Dining Plan Convenience???? Where's the Convenience?

[DisBuckMan]

It is fantastic that this works for you! I will push back on the idea that you can go to a restaurant and order 'anything you please' and it is paid for. This is simply not true. You can order anything that the plan specifically covers and have it paid for. So if you have the regular DDP you can order any of the covered entrees and be all set, but if one of the apps looks better than any of the entrees you are out of luck. If you are happy with any of the included alcoholic beverages with your meal, you are all set, but if you prefer one of the more expensive beverages or one of the exempted flights, you are out of luck.

The dining plan also needs to work for how you eat and what you would typically order in order for it to have value, which is always my issue with it. Others find that it fits their eating style perfectly, and that's fantastic!

I get what you're saying, and agree. The ddp doesn't fit our eatiing style at all.

If we're in the mood for a big meal (which is actually pretty rare...we're just not big eaters), we generally prefer an appetizer with dinner over a dessert...not possible on the standard dining plan.

If we're not in the mood for a big meal (two of us are hungry, one not so much), the one will sometimes order an appetizer instead of a full meal...not allowed on the ddp.

If we prefer the appetizer menu, all just order appetizers...we might split 4 or 5 appetizers between the 3 of us...not allowed on the ddp.

We like to eat in some of the lounges...ddp not accepted.

We don't do character buffets...or buffets in general...gross. Way too many kids running up there, grabbing whatever, coughing/sneezing under the shields...who knows where their hands have been? Adults too, for that matter.

The best restaurants on property are the ones at the Swan/Dolphin, IMO...no ddp accepted.

The true flexibility to order ANYTHING you might want at most restaurants (and the ability to eat at ANY restaurant on property) is only available to those who pay out of pocket.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I agree 1000% with this. The OP wrote about worrying about this or that, and doing this or that. I look at it as though my vacation is paid for in advance, my reservations are in, and I don't ever think about it again. It gives me an all inclusive feel that I like, and I believe is worth paying extra for. Who knows if I'll lose or make out on the plan but either way isn't a deterrent, at least for me. Over the course of a week's vacation at a place you know you're spending thousands of dollars on for a family the $100 or so that you saved or lost is really splitting hairs.

I know exactly what you are saying, and agree. We are Canadian and we just returned from a 7 night all-inclusive trip to Cuba. We paid our package which included flights, hotel and all meals and alcoholic drinks. Done! When we were there the last thing on our mind was "are we eating/drinking enough to make up and exceed the price we paid or are we losing money?"
It was such a relaxing vacation not having to put your hand in your pocket when someone wanted something to eat/drink. Food/drinks at Disney are so expensive that even without trying it is hard to lose a lot of money on the DDP, if any. Now, if you only eat one meal a day, drink only water, share one plate of food everytime or bring food from the grocery store in your bag that is a different story....but also a different vacation experience. And that is okay too! If you eat close to the amount of food/drinks allowed on the plan the peace of mind is so worth it imho.

 

[lildutchie]

When we booked our trip, we were booking a discounted room. At the same time, Disney was offering free dining. It was pointed out to me that for $900 more than our original cost, we could have quick service dining included. That works out to $75/day for our 12 day trip for our family of 4. There’s no way we could eat all day for $75 on our own. Also, I feel like I would always be buying cheaper meals and not the meals I truly wanted. As for getting your moneys worth.....as long as we are enjoying our food, I don’t care what my family orders! I guess for us it’s more about the convenience and having that cost paid up front. My husband is a bit of a penny pincher and each of us having a choice, not based on cost alone, will make everyone happy.

 

[TheLadyRohn]

We have our first WDW trip coming up and we were able to get the free dining promo for QS. For our family the convenience comes in the form of better attitude which you can’t really put a price on. With 2 snacks a day per kid we aren’t constantly saying no them.

Also, even with a good budget by the end of our past DL trips my DH is getting grumpy every time we eat with how much we have spent so far.

Between avoiding the great attitudes of kids when you say no (Sarcasm intended) and a grumpy husband the dining plan is worth it just for improved moral.

