Does anyone forego dining plans to save money?

[Rich M]

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.

Yeah that seems to be the way that people end up cutting the cost from the DDP and that OOP is cheaper but I am still hoping to find that someone might have actually saved money doing OOP with eating the exact way of the DDP. I am really interested to hear how they did it if its possible.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Yeah that seems to be the way that people end up cutting the cost from the DDP and that OOP is cheaper but I am still hoping to find that someone might have actually saved money doing OOP with eating the exact way of the DDP. I am really interested to hear how they did it if its possible.

Well, there's a website I used that is called distripplanner.com where I entered all the restaurants I wanted to eat at, both TS and QS, as well as how many snacks a day I would want and whether I would eat dessert at every meal. I set this up for the Standard DDP values (Dessert at every TS and 2 snacks a day) and it uses average pricing at each restaurant to estimate whether you would save or not. It estimated a savings for me of about $133 by paying out of pocket.

I found that website by just googling "disney dining plan vs out of pocket calculator."

I think you save even if you eat exactly what you would on the dining plan by just eating what you would normally eat and not ordering literally the most expensive menu item at the most expensive restaurants.

 

[Rich M]

Well, there's a website I used that is called distripplanner.com where I entered all the restaurants I wanted to eat at, both TS and QS, as well as how many snacks a day I would want and whether I would eat dessert at every meal. I set this up for the Standard DDP values (Dessert at every TS and 2 snacks a day) and it uses average pricing at each restaurant to estimate whether you would save or not. It estimated a savings for me of about $133 by paying out of pocket.

I found that website by just googling "disney dining plan vs out of pocket calculator."

I think you save even if you eat exactly what you would on the dining plan by just eating what you would normally eat and not ordering literally the most expensive menu item at the most expensive restaurants.

Yeah I have used the same thing and it states I save about $35 or so but still wanting to hear someones first hand account of there experience with it.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Yeah I have used the same thing and it states I save about $35 or so but still wanting to hear someones first hand account of there experience with it.

It would be easy to figure out for yourself by doing what I did. Just make up a hypothetical trip, look at the restaurant menus, tally up the cost of all the food that sounds best to you, sticking to 1 TS entree + dessert + drink, 1 QS entree + drink, and 2 snacks per day. Then you could compare your hypothetical food cost with the DDP food cost. It's time consuming to do, but kind of fun.

 

[Rich M]

It would be easy to figure out for yourself by doing what I did. Just make up a hypothetical trip, look at the restaurant menus, tally up the cost of all the food that sounds best to you, sticking to 1 TS entree + dessert + drink, 1 QS entree + drink, and 2 snacks per day. Then you could compare your hypothetical food cost with the DDP food cost. It's time consuming to do, but kind of fun.

Yeah I have done that too. Multiple times lol

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Yeah I have done that too. Multiple times lol

How did it turn out for you? More or less than the estimated $35?
(I'm curious how accurate the calculator website is).

 

[rg35]

Dining plan math has never worked out for us, even with character meals and 2 credit meals. (and we do TS ADRs for lunch and dinner on park days, and resort or disney springs dinner ADRs on non park days).

 

[Rich M]

How did it turn out for you? More or less than the estimated $35?
(I'm curious how accurate the calculator website is).

Its usually pretty close except to the fact that you have no clue what you might want to eat so far in advance. Easy to eliminate things you know you won't want but I usually calculate the most expensive but I know I would save money if I didn't get the dining plan because I know I wouldn't order a dessert or drink at all but having the dining plan I allow myself to do so. Even if I don't eat the whole dessert and just want to try something I don't feel guilty about waste as I would if I was paying OOP for it. I know its odd to think like that because you paid for it to begin with but it works on my mind lol

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Its usually pretty close except to the fact that you have no clue what you might want to eat so far in advance. Easy to eliminate things you know you won't want but I usually calculate the most expensive but I know I would save money if I didn't get the dining plan because I know I wouldn't order a dessert or drink at all but having the dining plan I allow myself to do so. Even if I don't eat the whole dessert and just want to try something I don't feel guilty about waste as I would if I was paying OOP for it. I know its odd to think like that because you paid for it to begin with but it works on my mind lol

I completely agree. That's why I was a fan of the DDP before. It all feels free since you pay so far in advance. But, as I indicated, I'm only wavering because of how substantial the savings could be. For only $35 bucks, I would never give up the DDP.

