can we revisit the dining plan?

[Narnia_girl]

I've used the search feature and read most of the threads on the dining plan. The general consensus being it's only worth it if you have big eaters. But I also have been reading trip reports and am fairly shocked at how much the meals cost. I guess the difference is the reporters are eating wherever they want and not just at the places specified in the dining plan?

For example, one report for a Mom and two teens included:
Day 1; lunch $40, dinner $65
Day 2; (quoting her thread) "I had the Haystack Salad which was wonderful. Brittany had the chicken fajitas which she said were very good and David had, what else, a burger and fries (I think he lived on burgers and fries the entire week). Lunch with tip came to $62."

$62 for lunch for three people, and one of them had a burger? We have 5 people! That siren you hear will be the ambulance collecting my husband!


(quoting again) "headed over Margaritaville for something cold to drink. The kids got virgin drinks and I got mine with some kick. Since we were going to Blue Man Group that night we decided to just stay there and have some appetizers as we really weren't too hungry. We got the buffalo wings, shrimp & mushroom dip and the nachos. OMG the plate of nachos was huge! We could have made a meal just off of those. The appetizers and drinks (2 with alcohol and 4 without) and tip ran $75."

for drinks and appetizers??

***************************************

Please tell me that if we opt out of the dining plan that our family of 5 can eat more economically than that?? Because from this comparison, $90 a day seems like a good deal.

 

[mjohnson96]

No, those are not meal plan options. The meal plan is in the park and is for counter service meals only. You can do an upgrade to your plan to allow you a meal at certain resturants at city walk.

The meal deal locations are:

Universal Studios Participating Restaurants:

Mel’s Drive-In
Sample Menu: Burgers, Chicken and Salads

Louie's Italian Restaurant
Sample Menu: Pizza, Pasta, and Salads

International Food and Film Festival
Sample Menu: Asian, Italian, and American Food



Universal's Islands of Adventure Participating Restaurants

Circus McGurkus Café Stoo-pendous™
Sample Menu: Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Pizza, Chicken Caesar Salad, Burgers and Chicken Sandwiches

Comic Strip Cafe®
Sample Menu: Chinese, Italian, New England and American Food

The Burger Digs®
Sample Menu: Burgers, Chicken Sandwiches, and Chicken Fingers

** Meal includes (each time through the line): 1 entrée platter and 1 dessert.

It does not includes a drink so you have to either purhase the Meal Deal Drink option or get one of the refillable mugs.

for the extra $6 Citywalk you get

You receive one (1) dinner entree at Bob Marley's, Pat O'Brien's, Latin Quarter, or Pastamore' at Universal's CityWalk®.

Hope that helps...you can find more info on the UniversalOrlando.com website as well.

 

[Narnia_girl]

thanks, I'm just wondering if we don't buy the meal plan if the trip report expenses I posted above would be considered typical? If that's what we can expect to pay for regular meals then we probably will buy the meal plan.

 

[ky07]

thanks, I'm just wondering if we don't buy the meal plan if the trip report expenses I posted above would be considered typical? If that's what we can expect to pay for regular meals then we probably will buy the meal plan.

Some of the place to eat at city walk can be expensive but it all depends on what you want to eat cause I have found prices to be reasonable at most of the place but for example we are a family of 4 and we went to lunch at the Hardrock cafe last year on our last day and spent about $85.00 and that might sound expensive but when you consider the food portion were huge and we also had appetisers and that was our most expensive meal and I always try to buget $75.00 per meal but we are not breakfast fans so we don't have it and everytime I do budget that much we winde up coming home with extra money cause we don't use that much per day and we mainly eat at the parks or citywalk

 

[Metro West]

thanks, I'm just wondering if we don't buy the meal plan if the trip report expenses I posted above would be considered typical? If that's what we can expect to pay for regular meals then we probably will buy the meal plan.

To give you an idea...I have the chicken wrap w/fries and a large soda at Thunder Falls Terrace in IOA and with my AP discount, it's about $10.00 so $12.00 to $15.00 per person isn't that strange and the portions are fair for the money.

The question is...are you going to want to eat all day or just one meal? If you eat at say 11am...are you going to be hungry again by the time the parks close at 7 or 8pm? If not, I would just buy your meals wherever you want instead of being strapped down the those three restaurants at each park...although Louie's has VERY good pizza. If you're only going to eat a single meal per day, you wouldn't really be saving anything.

 

[Narnia_girl]

Some of the place to eat at city walk can be expensive but it all depends on what you want to eat cause I have found prices to be reasonable at most of the place but for example we are a family of 4 and we went to lunch at the Hardrock cafe last year on our last day and spent about $85.00 and that might sound expensive but when you consider the food portion were huge and we also had appetisers and that was our most expensive meal and I always try to buget $75.00 per meal but we are not breakfast fans so we don't have it and everytime I do budget that much we winde up coming home with extra money cause we don't use that much per day and we mainly eat at the parks or citywalk

thanks that helps me understand how much to budget.
I guess I have to get in the themepark mentality....here in the semi-rural midwest we eat dinner out as a family about once a month and it's never more than $50 at our most expensive place.

