Does anyone forego dining plans to save money?

[Rich M]

But when we were paying cash as we went, it got to where I looked first at the price, and that effected what I ordered. I would have the salad instead of the steak because it simply felt as though we were blowing through so much money.

This is exactly what we are afraid of if we don't do the DDP. I always look at the price and then I also listen to what everyone else orders and if they are ordering expensive items I always go with me lower budgeted choice to help balance out the cost to me. I never make the people I dine with aware of this and always want them to order what they would like but it is something I do for sure.

 

[Rich M]

A regular plan is $76/day for adult.

So a quick service meal is ~$15, 2 snacks ~$10... That leaves ~$50 for the table service meal. The refillable mug is a wash since it's per day cost is a couple bucks/day for a week, less for longer stay.

I agree with your math and I feel your numbers are right on the money so going with your theory I will take an example of two places for TS:

50's Prime Time - $26 (most expensive Entree), $8.50 (expensive dessert), $12 (average alcoholic beverage cost) = $46.50 per person (Save OOP)
Turf Club - $36 (Most expensive entree), $8 (expensive dessert), $12 (average alcoholic beverage cost) = $56 per person (ok use of DDP)

The difference between the two places are night and day and depending on what style of food best fits your family is definitely important in factoring your decision for sure. I can see arguments on both sides for sure. I know these prices are for most expensive items on the menu and if your Disney you have to assume everyone wants the most expensive item when they calculate the plan for them selves. Some people do save money by doing it and others would not based on there eating habit but I am in no way thinking Disney is getting over on people by making them think there is a value when there clearly is a value if done to maximize your value but the question becomes that if you choose not to maximize the value of it are you making the right decision for you. That is the biggest question for each family to decide.

 

[Aliceacc]

I don't understand the insistence that anyone who doesn't do WDW as you do is "being manipulated" or not eating "normally" or paying for "ridiculously priced" character meals.

My husband and I both have our Master's Degrees. We've done our homework. We know where our money is going. We happen to enjoy including the DDP as part of our vacations. We think we get our money's worth-- sometimes out of the food, sometimes not. But always in terms of the quality and relaxation it brings to our vacations. If we weren't on the DDP, we might be tempted to skip some of those family dinners. And, to be honest, some of our fondest memories over the years have been the result of that quality time we spend together at a meal, either at WDW or elsewhere.

I'm not asking anyone to agree. To be honest, I'm not looking for anyone's input. As I said, we've done our homework and know what works for us.

But I would ask for some civility. Insulting us because of our choice is ... well, let's just leave it at "unkind."

 

[Rich M]

I don't understand the insistence that anyone who doesn't do WDW as you do is "being manipulated" or not eating "normally" or paying for "ridiculously priced" character meals.

My husband and I both have our Master's Degrees. We've done our homework. We know where our money is going. We happen to enjoy including the DDP as part of our vacations. We think we get our money's worth-- sometimes out of the food, sometimes not. But always in terms of the quality and relaxation it brings to our vacations. If we weren't on the DDP, we might be tempted to skip some of those family dinners. And, to be honest, some of our fondest memories over the years have been the result of that quality time we spend together at a meal, either at WDW or elsewhere.

I'm not asking anyone to agree. To be honest, I'm not looking for anyone's input. As I said, we've done our homework and know what works for us.

But I would ask for some civility. Insulting us because of our choice is ... well, let's just leave it at "unkind."

Well said!!!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I brought down gift cards in the amount a dining plan would have cost us. We usually eat appetizers and don't always get dessert, so for me it was about spending the money where I wanted to spend it.

This sounds very interesting to me. Out of curiosity did you put the amount of the DDP or DxDDP on there? Did the amount you have on the gift card cover your tips also? I am thinking I might try this as I am about to pay $1200 for 2 days on DDP and 3 days on DxDDP plus extra for tips too so wondering if I put that $1200 on a gift card and order the exact same way I would if I got it minus the stuff I would have left on the table would give me some spending money for goodies lol

This is exactly what my family does. We buy the Disney gift cards when Kroger has a 4x Fuel Points promo and pay for them with a cash back credit card. That way we get a 15% discount on the gift cards right off the top. I usually do a rough estimate of how much money we'll need based on the ADRs we make and then add a bit extra. Last trip I had $662 in gift cards for 2 adults and came home with $25 left over. Over 4.5 days, we did a Tusker House ROL breakfast package, the Boathouse dinner, Sci Fi Dine In dinner, ate and drank around the world at the EPCOT Flower and Garden food kiosks, BOG for lunch, Captain Cooks for Breakfast, Cosmic Rays for dinner, Flame Tree BBQ for dinner, House of Blues patio for cocktails and live music, Petals Pool Bar at Pop for cocktails (we met up with friends who were staying there). We ate 3 breakfasts in our condo and additional snacks in the parks.

