One of many greatest choices when planning for Walt Disney World is whether or not to purchase the Disney Eating Plan. It’s extremely polarizing–some WDW followers like it and others hate it. This cuts by means of that to weigh the professionals & cons and worth for cash that can assist you decide whether or not the Disney Eating Plan is price it for your loved ones. (Up to date Might 19, 2024.)
Let’s begin with fundamentals in regards to the Disney Eating Plan, which is a pay as you go meal plan supplied at Walt Disney World so friends can funds their eating prices upfront and (doubtlessly) get monetary savings. It offers friends with credit that may be redeemed for snacks, and counter service or desk service meals. Solely two tiers of the DDP are supplied for 2024 and 2025: the Fast-Service Disney Eating Plan and normal Disney Eating Plan.
Moreover, in case you’re already wanting ahead to subsequent yr, there are additionally already 2025 Disney Eating Plan Worth Will increase, albeit minor and beneath the speed of inflation. Menu costs will virtually actually improve by related quantities later this yr, so the worth proposition of the DDP doesn’t actually change in 2024 vs. 2025. If it’s price it for you this yr, will probably be subsequent–and vice-versa.
If you happen to’re debating whether or not to ebook the Free Eating promotion, it’s necessary to notice that this submit pertains to the paid model of the DDP. Whereas it’s true that there’s no such factor as a free lunch–and Free Eating is extra like “Free” Eating (air quotes)–it’s nonetheless a distinct query.
We’ve got a separate submit answering Is Free Eating Price It? Mainly, that boils all the way down to alternative price. Free Eating requires reserving a full value trip package deal and forgoing different reductions. So do you come out forward doing that, even in case you can’t take full benefit of the Disney Eating Plan? That’s the operative query, and it’s totally different than this one (occasion measurement and resort tier are the key components there).
We’ve used the Disney Eating Plan quite a few occasions–each “free” and paid–normally a number of occasions per yr. Our ideas and opinions are primarily based on our first-hand expertise with the Eating Plan yearly (minus the three it hasn’t been accessible) since 2007. Equally as necessary, we’ve got not used the Disney Eating Plan many extra occasions than we’ve got used it.
In studying about Walt Disney World, you’ll rapidly study that there are diehard Eating Plan followers, and others who hate it with the fiery ardour of 1 thousand suns. Each teams have their biases, and sometimes make sweeping generalizations in regards to the Disney Eating Plan primarily based on how properly it really works–or doesn’t–for them, failing to acknowledge not everybody dines like they do. In actuality, the DDP has execs & cons, might be nice for some households and terrible for others.
The Disney Eating Plan could be very a lot not one-size-fits-all, and this submit displays that. So in case you had been hoping for a easy “sure” or “no” to the titular query, we’re sorry to disappoint. Whether or not the Disney Eating Plan is price it relies upon upon your particular circumstances. (We’d estimate that the reply is “no” for round 75% of friends–however you might be among the many 25% for whom it’s!)
For its half, Walt Disney World has recognized two most important causes to buy the Disney Eating Plan. The primary promoting level is “Comfort & Flexibility.” In response to the corporate, the Disney Eating Plan can add the comfort and suppleness of pay as you go meals and snacks to your trip—and offer you peace of thoughts–due to the greater than 200 areas all through the parks, resort resorts, and Disney Springs that settle for the DDP.
The second promoting level based on Walt Disney World is “Worth & Financial savings.” For the primary time in a number of years, the corporate is touting the money-saving element of the Disney Eating Plan, indicating that households with little ones can save on eating–as much as 20% on eating for teenagers ages 3 to 9. Whereas the DDP was promoted as a money-saving trip for the primary a number of years after it debuted, that stopped being the case a number of years in the past–presumably because of value will increase and cutbacks.
