Can I Get the Disney Dining Plan if I'm not staying at a Disney Resort?

Disney Dining Plan

You've probably heard a lot about the Disney Dining Plan. Maybe you know someone who has been to Disney World with the Dining Plan and come back raving about it. You, however, are staying with friends or relatives, so you have to ask,"Can I get the Disney Dining Plan if I'm staying somewhere else?"

In a word, NO. According to the official Walt Disney World website, "Disney dining plans are options available exclusively to Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels with Magic Your Way Vacation Packages."

There are pros and cons to this,my friend.

Con: Most people with the Dining Plan try to maximize their table service credits by using them for the most expensive meals available - dinners and Character Meals as well as Signature Meals & Dinner Shows. What this means for you if you aren't on a Dining Plan: Dinner reservations at any Character Meal or well-known Table Service restaurant are going to be very hard to come by. (Trust me, I've been in your shoes & tried.)

Pro: This frees up reservations at great restaurants for lunch! Character breakfasts and lunches are also fairly easy to get. And, even better for you - these are the least expensive restaurant meals.

We had no problems getting reservations at the Princess Breakfast at Akershus and lunch at Sanaa on short notice. Check out the menus - lunch & dinner entrees are often very similar so you won't be missing out on the famed specialities of the house. You'll just be getting them at a lower price.

Nine Dragons

Another upside - anyone with the Dining Plan probably wants to use their Counter/Quick service or Snack credits for lunch. You avoid the crowds at these places if you chose a Table Service restaurant for lunch. No waiting in long lines with hungry kids at lunchtime. And you get to eat in air conditioned comfort! We walked into Nine Dragons at EPCOT and were seated immediately for lunch.

Pro: At dinner the opposite is true. Many people are eating at table service restaurants so you can eat at the less expensive (and less crowded) Counter & Quick Service Restaurants without long lines. And that means you have more time for rides in the cooler evening hours!

Con: You have to budget for your meals and pay for them every day. It can be hard to look at a $150 bill for a Character breakfast. Paying for the combined package removes some of the sticker shock. It's a bit like removing a band aid - you just rip it off and are done.

Sunshine Seasons

I know - you're worried that not having the Dining Plan may cost you more money and one of your goals to staying off property was to save a little money. Here's my comparison:

OPTION A: STAYING AT A DISNEY REOSRT
Right now (May 2012) the estimate for a 6 night stay in a Family Suite at the Disney All Star Music Resort with Magic Your Way Plus Dining was roughly $4,500 (not including taxes) for our family of four (2 adults, 1 junior, 1 child). The costs will vary somewhat according to the ages of your children. Kids under 3 are free (but don't get any meal credits). Children 10 and over are counted as adults and priced accordingly.

There are undoubtedly a few incidental expenses even with the Magic Your Way package. For instance, alcoholic and speciality drinks as well as most photo packages aren't included in the Dining Plan. Somehow, I bet most people end up paying for a few extras even if they are on the Dining Plan.

Sushi at the Kona Cafe

Tips aren't included in the price of the Dining Plan package. After a meal the receipt will show the credits someone on the Dining Plan used for that meal as well as "Guest ID" which is "Gratuity and other charges not covered by the Disney Dining Plan, charged to room." Most bills include a small card describing the suggested gratuity - typically 18-20%. Let's say the parents each order one alcoholic drink per dinner at $8-10 per glass. For a family like ours tips & drinks over 6 nights would add about $175-250 to the cost of dining. So the total is probably over $5,000 for the trip when you include taxes.

Staying at a Disney Resort gives you lots of amenities - a beautiful lobby and pools, on site restaurants and shops, proximity to parks or park transportation. You also get special services like delivery of any park purchases to your resort so you don't have to carry bags all day or worry about your souvenirs being stolen. You can use the Disney Magic Express so you don't even have to rent a car if you fly. And, of course, you can take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours that allow you to arrive early or stay late at a particular park.

Personally, I love the idea of a Magic Your Way plus Dining Plan. Its essentially an "all inclusive" option for your vacation. You don't have to worry about pulling out your wallet as many times during the day. You can focus on finding the ultimate souvenir without concern about maxing out your credit card. You don't have to cook, wash dishes or make your own beds. If you enjoy eating out and can eat the amount of food served at a Disney dinner then you are probably getting your money's worth.

Sanaa

OPTION B: STAYING IN A RENTAL HOUSE
We rented a three bedroom house with a private pool for $805 for six nights (not including taxes). We have to pay for our Park tickets separately ($1,049) so we're up to approximately $2,000 with taxes. If you are staying off property you probably plan on eating a few meals wherever you are already. We will eat one meal a day at the house - probably breakfast, but it might be dinner. The question is can we eat, drive and park for less than the $2,500+ difference?

Parking was $14 a day. You only have to pay once per day - just hold on to your receipt. So for 6 days estimate $84. Assume $150 for groceries and another $150 for gas. Our main meals tend to be lunches - which average about half of what dinners cost. Assume we spend $400 on table service meals - and another $250 on quick service meals and snacks. I estimate our total meal & parking costs to be about $1,000. Our grand total comes to roughly $3,000. We have to expend more effort driving, parking, etc. but we save about $2,000 by staying off property and paying for meals a la carte. That's almost enough for another trip!

So, ask yourself which is more important for the trip YOU are planning - saving money or immersing yourself in all that is Disney?

Front hall - rental house