CS breakfast on DDP; I'm confused!!

[leebee]

What am I allowed to have for breakfast on the DDP if I am using my counter service credits? We will be staying at POP. I have seen all kinds of conflicting reports... you can get this, you can't get that, etc. SO... we will be using just our cs credits, as we are saving our snacks for F&W, and we will have resort mugs...

Big breakfast combo meal platter... what else? Juice, water?
If you get JUST waffles (no meat or platter/combo), is that it with a beverage, or can you get a side of fruit or something?
Can you put together a collection of things and have it count as a cs credit or will they take snack credits for this? (I'm thinking along the lines of cereal with milk and a side of toast or fruit).

This is not a completely affordable vacation, so we are trying to maximize where we can (for example, 3 of us will share 2 cs credits for both bfast and lunch as we have a few extra from the first night when we won't be arriving until 10pm). We ARE choosing to use that extra ts credit for dinner at CaliGrill on Sat night during Wishes, though... magic!!

 

[TDC Nala]

In general, a CS meal is: One entree or combo, and one beverage. No sides, no dessert, no appetizer. WDW used to permit a second beverage in lieu of the dessert, but they stopped doing that at the beginning of 2011. The dessert allotment is now just forfeited; you can't substitute anything else for it.

At some CS, like Main Street Bakery or a "continental" breakfast like they have at some of the resorts, which do not sell typical "entrees or combos" you may be able to get two pastries or one savory item and one sweet item.

Cereal with milk is likely considered an entree and you aren't entitled to a side. Used to be you'd also get a beverage as they wouldn't count milk for the cereal as beverages.

By most reports it is not permitted to swap out your beverage for an extra food item - you have to take a beverage.

 

[leebee]

Thanks, TDCNala. When we did the DDP two years ago, it was very confusing trying to figure out what went with what, because different cashiers permitted different things. I had heard that Disney was cracking down, and I really don't want to pay oop because we aren't aware of what's included.

 

[havoc315]

Actually, cereal is considered a snack item at most of the food courts. Though conflicting reports on whether they will include milk or not.

At Contempo Cafe we could essentially build our own breakfast -- 2 "snack" items and a beverage, for a CS credit. So cereal, a fruit cup, and a milk.... redeemed for 1 CS credit.

 

[bbear400]

We did this almost every day just last week too. I "built" a breakfast of 3 snack items(cereal,milk and coffee OR oatmeal, fruit cup and drink, OR biscuit/gravy, muffin and coffee). It is a great option. It isn't costing them anymore than if you ordered the big platter and a drink so I cannot see why they would stop allowing it? We used up all our snacks but had about 7 counter service meals left on our last day. They let us get 21(7X3) snack items in the food court. We got chips, pop tarts, drinks, fruit and rice krispie treats. They would not however let us do this at the candy store or anyplace where they do not sell complete meals. They said they don't have the proper button on their computer to ring up the 3 snacks as a "continental" meal. But we had no problem at the food courts at the value resorts.

 

[TDC Nala]

The availability of the continental meal is going to depend entirely on whether or not the restaurant itself or even the individual cashier is being very strict on the dining plan allotments and doesn't have anything to do with whether or not it would cost more. It is not an official part of the DDP allotments. Ask before you order what your options are, and you might want to go back to the cashier you asked.

Apparently the CS at resorts are fine with allowing you to trade your CS credits in for mulltiple snacks (I wasn't thinking about snacks as breakfast but that can be done), but that's not official either, and the number of snacks you can get might even change from resort to resort, ask what you can get before you load up on snacks and go to the counter.

