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

[Summer2018]

I will be using the dining plan for the first time next month. We usually eat at 1 table service restaurant a day. We enjoy trying the different snacks. It seems like a great choice for us. However, the convenience put it over the top for me. I like that my food is paid for before I even arrive. I enjoy not thinking about prices on vacation. With all the different Disney vlogs we've been watching, we are kind of obsessed with snacking at WDW. I will not be "doing the math" after my trip to see if I saved or lost money. I don't even care!

Good for you!

 

[monica9]

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.

I guess:
Dining plan:
Eat extra so you get your moneys worth = gain weight
Pay out of pocket:
Only eat when you’re hungry = lose weight on vacation with all the walking and not overindulging.

Question, why did you say you can use credit card for dining plan but transfer to saving for out of pocket pay?

 

[alex9179]

Question, why did you say you can use credit card for dining plan but transfer to saving for out of pocket pay?

You pay in advance for the dining plan, i.e. with a credit card. Though that's not the only way.
If paying OOP, you can pay with a CC then pay the balance off with the money in your checking account that was earmarked for dining before leaving for the trip.
Both have allocated funds before the trip.

 

[Farro]

I guess:
Dining plan:
Eat extra so you get your moneys worth = gain weight
Pay out of pocket:
Only eat when you’re hungry = lose weight on vacation with all the walking and not overindulging.

Question, why did you say you can use credit card for dining plan but transfer to saving for out of pocket pay?

As I showed upthread, it's not hard to come out ahead on the plan for people like us. I used average to low prices. And I don't consider eating lunch, dinner and two snacks overindulging (eating extra) on food. It's vacation people!

I'll say though, that is a criticism of the plan I've not yet heard - I'm going to eat extra and gain weight.

 

[Summer2018]

I guess:
Dining plan:
Eat extra so you get your moneys worth = gain weight
Pay out of pocket:
Only eat when you’re hungry = lose weight on vacation with all the walking and not overindulging.

Question, why did you say you can use credit card for dining plan but transfer to saving for out of pocket pay?

With the tremendous amount of walking and other exercise I get in WDW, I have never gained a pound “overindulging” on the Dining Plan. By the way, we don’t have to eat extra to get our money’s worth. We prefer healthier table service meals vs. quick service fast food.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

With the tremendous amount of walking and other exercise I get in WDW, I have never gained a pound “overindulging” on the Dining Plan. By the way, we don’t have to eat extra to get our money’s worth. We prefer healthier table service meals vs. quick service fast food.

While I absolutely agree with you on the walking---

Not for nothing but fried chicken (which I had at 50s Prime Time & Skipper Canteen) although slight variations of the style of fried chicken doesn't strike me as healthy as my meal I had a Satu'li Canteen or the variety of Food & Wine Festival tidbits we had.

As a general comment--it's not QS fast food vs healthier TS meals. It's really options you pick whereever you go. And without looking at the nutritional values of each menu item it's quite possible one can eat worse in terms of nutrition at a sit down place over a counter style place which is again why I just go back to choices one makes.

Also water is the healthy choice for drinks--not alcohol (which multiple people have discussed on this thread helps make the Dining Plan worth it to them) nor is soft drinks which also help the Dining Plan in terms of pure finances rather than preference.

 

[Summer2018]

While I absolutely agree with you on the walking---

Not for nothing but fried chicken (which I had at 50s Prime Time & Skipper Canteen) although slight variations of the style of fried chicken doesn't strike me as healthy as my meal I had a Satu'li Canteen or the variety of Food & Wine Festival tidbits we had.

As a general comment--it's not QS fast food vs healthier TS meals. It's really options you pick whereever you go. And without looking at the nutritional values of each menu item it's quite possible one can eat worse in terms of nutrition at a sit down place over a counter style place which is again why I just go back to choices one makes.

Also water is the healthy choice for drinks--not alcohol (which multiple people have discussed on this thread helps make the Dining Plan worth it to them) nor is soft drinks which also help the Dining Plan in terms of pure finances rather than preference.

I see your point about the alcohol.
That would definitely be a vacation splurge for me.

