Disney Dining Plan Price Increases

[lockedoutlogic]

I get what you're saying, but it comes down to how people do vacations honestly.

For us, we don't eat out much while we're not on vacation, we'll grab lunch out on the weekends, or maybe a kids night every now and then during the week. So when we're on vacation, Disney or not, dining is high on our list, its part of the vacation. We enjoy sitting down as a family and eating a nice meal together.

And I get that...

I'll get you some Tums...but I get it.

The problem for me is we inevitably become bloated and draw back the dining days before we leave...we'd be burning the dining plan and filling the mini fridge for housekeeping. So the tables does work out better.

I was there last week with 2 adults and we ate and pickled ourselves as much as we could tolerate...several "2 pointers" (derby and jiko) as well...and yet the overall bill was still far less than what the nightly ddp would be.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I really liked tiffins too...by the way...forgot to mention that. They haven't added as good of a restaurant in a park since MGM opened in my opinion.

 

[glencoe]

Did it increase yet or proposed? I have not been on MDE/DVC. We were planning on getting it in April.....a couple of months before the trip, but will buy now if needed.

 

[Moliphino]

I would never ever pay for the dining plan, but I do like going with free dining packages. The dining plan is way more food than I really need and we always end up with a lot of snack credits to use up on the last day.

 

[quandrea]

Of course they did. They raise the restaurant prices to justify increases in the dining plan, which in turn justifies additional increases in restaurant prices.

Mom2rtk...Do you still go to Wdw or DL? I used to follow your trip reports. Just wondering if the value for Disney has eroded to the point that you just don't go anymore.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Mom2rtk...Do you still go to Wdw or DL? I used to follow your trip reports. Just wondering if the value for Disney has eroded to the point that you just don't go anymore.

Excellent question

 

[ChipnDale79]

I was there last week with 2 adults and we ate and pickled ourselves as much as we could tolerate...several "2 pointers" (derby and jiko) as well...and yet the overall bill was still far less than what the nightly ddp would be.

The wife and i are talking about a trip in about 10 years, without kids, and hitting 2 pointers every night. A bucket list trip i suppose.

That's a ton of food though.

 

[quandrea]

And I get that...

I'll get you some Tums...but I get it.

The problem for me is we inevitably become bloated and draw back the dining days before we leave...we'd be burning the dining plan and filling the mini fridge for housekeeping. So the tables does work out better.

I was there last week with 2 adults and we ate and pickled ourselves as much as we could tolerate...several "2 pointers" (derby and jiko) as well...and yet the overall bill was still far less than what the nightly ddp would be.

This a thousand times. I don't have the numbers any more but on our trip in January--ten nights--I think we spent about $1400 and change on food. We are absolutely anything we desired, didn't say no to the kids, had a few characters meals, etc. The dining plan would have cost over $4000 once you added in tips those meals would have generated. I always do the calculations after every trip because I get a buzz off of knowing how much money I "saved" paying OOP.

 

[mom2rtk]

Mom2rtk...Do you still go to Wdw or DL? I used to follow your trip reports. Just wondering if the value for Disney has eroded to the point that you just don't go anymore.

Excellent question

Thanks for asking.

We swapped to DLR a few years ago for our regular Disney fix. I keep trying to talk my daughter into WDW for one of our trips, but she's a firm no. (I think I raised her right ) We have popped into the MK a couple times though on our way to and from the beach since then.

We do tend to go for much shorter trips now. You are right that it's getting harder to find the value for the cost. I helped a friend plan a full week WDW trip last fall and it was really hard to watch the disappointment from afar from another long term WDW lover.

I don't do full trip reports any more but do post an album of pictures on Flickr (linked below) after each trip.

 

[LSLS]

Even with character meals, I have a tough time coming out ahead. I get it if you do Norway and Garden Grill. But beyond that, I don't know. I mean, Cape May/Ohana are like $35 max (usually less). That means you need to find around an $8 snack and a $24 Quick Service just to break even. Essentially, if you factor in $20 for a QS (which is still probably too high) and a $5 snack, you would need your TS to average $42 (and not be a 2 credit meal). I have had it work for us, but only when it is a "Free Dining" promotion and only at the moderates. And even then, we really use it to try places we normally don't go, and we usually do 1-2 character meals with our little one. And raising prices just makes it harder to come out ahead.

