Disney Dining Plan vs. Paying Out of Pocket
Walt Disney World’s Dining Plan is a popular prepaid option that some people swear by. It’s especially popular with Free Dining, when it’s offered as part of a package discount. This does the math and analyzes whether the Disney Dining Plan is “worth it” both out of pocket and when offered as part of the deal.
The Disney Dining Plan (DDP) is easy to use and if you eat a certain way, or plan well, you can save money at Walt Disney World restaurants with the DDP. This is especially true if you follow a value maximization strategy for your credits–we have a number of resources on our site devoted to helping people get the most savings on the Disney Dining Plan.
What isn’t so clear is whether using the Disney Dining Plan saves you money versus paying out of pocket if you don’t eat the certain way it is designed. If your party consists of light eaters, or you are spontaneous, is the Disney Dining Plan right for you?
A lot of guests visiting Walt Disney World just assume the Disney Dining Plan will always save them money, which isn’t always true. In fact, a lot of times it will cost more money than paying out of pocket, and that’s the case even when the Disney Dining Plan is offered for “free.”
Rather than approaching this in the abstract, we decided to do a little “case study,” taking all of our receipts from our most recent 4-day trip to Walt Disney World, adding up our totals, and comparing our out of pocket costs to what we would have spent if we used the Disney Dining Plan. We’ll then examine free dining to explain why that doesn’t always save you money.
Which option “wins”? Let’s break things down…
Disney Dining Plan Case Study
On our recent 4-day Walt Disney World trip, we visited a number of restaurants, both table service and counter service, and had a lot of snacks. Most of our plans for dining were made at the last minute shortly before the trip or on a whim the day of, which meant that we didn’t do the math in advance to determine whether the Disney Dining Plan would have been right for us.
Had we booked the Disney Dining Plan in advance, our plans would have changed to better suit the Plan and “save” more money. That said, we ate exactly where and ordered exactly what we wanted while paying out of pocket on this trip.
We arrived mid-afternoon our first day and left mid-afternoon our last day. Here’s where we ate and how much we spent:
Day 1:
Flower & Garden Festival Kiosk – $13.11
Garden Grill – $73.62
Day 2:
Everything Pop Food Court – $7.01
San Angel Inn – $54.92
Flower & Garden Festival Kiosks – $6.92
Artist Point – $120.79
Day 3:
50s Prime Time Cafe – $63.20
Restaurantosaurus – $25.92
Auntie Gravity’s – $5.52
Day 4:
Landscape of Flavors – $10.80
Tusker House – $57.78
Animal Kingdom Snack – $4.25
What We Paid:
Subtotal: $443.84
Tables in Wonderland Proportional Cost: $25
Total: $468.84
What We Would’ve Paid on the Disney Dining Plan:
Disney Dining Plan Cost: $333.54
Out of Pocket Cost: $253.50
Total: $587.04
Unused Credits: 0 Table Service, 3 Counter Service, 0 Snack
Okay, time for a little explanation. How much we spent at each location speaks is the total we paid, including tip (~18%) and less Tables in Wonderland discount. All of these amounts added together form the basis of the subtotal, which is $443.84. Now, since we benefited from a Tables in Wonderland discount, and since that card costs $100 and we take about 4 Walt Disney World trips per year, I’ve attributed $25 of the card’s cost to this trip. That brings the total we spent on food for this trip to $468.84. Follow so far?
Tracking the amount spent gets a little trickier on the Disney Dining Plan. If we were on the DDP, we would have spent $333.54 on the plan alone, which would have given us each 3 credits for table service meals, counter service meals, and snacks (since our trip was 3 nights long).
As for the out of pocket portion there, the Disney Dining Plan does not cover tips, nor does it cover some other things we ordered, like alcohol and appetizers. We also paid for two table service meals out of pocket, since we only had enough credits for 3 table service meals, and we ate 5 table service meals. Here, I made sure to apply the DDP credits in the most efficient manner (so in this hypothetical, I applied a snack credit to a $4.25 cupcake rather than a $2.19 coffee, etc.).
