughters (along with my parents, sister and nieces) in October for our umpteenth trip. We've used the DP before when the kids were "kids" but now, there is NO WAY it has any value for ME. First of all, we typically eat one TS meal per day. In between, we "graze", either with snacks or by sharing CS meals. If we eat at a CS restaurant, we frequently order kid's meals or share adult meals since none of us have huge appetites. Second, I have the TIW card, which I treat as my "gratuity" card since it automatically adds the 18% tip. With the DP, the gratuity is in addition to the cost of the plan. Since we are doing all of our TS meals with the group, the 18% would be added automatically to all of our meals. Third, we often like to order appetizers in addition to or instead of entrees. This doesn't work on the DP and would add to the cost. Finally, since we travel during October, we sometimes do a F&W festival event in place of our TS meal for the day. This is not covered by the DP either which would leave us with more OOP costs and extra credits to use up.

Here's our TS plans for October. The estimated costs listed are based either on the actual amount paid (pre-paid events), the most recent AYCE prices that I can find, or the menu prices of the actual menu items that we would order if we were famished (i.e. apps, entrée, dessert...but we always share and we don't each order one for ourselves).

Friday: Dinner at Jiko ($200)
Saturday: Breakfast at O'Hana ($120), Parisian Afternoon (2 people, $125)
Sunday: Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern ($120)
Monday: Lunch at Sanaa ($100)
Tuesday: Breakfast at Tusker House ($120)
Wednesday: Dinner at Hoop-Dee-Doo ($190, Cat 1)
Thursday: Dinner at 50's Prime Time Café ($110)
Friday: Breakfast at Garden Grill ($120)
Saturday: Breakfast at Boma ($90)

That puts our TS budget at $1295. If I add $50/day for a CS meal and another $300 for snacks, that brings the total food budget to $1995. Compare that to the cost of the regular dining plan for 3 adults for 8 nights...$1811.76 which does NOT include any gratuities which would be a minimum of another $175. So, this would be essentially a wash...BUT...as you can see by our plans, I would need 11 TS credits and the DP would only allow us 8. That means that I would need to pay the $1811.76 for the dining plan AND I would still need to pay for at least TWO more meals out of pocket. In addition, I would also have to pay the $125 for the Parisian Afternoon event which is not included in the dining plan, but I did include it in my total OOP budget for comparison. That would easily erase any savings that the dining plan would provide.

I have saved my Disney Gift Cards (earned for FREE by utilizing websites such as Swagbucks, Rakuten and other rebate methods) and I accumulated $1850 worth of them so far. Since my dad is paying for our group breakfast at Garden Grill, I will have plenty left to cover the rest of our meals. For me, it is as close to FREE dining as I can get. I did not pay a single penny for any of my gift cards so ALL of my food is pre-paid for and truly free. I will have no worries at all when I have to pay for our meals. We will eat what we want, when we want and I know that there will be enough on the gift cards to cover it because I know that there is PLENTY of cushion built in. On our trip last year, I came home with over $100 left over and we NEVER went hungry and I never had to tell the girls that they couldn't have dessert:cake:.

Everyone has their own perception of convenience and value. For example, I like to use Uber to get from the TOTWL back to the AKV...my dad would rather save the $10-$15 and take the bus. I see the value in the time saved...he sees the value in the money saved...it's a matter of perspective, nobody is right or wrong. I would rather bring pre-paid gift cards to WDW and "pay" for my meals/food as I go and order and eat what I want without worrying about using up credits and trying to order within the parameters of the plan. If we have leftover funds on the gift card, we can use them for souvenirs or carry them over to our next trip without worrying that they went to waste.
How many people are your prices allowing for?
 
Honestly if you don’t visit enough to make an annual pass worth if you might not save enough to cover the $150 fee. Unless you drink fairly expensive wine 😂
Every other year at the most, sometimes every two or three years in between.

This past year was unusual for us in that we went to WDW in July 2018, then 9 months later, in April, we went to Disneyland. We are planning WDW for July 2020.
 


I personally have not really viewed any value in the dining plan in the past. I decided to get the dining plan for this next trip for 2 simple reasons.

