[mengeljr]

My DH will not go for the dining plan! I want to enjoy my stay, eating and experiencing my meals the WDW way... However, he feels it is too expensive and that we will save more eating off the park. Yes, my DS is now considered an adult, so we would pay about $115 for my family of 4, per day, as you all know. Now, factor in a rental car for the week. I think we would break about even! Not to mention the convenience! What do you think? I need some back-up here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[queensmama]

I loved the dining plan, but you must have a family of eaters to really make it worth it for your family.I agree you would save money eating off site, but then you lose time. I am all for the dining plan, hope you can talk him into it.

[Andrea]

Does he want to seriously leave whatever park or resort you're enjoying every single day and drive off to eat? For lunch AND dinner?

You might want to price out what your family would likely pay for lunch and dinner doing it his way... and see where you come out. If you're planning on eating lunch in the parks, use the menus on Allears for the prices. Also, don't forget to add in the fact that the tip is COVERED with the dining plan- there, you've already saved 20% that you'll have to pay anywhere else except fast food (or whatever percentage you tip )!

I actually created a chart and worked the numbers and the difference was ridiculously small between eating mostly counter meals with a few nice sit-downs thrown in, and buying the plan. I was really careful to compare what we would normally buy for each meal- i.e., split an appetizer, get dessert maybe half the time. When I added in the convenience and the lack of stress... it was an easy decision!

Hey, I'll be there when you're there!

[lustergirl]

My family of four enjoyed the free dining plan in September, we ate like kings! For our next trip I am purchasing the dining plan. It is only 35 dollars a night per person which is a savings if you think about it. I know we all eat more than 35 dollars per night per person, that is a fact. Sure you total vacation cost may be steep but it is worth it. I will include the dining plan on my next trip also so I don't have to worry about buying the food. This past trip I spent only 300 dollars on extra stuff between a family of four for the 6 days that we were there- not bad, not bad at all.......

Lisa

[lustergirl]

Andrea,

I see you have more days to go for your big family trip than me, is that possible? The time is driving me crazy, I love Disney World.

Lisa

[Cincy]

I would plan on losing 1 1/2 hours per meal that you eat out of the park. Even with your own car, you will have to leave the park, go to your car, drive off site to a restaurant. If your DH plans on eating at McDonalds then you will save money, but loose a lot of valuable park time. If you are eating anywhere other than Fast Food, you will not save a whole lot of money.

I am so cheap I squeak when I walk, but I am not going to waste time on my vacation. I can save money at home, I can't get back that time in the parks.

[lustergirl]

I think eating right in Disney World only enhances your experience. We had a wonderful time dining.

Lisa

[mickey]

My wife and I did it in September, and we ended up getting about twice as much value as the plan cost us. You will easily do better than break even. The great thing about it is that everything is pre-paid, so you don't even worry about what the kids order or how much something costs. All the tax and tips are included. Outside of souvenirs for the kids at home, I think we spent like $10 the entire trip on food.

We are going again with the kids in March, and we are going to do it no matter what. It is such a time and money saver for us, it is a no brainer.

[queensmama]

Originally Posted by mickey

My wife and I did it in September, and we ended up getting about twice as much value as the plan cost us. You will easily do better than break even. The great thing about it is that everything is pre-paid, so you don't even worry about what the kids order or how much something costs. All the tax and tips are included. Outside of souvenirs for the kids at home, I think we spent like $10 the entire trip on food.

We are going again with the kids in March, and we are going to do it no matter what. It is such a time and money saver for us, it is a no brainer.

If you went is September didnt you get it for free? So 2 x 0 is 0. Ok I know what you are saying but I just had to say that. Now please dont put me a time out.....

Runs out of thread in fear!

[jk8]

You can eat outside the parks? Who knew?

You gotta stay on site and eat on site.

[mickey]

Originally Posted by queensmama

If you went is September didnt you get it for free? So 2 x 0 is 0. Ok I know what you are saying but I just had to say that. Now please dont put me a time out.....

LOL, yes, but to say that I got $530 worth of food for $0 doesn't really help her argument much. With the dining plan, you can easly get double the value in food for the amount of money it costs you.

No timeout today, sorry!

[mengeljr]

Oh! This is only making me want the dining plan more! When you sit and think about the time -- it is going to "cost" us about 1.5 hours per night to eat off the park for supper @ 12 nights -- that is 18 hours wasted eating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Think of all the wonderful things I will miss...

[Handicap18]

I'm am a DH and I want the dining plan. I was a little skeptical at first with the cost and what not. Then we figured that most of our meals will be inside WDW. We have absolutly NO plans to leave until we are going to the airport. All our time will be spent in WDW.

We went over the menu's at all the resturaunts we are planning on eat. Some of the main courses just for the meals are $25 and more. Add to that your appetizier and desert and there is your $35 a day just for dinner. Then you can throw in a $9 breakfast or lunch and a $4 snack.

Lets say you eat a McD's twice a day, thats $10 per person for burgers and fries per day. Burgers and Fries in a fast food resturaunt. Heck no!!! I want grilled beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon and topped with imported Gorgonzola cheese with a sherry wine sauce and served with rosemary roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables, served medium rare for dinner at a sit down resturaunt at Epcot! (by the way thats a $29 meal at L'Originale Alfredo of Rome, oh and don't forget your $6 side salad, I believe that is $35. DW has already declared that she will be having this for dinner when we eat there next month, plus she also gets breakfast that morning, so with the dinner plan, breakfast is free for her that day)

I want an all I can eat breakfast buffet with a ham and cheese omlet, mickey mouse shaped pancakes, a side of bacon AND sausage, some fresh fruit, home fries, toast and plenty of juice. Oh yeah, and I want Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore, or Donald Duck and Goofy to walk around so I can take my picture while I'm have the breakfast experience. I don't want an Egg McMuffin with sausage and cheese with a picture Ronald McDonald, Grimmis and the Hamburgler on the wall.

I'm going to Disney World. Not McDonalds University!

I'm going on vacation. I'm not on my morning or afternoon commute to work and need a quick bite. You can get McDonalds or Burger King or what ever else on the way to the airport after you leave your house, or on the way home from the airport before you get home because your just coming home from vacation and there is nothing in the fridge and you don't want to stop at Kroeger or Stop & Shop or Publix or whatever supermarket to do the shopping yet.

So, if he doesn't change his mind. Leave him home and let him eat happy meals, maybe if he's lucky he'll get a Disney toy and he can have his picture taken with that.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox.
Good luck!

[penncross]

Does your entire family have to purchase the plan??? Our daugther hardly eats anything but our son and of course us eat like adults. We were thinking of getting just us three on the plan and purchase hers seperately.
??????????????????????????

[mickey]

Originally Posted by penncross

Does your entire family have to purchase the plan??? Our daugther hardly eats anything but our son and of course us eat like adults. We were thinking of getting just us three on the plan and purchase hers seperately.
??????????????????????????

Penncross, long time no see.

Yes, everyone on the package has to purchase the same plan. One thing you can do is pay cash for your daughter at some of the meals, and save her meals for character meals or more expensive places.

The plan is very flexible, just think of it as a big pile of credits, and you take out what you want when you want.