Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money?? (Merged)

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  • jenvaz
    New MiceChatter
    • Jan 2007
    • 31

    Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money?? (Merged)

    I am planning my family's annual Disneyland trip and we were wondering if we should add on the Disney Dining plan. Has anyone tried this? If so what restaurants were you able to use the vouchers at and was it worth the money?

    Thanks,
    Jennifer
  • hobbitfeet
    MiceChatter
    • Jun 2007
    • 174

    #2
    Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

    Crunch the numbers and see if it's worth it.

    Then realize that if you buy something for 3.50 with a 5.00 voucher, you will not get change back. And if you buy two things for 3.50 with a 5.00 voucher, you will be paying out of pocket.

    Then crunch the numbers again and see if it's still worth it.

    I've read it's NOT worth it.

    Comment

    • akfandisney
      • Oct 2005
      • 7223

      #3
      Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

      I have not do at WDW I have DVC resort room and I can make Breakfast about $4.00 day then $10.00 at WDW.
      Some people at WDW like it but me It's NOT Worth it!

      you gat the same thing in Discount if you get one Disney PAP you get 15% off




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      • kennygman77
        Kenny the Pirate
        • May 2006
        • 598

        #4
        Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

        No, it's cumbersome and no savings at all.
        Kenny the Pirate
        AKA Bad Mood t' Blackhearted
        Disney Dream Job Pirate Winner 2007
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        Comment

        • MsSarah
          formerly PretzelSouls!
          • Aug 2007
          • 4772

          #5
          Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

          I don't recommend the dining packages.
          You don't get discounts in them.
          I do recommend you eat in the park, they have multiple options and dining atmospheres.
          If you eat at the Plaza Inn and have an AAA Card you are given the reward of "Show Your Card And Save" (Save 10% on your purchase).
          "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." -Henry David Thoreau

          Comment

          • mousechild
            Who Gave Rob an Avatar?
            • Oct 2007
            • 14880

            #6
            Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

            If you fail to use any part of the dining plan you lose. The dining plan is not a savings plan, it is a pre-pay plan. IMHO I would skip it.
            Originally posted by SummerInFL
            Jesus, even I wouldn't eat that.

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            • Tink1969
              New MiceChatter
              • Jan 2007
              • 67

              #7
              Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

              I've considered this option in the past. The guest relations lady at Disney actually talked me out of it when I called with questions. They do not give change for the coupons. How often do you buy something that costs exactly $5, $10, or $15? Never. You'll constantly be reaching into your wallet for more money.

              Comment

              • CupcakeTerror
                Sugar & Spice
                • Apr 2007
                • 1172

                #8
                Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                OP, thanks for asking this question. I have always wanted to know whether the dining plan would be worth it! Now I know.
                <3 There are a million cupcakes in the world but only one is Cupcake Terror. <3

                I AM THE REBEL SPY.


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                • Jacky B
                  MiceChatter
                  • Apr 2007
                  • 253

                  #9
                  Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                  Ok, I must be the only one who does the Dining Plan. We like it because majority of the food is payed for before the trip. We don't mind forking out a dollar or two with the vouchers.

                  Comment

                  • BFJen
                    For You!
                    • Feb 2006
                    • 7704

                    #10
                    Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                    It's great if you have kids that you turn loose in the park - you know that they're going to buy food with it and not toys or whatever.

                    Also, I believe you can still get some 10% discounts at certain places with a Disney Visa card.
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                    • BroncoBob
                      Disneyland/Bronco Maniac
                      • Sep 2007
                      • 962

                      #11
                      Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                      Is the DL Dining plan different than the one at WDW?

                      "The moose say's you're closed, i say you're open" Clark W. Griswold

                      Comment

                      • Malcon10t
                        Minion
                        • Jun 2005
                        • 4379

                        #12
                        Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                        Originally posted by BroncoBob View Post
                        Is the DL Dining plan different than the one at WDW?
                        Very different. There is NO DISCOUNT on the vouchers. You can actualy save by NOT doing the Dining Plan. How? Use AAA, Disney Visa, or AP discounts. By not having to buy 2 Churros if you only wanted 1. By not having to load up one cookies and cotton candy as you dash out of the park so you can use your last vouchers.
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                        Comment

                        • BroncoBob
                          Disneyland/Bronco Maniac
                          • Sep 2007
                          • 962

                          #13
                          Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                          This is probably the wrong thread to be asking the question but whatever, here goes. Is the dining plan at WDW voucher based as well? Like in dollar amounts?

                          "The moose say's you're closed, i say you're open" Clark W. Griswold

                          Comment

                          • Malcon10t
                            Minion
                            • Jun 2005
                            • 4379

                            #14
                            Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                            Originally posted by BFJen View Post
                            It's great if you have kids that you turn loose in the park - you know that they're going to buy food with it and not toys or whatever.
                            I used Disney Dollars and required receipts to fix this issue when my teens tried the "Save the money mom gave us to eat on and then eat when we get back with her like we haven't eaten in a week..." Yes, a CM will write a receipt on a napkin for a churro and I recognize my kids writing. If I gave them $20 for food, they get no more money til I have $20 in receipts for food... Teaches them also for taxes later!
                            If you see a cute yellow lab puppy with a yellow cape, WAVE! It might be us! (Or it may be someone else that lurks here!) Thank you for asking before you pet! Next trip, Dec 22-Jan 3rd.

                            Comment

                            • hobbitfeet
                              MiceChatter
                              • Jun 2007
                              • 174

                              #15
                              Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                              Originally posted by BroncoBob View Post
                              This is probably the wrong thread to be asking the question but whatever, here goes. Is the dining plan at WDW voucher based as well? Like in dollar amounts?
                              From what I have read, no. There you get credits on your room card; counter service, table service, and snack credits. Certain things count as snacks, and you get certain things at table service, etc.

