Is the Dining Plan worth it? Is there a better way?

Do the Disney dining Plan?

  • Yes

    Votes: 24 27.0%
  • No

    Votes: 65 73.0%

  • Total voters
    89

Jennifer Marchesi

MinnieMickeyLove
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
We have gotten the dining plan before but usually have a ridiculous amount of snack points left over. I thought it was a better deal to do this but is there a cheaper way to eat?
 
I have never been able to make the Dining Plan (any of them) be a better deal than just paying "out of pocket."

We only do one TS meal (occasionally "premium" like Hoop-Dee-Do and 'Ohana) per day, the rest are CS and/or snacks.
 


A lot of spoke buy gift cards at a discount and use that to pay for meals. I always pay OOP since I don’t always want dessert and I want an appetizer instead. Sometimes I split meals or get something small depending on how hungry I am.
 
The dining plan is typically used for convience's sake, not to save money. You would have to be a huge eater with expensive tastes to have it actually help you save. About 98% (That's a made up percentage, so don't quote it as fact) of most dining arrangements you make will save you money over using the dining plan.
 


The convenience of the Dining Plan is worth about $50 per week to me. Unfortunately, I would probably save over $150 by not using it, so I may pass on it the next go around, UNLESS I get a good deal on a package that includes it.
 
Dining plan was good in the early 2000's when it really was free dining. If you do the math, today's dining plan (meal plan) on average does not provide a discount for the food. In my opinion, if you go more often (>2 visits per year), planning on vacationing with a large group, and enjoy trying Disney Dining Locations, you will get more value and flexibility with the Tables in Wonderland Card.
 
The dining plan is good for those people who actually eat the way the plan is meant to be for. If you eat 1 TS (With everyone ordering a dessert and drink), 1 QS, and 2 snacks then it will work for you and maybe even save you money. I am doing the DDP for 3 nights of my stay and the DxDDP the other 3 nights of my stay. My calculations have me losing $5 on the DDP and saving $160 on the DxDDP. I am eating at no Signature meals at all on any nights and we are only eating 3 times on one night. It can work for you if you want it too.

On the other hand if you share meals, share desserts, only order water, don't use the snacks, like an app for your entree, and a thousand other ways that the dining plan doesn't work for you then you can save a lot of money. You could also skip all the Disney meals and save even more money. If your like me and the dining is a huge experience of your vacation there then you can definitely come out ahead on the DDP. Its not for everyone for sure but only you know if it is for your family.
 
We always get the dining plan but most of the time we get it for free. For the few times we have paid for it I think we maybe save money or atleast break even and I like the convenience. But the value depends on what and how much you eat.
 
Dining plan was good in the early 2000's when it really was free dining. If you do the math, today's dining plan (meal plan) on average does not provide a discount for the food. In my opinion, if you go more often (>2 visits per year), planning on vacationing with a large group, and enjoy trying Disney Dining Locations, you will get more value and flexibility with the Tables in Wonderland Card.

To get that, though, you need to be an AP holder, DVC owner, or Florida resident.
 
The dining plan is good for those people who actually eat the way the plan is meant to be for. If you eat 1 TS (With everyone ordering a dessert and drink), 1 QS, and 2 snacks then it will work for you and maybe even save you money. I am doing the DDP for 3 nights of my stay and the DxDDP the other 3 nights of my stay. My calculations have me losing $5 on the DDP and saving $160 on the DxDDP. I am eating at no Signature meals at all on any nights and we are only eating 3 times on one night. It can work for you if you want it too.

On the other hand if you share meals, share desserts, only order water, don't use the snacks, like an app for your entree, and a thousand other ways that the dining plan doesn't work for you then you can save a lot of money. You could also skip all the Disney meals and save even more money. If your like me and the dining is a huge experience of your vacation there then you can definitely come out ahead on the DDP. Its not for everyone for sure but only you know if it is for your family.

You would fall into that 2% I was referencing. You did the math and know what meals the DDP will save you money with and which ones won't. You can't be in the majority. Otherwise, Disney wouldn't offer the plan at it's current price.
 
You would fall into that 2% I was referencing. You did the math and know what meals the DDP will save you money with and which ones won't. You can't be in the majority. Otherwise, Disney wouldn't offer the plan at it's current price.

Yup
 
You have to do the work. Make a spreadsheet, go to sites like AllEars.net and the Disney App. Pick the food your family is most likely to eat and enter the prices.

Do one line for each meal/snack, day 1 bfast, day 2 lunch, etc. Put each person's name in a column. Enter your pricing data. Total what you would spend ala cart. The DP (standard) is $75 per person per day (kids less).

Each family is different.
 
For the life of me...I can't understand how people eat that much food! 2 or 3 BIG meals a day? U would have to roll me around in a wheelbarrow after consuming that much food...not to mention with the HEAT in Florida...I'm lucky to have enuff of an appetite to eat once each day while I'm at the parks...give me a light meal with plenty of fluids and I'm good to go! But IF u wanna order the most expensive thing on every menu and spent most of ur time running to ADR's then I'm sure u could save a few bucks! IMO
 
For the life of me...I can't understand how people eat that much food! 2 or 3 BIG meals a day? U would have to roll me around in a wheelbarrow after consuming that much food...not to mention with the HEAT in Florida...I'm lucky to have enuff of an appetite to eat once each day while I'm at the parks...give me a light meal with plenty of fluids and I'm good to go! But IF u wanna order the most expensive thing on every menu and spent most of ur time running to ADR's then I'm sure u could save a few bucks! IMO

You don't have to eat a huge amount at every meal to get your value out of it. I don't eat as much as I can until I feel like I have gotten my moneys worth. I do like the option to order the most expensive meal at each place if I want to but that doesn't mean I have too. I order what ever I feel like and after words I don't try to calculate it to see if I have lost money. Like I said earlier its really up to how you eat and what works best for your family.
 
There are some scenarios where it makes sense. It can be a good idea if you do eat the way the plan intends (i.e. like desserts, don't do appetizers), like the more expensive dishes (i.e. fan of steaks/seafood), have a decent appetite. It worked for us when the kids were still "kids" on the Dining Plan because we did a fair number of character meals which are comparativels expensive for children. We split counter service meals and supplemented with snacks to cover all meals (not huge eaters but do like 3+ meals a day).

However, kids are all now considered adults and the price has increased even more. I can't imagine it making sense for us unless the DP is free. I did like the convenience though.
 
To get that, though, you need to be an AP holder, DVC owner, or Florida resident.

Yes. Tables of Wonderland is only available to the above guests, but as I said in the original post, if you go multiple times per year (>2) then getting an AP and Tables of Wonderland is cheaper and provides more flexibility.

Also, only one adult in your party needs to get an AP to eligible for the Tables of Wonderland card. We have been going to WDW for decades and this is currently the best deal (combined with discounted Disney gift cards) for those who visit often.
 
Last edited:
Whoops. Answered yes when I should have answered no.

We have not done the DDP for years. If you have credits left over you are losing money.

I use annual pass holder discounts, DVC discounts and Disney Visa card discounts.
 

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