As in all things, value is in the eye of the beholder,
but I recently returned from a Walt Disney World vacation and used the Dining
Plan, so the following are my experiences and thoughts.
First, it’s important to know that there are several
different dining plans to choose from and each provide their benefits per NIGHT
of your vacation. So if you are staying five nights, then you would get 5 of
each of the options, even if you happen to visit the parks more or less than
the five days. It’s also important to know that everyone in your room must be
on the package. No just paying for 1 and then splitting all the meals allowed.
All plans also include a refillable resort mug. This mug
is only good at resorts, and is good from the food courts for everything in the
beverage area, such as coffee, hot chocolate, sodas and tea. You cannot
refill these mugs at any of the parks. They are imbedded with a chip to make
the self-serve fountain drinks work. You can also purchase the mug outside of
the dining plan, for a variety of time frames. Being able to use it for the
length of stay will set you back $17.99. If you’re a big soda drinker, this can
be a benefit, but the idea of filling the mug, taking it to the parks and then
lugging around an empty mug until you return to a resort, seemed like more
hassle than it was worth. Therefore, I found no value in the mug.
The three basic plans include: Quick Service Plan, Disney
Dining Plan, and Deluxe Dining Plan. They break down as follows:
Quick Service per person per night of stay: 2 Quick
Service meals, plus 1 snack. Meals include a basic beverage, entrée and dessert
(except for breakfast, which doesn’t include a dessert). Cost for 2015 per night of stay is: $41.99 per
adult and $16.03 per child.
Disney Dining Plan per person per night of stay: 1
Table Service Meal, 1 Quick Service meal, plus 1 snack. Meals include a basic
beverage, entrée and dessert (except for breakfast, which doesn’t include a
dessert). Cost for 2015 per night of
stay is: $60.04 per adult and $19.23 per child. (be aware that some higher end
eateries such as character dining, require 2 Table Service credits per
meal).
Deluxe Dining Plan: per person per night of stay: 3
meals, plus 2 snacks. Meals include a basic beverage, appetizer, entrée and
dessert (except for breakfast, which doesn’t include an appetizer or dessert)
Cost for 2015 per night of stay is: $109.53 per adult and $29.86 per child.
So the question is…how much do you eat and would having a
Dining Plan increase what you’d eat since you ‘have’ to fully utilize the plan
to get your money’s worth?
I visited Walt Disney World under the Play, Stay &
Dine promotion. Because of this I got the adult Disney Dining Plan for the cost
of a child. I stayed six nights, so for my meal plan I paid $115.38. A true
bargain. Had I paid the regular adult price it would have been $360.24. Keep
these figures in mind as I break down my dining experiences.
My Table Service meals had me experiencing Boatwright’s
at Port Orleans twice, (I had planned on Raglan Road, but inclement weather in
Downtown Disney changed that. Boatwright’s is a new favorite.), Be Our Guest at
Magic Kingdom, Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and The Brown Derby at Hollywood
Studios (which counted for 2 Table Service Meals). At each of these locations I
got a beverage such as coffee or a smoothie, an entrée and a dessert. Please
note that the dining plan does NOT include Gratuities. I tipped over 20% at
each Table Service meal, so take the cost of tips into your calculations if you
wouldn’t eat at Table Service locations if not on the plan.
Totals: My total charges for Table Service Restaurants came
to $174.00, for Counter Service $99.00
and for snacks $28.00, totaling $301.00, and if you add in the value of the mug,
$319.00. So, getting the plan for the price I paid was terrific in terms of
cost compared to value received, but had I paid the full price of $360.24, I
would have come out behind. Granted, I could have had another meal had I not
eaten at the Brown Derby and had I ordered the most expensive menu item, but I
ordered what I wanted at each meal and didn’t try to max out each meal in terms
of price.
The big bonus is the feeling of your vacation being close
to all-inclusive, with almost everything prepaid. It was lovely to just wave
that Magic Band and not worry about the cost of the meal.
The big negative for me was that I ate far more than I
normally would since I didn’t want to ‘waste’ the plan. On a normal vacation, I
tend to have a snack or two to fill in, have a kid’s meal instead of an adult
size meal, rarely order desserts and only occasionally eat at a Table Service
location.
What camp do you fall into? Many things in life don’t
come down to dollars and cents, but on perception and convenience. For myself,
I’d certainly do the Dining Plan at a discount, but I wouldn’t find it a good
fit for myself at full price. Many families feel the complete opposite.
