It’s a question we hear a lot. Is the Disney dining plan worth it? Unfortunately this question does not have an easy answer! It depends. For most families the convenience of paying for your meals ahead of time is absolutely worth it. Budgeting for such a variable can be difficult but when “pre-paying” with the meal plan that’s one less thing you need to worry about. I was curious about cost though, so during my last trip I kept track of one of our day’s dining and decided to do a comparison.
Breakfast
Location: Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory (POFQ)
Three Beignets (snack credit, or $2.99), Coffee (resort refillable mug, or $2.49 out of pocket)
Lunch
Location: Be Our Guest Quick Service (MK)
Carved Turkey Sandwich ($12.99, quick service credit), Soda ($2.99 or included with quick service meal), Chocolate Cream Puff ($4.59 or included with quick service meal)
Dinner
Location: Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine
Buffet dinner ($46.99 for adults, or 1 table service credit)
Total cost: $73.04 or $60.64 per night per adult on the Disney Dining Plan. So in this case, we absolutely made out using the Disney Dining Plan! As always your family’s own eating habits will decide if the dining plan is right for you, but you can see that for some, it is a great choice!
Dole Whipped 
I think if your family likes to eat 3 meals a day and snacks along the way then the Disney Dining plan is the way to go!
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I also think to there is a BIG value to the convenience. It is all paid for in advance and you just can spend your cash on souvenirs and fun! It may not always work out to save you tons of money but it is like valet parking or room service…there is a fee for convenience. But thankfully Disney has options that fit for everyone.
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I did a very similar blog post and kept track of my costs and the dining plan made sense! Now as an annual passholder I use tables in wonderland, but if I don’t renew my pass I’ll definitely use the dining plan again.
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I love TIW! But if not on an AP then I prefer DDP instead of out of pocket just for the convenience and so my cash ties to trinkets and not food! – Tara
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