Are Magic Your Way dining options a good deal for everyone?

[swilphil]

I don't know if I will have the opportunity to change my ressie to the MYW package with the dining option, but I'm not sure if it's really economical for my family.

We usually only do 2 sit-down meals in our 5 day trip. We then do one or 2 counter service meals per day. We do a grocery stop to have breakfast and sandwich fixin's in our room, so one meal a day would be there. We are a family of 4, but our oldest son (4) is a super picky eater and our youngest is 2 1/2 and usually shares with us or his brother. For drinks, we order water, milk for the kids, and my husband will have an occassional beer. One of our sit down meals will probably be a character buffet meal. At our other sitdown meal, we probably wouldn't normally order two appetizers and two desserts. We bring our own snacks into the park and also have plenty on hand in the room for the kids. Maybe once or twice during the trip, we buy a popsicle or a pastry in France.

I've never kept track of how much money we spend on food. So I'm not sure if this is really a good deal for us. I also don't know if the package rate for us would be less than the code rate. Right now we have a split stay at CR for $235/night and POR for $114/night.

 

[Microcell]

I know what you mean, I am in the same boat. I am going to figure it out in the next couple of days and will let you know!

 

[ybcart7]

I haven't even seen the dining option -- where did you find it??

 

[InstImpres]

JMHO - It's not for you.... you need to do one sit down a day and one counter service. Again, Disney is hoping to "upsell" soemone like you in spending by having this package. Would you like a daily character dining? than go to the package, you'll get more but you'll spend more (Disney goal), if your dining pattern is for budget reasons, than this isn't for you.

My family generally does one sit down meal 4 out of 5 days. This package would than give us the 5th day as a sit down basically for free.

Hope this is clear, if not ask or PM and I'll try explaining another way.
Sandy

 

[swilphil]

Sandy--You're right on the money (no pun intended!) I had a feeling the dining package wasn't for us (I read about it on Mousesavers), but so many people were posting what a great deal it was. I guess they have kids who eat a lot.

Plus the more I read about it, I don't think we are going to save any money by switching to the new package option anyway. Right now we have pretty good room only rates from the BDP code.

 

[summerrluvv]

We didn't do any sit down meals last trip, but it would only be $45 a day for DS and I and you have the option to have character meals so I think will do it. One character dinner comes to almost $45 with tax and tip anyway, so it would be almost like getting the snack and counter service meal for free each day!!

 

[PrincessDadx2]

We didn't do any sit down meals last trip, but it would only be $45 a day for DS and I and you have the option to have character meals so I think will do it. One character dinner comes to almost $45 with tax and tip anyway, so it would be almost like getting the snack and counter service meal for free each day!!

My thoughts exactly. Dining would be $90 per day for the 4 of us. We spend that much for dinner at Boma or Chef Mickey. If we are staying and eating on site it is a good deal. Basically a free Q&C voucher every day.

If we are otherwise eating many meals in our timeshare off site then it is not a good deal. Good deal for spending if you dine at Disney while on vacation

 

[InstImpres]

It is also a much better deal if your sit down is dinner.

IE - chef mickey breakfast (per adult) $16.99 dinner $23.99
crystal palace $16.99 vs. $21.99
LTT Dinner $20.99

I am thinking when it comes to PS, character dinners are going to be harder to get as this is the best "value" for people on the plan. Don't get me wrong, Princess Breakasts are still that but if I can have breakfast or dinner with Pooh, why not dinner for the same price.

JMHO
Sandy

 

[summerrluvv]

I was just going over the menus and such at Deb's site and wow, I didn't realize how expensive some of the character meals are!

Dinner - Cinderella's Gala Feast - Regulars include Cinderella and Prince Charming, Suzy and Perla, and the Fairy Godmother (some characters may only be in the lobby for photos). Price for adults is $27.99 and for children ages 3-11 $12.99 (which includes dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage.

 

[4greatboys]

I dont think it sounds like a bad deal. It's not hard to spend $35 a day eating. One counter service could be anywhere from $8-10, plus a snack which would have a value of about $2.50 for a ice cream or drink so that would be about $24.50 to $22.40 for a sit down meal and at a place like Chef Mickey's, Ohana and the like you would still be coming out ahead.

