*Best Value Restaurants on Dining Plan

[DisneyaHolic23]

I know I have seen this thread before, but I did a search, and am not finding the information for which I had hoped...

1. For the middle dining plan (1 TS, 1 CS, 1 Snack), which restaurants have the best deals?

2. Which 2 credit restaurants are the best value?

3. I have looked at the snack list, but is there a list anywhere of NON-sweet snacks? I am trying to figure out which snacks could potentially substitute for meals...

Thanks for any help!

[aceys_h0ney]

I would suggest looking over the menus here or on allears. At first I was most worried about making sure we ate at the most expensive places. I found we will save money still eating exactly what we want and not trying to force meals or be concerned with ordering the most expensive thing on the menu. Anyway I just went to the menus and picked the places we wanted to eat and added up what we would most likely order , and still ended up ahead.

[summermac]

I was waaay into getting the most value I could when we first booked the DDP. I was all about using snacks for a meal and sharing CS if necessary and so on and so on.

However I decided that the best value was eating at places YOU WANT TO EAT AT and THINGS YOU WANT TO EAT. Some days we're getting our money's worth at just dinner (Le Cellier, for example) and other days we might lose a couple of bucks (character breakfast which isn't really the best "value" for an adult TS). Based on my calculations we were running about $12 ahead of the DDP and hadn't really figured out any snacks. That was when I threw away my "I must get every single red cent out of this plan" mentality" That's good enough for me. :)

[KatMark]

I was waaay into getting the most value I could when we first booked the DDP. I was all about using snacks for a meal and sharing CS if necessary and so on and so on.

However I decided that the best value was eating at places YOU WANT TO EAT AT and THINGS YOU WANT TO EAT. Some days we're getting our money's worth at just dinner (Le Cellier, for example) and other days we might lose a couple of bucks (character breakfast which isn't really the best "value" for an adult TS). Based on my calculations we were running about $12 ahead of the DDP and hadn't really figured out any snacks. That was when I threw away my "I must get every single red cent out of this plan" mentality" That's good enough for me. :)

Very well said. People often say that the Plaza Restaurant at the MK is not worth it on the dining plan and you should pay out of pocket. Now, maybe I don't look at it that way, because we get the free dining most times. But the one time we paid for it, we certainly felt we made up for the "lower prices" of the Plaza with some of the other restaurants we ate at that were very pricey. We don't look at prices. We look at where we have a relaxing meal and enjoy the service and the food. I don't need to spend $xxxs if the food is no good (Whispering Canyon or Boatwrights). I'd rather spend $xx for food I enjoy--the Plaza, etc.

[DisneyaHolic23]

... it is also a challenge to find a truly good deal. I already have all my reservations, but want to see if I should replace one with a just smokin' hot deal...:thumbsup2

[summermac]

Le Cellier is probably one of your better "bang for your DDP buck" places b/c you can order that $35some chef's whatever it's called and it includes EVERYthing. (No subs though)

We are considering Coral Reef too and that one came in pretty $$$ on my estimate. But I've read some bad reviews that are making me rethink it.

In terms of CS, the rib & chicken deal at Flame Tree in AK is one sweet deal!

[4forthemouse]

You can get a lot of bang for your buck at the Spirit of Aloha Show/Hoop Dee Doo, San Angel, Le Cellier, and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.

[geishagirl81]

is hoop de or mickey's bbq one ddp credit or two?

[michael's mom]

Hoop De Doo is a 2TS meal, and I believe that the BBQ is as well.

Here is a link to the approved 2009 snacks...including some things that could be a breakfast or a lunch.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2067447

As far as big bang for your buck, I thought the chicken/ribs meal at Cosmic Rays was great too! And while I haven't eaten at WCC yet, I loved Boatwrights, and I cannot wait for WCC!!!

www.wdwinfo.com also has menus available with prices for all the places if you want to check it out.

[kaytieeldr]

The restaurants (using any level of the Dining Plan) that have the best value are the ones that offer food you will eat and enjoy.

[bangzoom6877]

I feel that as long as the DDP does not cost us more than it would have out of pocket, we are getting a great deal. This is because we prefer to pre-pay for dining if we can on vacation, so we know what we are spending before taking the trip. It just helps us budget.

That said, I still looked at restaurant prices before booking the DDP for last summer's trip, because I had not had any experience with it yet and wanted to see if it was worth the money and make sure it did not cost more than paying OOP. I looked at all the TS restaurants we wanted to eat in, several of which were character dinners, and we came out ahead, especially for the kids. DS1 was not on the plan because he is under 3 but kids under 3 eat free at AYCE meals (he would have been able to eat from our food at am a la carte place also, and we had no problem sharing with him at CS lunches either...lots of food!). Our older one was 3, and was $10 a day on the 2008 plan, yet those character dinners would have cost us $13 or so OOP, plus tax (tax is included already in the DDP). For DH and myself, the AYCE dinners were around $25 a person plus tax, and we paid $38 a day per adult. Factoring in the cost of our CS meals (even if we would not have gotten dessert), we came our ahead. Then factoring in the snacks, we really came out ahead.