As with so many issues, execs & cons are a matter of perspective. In our view, there are literally extra promoting factors and downsides than what Walt Disney World has highlighted. Whereas we disagree with contentions of comfort and suppleness, we really assume that Walt Disney World is underselling the money-saving aspect of the Disney Eating Plan. Nevertheless, that could possibly be for good purpose, as many friends assume it’ll save them a ton of cash even with out Walt Disney World promoting the DDP as such.
In any case, listed here are the arguments in favor of shopping for the Disney Eating Plan, adopted by these for skipping it. Extra precisely, that is which varieties of friends and in what circumstances it makes probably the most sense to buy or cross over the DDP…
Who SHOULD Purchase the Disney Eating Plan
Spreadsheet Savants – For some Walt Disney World followers, planning is half the enjoyable. You map out your trip plans with tactical precision, making complete itineraries, utilizing spreadsheets (ugh!), and so forth. The Disney Eating Plan provides one other layer to that, and determining methods to leverage it’s “enjoyable.”
Though I poke enjoyable on the spreadsheet savants on the market, we’re not all that totally different. I additionally wish to make meticulous meal plans for Walt Disney World, and get an amazing sense of satisfaction in outsmarting the system. I like placing collectively our posts for maximizing worth on the Disney Eating Plan, and we use these assets ourselves to squeeze as a lot bang for our buck as potential out of the DDP.
Plenty of Walt Disney World followers do the identical, and that is each a enjoyable and rewarding expertise for them. With that mentioned, this must be a type of issues that instantly clicks as being “for you” in case you’re a primary timer. If you happen to simply learn the previous paragraphs with puzzlement, it most likely will not be.
The Cautious and/or Carefree – Many followers argue that the Disney Eating Plan is about comfort. We beg to vary. That is considered one of dozens of articles about utilizing the Disney Eating Plan on this weblog. We’ve got precisely zero articles in regards to the execs & cons of paying money as you go. By way of what’s easier, paying out of pocket is way extra simple and intuitive. It’s what you do at each actual world restaurant–no rationalization essential.
What individuals presumably imply once they use phrases like “handy” is that the Disney Eating Plan is predictable. Because it’s pay as you go, you understand the prices of your meals upfront of your journey and usually are not caught without warning at simply how costly the whole lot is upon arrival at Walt Disney World. For a lot of planners, that is necessary.
Being cautious with their spending forward of time additionally permits many planners to get pleasure from a extra carefree trip. Whereas we contest that the DDP is handy or notably useful with budgeting, DDP serving to the cautious be extra carefree is simple. Many individuals on trip get sticker shock, and are unable to totally get pleasure from themselves or order freely after seeing menu costs. The Disney Eating Plan permits these worry-warts to not obsess over costs, and as a substitute loosen up and order what they need. (As somebody who’s frugal-to-a-fault, I very a lot empathize with this angle!)
Herds of Children – Walt Disney World considerably elevated grownup costs for the usual Disney Eating Plan, whereas reducing them for youngsters. The tip result’s that the worth proposition is best for events which have fewer adults and extra youngsters. In fact, that assumes your children would order and eat as a lot meals as is obtainable by the DDP, and wouldn’t break up meals or eat much less steadily. In any other case, the higher worth is illusory.
Regardless, these with extra youngsters (ages 3-9) than adults of their occasion are objectively extra prone to come out forward. Clearly, Walt Disney World is demonstrating bias in opposition to the dreaded Childless Millennial demo (or Child-less Boomers, for that matter!) and is now catering to adult-free packs of stray youngsters. It’s virtually like they’ve by no means learn Lord of the Flies.
Joking apart, single mother and father or households of three+ youngsters will normally come out forward with the Disney Eating Plan going ahead. Even because the “losers” on this change, we don’t actually thoughts. Fewer households with youngsters had been buying the DDP beforehand (as in comparison with {couples}), and households of 5-6 are notoriously “losers” in the case of lodging at Walt Disney World. It’s time for them to rack up a uncommon W.