1) F&W snack credit usage (we missed F&W in the past)
2) I can get my parents to not think about the cost of every meal/snack and instead just grab what they want. (I just added it and they can choose to pay for a portion or not, they are watching our kids a couple nights so happy to pay for it)

Historically when I did the math you were looking at $75-$115/day and we likely would get $60-$70/day worth of usage (we don't eat dessert, share appetizers at sit downs, and don't do character meals yet). By going with Quick Service our tentative idea of places to eat would basically breakeven and we would pay out of pocket for the 2 or 3 Signature meals (we have a 2 day split stay at the start of our vacation for 1 of those meals).
 
Please correct me if I am wrong: My understanding is that Tables in Wonderland is only available for *purchase* of $150 to *AP holders*.
ETA: Yes, I forgot FL residents and DVC folks, because I will never be either.
In other words, TiW is a non-starter as a meaningful alternative for the millions of visitors who know that an AP/DVC does not make sense for their one visit or other reason.
Even if you are an AP holder, I've yet to see a calculation on this site that includes the fact that the first $750 you spend using your 20% TiW discount goes to covering the $150 you paid for the honor of taking part in TiW.
That doesn't mean it doesn't or can't save a lot of money for certain people. But that is a thin slice of visitors who get an AP and will visit the parks, resorts, restaurants, etc enough to get a discount out of TiW. People going once a year for a week's vacation are more typical at WDW, and TiW probably isn't an option that should be thrown out as an alternative to one of the Dining Plans.
Or at least crunch the numbers on the extra cost of an AP vs. , say, a 7-day ticket plus how there is no TiW savings until you cross that $750 threshold.
For example, if you think you'd spend $1900 on DDP for 4A/2C for five days, as my family will, I would have to compare
(OOP cost of food, drinks, snacks, tips) * 0.8 (for the 80% I pay) + $150 (cost of TiW)
to that $1900
And again, that's only if getting an AP makes sense for someone. TiW is great for AP holders (because surpassing $750 in food and drinks is pretty easy to do), but I don't see it as a serious option for most people asking "DDP or OOP?"
 
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For example, if you think you'd spend $1900 on DDP for 4A/2C for five days, as my family will

Okay, if I did my math right and if TiW were available to all, then you would still save. Assuming that you will actually get at least $1900 worth of food on your trip, about $1150 of that $1900 will be TS meals. So you've met and exceeded that $750 break even point and would save on the remaining $400. My guess is you will actually spend more than $1150 and would have even a greater amount of savings.

By the way, that $750 break even is usually pointed out when someone is asking about using the TiW vs DDP. This thread was asking about convenience and TiW just became a part of the conversation.
 
Assuming that you will actually get at least $1900 worth of food on your trip, about $1150 of that $1900 will be TS meals.
This is where I feel like people who diss the DDP don't understand that others do Disney very differently from them. All of our TS meals will be (prix fixe/AYCE) character meals, an integral part of my family's Disney vacation, so $1650 of the $1900 is already there. I'm confident the six of us will eat more than $250 in CS and snacks over five days (that are really six, as we're doing a split stay and will be on property for the entire day and night after we check out of our hotel with the DDP on it).
I know others, most others even, would not do that many, so DDP math might not fit their style.
I'm sure that some people talk about the $150* outlay, but I never saw it and had to discover it during my own research on this miraculous plan people speak of so regularly...that turned out to have no bearing for people who are not AP, DVC, or FL residents.
It can be annoying to need a spreadsheet or use that lovely calculator site someone took the time to make to figure out whether OOP, Dining Plans, or TiW would be best for their vacation, but they all can be beneficial to the right family.

*I just realized that for AP holders, they already get 10% off many places, so they might need to spend $1500, not $750, to make the extra 10% off TiW provides break even on its $150 price.
 
This is where I feel like people who diss the DDP don't understand that others do Disney very differently from them. All of our TS meals will be (prix fixe/AYCE) character meals, an integral part of my family's Disney vacation, so $1650 of the $1900 is already there. I'm confident the six of us will eat more than $250 in CS and snacks over five days (that are really six, as we're doing a split stay and will be on property for the entire day and night after we check out of our hotel with the DDP on it).
I know others, most others even, would not do that many, so DDP math might not fit their style.
I'm sure that some people talk about the $150* outlay, but I never saw it and had to discover it during my own research on this miraculous plan people speak of so regularly...that turned out to have no bearing for people who are not AP, DVC, or FL residents.
It can be annoying to need a spreadsheet or use that lovely calculator site someone took the time to make to figure out whether OOP, Dining Plans, or TiW would be best for their vacation, but they all can be beneficial to the right family.