To give you an idea...I have the chicken wrap w/fries and a large soda at Thunder Falls Terrace in IOA and with my AP discount, it's about $10.00 so $12.00 to $15.00 per person isn't that strange and the portions are fair for the money.

The question is...are you going to want to eat all day or just one meal? If you eat at say 11am...are you going to be hungry again by the time the parks close at 7 or 8pm? If not, I would just buy your meals wherever you want instead of being strapped down the those three restaurants at each park...although Louie's has VERY good pizza. If you're only going to eat a single meal per day, you wouldn't really be saving anything.

and thank you...that's very helpful to know how much food costs. One of the things our children have always enjoyed on vacation is ordering pizza and eating it in the room, so maybe I'll follow some of the other threads that I've read and do that.

I have a feeling if we buy the meal plan we'd eat about 11 a.m., 3-4 p.m. and again before closing but it's hard to say with the heat and activity how we'll feel about food.

 

[Jonny_Duck]

Ya like others said it rly depends what you would like to eat. I usually have dinner at city walk margaritaville so I only have 1 meal in parks. The meal I get in parks is usually about 8$ or so from comic strip cafe. I get water to drink since its free and dont drink soda. So spending the $20 for the ticket doesnt work. Even if I were to get 2 meals it would be cheaper just to get the meals in parks then it would for the ticket.

If you have kids going with you then you may want to get one for them. It probably would be good. I will be doing that next time. Nephews and nieces are picky eaters so ik having the ability to get whatever they want as much as they want would help.

It all depends if you would be willing to just eat the cheaper counter service meals or would rather go to a nicer sit down place and spend the big bucks. Everytime I have gone the last few times the parks close at like 6-7 so 2 meals wasnt even worth it to me.

 

[ky07]

Another suggestion is if your staying onsite you can always call the local pizza places had have them dilver to you cause we stayed at RPR last year and ordered from Flippers pizza and they have salads among other things but you have to go to the lobby and pick it up cause they are not allowed to come to your room.
Just a thought

 

[Jonny_Duck]

Another suggestion is if your staying onsite you can always call the local pizza places had have them dilver to you cause we stayed at RPR last year and ordered from Flippers pizza and they have salads among other things but you have to go to the lobby and pick it up cause they are not allowed to come to your room.
Just a thought

Happen to remember what that cost? Think I remember seeing one pizza being like $32 or so probably was the room service pizza.

 

[ky07]

Happen to remember what that cost? Think I remember seeing one pizza being like $32 or so probably was the room service pizza.

If I remeber correct it was like $35 for two large 2 toppings and 2 orders of buffalo wings

 

[Tizzy_Meliss]

Flippers is a good option, I know we ordered from there before when we stayed at the Hard Rock. I think a Dominos is close by too if I am not mistaken. If you go down to concierge or the front desk they sometimes have take out menus.

http://flipperspizzeria.t-worxsite.com/Home/tabid/37/Default.aspx

They also opened a Burger King (more expensive than a normal BK) a Panda Express, and a Moes, all may be cheaper options than eating at a restaurant.

 

[Leslierx]

I'm also unsure about the meal deal. Since we are going to be staying 5 nights, we may pick one day we plan on being at US all day and get the meal plan for that day. We don't usually eat breakfast, so if we get something at 11am, then later in the day about 3 or 4 then surely by closing at 9pm (or 8:30 - 30 min prior to closing) we would be hungry for a slice of pizza. I wouldn't want to do it everyday, because we do like variety, but it sounds economical for at least one day to try it!

 

[Jonny_Duck]

I'm also unsure about the meal deal. Since we are going to be staying 5 nights, we may pick one day we plan on being at US all day and get the meal plan for that day. We don't usually eat breakfast, so if we get something at 11am, then later in the day about 3 or 4 then surely by closing at 9pm (or 8:30 - 30 min prior to closing) we would be hungry for a slice of pizza. I wouldn't want to do it everyday, because we do like variety, but it sounds economical for at least one day to try it!

Ya I think I may try it for a day on my next trip to see if its ever rly worth it myself.

 

[Narnia_girl]

... I wouldn't want to do it everyday, because we do like variety, but it sounds economical for at least one day to try it!

that's kind of what I'm thinking.

 

[Momto3Girls&Max]

Someone posted that they have been offering the Meal Deal for 1/2 price if you sign up for the Universal Credit Card (MC? Visa?) and are approved. You can get up to 8 Meal Deals. If they're still offering that we may apply for the card. The previous incentive of a beach bag just didn't appeal to my stomach !

 

[geffric]

Dh and the boys love the meal deal.., ( but I have teen age boys that eat a lot) we definitely got our monies worth.. somewhere had a really nice fruit platter too..but they loved being able to eat and eat and eat all day.. there was chinese food too that we had.. it was worth it as theme park food is expensive so the meal deal was woth it for us..

 

[InLoveWithDOTS]

Someone posted that they have been offering the Meal Deal for 1/2 price if you sign up for the Universal Credit Card (MC? Visa?) and are approved. You can get up to 8 Meal Deals. If they're still offering that we may apply for the card. The previous incentive of a beach bag just didn't appeal to my stomach !

Do you have a link for this offer?