Meal Plans

[SkyGuy]

I was told by one cast member that Disney is definitely bringing back the DDP in 2022, but the time frame is unknown. There are a few different Disney blogs that speculate the DDP might be around late April or May after the rush of the Spring Break crowds have subsided. The concern was that if they tried to bring it back too soon, restaurants were not properly staffed to help navigate through the rush of people returning to WDW and during a slower period before the summer crowds ramps back up, Disney will have an idea on how to address the staffing shortages. I hope this is right, because we are making our first trip in over 10 years and I don't know if I would be overly happy with the prospect of no DDP- regardless of whether its overpriced or not.

Regarding price, the price is expected to be increased significantly- at least according to the other blogs and newsletters I have read.

My husband does price forecasting and consulting for several large restaurants and restaurant groups - including, occasionally, for Disney. I would be surprised if they could bring the dining plan back AND have happy customers until the supply issues are back to more normal levels. I mean there are things going on right now like large-scale restaurants having to scramble to change baking mixes and sauce thickeners because they can’t source corn starch. Sure, they could offer it, but not being able to guarantee a complete menu might not make those spending their hard-earned money on it very happy.

 

[poochie]

Really hope they do return as it was so much easier to prepay. I hated having to look at the pricing each time we got a meal when we went in August and November of 2021. Never realized how easy it made everything even the snacks.

 

[bluezy]

Really hope they do return as it was so much easier to prepay. I hated having to look at the pricing each time we got a meal when we went in August and November of 2021. Never realized how easy it made everything even the snacks.

You could always figure out how much the dining plan would cost you (based on what the price was when the pandemic hit and add 10-15% for normal price increases since then) and put that amount on gift cards to use for paying for your meals. Nearly everyone who uses this method finds they have a nice little chunk of money leftover at the end of the trip even though they still order whatever they want to at the restaurants and aren't limited to DDP specific snacks. They also find they waste far less food since they aren't forced to get a full meal when all they're really hungry for is an appetizer. Several of our friends have never gone to Disney without a dining plan because they all like that pre-paid aspect and not having to worry about what they're ordering. One of my friends who swore they would never go without a dining plan was at Disney this past July. She was nervous about not having a dining plan. She did the gift card method using the price of the dining plan prior to Covid. She ate what she wanted at every restaurant and also had an alcoholic drink at most dinners. She was pleasantly surprised that she still had enough money on the gift card to buy herself a nice souvenir at the end of the trip.

 

[ellbell]

You could always figure out how much the dining plan would cost you (based on what the price was when the pandemic hit and add 10-15% for normal price increases since then) and put that amount on gift cards to use for paying for your meals. Nearly everyone who uses this method finds they have a nice little chunk of money leftover at the end of the trip even though they still order whatever they want to at the restaurants and aren't limited to DDP specific snacks. They also find they waste far less food since they aren't forced to get a full meal when all they're really hungry for is an appetizer. Several of our friends have never gone to Disney without a dining plan because they all like that pre-paid aspect and not having to worry about what they're ordering. One of my friends who swore they would never go without a dining plan was at Disney this past July. She was nervous about not having a dining plan. She did the gift card method using the price of the dining plan prior to Covid. She ate what she wanted at every restaurant and also had an alcoholic drink at most dinners. She was pleasantly surprised that she still had enough money on the gift card to buy herself a nice souvenir at the end of the trip.

This method in the end costs me more than then dining plan because if I have money left on the card I feel obligated to book another trip because I need to spend the money. I live in Canada so no disney stores left and ordering from shop disney has even less value than the dining plan because of the insane shipping and duty fees. I much prefer the dining plan so it's prepaid with nothing left to think about.

 

[Beer Me]

This method in the end costs me more than then dining plan because if I have money left on the card I feel obligated to book another trip because I need to spend the money. I live in Canada so no disney stores left and ordering from shop disney has even less value than the dining plan because of the insane shipping and duty fees. I much prefer the dining plan so it's prepaid with nothing left to think about.

Obviously it’s a personal preference. But I’ve done the math after several trips, keeping track of every dollar spent and comparing it to the cost of the dining plan. My family are not huge eaters but we eat whatever and whenever we want to the point of excess

Everything goes on the credit card. No gift cards or any strategy at all. I come out ahead by hundreds of dollars every time. So knowing this I stopped worrying about the cost and have no anxiety when deciding where to eat or looking at a menu. Freed from worry by doing the math.

