2024 Disney Dining Plan: Money-saver Or Rip-off?
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- Disney Dining Plan 2024... is it REALLY worth it???
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This is the best video I have ever seen. I keep telling all of my friends that unless you are strategic, you are wasting money. I guess if you love the all inclusive then go for it but we have found that it is not worth it for our family either. Thanks for the great video Bekah. 😁
Thank you!! 🥲 It definitely takes some strategy, and it’s great for the all-inclusive feel 👌🏼 But I’m with you, it’s not a great value for our family.
I did the math for my family too and it’s cheaper to not do the dining plan for us. We don’t get many drinks, we’re refillable water bottle people. We rarely get desserts. Also we are wanting to do a couple table service meals but not every day so neither plan really fits our needs. Appreciate the video!
This was excellent! I’ve only seen the budgeting out of the dining plan on the Disney Food Blog channel. Loved seeing the breakdown especially for toddlers. 💓
Good video..we are going next month and had purchased the meal plan..Liked saving credit on breakfast makes huge sense! thanks!
Hey Bekkah, have used the DDP previously on multiple trips (when it was available pre 2020). It worked out very well at that time. Found it to be helpful for budgeting, as you have your cost paid up-front. Did have left over $$ on some trips, a trip to the Hotel Gift Shop allowed us to load-up on Snacks and Treats to take home 😊
As always, positive, informative, helpful and wonderful vlog
Thank you so much!!
Thanks so much for this awesome video! I used the dining plan in august 2019 when it was free (QS plan) with our booking. It was great at the time but it was free so we didnt have to be strategic with our eating. It definitely doesnt sound like a good value for me and my family (I rarely drink alcohol) and i also dont like having to plan out meals in advance. It would make my anxiety so much worse lol. Thanks again for this, it was a great and informative video!
Thank you for doing this ❤
Thank you for your video’s always helpful
I absolutely love this view on the dining plan! We haven’t used it before, but our plan is when we go in November, to buy whatever we want, keep a total, and then compare to the dining plan pricing for the 2024 Vacay! I really feel like in most cases, it’s not worth it unless you enjoy the all inclusive feel, just as you said in the video! I love all your videos, but I truly appreciate the attention to details and being specific, in this one! ❤
This was a great video!! It’s always just my daughter and I on our trips and while we love a good character meal I still don’t think it would save us.
This was so helpful! Thank you🤗
I'm so glad!
Happy birthday 🎂
We rarely pick the most expensive things off of the menu, so it doesn't usually come out as a deal for us. We're also not drinkers. HOWEVER. We used to plan our entire trips around the free dining offer they would run in the fall. That saved our family thousands of dollars over multiple trips! We always ended up with a ton of extra snack credits at the end of the week, which we could use on treats to take home with us for free. I would love to see that offer come back again.
Love all the details this is truly so helpful! I’m on the fence for next year too as my oldest will be 10 😬 thank you as always for your fab videos!! 🤗
Absolutely! ❤️
Great video! When I heard that it was coming back, I was so excited to potentially sign up for it because everybody seems to love it. Then after pricing everything out and even including every snack that I wanted to try out and doing a couple character meals. It still was not cheaper than just paying for it all out right 😂
Thank you for spending the time to break down the cost comparison! I totally agree it becomes a mind game. Also, don't forget, if you are an annual passholder or have a Disney CC, you have a discount on table service food as well but you won't get a discount on the Dining Plan!
That's a good thought! Those discounts add up, and when you've already pre-paid for your food, you're forfeiting a decent chunk of money.
I'm heading to the parks in November and I am looking forward to trying to use all my meals. lol. Loving all the videos about the dining plans though.
Great information here.
I’m so glad!
