Love2Travel
Registered: January 2006
Posts: 49
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Review Date: Tue November 17, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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It was Free!!
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Cons:
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If we would had paid for it out of pocket, wouldn't have saved much
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This was our first year we got ours free! We've wondered if it is a real value, and calculating the cost vs what we would have paid for the food out of pocket, it really isn't that big of a savings. However, being free this year it was a deal!!
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eeyorelovesstitch
Registered: September 2008
Location: cape may, nj
Posts: 24
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Review Date: Fri November 13, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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excellent value
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Cons:
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none
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A lot of people said they had too much leftover credit. Here's how to solve that: we had leftover snacks, almost 25! We "ate around the countries" our last day (it was f&w fest) then used the last 7 or so to buy Minnie Mouse cookies and distributed them to Cast Members. They're always so polite and helpful-what a great way to say thanks since they're not allowed to accept tips!
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ralph49
Registered: December 2008
Location: Fort Smith, Arkansas
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Thu November 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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convenience
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Cons:
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none
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Last year we bought the dining plan and enjoyed it and thought it was a good buy. This year we took advantage of the free dining plan. We liked that it was all taken care of ahead of time and that we didn't have to be concerned with cash. It also allowed us to eat at restaurants we hadn't tried. Last year since it was just the two of us, we ate at several fine Epcot restaurants and enjoyed them all. This year we took our granddaughter so we ate at character meals. We were pleased with the plan.
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lorinljrk
Registered: November 2009
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Thu November 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Absolutely love the dining plan. Giving it away for free??? Awesome idea to convince us to buy it if it's not free again. We tried places we never would have gone before. Usually, we make sandwiches in our hotel room or order a pizza.
Negative things- kids menu. Nuggets, nuggets and more nuggets. If I had to buy the plan, the kids menu would be my drawback.
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mikehen1976
Registered: November 2009
Location: ohio
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu November 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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saves money
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Cons:
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you need to be a big eater
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I have not been to Disney in a few years and was able to go this year.There were 4 of us, 3 adults and one child.Because I was not sure how much my child would eat I did not go with the DP.Big mistake! I tried to do research on how much the food would cost, mainly using this website and was way off. Just going to Crystal Palace and the Coral Reef and a couple of QS meals,we spent over 300 bucks in a day and a half. We are planning a return trip in 2010 and will be getting the DP. Even though I have never used the DP I can say the plan would have saved me a lot of money, lesson learned.
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lisaj
Registered: November 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 30
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Review Date: Tue November 10, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Free, allowed us flexibility, good table service meals
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Cons:
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Not enough healthy choice for counter service
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We have been to the world three times before and always paid out of pocket for the meals. This trip, from October 24th-31st, we got free quick service dining which we upgraded for a small fee to the standard dining plan.
We found that we had to add a starter at Kouzzina's and by the time we had paid for wine and tip it didn't really come out cheap. For the buffets it is excellent value and also for those who drink soft drinks. We wouldn't usually buy snacks in the parks but the kids loved having the ability to 'buy' one snack per day when they liked.
Like the fact that you can use the credits in any order and the two adults in our party used their snack credits on the Monday night at the food and wine festival at EPCOT.
My only complaint is that for us personally we don't get enough fruit, veg and salad from counter service. We generally have a buffet breakfast and table service dinner with little in between so it was quite difficult to find the healthy meals we all wanted on the counter service part of the plan. We loved the Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney but otherwise felt most of our choices were just average. We ended up paying out of pocket for a couple of table service meals and wasting a couple of counter service which didn't matter as we had paid so little.
Would we do it again? Yes but next year we are planning to use the deluxe plan.
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wdwamanda
Registered: August 2009
Location: MA
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Tue November 10, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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So much food, endless options
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Cons:
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Too bad it doesn't include the refillable mug!
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Whoever came up with the idea for the DDP is brilliant...and whoever came up with the idea to give it away for free is my hero! My family traveled to WDW for 5 nights during the free dining plan offer; we've always wanted to try it out but never quite made it happen. Boy, did we love it!! We will absolutely use this service again, whether it's free or the usual $40 a night. Either way you can get your money's worth back very easily (and in some instances in the table service option alone!).
