Average price of a QS meal?

[eeyoresmom]

Has anyone recently done an analysis to see what the actual average is for a QS entrée and drink ? I know $17 is the minimum to break even on the QSDP but is that close to the actual average????

 

[Anthony1971]

I will make it simple most likely NO.. if you are going for a short time you may able to make it work and eat at more expensive places mainly at EPCOT and some at DS... but everywhere else you will need to find the most expensive place and likely eat something you may not want... QS is expensive.... but over an average you will be hard pressed to break even.. plenty of good options for 12 and under plus a drink which is 3.29 or about and tax(drop the drink and order water it is free and filtered)... also do not see how 17 is the correct number you only get one snack now and no dessert... you can however make it work if you are willing to put effort in and do a lot of exchanging of drinks and likely order food you would not have and may not eat...

 

[Owl X]

This Disney Dining Plan Calculator may be helpful as it has average costs for different locations:
http://www.distripplanner.com

 

[Faldred]

A quick glimpse at two menus (Pecos Bill and Columbia Harbor House) shows that $15-$16 plus tax would be a reasonable average for entree + drink, figure ~$16.50 after tax. (And you should be comparing after tax prices to DDP credit values.)

 

[MudQueen22]

Faldred, that's not too far off.

 

[eeyoresmom]

So figure $17 + $17 plus 2 snacks at $5 each = $44, not including whatever the value of the refillable mug is to you. It still only works for the guests who eat exactly this way though. We do tend to snack a lot at Disney but only drink water and usually get at least one salad as an entree each day which are lower cost.

 

[North of Mouse]

Has anyone recently done an analysis to see what the actual average is for a QS entrée and drink ? I know $17 is the minimum to break even on the QSDP but is that close to the actual average????

The 'average' CS is nowhere near $17. That would mean that half would be over that!

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

Average entree without drink is $12-$14.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Those aren't my numbers. $17 is the general break even average for a cs credit (which includes a beverage) for the ddp. So the average entree would probably be around $13.50 with tax.

 

[Cinderella94]

I did the math on this when we were considering the DDP for our July trip. You have to look at menus to see what YOU would want to eat to decide how much money you would spend. But really, most of the QS options aren't expensive enough that you'd spend $17 every single time. We decided to do it and it is definitely not worth it for us.

 

[sharonabe]

also do not see how 17 is the correct number you only get one snack now and no dessert...

You get TWO snacks per night now, so $17-18 is a good value marker. Total cost of adult QSDP is $46.34.

 

[Anniefrances]

I think if you include a drink that $17 is not too far off - prices keep creeping up. We were there in Dec and it seemed that there were some more increases since last spring and summer. Same for snacks - Mickey bars and other ice cream treats are now $5.00! When I saw this my first thought (after the sticker shock) is that this might be a tactic to encourage more people to purchase dining plans.

 

[happymommy]

I find the portions too big for one person for many QS meals, so DD and I frequently share a meal, get a drink or two, or water. So many times when we each order a meal, we toss 1/3 of it out! Something to consider!

 

[Faldred]

The 'average' CS is nowhere near $17. That would mean that half would be over that!

That's correct. I'm basing $16.50 on an average entree price of about $12.20, drink price of $3.29, and tax. Just over $12 puts the entree in the mid-point in the (admittedly small) sample of CS menus I looked at. Yes, there are cheaper, but there are also more expensive. If anything, I'm rounding low.

For the record, my basic QSDP analysis says the a CS credit equates to an $18 pre-tax price (using assumptions that a snack is worth $4 and no value assigned to the mug); a $5 snack value would drop that to $17.

[Menus from AllEars.net; prices are pre-tax]

Pecos Bill Menu:

Soups/Salads
Southwest Chicken Salad - Mixed Greens, Chicken, Monterey Jack Cheese, Tomato, Roasted Corn, Jalapenos, and Chipotle Ranch $12.49

Southwest Salad with Spicy Beef - Mixed Greens, Beef, Monterey Jack Cheese, Tomato, Roasted Corn, Jalapenos, and Chipotle Ranch $12.49

Entrees
Southwest Burger - served with pepper jack and a side of tortilla chips $13.99

Taco Burger - topped with seasoned ground beef and pepper jack and served with a side of tortilla chips $15.99

Fajita Platter - with barbacoa beef and chicken, cilantro rice, beans, and tortilla $14.99

Beef Nachos - tortilla chips topped with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes and lettuce $11.99

Beef Burrito - with barbacoa beef, cilantro rice and beans $13.49​

Columbia Harbor House Menu:

Combination Meals
Chicken Breast Nuggets and Fish - served with coleslaw and choice of corn cobbette, apple slices or french fries $11.49

Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese - shrimp served over delicious macaroni & cheese $12.49

Chicken Pot Pie - served with broccoli $10.99

Baked Chicken Breast and Shrimp - served with couscous and steamed fresh brocolli $12.49

Fried Shrimp Plate - served with coleslaw and choice of corn cobbette, apple slices or french fries $12.49

Grilled Salmon - served with couscous and broccoli $13.99

Sandwiches
Lighthouse Sandwich Lobster Roll - with potato chips $13.99​

 

[dakotix]

It's been a year so i can't remember but I do remember we t0ok a short trip in 2015 (4days). We ate a snack (muffin or bagel) for breakfast, a QS lunch and a QS dinner and we were surprised to learn that it was about the same as purchasing the dining plan. If we had purchased the plan we would have been able to trade one of those QS dining experiences for a table service dining experience. For us that would have been preferable.

 

[DisBuckMan]

It's been a year so i can't remember but I do remember we t0ok a short trip in 2015 (4days). We ate a snack (muffin or bagel) for breakfast, a QS lunch and a QS dinner and we were surprised to learn that it was about the same as purchasing the dining plan. If we had purchased the plan we would have been able to trade one of those QS dining experiences for a table service dining experience. For us that would have been preferable.

You're going to have to explain this further.

 

[Faldred]

You're going to have to explain this further.

I read it as "we spent enough on that that we could have bought DDP and had a TS instead of one of the CS for the same price", but it's not clear.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I find the portions too big for one person for many QS meals, so DD and I frequently share a meal, get a drink or two, or water. So many times when we each order a meal, we toss 1/3 of it out! Something to consider!

DD and I eat like this and will sometimes get kid's meals so the dining plans don't generally work for us. I'm looking into it more this trip because I am bringing 8 family members, staying in 4 DVC studios and can buy each room a different plan or none at all. I am trying to decide if it's worth it to buy the QSDDP for those members that are bigger eaters. Another concern is that I don't want them ordering cheaper items because I am footing the bill. As an aside, we do get value from the mugs as we take long pool breaks each day. I would say the mug is a $15 value to us at least.

 

[DisBuckMan]

I read it as "we spent enough on that that we could have bought DDP and had a TS instead of one of the CS for the same price", but it's not clear.

I read it the same way, but there's no way that's possible.

 

[dakotix]

I read it as "we spent enough on that that we could have bought DDP and had a TS instead of one of the CS for the same price", but it's not clear.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. We paid out of pocket for food for that trip. When we added up all our receipts it was the same cost as the regular Dining Plan. So instead of only eating at quick service places we could have had a table service meal each day.