 

[Beachmom0317]

It’s convenient for our family because we don’t have a credit card, and I don’t want to be mentally tallying up costs and transferring from our vacation savings accounts while I am on our trip.

Additionally, our two kids are under 10 so the cost works out for us since they get to order adult QS meals with kids credit. We also do lots of character meals.

 

[texasroni75]

I can see the appeal for those who want everything “paid for” in advance - however- We have only used the dining plan when it was a “free dining” special offer. we would of the math of the dining offer compared to what a room discount would be (cause rack rate for the room if you get the dining offer). Typically if we had four people in the room the dining offer was the better deal. Since they cut the QS plan to no dessert with entree though there is no advantage to the dining offer for us. Did the math for our trip this month and we would lose money on the plan if we purchased it because me and DH don’t drink alcohol and that was the only way I could figure to break even with the QS plan.

 

[;-)]

I agree, I find it far too confusing. I want to sit down to dinner and order what I want. I don’t want to worry about value, or be forced to order that appetizer/dessert that come on the dining plan. If I want another drink I can get one. If I want just an appetizer I can get one, and if I want to skip dessert it’s ok. It’s so structured that if you order any extra you’re still paying out of pocket. That to me is stressful!!

 

[lmhall2000]

For us, it’s convenient because we would never each order 2 snacks per person, quick service AND table service per day- we have had free dining the last 3 trips- it has spoiled us..we already have our snacks planned and we stretch our credits by only ordering 4 meals we split between 5 of us- we don’t croak getting the bill and bring cash for tips...if it weren’t ‘free’ - we would not buy it- but staying onsite- the free dining is the best savings we can find bc we still fit in a standard room at most Deluxes.

 

[sethschroeder]

Some people prefer to know exactly how much meals will cost them ahead of time. Some think the dining plans are great and others hate them. Just depends what you prefer.

I mean you can basically do that now by looking at menus and picking likely choices. Heck even decide on the more expensive thing you might order each time. Do the math and you know your likely cap for the week. Then you can see if the math works out either way.

It is convenient in my eyes because I don't have to carry gift cards, cash, or keep a mental running total of the food and snack purchases we have made versus the food/snack budget. My girlfriend and I are they type of people who would stick to a set budget for food/snacks. If after day 4 we were over budget, we would probably start ordering the $10.99 items when we really wanted the $18.99 ribs and chicken platter and probably get 1 snack instead of the 2 allotted on the plan for days 5, 6, and 7. We 100% save up for vacation and don't go into any debt for vacation so there is only an XX amount of money available. We got free dining again this year so that made the "out of pocket" food budget a moot point. The free dining did allow us to be able to return to Disney for the 3rd year in a row though, without it we would have done something fun closer to home.

Here is the thing you don't have to carry any of that with you just charge it to the room. The math works out no different if you did 2 credit table service every night and were over budget as well.

I think the biggest disconnect some of us have is people make broad claims like you have instead of talking about how the math actually broke down.

On the flip side you could have went through your first 4 nights, skipped a meal (because the heat can do that), and were ordering the $15 by choice and coming out ahead of that $52/day price point.

It all comes down to math or in your case seeing what the room discount would be vs the free dining offer and what the true cost of the dining plan is.

 

[tguz]

I mean you can basically do that now by looking at menus and picking likely choices. Heck even decide on the more expensive thing you might order each time. Do the math and you know your likely cap for the week. Then you can see if the math works out either way.



Here is the thing you don't have to carry any of that with you just charge it to the room. The math works out no different if you did 2 credit table service every night and were over budget as well.

I think the biggest disconnect some of us have is people make broad claims like you have instead of talking about how the math actually broke down.

On the flip side you could have went through your first 4 nights, skipped a meal (because the heat can do that), and were ordering the $15 by choice and coming out ahead of that $52/day price point.

It all comes down to math or in your case seeing what the room discount would be vs the free dining offer and what the true cost of the dining plan is.

