A very brief TR

[BWV2001]

Not sure I've got the energy to take you through the enire trip with details, but here are the high points. Travelers were myself, dh, ds16, dd13, and ds. We went to the 2 Universal parks then to all 4 Disney parks and dh and ds16 and ds6 went to Blizzard Beach, also. DD and I had to sit out the water parks since she broke her arm the day we left for the trip. Anyway, here are my thoughts as I reflect on the week:

1. Next time, I think I'd like to participate in free dining. We are DVC members and stayed on points, and decided against purchasing the dining plan. That wasn't a bad move, it definitely kept us from overeating, but the one time we did have free dining ds16 loved eating his way around the world. This time we did mostly counter service and had some snacks in the room. But one night DD and I ate at O'hana and spent over $70 before tip (with no alcoholic drinks)! That seemed a little steep for what it was. We enjoyed the experience, but decided it was a better use of a dining plan credit than an out-of-pocket experience. (By the way, the entertainment was something that didn't seem very Disney-like. It was incredibly weak if you ask me. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time, but it was more laughing at the entertainment instead of with the entertainment.)

2. Universal's express pass is awesome. We stayed at the Hard Rock so that we would get this privilege, and boy was it great. I wish Disney had something similar for DVC members!!! The HRH was beautiful, the proximity to the parks was so convenient, and the rides were a blast. The Harry Potter stuff was really cool, but I think my family loved the Simpsons ride above all others. It was fun for all of us, and the kids have been quoting lines they heard on the ride ever since. We enjoyed Universal so much, dh says he thinks a trip to Orlando won't be complete from now on without a stop at Universal. Personally, I think part of Universal's appeal was the fact that it was new for us---we hadn't been in over 6 years, so it was all fresh.

3. After all the bragging on Universal, let me point out that Disney parks are much more relaxing and tranquil, and much prettier than Universal's. Plus, with my dd's broken arm, there were many rides she couldn't do at Universal, but at Disney she could do it all. That was pleasant for us all, because it really stinks seeing your child's disappointment as she approaches a ride that she can't try.

Brief, as promised. Not terribly informative or entertaining, I realize, but just some thoughts that came to mind as I reflect on our trip.

 

[SimmerBaggins]

About the dining plan -- every time we've scoped out the cost for ourselves on the DDP and the places we'd eat (along with the prices of each meal), we'd find that we'd break even, or even lose money with the plan. With the QSDP, I have found many opportunities to exceed the daily cost of the plan -- not very much so with the table service meals and the cost of the DDP.

So, overall, if you are just thinking about an occasional table service meal, such as at O'Hana, don't fret about it -- you probably saved money.

 

[BWV2001]

Not sure of the cost of the QSDP, but I figured the cost of the regular DP for our party would have been around $180/day. Just couldn't see spending over $720 on food (plus tips!) for a 4-night stay, especially when we were staying at BWV with a kitchen (for breakfast and snacks) and really are fine with 2 of us splitting counter service meals for lunch. But the meal at O'Hana really raised my awareness of just how costly it would be to have table service at a fixed price restaurant nightly. People who eat lots of character meals would certainly come out ahead with the dining plan, but that's just not our style. I'm not fretting over having spent the $$$ on O'hana's, just grateful that it was just the 2 of us instead of 5 of us.