Can't decide on Dining Plan, please help a total newbie!

[freckles04]

First post... been lurking for awhile and taking in all I can!

I am a 27 year old divorced mom to one DS, age 8. So, as you can imagine, we're on a budget! We have booked our trip for early August, right before he starts school. I know we could get free dining plan late in Aug or Sept, but he is starting a new school this year and I don't want him missing any school. So this really works out best for us (done LOTS of thinking about when to go and have that figured out!).

SO, my question is about dining. I went to Disney World at age 9, but obviously was not involved in planning the trip. My DS has NEVER been. I really have no idea which dining plan to go with or whether we even need one. I am not much of an eater. I'm fine with coffee and a granola bar for breakfast, a light lunch and light dinner. I like dessert on rare occasions.

My DS is another story! Big eater for such a scrawny dude. LOL. He could easily do TS for 3 meals a day! BUT... he HATES sweets, and would NEVER eat the desserts included on the dining plan. Since he loves to eat, I'd love for him to experience different restaurants and maybe a character meal or two.

But when I make a "sample" menu of what we might eat on any given day (I do CS or snack type food for breakfast, CS for lunch and TS for dinner) it comes out to be way more expensive OOP, and that's leaving out any desserts or snacks. BUT maybe we would EAT LESS if we were paying OOP... but I have no idea on portion sizes, if we could share meals, or just get appetizers.. OHH, the confusion! I didn't plan TS for lunch because I wouldn't want to eat a big meal in the middle of the day. I think I'd get sleepy and sluggish.

I also HATE the idea of being tied down with ADR's. I'm a spur of the moment person. I don't know what park we might feel like going to on a given day. I did add park hoppers, but don't really like the idea of leaving something fun and getting on the bus just to get somewhere else for dinner. It just sounds stressful to me, but having never done it, maybe I am overanalyzing this. Actually, I'm sure that's what I'm doing.. lol.

I ordered the Unofficial Guide to Disney World from Amazon which should be here maybe TODAY. I hope this will help me too

Can an experienced Disneyer HELP ME?

 

[wildcatfan]

One thing you need to remember is....your son is 8 and will be on the child's plan. That limits his choices for what he can order. I think since it is just the two of you and you are not a big eater, then you should probably consider ordering off the menu and paying OOP. If you order out of pocket, you could share meals and you certainly could just order apps.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

to me the dining plan always feels easier when you're new to Disney (or new to the planning end of things) but if you read on this board you'll find a lot of people (myself included) have found that paying OOP works out better for many reasons.

In your case you should think about if you really need/ want to do TS. You said you don't like being tied down to ADRs I can relate! We used to do the regular dining plan (when it was free for the value resorts so several trips worth). DD was younger then and really loved the character meals. When we switched over to the QS plan - she missed the meals a bit but I (and DH and DD) really enjoyed the freedom of not having any ADRs. So question for you to consider would be would your DS like the character meals (you can find almost all of the characters in the parks). If so those meals tend to be more $$ and might make the meal plan worth it.

We have 3 people in our little family - DH who has killer metabolism and can eat anything without gaining a pound, DD age 12 and myself (we're both average eaters)- we split 2 CS meals between the 3 of us (at a sitting) when we're at Disney - on the QS plan or paying OOP. When paying OOP we get dessert/ snack later in the day (not with the meal) which for us works out better. There is a lot of food with a CS meal IMO. I don't know if 2 people would work out well just sharing one meal because we've never done that.

Just food for thought - have a great trip!

 

[Kate0716]

Hi Freckles04,

As you can see from my signature, we are an experienced Disney family. With that said, we are big fans of the Dining Plan.

To decide if it will work out for you really depends on how much you want your DS to have a character meal experience or how important a sit-down meal is. For our family, that sit down meal (usually dinner) is our way to get out of the heat, cool off, and relax before heading out for more fun. My DS8 always looks forward to this cool-down time. Sit down food is also usually much better (IMO) than the CS options as well. I like that DS can get options of baked fish, spaghetti, or even steak (depending on the restaurant) instead of one more hot dog, burger, or chicken fingers meal. If you did a buffet sit down, then your son could also eat anything from the adult options as well - he would not only have to choose from the kids offerings.

If you want a character meal or a sit down, then no doubt the Regular Dining plan is the way to go. (IMO) With just that 1 sit down meal, it pretty much pays for the entire cost of your dining plan for the day (particularly with buffet prices!). That makes your counter service and snack free. However, it does mean you will (very likely) have to make an ADR and be a little less spontaneous, especially during summer season. Also, just because you get a dessert with the dp doesn't mean you have to order it. (My son rarely ever gets one, even if we offer a scoop of ice cream- he's not a big sweets kid either).

If you think that sit-downs are not the way you'd like to eat, then I wouldn't do the regular dining plan. As Dewdrop says, OOP or even the QS plan allows for that ultimate flexibility. You might also want to take a look at the Dining Reviews section of this board and read some of the posts (with pics of the food). That might help to determine if you think sharing apps/entrees would work for you as an option too.

 

[tigger536]

I would perhaps consider the deluxe DDP. You get 3 TS credits per day, plus snacks and 1 refillable mug per person. The deluxe is NOT too much food if you use it for the signatures.

In my opinion, the best way to make use of this plan for you would be to have a TS breakfast before the parks open, the share snacks (or a CS) during the day, then have a TS dinner at one of the signatures. Some of the signatures offer great childrens menu selections (California grill is a good example of this).

If you do this, yes, I would go ahead and make your ADRs in advance. But, last minute changes ARE possible, partucularly if you pick off peak dining times. That said, there are some ADRs that are near impossible to get last minute - LeCellier, Ohana, to name a few.

 

[freckles04]

Thanks everyone, for the the advice.

The more I plug numbers in, I think the Quick Service plan is not worth it. It comes out a little more than OOP when I plug numbers in... even budgeting for sales tax and one $4.00 snack each. So if I decide to eat counter service only, I'm going to go with OOP.

If I can get my act together, figure out where we're going on each day and make ADR's... the regular Dining Plan DOES come out to a better deal. But I just don't see myself being that organized. I'm going to try, though.

The deluxe dining plan is way out of my budget and we'd never eat that much anyway!

 

[goofy4tink]

Just be sure to add in those daily gratuities if using the DDP. That can add up. If it were me....I would just do oop. You can book a few ADRs for character meals if you think your ds will enjoy them. At least at the character meals, it's a buffet and he can eat as much as he wants, which is nicer than being limited to what's offered on a child's menu.

If you're going to do a table service meal each day, and then one quick service meal, then you may be better off with the DDP...you have to sit down and put it all down on paper. It's basically the only way to figure it all out. Just remember those tips. For a character meal, for the two of you, the tip would be about $10-12. That is going to add up over time.

 

[lions1995]

My family likes the dining plan. I personally enjoy having a TS once a day. It is our time to sit down, relax and talk a little (just like dinner time at home). I realize every family and trip is different. I would say, I would not do DDP ever. Too much food and too much planning even for an over planner like myself.

If you do decide on doing the TS DP, you may want to consider places like Crystal Palace, Chef Mickeys, Tuskar House, Hollywood and Vine for TS. These are buffets and would allow your little (big eater) guy soem serious food. I this they are the best bang for your buck on the DP, especially with kids. I think the DP for kids is around $12 / day (have not looked lately). That is way cheaper than what one of these places costs. I see you are going in August, which is certainly in your ADR time already, so you may want to see if the TS you want at the time you want is available before paying for the DP.