Finally, the unused credits show what we didn’t use. We exceeded both our table service and snack credit allotments, but only had 3 counter service meals, so we would have had 3 credits remaining. Were we actually on the Disney Dining Plan, we would have used all of these credits, and not done one or two of the table service meals that we did. It’s also worth noting that for some meals we ordered appetizers and split desserts (or didn’t order dessert), which wouldn’t have been efficient on the Dining Plan, but we ordered what we wanted since we didn’t have to consider the Plan.
Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth It? Conclusion
I normally do this math (very roughly) before each trip based upon menus from places we’re dining to get an idea of whether we might want to use the Disney Dining Plan. The first thing I want to note here is how liberating it was to do things spontaneously and not do this degree of planning (of course, I ended up doing even more work after the fact for this blog post, but whatever) and just eat what and where we wanted to eat without thinking about credits or Disney Dining Plan efficiency.
To that end, I think it’s much more convenient to NOT use the Disney Dining Plan. I say this in our review of the Disney Dining Plan, and I know this flies in the face of why so many people use the Dining Plan, but I don’t possibly see how it’s more convenient to use the Dining Plan than to not use it.
Unlike what some people say, you are not “just” paying the cost of the Plan and then forgetting about dining costs and “eating whatever you want.” You’re pre-paying a portion of the cost, then paying another (significant) cost at each meal in the form of tips. Oh, and you can only eat certain things and have to plan the types of meals that work with the Disney Dining Plan, otherwise you waste credits.
When paying out of pocket, you show up where you want, order what you want, and pay for what you ordered. Done. I’m not even going to address the “budgeting” argument, as without extensive pre-planning, you can’t completely budget dining costs with the Disney Dining Plan any more than you can when paying out of pocket. So that’s a wash. Our experience with both paying out of pocket and with using the Disney Dining Plan has been that paying out of pocket is unquestionably more convenient. Any convenience of the Disney Dining Plan is illusory.
More importantly, what about actual savings? Based on my numbers, we clearly saved more money by not using the Disney Dining Plan and instead paying out of pocket and using Tables in Wonderland (we would have saved more even without the Tables in Wonderland card). However, in fairness, those numbers are a bit misleading. As mentioned above, we didn’t eat in a manner that fit the “style” of the Disney Dining Plan, and we had a table service-heavy trip.
Honestly, we could have changed our style pretty easily without negatively affecting our experience and that would have made the gap between out of pocket and the Disney Dining Plan a bit smaller. By that, I don’t mean trading Artist Point for a counter service meal (unless there’s an AMAZING counter service restaurant we’ve never heard of, that swap would have had a negative affect on our experience!), I mean not ordering appetizers and instead doing more desserts.
Something that would have negatively affected our experience, but would also have decreased BOTH totals would have been to eat 2 additional counter service meals and 2 fewer table service meals. Obviously, this would have decreased the Dining Plan total more than the out of pocket total since we had the unused counter service credits on the Dining Plan. In fact, my rough math shows that, had we done that, the totals would have been almost even.
My preference is eating whatever I want at any restaurant and dining at the two table service restaurants rather than adding 2 counter service restaurants to the plans, but the point remains. For the sake of fairness to the Disney Dining Plan, we’re showing that a change to our plans could have made a big difference in terms of costs.
We don’t want to make it appear that paying out of pocket will always be considerably cheaper than using the Disney Dining Plan, because that’s simply not true. It was true on this one trip we took, but is definitely not always true, even for us. On other occasions, we’ve saved a lot of money by using the Disney Dining Plan! In fact, this article is sort of a “counter-point” to last year’s case study showing how we saved a lot of money on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan. (Just to show we’re not biased one way or the other…)
This also shows that there is no single answer to the out of pocket versus Disney Dining Plan question in terms of savings. The results can substantially deviate based upon your personal dining reservations, plans, and eating habits. While my numbers illustrate this point, they offer little more than illustration, and are really little more than academic here.