Some people may NOT want to charge it to the room.....it gets pretty easy to lose track of spending when you charge charge charge (thats why so many people are in financial trouble). Some use gift cards or cash because that is what their budget is and it is very easy to them to know where they are at versus budget. Everyone has their own system and none of them are wrong if it works for them. We like the dining plan because it takes all of the food budget out of the picture, it's paid for. Before we book the vacation we sit down and see what it will cost with everything included in the package as well as travel costs to and from Orlando and if we don't or won't have that much saved, we simply don't go to Disney that year. We wouldn't have went this year had they not offered free dining. That saved us a ton (party of 3) versus a room only discount at POP. BTW, we don't skip meals, we are used to heat. Nor do we share meals.

 

[sethschroeder]

it gets pretty easy to lose track of spending when you charge charge charge

Except you can track it right in the app just like how you track your credit to see how much is left.

We like the dining plan because it takes all of the food budget out of the picture

It's doesn't though... You still had to budget it in to your trip and you still have to stay within your credit allowance while on the trip.

we don't skip meals, we are used to heat. Nor do we share meals.

You can use every credit and it still can be more expensive. I think it's important to call out as first timers are likely unaware how much food it can be with to others its a good amount.

This is not to say you are wrong. I am just putting my thoughts beside your thoughts. If you do the breakdown of your likely meals and choose the higher priced food you might want it's a very straight forward comparison. Regardless of which is cheaper you now also have an outline of where to likely eat for the week which if you are doing a DDP with table service is important to make sure you have reservations.

 

[Summer2018]

The general consensus that I hear about the dining plan that it usually doesn't save money, however people like it because of it's convenience. This has always confused me. What convenience does the dining plan offer?

Dining Plan	No Dining Plan
Tap magic band to pay	Tap magic band to pay
Write in tip & tax on bill	Write in tip & tax on bill
Use your credit card to pay for dining plan before travelling	Electronically transfer money from chequing account to savings account before travelling to cover food costs. Use this money to pay off credit card when statement comes in.
Worry about not getting your money's worth all vacation, so force yourself to eat the most expensive meal, and eat even if not necessarily hungry.	Worry about paying too much out of pocket so try to eat cheaper items on menu & only eat when hungry.
If you eat over and above the budgeted amount of meals on the dining plan, pay for extra items with credit card.	If you eat over and above the budgeted amount of money in savings account, pay for extra items with credit card.
If you eat less than the budgeted amount of meals, worry that you wasted a whole bunch of money. Then bring home a bunch of prepaid, overpriced snacks that will probably get crushed in your suitcase.	If you eat less than the budgeted amount of meals, spend extra cash on something you enjoy.

What am I missing? If anything, it seems like the Dining Plan is actually less convenient as it traps you into a specific methodology of how you should consume your meals. This is the opposite of convenient.

The convenience is paying a fixed price ahead of time for all your meals, knowing that you can order the most expensive menu items if you choose.

We make our ADR’s 6 months out and scour the menus. We basically know what we are most likely to order. We save money every time.

Disneyland doesn’t have the dining plan and we freaked out. We checked menus ahead of time and budgeted accordingly. We ended up going way over our budget.

We can’t wait for next summer’s trip to WDW when we will be back on the DDP.

 

[tguz]

Except you can track it right in the app just like how you track your credit to see how much is left.



It's doesn't though... You still had to budget it in to your trip and you still have to stay within your credit allowance while on the trip.



You can use every credit and it still can be more expensive. I think it's important to call out as first timers are likely unaware how much food it can be with to others its a good amount.

This is not to say you are wrong. I am just putting my thoughts beside your thoughts. If you do the breakdown of your likely meals and choose the higher priced food you might want it's a very straight forward comparison. Regardless of which is cheaper you now also have an outline of where to likely eat for the week which if you are doing a DDP with table service is important to make sure you have reservations.

I hear what you are saying but it does take the dining budget out of the equation as the food cost is baked in (pun intended) to the total vacation cost. Based on that one dollar amount we decide, will we have that total amount saved or will we not. Now that we aren't first timers, we do have somewhat of an idea of where we might want to eat but as first timers it was more like "what place looks good" so we didn't plan on eating here or there. With "free dining" it was a no brainer (with 3 in our party) to do that rather than any room discount.