Last year my family went to WDW during Christmas week, and this is where we first noticed the dining plan in use at all. My mother and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. We were pinching pennies and at the end my mom was counting out cash to pay the bill. A family had been eyeing us (we didn't know why) and the woman came up to us with a number of dining credits left over on her family's DDP and offered to pay for our meal with them. (They were leaving that afternoon and would lose the credits anyway.) WOW! This made my mom cry, as our lunch was around $50, and it was something my mom had carefully saved for so we could splurge on this trip. The waiter said no problem, sure she can pay, and we left the restaurant dazed and in awe that someone would do that for us. The only thing we paid for was the tip! Later that week someone was standing at a register in our resort (CBR) paying for everyone in line with extra counter service credits. It was awesome!!
I have to mention those stories because I've noticed that so many people complain in their reviews about having credits left over and essentially letting them go to waste. Why not have a little fun using them up before the end, especially if you've already paid for the plan? If you really don't want to spend them all, I highly encourage you to "pay it forward," so to speak, and treat other families to free food courtesy of your dining plan. For some people it will be a "magical moment" that will last the rest of their lives. (I'm serious, it's a year later and my mom still talks about that family and how they so graciously paid for our lunch!)
For families who want to do everything in the parks and barely have time to sit down and eat anything, I don't think the dining plan would be a good choice. Those families would do much better with the quick service dining plan. Also, if you are not a planner and choose not to make any ADRs, the dining plan probably wouldn't be the best option for you unless you come in a value season. During busier times of year the restaurants fill up with absolutely no wiggle room for walk-ins...especially the more popular ones! So take those things into consideration before selecting your dining option. Either way though, the plans sure beat paying out of pocket...you can get an incredible bang for your buck if you do your research ahead of time!! (We used two credits apiece for an incredible dinner at Narcoossee's...we each got filet mignon and would have paid over $160 for our meal, but got it for free instead!)
You get a table service, counter service, and snack credit per person per day, although you can mix and match how you'd like to use them. Our family learned along the week how to best use our credits. Easily the most effective snack credits can be found at Sleepy Hollow in the Magic Kingdom - treat yourselves to a typically expensive funnel cake or the largest ice cream cookie sandwich I've ever seen...usually $4-5 apiece, each counts as a snack option and can feed more than one person. Delicious! Or use a snack credit at the Main Street Bakery on one of those enormous cinnamon buns for an extremely filling breakfast.
Families, use those table service credits on character dining especially! Akershus in Norway is a character meal chock full with princesses and even includes a free photo package, but only uses one table service credit (whereas Cinderella's Royal Table and other signature dining options use 2). Try new things and come prepared to eat - each person gets a drink, entree, and dessert. If you are curious about signature dining and want to try one of the more upscale options, you can't really go wrong with the California Grill - amazing food, comfortable and classy atmosphere, and a killer view of the fireworks. Narcoossee's is a good choice too and is right along the water, so also has a wonderful fireworks view! Both restaurants pipe in the music so it is seamless and lots of fun.
Again, just do your research ahead of time to choose the appropriate plan as well as your ADRs. Save those counter service desserts for a snack later on! Some places even give you the option to get a fruit cup for dessert, which we saved for breakfast some days. Or if you use a counter service credit at your resort and have already purchased a refillable mug, get a bottled drink and save it for later...you can get anything with that, not just a fountain drink. We brought our bottled drinks along with us to the parks which ultimately saved us on money and snack credits. It was awesome!
And on a super specific note, anyone eating at the Mara in Animal Kingdom Lodge should definitely try the Zebra Domes as a dessert or snack...they are super filling and you get five in one package! Awesome.
So have fun, whatever you choose...enjoy those restaurants! And if you have any credits left over, don't forget to give someone else a magical moment if you get the chance. :-)
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i love tinker bell
Registered: November 2009
Posts: 16
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Review Date: Sat November 7, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 2
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Pros:
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not too many
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Cons:
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dessert again...
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We used the dining plan on our recent trip and did not like it, we will probably never do it again. We don't care for counter service, the options are usually terrible. We don't like hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers etc. The best counter service is Wolfgang Puck Express in the Marketplace. In Magic Kingdom, we did not find any good counter service. The Main Street Bakery had good desserts and the sandwiches looked decent. The Launching Pad in Tommorowland had the best sweet cream cheese pretzels, they were out of this world! In Hollywood Studios, Starring Rolls Cafe had good ham focaccias and excellent chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. In Epcot, we ate at the Tangierine Cafe and it was terrible, do NOT go there. Instead, try the Kringla bakery in Norway, they had sweet pretzels (different than the ones in MK) and sandwiches. After getting dessert at each meal for over a week, we were getting sick of the same boring options. We wish you could get an appetizer. Overall, since we are annual passholders we will stick with using the Tables in Wonderland.