The real point is that both paying out of pocket and using the Disney Dining Plan can each be viable options worthy of consideration. In other words, don’t just rely on the numbers presented here–read past them and do your own math if saving money is something about which you really care.
When you do the math, don’t base your calculations on what the Disney Dining Plan provides. Base your numbers on what you’d actually like to eat on your vacation. If you don’t do much snacking at Walt Disney World, but would take home a bunch of bags of Disney candy with unused snack credits if you had to, don’t factor that candy into your calculations.
It’s not something you really want, and just because you would use snack credits on the candy (instead of letting the credits go to waste), doesn’t mean those credits are “worth” $4.19 each. Spending more money to “save” more money isn’t really saving money at all–it’s wasting money.
What About “Free” Dining?
I mentioned Free Dining above, and the same principle that the Dining Plan–even when “free”–doesn’t always save you more money. This is something I’ve harped on in the past, and it’s worth sounding like an ornery nag for the sake of hammering home, because many people still don’t seem to understand this: FREE DINING IS NOT FREE.
Walt Disney World almost always has discounts. The place is like the Kohl’s of vacation destinations. No one is paying full price at either place, making full price/rack rates almost meaningless. Since the statement that Free Dining isn’t really free seems to confuse a lot of guests, let’s go through it point by point.
Walt Disney World almost always offers discounts on vacations. If you book with one discount, you cannot book with another discount (at least guests from the US can’t). Free Dining is one discount that Disney offers. A room-only discount of 20%/25%/30%/35%/40% off is another discount Disney offers.
It thus becomes a question of opportunity cost. Do YOU save more money paying with free dining and a full priced room and tickets than you do with a room discount and paying out of pocket for food (and with potentially discounted tickets)?
If Free Dining were offered during our visit (it wasn’t), it would have been a far better offer because room-only discounts were meager. Then again, meager room-only discounts partly explain why free dining wasn’t offered. If discounts are meager they are meager across the board, and they are meager because Disney doesn’t need to use them to “persuade” more guests to visit (this is why summer break discounts are so rare). When Free Dining is offered, it’s usually offered in off-seasons when room-only discounts are also usually much more substantial.
It’s frequently true that Free Dining is the best discount. If you have a family of 4 staying in one room, no matter the resort, that’s usually the case. However, if you have a couple staying in a more expensive room, it’s often not the case. Sarah and I frequently stay at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, which often has a 30% room-only discount or Free Dining when we stay there.
With a 30% off discount at BoardWalk Inn, we save around $125 per night with a 30% off room-only discount during our annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival trip. This is more than the average daily amount that we spend on food, which is why we book the room-only discount at BoardWalk if both discounts are offered. If there were 2 more people staying in the room with us, that would tip the scale in favor of Free Dining.
Likewise, a family of 4 staying at a non-Deluxe resort, such as Disney’s Coronado Springs, is probably going to find that they save much more with Free Dining than they do with a room-only discount. I know everyone hates math, but the point, once again, is that you have to do the math for your circumstances to know for sure. Better to suffer through a little math and save some money than just assume based on marketing buzzwords like “free,” be wrong, and end up paying more.
Our example illustrates why it’s important to do some advance planning when it comes to dining at Walt Disney World. You vets out there already know this, but if you’re a first-time visitor or are only really familiar with Disneyland, you may not realize this. Planning your dining is almost as important as booking your airfare.
A lot of Walt Disney World restaurants book up months in advance, and the difference in experience between a good and a bad restaurant is like night and day. We highly recommend reading some of our restaurant reviews and checking out menus online before before making your Advance Dining Reservations. Not only will they give you an idea of what restaurants to book, but they’ll help you do the math and figure out whether the Disney Dining Plan or paying out of pocket is right for you!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you typically use the Disney Dining Plan or do you pay out of pocket? What works best for you? I would love to hear what your thoughts are about the Disney Dining Plan, and how it works—or doesn’t work—for you. Share your thoughts in the comments!