 

[MarkinNM]

We like the dining plan because it takes all of the food budget out of the picture, it's paid for.

Why is that so hard to understand, simple if you ask me........

 

[Farro]

Why is that so hard to understand, simple if you ask me........

It's not that people don't understand, they just feel the need to explain to us why we are wrong.

 

[angelmav]

People will defend the dining plan to the death. This won't ever get the OP the answer they are looking for. People like having a 'package' for vacation. Period.

Heck, the only reason we are going when we are (end of Sep-Oct) is because they announced the free dining for those dates, so I locked it into my calendar even though we are not staying in an eligible resort or getting a dining plan at all! The math just didn't work out, but I sure tried to fudge it in the dining plans favor. I had to break down all our meals, and price it out, then compare it to what we are doing, and I couldn't get there. My single largest expense will be dining on this trip, so it was worth doing the math.

That said, I wouldn't rule it out in the future. Even though I have budgeted out the trip and were 'saving' going oop, there will be some real sticker shock days. But we can order whatever and still pay less. Just a mindset thing.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Dh and I are planning a resort only trip next March for 5 nights. This will be a trip of sun and relaxation after our long Canadian winter and Dh wants to go see a baseball training game in Orlando. I will be booking the qs ddp along with our Disney resort (ticketless package) and have it paid off long before we arrive (as soon as Disney releases some room discounts). Why? Well it all has to do with the huge Disney prices on food/drinks and me being on the frugal side of things lol. Even with the exact cost of the ddp sitting in my wallet/bank/disney gift card or charging back to the room I know myself and would never pay $6 for a cupcake or $12 on an alcoholic drink. We would try to eat the cheaper priced meals and maybe bring some groceries in our suitcase. Yes in the end we would definitely spend less but also have a very different vacation experience. It's a mental thing I admit but it is what it is! For us, paying for it ahead of time is a lot easier to do than paying during or even worse charging it on the cc and paying it off after vacation. We can relax and enjoy our meals without sticker shock!

Now I have researched and there are quite a few places (WPE, Polite Pig and others) where we would surpass the cost when alcohol is added as the drink. Really, food/drink/snack prices are so high that it isn't that hard to do. And, after 6 Disney vacations I know how we eat and we would certainly not have any leftover meal or snack credits. Again, this is what works for us.

 

[tguz]

People will defend the dining plan to the death. This won't ever get the OP the answer they are looking for. People like having a 'package' for vacation. Period.

Heck, the only reason we are going when we are (end of Sep-Oct) is because they announced the free dining for those dates, so I locked it into my calendar even though we are not staying in an eligible resort or getting a dining plan at all! The math just didn't work out, but I sure tried to fudge it in the dining plans favor. I had to break down all our meals, and price it out, then compare it to what we are doing, and I couldn't get there. My single largest expense will be dining on this trip, so it was worth doing the math.

That said, I wouldn't rule it out in the future. Even though I have budgeted out the trip and were 'saving' going oop, there will be some real sticker shock days. But we can order whatever and still pay less. Just a mindset thing.

Are you staying at a moderate, party of 2, and 25% room discount (not sure what they are offering)? Just curious, if you would like to share.

 

[peabody58]

The window of opportunity for us to use the DDP passed us by a decade or so ago. We are both 62ish and our dining habits lean towards a lot less food. Trying to stay healthy in our senior years. Fortunatelly we are DVC and drive to WDW, so we always do a grocery run which covers most of our breakfasts and salads/misc for lunch. Our AP year starts in Oct '19 and we will be getting the TIW. With 30 WDW days planned, we should easily break even with the TIW, but the DDP would not work for us. DDP is an option which meets the needs of some, and others not.

 

[Dave Hollywood]

If you have the ability to purchase Tables in Wonderland I think that beats a DDP in most cases. All depends on eating habits. We enjoy sit down dinners every night, and it works great.