I did a little research for a la carte places like Spoodles, and other we will be trying on our next trip, and we will still come out ahead even if we get the cheapest item on the menu. I added everything up with the cheapest item because who knows if we will be in the mood for the most expensive thing? Maybe I will want to have a lighter dinner one night and opt for a vegetarian entree, which tends to be lowest in price. So that is what I factored in. I am realistic and I know I am not ordering prime rib or NY Strip EVERY single dinner! Even factoring in the cheaper CS options at CS places we would like to go to, we will still come out ahead. I still think the character dinners are what do it for us, especially for the kids.

For places that are 2TS, it depends how you feel. Are they more worth it on the deluxe plan? Of course...app is included on deluxe. However, it costs a lot more per day for deluxe and it adds up, whereas you can always pay OOP for an appetizer and it would cost you around $16 OOP for the more expensive option, not $30 more per person per day! The dinner shows seem like a great deal for 2 TS credits as well...they include beer and wine and all you can eat plus entertainment!

[maggieb9975]

Le Cellier is probably one of your better "bang for your DDP buck" places b/c you can order that $35some chef's whatever it's called and it includes EVERYthing. (No subs though)



FWIW.....

Chef special $36.99

IF you were planning one of these entrees:

Pan-seared King Salmon
Herb-crusted Prime Rib
Porcini Mushroom Ravioli
Mustard-basted All Natural Chicken

and one of these desserts:

Maple Crème Brulee
Canadian Chocolate Moose
Seasonal Sorbet

If you chose least expensive combo then the value is approx $32 and most expensive combo value is $41.( including appetizer.)


Choose Filet (my choice) and Chocolate whiskey cake value $43 and I buy cheddar soup OOP $5.50

So, just be careful as Disney is NOT giving you any real bargain here.......

[Suellen]

Tutto Italia is our favorite and was our most expensive meal... but the flavor! that was the real deal!

[mrsannb]

For us when we get DDP it is like getting a lunch and snack free. :) The plan costs us $100/day, and we spend that at one TS.
If you want to get a lot for your CS, give Wolfgang Puck Express a try at Downtown Disney. Sunshine Seasons in Epcot also gives a ton of food for a CS.
Once upon a time someone had a spreadsheet of the prices of meals and stuff, but I'm sure it's outdated now.
For snacks, there is chili at a couple places, I want to say Casey's is one? And you can get bowls of melon and grapes at many places. Lots of breakfast pastries (sometimes a whole box of donuts). Bags of nuts.

[ckdsnynt]

The first year we used the dining plan, we went with a group of 11 and we sat down before the trip and planned out our TS meals and ate at the most expensive places that served the type of food we enjoyed and the type of atmosphere we enjoyed. We never ate so well in our lives! Then, shortly after we came home, Disney changed the plan and did away with the gratuity and the apetizer (I believe). We now jokingly refer to those changes as our "(family name)" changes due to what our meals cost Disney! But seriously, since then, we have continued to use the plan and we still consider the costs of the meals and eat where we can get as much bang for our buck as possible. That doesn't mean we will eat at an expensive restaurant simply because it is expensive nor will we order something from the menu simply because it is expensive. But we will order something we generally would not have ordered (if we were paying at that time) from a place we enjoy but probably would not have made the time to have sat down and enjoyed had we not had the dining plan and made ADRs for it.:)

[Coparm]

Just back from our first trip. We used the regular dining plan and am glad we did. Wolfgang Puck Cafe downtown was an excellent meal and excellent value for using the DP. However, we were worried we would run out of TS credits so paid for the Crystal Palace breakfast character meal, but we actually ended up with enough credits. I took my recepit to the concierge at our resort and they recredited us the money and switched them for the TS credits. They said you can also do this the otherw ay round, so if you use the credits but then decide later you would rather pay for the meal OOP, you can do this as well.

[summermac]

Just back from our first trip. We used the regular dining plan and am glad we did. Wolfgang Puck Cafe downtown was an excellent meal and excellent value for using the DP. However, we were worried we would run out of TS credits so paid for the Crystal Palace breakfast character meal, but we actually ended up with enough credits. I took my recepit to the concierge at our resort and they recredited us the money and switched them for the TS credits. They said you can also do this the otherw ay round, so if you use the credits but then decide later you would rather pay for the meal OOP, you can do this as well.