I’m sooooo confused! My family of four is going the first week of July. No discounts or free anything that I’m aware of. The kids are 12 & 5. We typically eat three meals daily. I believe we will do at least one table-service meal every day. We are more likely to have dessert rather than an appetizer. (sweet teeth, here! ) My hubby may or may not have a beer, but that’s about it. We wouldn’t necessarily order the most expensive item just because it’s the most expensive, but we do like steak.
I think we would like to do a couple of character meals, but I don’t understand why that is such a big factor in the DDP decision.
Do we sound like the kind of group that would benefit from the DDP, and would you pretty please explain the character meal to me?
Feeling dense here. o.O
Hi Tom,
I am thoroughly enjoying browsing through your blog! I am visiting Disney this September with my boyfriend. I have been to WDW many times with my family, but haven’t been for about 6 years. He has never been. We’re in our 20’s with no kids and want to experience it once, before we settle down and have kids!
We are struggling to come to terms with whether or not we should do DDP or just bring our own food. I went on a school trip about 6 years ago and we were given DDP for every meal. It became too much for me – I felt like I was eating fast food all the time. I’m not big on the quick-service type stuff that feels like fast food, and neither of us are huge breakfast eaters (we would be fine bringing cereal or granola bars). I DO want to be able to go and order whatever we want at a table service restaurant, though it seems like you can’t really do that.. I also like knowing we could get a snack or drink throughout the day (assuming we get the standard plan). We’re watching our budget but not super intensely and honestly I think we could go either way. Part of me likes the idea of not having to pay OOP except for tips with the DDP, but part of me also doesn’t know that either one of us will want that much food.. Thoughts!?
If the Dining Plan was too much food for you last time you went, it’ll be too much food now. Just close your eyes and sign when the bill comes at the end of the meal. It’ll seem like a lot (and it is) but you’ll still likely spend less this way than if you did the Disney Dining Plan.
We are going to DW in April for 7 days. I know bad timing but its for school, we have two boys ages 6 &4. We are staying at our time share Mystic Dunes, and will have a full kitchen. After reading all of the comments, it seems that paying out of pocket will be better, since we love to eat at restaurants as a family (but may want to do at least one character meal), and just do a bit of grocery shopping for the hotel. Eat breakfast at the hotel and some dinners. If we can bring our own snacks, this would be awesome, such as bananas, goldfish crackers etc. Do you know if bringing in outside food is acceptable?
I have read so many reviews on DDP and still so confused. My husband and I will be going to DW in October for MNSSHP for 8nights/9days with a 2yr old and 4yr old. We will be staying in the AoA resort but will only be buying 4 day tickets because we are also going to SeaWorld Spooktacular and LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat. What it be better for us to pay out-of-pocket for food. We are also spending a day at Downtown Disney and of course the night at MNSSHP.
The first time I took my eldest daughter we used the DP and loved it as we didn’t at all care about dining in the restaurants and it was more than enough. I’m planning a trip this year for myself and my 3 yr old and question if it’s worth getting the dining plan for the 2 night, 3 days we’ll be there. Is the food truly that expensive (not in restaurants that is) that I’d spend $700 between the 2 of us in 2 days?
So is the main consensus here that the only way the dinning plan is really worth it is if you are doing character meals? I will be going with my four year old and we will want to do the character meals as much as possible. Just trying to get the most bang for my buck.
That, or if you have a lot of big eaters or steak-eaters in your party.
I keep hearing about the “discounts” or specials being offered and taking advantage of the right one….where are these discounts and how/when are you eligible? I am planning a trip for next August and dont want to miss out?!?!
