Snack Credits or Snacks OOP

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Hello... I know the price of snacks just keeps jumping up every year. I know our first trip Mickey bars were still under $3, and now they are $4, I think. I used to pay OOP for any snack I wanted that was $2 or less. Anybody else do this? What is a good price point these days, in your opinion, for deciding to pay OOP or use a credit? $4 or less pay OOP? More than $4 use a snack credit?

Thanks!

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

**crickets**

Anybody? Nobody pays OOP for the cheaper snacks?

 

[sbeets]

We do pay oop for cheaper snacks.

 

[supersnoop]

The problem you run into is that so many people have credits left over at the end of the trip. It's better to use a credit on a $2 snack than to not use it at all. Sure, you could stick up on snacks for the trip home, but that's not really saving you any money, either. Unless you know you will use all your credits, I wouldn't pay out of pocket for anything covered by the plan.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

The problem you run into is that so many people have credits left over at the end of the trip. It's better to use a credit on a $2 snack than to not use it at all. Sure, you could stick up on snacks for the trip home, but that's not really saving you any money, either. Unless you know you will use all your credits, I wouldn't pay out of pocket for anything covered by the plan.

Oh, sure, I completely agree with this. I have a big family, and we share most of our snacks. We seem to manage to go through all of our credits, whether it be breakfast pastries or cupcakes or smoothies or caramel treats. I always budget for at least one or two extra snacks OOP per day (to share, not per person).

We didn't do a dining plan last trip, and there were so many snacks I didn't buy b/c I thought the prices were insane. I guess as far as paying OOP for something, I will just play it by ear...

Thanks anyway!

 

[_SnowWhite_]

Heading to WDW for the first time in November and using the DDP. We get one TS, one QS, and one Snack daily. I have two teen boys... We plan to eat a light breakfast in our hotel room, use the QS for lunch and the TS for dinner with a Snack in between. I hadn't expected to, but after reading this thread I am now wondering if I should budget OOP expenses for food on top of the DDP? Veteran WDW visitors: What types of snacks are available that are 'significant' / filling?

 

[happymommy]

I don't know of a lot of snacks that aren't sweets! I've heard there are large cupcakes at Starring Rolls at DHS for a snack credit. Pastries at the Boardwalk Bakery as well as France in Epcot offer a nice selection.
My preference for snacking is more on the savory side, so an order of chicken fried rice at Yak & Yeti CS at DAK is a snack credit, and a good option to fill up.
I'm sure someone else will chime in!

 

[Zombie]

We had DDP last year. A side of fries was a SC. We also saw a baked potato and some soups that were SC. Even things like breakfast pastries/muffins are snack credits. And large sundaes and things like a Dole Whip float. We, personally, found these to be very substantial/filling snack credits. There's lots of lists out there. It's not just cupcakes, ice cream bars and bottles of pop that you're confined to. We only used our snack credits for an ice cream treat one day. Our best choices were the Dole Whip floats and a popcorn, which was a "snack credit" but for us feed three people and still had some leftover. Disney serving sizes can be rather huge.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I pay OOP for cheaper things like bottles of water. We go to WDW during Food and Wine, so most of our credits are used at the booths or on fancy yummies from the bakery.

 

[happymommy]

It really depends on if you think you'll go through more than one snack per night of your vacation. If so, then I agree pay for cheaper things like water (but I never do that - ice water is what I prefer and it's free), sodas, small things. Use the credits for anything more expensive. Still, in all you may be talking just a few dollars one way or the other.

At the Flower & Garden Festival, I did pay OOP for a bunch of small plates - the dining plan would have saved me a bit! Many plates were well over $5 (for just a snack really!).

 

[danceintherain]

Heading to WDW for the first time in November and using the DDP. We get one TS, one QS, and one Snack daily. I have two teen boys... We plan to eat a light breakfast in our hotel room, use the QS for lunch and the TS for dinner with a Snack in between. I hadn't expected to, but after reading this thread I am now wondering if I should budget OOP expenses for food on top of the DDP? Veteran WDW visitors: What types of snacks are available that are 'significant' / filling?

