12 nights - QS or REG DP?

[mwatson011]

Background: Me, DH, DD5, DD4 - our third trip as a family to DW

First two trips were for one week each, and both times we had the deluxe dining plan, did every character meal, some multiple times, loved the deluxe dining plan, loved the restaurants, didn't love having to work park time around our eating.

This trip we are staying 12 nights at POP, have the free QSDP (pin), and can upgrade to reg DP for a total of $336. While tempted, I am thinking we can get plenty of character interaction over our 12 night stay without doing any TS meals. Also thinking I might rather pay for one or two favorites OOP for less than the cost of the upgrade.

Deluxe dining plan is definitely not an option for this trip.

Thoughts?

 

[3pletprincesses]

but 12 days of QS might be a lot. I know my daughters and for that matter, I would get tired of eating the same food every day. Last fall with we did the DDP and at the end of our trip, the girls were tired of mac & cheese and chicken nuggets.

I would upgrade, for $336, your get a nicer meal everyday and are garanteed to have an a/c moment with your children to relax for a bit. I find QS chaotic at times.

 

[summersalt]

I agree. I love QSDP for short visits but I don't think I could handle counter service for 12 nights.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

I would definately do the regular DP for a longer stay. I think the only time i would consider QS would be a short trip where I wanted to spend every possible minute in the parks. You will have plenty of time to see everything so you might as well sit down to eat a TS at least once a day or most days if you want to do some signature etc. We did regular on our 3 night a couple years ago but I could see QS if we were going 4 days or less. Anything more and we would definately do regular.

 

[mwatson011]

Thanks for the feedback...I am a huge over-planner and my DH cut off any more talk about the dining plans so I want to make sure I make the best decision for us.

We normally eat out 1-2 times per week in sit-down restaurants, so I am thinking if I go with QSDP we will end up paying OOP (and at Disney prices, I am sure a lot more than the $336 to upgrade) for a few TS meals anyway. Ok, now, to make dining ressies...

 

[blessedby3]

We are going for 9 nights in June and have the free QSDP also. Our family likes the QSDP...even for 9 nights. There are various options to choose from so that you arent eating the same thing all the time, and we always pay oop for a couple of TS meals during our trip (breakfasts) and still come out cheaper than having the regular plan, plus we have extra meals (not to mention double the snacks and the mug for each member of our family).
Remember you will have the $336 cost to upgrade PLUS tips at all those sit down meals...that will up that number.

 

[mwatson011]

I am so on the fence about this, and I really don't know why!

Yes, tips will add to it, plus if we want to get an app for the table, plus if we each want one cocktail...I am thinking the QSDP will save us way more $ than the $336 difference. But, we also love the sit-down restaurants...decisions...

 

[disneybliss2]

Personally, I would do the upgrade. The thought of CS meals every day for that length of stay isn't appealing. For me, it's nice to look forward to a yummy TS meal or a a fun character meal for dinner or breakfast each day. DH and I think the food/restaurants is an important part of the trip. I would log onto allears.net and price the couple of TS meals you would possibly book. After calculating your oop expense for the couple of TS meals for the four of you, determine if you'd be money ahead and happy to go this route, or if it would be just a bit more money to reach the $336 upgrade cost that would give you a TS meal everyday rather than just the couple you would pay oop.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

With twelve nights you aren't crunched for time which is normally the argument against the dining plan. You are going to have days that you just want to relax and do something different. I'd definately do the upgrade. For a family of 4 if you did 3 buffet meals you'd pretty much make up the difference in price. I'd make a list of the restaurants you'd want to eat at oop (assuming you didn't have ddp) then I'd see what those cost. If they are over or close to $3oo then upgrade. I personally can't imagine eating CS for 12 days.

 

[momto2inKC]

We have the QSDP for our upcoming trip. We'll be there 9 nights10 days. The whole family is looking forward to trying it out. We've always done the DDP on our other trips. I'm not concerned about getting tired of counter service meals. My tentative meal picks do not include a single burger, chicken nuggets or pizza it can be done lol We do have 2 ADR's booked so far, Le Cellier and Kona. We just couldn't come all the way to Disney and miss those!

