re: Walt Disney World Questions for Disney Pros

But the kids eat free under three regardless of whether you're on the DDP or not, so there is no value there. We do the same for breakfast we literally have one suitcase is just for food, snacks, toaster, etc. and we hit up the markets at the DVC resorts for sandwich meat, fruit, cereal, milk, chips and bring that to eat during the day.

If you're not a cola drinker, again value lost. As long as you don't want desserts from other places you don't eat lunch and dinner stick to higher costing table service meals, don't want to eat at Swan and Dolphin and don't mind losing the flexibility you ca nget close breaking even to and even come out ahead at times. For simplicity, yeah there is that aspect as well but I'm not looking for things to really be easier. Between the food we bring in and the amount of grazing I eat through the day, I much prefer the flexibility than fighting to search for a value for foods I normally wouldn't get anyway.

Here is a typical day for me in the magic kingdom:

Eat something light in the room (bowl of cereal) and a banana walking out of the room with a cup of coffee. Mid morning snack (9 am opening) about 10:30 is something like the fruit nutella waffle sandwich ($6.69). Ham and cheese sandwich and some chips for lunch about 1pm or so. Then we may split a strawberry shortcake sundae ($5.39) from Storybook Treats and a Cinnamon Roll ($4.19) from Gaston's tavern about 3pm. Snack on apple I brought in to the park then if we stay there for dinner (lets say Be Our Guest) , the wife and I may split a salad trio ($7.99) and french onion soup ($7.99) and the salmon ($24.99)

The ddp would have cost us about $120 when ordering what we wanted would end up costings us about $60.

I think the only way to truly know and compare is to not judge when you have used the DDP, but go on one trpi and save every single receipt for food, snacks, alcohol, etc and see what it costs.










here is something I put together back in 2013:

We ate and drank what we want when we wanted, and I wanted to see how that compared to the dining plan. Now, these costs are based basically on two adults and Molly (my daughter who was under three and free), but I compared them to what the meal plan would have cost us. I think the only way you can judge the value of the dining plan is after you dine without it because it is too hard to know what you would have ordered if you weren't on the meal plan. Alot of people see their receipts and think, "wow, look how expensive that is, good thing we're on the meal plan", but would you really have ordered a dessert for everyone at the table? Would you really eat a counter service, a snack and a table service meal each day? Anyway, for us the meal plan for 2013 is $55 per day. That comes out to $880 for both of us for eight nights.

In total we spent $1,058 on food and dining. Now, maybe you're asking how could I come out better not on the dining plan when I spent more. Well, this is why. That $1,058 included all of our groceries from Publix, which included a case of beer and two bottle of wine, plus other non food items for the room. That $1,058 also included alcohol that we ordered with our meals, AND gratuity we spent, both of which you have to pay extra for with the meal plan. Most importantly, it allowed us to order what we want when we wanted it. It isn't like we ate cheap. We ate at Ohana, California Grill, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review, Be Our Guest, Wishes Dessert Party (also not included on the dining plan), Mama Melrose, Big River Grill and did the Dine with Shamu experience at Sea World. Another benefit of not having the meal plan is it doesn't cost you any more money to dine at any of the Swan and Dolphin restaurants (Blue Zoo, Kimonos, Shulas, etc). At the California Grill, the night before the marathon, we ordered an app, two sushi rolls and a salad and it was MORE THAN ENOUGH food....thats impossible on the meal plan, no matter how full you are.


Notes by Cliff:
-Dining Plan would have cost wife and I $880 (no gratuity, no apps, no salads, no alcohol, etc.)
-Opted for out of pocket and spent $1058 (included all alcohol, all gratuity, all apps, salads and a grocery store strip which included alcohol for the room snacks and cleaning supplies)
-We ate at Ohana, California Grill, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review, Be Our Guest, Wishes Dessert Party (also not included on the dining plan), Mama Melrose, Big River Grill and did the Dine with Shamu experience at Sea World

Well that's also part of it. I don't want to worry about nickle and dime myself the whole time. Eat like a baller on the DDP with no regrets. Also we eat exclusively character dining which I would like to see a cost analysis on.

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I don't want to worry about nickle and dime myself the whole time. Eat like a baller on the DDP with no regrets

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I don't want to make it seem like we nickel and dime either. Like in my previous post, on our last four trips we have ordered whatever we want wherever we went and still came out ahead than we would have by using the DDP. The only trip that we didn't was because the wife and I went to Victoria & Alberts and that alone was about $500

You almost feel obligated to do so



I've never used the DDP but got it for our upcoming trip. I'm second guessing that choice thanks to this thread but I've already booked all of our reservations and think we'll get decent value out of it

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I will say that on the dining plan, I tend to gravitate towards the higher priced menu options

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This past trip my wife and i opted to not do the DDP and came out ok. Spent a little less than the DDP in total

excluding alcohol purchases of course.. Misners got an easy 400 bucks from me in alcohol purchases the 9 days we were there

Yeah, most people do...but that's why it's so hard to judge "value" until you go and don't use it. You may only want a light chicken dish or soup/sandwich but you're going to order the lamb because it's the best value.

It takes a big leap of faith and you have to be diligent about saving all receipts (or putting everything on the magic band) but I was shocked to see how much less we spent.

But like I said we also spend alot on food to keep in the room and bring food with us each day.

Tell me about it... and we paid for that shite... over $500 each.

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I now HATE New York strips

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I'm right there with you. I wore that steak out: Le Cellier... even fricking Sci-Fi.

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On the "free" DDP, I did the every receipt comparison a few years ago. 2 adults. 2 kids.

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I think the only true way to compare is to do the every receipt comparison when you're NOT on the DDP. Then you see what it really costs.

Take table service for example...it comes with a soft drink but if you don't want cola and order a water insetad they will bring you a bottle water (to increase the check and get a higher tip presumably). So, when you see the bill it will be higher than if you paid OOP and just ordered ice water.

Exactly. Room Discounts & admission media from Under Cover Tourist.

Book one table service a day, other meal wherever and breakfast in the room.

That's how you come out best and even more so with AP & TiW.

But after that DDP, I felt like a damn pig.

Enough acronyms??