Is the upgrade worth it? My scenario

[mykidsrock76]

Let me start by saying I'm sorry for two things:

1) if this has been asked before
2) I am a serious overthinker (I'm surpirsed my DH hasn't divorced me yet)

We are currently booked at POP during FD in September. We paid to upgrade from the QSDP to the DDP, but now I'm thinking it's not worth it. Here are my calculations and please tell me if I'm wrong. For TS meals we mostly eat at buffets for the variety, so I am able to get some "good" estimates based on menus I found online. We are a family of 4 (2A & 2C).

Our TS meals would cost ~$919
9 QS meals would be ~405 (9@$45) if we did QSDP instead of DDP
So the difference is ~$514 gained.
We paid $352 to upgrade to the DDP.
So, now the difference is down to ~$162 gained.
After we pay gratutities (and these are basic 15% for math purposes) we have paid ~$110 in tips (one meal we have planned is the luau and tip is included).
If I'm doing this correctly, that gives us a total of ~$52 gained.


Does that look corrrect to you experts out there? I'm not sure it's worth it. Plus then we are free to do whatever and not plan our vacation around where we're eating.

Any thoughts or opinions are greatly appreciated. TIA!!!!

 

[sanapp]

I am not sure how you are calculating your amounts.

Remember that on the DDP you are getting a QS and a TS credit in addition to the snack.

On the QSDP you are getting 2 QS credits in addition to the snack.

You get these credits for each night of your package for each person in your party.

When calculating the difference to you include the CS meals that you will also be getting?

For us a big part of vacationing is enjoying good meals, so I would always upgrade from QSDP to DDP. You also stated that you are going in September with 2 children, so I would think that the TS would be a nice break.

 

[KELLY]

Not sure on your calculations. Kind of confused me but here is our breakdown and why we didn't upgrade. The biggest reason we don't want to be tied down to 11 days of adrs. This is our 3rd year doing the QSDP. I guess it just works better for us.

But it is 300.00 + for us to upgaded. Then probably another 200.00 in tips. Then we have to figure in a breakfest plater for the girls to share. Dh and I aren't big breakfest people. So that is around 600.00.

If we pay OP for the Garden grill aprox 120.00 and Rainforest or T-rex aprox 50.00 since I have 25.00 on my landry's card and 2 of the .99 cent kids meals. So total OP cost for food is 170.00. Plus we will have 8 QSDP credit to use for breakfest since we will be paying op for a couple of TS meals. Total saved 430.00. We have the WP&F option on our tickets and the last thing we want to do is have to leave to come back to get ready for dinner.

 

[Mikey'swife]

What we do is make a plan to see where we would like to eat, the how we would eat oop,dxdp,csdp,ddp and see what I get for each price point. Then I decide what is most important and the best value.

If you do QSDP will you be happy? Will you still add in extra TS- how much will that cost oop?

Is the $462 to upgrade and pay tips hard on your budget?

Good luck! We like TS, but many people are happy with QS.

 

[Lolsmum]

If you would eat at the same number of table service places, it's likely worth it. Otherwise, if you would be jsut as happy with QS, then it probably isn't. Don't forget, you'd need to pay tips either way at a table service restaurant.

 

[mykidsrock76]

I am not sure how you are calculating your amounts.

Remember that on the DDP you are getting a QS and a TS credit in addition to the snack.

On the QSDP you are getting 2 QS credits in addition to the snack.

You get these credits for each night of your package for each person in your party.

When calculating the difference to you include the CS meals that you will also be getting?

For us a big part of vacationing is enjoying good meals, so I would always upgrade from QSDP to DDP. You also stated that you are going in September with 2 children, so I would think that the TS would be a nice break.

I was calculating the difference between the 9 TS vs. 9 CS. That's where that $514 came into play. I figured the TS meals we have planned are about $919 where 9 CS meals would be approx. $405. But we're paying tips on those TS and the cost to upgrade.

The past 2 times we've gone to WDW we've done the DDP and enjoyed it, but we've also stayed at POR where the regular plan was included. (We had our oldest DD with us so we stayed there to do 5 ppl in a room.)

I've never done a strictly CS trip. So, I don't know what it would be like. Plus there is something to be said for the freedom of not being tied to ADRs.

I'm so torn!

 

[mykidsrock76]

What we do is make a plan to see where we would like to eat, the how we would eat oop,dxdp,csdp,ddp and see what I get for each price point. Then I decide what is most important and the best value.

If you do QSDP will you be happy? Will you still add in extra TS- how much will that cost oop?