So informative
I 100% agree with you on all of this. The first time we went on the dining plan was actually included for free (and I was new to Disney as an adult and didn’t know much at all that trip). The few times after that we purchased the dining plan, I was constantly researching the most expensive items and making sure if we purchased a snack that it was included on the plan. We are big on Disney food and Disney snacking, so I don’t see myself ever using the plan again in the future. The past several trips without the plan were so much less stressful for me. I was more focused on trying what I wanted instead of looking for the best deal for my money. While I love the all-inclusive feel (one big reason I’ve always enjoyed cruises), I just don’t think it fits our style when it comes to the Disney parks. I still do my research on food and make lists of what I want to eat, but it’s not based all around getting the best bang for my buck. I actually pre-purchase Disney gift cards for our trip and use them to buy our food/merchandise, so to me this is the best way to get that all-inclusive feel. I’ve been very successful using the cards for my trips and will be utilizing the same strategy when we go back in October (for MNSSHP!!)
This was an awesome video! My family is going to Disney in the fall and I'm trying to decide if the dining plan is a good fit but the idea of all that planning and strategizing makes my eyes cross. I'm also not a big alcohol drinker so I'm leaning more towards not using it and just budgeting in some special meals like Cinderella's Royal Table and Chef Mickey's. Thanks for all the info Bekah!
So glad this was helpful! ☺️
I love the inclusive feel of the dining plan and I love table service at Disney. There’s the sticker shock when you add the dining plan to your package but if you’re genuinely going to eat all the snacks and want to do the character/signature dining then it’s a no brainer!
Agreed. If you strategize your character meals and map out the most expensive snacks, it starts to make sense!
Very interesting video! Thank you for making it. I am going to try it out and see if it is a good fit for the two of us. It may end up being a good fit, but until we try it we will not know. 😊
Thank you so much for this video! You do a great job of explaining pros and cons of both sides. We are light eaters and want flexibility so I think we’re going to skip the DDP and try the gift card strategy in 2024.
This is great video - thank you for breaking it all down for us. It won’t make sense for me! But it’s nice to know the whys-
Thank you! So glad this was helpful 🙌🏼
Boy mom here and the way my husband and teen eat the dining plan is worth it. I have a teen and a toddler so I was a bit hesitant about getting it because my 3yr old may not eat his money’s worth but where he falls short his big brother will definitely pick up.
Love the DDP! I want to order the most expensive thing, like steak, ribs, but I never allow myself cause I hand over my card and see it gone forever. BUT if it left forever months ago I won't notice it and it's steaks all day. It's really so much fun. One time we ate 3 creme brulee's each in one sitting. 😊
We always used the DDP and loved it! We very rarely eat out at home so this was a treat for us. We ordered the expensive items and lost no money. Going in May and buying gift cards to pay out of pocket this time. Doing all QS meals except we are each picking a TS for three out of ten days. We also do breakfast in the room and we don't drink. BTW...have you ever thought of wearing mouse ears during your home videos?!
That’s great! It’s definitely a treat if you’re looking to order the more expensive items ☺️
I agree with all of your points! I think the dining plan is definitely not for everyone, and not always the cheaper option. I even think sometimes the vibe you’re going for on your trip can affect whether it’s worth it. Our family is normally penny pinchers, and we don’t go for a lot of extras on our trips. However, we did purchase the dining plan one trip a few years ago. Even though it didn’t save us money (I did the math), money wasn’t necessarily our main focus that trip. We wanted to have that “all-inclusive” feel so we felt like we could treat ourselves and not have to obsess over prices since it was already paid for. My family really enjoyed that experience during that trip ☺️. It’s not something we would do every time, but once in awhile, it’s fun to splurge 😁.
I used the dining plan on our last trip and I did like the convenience of it. Especially for my daughter. I did not have to think about what anything cost. We also used one of our snack credits everyday for breakfast when the plan had two snack credits. I am considering a trip next year but will probably not use it. It was a lot of food for me and we only had the quick service plan. I did think about using it.
My thought with it is like well if you like to Pre-budget, just save the amount that the dining plan would cost and put it on Disney gift cards - Disney did all the data so might as well borrow it!
You could even buy gift cards from target using a red card and get a 5% discount.
Appreciate you for breaking this down so thoroughly!!
Great video! The dining plan used to be a good value, but with the increase in the cost & less items you are given, & the changes on the menus...just not worth the cost anymore.
This was helpful, thanks! I think I’ll pass on the meal plan for my family because I also am not going to drink alcohol for each lunch and dinner.
