.

com_op_2000 said:
Funny answer:
One bite at a time.
Trueful:
Never have done the DP. I always OOP and in the room. Get breakfast items to eat in the morning, eat your largest meal for lunch, then snack the rest of the time.
Click to expand...


Same here. I also ran the numbers and find it more cost and time effective. On my last 4 day visit, I had breakfast in my room each morning, and I only wanted to do 3 TS (all ADR). Of the remaining meals, I had leftovers twice (I like to return to the room late-afternoon to rest before going back to a park in the early evening), QS twice, and 2-3 snacks. One TS was at the Biergarten for lunch and I didn't eat a bite the rest of the day!
 
MrLight said:
I'm going solo 5/9-16 and I have a free meal ticket to use at Planet Hollywood. But I feel weird going there alone to eat... would I be seated at a table alone...?
Click to expand...
I am a frequent solo traveler to Disney and understand the weird feeling of eating alone. For the first trip I ate only at QS locations, I realized that most people are so involved in their own families and friends that I don't even get a second glance. I now go to table restaurants and eat alone, yes I am seated at a table alone, but this gives me a chance to strike up a conversation with the wait staff and really see the ambiance of the eating establishment. I have found that once I got out of my own head, I really enjoyed eating alone. If you are still really nervous, I have found reading a book, guide map or electronic device does give my hands and head something to do while waiting for my meal.
 
Well yeah I'd definitely have my nose buried in my phone the whole time haha
 
Simba's Mom said:
Some people are uncomfortable eating TS alone. It doesn't bother me at all, but I've gone solo about 15 times-that's LOTS of solo meals! However, the first 3-4 times I went solo, I was very uncomfortable with solo TS, and what made it worse was sitting there thinking "Everyone says this shouldn't bother me." That's what I would worry about with the OP. If you're sure you'll be comfortable with solo TS, go for it. If not, don't push yourself! I wouldn't recommend the Deluxe DP, but then I love to snack-the cupcakes, the bakeries, etc. Three TS meals in addition would be too much. Frankly, I prefer to pay OOP than to have any DP, because it givesme the most flexibility.
Click to expand...
I know you are correct, but, for the life of me, I will never understand it. It's not like using a bathroom with people watching. Everyone eats or they die and last I heard there was nothing disgusting or evil about it. What could possibly be intimidating about that. But, whatever, I guess. I do know it would be a pretty cold day down under before I would even give a second thought to my dining times, locations or companions.
 


MrLight said:
I'm going solo 5/9-16 and I have a free meal ticket to use at Planet Hollywood. But I feel weird going there alone to eat... would I be seated at a table alone...?
Click to expand...
Yes, you will be seated alone. I have done dozens of solo trips and have never felt awkward dining alone at WDW. There are so many conventions and meetings that people travel solo to, and then just us regular solo travelers, that it's not uncommon for people to be dining alone there. It can work to your benefit. If you don't feel like "interacting" with the room, sit on the side of the table where you have your back to most of the other diners. If you feel like people watching and possibly chatting to other nearby diners, sit on the side of the table where you face most of the dining room.

At some restaurants, you also have the choice of communal seating, at a bar or open kitchen counter, or you can choose restaurants like Biergarten which have communal seating for everyone, so you don't feel out of place.

As far as the dining plan goes, I generally have something in my room for breakfast on my solo trips, so two meals on the plan would be plenty for me. I don't generally do the dining plan, because I don't do a lot of TS dining for the most part. Not because I feel uncomfortable, because I don't, but because I want to eat on the fly and spend more time doing other things. So I do more QS and snacks than full meals. But it all boils down to your personal dining preferences and how much food you like to eat which plan (if any) is the right fit for you.
 
I think "people watching" is socially acceptable for a woman or a couple, but for a 30 something man it's creepy :lol:
 


MrLight said:
I think "people watching" is socially acceptable for a woman or a couple, but for a 30 something man it's creepy :lol:
Click to expand...
t

I gotta admit there is some truth to that unfortunately. Do you think dark glasses would help? I remember that my father used to say that's why he wore his sunglasses all the time. He was a psychology teacher-used to love to study people. Sometimes he'd just go to the mall, sit and people-watch. Always wore his sunglasses so people wouldn't notice him staring at them. Enjoyed sitting in WDW also. Hey, I wonder if that's behind the fact that there are fewer benches!
 
