Disney Dining Plan - worth it or not?

[NewJeffCT]

We're going to Disneyworld later this summer and they have a special promo going on now - if you stay at a Disney hotel and buy at least one day of theme park tickets, you can get the basic dining plan for free for the length of your stay.

Since there are 3 of us - 2 adults and my daughter, I think that amounts to about a $100 cost per day if we got the dining plan on our own ($40 for each adult and $20/child). Is that worth it, for those who know? I know the food is more expensive there, especially if you do certain special character meals...

But, we can probably also stay at a decent hotel just outside Disney for a cheaper rate & get a shuttle to & from the theme parks for cheaper than we could get any Disney hotel.

My wife would have a heart attack if she knew the cost of a hotel like the Polynesian or some of the nicer hotels outside of Epcot. But, I think the Disney hotels are worth it for the experience and the extra hours in the park, in addition to the (limited time offer) of free dining.

What do you think?

[Born_A_Truman]

1. I have the complete dining package details on .pdf

Number of Meals During Your Package Stay
The Disney Dining Plan includes one (1) Quick Service Meal, one (1)
Snack, and one (1) Table Service Meal per person, per night of your
package stay for everyone in the party ages 3 and over.

I can email it to you if you PM me. I handled network clearance for their Free Dining commercials.

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. Former Floridian: 27+ visit WDW veteran here

If you are going to WDW in peak season, staying on property is definitely worth it for the Extra Magic Hours - especially if you are unlikely to return soon.

The Dining Plans: This is largely a matter of personal preference. Remember that the hotels also offer delivered pizza and that there is a McDonalds right outside the All Star resorts. The basic dining options on the plans offer quick service and table service options. One problem is that, if you change your mind, you can't trade in or up. For example, if you buy the all quick-service plan, but you decide you want to take the kids to Chef Mickey's for a character breakfast - you can't trade in. Some people really like the plans because they know exactly what they'll spend on meals -- which can be a good thing. We generally hit a grocery store (we know where every Publix and Wal Mart near WDW is located) for stuff like Pop Tarts, Donuts, and other breakfasty kind of stuff, and get the mugs at All Star. The mugs are refillable and can be used for coffee. There are fruit stands in each park, and many parks have Turkey Leg stands that offer a smoked leg for like $5, whcih can easily keep an adult fed for a while.

If they are giving the plan free - I say take it,

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. Also check this website out

http://allears.net/index.html

This is not a Disney endorsed site, but it gives great park info.

[MorningGlow]

4. The cost of food rocked my socks when we went in April

We stayed at a fairly nice hotel (nothing overly fancy) outside of WDW and our biggest expense was the food BY FAR. If you're only going to Orlando for WDW (my in-laws live there and we also went to Universal, so we only spent one day at DisneyWorld), then I say stay at a hotel within WDW and get the free meal plan. It'll work out better for your wallet in the long run, plus you get the convenience of being right in the middle of all the Disney action.

[rucky]

5. Take the plan

You'll have a heckova time catching shuttles to the park and to restaurants, and renting a car is an equal pain in the ass - as is getting around Orlando. You'll cause yourself more frustration for very little savings.

[MrSlayer]

6. Yes, absolutely.

It gives you the opportunity to eat in the restaurants that most people normally can't afford. We do the dining plan every time we go and it's so worth it. The thing is you need to make your restaurant reservations 90 days in advance if you want the good spots, Canada, Cinderella Castle, Japan, 50's Prime Time Cafe and so forth. It's also always better to stay on Disney property because you can use their transportation system and not have to worry about renting a car or anything. When we go we stay at a value resort such as Pop Century because it's cheaper and we're never really in the room anyway except to sleep. I'd love to stay at the Contemporary but it's really not worth it considering the small amount of time we're in the room. A good thing to do, if you're a morning person, is to hit the parks the morning after the extra magic hours because the crowds are usually quite sparse in the park that held them the night before. I'm something of a Disney World expert so if you have any other questions feel free.

[NewJeffCT]

11. oops

it's already less than 90 days till our trip.

