Will this work for my Dec trip?

[Nancy for Disney]

I originally posted this on the budget thread but didn't really get a response. Maybe the code and rates thread will work better for this question. A couple of things have changed since my original post.
A. I still haven't made my reservations. I think it is going to have to wait until we get paid again. When I did my original post DH hadn't checked his work schedule to make sure he would be able to take off.

B. I am now considering doing 3 nights w/ QS and pay OP for a TS meal while we are on our room only portion of our trip. I really want to eat at O'hanas and am having too much trouble deciding on plans to pick a 2cd TS meal.

Here is the original post:


I have already posted many questions on what I can do on this trip and what I can't do so some of you may be getting tired of hearing from me.

My husband and I purchased a $500 gift certificate at a charity auction. It can be used for retail only for a vacation package so I can't take advantage of the upcoming specials for Dec. We are only planning a 5 night trip. Also included in the auction purchase were 2 days of park hopper passes. This will be a trip for two, no kids

I am thinking that I can do the following:

2 nights at value w/ DDP/1 day park $508
use of certificate -$500
2 nights room only special $200
estimated cost of op qs food $186
mugs $28

Total $422

If I do the retail value resort with QS plan for the 5 nights it is about the same but then I don't get to be wined and dined by my DH. This allows me 2 TS meals. I had really only planned on one TS meal which is another reason why I don't want to do the QS meal plan. This way I get a bonus TS meal. Yes, I did include the tip in my additional food budget. I think that DH and I can probably split a QS meal or two as well. I did not include taxes, alcohol and the tip for the one TS meal I will insist on having.

Do you think this will be too complicated? I am also relying on the fact that I can use our TS credit on the day we have to check out and check back in to use our room only rate.

I have gone over many other ways of doing this and at this point I think it is our best option. We really are trying to do this trip as inexpensively as possible but without feeling like we are giving up too much. I don't think I could be at Disney and only do the parks for only two days so I really have to add on an extra day. I even considered doing retail for the room and then getting tickets for MVMCP but found that the above option will be about $60 less. I have even done spread sheets on the food that we may eat to figure out approx how much we would spend. Am I crazy or what?

Any DIS opinions on this plan would be helpful. I am hoping to book today to save $8 on those park tickets. LOL!

 

[snykymom]

Given what you've budgeted for the QS OOP during the 2 day room only, wouldn't you do just better to do the QS for your entire stay, and just do the 1 TS OOP? Your budget comes in at $46.50 per person per day, and the QS is only $30 per person per day. So you save $33 on the QS plan for those 2 days. You also get your mugs with the QS, so that's another $28 savings. So you would have that $61 for the TS meal and still not blow your budget.

And you would have only 1 reservation, 1 deposit, 1 set of cancellation rules, and you won't have to check out and back in again or change rooms.

 

[Nancy for Disney]

Given what you've budgeted for the QS OOP during the 2 day room only, wouldn't you do just better to do the QS for your entire stay, and just do the 1 TS OOP? Your budget comes in at $46.50 per person per day, and the QS is only $30 per person per day. So you save $33 on the QS plan for those 2 days. You also get your mugs with the QS, so that's another $28 savings. So you would have that $61 for the TS meal and still not blow your budget.

And you would have only 1 reservation, 1 deposit, 1 set of cancellation rules, and you won't have to check out and back in again or change rooms.

Retail for a value w/ QS meal plan is $925 for 5 nights. If we add our one TS meal we will have to add an additional $61 to that for our meal at O'hanas. $925 is what I figured for the split stay and the TS meal so basically we are getting our O'hana meal free.