I have to agree that many people get caught up in the hype and mindset that its easier and cheaper to use the dining plan. Ill admit, this was definitely my mindset. We probably wouldn’t have tried some of the restaurants we tried on our first trip had we not used the dining plan. There was a certain sense of comfort knowing that the meals were covered and I just needed to bring money for tips.
I think people get sticker shock when they look at the prices, I know that I did on our first trip. Instead of looking at prices and taking into account what your families eating habits are, people compare the price of the DDP to the most expensive things on the menu. We used all of our credits on our trip but found that the money spent on my 3 year olds dining plan was a waste. He is an extremely picky and light eater. The only plus side was that we were able to split most of his meals between him and his 1 year old sister. We ended up missing a couple meals we had ADR’s for because our kids were tired and cranky. We ended up using some of our credits on resort pizza delivery (eww).
My husband and I are going back in September and we are using the Deluxe dining plan, but we are also going during food and wine festival (a great use for our snack credits) and also taking your advice and doing a breakfast and a signature dinner each night. When we return in May for our family trip we plan on staying DVC and cooking a couple meals in our room. We will have a 12 year old, 4 year old, 2 year old and 4 month old with us and we don’t want to deal with making ADR’s around nap times and tantrums.
You know, I’m pretty much planning our big WDW trip based on your blog. This is where I’ll be deviating though. We have booked for 2014 and got free dining alongside a 25% room discount (though I haven’t looked at standard room prices for a deluxe studio at OKW so this could be a lie.) There is also a $200 gift card offered. So DDP it is! We wouldn’t have booked it and paid for it ourselves, but then we wouldn’t ordinarily have table service dinners every single night of a 2 week holiday either. As mentioned in another reply on the site, being a diabetic I would probably end up in a coma if I ate the 2 desserts a day that are included in the plan. So buying it would make NO sense whatsoever. But I’ll take it, at “free” and not kick myself over the room discount as I got one of those too. 🙂
I will still be using the blog to plan where I’ll be using the DDP though.
You are from the UK, you don’t count! 😉 Us Americans can’t get deals anything near that good. Believe me, if I could get that offer, I would jump on it in a second! 🙂
Hehe, Yes, I figured it would be because of British-ness. I assume because we brits are guaranteed to be staying at least two weeks, owing to the massive travelling time? So it’s worth luring us poor, unsuspecting lot over. 🙂
You guys *can* get DVC point rental though.. which I don’t think we can? Plus, travel is likely to be phenomenally cheaper. It’s all swings and roundabouts 😀
I am now looking through menus on allears and your blog planning meals which feels slightly bizarre, for a trip so far in the future. Have you ever eaten at Olivia’s in OKW? I’m seeing very mixed reviews for it all over the web.
Hi there! I just found your site and I love it. I am booking a 5 day trip for my family of 5 around Labor Day weekend. It has been my family’s dream to stay at the Polynesian because we basically just go back & forth from MK to Epcot and just love that mononrail. Here’s my dilemma: I was all set to justify paying Poly prices using the “end of summer” deal which gives us %20 off. I was buying my tix from Undercover Tourist. Then just the other day I get a pin code for free dining coinciding with our stay. I did the dreaded “MATH” and paying full price for Poly but getting free dining would cost us $451 more. I do have big eaters (kids 14,13 & 8) and we would definitely spend $90 per day on food. So I guess my question is – it’s a good deal, right?
I suppose I just hate the fact that I would be paying the full hotel rate but I guess in the end it all goes into Mickey’s pocket anyway!
Oh and just a quick comment about those whose menu choices are the same whether they are doing DDP or OOP. It’s nice that when you want a steak you order a steak but when you have 3 kids saying MOM CAN I ORDER THE STEAK? it gets very expensive – no matter where you are!
Definitely a good deal in your circumstances! Have fun!