 

[TravelAgentJen]

The deluxe plan is meant to be used for table service restaurants, that's how you save the money that it's suppose to save you. So if you use a table credit at the food court or whatever to get a breakfast you've wasted some of the money you spent on your dinning plan is how I feel. I could not get myself to do this. I guess if you really got your money's worth with your other dinning choices I guess it would still work out in your favor probably. But I would rather pay op for the few mix and match shared items for breakfast for maybe $15 for two and do a signature meal with the extra credit. But if you used the credit for a quick meal there are really no substitutions to make up for what you could have got with a table meal. You'll get like a waffle maybe w/fruit topping and one drink or a breakfast platter w/a drink etc. One food item and a drink. If you were to get a side of fruit and that wasn't stated as comes with the platter or whatever that would be extra I would expect.http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/surf.gif

 

[Mrs D]

The deluxe plan is meant to be used for table service restaurants, that's how you save the money that it's suppose to save you. So if you use a table credit at the food court or whatever to get a breakfast you've wasted some of the money you spent on your dinning plan is how I feel. I could not get myself to do this. I guess if you really got your money's worth with your other dinning choices I guess it would still work out in your favor probably. But I would rather pay op for the few mix and match shared items for breakfast for maybe $15 for two and do a signature meal with the extra credit. But if you used the credit for a quick meal there are really no substitutions to make up for what you could have got with a table meal. You'll get like a waffle maybe w/fruit topping and one drink or a breakfast platter w/a drink etc. One food item and a drink. If you were to get a side of fruit and that wasn't stated as comes with the platter or whatever that would be extra I would expect.http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/surf.gif

TAJen, I think the OP is using the term DDP to mean Disney Dining Plan NOT Deluxe Dining Plan. She is looking at using a CS credit (counter serve) not a TS (table serve) for breakfast.

 

[Dizneydaz]

We were able to do the "continental" breakfast last year at POP. 2 sides and (then) 2 beverages. I'm pretty sure they told us we could only get 2 options. 3 would be even better.

I will find out myself in just 1 week.

 

[elainesj]

when I was at Pop in Jan this year, I was allowed one entree and one beverage.

At the end of our trip we went to Boardwalk Cafe and tried to trade in a CS for 3 snacks. One server said it was OK but when we got to the grumpy cashier, she said no way....we didn't have enough snack credits left so she ended up removing some pastries from our order. (The way it was done - she damaged them and really the only thing she could have done with them afterwards was toss them).

So, worth a try - but don't count on it.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Just a thought - if you are trying to stretch your dining credits, wouldn't it be more cost efficient to use your CS credits for lunch or dinner? You get much more food & it will hold everyone longer. Then for breakfast, use your snack credits for pastries, biscuits/gravy, etc. Also, we often saved our evening TS dessert in our room fridge & ate it for breakfast; then if need, use a snack credit between breakfast & lunch.

Another way to stretch your DDP credits is to share a lot of the BIG portions offered, such as, Pecos Bill, Cosmic Ray's, POR create own pasta, Starring Rolls huge sandwiches & cupcakes, etc.

Some families also take some cereal along for breakfast in the room, or if a car is available, buy locally for a cheap breakfast.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[catne]

OP, if you're at one of the resorts with the big food courts you should be able to get the breakfast platters...we found these to be plenty for 2 people to split. For example, there was a "Bounty Platter" that included eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon, and waffle...plus a beverage.

Can tell you 100% for sure if you get one of the single-item entrees like waffles you do not get any sides with this. Now there is a "platter" version where you get a waffle & sausage or waffle and bacon.

If you're paying cash for any meals, do it at breakfast...by far the least expensive food at Disney. At POFQ, hubby kept getting the biscuits & gravy--plateful of "food" for under $4 (I say "food" because I couldn't eat that slop every day, but he thinks it's heavenly, lol.)

 

[Bete]

The first time just try whatever and see what the CM cashier will say.

You may want to even try a second cashier if you don't like the results.

Unfortunately, each day may be different results.

 

[2Tiggies]

The first time just try whatever and see what the CM cashier will say.

You may want to even try a second cashier if you don't like the results.

Unfortunately, each day may be different results.