I see... I just guess I didn't realize that people watching involved starring at them. My bad!
 
you're also supposed to get within two feet and follow them for five minutes. :clown:
 
Never used the DP neither solo or with my family. Like to wing it and mainly do QS. Not uncomfortable at TS alone by any means... simply did not want to spend the time involved. Ate breakfast at resort food court, lunch or multiple snacks at park (at least one was generally just a piece of fruit) and then either food court or QS for dinner

Breakfast and Dinner are generally meals I need most with plenty of beverages the rest of the day. (unsweetened iced tea!) Hot and humid weather takes my appetite away for anything heavy.
 
To answer OPs question "How do you guys get by with just 2 meal options a day on the regular DP?", well I don't. When on the dining plan I usually pay breakfast oop (qs at the food court) use a QS credit for lunch and a TS credit for dinner.
 
Back when I was on the College Program and spent tons of time alone in the parks on my days off, I was too shy about eating alone to do any TS. I regret that now, since fer crying out loud how much difference does it make if you're already wandering around Disney World by yourself? People are way too wrapped up in their own business even in normal restaurants to pay you much mind (I dine alone nearer home without giving it a second thought these days), so why would anyone care that someone's sitting alone three tables over when they and their children are in Disney sensory overload?

If you are too shy, or you want to work up to it, do some QS first and observe just how little anyone notices or cares when you set up alone at a table. Bring a book or a tablet if you need something to occupy you and make you feel less self-conscious.

As for how one gets by with only 1 QS and 1 TS per day...well, actually one of the things that turned me off the DDP (beyond it just not being economically sound for people who don't do character dining and/or order the most expensive thing on the menu) was that I didn't want to worry about hitting some kind of quota for each dining type. My family's never been very big on TS; we'll do maybe one per day, if even that. We were always of the mindset that you eat one heavy meal per day and just mostly snack otherwise. It's too hot in Florida for us to want to sit down and eat three full meals every day. Also, we tend not to get reservations; we go off-season, reserve maybe one thing we really want to do, then kind of wing it. I'm sure there will be some TS places we can't get into, but that's just the price you pay for choosing flexibility over specific food choices.
 
I solo all the time. Only used the DP once as it was free, never would have paid as, when I did the math, had I bought the regular DP, I would have over paid by $150!

But...I used snack credits to buy a pastry fro breakfast and paid oop for a pint of milk. Lunch and dinner were either qs or ts. I only do one TS a day so it worked out.
 
niki1219 said:
I will be taking my first solo trip and I need some advice on dining. I am definitely doing the DP. Either the regular DP which comes with 1 QS, 1 TS, and 1 snack. Or the deluxe DP which is 3 TS OR QS and then 2 snacks. How do you guys get by with just 2 meal options a day on the regular DP? Is it enough? Or if you have done a solo trip and had 3 TS meals a day is that too much? I love trying new places(which I normally can't do with my family since they are picky eaters) but I'm just not sure if the deluxe DP is worth the extra several hundred dollars. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

The deluxe plan would be way too much food for me. The regular dining plan is even a lot for me. In 2013, we got free dining when we booked POR. I did not expect it, I really didn't know about it at the time. When we went down in 2014, we got free dining again, but we stayed at a value. Because my friend wanted TS, I paid for the difference to get the regular plan instead of the quick service. For me, it's definitely cheaper to skip the dining plan, and just pay out of pocket. No need to do math, you can use this tool and have it calculate everything.

http://www.distripplanner.com
 
Just got back from my solo trip. The only sit-down resteraunt I went to was Planet Hollywood because I had a free meal there. To avoid waiting for a table I just sat the bar and ate, which the bartender didn't seem very happy about, particularly when I just asked for water :jester: I did tip him 20%.
 
I've done both OOP and DDP. Frankly, I preferred the DDP (1 TS, 1 QS, 1 snack). When I came home from my first solo trip (OOP) I did some number crunching. Did not like was I saw. I spent more money than that of if I had purchased the DDP. I've done the Deluxe on family vacations before. It was just way too much food. Especially on days we had 3 ADR's set for the same day.
 
BTW I checked my bank account. The total amount of food I paid for in my entire week at WDW was $126! Go me!
 
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