[MrSlayer]

12. That doesn't mean you won't be able to get reservations.

Just that you can't guarantee getting every one you want. My advice is to get on the phone with them now and see what's available. If you wait until you arrive you might not be able to get anything. Walking up is nearly impossible. Try to plan your restaurants for whichever park you are going to be in on a given day.

[NewJeffCT]

16. which moderate resorts would you recommend?

As I said, my wife would have a heart attack over the cost of a place like the Contemporary or the Polynesian (let alone the Grand Floridian...) even though we could afford it. Of course, she thinks we should be spending $39/night and getting 4 star accommodations, and is incredulous that any hotel outside of Manhattan would cost more than $99/night.

I'm tempted to just book the Polynesian because I loved it when I went there in the late 70s as a kid and I want my daughter to have that special experience, too. We went in 1977 (I think) and again in either 79 or 80. Because of my dad's job, we'd go in August, which is very hot and we'd go to the park in the morning, come back for lunch at the hotel, go swimming in the pool for a few hours, and then go back to the park late afternoon/early evening.

[spinbaby]

29. Port Orleans French Quarter

It's got lovely atmosphere and is small enough that you don't feel like it's a long hike to your room. Plus, they have a great sea-serpent themed pool and bignets for breakfast. I always say it's like being in New Orleans if New Orleans were a lot cleaner, safer, and more expensive.

[MrSlayer]

40. I've been to two.

Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans French Quarter. Both are quite nice. But if you can afford a monorail stop resort, by all means do so.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Here's what we did...and you have the group size for it.

We stayed at the Fort Wilderness Campground, in one of the cabins (they have maid service, with soaps and everything daily). The cabins are beautiful, equipped with kitchens and grills and the "camping community" is a blast. Plus it's not totally "Disneyfied" even though you're on Disney property. The cost, with the tickets included, was well worth it when we factored in shopping at Publix and cooking out once or twice. Six of us stayed for 2 weeks in September at a total cost (park tickets, hotel, and meal plan) of $3800.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

8. Lostinva says: it depends, but usually no

[begin_within]

9. Consider the time savings too.

Time is expensive.

[Cant trust em]

10. Stay at one of the cheaper Disney hotels

I like the all star resorts. They do the trick as far as lodgings, plus they have food courts where the food is a lot cheaper. The Disney resort transportation is priceless. You'll wind up saving a ton of time.

As for the free dining...I thought it was a great deal. Especially since some of nicer disney restaurants are included for your table service meal. It allows you to eat at some better spots for the same money. On the other hand, if your daughter isn't old enough, it could just be a pain in the arse.

[Beaverhausen]

13. yes worth it and yes, worth it to stay at the resort

those late hours are great.

I stayed at Old Key West...they had a ferry that took us to Downtown Disney.

If your daughter is really young that resort might be too quiet for you.

edit- they have a great airport shuttle service, too.

[NewJeffCT]

14. Our daughter will be 6 1/2 when we go

so, might be a bit young - a quick glance makes it look golfing oriented?

[Beaverhausen]

24. we choose that resort because I got a great deal from someone who is on the...

...vacation plan timeshare/whatever thingy. We don't golf but yes, I remember a golf course there.

there are lots of choices...many will be better for your daughter.

Have fun. We had a blast. Animal Kingdom rocks!!!!

[NewJeffCT]

26. Thanks

We bought no expiration tickets 2 1/2 years ago, and we're not sure if we have 3 days of tickets or 5 days coming. We didn't write it down at the time and you can't call up & find out...

But, I think we plan on a total park experience this time - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney/MGM Studios and maybe a water park.

[BrotherBuzz]

34. I found a telephone number for you to find out days remaining

See post #5 in this Radio Disney Forum
http://www.wdwradio.com/forums/vacation-planning-tips-tricks/17457-days-remaining-tickets.html

[NewJeffCT]

36. great - I'll try that

Wish I could recommend a reply!

