Another dining dilemma

[joonyer]

Disney markets the Dining Plans for one reason: They make more money from guests buying the DPs than they do from guest who pay for food OOP. If your vacation budget is critical to you, then you are better off paying for food OOP. If money is not a concern, then buy the DDP and enjoy the convenience. Just don't be fooled into thinking you are saving money by buying it.

We have done it both ways, and with two teenaged boys that love to eat, we still spent almost $500 LESS on food for a week long vacation paying OOP than we did when we bought the DDP. So we have decided OOP was the way to go for us. That $500.00 savings almost pays for two of our 7day hopper passes.

That's my

[DizneyRox]

I did a full workup spreadsheet on dining plan, tables in wonderland, and paying out of pocket and calculated in paying for exactly what my family actually wants to eat and what you get on dining plan. I have been enough that I know what we will actually eat and what will get wasted and it is cheapest to use a tables in wonderland card, followed by paying out of pocket, and then dining plan.

This is EXACTLY the same conclusion I came to last trip. I went OOP (TiW) and I eat what I want, not what's cheapest on the menu, so I wasn't swayed by the cost. Eating they way we eat, TiW is best, then OOP and then the dining plan. The way we eat, not everything was covered by the dining plan so there was still significant expense on top of the cost of the dininig plan. I never consider the dining plan when looking at value.

Disney markets the Dining Plans for one reason: They make more money from guests buying the DPs than they do from guest who pay for food OOP. If your vacation budget is critical to you, then you are better off paying for food OOP. If money is not a concern, then buy the DDP and enjoy the convenience. Just don't be fooled into thinking you are saving money by buying it.

Disney wouldn't offer it if they weren't making money off it. Not that making money is bad, but it won't happen at my expense (pardon the pun).

[disneynarula]

I have to agree that when you have to pay the adult rate for a child that still eats as a child there is no way it is worth the money. We have three kids that are still under 10 so I think it is break even thing for us.