 

[Garyjames220]

This method in the end costs me more than then dining plan because if I have money left on the card I feel obligated to book another trip because I need to spend the money. I live in Canada so no disney stores left and ordering from shop disney has even less value than the dining plan because of the insane shipping and duty fees. I much prefer the dining plan so it's prepaid with nothing left to think about.

Well you could work out roughly what it will be and then take a few $$ off it and keep that as cash|credit card then that way you no you have most of it paid and only using a small amount in cash etc incase it is less than what you think and then you won’t feel obligated to book anything else

 

[Dis Dragon]

We loved the DDP when we used it, then our kids turned into Disney adults. Makes no financial sense if you don't have the lower price for kids powering some savings.

I know a lot of guests that ended their vacations with tons of snack credits and even quick service credits that were just going to expire. We ran into a few of them over the years that bought our snacks because they were leaving in a few hours and didn't want them to go to waste.

Disney didn't push the dining plan because it saved guests money, they pushed it because it was a profit center for them. I must say that it was very convenient though.

I would imagine part of their delay is what Skyguy alluded to, costs are very unstable right now and they wouldn't want to put forward a product they can't forecast margins on.

 

[bluezy]

Obviously it’s a personal preference. But I done the math after several trips, keeping track of evey dollar spent and comparing it to the cost of the dining plan. My family are not huge eaters but we eat whatever and whenever we want to the point of excess

Everything goes on the credit card. No gift cards or any strategy at all. I come out ahead by hundreds of dollars every time. So knowing this I stopped worrying about the cost and have no anxiety when deciding where to eat or looking at a menu. Freed from worry by doing the math.

We're the same. I've kept track of our food costs at Disney on every trip (after we get home....never while we're there) and we've *never* come close to being able to benefit from the dining plan. We eat what we want, when we want it. We go to the parks bag free so we buy all of our snacks and drinks in the parks and we definitely indulge. We also don't worry about the cost and just eat as we please because we already have the money set aside in the bank account to pay off the credit card (gotta accumulate those Disney rewards for the next trip!) when we get home.

Ironically,, the only time I worry about our food costs is when we get "free" dining. With 5 kids and having 2 rooms or a suite, the "free" dining is a better discount than the straight room discount. Even then I know that even if we leave some meal or snack credits on the table (no pun intended) we would still save more with that than with the room discount. But I still like to make sure we meet that goal. We're down to 2 kids (a teen and a young adult) traveling with us so even if free dining makes a reappearance, it probably won't be the better discount anymore so I shouldn't have to worry about that again because it's too stressful to worry about coming out ahead with the dining plan.

 

[bluezy]

This method in the end costs me more than then dining plan because if I have money left on the card I feel obligated to book another trip because I need to spend the money. I live in Canada so no disney stores left and ordering from shop disney has even less value than the dining plan because of the insane shipping and duty fees. I much prefer the dining plan so it's prepaid with nothing left to think about.

Well, you could just keep the money in a savings account at home and use a credit card while you're at Disney. Then you'd have the money to pay off the card when you get home. But it doesn't sound like you really want to save money, you'd rather pay a premium for the convenience of an "all inclusive" vacation. That's fine. I know plenty of people who feel the same way. It's a personal choice.

 

[ellbell]

Well, you could just keep the money in a savings account at home and use a credit card while you're at Disney. Then you'd have the money to pay off the card when you get home. But it doesn't sound like you really want to save money, you'd rather pay a premium for the convenience of an "all inclusive" vacation. That's fine. I know plenty of people who feel the same way. It's a personal choice.

Yep that's exactly what I like to do. I much prefer all inclusive. It's a set it and forget it deal. I want my vacation to be free of having to think about real world issues. I don't want to think about the bill afterwards or what I'm spending while I'm there. I want it paid for before I leave so there are no surprises. I budget for souvenirs but because they aren't necessities I don't worry about it. I have GAD so the more I can have planned the better off I am.

