Club Level room and Counter Service Dining Plan?

[holbie18]

We are staying Club Level @ the Poly in a few weeks. We arrive around 7PM on a Monday and leave around 6PM on a Saturday (five nights). It is myself, my husband, son (age 9) and daughter (age 7).

I know we will use the club lounge for breakfast but I cannot decide if I want to purchase CS dining plan for us. I've checked out the club level appetizer food and it is nothing I am too wild about so I don't imagine myself filling up on that food. We are hoping to hit parks at rope drop, come back in the afternoon for a rest, and then go back out, possibly having dinner at the parks.

Husband enjoys Starbucks @ least once, possibly twice a day. Snacks the kids are going to want in the parks are ice cream cones and other stuff that we typically don't let them have.

I know what works for one family might not work for others. I'm just interested in thoughts. I see pros and cons each way. On one hand, I think it will be more food than we can eat, but on the other hand I'm not worried about costs while we are at the parks since it is already paid for.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

CS is one snack a day per person. While you can break 1 CS into 3 snacks, it has to be done in a single transaction. So you'd need to be buying 3 snacks in one place to do that.

It sounds like you'd be doing more snacks than meals, with Starbucks and snacks.

 

[GPC0321]

I have no actual experience, but we're doing essentially the same thing. We're staying Business Class at Coronado, which is their "club level" and will be using the lounge for breakfasts most mornings (except our BOG breakfast one morning), and will use our 2 QS credits for lunch and dinner. Snack credits will get used whenever we get the urge to use them, I'm not too worried about it. If we have a bunch left over at the end, we'll go to Goofy's and stock up on goodies to bring back with us. I imagine snack time will probably come later at night when we're out and about for fireworks and such.

Like you, I just like the peace of mind knowing we'll definitely have more than enough food available and it's all paid for. We'll graze along as necessary.

 

[senadler]

Since you have not experienced club level before and don't know how much other food you will want, I would not add any dining plan. I think you will be better off paying OOP for whatever you want in additional to the club level offerings.

 

[holbie18]

I think I have decided to do the Quick Service plan. I was looking at menus and prices over the weekend. My nine year old is an adventurous eater. He's going to want to order adult quick service, which I have heard you can do at Quick Service locations. Assuming he is doing that, then the OOP costs versus the DP costs are pretty similar. However, if he sticks to child meals then OOP is better. Daughter and I may be able to share some quick service meals (such as 1/2 chickens) and that would leave us additional QS credits that can be used on snacks all at once so that my husband can use a snack credit a day at Starbucks. But usually when he goes into Starbucks with the kids he comes out with a coffee and the kids come out with cake pops....

Let me know if I am mistaken that my nine year old can order off the regular menu for quick service. If he can't I may have to re-evaluate again.

 

[jon18uk]

If you weren't on the dining plan, would you actually want the desert that comes with each meal? I wouldn't. Generally if you don't have the dessert then its cheaper to pay OOP. That also gives you the freedom to have an ice cream elsewhere later instead of the dessert at the same time as the meal. Plus if you are in club level there will be plenty of options for dessert anyway.