We have used the dining plan in the past and I was not a fan. I always felt like I “had” to eat. However we are visiting in September and took the free dining plan. The hotel room discount was not that great. Also we are bringing our 3 year old for the first time and I have booked Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, Garden Grill, Ohana breakfast, crystal palace and 50’s Prime Time for table meals. I believe he will enjoy all of the characters and it is worth it for this trip. I will always calculate it from trip to trip. I love all of your tips and advice!
Excellent article, and VERY helpful. My son (age 34) and I went in October, for Epcot’s 30th anniversary. (Yes, two adults…..we’re just big kids!). We stayed at French Quarter, and totally enjoyed our free DDP! We went back a few weeks ago, and decided not to get DDP, after much thought. For us, it’s better to pay as we go, as we are light eaters. However, I am SO glad we had the opportunity to use the DDP last year. We experienced some wonderful restaurants that we would not have ordinarily gone to. It’s a good thing we did a lot of walking at WDW, because we would have gained a LOT of weight with all the great food! The only confusion I have with the comparisons is – We usually stay at French Quarter, and they don’t always have the same room discounts (I guess, because it’s smaller and they don’t “need” to offer a discount?). This trip, we upgraded to annual passes (wish we had done that on the last trip!). I debated about buying the Tables in Wonderland, but am so glad I did! It’s a great offer. We used it at restaurants, as well as the food court at our resort. We also used Disney gift cards, for meals, which I bought at Target. If you have a Target debit or credit card, you get 5% off. If you use their pharmacy, for every 5 prescriptions you fill, you “earn” a 5% off shopping day. Buy your Disney gift cards on your 5% off day, with your Target debit card, and get 10% off, total! Pay for your meals with your discounted Disney cards, and use your TIW card…..
We love your tips, and your beautiful photos!
Must definitely do your research and what meets your needs. At WDW right now for third year in a row and this is the first year without a DDP. Honestly, we have never been to the sit-down places and always do quick-service. Three kids (10, 9, 7) who aren’t big eaters and for our family, food is just fuel, doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. We like to get as much attraction time in as we can every day. Just our style. Since my 10-year-old is now a Disney adult, the meal plans went up a great deal in price. We are paying out-of-pocket this year and that way our 10-year-old can still eat off kid’s menus. Not doing DDP also allows us to eat offsite on occasion (we have our own transportation). We haven’t really tried to eat cheaper, we order and eat what we want, when we want (again, all quick-service). This is our 5th day out of 8 and I’m on track to save around $500 vs. going with the quick-service DDP. I should also mention we ALWAYS eat an on-the-go breakfast (yogurt, banana, pop-tart, grapes) that we buy at Walmart. Probably should have avoided DDP first and second year as well.
Great points. In your circumstances, I can’t fathom a situation where the Disney Dining Plan would save you money, and that includes if it were offered to you “free.” Oh well, live and learn! Hope you have a great trip!
My boyfriend and I are headed to WDW in September. His first visit, my fourth (but first as an adult). We originally booked at a value resort (and no DDP) before free dining was announced, then decided we wanted to switch to a moderate (still knowing nothing of free dining, though I guess it had been announced at that point). We called, had the best cast member assistance EVER, and ended up with an upgraded room at Port Orleans Riverside and a standard dining plan for $400 less than our original reservation. Our helpful CM told us she did it with a little help from Tinkerbell, but after reading so much about how you have to forfeit extra discounts in order to get free dining, I really am curious about how she got us such a good price. I guess I shouldn’t look a magical horse in the mouth, huh?
The room-only discounts right now for Moderates aren’t *that* great, and even though it’s just the two of you, you’re almost certainly still better off with Free Dining.
Still, it doesn’t make sense that you would’ve saved money by going from a Value to a Moderate, unless she booked you an international discount offer or something of that sort.
I’m going alone for the first week of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, September 29 – October 5. As a Florida Resident (haven’t been to WDW in more than 20 years. I know crazy), I purchased a Weekday Select Pass to utilize the parks M-F. Of course, I’ve already used Disney’s website to make reservations for restaurants throughout the week. I’ve decided NOT to use the DDP but am wondering whether to purchase the Tables in Wonderland card (although FRs get it for $125, I have a pass so can get it for $100). I’m also wondering whether to cancel some of the restaurants in Epcot because I can “graze and drink” around WS during the festival instead, maybe that Friday?