 

[westjones]

Do you have a link to info on the new meals program you mentioned?
Thanks,
DJ

 

[swilphil]

Here is a link to mousesavers. There's also a link to a PDF that lists the restaurants, but I'm wondering if there are price limits on things, especially snacks. Are snacks considered just "a box of popcorn, ice cream bar or soft drink" as listed in the description? Can I get a pastry at the French bakery since that is one of the places listed, or can I only get a soft drink there?

http://www.mousesavers.com/mywplusdining.html

 

[SusanD]

I think it is a good deal if:

1. Your whole party eats this much. (It won't be a value if you are used to sharing meals.)

2. Your whole party eats this way every day. (This makes it difficult if you want to eat elsewhere.)

You are now a captive audience and it is only a bargain if you intend to do this anyway. We usually plan on $100 a day for a family of four (2 teenage boys) and this includes eating most breakfasts in the room. We use some vouchers and do the occassional character breakfast. Honestly, I don't want to spend $140 a day for food and I don't want to be tempted to eat that much.

 

[Pamlur]

We got soured on meal plans of any kind, several years ago, at Atlantis. But i was just reading about this new dining plan, and I see one major stumbling block already. They say you can "trade in" two of the sit-down meals for a dinner show like HDD. BUT..you have to pay in full for HDD, when you make the reservations. That spells chaos to me.

We would probably eat at least what the plan would cover, but I'll definitely wait to read about others' experiences before I even discuss it with DH. There will be 10 of us (only two of those will be in the child range), so that's a chunk of change to think about spending.

 

[j's m]

One problem I see, is that WDW considers a child at 10 to be an adult eater for this plan. Other menus stated children 11 and older. My son is very picky, and certainly can't eat adult size portions. But we would have to pay the adult price for him. So while this plan is great for DH and me, we would be paying way too much for DS.

 

[kutchyone]

It's really to bad that they did not come up with a meal plan that is not tied in with a package. Something along the line with the meal vouchers.

 

[kajohn]

One problem I see, is that WDW considers a child at 10 to be an adult eater for this plan. Other menus stated children 11 and older. My son is very picky, and certainly can't eat adult size portions. But we would have to pay the adult price for him. So while this plan is great for DH and me, we would be paying way too much for DS.

I have the opposite problem, my son will be 9 when we travel, so the $10 rate, but amost always eats off the adult menu! Especially at the counter service restaurants, the choices are so limited, usually only one option for each restaurant and I've never found a hamburger on any of them they are always chicken nuggets or hot dogs.

He has a big appetite (not fat though, just very muscular and athletic) and he likes to try new things so at full service restaurants he hates being limited to kid choices, hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken nuggets etc.

It does seem like a good deal for the way we travel, and I would love to try more full service restaurants, I've always just been too cost concious to do it before, so I will probally be eating some kids meals next year!

Kelli

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I think you have to know what you want to eat beforehand, and then figure out if it will save you THAT much to have the plan.

Right now it is being speculated that purchasing the package will bump your hotel up to rack rate. For us that would mean an increase of $22 per night. When we have dinner at Crystal Palace we will spend about $70 (tax & tip included). But that is our arrival day and we have a 5:45 PS. If we don't make it into the park until noon I doubt we would each use a counter service meal and a snack in addition to the dinner. So our savings would be questionable. The only other sit down meals we are planning are Donald's breakfast and Sci-Fi, and we want to do those because DS will enjoy them. Using the dining plan to cover those means we wouldn't come out that much ahead, especially with the increase in the room rate.

The other item I am not clear on is if you have to purchase your park passes in the package with your room and your dining. (I think you do.) Under the MYW plan, 4 day park hoppers are more expensive than the current ones. I want to SAVE money - not spend more and feel obligated to eat, eat, eat!

 

[summerrluvv]

When we have dinner at Crystal Palace we will spend about $70 (tax & tip included). But that is our arrival day and we have a 5:45 PS. If we don't make it into the park until noon I doubt we would each use a counter service meal and a snack in addition to the dinner. So our savings would be questionable. QUOTE]

But that counter service meal for your arrival day could be used another day, such as your checkout day, since your number of meals is equivalent to the number of *nights* you are staying, not days.

 

[Mermaid02]

I just took a quick look at it and I think it would be a good deal for us. 2 adults 1 jr and a child. I like the fact that you can budget for EXACTLY that much and know you can eat a sit down meal everyday... we didn't do many of those last year (my dh nearly died at the $70 lunch we had at PTCafe ) For us I think this will be great!