Need advice from expert Dining Plan DISers!

[sharonlouisiana]

OK! We've been to Disney twice in the last 3 years....but have never stayed on Disney Property (i know I know....) nor have we done the Dining Plan (again, I know I know....)

So....

We are booked and going October 22-29! WOO HOO!

I have picked the regular Dining Plan...and now I'm trying to decide if upgrading to the Deluxe Plan is a good idea? Any advice would be great!

We have 2 adults (including me who will be 7 months preggo at Disney time!) and 4 children (6,5,4 and 2). The 2yo doesn't have a meal plan....will be sharing.

My kids are NOT early risers typically---so I didn't make morning arrangements for breakfast....we can do with some snacks in the cabins or eat at the restaurant at FW if they seem very hungry.

Also, we are NOT doing the Park Hopper...we *will* be returning to the cabins for rest periods in the afternoons/evenings since we have little ones who nap.

From what I can tell...I will use 7 table service credits. The snacks will obviously be used (ice cream mickeys....mmmmm) but the quick service meal choices?

So from what I can tell I need to cover 7 meals for lunch and/or dinner and then 7 breakfasts as well. Breakfasts I can do in the cabin---not sure if the wake up time and travel time from FW to a breakfast site OTHER THAN FW will be realistic.

Oh, I have the 7 day plan!

I'm fine with my ADR as of now....and even if I upgrade to a Deluxe plan...I will probably not make any more reservations and just take it as the day goes. So...any advice/recomendations? Please?

So here are my ADR....
23:
ARRIVE AT FORT WILDERNESS CABINS!!!
630pm Mickey's BBQ (2)

24: MAGIC KINGDOM
Grab breakfast in the cabins....
920 Bippity Boppity Boutique appts.
930 Pirate League party for son.
1145 LUNCH Crystal Palace (1)
****NEED DINNER

25: EPCOT
Get breakfast in our cabins...
1155: LUNCH AskerHause (1)
****NEED DINNER

26: HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
****NEED BREAKFAST
****NEED LUNCH
5pm Hoop De Doo at FW (2)

27: ANIMAL KINGDOM
Breakfast/Snacks on the run from cabins....
10AM: BREAKFAST Tuskerhouse (1)
****Need late lunch and late dinner

28: DAY OPEN---NOT SCHEDULED AT A PARK YET...TBD based on kids....
****Need breakfast
****Need lunch
****Need dinner
7pm....MNSSHP


29:
Breakfast at Cabins, clean up to depart.
11am TREX LUNCH at DTD.....Drive home.

 

[sharonlouisiana]

OK! Wait a minute....excuse my confusion! On the deluxe plan you get 3 meals per day---regardless of table service or counter service? Right?

VS. the regular dining plan it is specified whether table service or counter service?

 

[pdxJolene]

OK! Wait a minute....excuse my confusion! On the deluxe plan you get 3 meals per day---regardless of table service or counter service? Right?

VS. the regular dining plan it is specified whether table service or counter service?

On the deluxe plan you get 3 credits per day. It doesn't have to be 3 meals. On the regular plan you get 1 table service & 1 counter service credit per day. You are correct though, deluxe does not matter between CS & TS. Hope that helps!

 

[Nadjalu]

My advice would be stick with the DDP. Reasons for this would be, not early risers. Do you really want to pack 3 sit down meals into a shorter day?
Next would be no park hoppers, so you would have to limit your choices to that park's TS (which will be 2 should be 3 TS places since time will be limited for sit down with sleeping in) or a resort.

And yes on the DxDDP it is 3 meal credits, TS or CS (but to pay that money and come out even it needs to be 3 TS meals or you are over spending)

DDP is 1 CS credit, 1TS credit and 1 snack credit.

 

[Faldred]

And yes on the DxDDP it is 3 meal credits, TS or CS (but to pay that money and come out even it needs to be 3 TS meals or you are over spending)

Actually, the generally accepted analysis is that you need to spend 2/3 of your DxDP meal credits on TS in order for it to make sense. You could still average 2 TS and 1 CS per day.

However, given that the OP is not planning on doing breakfasts, I'd have to agree that DxDP probably would be overkill, despite already having two 2-credit meals booked. Going deluxe would likely mean adding in some breakfasts and/or a few extra 2-credit meals.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

If you've never done the dining plan before, I would stick with the regular dining plan (1 TS, 1 CS, 1 snack) per day. In order to get the benefit of a discount, you should plan more dinners for the TS since you get more bang for your buck. And making one or two reservations for the special shows that are 2 credits is a good idea. That way, you only have to make 5 or 6 ADRs and only stick to those times. The rest of the time you can eat whenever you like. With that many kids, you definitely want time to go back and rest at the resort.

As for where to eat, it is up to you. Definitely eat either at the resort, near the resort, or at the park you will be at for the evening. Transportation to and from your dining reservations may take up a lot of time.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[Cafeen]

And to chime in here. I agree with those above. The DxDDP will be a lot of time taken out of an already shortened touring schedule. You can figure at least 60-90 minutes from check-in to get up and leave at most TS restaurants, and with youngsters it may be a little longer. Figuring in travel time would make this even longer.

Add to that the traveling back to take a nap and the fact that you won't be up with the sun to get a head start, and you're looking at some considerably limited time to spend at the parks themselves.

Also a note. You are staying for 7 days, but only 6 nights. Nights are what the DDP is based off of, so you will only receive 6 of each credit. Personally, I'd either skip or pay OOP for one of the dinner shows and add another 1 TS restaurant. Alternatively, you can free up 1 credit by paying OOP at Tusker House (as that will be the least expensive meal on your list).

Just saw this too:

even if I upgrade to a Deluxe plan...I will probably not make any more reservations and just take it as the day goes

Unfortunately, that doesn't work well with DxDDP. As mentioned, to even break even on the DxDDP, you should aim to spend 2/3 of the credits at TS locations. Leaving it up to chance is a big risk as there's not always a TS available where you happen to be. Sure, you can choose QS at those times, but if this happens too much, you will have ended up spending more money on the plan than you would have off of it.

 

[sharonlouisiana]

Thank you!

Definately think we will stick with regular Disney plan!

Yes, if we were to get up and go to scheduled character breakfasts and then grab snacks and then do sit down dinners, that would work....but for right now the reservations I *CAN* get are for lunch. I think that the point that the kids are NOT early risers (9am is average....) is a good point....there's no way after a tiring day beforehand I can get them up at 7am or so to get up and out of fort wilderness. And for counter service we will just have to figure it out for meals between the group of us and pay OOP for anything extra.

And yes, I think we are going to pay OOP for the Hoop Dee Doo anyway b/c I would prefer the 1st level seating (kids and stairs...nope!) which isn't an option for the meal plan. So then we actually have one more table service meal we can arrange. So I can get a full breakfast for DH if he really wants to have a nice breakfast at some point.

THANK YOU! I really appreciate the advice....helped to clear things up in my super duper excited brain! So happy we booked today, got the 5 ADR and BBB as well....so excited!

Alright...thanks so much! DISBOARD to the rescue again!