                              There are also different levels of the dining plan at WDW. I don't know how WDW people keep it all straight in there heads, honestly. (though I want to go there in a year or so)

                              Comment

                              • DisneyIPresume
                                Beach Expert
                                • Sep 2006
                                • 11332

                                #16
                                Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                                Originally posted by jenvaz View Post
                                I am planning my family's annual Disneyland trip and we were wondering if we should add on the Disney Dining plan. Has anyone tried this? If so what restaurants were you able to use the vouchers at and was it worth the money?

                                Thanks,
                                Jennifer
                                Without even looking at the other respones I am going to say emphatically, no. There are lots of restaurants along Harbor Blvd. and other areas within a very short walk or drive from the DLR hotels that are much better than DLR food. And a short walk away is GardenWalk where you can eat right now at Cheesecake Factory or Bubba Gumps.

                                Comment

                                • NeverNeverland
                                  Where should we go next?

                                  • Apr 2005
                                  • 20433

                                  #17
                                  Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                                  Originally posted by hobbitfeet View Post
                                  From what I have read, no. There you get credits on your room card; counter service, table service, and snack credits. Certain things count as snacks, and you get certain things at table service, etc.

                                  There are also different levels of the dining plan at WDW. I don't know how WDW people keep it all straight in there heads, honestly. (though I want to go there in a year or so)
                                  You used to get 1 snack, 1 counter service and 1 sit down a day. And your count was printed on every receipt so it's easy to keep track. But it has changed slightly since I used it.

                                  So at WDW, it's "credits" instead of money that you forfeit. A snack is a snack - it can cost $1 or $5 as long as it's a "snack." Sounds like Disneyland's has a dollar amount, and if you don't use all the dollars you don't get change back.

                                  BroncoBob, this is a better question to ask in the WDW forum - a quick search will answer those questions
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                                  • Dr. Earkid
                                    GO DBACKS!!
                                    • Jan 2005
                                    • 3196

                                    #18
                                    Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                                    Originally posted by hobbitfeet View Post
                                    Then realize that if you buy something for 3.50 with a 5.00 voucher, you will not get change back. And if you buy two things for 3.50 with a 5.00 voucher, you will be paying out of pocket.
                                    Originally posted by Tink1969 View Post
                                    I've considered this option in the past. The guest relations lady at Disney actually talked me out of it when I called with questions. They do not give change for the coupons. How often do you buy something that costs exactly $5, $10, or $15? Never. You'll constantly be reaching into your wallet for more money.
                                    It's not exactly true that they never give change. We've used them before, for reasons I will discuss below, and I've gotten as much as $3.00 change back from a meal voucher. But you can't use a meal voucher for a snack and expect to get the difference back.

                                    We typically do not buy the Dining Vouchers but they did come in handy when we planned a large trip with relatives and we put the entire amount on our Disney Visa. This gave us 6 months to pay with no interest. For some people this helps them budget the cost of the trip by prepaying for meals. The costs were split per person and everyone got their vouchers to spend as they wanted. We were able to give food vouchers to the teens so they had to buy food when off by themselves, vs. giving them a lot of cash that they may spend on chochkies.

                                    Overall, they aren't a money saver but more of a convenience when trying to put together a precise budget for a trip.


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                                    Comment

                                    • nbodyhome
                                      Little Miss Sunshine
                                      • Dec 2005
                                      • 4950

                                      #19
                                      Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                                      I would also say absolutely not. You can give kids a Disney gift card if you want to let them have something, or some cash. The vouchers aren't a good way to go.
                                      Denise

                                      www.mousesteps.com




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                                      • WSVR
                                        MiceChatter
                                        • Jun 2007
                                        • 383

                                        #20
                                        Re: Disney Dining for Disneyland, is it worth the money??

                                        Originally posted by jenvaz View Post
                                        I am planning my family's annual Disneyland trip and we were wondering if we should add on the Disney Dining plan. Has anyone tried this? If so what restaurants were you able to use the vouchers at and was it worth the money?

                                        Thanks,
                                        Jennifer
                                        For lurkers that may be reading that are used to WDW's dining plan, note that Disneyland's is not the same as WDW's.

                                        On to the poster's question.

                                        Think of Disneyland's dining plan as a loan to Disney. You loan them the cost of the plan. They pay you back in the form of vouchers that you use to get food. Now if you use up the whole voucher at each place, Disney repays the loan you gave them in full. But you don't get any interest. If you fail to use up the whole voucher at each place, well then the part of that voucher you didn't use just became a gift to Disney instead of a loan. If you go over the whole voucher, well you pay the difference. You still don't get any interest.

                                        BAD plan. You are better off just paying for food as you go. You can get 10% off with a AAA card at various places. You can also get 10% off with a Disney Visa Card at various places.

                                        Originally Posted by BroncoBob
                                        This is probably the wrong thread to be asking the question but whatever, here goes. Is the dining plan at WDW voucher based as well? Like in dollar amounts?
                                        No. There are a few different plans. But the most widely used one you get credits for meals at Sit down places, counters, and snacks. These credits, plus whatever park tickets you bought go right on your room keys. You simply hand it to the waiter or the person at the counter, and they will deduct the credit from your total when you pay. They will also let you know exactly what you can purchase with your credit. The receipt they hand you keeps a running track of your total. This can actually be a decent deal as you can run up a total more than you actually paid for the plan.

                                        I never suggest the DL plan. It's merely prepaid vouchers at no discount over the normal price of the food. The WDW plan on the other hand, may get you some savings. Of course you have to be careful, it may not if you don't use up your credits or if you just can't eat the amount of food to make it worth it.

                                        Comment

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