*I just realized that for AP holders, they already get 10% off many places, so they might need to spend $1500, not $750, to make the extra 10% off TiW provides break even on its $150 price.
Same for DVC members. Since we already get 10% off of many dining options, I have to figure it out with that in mind. Its only worked for one trip out of many.
 
I get the dining plan for 2 reasons.

1 - I usually take my 2 sons and I don't have to work about how much money they have to eat when they are not with me.
2 - I use miles form my business credit card to pay for the trips. If I get the dining plan I can use miles to pay for the food. If I don't get the dining plan with business miles I have to pay for it out of pocket.
 
I get the dining plan for 2 reasons.

1 - I usually take my 2 sons and I don't have to work about how much money they have to eat when they are not with me.
2 - I use miles form my business credit card to pay for the trips. If I get the dining plan I can use miles to pay for the food. If I don't get the dining plan with business miles I have to pay for it out of pocket.
Reward points are a tricky thing. Redemption is often subjective and of personal preference. It's *usually* driven by how well the rewards program is and the value per dollar the points equate to.

For example for SWA my husband and I personally redeem points on flights not on things like TSA Precheck. We also don't redeem the points every time we fly. We'll pay cash so we'll earn points and then redeem the points for other flights. Like we didn't want to pay out of pocket to go to Jamaica so we cashed in just over 50,000 RR PTS for 2 of us to go but when my husband met me in Vegas the cost of the flights was like $150 for his ticket RT and he didn't see the point in using points for that flight.

I totally get you just adding that in there and you make a good point.
 
All of our TS meals will be (prix fixe/AYCE) character meals

I think many will agree if you are doing Character meals that's when the dining plan is something you probably should do.

My math has never come that close to working out and even this next trip we decided to add the DDP but its unlikely the math works out there either. I did it for other reasons than saving money.
 
The dining plan works out brilliantly if you are taking someone else to Disney as a gift.

It is much easier to tell them you got them X number of credits than it is to tell them to eat whatever you want and you will pay. Even though it is the same thing the second method makes people feel repeatedly awkward the entire trip and watch what they are eating.

I actually don’t think I would take anyone else to Disney with us unless we could easily gift meals as well because of the dining plan, it would mean we would probably have to go around eating quick service every day because lots of our friends and family don’t have too much cash. I can’t stand two weeks of quick service!!!! Eating TS is my favourite part of Disney.

We gifted a WDW trip to my nieces for their wedding gift. Hey had wanted to join us on a WDW trip so this was perfect. There were 7 of us, FD in a 2 bdrm villa oat OKW, so savings galore for us. It was so nice not having to worry about anyone counting how much snacks were, or if they wanted to get their own CS meal or split one. TS credits were accounted for because we planned our meals, but breakfast and lunch were mainly up in the air, and when you add in the wine or beer or coctail at lunch, the cost could have been high without guests not being comfortable getting whatever they wanted. I woudl never take guests without a plan in place because I want them to order freely, and they may not if it was not already paid for.

As I showed upthread, it's not hard to come out ahead on the plan for people like us. I used average to low prices. And I don't consider eating lunch, dinner and two snacks overindulging (eating extra) on food. :rotfl: It's vacation people!

I'll say though, that is a criticism of the plan I've not yet heard - I'm going to eat extra and gain weight. ;)

LOL!!! I know! I love wine with meals, and on vacation with no need to driver is a wonderful indulgence. WE do nto gain weight either, but we do enjoy our meals, and we do not feel eating two or three meals a day to be overeating.

Since I am probably the loudest advocate for the alcohol being a big bonus for the dining plan on this thread ;), let me assure you that the two drinks a day that come with the plan would have been purchased by us with or w/out the dining plan. And two glasses of wine a day on a vacation is hardly unhealthy. (and a cup of ice water is free)

This is why these types of threads are kind of silly. There is no one size fits all, yet we are asked to explain why we want/like/find convenient/whatever the dining plan. So then we explain, why for us the dining plan works and then people need to come and and proclaim why what works for us doesn't work for them, or whoever else.
Right! It works for us, not you. End of discussion?
:)

And the idea that the dining plan causes anyone to overeat/overindulge/make unhealthy choices is just asinine. If you eat healthy, you eat healthy whether you are on the dining plan or not. If you usually make less than healthy choices, you will make those choices whether you are on the dining plan or not.
I eat healthy, but I always order dessert on vacation. I don't have to finish it if I don't want to. Actually I have dessert everyday - just finished a serving of cookies.