Wow, that's interesting to know!

[disney4us2002]

I found this link in November and saved it. It lists the most expensive restaurants for both TS and CS (if you purchase the most expensive entrees and desserts of course). It doesn't appear as though it has been updated since 2007 but it may be helpful in your planning.

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DisneyDiningRanking.htm

[ROEDISNEY]

is hoop de or mickey's bbq one ddp credit or two?

2 Credits

[DisneyaHolic23]

After Disney4us2002 posted the link, it occurred to me to do a search. I found several sites with pertinent information, that I thought might be interesting to others:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

http://www.mousesavers.com/diningplantips2009.html

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/diningplan/estimator.asp

The last one is really interesting, as it allows you to find out if the dining plan is cost efficient for you.

:thumbsup2

[TJA]

We're trying the dining plan for the first time during Easter break and I've done extensive research....mainly on these boards and by checking the current menus and prices. I figure we will spend $100 on most of our table service meals and that is what the plan is costing us per day. So the counter service and snack per day are "free." I think someone else posted this above too, and I've calculated it to be the same way for us. My ADR's include Norway princess dinner, Chef M dinner, LeCellier dinner (yes we'll order the mushroom filet and our meal will be well over $100), Japan (yes we'll order the filet again!), Coral Reef, Italy. And as others have posted above, we're going to try Wolfgang Express in DTD for counter, Sunshine Seasons in Epcot, and Flame Tree in AK. Snacks are another story and I haven't begun to study that list yet.

[mrsannb]

If you haven't heard about this snack yet...when in Downtown Disney getting your fill at Wolfgang Puck Express, swing over to Goofy's candy co. You can create your own treat! You can choose marshmallows, rice krispie treats, pretzel rods, or probably something else I'm forgetting, and then have it dipped in white, dark, or milk chocolate. You can have it topped with pecans, sprinkles, m&m's, oreos, etc...and then drizzled with caramel or more chocolate... and then take it to go to eat when you get home from vacation cause you'll be too stuffed to eat it there. ;)

The Aloha Isle (MK) dole whip float is great, especially on a hot day.

[jensen]

After Disney4us2002 posted the link, it occurred to me to do a search. I found several sites with pertinent information, that I thought might be interesting to others:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

http://www.mousesavers.com/diningplantips2009.html

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/diningplan/estimator.asp

The last one is really interesting, as it allows you to find out if the dining plan is cost efficient for you.

:thumbsup2

That estimator is GREAT! I wish I'd seen it before our trip last month... I went back and forth on whether to get the DDP - unable to decide if it would be a value for us or not. The estimator gave me a 1 for whether it would have been good for us or not.

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

We are considering Coral Reef too and that one came in pretty $$$ on my estimate. But I've read some bad reviews that are making me rethink it.
Coral Reef is awesome!:thumbsup2 We've eaten at almost every single restaurant on all WDW property, and it's among our top 3.:goodvibes

ATTENTION EVERYONE:

Have any of you considered the tip factor?
The tips aren't included. The tip for some of the restaurants you are mentioning can be... we'll... HIGH!!! We have had meals on the DDP that were as high as $315 for a family of 3 (one back in the room with family). That particular meal (CA Grill) would require a *suggested* tip of $63.00. That can be a lot of money across a span of a week or two. After the meal the servers will expect their tip, and rightfully so. It makes one think... do I really want to milk the system, or do I just want to eat what I need and save on tips. I can say this, because I've been both of those people!!!:lmao: :rotfl2:

[KSG'sDisneyMem]

we like to use snack credits at main street bakery in MK; the cinnamon rolls are HUGE and the apple or cherry turnovers are a must for me. We also like the Patisserie Boulangerie in France at World Showcase. They have lovely, different choices. The cream puffs are very light and airy. Also, you can get muffins and breads like banana breads too. These items can easily pass as a breakfast item. We bring fresh fruit (or purchase at Main Street bakery say a large orange for.99) and we have breakfast. Otherwise, we bring our own breakfast like granola bars and dried fruit and we use snack credits on ICE CREAM! I really like the DDP. We never do deluxe because we find that we get plenty with the basic. We are not solely counter service people so the counter service option would not work for my family either. Since they went to paying tip OOP 2 years ago, I find that we break even or come out a little bit ahead of it. The convenience of having it paid for BEFORE our trip is worth it to us.

[Viper4194]

2 TS credits - Brown Derby. DGF and I had a huge meal there that I felt made the most out of the DXDP. Just allow yourself some time to breath before hitting RnRC or ToT.

[snuffy]

Here is a link to the most expensive/average tableservice spreadsheet, it was last updated in April 2008. I found it very useful:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DisneyDiningRanking2008.htm