Disney Dining Plan

[Robbie Cottam]

Hi all,

i find it interesting that so many people dislike the dinning plan, or think it adds no value to the vacation.

I have always added the dinning plan, actually the deluxe plan and have realize about a 30 percent savings.

We never used counter service, or if the kids did paid cash.
We usually did a character. Breakfast and a signature dinner.
We used snacks points in the park (these are amazing for food and wine)

Was I just lucky to find the right combination to make the dinning plan work? Or have others been able to use the plan for cost savings.

Again, i just find it interesting how so many people hate the dinning plans, and so many other want them back.

 

[Nabas]

Wow, 30%!

Signature dining is so expensive and requires 2 credits. We don't see any value in spending 2 credits on a overpriced meal. For example, Le Cellier's Filet Mignon is $59.00, while Cinderella's Royal Table is $62.00.

We can get 3-4 tasty meals elsewhere on Disney property at those prices. So I guess it depends if you see value in any $60 meal.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Just to be clear I don’t see value in Cinderella’s royal table ever.

However, on my June trip we eat at Narcooses’
It used to be 2 table service credits

The bill for dinner was more than I would have paid for the dinning for each person.

Flying Fish and the Yatchsmen Steakhouse had similar pricing.

add that to a 40 dollar per person breakfast. And your right around $150 - $160 per person, add on your two 7.50 snacks and you could be as high as 175 dollar per person. For about $112 dollar dinning plan…

 

[Haygar2]

I loved the dining plan for our family of 4. We would go when the plan was offered for free. I loved that. For us, it was a greater value than a room discount. I would pick restaurants that would maximize the plan. Which was fine for us, because that's how we like to eat anyway.

 

[cjlong88]

I think it just depends on how your family likes to eat. My husband and I don’t really do table service restaurants while visiting WDW, so the dining plan wouldn’t be maxed out in order to get our money’s worth.

Next year I’m taking my in-laws, BIL, and his GF on a surprise trip to WDW to celebrate my in-laws 30th anniversary (we are telling them Christmas this year about the trip). We are paying for everything and seriously considering the dining plan. We would like to experience those higher-end TS meals we would otherwise skip, and having it all paid for in advance seems easier to us. This will also prevent my in-laws from trying to pay for anything…

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I like the dining plan because I would pay out the no worry trip.
I'm sure some days we could have saved money but it was really nice just having it all paid for.

 

[blabadie]

Hi all,

i find it interesting that so many people dislike the dinning plan, or think it adds no value to the vacation.

I have always added the dinning plan, actually the deluxe plan and have realize about a 30 percent savings.

We never used counter service, or if the kids did paid cash.
We usually did a character. Breakfast and a signature dinner.
We used snacks points in the park (these are amazing for food and wine)

Was I just lucky to find the right combination to make the dinning plan work? Or have others been able to use the plan for cost savings.

Again, i just find it interesting how so many people hate the dinning plans, and so many other want them back.

We saved money as well. I had heard we wouldn't, so I meticulously added up the costs before purchasing and remember the dining plan saved us over $500 for a family of 5. While we only did a few (PPO) breakfasts, we only do TS for lunch and dinner (with lots of character meals) because we like to relax during meals.

 

[Garyjames220]

When we get the dining plan we normally pick steaks etc and it’s normally quite expensive choices we pick

I don’t actually know if the dining plan is costing me a few $$ more or if it’s saving as money at a guess I think we are saving but regardless I just like having all the meals paid, two cocktails a day paid to and just having a more all inclusive feel for when I’m in disney

 

[Tornat]

We get the deluxe almost every trip wife and I and just do table service as well. I think we save more around 15% I think your numbers are a bit high not sure where you can get a $40 breakfast? we did boma few times on our trip and that was only $23 out of pocket. *shrug* I have been with a couple that got the plan to and didn't eat half of the food they order that is a big loss imo...

But I would get it again if it comes out the right price . do enjoy it.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

All before covid
any character breakfast was 39.95...