 

[KELLY]

We are going for 9 nights in June and have the free QSDP also. Our family likes the QSDP...even for 9 nights. There are various options to choose from so that you arent eating the same thing all the time, and we always pay oop for a couple of TS meals during our trip (breakfasts) and still come out cheaper than having the regular plan, plus we have extra meals (not to mention double the snacks and the mug for each member of our family).
Remember you will have the $336 cost to upgrade PLUS tips at all those sit down meals...that will up that number.

I have to agree with this. We go for 10 days and never got sick of the QSDP. We had it free last year. This year we added it on. We still we pay OP for 2 or 3 TS meals and still be ahead. You have to factor in tips also don't forget the mugs. For us to upgrade would be around 465.00 but that included the upgrade,mugs and tips. So we can eat 2 or 3 TS meals cheaper than that. Plus I'm not a huge fan of alot of adr's.

 

[Diegosmom]

Totally with you on this. But this will be our first family trip (I went once 20 years ago) and DH is not a fast food type of person. We are staying 9 days (but first dy we are arriving around 11pm so really 8 days).

-I would like a few TS but don't like having to worry everyday about working around it. I like to go with the flow.

-I like the idea of the refillable mug so we would add that if wew went with regular dining.

-We like snacks (well DS and I do, hubby isnt really into sweets) so with regualar I feel like we would probably pay OP for some extra snacks.

-with longer trip you have more time to do DTD and there are a few good QS options (like Wolfgang Puck).

I am so on the fense with this too. Then I also read on mousesaver that QS really wasn't value (not saving money) and that you really are better to go OP (and for me I would just as soon drink water then a soda and I like the fun desserts but not into all the standard ones so I won't normally get the mickey chocolate cake if I was paying OP)

I dont have free dining so I would be paying for either plan.

Oh and another thing to consider the Value resports have the QS and I have heard really good things about Pop.

Sorry I guess I wasnt really a help.

 

[mwatson011]

I am loving all of these thoughtful, valid opinions - thanks!

The more I think of it, the more I might stick with the QS and here's why:

The QS at DW is not like you're eating McD's, Wendy's, BK...it is more comparable to eating Panera, Boston Market, Moe's...and I don't see us finding this unbearable even after 12 nights...

With that in mind, and seeing as how we have done the deluxe dining plan the last two times we were there and got our fill of character meals, I think it might be the right choice for this trip. We are trying to do a go-with-the-flow style this trip, and every time I start to look at making ADR's, I start wanting to plan the entire day so then I start guessing what time we will be hungry for dinner, or what time we will be up for breakfast...

 

[abbyandkatiesmommy]

Out of the 4 times we have been, we have done the QS once and the regular dining plan 3 times. We are going back in June for 8 days and are doing the QS and we are all (me, DH, DD10, DD7) looking forward to it. We don't want to have to be a slave to reservations and there aren't enough TS restaurants that we LOVE. With the QS, there are plenty of options and good choices. We also like the extra snacks and the mugs!

 

[AydensMom]

We have done both the DDP and the QSP both for 13 nights and did not get sick of the food. As previous posters have stated there are perks to both plans. We really enjoyed the QSP both times we used it on our last two trips. It was a much more relaxed, go with the flow vacation. No worrying about being at a certain place at a certain time, or wasting hours in a restaurant. There are lots of different choices beyond burgers and nuggets.

For our upcoming trip we are doing the DDP. We are going with friends who want to do more TS and character meals. They are joining us for the first week, we will be using most of our TS the first week and only doing one or two the second week so we can use most of our QS the second week. I guess it is our way to do a little bit of both

 

[Weezyreid]

we love the qsdp....for us we find we are still ahead between all the tips and added cost to the ddp. But last time we went, I didn't even touch a burger!!