Originally Posted By dizneed << I have a question for those of you who visit WDW from out of town. Is the Disney Dining plan a deciding factor in your coming to Disney? I am curious if it didn't exist anymore would that affect your decision to visit? >> We leave from Montreal to visit WDW once or twice annually and have been for the past 25 odd years and the dining plan was not a deciding factor for us, never really was. This year for our family of four, for a week, all calculated actually worked out to a little cheaper with the free dining plan staying on site than no meal plan staying off site (room rates offset food costs). We experienced the free dining plan for the first time this last September and I must admit that this time it worked out to about 300.00$ cheaper than staying off site. All the other times in the past years I had priced out the free dining plan vs off site and it always came out more expensive than staying off site. But we’re diehard Disney fans, so dining plan or not, it wouldn’t have affected our decision to go. But the idea of a kind of “all inclusive” one week vacation with all the “perks” at the WDW Resort is indeed appealing to the newer guests....and the avid guests also.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I generally visit WDW during the off-season, so I've never had a problem getting reservations on fairly short notice except at 'Ohana and LeCellier. At times it requires being willing to eat outside the "prime" dining times, but you can almost always find something. It is a great change though for people visiting at busier times of the year.
Originally Posted By Disney Joy Dining or Not - I still go WDW about once a year.. Dining plane helps.. but if not I try to pick less busier time of year. I try for last week of August, 1st week of Dec or early March. Most of my planning depends on the cost of plane tickets.