The DDP would have cost us $554.80 plus tips. We actually only spent about $446.25 total because out of our $662, $137 was Disney Visa Rewards money, and we only paid $446.25 for the $525 in Disney gift cards. Plus the DDP would not have worked with our plans.

I have done the dining plan a couple of times in the past. My take away was that is was way too much dessert, and I have a sweet tooth!

 

[nkereina]

The dining plans are not meant to be a cost savings. You'd have to eat in a certain way and order certain things to break even or save money on the plan. If someone in your party would not typically eat two snacks per day, drink a non-alcoholic beverage at each meal, and eat dessert at your table service meal each day, then it is not a cost savings. The dining plan is priced to pay for each of those entitlements, so it only comes out to be a savings if that's the way everyone in the group would eat regardless of being on the plan or not.

That said, many people - myself included - know this and opt to purchase the dining plan anyway. I am ok knowing I am likely paying more for my food, and chalk it up to the cost of convenience. It allows me to pre-budget my food costs and know that its paid for in advance. While there, we have no worries and order what we want. Its not the best approach for people on tight or limited budgets, but works well for a lot of families because of the convenience.

 

[sponica]

The dining plans are not meant to be a cost savings. You'd have to eat in a certain way and order certain things to break even or save money on the plan. If someone in your party would not typically eat two snacks per day, drink a non-alcoholic beverage at each meal, and eat dessert at your table service meal each day, then it is not a cost savings. The dining plan is priced to pay for each of those entitlements, so it only comes out to be a savings if that's the way everyone in the group would eat regardless of being on the plan or not.

That said, many people - myself included - know this and opt to purchase the dining plan anyway. I am ok knowing I am likely paying more for my food, and chalk it up to the cost of convenience. It allows me to pre-budget my food costs and know that its paid for in advance. While there, we have no worries and order what we want. Its not the best approach for people on tight or limited budgets, but works well for a lot of families because of the convenience.

I get sticker shock with it included, I'd rather deal with it on the back end. But there's no right/wrong day to do Disney. I mean you're at Disney.

And when you have a kid under 3 who can eat like a horse (and mommy likes to have her OWN food while on vacation not share half her plate), the dining plan didn't make sense with all the OOP kids meals I was planning on buying....and gran marnier slushies.

 

[nkereina]

I don't understand the insistence that anyone who doesn't do WDW as you do is "being manipulated" or not eating "normally" or paying for "ridiculously priced" character meals.

My husband and I both have our Master's Degrees. We've done our homework. We know where our money is going. We happen to enjoy including the DDP as part of our vacations. We think we get our money's worth-- sometimes out of the food, sometimes not. But always in terms of the quality and relaxation it brings to our vacations. If we weren't on the DDP, we might be tempted to skip some of those family dinners. And, to be honest, some of our fondest memories over the years have been the result of that quality time we spend together at a meal, either at WDW or elsewhere.

I 100% agree with you about the quality and relaxation the dining plan can bring to a vacation. We feel the same. But we are not blind to the fact that in "the real world", DH and I rarely order dessert eating out at a restaurant. We are not price conscious or shy about ordering what we want, we just simply rarely eat dessert. And if we do, we order one to share. There is never an instance when DH and I EACH order our own dessert. On the dining plan, I do pay for that and I am aware of that, so I enjoy it. But for others who are more analytical or budget conscious, they would rather not spend the money and not indulge. Just eat how they would normally.

No right or wrong way to do Disney as PP mentions, just different strokes for different folks. But being understanding of the cost implications of the way the plan is designed (i.e. Disney prices it so they come out ahead more often than not) is important for everyone to know to make an informed decision.

 

[natfrac]

We pay OOP, but not because it saves us money. We spend about the same on food (less tips) as the cost of the DDP. We pay OOP because of flexibility. We can order what we want, when we want without having to keep track of credits.

To avoid feeling like we're hemorrhaging money (and save 5%), we buy Disney gift cards at Target.

 

[greg9x]

I don't understand the insistence that anyone who doesn't do WDW as you do is "being manipulated" or not eating "normally" or paying for "ridiculously priced" character meals.

My husband and I both have our Master's Degrees. We've done our homework. We know where our money is going. We happen to enjoy including the DDP as part of our vacations. We think we get our money's worth-- sometimes out of the food, sometimes not. But always in terms of the quality and relaxation it brings to our vacations. If we weren't on the DDP, we might be tempted to skip some of those family dinners. And, to be honest, some of our fondest memories over the years have been the result of that quality time we spend together at a meal, either at WDW or elsewhere.