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LeeK
Registered: October 2009
Location: Cape Cod, Ma
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Wed November 4, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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FREE
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Cons:
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10 year old on adult plan
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This year we got the dining plan for free, which was good because Disney would've charged our 10 year old the adult price. We were able to order off the kids menu for her everywhere we went, and I would've been pretty unhappy if I had paid $39.99 per day for her to eat chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese. This was our third time doing the dining plan, and have always been pleased with the convenience. I am no longer certain it will be a savings with older kids who don't eat much (variety or quantities) if we'll be charged the adult rate.
Something to think about for next time around....
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lisam427
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Wed November 4, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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saved a lot of money
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Cons:
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none
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we went to disney sept 7-15 during free dining. our party of 6 saved so much money. i remember one of our meals at the sci-fi diner came to over $200.00. we got to eat for free and only had to come up with a tip. even if i had to pay for the dining plan, i would still get it. it is so nice to be able to go and not have to worry about paying for meals.
it saves so much money and i can eat at my favorite disney restaurants without worry.
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cdadabo
Registered: November 2009
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Mon November 2, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Free! Ate at places we never could have afforded
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Cons:
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confusing at first
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Free is good, right? Heck yeah -- especially when it's on Disney's dime. We've all spent enough money getting there that it's nice to be able to use their "money" to get a meal or three.
Anyway, the fam and I spent a week in Disney, all four of us had the DDP. Just the basic one -- drink, entree, and dessert. That's a lot of food mind you. We ate at places like the Flying Fish, Akershus, Biergarten, O'Hana. Some we enjoyed, some not so much. Either way, it was good to have the experience.
I got curious and tallied up how much we would have spent for 7 days of food for the 4 of us (just what Disney paid for) and it came out to $1,790!!! Talk about a savings! Thank you, Mickey!
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west1818
Registered: April 2006
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Posts: 28
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Review Date: Sun November 1, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Stayed October 3-10 and enjoyed the free Dining Plan. First time using it and absolutely LOVED IT! We ate at places we normally wouldn't have gone to and had plenty of food. Even if we had paid for it the Dining Plan would have been a value but when you get it for free, it is even better! Saved a ton of money!!!
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LiveFreeOrDisney
Registered: April 2007
Location: Dunbarton, NH
Posts: 24
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Review Date: Fri October 30, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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it saves you money if you use it right
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Cons:
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we should get a free mug with all dining plans
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We ate at many places like chef De France and Crystal Place and Chef Mickey. We saved a ton of money and will continue to use the plan for many more trips.
I just wish we would get a mug for all dining plans.
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chshal
Registered: April 2008
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Thu October 29, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Awesome deal!
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Cons:
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NONE
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We used the dining plan on our stay (10/22-10/27). We stayed at the All Star Movies, therefore got the free quick service plan. We paid the difference and got the basic dining plan instead. (10.00/day x 3 people x5 days =150.00) And, WOW! what a deal! Our first day, we had already made out on the deal. Lunch would have been 45.00, and dinner 122.00! We made all our table service reservations in advance, and had no problems what so ever getting in. (actually got into 4 of the restaurants 1 hour ahead of scheduled time!) With having dessert at both counter and table service, we ended up not using our daily snack credits and had to use most of them on check out day to get grapes, drinks for the road and rice krispie treats! Would pay for the actual dining in the future, but will also love to catch another special with this type of dining package!
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DisneyNutz
Registered: March 2006
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
Posts: 55
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Review Date: Wed October 28, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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good selection of restaurants
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Cons:
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none
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My husband and I always travel to WDW in the winter months to get away from our cold winters but this time we went Sept 13-24 and got the Free Dining plan. We’ve had the Table Service dining plan in the past and it was nice not to pay for it-we had 2 counter service credits leftover. We booked this trip 60 days prior to arrival and could not get reservations at 5 restaurants including Le Cellier so that was disappointing. While we were in the parks we checked to see if lunch or dinner was open even at Coral Reef but no luck. We don’t fault free dining for this as this was a last minute trip we planned and next year when we return we will be booking reservations 180 days in advance. Our last night we went to Earl of Sandwich for 2 sandwiches for the plane trip home. We put them in our fridge and when eating at the airport/plane the sandwiches tasted quite good cold. We have already booked our October 2010 vacation. If Disney offers free dining then that is great. If not, I think we will get the Quick Service plan as there are many good counter service locations around and we've done the Table Service plan every year-it will be a nice change for us.
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