Now we aren't doing the dining plan and I don't know how to plan, help!

[Farro]

We always come out ahead on the dining plan too--it all boils down to where you like to eat. But 9 days at WDW is a LOT (the most we've ever stayed is 5). An alternative would be to cut it back to a 7 day trip. The hotel savings on the last two nights should be a big boost to dining budget. When we go to Disney World and walk miles and miles all day, the last thing I would want to do is feel I didn't have enough food.

We like 9 days. We find it's a great length to get everything done comfortably, no rushing. We like to laze around pool a lot.
We only go every few years, so it's not that long.

 

[Moliphino]

I was (gently) reminded how last trip I did end up cancelling two dinners near the end because we just didn't want to eat anymore! (if you can't tell, I've been whining a bit at home )

That's how I feel by the end of a DDP trip, too. It's part of the reason we decided not to get it this trip, even though we're going during a free dining period.

We're planning on bringing breakfast bars to eat in the morning (probably the Belvita dark chocolate sandwich cookies) and eat when we're hungry in the parks. I have two BOG lunches and two TS meals reserved so far for a 9 day trip at a month out. We'll probably split meals more often, eat at lounges, and just generally not stuff ourselves to the brim every day.

 

[Farro]

That's how I feel by the end of a DDP trip, too. It's part of the reason we decided not to get it this trip, even though we're going during a free dining period.

We're planning on bringing breakfast bars to eat in the morning (probably the Belvita dark chocolate sandwich cookies) and eat when we're hungry in the parks. I have two BOG lunches and two TS meals reserved so far for a 9 day trip at a month out. We'll probably split meals more often, eat at lounges, and just generally not stuff ourselves to the brim every day.

Every morning I eat a That's It fruit bar, coffee and water/crystal light or something. That won't change on vacation, so I will be throwing those in my luggage, along with Crystal light packets and my k-cups!
I just can't eat much in the morning, always been like that.

 

[MomOTwins]

We like 9 days. We find it's a great length to get everything done comfortably, no rushing. We like to laze around pool a lot.
We only go every few years, so it's not that long.

Right, I should have clarified. i didn’t mean it was a lot in terms of enjoying WDW (I would stay year round if they let me) I mean it is a lot in terms of money since disney hotels aren’t cheap and more days means more meals to pay for as well. We like the DDP so we sacrifice nights to be able to budget for it.

 

[tex1989]

Over 45 trips and we have never got the dining plan. As far as have I spent more, or less, honestly don't care. I was talking to a friend that does dining plan every time they go and I mentioned we never did he. He said his girlfriend who is budget consious was sure and from reading blogs and Disney Dinning that it was cheaper without the plan. He summed it up as to why he likes it by saying, I write one check, make one payment and I am pretty much done. Room, tickets, food paid in advance so I go and don't worry about money during my trip. Do I pay more, yep, do I care, nope. On the other hand we don't get it because the wife and I don't usually eat that much, enjoy the look on our waiter or waitresses face when we say we are on no plan, and don't have to scramble on our last day to use all our snack credits to feel like we got the full value of the plan.

Now interestingly enough many, not all of the reasons given have more to do with issues beside cost for both my friend and I. After reading all the comments on the plan over the years the conclusion I have come to is it is really a personal preference based on your personal style of vacationing and touring more than the cost. At least that's my feeling about it.

 

[sponica]

Last time around we didn't do the dining plan, when I did the math we would have barely broken even with just us 2 adults, but we were already going to paying OOP for our under 3. So it definitely didn't make sense.

What we did was bring down gift cards in about the same amount of the dining plan, which definitely made it easier for us to eat the way we wanted. My husband RARELY eats dessert and I prefer to eat 2 appetizers instead of entree + dessert. We only do sit downs because my husband HATES counter service....so the only plan that would "work" with our restaurant type is the DxDDP. With the amount of character dining + signature restaurants we have planned, the basic math worked when I checked it out but I think I might still just do gift cards in the amount of the plan.