I'm not asking anyone to agree. To be honest, I'm not looking for anyone's input. As I said, we've done our homework and know what works for us.

But I would ask for some civility. Insulting us because of our choice is ... well, let's just leave it at "unkind."

Replying because you are using some of my words...

No one is 'insulting' you.. nothing said was a personal attack on anyone. It's a discussion.

Your money to spend however you want. But the discussion is about saving money out of pocket vs the dining plan.
Yes, I think the character meals are overpriced, a lot of people do. A lot of people like them and pay for it. My point was that people use multiple character meals as proof that the dining plan saves money, which is not something most visitors do. If you do, then yes the dining plan works for you. But it's not something that will save money for the 'normal' guest.. Which in this case means the average Disney visitor.

 

[robinb]

I don't understand the insistence that anyone who doesn't do WDW as you do is "being manipulated" or not eating "normally" or paying for "ridiculously priced" character meals.

My husband and I both have our Master's Degrees. We've done our homework. We know where our money is going. We happen to enjoy including the DDP as part of our vacations. We think we get our money's worth-- sometimes out of the food, sometimes not. But always in terms of the quality and relaxation it brings to our vacations. If we weren't on the DDP, we might be tempted to skip some of those family dinners. And, to be honest, some of our fondest memories over the years have been the result of that quality time we spend together at a meal, either at WDW or elsewhere.

I'm not asking anyone to agree. To be honest, I'm not looking for anyone's input. As I said, we've done our homework and know what works for us.

But I would ask for some civility. Insulting us because of our choice is ... well, let's just leave it at "unkind."

I think it's great that you find value in the DDP. I also think that you lose a little bit of your college math and Masters degrees "moral high ground" when you admit that you buy the DDP for emotional reasons rather than financial ones. Your reasons are fine, BTW. They work for you and that's all that matters.

 

[Marionnette]

I don't understand the insistence that anyone who doesn't do WDW as you do is "being manipulated" or not eating "normally" or paying for "ridiculously priced" character meals.

My husband and I both have our Master's Degrees. We've done our homework. We know where our money is going. We happen to enjoy including the DDP as part of our vacations. We think we get our money's worth-- sometimes out of the food, sometimes not. But always in terms of the quality and relaxation it brings to our vacations. If we weren't on the DDP, we might be tempted to skip some of those family dinners. And, to be honest, some of our fondest memories over the years have been the result of that quality time we spend together at a meal, either at WDW or elsewhere.

I'm not asking anyone to agree. To be honest, I'm not looking for anyone's input. As I said, we've done our homework and know what works for us.

But I would ask for some civility. Insulting us because of our choice is ... well, let's just leave it at "unkind."

I totally agree with the sentiment even though we do not find the plan to work for us. You hear the same arguments when it comes to onsite vs. offsite, or whether an 8 year old needs a stroller. It really gets tiresome. We all make choices that work best for ourselves.

If having a dining plan means that you will enjoy your trip more because you're not focused on the $'s, then it has value that goes beyond just the cost of the food. I, OTOH, focused too much on "getting my money's worth" when on the DDP and it actually added more stress to my vacation instead of relieving it.

To each, their own.

 

[GillianP1301]

If you want to eat while spending as little as possible on food (i.e. quick bite in your room in the morning, pack a lunch, etc...) then it is most definitely a savings to so by paying OOP for the meals you do want to eat on site rather than using a dining plan. A dining plan can save you money, but only if you would normally purchase the food you get on the plan even if you were paying out of pocket.

For me personally, dining is a big part of my vacation and it's built into my budget. I go on free dining bounce backs each year and the past 3 years I've upgraded to deluxe and more han gotten my money out of the upgrade (mostly because my son was under 10 and getting value on a dining plan is much easier in the kid category, especially if you do a lot of character meals like we do). Now that he is 10, I'm sticking with just the free dining plan, but I am still eating at as many restaurant meals as I did on the deluxe plan, just paying OOP for about 1/3 of my meals. And in that case, my OOP costs are less than paying the deluxe upgrade.

So really, it comes down to what is a priority for you or not, how much you are willing to budget for food and how you prefer to eat while you're on vacation. There is no one size fits all answer to this one.

 

[dwheaton]

The Dining Plan is rarely a savings unless you're eating an insane amount of food at the most expensive restaurants. I can see the idea of just paying for it up front and not worrying, but it's just way too expensive now for that to work for us. I'm good with just paying as we go.