Character Lovers – A number of character eating experiences make our listing of the High 10 Disney Eating Plan Desk Service Credit score Values. If that had been expanded to a high 20 listing, many extra character meals would make the lower. As a class, that is the commonest kind of restaurant for good-to-great worth on the Disney Eating Plan. It’s not true that each single character eating expertise provides above-average worth (a couple of breakfasts don’t and not one of the 2-credit meals do), but it surely’s a reasonably stable rule of thumb.
It has thus at all times been the case that the Disney Eating Plan was an excellent choice for these desirous to do character meals. That is more true than ever for households with youngsters as a result of aforementioned value hole between grownup and youngsters pricing of the DDP.
In contrast to different eating places, the place children may merely order and eat much less when paying out of pocket, the payment is a flat charge for character eating experiences. So the worth right here is simple. Consequently, the associated fee for a single character meal can exceed the worth for a complete day of the DDP for a child.
These aforementioned single mother and father or households of 5-6 with youngsters ages 3-9 who plan on doing a whole lot of character meals are far and away the largest winners with the Disney Eating Plan. (Do sufficient character meals with these demos and the “skip” counterpoints beneath don’t even apply!)
Devoted Drinkers – The most important change to the Disney Eating Plan pre-closure was the addition of alcoholic drinks, together with beer, wine, and specialty cocktails at each desk and counter service eating places. The importance of this can’t be overstated, and it created winners and losers.
Unsurprisingly, this got here with a value improve for adults on the Disney Eating Plan. Extra stunning was that the added price was far beneath the typical value of alcoholic drinks. This meant that anybody who ordered alcohol–particularly wine or cocktails–at most meals got here out forward. Non-beer alcohol routinely runs $14 to $20 per drink at Walt Disney World, even at counter service eating places. That’s an amazing quantity of worth to guzzle down each day whereas utilizing the Disney Eating Plan!
Consummate Carnivores – “Save with Steak” may as properly be the motto of the Disney Eating Plan. Heck, they may as properly change it from DDP to DCC–Disney Carnivore’s Membership. That is all to say that if your loved ones is filled with meat-eaters who will naturally gravitate in the direction of the most costly gadgets on the menu, the Disney Eating Plan can work out in your favor.
Prior to now, the most costly entree at most single-credit desk service eating places (and virtually 100% of those price doing) was a New York Strip Steak. Throughout the heyday of the Disney Eating Plan, there have been some journeys the place I ate my weight in NY Strip Steak. Every restaurant had its personal distinctive preparation and accompaniments, and it was enjoyable to attempt all of them. New York Strip Steak remains to be widespread however much less ubiquitous, with different beef-based entrees generally being the most costly (in case you had been paying out of pocket) entree choice.
Insatiable Appetites – Traditionally, the Disney Eating Plan has supplied extra meals than many friends would eat if ordering naturally and snacking solely when hungry. Plenty of cutbacks through the years have modified this dynamic, and the elimination of a snack on the 2024 Disney Eating Plan will additional resolve this “drawback.” Nonetheless, these with huge appetites are nonetheless rewarded by the Disney Eating Plan.
Suffice to say, in case your children are human rubbish disposals and the adults in your occasion love steak, the Disney Eating Plan can supply some financial savings. As quickly as anybody in your occasion begins ordering hen or pasta, these financial savings disappear to the purpose that you just may begin dropping cash on the Disney Eating Plan. That’s when alcohol turns into “essential” to bridge the hole.
Competition Followers – Disney Eating Plan snack credit are Most worthy throughout EPCOT competition season…which is now many of the yr. A number of the greatest snacks on the EPCOT festivals can price as a lot as $10 and might be bought utilizing snack credit.
We extremely advocate stockpiling snack credit and utilizing them throughout your Epcot days, as not solely are these competition snacks an important use of credit, however the EPCOT festivals are a ton of enjoyable, too. That is yet one more method to bridge the hole on worth, as utilizing snack credit on $8 to $10 gadgets throughout EPCOT festivals is way extra environment friendly than utilizing them on an inexpensive espresso or bottle of water.