[Midlodemocrat]

15. Stay at the resort. You won't regret it. Your daughter will love it.

[NewJeffCT]

17. I'm all for the resort

but, when we went to Italy not long ago, my wife spent a good 30-40 hours trolling the internets in orders to save maybe $100-$200 over 9 days over the cost I found online in 15 minutes(via a site recommended by a DUer that is from Italy)... however, she got hotels that were rated 2 to 2 1/2 stars by unknown travel websites (and turned out to be 1 to 1 1/2 star hotels), while the hotels from the DU recommended site were rated 3-4 stars by a reputable service.

So, I book the Polynesian, or even the Beach Club or Board Walk, and I'd need to prepare to get my head bitten off when my wife returns from her trip to China.

[Midlodemocrat]

18. You could go cheaper you know.

The all star resorts are very reasonable.

next time I go? I'm staying at the Animal Kingdom lodge with the room that overlooks the 'serengeti'. Really pricey, but I figure one to two nights would be really cool to see the animals.

Of course, the way I'm hemorraghing money these days, that could be years away, LOL.

[NewJeffCT]

21. I know we could go cheaper

when you said "book the resort" - I had assumed you meant the Polynesian since I had mentioned it in my OP.

[Midlodemocrat]

22. Oh, sorry. No I meant stay on the property.

I haven't stayed at the Polynesian, but it is a beautiful resort. So are all of the Disney properties, actually. Be sure to do a character meal.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Worth it!

And some of the restaurants are quite good...especially at Epcot. The French restaurant is very nice, and if you're into Scandinavian fare, the Norwegian restaurant is good too.

We really enjoyed the all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at the Beach Club resort restaurant...I think it was called the Cape May Cafe. My stepson stayed there the last time they went, and they really enjoyed it. One nice feature of that resort is a big screen on their beach that shows Disney movies in the evenings.

We stayed at Riverside Resort, which has a great pool, and is moderately priced, as the resorts go.
They have an excellent restaurant, Boatwrights, with continental fare. Their breakfast court is also quite good. Riverside also has a pleasant boat ride to Downtown Disney, which has some nice looking places to eat.

One thing...When we were there, there were numerous "snack" carts around the park; but not all of them accepted our dining cards as payment for snacks. You might want to check with them before you pay, as the snacks can really add up. It's a good idea to take your own water bottles.

I hope you have a great time!

[madeline_con]

20. Aren't the shuttles from area hotels free?

We just went to Epcot in May. I'm assuming the meals are comparable to the Magic Kingdom. A "real meal" (sit down, table service) at the Chinese restaurant was about $15 to $20 per person. The fast food version next door was about the same as buying a McDonald's meal anywhere.

Plan on eating at least one meal and a snack or 2 inside the park. Have breakfast before you go. It may be a little cheaper NOT to take the meal plan. Don't plan on having time to leave the park for lunch and come back. That could take a couple of hours better spent stnding in line at the rides. :eyes:

[NewJeffCT]

23. Most hotels have free shuttles

the advantage of the Disney properties is that you can enter the resorts an hour earlier each morning and stay 3 hours later at night. Plus, the monorail has stops at the Contemporary, Polynesian and a few other Disney resorts. Several resorts can also take you by boat to the resorts as well.

[Beaverhausen]

25. here is the best book to get about Disneyworld

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423110463/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=304485901&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0470285702&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1WGEK75Z12DN8HHYPCGY

They have tons of tips and it really orients you to the resort and all you can do.

[Corgigal]

27. When my kids were young

we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. Every afternoon they brought in animals into the lobby and my kids loved it. Your daughter will love the pool area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWYeqBsxjCc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q83VpISCycc&feature=fvw

They had a great babysitting area on site, if you and the wife want one dinner away, they give you a pager and it's nice quiet time. Try to get dinner at the Polynesian, great show and the dinner is filling. Might make your reservations for that now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gkqX0_Q9pE

[Nye Bevan]

28. The Disney hotels are well worth it IMO

The Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary are all great hotels and are on the monorail, which makes travel to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot quick and easy. Also since you are going in the summer you will probably want to go back to your hotel during the day to cool off, have your daughter take a nap, or take a dip in the pool, before returning to the park later- the monorail makes this simple to do. Added bonus for the Polynesian is that you can walk to the TTC from the hotel and take the monorail directly to Epcot without having to change trains.

