Is the Disney Dining Plan getting out of control?
The Disney Dining plan has many many advocates. Especially when its free. But now, Disney had released the costs of the Magic Your Way dining plan. For the first time, the costs of the plan depend on when you go. The 2010 pices are $41.99 per adult (ages 10+) $11.99 per child (age 3-9) per night for travel dates: 1/01/10 – 2/11/10 ; 4/11/10 – 6/03/10 ; 8/15/10 – 12/16/10 For other dates, its a whopping $46.99 per adult (ages 10+) $12.99 per child (age 3-9) per night.
I am not a fan of the plan. First of all, Disney food in general has become more homogenized over the last few years. Expensive items like filet mignons and the like have been removed from menus because they didn’t want dining planners getting too much bang for their buck. Worse yet, I have seen several families fighting over getting snacks that don’t count on the plan.
There are many patrons who take advantage of the plan. And, in fact, it’s not a bad deal. You do get one table-service meal (although they have since got rid of the appetizer part of it), a quick service meal and a snack for that price. You can save money that way for sure. And when it’s free, it’s a no-brainer. But now you pay more during peak months. Is that fair? After all, it’s the same food.
Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.
Brady Jensen said,
August 17, 2009 @ 8:18 pm
There seems to be a tendency at Disney to start with a great idea, but eventually make it so complicated it takes a Master’s degree (or Len Testa) to figure it out. The desire to eke out every marginal dollar of revenue is understandable, but the consequences are often disappointing over the long term. Don’t get me wrong–still a huge fan, but I felt I needed Pocket Excel to figure out my multiple checks when I was at the World in May using both the Dining Plan plus the Tables in Wonderland discount card.
Pete Martin said,
August 18, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
I love the dining plan. It may not even save you that much money, but we just love the idea of not giving a second thought about the cost of eating while at WDW. Plus we end up being more adventurous, and trying places we never would if we had to pay for them.