 

[Goofy'slady]

We love, love, love the dining plan. Almost going on 10 yrs ago when I was still a married and we use to stay off property in very nice vacation homes we would do major grocery shopping for things like breakfasts, snacks and what not. We did eat in the parks, and even eat off site but the whole get up super early to make breakfast, clean up and be dressed and ready to go was just as much of a chore on vacation as it was home. I never felt like my vacation was a true vacation. I don't want to fry bacon & eggs for breakfast and clean up dishes or even putting them in the dish washer. When we started staying on property and getting the dining plan I was in heaven. Our first trip after our divorce had me worried that I wasn't going to be able to keep it in my budget as a single parent and still do all the other things my girls were accustomed to doing while in Disney. However, when I realized I could afford it and I could keep our 10 day on property trip with character meals, princess make overs, memory maker and all the trimmings I was doing a little dance. Then when I heard that this year's included alcohol and 2 snacks each day with the regular dining plan I just about did a cartwheel. Not having to worry about the cost of meals is such a relief, when I tell my girls they can get whatever they want and not grumble about the cost it's a better vacation for all of us.

However, if a dining plan doesn't either fit into your budget or your eating habits I say scrap it and save the money for other things. You know your family and only you can determine if it's a value for you.

 

[disneyvoice]

Are we the only ones who don't specifically "budget" for food at WDW??

We did the dining plan once and wasted a bunch of money because we just don't eat that much food. We had so many credits left over but we don't eat lot of junk at home so buying a bunch of snack items to bring home doesn't make sense to our family. But I am always intrigued by how many people talk about "budgeting" for food. We simply order what we want at the moment. I have no idea what will sound good to me at any restaurant until I am actually there. We don't pay any attention to the price of an item whether it is the cheapest thing on the menu or the most expensive thing - if it is what sounds good to me I order it. I also don't know in advance if I will want a glass of wine or some other adult beverage with my meal or if I'll be happy with water.. I guess that's what I don't get about the dining plan - having to strategize to make sure you are getting your money's worth. What if the cheapest thing on the menu is the thing that sounds the best to me? I have to order the most expensive steak on the menu anyway because if I order the salad I'm not getting my money's worth? What if I'm not hungry for dinner at all? I don't feel pressured one way or the other about the price of an item. I feel like making sure you are getting your money's worth on a dining plan seems like a whole lot of strategizing is required. I also don't understand the comments about how it's so much more convenient to just be able to have them use your Magic Band when you are on the dining plan. That's exactly how we pay WITHOUT the dining plan. The gift card thing confuses me as well. We pay off our credit card after our vacation just like we do every month so I don't get the need to pre-pay for food.

If the dining plan makes sense for your family - AWESOME! Have a great time and enjoy all your WDW meals!! I tend to think that the decision of whether to do the dining plan or not is more an indicator of HOW people like, or need, to vacation as opposed to whether or not there is any actual financial value to it. As I said, I don't even think about budgeting for food but some families NEED to budget for meals. From my own perspective, as much as I love all things Disney, I just can't imagine Disney doing ANYTHING that allows the guest to come out on top financially. I believe that WDW comes out ahead when it comes to the Dining Plan. I don't think they are allowing you to save money on food out of the kindness of their heart.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Are we the only ones who don't specifically "budget" for food at WDW??

We did the dining plan once and wasted a bunch of money because we just don't eat that much food. We had so many credits left over but we don't eat lot of junk at home so buying a bunch of snack items to bring home doesn't make sense to our family. But I am always intrigued by how many people talk about "budgeting" for food. We simply order what we want at the moment. I have no idea what will sound good to me at any restaurant until I am actually there. We don't pay any attention to the price of an item whether it is the cheapest thing on the menu or the most expensive thing - if it is what sounds good to me I order it. I also don't know in advance if I will want a glass of wine or some other adult beverage with my meal or if I'll be happy with water.. I guess that's what I don't get about the dining plan - having to strategize to make sure you are getting your money's worth. What if the cheapest thing on the menu is the thing that sounds the best to me? I have to order the most expensive steak on the menu anyway because if I order the salad I'm not getting my money's worth? What if I'm not hungry for dinner at all? I don't feel pressured one way or the other about the price of an item. I feel like making sure you are getting your money's worth on a dining plan seems like a whole lot of strategizing is required. I also don't understand the comments about how it's so much more convenient to just be able to have them use your Magic Band when you are on the dining plan. That's exactly how we pay WITHOUT the dining plan. The gift card thing confuses me as well. We pay off our credit card after our vacation just like we do every month so I don't get the need to pre-pay for food.

If the dining plan makes sense for your family - AWESOME! Have a great time and enjoy all your WDW meals!! I tend to think that the decision of whether to do the dining plan or not is more an indicator of HOW people like, or need, to vacation as opposed to whether or not there is any actual financial value to it. As I said, I don't even think about budgeting for food but some families NEED to budget for meals. From my own perspective, as much as I love all things Disney, I just can't imagine Disney doing ANYTHING that allows the guest to come out on top financially. I believe that WDW comes out ahead when it comes to the Dining Plan. I don't think they are allowing you to save money on food out of the kindness of their heart.