 

[glencoe]

Does anyone know if there is a good online calculator that does the new prices? I used to use "seeyareelsoon" and that was awesome, but it is not updated for the new TW costs, and ddp costs. Other ones I have used are just not the same!

 

[Disney_traveler]

It's not a big increase and I use it for the convenience. I've done the math and every time we use it we either save or break even.

 

[quandrea]

Thanks for asking.

We swapped to DLR a few years ago for our regular Disney fix. I keep trying to talk my daughter into WDW for one of our trips, but she's a firm no. (I think I raised her right ) We have popped into the MK a couple times though on our way to and from the beach since then.

We do tend to go for much shorter trips now. You are right that it's getting harder to find the value for the cost. I helped a friend plan a full week WDW trip last fall and it was really hard to watch the disappointment from afar from another long term WDW lover.

I don't do full trip reports any more but do post an album of pictures on Flickr (linked below) after each trip.

We have to get to DL. I think dh is reaching his breaking point with WDW.

 

[mom2rtk]

We have to get to DL. I think dh is reaching his breaking point with WDW.

I hope you can. Although I'm really not sure what I'll do once Star Wars Land opens. I think it will be easier to avoid the crowds it brings at WDW. It's going into DL park, so just imagine what it would be like if they added it to the MK.

That might be our cue to swap back to WDW for a while. Sigh.

 

[ChipnDale79]

This a thousand times. I don't have the numbers any more but on our trip in January--ten nights--I think we spent about $1400 and change on food. We are absolutely anything we desired, didn't say no to the kids, had a few characters meals, etc. The dining plan would have cost over $4000 once you added in tips those meals would have generated. I always do the calculations after every trip because I get a buzz off of knowing how much money I "saved" paying OOP.

How big is your family? 4k seems rather high....

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Even with character meals, I have a tough time coming out ahead. I get it if you do Norway and Garden Grill. But beyond that, I don't know. I mean, Cape May/Ohana are like $35 max (usually less). That means you need to find around an $8 snack and a $24 Quick Service just to break even. Essentially, if you factor in $20 for a QS (which is still probably too high) and a $5 snack, you would need your TS to average $42 (and not be a 2 credit meal). I have had it work for us, but only when it is a "Free Dining" promotion and only at the moderates. And even then, we really use it to try places we normally don't go, and we usually do 1-2 character meals with our little one. And raising prices just makes it harder to come out ahead.

It doesn't work for us either, but it also depends on the distribution of kids in conjunction with the high cost of the overpriced buffets. Often the cost of one of the character buffets is more than the cost for the kids DP per day. So if you are going to these buffets anyway, one would have to calculate how much "savings" is generated from the kids cost per day and if it outweighs the cost of the adults per day.

 

[rteetz]

I asked this in another thread, but HOW is it more convenient? It was literally the exact same procedure to use the dining plan as it was to charge something to my room.

A lot of people like know to have the food pre-paid for so they don't have to worry about anything. Yes it's the same to change it to your room but some would rather pay for it all in advance.

 

[Disney_traveler]

@Elle23 I like knowing my meals are already paid for and I don't have to worry about reaching spending limits on my magicband charging it to the room or daily limits on debit or credit cards or having to carry that much cash. Any money we spend once there is for incidentals.

 

[quandrea]

How big is your family? 4k seems rather high....

My apologies. I converted to CAD. Just ran the numbers again $3869 CAD versus $1400 CAD. Five of us. Three Disney adults and two kids.

 

[Elle23]

A lot of people like know to have the food pre-paid for so they don't have to worry about anything. Yes it's the same to change it to your room but some would rather pay for it all in advance.

Why not just put the money into savings in advance and use it to pay off the amount?

I'm being serious and not trying to be snarky. If it's just a matter of having the cost covered in advance, wouldn't it make more sense that way, especially if the dining plan would actually cost more?