Booked the dining plan - here's why it's "worth it"

Lovetherodent

Sleep Is For The Weak!
Joined
May 8, 2003
I run the numbers (I love spreadsheets), and the dollar amounts are always really close. I do not assume everyone orders the most expensive items. Part of this could be that the TS venues we select are pricier?

While we could probably save money sharing meals, in that scenario, somebody almost always has to compromise. I want everybody to order whatever they want. We don't go annually, so not like you can try something next time. Next time could be years away. Sometimes, we'll share a CS meal but then use the leftover credit for a breakfast we can share the next morning.

Everybody is legal, so order that wine.

We fly, so if we wanted to pack our own snacks or light breakfasts, we'd have to figure out a way to get it all in into the luggage, which is kind of a pain. Anyway, we will eat at the resort/in the parks for the duration of the trip.
 
Our situation is the same! Even if the price came out the same, we would use the dining plan. I love that no one has to feel like they have to order the cheapest item on the menu instead of what they really want! I can't wait!
 
I concur with the running the numbers. Hubby and I are taking the four littlest plus MIL and this will make life so much easier. And we have so many favorite restaurants that are expensive that the TS credits are worth it. And snacks, those snacks go a long way if you're smart about it.
 


I used the tool on touring plans and the dining plan saves us about $100, not a lot but I like the idea of everything being paid for in advance.
 


It really just depends on the person. This year it definitely works for us because my daughter is only 2 (free) and my son is 4 so his plan is cheap. They can share meals and sometimes my daughter will share with me. Also my husband and I like a beer or mixed drink with our evening meal. I've run the numbers for where we are eating and every time the plan has us saving substantially with snacks added as well.
 
We're doing the DXDP, and I have run our ADRs through the calculator, and we come out ahead. So, I'm even more happy with it. It works for us because it makes my husband relax about what he can afford to order.
 
We love the dining plan. No worrying about paying for stuff while we are there is one of the big reasons :-) We usually go for a fairly long stay and have the DxDP. I have a spreadsheet going on how many credits we get total. I get ADRs for two meals a day max and usually make one of them a signature meal.
 
I’ve run the numbers over and over and have always come out ahead paying out of pocket. And that’s including buying the refillable cups.

We won’t be doing character meals which probably helps.

What I don’t like about the dining plan is either being stuck with all QS or half QS/ half TS. During our 7 night trip, we will do 4-5 TS meals, and that’s perfect for us. (I know you can use a TS credit for QS, but it is a money waster).
 
We bought the dining plan for our February trip. It's definitely cheaper for me to POP, but for my daughter and her five children, it's way cheaper to buy the dining plan. It's not a big deal for me, and yes I do tend to buy more conservatively when I pay OOP, but I don't feel I have to buy the most expensive meals either. I just want to be able to eat what I want without thinking about how much it costs. It's part of the vacation.
 
I love the Dining Plan...so does my family. It just makes everything so easy and we love the resort restaurants! Ohana' is our favorite, as well as many others. We mostly eat our snacks in the parks. And we love the countries too. So many wonderful choices and the food is so delicious, at least we think so. We are not a go out to eat family, so this is all a treat for us. And feeling like you can pick anything you want off the menu...bonus!
 
Why does Disney push the DP so much? To “save” us money? So they can make less profit?
I think a major objective is to keep guests eating full meals on property. If meals are prepaid you are much less likely to decide that you are not really in the mood for dinner. I like the freedom of having ice cream for dinner if the mood strikes me. We order as much or a little as we like. Sometimes it is an appetizer and a margarita.
 
Also, I guess, we don't bring a car, we know we're in the bubble, so we'd be hit for Disney food anyway. I definitely see that if I travelled alone, the dining plan wouldn't be a good fit, but, for the family, we like it a lot. We have come out ahead every time, and look to do so again according to the calculator.
 
I am my family's planner, and I plan our meals to get the most for our buck on the DDP, but we are also paying OOP for a couple of meals. My plan is to use the DDP for buffets/family meals: Boma, TuskerHouse, Liberty Tree, which maximizes the DDP, and then pay OOP for Candlelight at GG, and R&C, and then I have QS DDP at the expensive QS restaurants. That being said, this is only my family's second trip to Disney and I want everyone to have fun, and since I am paying for everything, money is not my focus, family time and experience is the goal. I have dropped a lot of $$$$ on this trip, and I figure, "This is only going to be a one-time trip, so I'd better make it AWESOME!"
 

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