Very helpful
I’m so glad!
Love this video! We aren’t huge drinkers so we wouldn’t benefit much from the DDP. We normally budget for the highest price DDP for each person, each day on a gift card and just use that! That way we aren’t stuck losing money and can use it for other things in the park if we have leftover $$!!
Love that idea! And it still feels all-inclusive with the gift card method 🙌🏼
We built a sheet and looked at the QS meal plan, specifically combining QS to pay for bigger experiences such as character buffets, etc. Would love your thoughts on this.
Couldn’t agree more! I’m so happy it’s back, but it’s definitely not good for everyone. Whenever we did it, we went into it from the perspective of convenience and not necessarily savings.
And that’s what a lot of families are looking for! The convenience 👌🏼 But agreed, it’s not for everyone 🤪
I’m totally a number cruncher and wish the DDP was available for our trip this November. 😅
You can save snacks for the festival booths if you plan on doing that instead of Mickey ice cream bars.
It's such an individual family decision as to whether the meal plan is a benefit or not. Our family typically goes to the character dining (Yes, everyday😉), and while we don't drink we are all about the snacking. I miss the DeLuxe dining plan as that was what we typically did, but we like signature dining as well as the character dining. While we don't go to the lounges at all and the quick service options not as much (we like Columbia House, Casey's, Satuli Canteen and Andy's at the parks).The Festival Food Booths at EPCOT are usually a great use of the snack credits. As they seem to have them nearly year round now it's easy enough to make use of them. 😂
This is such a tough call! Honestly, I don’t think it’s ever going to save you any money. But I’m thinking of adding it for our next big trip because I think it’ll help me order what I actually want vs. what’s least expensive.
For sure! It's a great fit if you're looking to splurge on dining 😊
You should get another mirror for the other side of your hear. You could be a hidden Mickey. It is a good thing if one is going with friends and you don’t want paying to be open. Prepandemic we always used the plan, not so last March. I think that the plan makes the trip more fun.
Let me tell you about our trip that we are going to go on in March. We planned on doing five character meals and we were going to have to pack lunches and share a lot of meals in the parks just to be able to try new things and my snack budget was very low. I knew that we wouldn’t be able to try very many things, unfortunately. And I don’t have a problem splitting meals since I don’t eat much, but it made me sad because I didn’t know if I would be able to have enough money to buy enough food for everyone so I had planned on buying groceries and bringing things like uncrustables. The dining plan for my family was only about $200 more than what I had budgeted for us to have for food and with that I wouldn’t have to buy groceries and we wouldn’t have to split meals. We would be able to try everything that we wanted to try and not worry about it. We don’t drink alcohol but it is still a good deal for us just because we are a bigger family so $200 more and we got one more sit down meal so we added on another character meal and won’t have to share meals and we will be able to try all the snacks that we want so for my family it is 100% a fantastic deal!
We do character meals and for my daughter alone huge savings! And my husband will probably just eat the snack my daughter gets. Nomad lounge is included...happy to see they added some lounges this time.
Thank you for catching that!! I'm interested to see how that lounge will be structured with meal credits.
@BekahHart me too...cause hubby and I like to share a few small plates too. I also hope they will let you change appetizers for desserts, we will see?
I believe it will be worth it for our family of 5 adults. We are going to stay at Disney World (Art of Animation) between Jan 21-27, 2024 (6 nights). We booked all 6 Table Service meals 2 months in advance of our arrival to the buffet dinners per night (Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, Garden Grill at EPCOT, Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Hollywood & Vine Dinner Fantasmic Show Package, Tusker House at Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and at Rainforest Cafe (not buffet) in Disney Spring on our night of arrival (from Canada.) We will do 1 Theme Park per day and use the last 2 days to park-hop to the areas we want to go back to for certain rides/shows/fireworks. 4 of us are over 21 so we most likely will get the cocktails/alcoholic beverages or expensive mocktails per meal to maximize the cost. We plan to use all our Quick Service meals for breakfast or lunch per day per theme park. All snacks will definitely be used in every theme park and at Disney Springs. It has been over 10 years since we've been to Disney World and it will be our daughter-in-law's first time in Orlando, FL so we are all excited!
