Hemming and hawing about whether or not the Disney Dining Plan is right for your family? We know the feeling!

That’s why our The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2013 e-Book includes a fully updated Disney Dining Plan chapter and price analysis for 2013. Pick up your copy here for an extra $4 off using code 2013 for a limited time!

This will help you determine what combination of Dining Plan, Hotel Discounts, and other variables will help you save the MOST money on your next Disney World vacation.

Today, let’s take a look at a few of the Disney Dining Plan Pros and Cons we include in the DFB Guide to help you make your decision this year.

3 Important Disney Dining Plan Pros

There are many reasons that Walt Disney World guests cite for investing in the Disney Dining Plan. Here are just a few of the many we include in the DFB Guide:

1. Pre-Payment. Your meals will be pre-paid, which means pre-trip budgeting can be easier.
2. Flexibility. You can use all credits on the same day, or space them out throughout your trip. Also, each family member can use the credits as they would like; the whole family does not have to dine together.
3. Nicer Options. You’ll likely eat at nicer restaurants and order more expensive meals.

3 Important Disney Dining Plan Cons

Some guests to Walt Disney World opt to pay for their meals out-of-pocket, and here are a few of the many reasons why that we cite in the DFB Guide:

1. Strict requirements. Everyone on your vacation package (and in your hotel room) must be on the same Disney Dining Plan and be using the same type of Walt Disney World tickets.
2. No appetizers on the Standard Plan. If your family would rather share an appetizer and pass on individual desserts, the Disney Dining Plan will not save you as much you would expect.
3. Unused credits = lost money. If you do not utilize your credits effectively and/or have credits left at the end of your trip, you will not be using the full benefits of your pre-paid plan.

So What’s the Right Choice?

These pros and cons, in addition to dozens of other variables — like how much your hotels costs are, how much your family eats, what kinds of discounts you can get, whether or not Disney is offering the free Disney Dining Plan, which Dining Plan makes the most sense for you and your family, etc. — is what makes this particular choice so very difficult for folks planning their next trip to Disney World.

That’s why We took a whole chapter in our new 400-page E-book to [Read more…]