Dining plan or not?

[megs4413]

In my experience, if you are planning to do a lot of buffet/show meals, the dining plan usually is cheaper. In your case, just on the surface, it seems like it would be, but you've done the math, so....

[KrisM]

In my experience, if you are planning to do a lot of buffet/show meals, the dining plan usually is cheaper. In your case, just on the surface, it seems like it would be, but you've done the math, so....

I really thought we'd end up cheaper with the plan because of the reservations. I did some more reading on disboards and they estimate of the $59/adult for the dining plan, $4 is snack, $17 is counter service and $38 is table service. So, Akershus is $49/adult, so a good use of the dining plan. But, Hoop De Doo is $62/adult, but uses 2 credits, so only $31/credit. Then Tusker House is breakfast, so cheaper than dinner and only $32/adult. Biergarten and Sci Fi are both pretty inexpensive really. I think if we had more standard character dinners, the plan would work out much better.

[megs4413]

I really thought we'd end up cheaper with the plan because of the reservations. I did some more reading on disboards and they estimate of the $59/adult for the dining plan, $4 is snack, $17 is counter service and $38 is table service. So, Akershus is $49/adult, so a good use of the dining plan. But, Hoop De Doo is $62/adult, but uses 2 credits, so only $31/credit. Then Tusker House is breakfast, so cheaper than dinner and only $32/adult. Biergarten and Sci Fi are both pretty inexpensive really. I think if we had more standard character dinners, the plan would work out much better.

I think you are certainly on to something here. Those two credit meals are rarely a good deal, so that could definitely be contributing here. If you've done your homework, you're probably right on with what you're thinking.

[AnnieW625]

I was totally thinking the same thing as Mariza until I read your updates. Great planning.

[jenstring95]

We just got back and had free dining. If you plan to eat the most expensive item, do a lot character meals or buffets, then I saw the dining plan is worth it. Otherwise, not quite sure if it is worthwhile to pay OOP because with the CS and TS, non-buffet, you get an entree, dessert and drink. I personally think its too much to have dessert with each meal. I wish you had the option of subbing an appetizer instead. Also, we had some credits to burn because after having a buffet at lunch, none of us really wanted to eat dinner, so some night we skipped it or had a snack instead.

We have only ever done the QS dining plan, but you can get a bottle of water as your "dessert" for QS. That's how we get most of our water (so we don't have to use snacks to get it).

[jenstring95]

Average for CS is about $37 for the 5 of us, including tax.

Is this with some of you sharing meals? It seems low to me (especially depending on how many of you will order off the adult menu and whether you will buy drinks)?

[mariza]

We have only ever done the QS dining plan, but you can get a bottle of water as your "dessert" for QS. That's how we get most of our water (so we don't have to use snacks to get it).

We order 2 cases of water from Staples and have it shipped directly to the hotel (along with Granola bars and other breakfast type snacks) to save Dining plan credits, then just load about 6 bottles in our backpack for a day at the parks.


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[egoldber]

Are you renting a car? If so, one grocery stop can basically pay for the car rental. I get snacks and light breakfast foods (bagels and cream cheese, granola bars, applesauce cups, apples, bananas, PB sandwiches, juice boxes, cereal, milk). By eating a light breakfast (like a bagel) in the room and packing in heavy snack/light lunch, we save $$$$ every day. Also, my kids typically prefer it to eating all WDW food all the time!

So a tyoical day for us might look like....

Breakfast: bagel&cream cheese OR cereal and milk, Starbucks Via for DH and I

Pack into park: PB sandwich, apple, granola bar, juice box (discard along the way and your load lightens as the day goes on....)

Lunch: Food we brought, supplemented with a heavy snack at one point. We might split 2 pizzas, or wraps and then get an ice cream. But not the full combo meal.

Dinner: Sit down or counter service

Even if you shop at the on-site resort store (we did that one year) it still saves a ton of money vs. eating at a restaurant for every meal. Another year that we did not plan to rent a car, we checked a box of dry good food as luggage and then supplemented from the on-site store.

[KrisM]

Is this with some of you sharing meals? It seems low to me (especially depending on how many of you will order off the adult menu and whether you will buy drinks)?

No, not sharing, except drinks. I looked at Allears for the menus. For example, here is Toy Story Pizza Planet: http://allears.net/menu/men_tspp.htm
I put DH and I in for a $9.19 cheese pizza and each kid for $5.99 cheese pizza meal. DH and I would likely split a drink at $3.19. Total with tax is $42.11.

Electric Umbrella at Epcot: DH $9.39 for a hamburger, me $8.99 for flatbread, kids $5.99 each and DH and I splitting a drink for $2.79. Total here with tax is $41.

I didn't note all the places and now I can't find the ones that showed up cheaper. So, maybe $42 is a better average. That ups the total to $1440, but I'm paying OOP for 1 CS meal anyway, since we're out of credits, so $1400 worth of dining plan meals. Still very close to a wash. And I do think we'll share, skip, have snacks for meals, etc.

[TwinFoxes]

In my experience, if you are planning to do a lot of buffet/show meals, the dining plan usually is cheaper. In your case, just on the surface, it seems like it would be, but you've done the math, so....

Same here, just looking at your schedule I'd think you'd be a candidate for the DDP, but you seem to have done the research.

I do think $4 for snacks is optimistic. When you're walking around you get hungry and thirsty, and those carts are oh-so-conveniently placed. You're going to want Dole Whips Those are probably $4 each. Soooo good though. Mmm. Also, they sell fresh fruit and veggies, so it's not just junk. When your kids asking for an apple, it's kind of hard to say no (at least it is for me). Bottles of water and cokes are I think $2.50. Anyway, just make sure you allot enough for snacks.

We've done the meal plan before, but we had two kids age 3 and under, so we did lots of buffets, shows, character meals, and the kids were free. My DH, who was in charge of the budget at the time, loved not having a running total of what we were spending in the back of his mind. The last time we went, we didn't do the meal plan, but I was in charge of the budget.