When Will The Dining Plan Return?

[TheMaxRebo]

And it is worse if you are at a retartant and are spending $30-$40 or your only DDP dinner credit for the day on something new. If you get it and don't like it you are mostly stuck. Some places will swap it out but I never ask for that because it isn't their fault I didn't like it.

Trying expesive new food is a gamble.

One reason we love tapas or small plate places - can order a bunch of different things to try and if you don't like one it's not the end of the world.

But yeah, if you order a $45 entree and don't like it, it is a killer

 

[Krandor]

One reason we love tapas or small plate places - can order a bunch of different things to try and if you don't like one it's not the end of the world.

But yeah, if you order a $45 entree and don't like it, it is a killer

ALso a good place for the buffet places like Beirgarden. You can try different things and if you don't like it get something else on your next trip back. Places like that I'll get a little of a lot of things first trip and then second trip load up on what I really liked.

 

[wdwoutsider]

If dining plans return I'd guess 2023? Post vaccine and when things are more normal.

Personally I don't want the dining plan to ever to come back. It allows Disney to raise prices and offer worse food. People want to see the plan "Saving" them money so Disney Jack's all the prices up. It makes you feel good to see meals super expensive since your pre paid. No one really saves with the dining plan it's just a feel good to have it pre paid. Let's be honest here it encourages you to over eat and get fatter lol

 

[wdwoutsider]

I'm hoping by September 2021...

One reason we love tapas or small plate places - can order a bunch of different things to try and if you don't like one it's not the end of the world.

But yeah, if you order a $45 entree and don't like it, it is a killer

I worked in restaurants for years and years. I think everywhere ive ever worked would want you to get a new meal if you didn't like it so much you won't eat it. Just be extra nice for the substitution and the staff will like you. It's more acquired and staff hated to clear a full plate and get a terrible tip. They will be happy to get you a new meal if for any reason you hated it, especially a $45 entree at Disney which is rediculously over priced compared to the real world and maybe has $10 worth of cost max. If your nice and tip well the server won't mind this. Disney food costs are low and marked up so much. Not a reason to justify a dining plan

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I worked in restaurants for years and years. I think everywhere ive ever worked would want you to get a new meal if you didn't like it so much you won't eat it. Just be extra nice for the substitution and the staff will like you. It's more acquired and staff hated to clear a full plate and get a terrible tip. They will be happy to get you a new meal if for any reason you hated it, especially a $45 entree at Disney which is rediculously over priced compared to the real world and maybe has $10 worth of cost max. If your nice and tip well the server won't mind this. Disney food costs are low and marked up so much. Not a reason to justify a dining plan

Yeah, but I was raised to not be a bother but can't even imagine asking - even if it isn't a big deal

 

[ford91exploder]

Do you really know how they make their food?

Make friends with any Disney chef and they will happily tell you. Also on the show Dinner Impossible Robert Irvine did a walkthrough of the EPCOT central kitchen and the manager described how items were prepared and distributed to park restaurants.

 

[Eric Smith]

Make friends with any Disney chef and they will happily tell you. Also on the show Dinner Impossible Robert Irvine did a walkthrough of the EPCOT central kitchen and the manager described how items were prepared and distributed to park restaurants.

So you talked to the chef at Olivia's and they told you the Conch Fritters are frozen?

 

[randumb0]

So you talked to the chef at Olivia's and they told you the Conch Fritters are frozen?

I sure hope they are frozen. You aren't going to find conch unless you head to the waters of south Florida

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

I dunno, with the addition of beer and wine on the DDP, you can typically come out even-ish. My family loves eating out and we enjoy having a sit down meal once a day. With the kids we do all the character meals. I don't think it's too much food. I never felt over fed and the experience we get with it is great.

I did the math my last trip and it was about even and we ate what we normally would have if we didn't care about everything. Probably would have spent more because I would have ordered apps with all of our meals since I'm not a dessert guy (but I'll still eat it!).

It really depends on you as a family, like in all of these debates. You can certainly eat less expensively and still have good food. Those options are there. There are certainly places where the food is not great, but being a Disney fanatic that we all are, we all know those places and avoid them. I've done exercises before, because I'm crazy, where I picked out meals for each person in my family and priced out each meal and snack and it's roughly -+ $10-30 a day

I also don't think it requires a ton of planning to get the most out of the DDP. Pre-COVID, you would pick a restaurant each day at 180 days and book it. Then as you get closer to your vacation or even while you're on vacation, you cancel and rebook. I've done it plenty of times. Just educate yourself on the options you have at each park and don't sit for a crappy burger when you can get better quick service options.

Yeah, if you are doing all character meals you break even easily or can do much better. Character meals at dinner are around $60 and you get an alcoholic drink that costs $12-$15. A day of the dining plan is $77 if I remember correctly so you are a couple dollars away from breaking even before using the quick service and snacks.

I was able to really take advantage of it our trip from last year crunching the numbers, but even without trying if you are mostly doing character meals or buffets you break even or come out ahead.

 

[kfortune]

To me it’s worth it to maybe pay a little more so I can get whatever I want and it’s already paid for before I’m there. It’s out of sight out of mind.

My big question is why not offer the quick service plan? Seems like it could function with mobile ordering just fine. Maybe to keep at least some people going to sit down restaurants.

 

[ford91exploder]

I worked in restaurants for years and years. I think everywhere ive ever worked would want you to get a new meal if you didn't like it so much you won't eat it. Just be extra nice for the substitution and the staff will like you. It's more acquired and staff hated to clear a full plate and get a terrible tip. They will be happy to get you a new meal if for any reason you hated it, especially a $45 entree at Disney which is rediculously over priced compared to the real world and maybe has $10 worth of cost max. If your nice and tip well the server won't mind this. Disney food costs are low and marked up so much. Not a reason to justify a dining plan

In the past Disney in most cases would have comp'ed a meal which did not work out, Now you are stuck paying for it or the server is because disney ain't letting one penny of revenue get away, Really it's become comical as Disney has in reality become Flintheart Glomgold and on it's more generous days it's only Scrooge McDuck at the helm of the company.

 

[meanwoodwhite]

If dining plans return I'd guess 2023? Post vaccine and when things are more normal.

Personally I don't want the dining plan to ever to come back. It allows Disney to raise prices and offer worse food. People want to see the plan "Saving" them money so Disney Jack's all the prices up. It makes you feel good to see meals super expensive since your pre paid. No one really saves with the dining plan it's just a feel good to have it pre paid. Let's be honest here it encourages you to over eat and get fatter lol

Don't think that is completely true. The dining plan at Universal is non existant and dining prices are higher than Disney’s. Infact any upscale hotel in Orlando you will be paying prices similar to Disney’s.

You can easily save money. The quick service is $55 you can have lunch at geyser point bison burger $16 and a $14 cocktail is $31. Then go to polite pig for dinner $23 ribs and a $12 glass of wine is $35. Include a $6 Starbucks and $6 cupcake that's a $78 value that's approx $23 saving very easily