Cut up Keep Strategists – We’re large advocates of Cut up Stays at Walt Disney World, and that is far and away how we most steadily have used the Disney Eating Plan overselves through the years. For one factor, we predict the DDP offers method an excessive amount of meals and may take an excessive amount of time. There’s no method we might keep the “tempo” of the Disney Eating Plan for a full week or longer. Regardless of how properly we deliberate, our “productiveness” with the plan would drop by day 5.
Solely doing the Disney Eating Plan for one portion of the journey permits us to do an attractions-oriented half of the journey, and a food-oriented half. We virtually at all times do the meals half of the journey second, once we’re able to decelerate, loosen up, and focus extra on consuming. This additionally lets you maximize financial savings by reserving ADRs for the perfect DDP eating places through the second half of your journey, whereas focusing in your favourite ‘good worth’ eating places through the first half.
Why and Who Ought to SKIP the Disney Eating Plan!
Signature Standing – Some eating experiences at Walt Disney World require 2 desk service credit as a substitute of only one. These are premium choices, akin to Signature Eating places, Dinner Exhibits, Pizza Supply, Room Service Meal, and some character meals.
By way of worth for cash (or credit score), there may be not a single 2-credit premium expertise that’s price it from an goal perspective on the common Disney Eating Plan. None of them–not one–provides per-credit worth that quantities to an above-average redemption of a single desk service credit score.
To ensure that these premium choices to be price it, they’d have to supply double the worth of a worthwhile 1-credit restaurant. Whereas most Signature Eating Experiences are significantly costlier than their common desk service counterparts, they don’t seem to be twice the associated fee. As such, you’ll virtually actually come out forward by paying out of pocket in case you’re doing a whole lot of Signature Eating places. (In our view, Walt Disney World ought to add-back appetizers for the 2-credit eating places to assist bridge the hole.)
Vexed Vegetarian – There’s actually no situation wherein it makes monetary sense for a vegetarian or vegan to buy the Disney Eating Plan. Plant-based gadgets are virtually at all times the most cost effective choices on the menu at Walt Disney World eating places. Particular person vegetarian adults won’t ever come out forward on the DDP until they solely do character meals for no matter purpose.
That is such a truism that we don’t really feel the necessity to give examples or crunch the numbers. It’s self-evident upon a cursory assessment of menus. That is unquestionably true if everybody in your occasion is vegetarian or vegan, and most likely true even when solely 25% of the adults in your occasion will solely eat plant-based entrees.
Complete Teetotalers – Globally, half of all adults don’t drink alcohol in any respect and a little bit over one-third of American adults by no means imbibe. That’s lots of people. The quantity is undoubtedly larger amongst Disney Eating Plan customers, as anybody over the age of 9 is taken into account a “Disney Grownup” and charged accordingly.
Against this, solely those that are 21 years of age and older are thought of to be adults within the eyes of U.S. alcohol legal guidelines. Now, we’re huge believers within the “Disney Bubble,” however Walt Disney World coverage doesn’t supercede the legislation. These 10 yr outdated “adults” can’t order a La Fin du Monde with lunch at Le Cellier. (Maybe they’ll order a Labatt Blue Mild, although…does that technically rely as beer?)
The tip result’s that lots of people are charged the grownup value for the Disney Eating Plan who actually can’t drink, and plenty of others are charged that charge who won’t drink. These friends are successfully subsidizing the lower-priced alcohol on the DDP for drinkers.
Those that can’t or gained’t drink alcohol do have the choice of ordering specialty drinks akin to milkshakes, smoothies, and mocktails (the place accessible). Nevertheless, the associated fee disparity is fairly vital. On common, non-drinkers are taking a look at getting round $15 much less in worth per day than drinkers. (The unfold is even higher for non-drinkers who merely order soda or water.) That quantity is sufficient to be make-or-break on whether or not the DDP is “price it” for a lot of friends.