 

[bluezy]

Yep that's exactly what I like to do. I much prefer all inclusive. It's a set it and forget it deal. I want my vacation to be free of having to think about real world issues. I don't want to think about the bill afterwards or what I'm spending while I'm there. I want it paid for before I leave so there are no surprises. I budget for souvenirs but because they aren't necessities I don't worry about it. I have GAD so the more I can have planned the better off I am.

I also have major anxiety issues so I totally understand. Thankfully money/spending is not a trigger. Maybe that's not a good thing.

 

[samsteele]

not being able to guarantee a complete menu might not make those spending their hard-earned money on it very happy.

This is a great insight. Although not sure that guest satisfaction is high on WDW's list now given the massive changes over the past year including FP+, ILL, minimal housekeeping and loss of magical express. Gut instinct is DP coming back shortly because it is a significant revenue stream and also blocks guests from eating off property and even considering a split stay at Universal. Whether guests who buy the DP will be satisfied prob isn't on their radar and if so, its a calculated nuisance for them. DP is a money maker. It will be back even if the actual meals don't meet the pre-pandemic bar that return guests expect. Look at the loss of crab legs at Cape May Cafe. Back to a buffet without the included headliner. Guests still paying. Many guests crave a plan that lets them pre-buy and have spending done and dusted. Yes, a gift card can substitute but that's another step. Food quality, availability and fewer choices on the menu won't be a bar.

 

[SkyGuy]

This is a great insight. Although not sure that guest satisfaction is high on WDW's list now given the massive changes over the past year including FP+, ILL, minimal housekeeping and loss of magical express. Gut instinct is DP coming back shortly because it is a significant revenue stream and also blocks guests from eating off property and even considering a split stay at Universal. Whether guests who buy the DP will be satisfied prob isn't on their radar and if so, its a calculated nuisance for them. DP is a money maker. It will be back even if the actual meals don't meet the pre-pandemic bar that return guests expect. Look at the loss of crab legs at Cape May Cafe. Back to a buffet without the included headliner. Guests still paying. Many guests crave a plan that lets them pre-buy and have spending done and dusted. Yes, a gift card can substitute but that's another step. Food quality, availability and fewer choices on the menu won't be a bar.

It’s a sad statement about Disney’s commitment to guest satisfaction lately that I agree with your take. I can see them offering the meal plan, and then when guests complain because they couldn’t get reservations or the food was lacking, they were offered a gift card to make up for the inconvenience. Disney still gets their money, and the guest still has to spend that money on Disney.

 

[kindle&wine]

Our past 3 times going we went during the free dining promo and loved not having to worry about food cost while there.
I was really hoping the dining plan would come available to purchase before our trip in September but it doesn't seem likely. We plan to buy gift cards to cover some of our food cost while there so that it doesn't seem like such a large amount. We like to eat and snack our way through Disney!

 

[Frankie Nova]

From what I have read on other forums, meal plans are not coming back due to staffing issues. Restaurants still are not operating at 100% capacity and they are concerned about being able to meet demand (plus it is more profitable to charge full menu prices).

makes a lot of sense

 

[Matthew Caito]

I am returning in Aug and really hope it comes back by then. I also heard April/May (Memorial Day time). I feel like they are as staffed as they are going to be at this point post-COVID. They probably figured they wanted to get a solid 6 months of the initial 50-anniversary rush in without any added food incentive. By increasing the food cost, they now can increase the DDP as well. Depending on your plan it was somewhere around $75/ per person per day before. Figured its going to be somewhere along $90-$100 now. Still worth it if you plan it right and eat at a lot of buffets etc.

 

[popy]

Is there any money saving to this or people just like the system of paying in advance?

Money saving ? no such thing , with Disney these days, best case,
meal plans may return but if they do, get ready to get stung.
nothing Disney does will help you, but will cost you. Lot less for lot a more. If you want to save that is not Disneys ways, and don’t go.

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

Is there any money saving to this or people just like the system of paying in advance?

We saved a lot of money utilizing the dining plan. You need to crunch the numbers though. If you do all buffets and character dining lunch/dinners and always get a free alcoholic drink you used to be able to come out ahead by a lot.

 

[Pyxie]

Each time this question is asked, it becomes a debate over whether or not the dining plan is "worth it." That's not what the OP asked. FWIW, it's coming back at some point (Disney has said so), but no one knows when.