Cape May Cafe,
Chef Mickey's
Tusker house....
The limo and stitch one at the poly
BOMA..... I don't remember it being 23.... Actually I don't know anywhere at Disney you can get a table service meal for $23 dollars.... but I have been wrong before... Maybe thats why I liked it so much.....
We usually do at least of breakfast in Norway....


I can see people that by the dinning plan and then dont order apps losing money, of worst yet using table service credits for quick service. not getting value.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I save money when we do the deluxe dining plan but lose it when we also stay club level. I rarely eat at quick service restaurants at home so it goes without saying I’m not doing it on vacation. We eat our main meal at mostly Signature places and pay little attention to what we are ordering, a definite plus from a real life POV.

The next time we go to WDW it will probably drop down to one true and one “Disney” adult. I’m considering no meal plan or CL room (I have to harass DGD to wake up in time for the free breakfast so perhaps why bother?) with us eating at lounges during the day and signature dinners later. Have lots of time to decide whether to do the dining plan or not as don’t plan to be at WDW until 2022 or 2023.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

I'm trying to remember if the Chicken and Waffles at Sleepy Hollow ever counted as a snack? I know it was a QS pre Covid but I keep thinking I remember it being a snack at one time.

 

[GinaLuvsWDW]

And I like the traditional dining plan but I’m happy to get the QS plan during free dining, sometimes we stay at a value resort and upgrade but other times we stick with it. I like NOT having make ADRs and run around to get there. I use my reward points to do a nice sit down dinner at least once. I never eat fast food at home but in Disney there are so many QS places I love. They serve much better meals than hamburgers and fries. Combine that with snack credits used at Food And Wine, during free dining and when there’s well known bands playing in Epcot, it was fabulous! I fear it’ll never be the same again with all the changes…maybe when Covid and the new CEO both go away.

 

[babesboo99]

We never go with out it . We have always come out way ahead we order what we want which most of the times is the expensive foods and we do a few signature dining. For us the most profitable was the DxDP so when it comes back I hope it's something similar or the same

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I agree the deluxe plan works the best for us too

 

[crazycatstacy]

We are going in December and hope the dining plan will be back. We always do the deluxe plan and love it.

 

[EmilyGahr]

We always do the Deluxe plan (have literally never been to Disney without it!!) strictly for the peace of mind of ordering whatever we want without thinking and having it paid for ahead of time - however, when we go in January, we're doing NO dining plan!

On our last trip, we felt like we were being forced to eat when we didn't want to. For example, several times we were ordering appetizers and desserts that we didn't want/need, just because they were included. And there were so many times that we would have rather eat lunch at a great lounge for some drinks and appetizers (Trader Sams, Nomad's, etc.) but had to force ourselves to eat a full sit down meal at a table service restaurant instead so we didn't waste credits.

We have the money set aside on gift cards so it's still sort of paid for ahead of time, so we'll see how it goes!

 

[cedricandsophie]

We don’t do the dining plan Main ly because it feels like so much food And it doesn’t fit our style. We don’t eat snacks usually, we always get a one bedroom DVC room so we eat breakfast in the room, we rarely do parks (maybe once or twice in a two week trip) so we eat at the pool most days (sharing A meal and that’s the only quick service restaurant we usually go to) ) and we go to signature restaurants at night. For us we got more value out of the tables in wonderland card because of the 20% discount on food and alcohol. I’m hoping that comes back.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Interesting, are you a DVC member?
If so I have seen more value out of just using my DVC card than tables in wonderland, I want to say it is a free 10 percent discount.

 

[bnf0522]

For the 2 adults that usually go on our trips, we normally take a 3 day trip and do the QS dining plan. The last 2 trips we've taken to WDW (2017 & 2019), we came out money ahead making the dining plan a great value for us. Using 1 of the 2 snacks we get each day for something we can eat for breakfast in the room (yogurt parfait, normally) has really helped us. Plus we plan ahead to find the restaurants that give us the most food/quality for our QS credit (Polite Pig or Be Our Guest when it was QS).