[hiner]

Does anyone think they may offer the FREE Disney Dining in May? We have saved a lot on our trip so far but I don't want to eat the savings with the Disney Dining so kind of hoping they may offer it.

[DisneyTeacher]

I think Disney offers free dining during slower times trying to build attendance, May is a pretty busy month so I wouldn't count on it.

[hiner]

Thanks, figured that. Oh well, maybe we'll try planning our next trip the end of August beginning of September.

[Soundgod]

You're not hoping, you're dreaming, and I don't think this is an "official" dream, so you're probably out of luck.

[Cavey]

May is waaaay too busy to expect significant discounts.

[Dana]

Yes, I think you are really hoping to much. Oh well..the dining plan is a good deal even if you have to pay for it. I do hope you get to go in august/september and take advantage of it.

[DisneyTeacher]

Originally Posted by Dana

I do hope you get to go in august/september and take advantage of it.

You're right it is still a good deal even if you have to pay for it. My DH and I were playing around with menus and prices of what we thought we would order and basically broke even w/o including appetizer, dessert, tax, tip and snack. I also like how easy it is to use and the fact that we pay for it up front. Unless a great room only of AP code comes out we will use the dining plan again.

[bosoxx65]

Just for the sake of argument, the wife and I tried to figure what we would normally pay per person to eat a day. Typically, we aren't sit down dinner type of people, unless you call the buffet sit down. Even at home, there's a good chance you'll find us at the local Golden Corral or Old Country Buffet rather than a Steakhouse or fine restaurant.
So, let's just say for us a good morning buffet is about $14.00 a piece in Disney. Lunch we can usually skip. But for the sake of argument lets say something quick on the go. A burger and fries and a soft drink. Maybe $12.00+ per person. And then for dinner, if we aren't buffet'd out a nice casual restaurant for some chicken or ribs. Anything decent is going to run you $20 - $25 per person easy.
So a basic raw estimate per person is about $51 give or take a few $$ and tips. The dining plan is about $38 per person per day and tips and gratuities are included.

$51 is a real lowball estimate. I've been with people that have easily spent double that on food per person per day.

The Devil's advocate in me says you can really low ball a day of food like this:

Coffee and Danish for breakfast: $5.00
Turkey Leg in the park and a bottle of water: $8
Pizza delivered to your room and 2 bottles of Pepsi from the machine on the 2nd floor: $15

About $28 for a miserable and not very healthy day of food in the Land of Dreams. So for $10 more you can eat like a king every day.

Definately the way to go

[DisneyTeacher]

You're right bosoxx65, you don't have to eat at the best restaurants to make the dining plan worth getting. We usually eat one sit down meal and one counter service meal a day and that makes the dining plan worth it. I am not worried about ordering the most expensive item on the menu or going to the most expensive restaurant but we will still at least break even with what we would have paid out of pocket.

[Dana]

Even though I found the DP to be so much food, and even though I had credits left over at the end...I still find it to be a decent deal. There were meals that we had that we saved a bundle (o'hanna, lecellier, momma melrose, whispering canyon etc) and then other we just barely broke even. I really just liked having everything paid for before I got there. I like things in a neat little package. I almost didn't go with the DP this time, but the package part of it sucked me in...lol

[dznygrl]

I sincerely doubt they will offer free dining in May.

However, I also don't think that paying for the DDP will eat into your savings at all. I think it will just save you more money, as long as you use all your TS credits! You don't have to eat at the most expensive places in order to make the DDP completely worth the price.

And I think the convenience of the DDP alone makes it worth the price! Not having to worry about where you want to eat/how much it's going to cost can be priceless when you're worn out and hungry.

[bosoxx65]

That's so true dznygrl. When you're paying out of pocket you're always either looking for a good deal, a nice place or just a combo of other things. When you're out and about and around food it's nice to know you can just plop down in any park or downtown and find something. No matter where you are in Disney.

[dac921]

Miss SMIG and I are going in April and can't get the dining plan.
I wish we could, would pay for it in a heartbeat.
Worth the extra $$$

[hiner]

Ok, I tried to figure out how much it would cost for 3 (DS is now 11 and counts as an adult) for 11 days and it would cost almost $1300. Our last trip in 05 food cost us a little more than $800. We will have almost $120. in Visa cash cards and another $120. in Disney Reward $$. So we are figuring it would be cheaper just to pay out of pocket for meals.

Thanks for all the input and suggestions!

[dac921]

I have a 16 and 13 year old and they can eat $800 at a drop of a hat.
We were a family of four and our counter meals all came to over $60.00 - and I usually didn't finish mine and save it.