2009 Dining Plans in PDF (links) About This Page:

[ncwriter]

You'll want to check the list of dining locations before deciding on a plan. There's big differences between the 2008 and 2009 lists. In 2009 there's fewer restaurants at Epcot and Downtown Disney.

[Lorraine515]

Don't worry, by the end of the year they will all be back on the plan.

[ncwriter]

How often do they change which restaurants are on the list?

[Wendyismyname]

I remember last year that not all the places were on the list at this time, but by the beginning of 2008 they were.

[tinker_me_happy]

I see the price went up on the deluxe plan too!

[Peggypw]

How does Disney keep up with how many meals have been used? Does each person have their own meal ticket? How does this work?

[HollyH]

Originally Posted by Peggypw

How does Disney keep up with how many meals have been used? Does each person have their own meal ticket? How does this work?

Your party's credits are coded onto your Key to the World card. If you bought a package (which you have to to get a dining plan), your room key, park passes and dining info are all on the same credit-card-like card. Dining credits are all grouped together (but each person in your room will have the information accessible on his/her kttw). Your server will scan your card and give you a receipt that tells you your balance. Check your receipt each time as mistakes have been known to happen, but overall it is very easy and efficient.

[Peggypw]

Thanks. That answers my question.

[Pax]

Also, Peggy - that same card can be used to charge ANYthing to your Room account. You do not need to carry actual Credit, Debit, or ATM cards into the parks, nor to the other Disney resorts. Just your KttW card. The convenience of that is, IMO, a major selling point for staying on-property.

[roaminggnome]

So has anyone done the math with the different plans? What is your better deal? I am thinking about the quick service plan but I really like the dining plan we did a year ago.....My waist band didn't cause we gained about 5 pounds per person on that trip w/ all the food...} Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

[Wendyismyname]

Originally Posted by roaminggnome

So has anyone done the math with the different plans? What is your better deal? I am thinking about the quick service plan but I really like the dining plan we did a year ago.....My waist band didn't cause we gained about 5 pounds per person on that trip w/ all the food...} Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

I look at these dining plans just as a prepaid plan not so much as a savings. It's just nice for me to know that I have about 95% of my food paid for.
I like the quick service idea because of the refillable mugs, but I do not know if I want all counter service. I like the basic dining plan because you can have a sit down meal everyday and all but the tip is taken care of!

[Caldercup]

Originally Posted by Wendyismyname

I look at these dining plans just as a prepaid plan not so much as a savings.

I would totally agree with this -- it's more that you've pre-paid for your food.

While you can "work" it (by knowing which restaurants give the best value for your credit and using TSs for dinner only), it isn't that much of a savings now that gratuity or the appetizer is no longer included in the total cost. (If you have kids in your party, that's different -- you definitely save if you have kids aged 9 and under.)

Eileen

[Pax]

Originally Posted by roaminggnome

So has anyone done the math with the different plans? What is your better deal? I am thinking about the quick service plan but I really like the dining plan we did a year ago.....My waist band didn't cause we gained about 5 pounds per person on that trip w/ all the food...} Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

Yes, I have. Of course, the specific amount each plan will cost you - or save you - is dependant entirely on your dining plans. In our case, we have a lot of Table-service reservations, plus a dinner show and one Signature Dining reservation.

I guesstimated the average CS meal price at $15, and the average table service meal at $30. (Without gratuities, mind you.) Since I know we'd use as many snack credits as we had on cold drinks (if nothing else), I pegged those at $3 ... and assumed sixteen would be used over the course of our stay, regardless. (The trip is for 9 days and 8 nights.) I also know we would be getting the refillable mugs, regardless, so that went into the "pot" too.

Not counted is one, single meal - we'll be having dinner at T-Rex on our day of arrival. Since I've omitted it from every plan's covered-or-not calculation, it keeps the comparison accurate.

Thus, I started with:

Mug x 1 ($12)
S x 16 ($3)
C x 13 ($15)
T x 9 ($30)
SOA x 1 ($60), TT
CRT x 1 ($50), TT

(25 meal credits total: 12C,13T)

Now, paid entirely out of pocket, that's pretty simple math

OOP / no meal plan
Mug x 0 ... pay $12 OOP
S x 0 ... pay $48 OOP
C x 0 ... pay $195 OOP
T x 0 ... pay $380 OOP
(total OOP = $635)
(plan = $0)
TOTAL COST = $635

Note that the "T" line includes the dinner show & signature dining costs. And the total is still "sans gratuities" as well. This pegs the per-adult cost for food to $635 for the trip.

So, anyway ... the three options for meal plans in 2009 come out as so:

QS/DP; $30/day
S x 16 ... covered
C x 16 ... waste [3C]
T x 0 ... pay $380 OOP
(total OOP = $380)
(plan = $240)
TOTAL COST = $620

B/DP; $40/day
Mug x0 ... pay $12 OOP
S x 8 ... pay $24 OOP
C x 8 ... pay $75 OOP
T x 8 ... pay $140 OOP
(total OOP = $251)
(plan = $320)
TOTAL COST = $571

D/DP; $70/day
Mug x 1 ... covered
S x 16 ... covered
24 credits ... pay $45 OOP (for 3xCS)
(total OOP = $45)
(plan = $560)
TOTAL COST = $575

As can be seen, all three entail at least a small savings over a purely-out-of-pocket approach. In some cases, such a small savings as to be negligible, to be honest. The best savings would have been the Basic dining plan, but we decided that the Deluxe dining plan offered us sufficiently greater convenience that the extra $34 was worth it.

Specifically, while we're big eaters ... we tend to balk at the price of a meal, once things start adding up (which also factored into my CS-vs-TS price assumptions, above). Knowing that we CAN, without significant added expense, add appetisers and/or desserts to our meal means, we won't hesitate to do so if we're hungry enough (and/or what's available just looks yummy enough). The only increased price of doing so will come from the gratuity ... which will make the added cost small enough, we'll still be able to ignore it.

Now, of course ... those with more Table-service plans than we have, will find the Deluxe plan to be a better and better deal. Those with LESS - even by just one - will find that it's costing them extra, at least by a wee little bit.

Thus, each personneeds to do this analysis for themselves, based on what they know of the people involved, the plans laid, and so forth.

[TraD4Disney]

I've found that if you like even one table service meal a day particularly for dinner) and you go ahead and get an ADR, you are most likely to get your money's worth. If you don't like planning for meals ahead of time I wouldn't get the basic or deluxe dining plan. You'd probably be better off getting the quick service plan if any at all.

[KatMark]

Originally Posted by Lorraine515

Don't worry, by the end of the year they will all be back on the plan.

Rumor has it that that might not be the case this year. There is a good chance that only the current World Showcase restaurants listed and current resort establishments will be included. Coronado's food court, restaurant, World Showcase restaurants owned by outside vendors are not planning on signing up because they are losing too much money. I know this happened every year, but there has been a lot of talk that this year it will be a reality.