 

[Daisy1940]

I like the idea of that too, but I feel like we will spend more money that way! Maybe I'm wrong. All I'll be doing is not getting dessert, but then I'll get an appetizer! But I do like not feeling that I have to do a sit down each night. I'm used to planning around where we want to eat.

It sounds like you aren’t getting the dining plan to save money. But, you have to be willing to change your dining habits. If you are trying to save money, simply switching the dining plan desert for an appetizer isn’t going to do it. It’s like saying you want to lose weight without changing your food choices or exercise level. You have to be willing to change something. You need to pick either an appetizer OR an entree, dine at cheaper locations, share meals, pack in meals, etc. to save money. If you don’t want to do that (and that’s okay!), something else will have to give such as staying at a cheaper hotel, cutting your trip by a few days, etc.

 

[Farro]

It sounds like you aren’t getting the dining plan to save money. But, you have to be willing to change your dining habits. If you are trying to save money, simply switching the dining plan desert for an appetizer isn’t going to do it. It’s like saying you want to lose weight without changing your food choices or exercise level. You have to be willing to change something. You need to pick either an appetizer OR an entree, dine at cheaper locations, share meals, pack in meals, etc. to save money. If you don’t want to do that (and that’s okay!), something else will have to give such as staying at a cheaper hotel, cutting your trip by a few days, etc.

If you read further, I made more posts discussing exactly what you are saying.

Just to clarify I guess, we aren't exactly trying to save money, just make up some of the bills we had to pay with the vet and such. If we wanted to keep the plan, we could, but I'd like to try and pay ourselves back first.
The two of us talked and he thinks we should cut dining plan as he thinks we wouldn't spend that much on eating if we just ate like we normally do instead of trying to eat everything to make the plan worth it.

I'm just used to the plan. But it's going to work out. The hardest part will be what @MickeyWaffles said, narrowing down all the places I had planned!

I think 5 sit downs will be:

Chefs De France
Via Napoli
Morimoto
Boathouse or Jaleo
Toledo or Trattoria Al Forno or Skipper Canteen or...

 

[sponica]

I made more posts discussing what you are saying.

Just to clarify I guess, we aren't exactly trying to save money, just make up some of the bills we had to pay with the vet and such. If we wanted to keep the plan, we could, but I'd like to try and pay ourselves back first.
The two of us talked and he thinks we should cut dining plan as he thinks we wouldn't spend that much on eating if we just ate like we normally do instead of trying to eat everything to make the plan worth it.

I'm just used to the plan.

Well what you could do is drop the plan now. Purchase enough gift cards to "pay" for the plan, and then decide like a week out as to whether or not you want to add it. That way your food money is still accounted for in your budget. If hubby doesn't want the money tied up in Disney gift cards (mine really didn't) you could use some other type of prepaid card with more flexibility.

 

[Farro]

Well what you could do is drop the plan now. Purchase enough gift cards to "pay" for the plan, and then decide like a week out as to whether or not you want to add it. That way your food money is still accounted for in your budget. If hubby doesn't want the money tied up in Disney gift cards (mine really didn't) you could use some other type of prepaid card with more flexibility.

My plan is to just save and save, see how much we have before the trip (hotel, tickets and airfare already paid/saved for). I'm shying away from gift cards like your husband because if we don't spend it all, then what? We won't be back before 2023 and I don't buy Disney stuff unrelated to trips. Will look into other cards.

Honestly, if I somehow save up more than the plan would have cost (which is possible because I'm crazy) we won't get the plan anyways and I will feel free to order any and as many appetizers I want!

 

[Princess Mulan]

The two of us talked and he thinks we should cut dining plan as he thinks we wouldn't spend that much on eating if we just ate like we normally do instead of trying to eat everything to make the plan worth it.

This is what we’ve discovered through numerous trips. When we pay OOP, we spend less than the dining plan would cost. We eat what we want where we want and do not deprive ourselves. Without the dining plan, we can “eat normally” and not feel like we have to order the most expensive entree and dessert if we don’t want it. Also, our tip costs are lower since the OOP meal almost always is cheaper than the dining plan meal.