Here are my reservations:
Sun, Sep. 29, Check-in (POFQ)
Dinner: Ragland Road, Downtown Disney
Mon, Sep. 30: Animal Kingdom
Lunch: Counter-service somewhere
Dinner: LeCellier, Epcot
Tue, Oct 1: Hollywood Studios
Lunch: Mama Melrose’s (Fantasmic Package)
Dinner: Bongos Cuban Cafe, DTD (late evening after Fantasmic)
Wed, Oct 2: Magic Kingdom
Lunch: Kona Cafe, Polynesian
Dinner: Liberty Tree Tavern (before MSEP, Fireworks, etc.)
Thur, Oct. 3: MK (Morning), Epcot (Afternoon)
Lunch: Rose and Crown Pub
Dinner: La Hacienda
Fri, Oct. 4: Epcot
Lunch: Biergarten (thinking of cancelling this and just grazing around WS and all the booths)
Dinner: Via Napoli
Sat, Oct 5: Check out
Any advice is appreciated.
You don’t indicate your party size here, but even if you’re a party of 1, you will come out ahead with the Tables in Wonderland card given your number of reservations.
I would recommend cancelling a couple of the Epcot reservations to enjoy some of Food & Wine Festival. Just know that Food & Wine Festival can be EXPENSIVE! (Personally, I’d cancel Le Cellier.)
Thanks, Tom. Just little ol’ me. I’m single so I decided, the heck with it, I’m going. I haven’t been in a LONG time. That’s good to know about TIW. What does it cover in the F&W festival, if any? Yes, I’ve read your review of Le Cellier. I could go to Shula’s but I have one in my home town so I thought I would try Le Cellier instead. I understand your review is basically good but not great. I figured make as many reservations as possible now, because they’re hard to get getting closer to the trip (BTW, the Disney website now makes it so easy). As the F&W Festival gets closer, there will be more info and I’ll probably have a better idea of Epcot reservations to cancel. I know I need to cancel no later than 24 hours prior or I incur a charge.
On a side note, being single, I decided I’m going to skip MNSCHP. Besides, seeing the MSEP will be nostalgic for me.(I’m planning on being in MK on a night when the party isn’t held.)
also I have reservations for a character breakfast and I’m looking to make maybe 2 more dinner reservations while we’re there.
I’m so confused on what to do. We are going mid-june and are still deciding whether to do the dining plan or not (we have till the 31st to add it) It’s 4 of us my husband, myself, and our two daughters both of which are under 2 so they don’t cost us. Is it worth it for us to do the dining plan plus? All together it would be $225 (4 day dining) because they don’t count and we are going for 6 days 5 nights but have park tickets for 4 days since we wont use them on our arrival or departure day. This is our first time going with children as well. we went in 2010 before our first was born without a dining plan but we also didn’t stay on disney property so we ate wherever whenever. Please help!
When I go in Septemeber DDP is icluded with my holiday? I’m from the U.K. and the plan seems straight forward to me? Is there restrictions on the menu? I know it’s its an appetiser and a dessert and a non-colic beverage and we need to pay a tip? I thought it was just as easy as that?
I think if you have younger kids who want to do character meals the DDP is worth it. I did the math before I bought the plan and broke it down just to make sure and it will be a better deal for my family. I think each family should do the math before they make that decision on the dining plan. We are only staying on site for 2 nights before going off site and my hubbys company foots the bill!!!
I saved over $200 not using the dinning plan, it was my first time not having it so I wasn’t sure if this was normal or not. My family did not order anything different. I’m not sure if we will ever us the dinning plan again, I was quite disappointed by this since it is so nice to have everything paid for before the vacation even starts.