Is the $462 to upgrade and pay tips hard on your budget?

Good luck! We like TS, but many people are happy with QS.

We do enjoy TS meals, but I think we'd be happy just doing CS meals. That is where I am torn. I guess we won't know until we try it.

It's not that the $462 is hard on the budget, I just don't know if it's worth it. The TS places at WDW are good, but nothing that jumps out at me that we have to do. But if we end up doing 1 or 2 while we're there, we're better off just upgrading.

 

[KELLY]

We do enjoy TS meals, but I think we'd be happy just doing CS meals. That is where I am torn. I guess we won't know until we try it.

It's not that the $462 is hard on the budget, I just don't know if it's worth it. The TS places at WDW are good, but nothing that jumps out at me that we have to do. But if we end up doing 1 or 2 while we're there, we're better off just upgrading.

Thanks for explaining the calculations now I get what you are doing. I just figure out mine a different way. I take the cost of the upgrade add the tips and how many breafest platters we will pay Op for the girls. Then take the TS meals we will pay OP for and subtract. Because we do a couple of Ts meals we have extra credits for the girls breakfast. So I end up spending way less.


We are. Paying OP for 2 TS meals and we are still ahead 430.00. That is it for us we don't want to be tied down to adr. But I guess it is what your family will be happy with.

 

[smiths02]

I look at the calculations that you will spend $462 more vs. QSDP (assuming that if you did QSDP, you would not do ANY table service OOP)...
I would spend $462 to eat 8 restaurant meals vs. 9 "fast food" meals for a family of 4

I don't think 8 ADRs over a 9 night trip is too much...I wouldn't want to eat CS the entire trip.

 

[dclfun]

I look at the calculations that you will spend $462 more vs. QSDP (assuming that if you did QSDP, you would not do ANY table service OOP)...
I would spend $462 to eat 8 restaurant meals vs. 9 "fast food" meals for a family of 4

I don't think 8 ADRs over a 9 night trip is too much...I wouldn't want to eat CS the entire trip.

IMO there are some CS locations where it isn't really "fast food". WPE comes to mind as do the chicken/rib meals at Flame Tree and Cosmic Rays. CHH has a salmon meal. There are salad and healthy options everywhere, and esp. at the resort food courts. We could do either plan and be happy. For us it's about the amount of time we want to spend at TS meals vs. the flexibility we have with CS.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I understand your figures.
I want to point out this is the last year for the 9 year old to quaify for the child price. Next year you will have to pay adult prices for her. That may be a major tipping point for you.
I enjoy buffets for the variety too. I am not a big eater, so I like a spoonful of 6 or 8 different things, (and try 3 or 4 different desserts too) rather than one entree. Since buffets have gotten so expensive, and your daughter will age up next year, this might be a good time to do them "one last time" (or for awhile).
But, not being tied to ADRs, and eating when and where you want, is wonderful and really freeing.
Enjoy your trip either way.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

It's worth it to us. My girls really enjoy character meals and we like to sit there and eat vs. standing in multiple lines to meet them. It just wouldn't be Disney to my girls without a character meal or two.

My DH HAS to eat dinner at Ohana atleast once.

If the girls ever get to the point where they no longer care to do character meals, then i would considers going with the QS plan.

 

[kandb]

Personally, I would not want to eat off a tray for all of my meals. We love our sit down dinner every night and love making ressies (even if it is 180 days beforehand)

 

[navywifetill2002]

Your math makes since but you have to think how important the table service meals are to you! Will your kids love the Luau? Will you really enjoy the break each day and some down time while at the TS?

We're also going in Sept and staying at ASMo for 8 nights. We have 1 DD3 and have upgraded to the DDP. I was thinking of keeping the free QS but knew I wanted dinner at CRT and that is $144. Our upgrade was $289 so in my mind for $145 I'm getting 6 more TS meals.

We're now eating at Boma for DH, CRT and 5 other character meals for DD. I have that figured at almost $700 and we could never afford that addition to the Disney budget so the extra for the upgrade was a great investment for us (I don't figure in tip cause we would have to add that on if we just paid OOP for a few table services). Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[mykidsrock76]

We decided to keep the upgrade. We do enjoy that downtime to sit and enjoy a nice meal. Thanks for all the input!!!!

 

[Kcags]

it really depends if your family are big eaters. I went last year with my husband and parents and had the delux plan. my parents don't eat breakfast and could not stomach dessert after every meal. But for my husband and I, it was great because we ate everywhere we wanted to and ordered whatever we wanted. I would be worried with 2 children that you would be paying for food you would not be eating.