Planning a trip w/o dining plan

[RavsRuleDisney!]

this coming trip will be our first without utilizing the ddp. Me, DW and 2 DS'. The wife crunched the numbers and we should definately save some bucks without starving around the parks! It's really personal preference coupled with finances as to what you can/want to do. We are not looking to do any character type meals (did plenty of them) and our breakfast and lunch choices will be more the grab-n-go type options. Also will have some snacks and drinks in the room which we have never really taken advantage of in the past. Definately a few sit-downs for dinner but that's the game plan.

[Pirate Granny]

If you plan to go to some character meals...I would go DDP...have you taken a look at what they charge for KIDS ???? For adults only perhaps no DDP. We went as all adults and we didn't eat in the rooms at all. Breakfast at FQ was around $10 each day, lunch counter services averaged $15 have to include soft drinks/water and dinners averaged $35 (no alcohol). Next trip with children and same adults we did DDP...so much easier and those character meals tipped the scale vs out of pocket...even with the TIW discounts.

[iheartdisney]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions and experiences. But now, I'm officially confused. Again. Looks like I need to number crunch and find out if the boys want to do any character meals. Still interested in other experiences, however. So keep 'em comin'.

[minnie-mouse]

I usually do a spreadsheet and include what character meals we want to do, etc. That way I can see how much we plan to spend a day on food. If you are doing a lot of TS meal, then the dining plan might be a better option.

[disneynarula]

I would plan where you want to eat and check out some menus and add up the prices.

As someone else posted if you are going to do several character meals or buffet it might be worth it.

Having kids who are charged the kids dining plan prices also changes the matrix a little. Quite a few people who thought the dining plan was not worth it did not have kids and I would tend to agree.

The kids price for the dining plan per day is about the price of most character meals. The same is true for most buffets. You come out ahead on days where you do character meals or fixed price meals like Chef Mickeys, Boma or O'Hana.

If you are just going to do non-character and non buffet meals it might not be worth it. Especially if you are going to split meals.

Are you annual pass holders?

[TikiGoddess]

Here is an idea... buy a Visa debit card and put the same amount of cash on it that you would have paid for the dining plan. Then, use the card to pay for all of your dining expenses. See how much money you have left at the end of the trip.

That way you're budgeting ahead of time for the cost of food -- getting the 'prepaid' perk of the dining plan -- but you're not tied to the dining plan's limitations.

Kathy

[iheartdisney]

What a great idea, TikiGoddess! I love it!

[tinksmom02]

We usually did the DDP, whether we pay for it (get a room discount) or get it free. I keep track of the costs & we usually end up coming out ahead, considering what we eat and all. Usually it's just DD and I, sometimes DH.

For our upcoming trip, I decided against it, primarily because DD will be 10 and I know there is no way she will eat $46 worth of food a day. I am concerned about paying for everything OOP, but am leaning towards getting annual passes, so will obviously get the TiW card, which should help. I do love the idea of getting the Visa debit card!

But I think we'll be OK--on past trips DD and I have shared the largest CS breakfast available, and it'll be August, so we probably won't want to eat that heavy, anyway. We have ADRs at 'Ohana for dinner, which will be costly but is a must-do, and lunches at Sci Fi and Via Napoli, which are some of the "lesser-expensive" places in the World, especially at lunch. What's going to hurt is having to PAY for our Pineapple Floats, instead of using snack credits!