Yes.

I think the gift card is a strategy advocated by some that might no longer be as great a deal as it used to be. It involved buying one gift card from Costco or Target and then converting it another gift card at a lower price but same value. A bit convoluted but saved some money. I believe the first place you buy cards from closed the loophole but maybe another company took it's place.
A month or so back one of my credit cards offered a discount on amusement park purchases so that's when I paid off what was owed to Disney and purchased a dining plan. I bypassed the free dining and children dine free plans since the hotel room rate was higher.


Our current Disney party (the usual suspects - grand children type people)) are a diverse group of the picayune, eat anything not nailed down, and us, who need a place to lay our weary feet and eat like adults thus we consistently buy the deluxe dining plan. One day we'll ditch the younguns (or they'll ditch us) and eat exactly as we wish to, when and where.

 

[Summer2018]

When we vacation in Cape Cod, we get a suite with a full kitchen on the beach. We cook breakfast in the kitchen and grill on the beach for lunch and sometimes dinner. We typically eat at restaurants 5 out of 7 nights.

In WDW, we vacation very differently. We stay in a deluxe resort on property and have no more than a mini fridge. Other than having protein shakes and fruit for lunch, we eat out for breakfast and dinner. The dining plan is ideal for us. We tend to save money on the DDP, and I get a vacation from cooking and doing dishes. I enjoy being spoiled for that week.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Are we the only ones who don't specifically "budget" for food at WDW??

We did the dining plan once and wasted a bunch of money because we just don't eat that much food. We had so many credits left over but we don't eat lot of junk at home so buying a bunch of snack items to bring home doesn't make sense to our family. But I am always intrigued by how many people talk about "budgeting" for food. We simply order what we want at the moment. I have no idea what will sound good to me at any restaurant until I am actually there. We don't pay any attention to the price of an item whether it is the cheapest thing on the menu or the most expensive thing - if it is what sounds good to me I order it. I also don't know in advance if I will want a glass of wine or some other adult beverage with my meal or if I'll be happy with water.. I guess that's what I don't get about the dining plan - having to strategize to make sure you are getting your money's worth. What if the cheapest thing on the menu is the thing that sounds the best to me? I have to order the most expensive steak on the menu anyway because if I order the salad I'm not getting my money's worth? What if I'm not hungry for dinner at all? I don't feel pressured one way or the other about the price of an item. I feel like making sure you are getting your money's worth on a dining plan seems like a whole lot of strategizing is required. I also don't understand the comments about how it's so much more convenient to just be able to have them use your Magic Band when you are on the dining plan. That's exactly how we pay WITHOUT the dining plan. The gift card thing confuses me as well. We pay off our credit card after our vacation just like we do every month so I don't get the need to pre-pay for food.

If the dining plan makes sense for your family - AWESOME! Have a great time and enjoy all your WDW meals!! I tend to think that the decision of whether to do the dining plan or not is more an indicator of HOW people like, or need, to vacation as opposed to whether or not there is any actual financial value to it. As I said, I don't even think about budgeting for food but some families NEED to budget for meals. From my own perspective, as much as I love all things Disney, I just can't imagine Disney doing ANYTHING that allows the guest to come out on top financially. I believe that WDW comes out ahead when it comes to the Dining Plan. I don't think they are allowing you to save money on food out of the kindness of their heart.

I completely agree with you. If I had to stick to a dining budget I just wouldn't go. After seeing how much we saved ditching the DDP I stopped thinking about it on future trips. I hardly even pay attention to the bill at the end of a meal. I just make sure my AP discount is there!

 

[isaboo]

Yes.


Our current Disney party (the usual suspects - grand children type people)) are a diverse group of the picayune, eat anything not nailed down, and us, who need a place to lay our weary feet and eat like adults thus we consistently buy the deluxe dining plan. One day we'll ditch the younguns (or they'll ditch us) and eat exactly as we wish to, when and where.

LOL We are parents of three "Disney Adults" and I am just the opposite. I always say that when it's just the hubby and me we will go by ourselves and do the deluxe. As for now, we do the gift card thing. Those three Disney Adults are what keep any of the dining plans from being a value for us.

 

[sharonabe]

Are we the only ones who don't specifically "budget" for food at WDW?

You're not alone!! We don't budget for food. We eat what we want, let our Disney adult kids eat whatever they want, including snacks, get coffee throughout the day if we want it, enjoy the $10 HUGE pretzel or a $7 PB&J shake from 50's lounge, refill the popcorn bucket umpteen times, enjoy 2-3 TS meals for a 5-day trip....