WE all have our vacation preferences, and I refuse to compromise on mine. A friend wanted me to join her on a WDW trip with her granddaughter. No dining plan. Stay offsite, and pack PB&J. Nope. She has more money than God, and I guess this is how she keeps it, but that does not work for me. Her Son in law already told me his DD can come with me, but not if her grandmother is along. No kid of his is going to trudge through a vacation counting pennies, eaticn sandwiches and looking in windows of restaurants at the others who get to sit down to eat! LOL!
 
The one time I went to WDW without the dining plan I ended up canceling two sit down meals out of three (Teppan Edo and 1900 Park) because I couldn't stomach paying cash for it.

Back to the DDP for me. I know how much my trip is going to cost, it's paid for before I left, and I don't feel guilty while I'm there about how much meals cost. I don't sit with a calculator to "get my money's worth". My trip costs $X and if I'm okay with paying $X I don't worry about if I made or lost $100 or whatever on the dining plan.

I don't have my numbers to see if I broke even or what happened in 2012 when it was me and two teenage girls on DDP. I have no idea. Next trip is with DH and he loves signatures and my brain would explode paying cash for those. I realize it's psychological. If it doesn't bother someone else, that's great, they'll probably save a couple hundred dollars or whatever. That money is worth not having to worry about it to me.
 
The one time I went to WDW without the dining plan I ended up canceling two sit down meals out of three (Teppan Edo and 1900 Park) because I couldn't stomach paying cash for it.

Back to the DDP for me. I know how much my trip is going to cost, it's paid for before I left, and I don't feel guilty while I'm there about how much meals cost. I don't sit with a calculator to "get my money's worth". My trip costs $X and if I'm okay with paying $X I don't worry about if I made or lost $100 or whatever on the dining plan.

I don't have my numbers to see if I broke even or what happened in 2012 when it was me and two teenage girls on DDP. I have no idea. Next trip is with DH and he loves signatures and my brain would explode paying cash for those. I realize it's psychological. If it doesn't bother someone else, that's great, they'll probably save a couple hundred dollars or whatever. That money is worth not having to worry about it to me.


I get it! In December we were a family of 7 and my DH was fixated on the menu prices. At CG he saw the bill total and almost fainted. Relax....it's already taken care of! LOL! My nieces went to Narcoossee and were told to use their dining credits, get what they wanted and enjoy! I have been without a plan and I really do not like it. I am cheap!
 
LOL!!! I know! I love wine with meals, and on vacation with no need to driver is a wonderful indulgence. WE do nto gain weight either, but we do enjoy our meals, and we do not feel eating two or three meals a day to be overeating

The concept of two snacks, a lunch, and then a dinner with multiple apps, main course, and dessert is what some people say is too much food.

As an example if we did sit down meals on DDP we would have 4 apps, 4 meals, and 4 desserts (or no apps on standard plan thus harder to break even) . When on the flip side we would order 1 app, 4 meals, and maybe a dessert to share.

All that matters is your math/reason makes sense to you. The only way we could get close to making the math work was with character meals all week.

We are doing Quick Service (first time on DDP) specifically for FW. We will hit signatures 2 or 3 times over 10 nights oop (8 nights on DDP). I know DDP is more money than not having it but it's to stop my parents from worrying on pricing.
 
The concept of two snacks, a lunch, and then a dinner with multiple apps, main course, and dessert is what some people say is too much food.

As an example if we did sit down meals on DDP we would have 4 apps, 4 meals, and 4 desserts (or no apps on standard plan thus harder to break even) . When on the flip side we would order 1 app, 4 meals, and maybe a dessert to share.

All that matters is your math/reason makes sense to you. The only way we could get close to making the math work was with character meals all week.

We are doing Quick Service (first time on DDP) specifically for FW. We will hit signatures 2 or 3 times over 10 nights oop (8 nights on DDP). I know DDP is more money than not having it but it's to stop my parents from worrying on pricing.

