To Dining Plan or Not to Dining Plan... thoughts?

[Moana of Motunui]

We picked our reservations and we have one TS scheduled each day - except for arrival and departure day.

The restaurants we have scheduled are:
-Ohana - breakfast
-Chef Mickey - breakfast
-Garden Grill - breakfast

-Trails End Restaurant - dinner
-Sci Fi Dine In - dinner
-BOG - cupcakes only/same day as Trails End

The breakfasts and dinners that aren't scheduled will be QS and we always get fruit or a snack so the snack credits will be used.

We're about 50/50 with it. We could probably do it based on where we're eating but we're going with family who will probably pay for Chef Mickey and Sci Fi Dine In.

Thoughts?!

 

[Pumbaa_]

It is really a math exercise. If you want the convenience of meals prepaid it may be worth it.

If someone is paying for two of your planned meals, I would pass

 

[sharonabe]

We picked our reservations and we have one TS scheduled each day - except for arrival and departure day.

The restaurants we have scheduled are:
-Ohana - breakfast
-Chef Mickey - breakfast
-Garden Grill - breakfast

-Trails End Restaurant - dinner
-Sci Fi Dine In - dinner
-BOG - cupcakes only/same day as Trails End

The breakfasts and dinners that aren't scheduled will be QS and we always get fruit or a snack so the snack credits will be used.

We're about 50/50 with it. We could probably do it based on where we're eating but we're going with family who will probably pay for Chef Mickey and Sci Fi Dine In.

Thoughts?!

We need a little more information. How many NIGHTS are you staying? What is the make up of your party, how many adults, how many children 9 and under?

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that we need a little more info as well, but what is standing out to me is that "probably" you used. I would run my numbers with and without those meals being paid for.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

When are you going? In 2018 the DDP changes to include an alcoholic beverage with lunch and dinner. If you drink it's a better value.

 

[Moana of Motunui]

No alcohol. Travel dates 2/24-3/2. My party is 2 adults. Whole party going is 4 adults, one child.

 

[sharonabe]

No alcohol. Travel dates 2/24-3/2. My party is 2 adults. Whole party going is 4 adults, one child.

In 2018, your TS credits are worth about $43 for adults. The only meal you have planned that meets that price point is Chef Mickey. With all the others, you're losing money. So unless you want to choose some different places to eat, I'd say no dining plan for you.

 

[Moana of Motunui]

In 2018, your TS credits are worth about $43 for adults. The only meal you have planned that meets that price point is Chef Mickey. With all the others, you're losing money. So unless you want to choose some different places to eat, I'd say no dining plan for you.

Shoot. I thought we had good restaurants too. Maybe next time we'll go during free dining!
Thanks everyone!

 

[sharonabe]

Shoot. I thought we had good restaurants too. Maybe next time we'll go during free dining!
Thanks everyone!

You do have great restaurants. This just goes to show you ALWAYS need to do the math. You have some good character interaction buffets. Enjoy your trip and revel in the fact you're not overpaying for your dining!

 

[Colleen27]

In general, having breakfast as your TS meal makes it hard to get value out of the plan.

From the prices sticky, this is what you have for your fixed price meals:
Ohana - breakfast: $34.08
Chef Mickey - breakfast: $42.60
Garden Grill - breakfast $34.08
Trails End Restaurant - dinner: $36.21

Sci-Fi could range from about $25 to $50 depending on how you order.

The dining plan is $75.49 per night.

You'd really have to work at maximizing your remaining credits if you want to break even on the plan, much less come out ahead. If you're going to seek out the most expensive QS locations (again, breakfast is a poor value except for BOG), order steaks or ribs at Sci-Fi, and use your snacks for pricey Starbucks coffee drinks and giant ice cream sundaes, you might be okay. But personally I'd never buy the plan if I was cutting it that close because fretting over the value negates a lot of the plan's appeal.

 

[Moana of Motunui]

In general, having breakfast as your TS meal makes it hard to get value out of the plan.

From the prices sticky, this is what you have for your fixed price meals:
Ohana - breakfast: $34.08
Chef Mickey - breakfast: $42.60
Garden Grill - breakfast $34.08
Trails End Restaurant - dinner: $36.21

Sci-Fi could range from about $25 to $50 depending on how you order.