But wine, grilled seafood, sushi, Hibachi, salad at Table Service restaurants compared to Quick Service hot dogs at Casey’s, fried seafood, French fries at Columbia House, for instance is healthier. We still eat at some QS, especially at the Polynesian where there are many healthy choices, but in my experience, we have found healthier choices at the more expensive TS restaurants. I know that there are some healthy QS options just as there are unhealthy TS options. I just feel that TS offers more of what my family wants to eat.

Let me just say that if I ate the fried chicken at 50’s Prime Time, I would have diarrhea for days.

 

[Farro]

While I absolutely agree with you on the walking---

Not for nothing but fried chicken (which I had at 50s Prime Time & Skipper Canteen) although slight variations of the style of fried chicken doesn't strike me as healthy as my meal I had a Satu'li Canteen or the variety of Food & Wine Festival tidbits we had.

As a general comment--it's not QS fast food vs healthier TS meals. It's really options you pick whereever you go. And without looking at the nutritional values of each menu item it's quite possible one can eat worse in terms of nutrition at a sit down place over a counter style place which is again why I just go back to choices one makes.

Also water is the healthy choice for drinks--not alcohol (which multiple people have discussed on this thread helps make the Dining Plan worth it to them) nor is soft drinks which also help the Dining Plan in terms of pure finances rather than preference.

Since I am probably the loudest advocate for the alcohol being a big bonus for the dining plan on this thread , let me assure you that the two drinks a day that come with the plan would have been purchased by us with or w/out the dining plan. And two glasses of wine a day on a vacation is hardly unhealthy. (and a cup of ice water is free)

This is why these types of threads are kind of silly. There is no one size fits all, yet we are asked to explain why we want/like/find convenient/whatever the dining plan. So then we explain, why for us the dining plan works and then people need to come and and proclaim why what works for us doesn't work for them, or whoever else.
Right! It works for us, not you. End of discussion?


And the idea that the dining plan causes anyone to overeat/overindulge/make unhealthy choices is just asinine. If you eat healthy, you eat healthy whether you are on the dining plan or not. If you usually make less than healthy choices, you will make those choices whether you are on the dining plan or not.
I eat healthy, but I always order dessert on vacation. I don't have to finish it if I don't want to. Actually I have dessert everyday - just finished a serving of cookies.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I see your point about the alcohol.
That would definitely be a vacation splurge for me.

But wine, grilled seafood, sushi, Hibachi, salad at Table Service restaurants compared to Quick Service hot dogs at Casey’s, fried seafood, French fries at Columbia House, for instance is healthier. We still eat at some QS, especially at the Polynesian where there are many healthy choices, but in my experience, we have found healthier choices at the more expensive TS restaurants. I know that there are some healthy QS options just as there are unhealthy TS options. I just feel that TS offers more of what my family wants to eat.

Let me just say that if I ate the fried chicken at 50’s Prime Time, I would have diarrhea for days.

on the bolded

It's what you're ordering right? The misconception is that all Disney has is hot dogs and fries and well burgers. If that's all you're eating at QS then that's your choice but it's not the only options available. Just like I could opt to order fried chicken at a variety of TS places being my choice not the only options. I do think you'll get more variety for a given TS place as far as menu options but that doesn't equate to nutritional value.

Whose to say my husband and I didn't eat healthier overall with our mixture of 3 TS meals, several QS meals that were mostly shared between us, a couple of dole whip floats and drinking water at least 90% of the time while someone else ate what they considered a healthier meal but added sugary juice, soda or alcohol all of which can negate factors or partook in bread service available or had several mickey bars or the other variety of snacks available or their meal itself consisted of more calorie count or whatever. In that respect I sorta understand what the PP was talking about. If you're the type of person who feels like they have to get all the extra stuff because it makes it worth it you might find yourself intaking more on the not so healthy side than if you didn't have the Dining Plan...but where I differ from the PP is that I do believe that's a personal preference not an absolute.