I think that the "concept" is part of the problem for some folks. We order a few apps for the table to share sometimes. We always like beverages (pass that glass of wine to me if you want water!)and if you want coffee, I'll pay for it, pass the wine, ) LOL! We may not finish our desserts but at home I'll share that coconut cake with you, but on Vacation I wany my creme brûlée and I am not feeling guilty that it is 9.50.

Snacks? Hubby and I may get a cinnamon bun in DAK for breakfast, and in DHS we all order a delicious beverage from Starbucks. That is two snacks and the cost is well over $10 for the day, but one is a drink. Again, the hugely expensive drink is a drink but I seldom get them at home. It is a treat we all enjoy.

At home we have three meals a day. On vacation we have three as well, but they are spaced well, and one is on the run. Using snack credits. And dinner is late.

I think this is why ai get frustrated when people either insist the dining plan is a waste of money, or insist it is the only way to go. You have to do your own calculations and know your family. Then you knwo how to budget food money. I know for the 7 of us I woudl not have been able to manage that budget. WE have a tentative trip in december and I will get the plan that trip too if we go. I have 2 tweens with me and I plan to give them some free time. I also am using the meals as part of the experience. I am not sure what they will order on their own, but the TS meals I booked will be enough to justify the plan if they have lunch too. THose two girls have HEALTHY appetites! LL!
 
I've done the dining plan our last 6 trips and most of those were deluxe dining. I liked that it was pre-paid. Not that it's more convenient necessarily, but nice knowing I won't have a big credit card bill when I get home.

This trip, for the first time in a long time I am going with no dining plan at all. I want to really see for myself the difference. I still have all my meals planned exactly as I would have planned them if I were on the dining plan and based on my calculations,the cost should be close to even. However, I anticipate that I may not order as much food as I would on the dining plan (i.e. skipping an appetizer or a dessert) and that I may actually spend a bit less. I am not going to limit myself and I am not cutting out any meals because I want this to be a good comparison.

I think if you are the type of person who is going to worry all trip about how much you are spending on food, then the dining plan is a good options.
If you're the type of person who is going to limit how many meals you eat and how you order to confirm to a dining plan, then the dining plan is probably not a good option.
My guess is if you aren't worried about the cost of the food on your vacation and are disciplined enough to have money saved away to pay off the credit card when you return, then no dining plan is probably best. I'll let you know if that ends up being the case for me, we leave in 11 days!
 
I've done the dining plan our last 6 trips and most of those were deluxe dining. I liked that it was pre-paid. Not that it's more convenient necessarily, but nice knowing I won't have a big credit card bill when I get home.

This trip, for the first time in a long time I am going with no dining plan at all. I want to really see for myself the difference. I still have all my meals planned exactly as I would have planned them if I were on the dining plan and based on my calculations,the cost should be close to even. However, I anticipate that I may not order as much food as I would on the dining plan (i.e. skipping an appetizer or a dessert) and that I may actually spend a bit less. I am not going to limit myself and I am not cutting out any meals because I want this to be a good comparison.

I think if you are the type of person who is going to worry all trip about how much you are spending on food, then the dining plan is a good options.
If you're the type of person who is going to limit how many meals you eat and how you order to confirm to a dining plan, then the dining plan is probably not a good option.
My guess is if you aren't worried about the cost of the food on your vacation and are disciplined enough to have money saved away to pay off the credit card when you return, then no dining plan is probably best. I'll let you know if that ends up being the case for me, we leave in 11 days!


I can't wait to hear how it went for you.

I'm lucky in that I have a good amount of discretionary income. I don't have a "budget" for my food. I just do what I want to do. And while I do have financial comfort, I can't just willy-nilly "waste" money. Maybe that's why I'm in a good financial position, I don't know. But nothing burns me more than "wasting" money. Not spending, but wasting. So when I did get the dining plan, I was very concerned with getting the financial value out of it that I paid into it. I felt that not getting the value out of it was financially irresponsible.

So I spent a lot of time ensuring we ordered the items that would get us to match our value or exceed it. So I did end up getting dessert when I normally wouldn't. I did end up getting a steak when I might have wanted the cheapo chicken or pasta dish. Because if I didn't do that, I would have lost. One thing I will say is that we are not doing character meals. If we had done a couple of those, I believe I could have relaxed on the other meals because they would have more than made up for any deficits.
 
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