As others have pointed out, for emotional reasons the DDP appeals to some people, and that’s a perfectly valid point. However, if you want to try paying OOP, that most likely won’t be a mistake either. Enjoy your trip with whatever decision you make!

 

[Daisy1940]

If you read further, I made more posts discussing exactly what you are saying.

Just to clarify I guess, we aren't exactly trying to save money, just make up some of the bills we had to pay with the vet and such. If we wanted to keep the plan, we could, but I'd like to try and pay ourselves back first.
The two of us talked and he thinks we should cut dining plan as he thinks we wouldn't spend that much on eating if we just ate like we normally do instead of trying to eat everything to make the plan worth it.

I'm just used to the plan. But it's going to work out. The hardest part will be what @MickeyWaffles said, narrowing down all the places I had planned!

I think 5 sit downs will be:

Chefs De France
Via Napoli
Morimoto
Boathouse or Jaleo
Toledo or Trattoria Al Forno or Skipper Canteen or...

These are great choices! After I posted I realized that my post was harsher than I intended and came back to edit and you had already responded. I’m sorry if it came across poorly.

We have never gotten the dining plan and do a table service and usually a quick service per day. We don’t order dessert but we do have an alcoholic drink with table service and occasionally with quick service. We do not eat signature except brown derby and choose more moderate restaurants such as Sanaa, sci-fi, the plaza, the wave, etc. and late morning character meals. We order our own entrees and occasionally get an appetizer. Basically, it sounds like we eat very similarly to you. I have done the math multiple times and we save about 300-400 over the plan. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised that you save money not on the dining plan.

 

[Farro]

These are great choices! After I posted I realized that my post was harsher than I intended and came back to edit and you had already responded. I’m sorry if it came across poorly.

We have never gotten the dining plan and do a table service and usually a quick service per day. We don’t order dessert but we do have an alcoholic drink with table service and occasionally with quick service. We do not eat signature except brown derby and choose more moderate restaurants such as Sanaa, sci-fi, the plaza, the wave, etc. and late morning character meals. We order our own entrees and occasionally get an appetizer. Basically, it sounds like we eat very similarly to you. I have done the math multiple times and we save about 300-400 over the plan. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised that you save money not on the dining plan.

Not harsh at all, thank you!

 

[kbwright]

Hubby and I are savers for vacation (disclosure we also own DVC and have AP - most years - ). We have done both the DP and gone out of pocket. For us the DP was a lot of food, and neither of us are big dessert people so we almost feel like it was wasted food. When we eat OOP plan we have a lot more freedom to not have a ressie every day, do a QS, or make a meal of snacks, or booze, or booze and snacks. What we did this time was book our TS ADR's with places that we really enjoy ( I think we have 8) and created a savings budget for those plus FW Festival etc and then estimate the cost of 2 QS per day. We did so well with it ( cough, I was a little aggressive in the saving dept ) that we had extra funds that we booked the Highway In The Sky Dine Around and 2 MNSCHP. I like having vacations paid for before I go so I can spend what my husband refers to as pre-allocated money with abandon lol

Like you, we had some pay ourselves back expenses due to the Vet and a certain Maine Coon of ours who thought fighting a raccoon was a good idea. It's all good though, thanks to the Disney Visa rewards, Sammy will be buying us a cheeseburger.

 

[gharter]

Yes! I guess I'm one of those people who doesn't think the dining plan is too much food!

I mean we have to change from the way we would eat on the plan to actually save money.
Now that may not be bad. I may really find that I eat less when I know I dont have credits to use up! And lounges will be a fun option.

It's the alcohol that I think is really tripping me up. Its makes the plan so easy to come out ahead.
I will add what we spend, just to be able to say I told you so if we end up somehow spending more.