I think we both agree there are healthy things and not healthy things for sure

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Since I am probably the loudest advocate for the alcohol being a big bonus for the dining plan on this thread , let me assure you that the two drinks a day that come with the plan would have been purchased by us with or w/out the dining plan. And two glasses of wine a day on a vacation is hardly unhealthy. (and a cup of ice water is free)

This is why these types of threads are kind of silly. There is no one size fits all, yet we are asked to explain why we want/like/find convenient/whatever the dining plan. So then we explain, why for us the dining plan works and then people need to come and and proclaim why what works for us doesn't work for them, or whoever else.
Right! It works for us, not you. End of discussion?

Cool..

But I wasn't actually talking about you. I fully understand you will drink alcohol with or without the dining plan.

As far as end of discussion since I wasn't talking to you nor about you you're more than welcome to end of discussion with me but that doesn't mean I'm not going to continue to view the thread and you know discuss at will. It just won't be between you and I (which I don't believe we've discussed much on this thread with each other anyhow).

 

[Farro]

I'm discussing with everyone/anyone on the thread who wants to discuss. It's just a Sunday afternoon activity.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm discussing with everyone/anyone on the thread who wants to discuss. It's just a Sunday afternoon activity.

It sounded quite directed at me. If that wasn't your intent apologies. It was framed as "It works for us, not you. End of discussion?" If you're speaking in generalities that would have been helpful to know though I still wouldn't have agreed with end of discussion. There would be no point to you even commenting on any thread related to the Dining Plan if you truly felt that way (IMO).

 

[Farro]

I will be using the dining plan for the first time next month. We usually eat at 1 table service restaurant a day. We enjoy trying the different snacks. It seems like a great choice for us. However, the convenience put it over the top for me. I like that my food is paid for before I even arrive. I enjoy not thinking about prices on vacation. With all the different Disney vlogs we've been watching, we are kind of obsessed with snacking at WDW. I will not be "doing the math" after my trip to see if I saved or lost money. I don't even care!

Perfect!

 

[Summer2018]

 

[Farro]

Not happening.

Have a great week all!

 

[Farro]

Re the bolded. The poster said that they hit their daily dining plan costs at dinner alone, thereby, making the QS, snacks and refillable mug free. I used $75 as an approximate knowing that, last time I checked, it was around $76 per person.

I was just interested how that poster was hitting those amounts at dinner (we never really got close to that). I can see now that it was done primarily with character meals, which for sure are values on the DDP.

One thing we never really got the advantage of was cocktails at lunch. Some places we went didn't have them, or we'd get a beer which was a little cheaper than a cocktail.

Ah, understood. thanks!

 

[TeresaWen]

The dining plan looks fantastic if your family dines at a lot of character buffets. First these meals are wildly overpriced and second no worries about spending out of pocket for any “extras” except of course a second beverage. I can certainly see how this works out and allows families with young children to enjoy their vacation.

My husband and I are grazers. There is absolutely no way it would every work for us. And TiW is s fantastic discounts when you consider it also discounts bottles of wine! 20% off two cocktails, two appetizers, bottle of wine in the California Grill lounge is a big chunk of change

 

[Summer2018]

The dining plan looks fantastic if your family dines at a lot of character buffets. First these meals are wildly overpriced and second no worries about spending out of pocket for any “extras” except of course a second beverage. I can certainly see how this works out and allows families with young children to enjoy their vacation.

My husband and I are grazers. There is absolutely no way it would every work for us. And TiW is s fantastic discounts when you consider it also discounts bottles of wine! 20% off two cocktails, two appetizers, bottle of wine in the California Grill lounge is a big chunk of change

Tables in wonderland is not an option for everyone. I am not a Florida resident or DVC owner, so...

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Tables in wonderland is not an option for everyone. I am not a Florida resident or DVC owner, so...

You can be an AP holder and get it as well but for the rest of us folks who aren't any of those three yeah it sucks we don't qualify for it. I've heard such good things about it too. Understandable to limit the discount to xyz person but still people tend to rave about it makes me want to try it out lol.

 

[TeresaWen]

You can be an AP holder and get it as well but for the rest of us folks who aren't any of those three yeah it sucks we don't qualify for it. I've heard such good things about it too. Understandable to limit the discount to xyz person but still people tend to rave about it makes me want to try it out lol.

Honestly if you don’t visit enough to make an annual pass worth if you might not save enough to cover the $150 fee. Unless you drink fairly expensive wine