I kept all the receipts this last trip, because I was curious as to how much we saved. Our total was LESS than the QSDP would have cost us. Nobody was ever hungry; sometimes we were stuffed. Great trip!

 

[gypsy_at_heart]

Are we the only ones who don't specifically "budget" for food at WDW??

We did the dining plan once and wasted a bunch of money because we just don't eat that much food. We had so many credits left over but we don't eat lot of junk at home so buying a bunch of snack items to bring home doesn't make sense to our family. But I am always intrigued by how many people talk about "budgeting" for food. We simply order what we want at the moment. I have no idea what will sound good to me at any restaurant until I am actually there. We don't pay any attention to the price of an item whether it is the cheapest thing on the menu or the most expensive thing - if it is what sounds good to me I order it. I also don't know in advance if I will want a glass of wine or some other adult beverage with my meal or if I'll be happy with water.. I guess that's what I don't get about the dining plan - having to strategize to make sure you are getting your money's worth. What if the cheapest thing on the menu is the thing that sounds the best to me? I have to order the most expensive steak on the menu anyway because if I order the salad I'm not getting my money's worth? What if I'm not hungry for dinner at all? I don't feel pressured one way or the other about the price of an item. I feel like making sure you are getting your money's worth on a dining plan seems like a whole lot of strategizing is required. I also don't understand the comments about how it's so much more convenient to just be able to have them use your Magic Band when you are on the dining plan. That's exactly how we pay WITHOUT the dining plan. The gift card thing confuses me as well. We pay off our credit card after our vacation just like we do every month so I don't get the need to pre-pay for food.

If the dining plan makes sense for your family - AWESOME! Have a great time and enjoy all your WDW meals!! I tend to think that the decision of whether to do the dining plan or not is more an indicator of HOW people like, or need, to vacation as opposed to whether or not there is any actual financial value to it. As I said, I don't even think about budgeting for food but some families NEED to budget for meals. From my own perspective, as much as I love all things Disney, I just can't imagine Disney doing ANYTHING that allows the guest to come out on top financially. I believe that WDW comes out ahead when it comes to the Dining Plan. I don't think they are allowing you to save money on food out of the kindness of their heart.

I wouldn't say I budget exactly. I did previously price out the DDP vs what I normally thought I'd order, and like I said, doesn't work for me for a variety of reasons. I pay OOP, but I don't set myself a limit and say 'ok, that's how much you have to spend, you have to order within that amount'. I do guestimate how much I think I'll spend on dining per day, add a nice cushion, and then put that money aside in my vacation account. But I don't count down or anything. If I spend more, I spend more. If I spend less, I spend less. Generally I always end up spending less, not because I don't do a lot of high $$$ TS, more because I'd rather guestimate higher and have leftover money sitting around.

Which I of course don't use to buy new purses that I really don't need >.> I'd never do that...

But I too understand why people do budget strictly. I happen to be single and am lucky enough to be able to take vacations and have a fair amount of disposable income, not everyone is in that same situation. When I was little and my family went to Disneyland on vacations, my parents worked very hard to pay bills and always had a budget. Did I know that? No. I always had the most amazing time at Disney, nothing ever felt missing, even if my mom packed her own trail mix and sewed my princess dresses (I always thought mine were way better than they others anyway XD). We ate breakfast at Denny's every morning (they would make you mickey pancakes at that time) and then mostly QS in the parks.

IMO though, if you are on a strict budget, the DDP will very rarely be able to compare to planning something more frugal OOP. And I don't think young children will feel like they big time missed out on Disney just because you have a food budget. Seriously, I remember being most excited that I was allowed to have pop with my meal.. my mom was a bit of a health nut at home. XD

 

[kittyab]

We only used a dining plan once. We find we were over eating to make sure we got our money's worth. On our second trip we got the TIW card and just paid out of pocket. We really noticed a difference. Many of the restaurants portions are huge and we could easily share a plate. We always share deserts, and we get water with our meals too.

 

[RangerPooh]

We are a big family and often times OOP is the better option for us. Occasionally we add the QSP but not very often. Eons ago when the dining plans included more it was a steal, but not so much these days. Although the adult beverage included was nice on our last grown ups only trip.

We usually eat breakfast in our room, lunch and dinner varies by the day. Sometimes in the parks, sometimes in the room or off site. Just depends. We also don't usually order kids meals, but have them split an adult entree. We don't do as many TS meals these days as we did years ago. When we do eat at TS we use our TIW card.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I have never had the dining plan. I have an AP and usually get Tables in Wonderland. The few times I've gone without that I just pay for my food.