It really depends. Most everything that is considered a 'snack' credit will have the DDP symbol next to it on the menu. (there's a list on this page of 'confirmed' snack credits) Generally speaking, things that would be considered an 'appetizer' 'beverage' or 'dessert' with a price under $5 can be bought for a snack credit. There are exceptions, so it's usually better to ask before beginning your purchase.

 

[samsteele]

Hello... I know the price of snacks just keeps jumping up every year. I know our first trip Mickey bars were still under $3, and now they are $4, I think. I used to pay OOP for any snack I wanted that was $2 or less. Anybody else do this? What is a good price point these days, in your opinion, for deciding to pay OOP or use a credit? $4 or less pay OOP? More than $4 use a snack credit?

Thanks!

As a base, that isn't bad. $5 ($4.99) or $6 would be the better cut off rate. I use almost all of my snack credits at Epcot F&W so its difficult to give you specific examples of great value savory snacks elsewhere in the parks. Using your snack credits at F&W is probably the best dollar value use in all of the parks. There are baked potatos at MK's Liberty Square Market but while filling, I don't think they are the best use of your snack credit. At F&W, I always buy a gift card and load eg $50 on it and use it for lower priced F&W items so that I can save my snack credits for higher priced items. If I don't use the full balance on the card, it can be used at any gift shop.

I've always found the regular DP to provide more than enough food for my appetite. If you are worried about filling up, another option would be to eat at a few better value buffets for your TS dinner meals (eg Boma dinner, Cape May Cafe dinner, Biergarten, etc) to really maximize the amount of food you can find.

 

[dylans mommy]

I pay oop for the cheaper snacks and use our snack credits for the more expensive ones. We typically use all of our snack credits between cupcakes, cookies, popcorn, smoothies or my favorite anything from the France pavilion.

 

[tinka-belle]

Lots of non sweet snack items if you look for them. Often fries, soups, the fried rice at Yak & Yeti, large soft pretzels, popcorn, eggrolls, pastries and cupcakes and cookies (OK, they are sweet), small ham & cheese croissant at France in Epcot, fruit, chips. Just off the top of my head.

 

[scoobygrl79]

My personal rule of thumb is no snack credits on a beverage! At all!...well.....maybe only if it's considered a dessert-esq type of beverage (shake/Starbucks concoction). It's not so much monetary value as much as it's just the fact that I'm wasting something worth a delicious and massive sundae or sweet warm funnel cake on a Dasani or Sprite...bleh!

 

[jon18uk]

My personal rule of thumb is no snack credits on a beverage! At all!...well.....maybe only if it's considered a dessert-esq type of beverage (shake/Starbucks concoction). It's not so much monetary value as much as it's just the fact that I'm wasting something worth a delicious and massive sundae or sweet warm funnel cake on a Dasani or Sprite...bleh!

I was going to say a similar thing, I would use a snack credit on a special beverage such as a frozen coke, a slushie or a frappcino. But I would pay cash for bottled soda.

Personally I wouldn't eat a Mickey ice cream bar, I would rather use that snack credit for a sundae or hand scooped ice cream and not have the pre-packaged ice cream at all.

 

[christianweecare]

My personal rule of thumb is no snack credits on a beverage! At all!...well.....maybe only if it's considered a dessert-esq type of beverage (shake/Starbucks concoction). It's not so much monetary value as much as it's just the fact that I'm wasting something worth a delicious and massive sundae or sweet warm funnel cake on a Dasani or Sprite...bleh!

I was going to say a similar thing, I would use a snack credit on a special beverage such as a frozen coke, a slushie or a frappcino. But I would pay cash for bottled soda.

Personally I wouldn't eat a Mickey ice cream bar, I would rather use that snack credit for a sundae or hand scooped ice cream and not have the pre-packaged ice cream at all.

Agreed!

 

[JACKNAG]

Left over credit means the last day a ton of Disney cookies from the resort store, been there done that