 

[dminnie]

We did the dining plan just once and it wasn't for us. We didn't want to eat that many TS meals and dessert with every meal. For us, we like a TS meal maybe every other day we're there and maybe just one of those being a character meal. We like to have appetizers and then to share an entree. We had the regular DP and it was just too much food for us. The addition of alcohol to the plan makes us even less likely to get it again. We rarely have a drink...actually, we rarely even order a Coke with our meal. The DP just didn't fit with the way we eat/drink, so OOP is much more flexible for us and saves us money(and that's without me cooking some meals).
The one thing I did like about the DP was that I didn't worry about how much everything cost on the menu...sticker shock at each meal was eliminated since we had prepaid for the meals. I can see where that makes having it a lot more relaxing for a lot of people. Plus, we tried out restaurants that we wouldn't have otherwise gone to.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

That is our usual plan, to just eat on our own. Wondering if most people do the opposite!

We have a large family, so we do Garden Grocer for room, eat breakfast bar/fruit in room, pack everyone same basic sandwich lunch with fruit.

Then we buy one snack at park in afternoon and eat out for dinner in parks.

We feel like it saves us tons of money. Wondering what your feedback may be. Thanks!

Yes, while we are not a large family, just the four of us, we stay away from breakfast out while at disney since it's not a good value and opt to do oatmeal/fruit/protein shakes/bars in our room instead. We also pack our own water and snacks and refill water as we go to not buy bottled water. We still do lunch, dinner and snacks while we're out but I know we save with just a few of the ideas we've used. I don't care to cook or have to clean a kitchen on vacation so this is just the right amount of food preparation for me. If we had a DVC, the extra space would be nice but I have no desire to cook while on vacation. I think you have to do what works for you and your family. Also, if we ate every meal out at a restaurant, besides the money aspect, I would feel like garbage, all the preservatives and salt in the table food does not do me well.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

So, I was a big proponent of the Dining Plan and used it on our last trip. I did not use the DDP to save money, however, just to have the WHOLE trip (minus souvenirs) paid before we left.

But I really wanted to consider if we should do it again for our next vacation, so I picked all the restaurants, both TS and QS, that I thought I might want to eat at on our hypothetical trip. Then I looked at the menus of each restaurant and selected everything I thought I might want to eat. Even things that otherwise would not be included on DDP (like appetizers). I added up the cost of all the food, including tax. I likewise tallied up the cost of all the snacks on my snacking bucket-list.

Like many others have said before, my hubby and I do not drink, and I typically do not drink anything aside from water when I'm dining, and as such, specialty drinks being included doesn't sweeten the pot for me at all.

So how did the prices break down? The total food spending over the course of 8 nights for ME came out to $511.41, out of pocket, including taxes and things not included on the dining plan.
The price of the dining plan for that number of days would be $657.28. And that does not include the extra snacks and appetizers that would not be included on the plan. If I add those to the total paid for the food with dining plan, the new total would be $693.28.

So, I alone would save about $180 by dining out of pocket, and still eating whatever I want. I had my husband do the same exercise, and he was also saving more than $150 by paying out of pocket.

If the difference between the two prices was under $100, I'd probably still choose the dining plan for convenience, but since we would save over $300 by paying out of pocket. . . that's an extra night in the hotel or doubling our souvenir budget. We could do a dessert party, etc. Be sure, Disney will still get my money one way or another, though!

 

[Rich M]

So how did the prices break down? The total food spending over the course of 8 nights for ME came out to $511.41, out of pocket, including taxes and things not included on the dining plan.
The price of the dining plan for that number of days would be $657.28. And that does not include the extra snacks and appetizers that would not be included on the plan. If I add those to the total paid for the food with dining plan, the new total would be $693.28.

Does the $511.41 include TS (Entree, Dessert, and beverage), QS Meal, and 2 snacks?

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Does the $511.41 include TS (Entree, Dessert, and beverage), QS Meal, and 2 snacks?

For the most part. At some restaurants, I opted for an appetizer instead of a dessert or decided a menu item on the appetizer list + a side would be more appealing than an entree. I included 1 TS per day and 1 QS per day. I'm not sure if I hit 2 snacks per day, but I'm pretty sure I did. I did NOT include drink costs for me because I personally do not drink anything other than water at a restaurant.

So all that is to say, there are things I would order on the dining plan that I wouldn't order if I were paying OOP, and there are things I would order paying OOP that I wouldn't order on the dining plan.

I can order any and everything I want and still pay less OOP than I would on the DDP.

 

[chuff88]

We're doing the DxDP, which we upgraded from our Free Dining QS plan. We're doing several 2 credit meals (Cali Grill Brunch, Jiko, Flying Fish, etc.), so almost every day we have one 1 credit meal and one 2 credit meal planned. It's saving us a LOT of money because we're only paying about 70 dollars per person for the DxDP.