AP/DVC/CM – If you’re eligible for an ‘affiliation’ low cost on account of being an Annual Passholder, Disney Trip Membership Member, or Forged Member (or Tables in Wonderland, if that ever returns), it’s going to be troublesome to do higher than that until you overlap on the favored demos above.
Basically, it’s additionally simply simpler to take 10-20% off the whole lot at desk service eating places versus having to determine how one can hack your meals to economize.
Doing Disney on a Dime – The Disney Eating Plan will not be the most cost effective method to eat at Walt Disney World. Not even shut. At greatest, it’s a possible low cost on a premium almost-inclusive meal package deal–it’s not the perfect bottom-dollar choice for making an attempt to do Disney on a Dime. (It’s like shopping for a BMW with a supplier incentive versus paying sticker value for a Kia. Sure, you “get monetary savings” on the previous and never the latter, however the Kia nonetheless prices a heckuva lot much less!)
Those that seek the advice of our High 10 Greatest Worth Desk Service Eating places at Walt Disney World will discover that there are a whole lot of sit-down eating places which are nice choices when paying out of pocket. Pair that with a cheap counter service meal and a snack, and your per-day meal price might find yourself being lower than half of what you’d pay for the Disney Eating Plan.
As mentioned in our Suggestions for Shopping for Groceries at Walt Disney World submit, you may lower prices additional (with out sacrificing trip high quality) by having breakfast in your room and packing snacks for the parks. The listing of the way to scale back meals prices at Walt Disney World goes on and on, however at no level is “purchase the Disney Eating Plan” on it. It’s a luxurious product that, just like the BMW, might be discounted–but it surely’s by no means going to be as low cost as consuming at Walt Disney World, Kia type.
Go With the Stream…Of us – That is form of an extension to the earlier level in addition to an “reply” to contentions that the Disney Eating Plan is handy. In order for you the perfect of each worlds, value out how a lot it will price so as to add the Disney Eating Plan to your trip, and buy discounted Disney reward playing cards in that quantity.
Use these reward playing cards to pay for all your meals, ordering no matter you need and doing all of your greatest to by no means have a look at menu costs. (Simpler mentioned than finished, I do know!) If you happen to’re not one of many favored demos above, there’s a really robust likelihood you’ll find the money for leftover on the reward playing cards on the finish of your trip to pay for some good souvenirs.
Finally, whether or not you should purchase or skip the Disney Eating Plan is circumstantial. Though its many followers and plenty of haters will attempt to inform you in any other case, the Disney Eating Plan will not be universally good or unhealthy. Consider it extra like a instrument, which might be helpful or damaging relying upon the job. (Regardless of the same names, a hammer and a jackhammer will produce radically totally different outcomes on the identical undertaking!)
If your loved ones is filled with carnivores…the Disney Eating Plan is likely to be for you. If you happen to’re taking your twin boys to Walt Disney World to have a good time their twenty first birthdays…the Disney Eating Plan may work out in your favor. If you happen to’re a single father or mother of princess-loving triplets desirous to do as many character meals as potential…the Disney Eating Plan will undoubtedly prevent cash.
Against this, in case your complete household is vegetarians, gentle eaters, or teetotalers…it’s unlikely that the Disney Eating Plan will work to your benefit. Even in case you’re simply common eaters, there’s an excellent likelihood that the Disney Eating Plan will find yourself costing you more cash in the long run. Relating to the Disney Eating Plan, the home doesn’t at all times win, but it surely does come fairly shut. That’s to not say you may’t come out forward on the Disney Eating Plan, since you completely can. Heck, you may even save extra than 20% in case you play your playing cards proper! However in case you’re anticipating to economize irrespective of how you utilize the DDP, you may need to assume once more.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about resorts on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot you should know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your expertise with the strengths and weaknesses of the Disney Eating Plan? Are you one of many favored or disfavored demos with the DDP? Serious about shopping for the Disney Eating Plan? Want different tiers had been accessible, or choices with out alcohol or meat? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