The dining plan is $75.49 per night.

You'd really have to work at maximizing your remaining credits if you want to break even on the plan, much less come out ahead. If you're going to seek out the most expensive QS locations (again, breakfast is a poor value except for BOG), order steaks or ribs at Sci-Fi, and use your snacks for pricey Starbucks coffee drinks and giant ice cream sundaes, you might be okay. But personally I'd never buy the plan if I was cutting it that close because fretting over the value negates a lot of the plan's appeal.

See that's the thing. I'm a bland eater and won't order fancy foods like ribs or get huge ice creams. I really wanted to go and it be paid for already (for the conveinance), but we would not be spending the $75 per day for food.

You do have great restaurants. This just goes to show you ALWAYS need to do the math. You have some good character interaction buffets. Enjoy your trip and revel in the fact you're not overpaying for your dining!

Thanks!! I'm looking forward to the character breakfasts! I can't wait to see my 3yr old nephew meet Mickey again! He loved meeting him when we went a few months ago!

 

[Colleen27]

See that's the thing. I'm a bland eater and won't order fancy foods like ribs or get huge ice creams. I really wanted to go and it be paid for already (for the conveinance), but we would not be spending the $75 per day for food.

It seems like you're the perfect case for the approach many of the dining plan skeptics suggest - put the cost of the plan on a Disney gift card, so you get the prepaid feeling without overpaying or feeling locked in to eating a certain way (having to order an entree when you might prefer an appetizer as your meal, for example). If there's something left over, just apply it to your room charges or have a last-day souvenir splurge to use up the balance.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I say Not - we did it once and never did it again. Each time we come back I figure out that we would have lost money on the DDP. Using a TS credit for breakfast is never worth it. You have to use it on TS meals where you order an expensive main course. I found that it never works out on pay one price restaurants -- like Ohana, etc.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Using a TS credit for breakfast is never worth it.

Notable exception from strictly a price standpoint...Akershus.

Chef Mickey's breakfast (again, price point only) is about a break-even deal on the DDP.

Otherwise, I completely agree. You lose the dessert component using a TS credit for breakfast.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

Notable exception from strictly a price standpoint...Akershus.

Chef Mickey's breakfast (again, price point only) is about a break-even deal on the DDP.

Otherwise, I completely agree. You lose the dessert component using a TS credit for breakfast.

Yes but even with Chef Mickeys breakfast - I feel you barely break even. At about $70 for the dining plan and lets say $41 for Chef Mickeys Breakfast - that leaves you $29 for QS and 2 snacks. You would have to make sure you buy a high priced lunch and snacks. We drink water so the refillable mugs do not work for us.

What I feel about the dining plan is many guest believe they are saving so much money on the plan and it is not the case. When we did the plan once, you had to make sure you ordered higher priced items and at the time lunch and dinner came with a dessert. It was too much dessert. I wish Disney would make it better for guests. If you are paying in advance you should save way more money - but again I believe the majority of people lose money using it.

 

[Moana of Motunui]

It seems like you're the perfect case for the approach many of the dining plan skeptics suggest - put the cost of the plan on a Disney gift card, so you get the prepaid feeling without overpaying or feeling locked in to eating a certain way (having to order an entree when you might prefer an appetizer as your meal, for example). If there's something left over, just apply it to your room charges or have a last-day souvenir splurge to use up the balance.

I didn't think to have one gift card for food only! I've been collecting gift cards (the only way I'll save money is if it's on a gift card) so I'll have to put almost $400 on one then the rest on another for spending. Good idea!

 

[ncc1701]

I didn't think to have one gift card for food only! I've been collecting gift cards (the only way I'll save money is if it's on a gift card) so I'll have to put almost $400 on one then the rest on another for spending. Good idea!

The GC route is what DH and I have done. The plans don't work for how we eat, share desserts if we get them at all , if we do an appetizer it usually a salad or soup, and usually get an Adult beverage with dinner and sometimes lunch. We had the DDP once as it was free and no room discount was available. We ordered only what we wanted not the most expensive entree and ate 3 or 4 QS meals at WPE and would have lost money if we paid for the plan. The GC give us the prepaid feel but the freedom to get what we want. Of course with the switch to include Adult beverages next year I will do some spreadsheets but I doubt it will work in our favor.