Amazing! Sounds like this will be great fit for your family! 🙌🏼✨
I have had the dining plan once before and I feel like unless you literally eat and drink the entire time (full coarse meals) then it’s absolutely not worth it. Yes, they give you snacks and certain other things from the hotel store at the end of your stay if you have left over credits but it’s so not worth it to me. I don’t eat that much or even close to that much when I’m at Disney. It’s cheaper to pay as you go. One day you might be hungry and the next day you might not be as much.
Everything was explained perfectly! Thanks so much! 😊 I always say, do math first before deciding.
Also - the only Disney influencers I see recommend the Dining plan are also Travel Agents. I imagine they must get an extra commission for booking it.
I'm having a split stay, and decided to do the dining plan for all the days. Do i get one or two refillable cups since i'm getting the dining plan for the two reservation? And do i have to finish all my credit from the 1st few day stay on the last day of my 1st reservation?
You will get 2 refillable mugs since you have 2 reservations ☺️ All of your credits from the first reservation will expire at midnight the day you check out, so make sure those get used 🙌🏼
We just estimate about how much we think we will spend and buy discounted gift cards for that amount. That way we still get the "prepaid" factor, but don't feel like we have to order a bunch of food if we aren't really hungry. And if there is money left over on the gift card...we can buy more souvenirs and merch!
All that planning and strategy seems so stressful for me.
We have it on our package for 2024, and I think it will be a savings for us. Though, we are only doing the QS plan, I am a little concerned about the list of QS restaurants available because it doesn’t seem to be applicable to all QS restaurants. Maybe I’m missing something.
More locations will be added to the list, don't worry! All restaurants have until October (Disney's fiscal year) to resign their contract with Disney, so I'm sure more will be added by the end of October 😊
@@BekahHart good to know!! Thank you! ♥️
What about a 2 yr old? Do they eat free or would they share food with you?
They eat for free at buffets and character meals ☺️
I think it would be worth it if you are a person that likes beverages from the fountain machines the reusable cup could save you lots of money. I don’t know how much beverages are at Disney if you got them from a cart or needed a refill. Good to know that it may not save you money!
Absolutely! If you have fountain drinks multiple times per day, that can definitely factor into the value.
If you book a split stay and pay for 7 day dining plan, can I use the plan (if I have credits left) on day 10 for example?
Your credits will expire at midnight the day you checkout of your resort, so you would not be able to use them on day 10.
In my opinion as a Disney nut, there's no reason the plan would exist unless it was making money. Plain and simple. Truly don't like the new version; even more leeway and confusion about that points to use where and for what. Personally we either try to get a room with a kitchen (OKW's one bedrooms are fantastic) or camping; lots of hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill just adds to the atmosphere.
I “crunched” the numbers and for us it would be cheaper with out it. But we really did enjoy the deluxe back in 2019 we did all the character dinning including Cinderella Royal something 😂 I forgot the name 😅
That deluxe plan really was perfect if you wanted a character meal and signature meal in the same day, every day 😅😍
Ok am I crazy or did they have meal plans before in general? Like if you didn’t stay on Disney grounds ? Lol
“One refillable mug per person per night?” As in if im there for 5 nights, i get 5 mugs or am i mixing that up lol
You get one mug but get to use it for 5 days
I don’t eat red meat or drink alcohol. 😂 definitely not for us.
We’re going on a trip next week and your budget planner was helpful! I’ve set that money aside for meals so it feels “worry free” when we order food.
Amazing! I'm so glad to hear it! That really is another great way to make your vacay "all-inclusive", is pre-budget your food with gift cards!
Too many rules should be easier. $250 PER DAY for 2 adults and 2 kids under 9! Almost $400 PER DAY for 2 adults and 2 children over 9!! I could take my family to the Ritz for less. No wonder Disney is in trouble. Guess the restaurants outside the parks will be very busy.
We chose no dining plan but then ended up qualifying for the free dining plan, so we'll take it. 😂
Sad thing is, tips went higher because you tried to order more expensive food.
Great point 👌🏼
They'll lose money on my nephews