Is the Dining Plan worth it? Is there a better way?

Do the Disney dining Plan?

  • Yes

    Votes: 24 27.0%
  • No

    Votes: 65 73.0%

  • Total voters
    89
We've been to DW three times with our kids.
The first time, we also took my parents, so there were four adults and one child (and one infant). We purchased the DP, but were lucky enough to get a pin code, so saved a huge amount of money. It was definitely worth it for us. Our whole trip (POR Royal Rooms x 2) was just over $4500 for 7 nights. That was 5 years ago, and the prices since then, have gone up significantly.

The other two times, it's just been our family of five (2A, 3C). We've been able to get "free" dining both times.

For us, because we ARE dessert eaters, we like having something other than water to drink with our meals, and we always plan for at least one TS meal each day, it has been worth it.
Any room discount we could get (moderate stay 3 years ago, and deluxe last year) hasn't been matched by the free dining promotion.

My oldest is now 10, and by the time we go back to DW, our middle could be 10, so with one (or 2) Disney adults, I no longer think the DP will be worth it for us. Especially since now they've added alcohol as part of the plan. Yes, my husband and I generally will enjoy and adult beverage with our meals, but for a child, you're loosing some of that value. And if I drank all of the DP entitlements for alcohol, I would need to back to the room :thumbsup2

I think the next time we visit, we will try without the DP. Especially if we can get a room discount. I think our next stay might be at AOA to try out the family suites for our youngest....

When we went last year, the difference between staying at AOA and paying the upgraded DP costs, was actually only about $200 difference than staying at the Contemporary with FD! That's how we ended up staying deluxe on our last visit :cheer2:

I admit, some of the appeal for me in the DP, is never looking at the prices. I'm frugal, and Canadian, so when I see that breakfast at CRT was going to cost our family about $250 US....I can breathe and remember, it's okay, we are on our free DP :goodvibes

However, I will definitely save our recipes when we go go OOP, and I suspect it may work out better in the end.
 
Okay, now I have gone and read this thread. Looks like a pretty good split between best value ever, and worst waste of money in the history of the world :rotfl2:

Basically for the OP, the answer to your question of "is the dining plan worth it?" Is "it depends" :rotfl2:

It depends on the age of your children, and ratio of DW adults to DW kids
Depends on if your family regularly eats dessert
Depends on whether your family drinks milk, pop, juice or lemonade instead of water at mealtime
Depends if the adults like to drink alcohol
Depends on if you are a vegetarian
Depends on the size of your family
Depends on whether you want to stay value/moderate or deluxe
Depends on if you're snackers, or want to take goodies home


Don't let people make you feel (as one other poster put it) feel like a pig because the amount of food on the DP is "too much". Don't pay attention if people don't like it for themselves - that doesn't mean it isn't the best thing since sliced bread for you :thumbsup2

For me, it has been worth it, because we've been able to get it free, and the room discount didn't compare. I like not having to worry about the prices. I can get my kids a snack (or two) every day, without feeling like I'm going to be broke because they all needed a Mickey bar at the same time. I can eat at a buffet where our 4 year old ate a bun and some desserts and it didn't cost me $50.

I used that spreadsheet several posters recommended to plan our last trip, and even if without 2 snacks everyday, we would have spent more OOP than on the DP. We had lots of OOP expenses anyhow due to alcohol and my husband likes appetizers more than dessert (the rest of us don't believe in meals without dessert :rotfl:).
 
Okay, now I have gone and read this thread. Looks like a pretty good split between best value ever, and worst waste of money in the history of the world :rotfl2:

Basically for the OP, the answer to your question of "is the dining plan worth it?" Is "it depends" :rotfl2:

For everything on this board you will find that everything is 50/50 split. For every person you find likes something another hates it. I think you have some people on here that will just disagree with everything you say and some will actual insult you for disagreeing with them. For me I love the DDP and will opt to get it because it works for me. Thats how everything is in live. Does someone need a BMW to get around? No. A Ford Focus works just as good and is a lot cheaper but they still sale BMW so to each there own.
 
Purchasing the dining plan is almost always more expensive than paying for the same food out of pocket. If your party has multiple children under 10 and you eat lots of character meals each trip, it might be a better deal, but aside from that particular circumstance, it's a money loser.

The other people who prefer it have other reasons for getting it: no worrying about prices, the trip feeling already paid-for, etc., but those reasons are not about saving money.

And that's totally fine. To each his own. But if you're asking what the best deal is in terms of dollars and cents, 9 times out of 10, you're better off paying out of pocket.
 


For everything on this board you will find that everything is 50/50 split. For every person you find likes something another hates it. I think you have some people on here that will just disagree with everything you say and some will actual insult you for disagreeing with them. For me I love the DDP and will opt to get it because it works for me. Thats how everything is in live. Does someone need a BMW to get around? No. A Ford Focus works just as good and is a lot cheaper but they still sale BMW so to each there own.


I agree. The plan works for my family as well, but I know how they are going to order at meals, and I know that they are going to snack. For us, it is how we travel. I cannot understand how anyone can possibly know if it is going to be a lost value for another family unless they know that family dynamic and meals chosen.
You are right, we can dine in Disney for less money without it, however that would mean I was compromising on my choices, and I am not going to do that at this stage in my life.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top