Good alternatives are the Beach/Yacht club and Boardwalk- you can walk to Epcot and Hollywood studios from these hotels (Magic Kingdom is a bus ride, however).

And the meal plan deal makes it even better. Make sure to go to Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary if your daughter likes Mickey, Minnie, etc. It's a good place for dinner after a day in the Magic Kingdom because it is only 1 monorail stop away. Relaxing and having dinner while the characters visit your table for pictures is *much* better than waiting in line in the blazing heat to meet the characters in the parks. Make your reservations as soon as possible because the restaurants do get sold out.

[NewJeffCT]

31. TTC?

Or, do you mean TMC - the Magic Kingdom?

[spinbaby]

32. TTC=Transportation and ticket center

Originally planned as a transportation hub, now rather depressing.

[Nye Bevan]

33. Sorry- Disney Jargon

TTC = Transportation and Ticket Center. This is where you park and buy tickets if you are not staying at a Disney resort. It is one of the monorail stops on the main loop, the other stops being the 3 monorail hotels (Polynesian, Contemporary and Grand Floridian) and the Magic Kingdom. There is also a separate monorail which runs between the TTC and Epcot and is not on the main loop. My point was that there is a walkway from the Polynesian to the TTC so if you stay at the Polynesian you can get to Epcot by taking a single train. If you are staying at the Contemporary or the Grand Floridian you need to take a monorail around the main loop to the TTC, then change trains to take the Epcot monorail.

The only hotel that you can walk to the Magic Kingdom from is the Contemporary (about 15 minutes).

[spinbaby]

30. Here's the place to find out more

Disboards' dining plan forum:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=116

[PassingFair]

35. Worth it.

We tried to do Disney on the cheap by
staying at a lower cost hotel and
driving in...

We checked into Disney Hotel prices
when we got there and found that the
"last minute" rates were about the same
as we were paying for Wally World (or
whatever that chlorine-smelling dump
we were in was called...)

We stayed at the Jamaican Resort and
even extended our stay so the kids
could hang around the pools all day.

[NewJeffCT]

37. The only problem is

that you need to make the "Free Dining" reservations by the end of this week... by saying "last minute" rates, did you mean through something like a hotwire or similar?

[PassingFair]

39. No....

we went into the on-site travel agency
on Main Street right in Disney...

We asked it there were any underbooked
rooms open and they gave us a two for
one deal.

Then, they extended it by one night
for us, although we did have to switch
to another room in the resort.

SO... if you go with your wife's
plan of booking cheaper accommodations
off-site, you might still be able
to switch to the resort for a discounted
rate once you get there.

P.S. This was over 10 years ago, they
may not do deals like this anymore.

[The empressof all]

38. Absolutely take the meal plan

We were there over Christmas and made our meal reservations a few weeks in advance. We were able to get into Character meals no problem and even got reservations for the Princess meal at the Castle. If you haven't made reservations at a hotel yet I would give Big thumbs up to Port Orleans Riverside. It's large and spread out but very, very quiet. Ask for a room near the building that has the lobby so you won't need to take a bus to the restaurant there. They were booked solid when we were there but the rooms and grounds were quiet and peaceful. Their restaurant is also quite good. We had a great meal there. If you do use the dining plan just coordinate it in advance and plan your days activities around where you are eating. So think about where you'll be spending each day and make your reservations around that. It takes coordination but well worth it!

BTW: The Character Breakfast at the Grand Floridian is one of the BEST IMO and if that kind of activity is on your list....Try to get in there for a morning meal. Their Spa is also very nice.

We didn't eat a sit down meal every day to take advantage of the meals that count as two on the plan like the Princess lunch. Just be organized about it. We ran around the last few days trying to cram our snack credits in us. We were never hungry.

[Burma Jones]

41. Yes it is.......

We were there a couple months ago, stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, got the meal plan....worth it if only for reduced hassle. Make reservations early and go ahead and splurge, the world is ending in 2012 anyway.......

[NewJeffCT]

42. thanks - i'll keep that world ending date in mind, too

and, it seems the price of Disney hotels is the same with or without the meal plan, so why not get it?