Just curious have you ever totalled up the cost of your meals on the DDP? In general, unless you are ordering the most expensive items on the menu, you will save money by ordering what you want off the menu.
In the past appetizers were included, now they are not, so they are extra. A dessert ( now the option of fruit) is with every meal. We don't care for a dessert with every meal.
For us, there were many restaurants where we wanted to eat that were not part of the DDP.
While we made it work, it did not save us any money, limited where we could eat, and included items we didn't want and didn't include those we wanted.
YMMV, but I think many people like the DDP because as you said, you are worried about how much the food will cost and with the DDP, its prepaid.
I would bet, if you set aside the same amount of money and paid for all your meals OOP, kept track of the extras that weren't covered by the DDP, in the end , you will have money left over.

 

[Nancyg56]

Interesting. Is it a credit card? Or a card you load the money yourself?

If you load money - can I load from a different credit card? We use Amex for dinners, but if I just want to make sure I stay under a certain amount, can I put that amount on to the Starbucks card?

I like this idea better than a Disney gift card because if we have money leftover, we can just use it normally at home.

It is a true prepaid debit card. I use my bank debit card to fund it, but it is getting funded from my checking account. You cannot use it on rentals, (I was trying to use it to pay for a softie serve machine rental and it was declined) but that was the only issue I ever had. I would treat it like any other card and let the bank knwo you are traveling.

You could load it with the amount you plan to spend, or load as you go. I usually put $250 on at a time unless I am using it for a larger purchase.

There is a mobile ap so you can check balance and transactions as they occur.

This way you can control your spending but you are not buying gift cards. You can use it for meals, tips, etc, and the funds are separated from your household accounts. I have problems with meals at Disney because I hate the prices, so like you, I tend to buy the DDP, however you are trying to manage your food costs, so there is no downside IMO. If you use this one just for your food you have a perfect way to track what you spend on food and beverages, and you get stars.

 

[SillySallySews]

We only skipped the dining plan once, and only because it was a short last minute trip. We booked one TS and decided to do the rest CS on the fly. Drinks drove up meal costs for us significantly. If I did it again we’d all be having water with meals. We also figured out our kids do not share meals well at Disney, even if they eat like birds at home. We don’t order the most expensive things on the menu when we get the dining plan, we just order what we like. We did the same paying OOP and when we came home and crunched the numbers, the dining plan would’ve worked out better, but that was just poor planning on my part. If I did it again I’d really look at the menus and pricing in advance so I was mentally prepared. It’s a big difference going from just signing a receipt, to actually paying OOP for a Disney meal.

 

[NotANewbie]

Teen daughter and I don't get the plan. We do 3 night/2 park day trips. Past three trips we snack, shared, pretty much grazed This next trip we have 2 TS a day - BUT! pretty much still grazing getting an appetizer or two at each save for the Bon Voyage Breakfast one day. Figured out where we wanted to go by looking at menus on the all ears page.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

When I went with DD12 in November we made 4 ADRs. HDDR, BOG lunch and dinner and Beaches and Cream for departure day. That's it for a 10 day trip. We did not have the DDP. It was really awesome. We did a lot of lounges, DD LOVED HBD lounge so we ate their twice, ate a LOT of snacks, did some QS places we never would have tried before, added some ADR's on the fly (Yachtsman, ESPN club), I ate around Epcot a night or two, DD ate about 2-3 Mickey Bars a day. It was very freeing and under the cost of the DDP and we ate what we wanted when we wanted.

If we ever go as a family of 4 again I will try to go when there is free dining because it is a deal for me if we all go. Two adult men can EAT and they want their meals. Our last trip all together was in 2015 and I didn't have the DDP and we still did a TS each day (actually went over how many credits we would have had with the DDP), plus QS (went over how many credits we would have had), alcohol, more snacks than the plan and we still came out right around what the DDP would've cost us or just a bit under. Had we gotten the DDP we would have had to pay about $300-500 OOP on top of the cost.

I am looking into an adult only trip and if we did that we would not get the DDP. I think you will see a difference in how you eat, what you order and how much you spend.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Dining Plan is always about how many Character Meals you are going to have. If you are not interested in those then pay OOP