This is so true. A few weeks ago we stopped at Main Street Bakery to grab a sandwich, pastry and a juice with a CS credit. It was quite late and they had no more sandwiches. I was offered a piece of whole fruit as a sub or a kids PB&J (we only had adult credits as no kids on our reservation). I pointed out to the cashier that we would rather have two pastries or something similar if that was the case as a piece of fruit and pastry was not really a fair redemption of a dining credit when I had no choice as they were out of sandwiches. The CM at the register helpfully suggested that I rather use TWO CS credits and get two pastries and 2 juices

I am very confident that if there had been someone else there at the time, I would have had no problems with getting a $3 pastry instead of a $7 sandwich, which they didn't have available.

The point is, no matter where you go, or what time of day it is, there is always the possiblity of a different answer from someone else ... and in Disney it is more a probabilty than a possibilty

 

[Celidh]

What am I allowed to have for breakfast on the DDP if I am using my counter service credits? We will be staying at POP. I have seen all kinds of conflicting reports... you can get this, you can't get that, etc. SO... we will be using just our cs credits, as we are saving our snacks for F&W, and we will have resort mugs...

Big breakfast combo meal platter... what else? Juice, water?
If you get JUST waffles (no meat or platter/combo), is that it with a beverage, or can you get a side of fruit or something?
Can you put together a collection of things and have it count as a cs credit or will they take snack credits for this? (I'm thinking along the lines of cereal with milk and a side of toast or fruit).

This is not a completely affordable vacation, so we are trying to maximize where we can (for example, 3 of us will share 2 cs credits for both bfast and lunch as we have a few extra from the first night when we won't be arriving until 10pm). We ARE choosing to use that extra ts credit for dinner at CaliGrill on Sat night during Wishes, though... magic!!

I know what you mean about it not being an affordable trip. It took me two years to save up enough money to go. Here is what we did with our QS credits...

We were at POP for our first trip this past September. My mom was able to get oatmeal, a biscuit or something like that and a drink and depending on the cashier, she was able to either use one QS credit or 3 snack credits for this. Like most other things at Disney it seems, there is no rule, it all depends on who you ask.

We were a group of 6 (3 adults, 2 juniors and one child) and all had the adult QS plan. (my daughter was only 8 but we upgraded her to adult) A couple mornings we got 3 bounty platters at POP with 3 juices or milks and split it. The kids had the milk or juice, my mom and partner got coffee in their refillable mugs and me, being horrible, had diet coke in mine. That way we only used 3 meal credits but fed all six of us. My daughter and I or my partner and I split a couple of meals in the parks to make up for and we were still able to use the rest of our credits for other meals rather than buying breakfast and using our meal credits for lunch and supper.

Suggestion for dessert at POP, get the sundae or the apple blossom. My daughter ate a huge sundae every chance she got. I have no idea where such a little girl put so much food. She ate half the adult cheeseburger, the fries, the larger milk not the kids one and the big sundae about 4 times on our trip. She is 8, is about 4' 5" and weighs 65lbs. Not a big girl at all. I don't know how she didn't blow up. I love the apple blossoms and you can have it with ice cream. ( I don't eat ice cream but had whip cream instead) Just tell the cashier you want that for dessert and they stamp your receipt and you bring it to the sundae area for them to make it when you are done eating. You have I think 90 minutes in which to get it after you "pay".

I must say, I was a bit concerned about only having two meals a day because my kid always seem to be hungry and wanting to eat but let me tell you, everyone who warned me it was lots of food was right. Between being busy seeing everything, the heat and the fact that you get dessert with lunch or supper, we had tonnes to eat. If I knew I wasn't going to want dessert but didnt' want to waste it, I chose something like a cookie I could take with me or got a drink for later.

Okay, I know this was a bit long, but I miss Disney and want to go back!!!

 

[Dizneydaz]

We just got back from POP. We were able to get a "contintenal combo" anytime of day consisting any of 3 snack items. I confirmed it with the cashier-ANY 3 SC items. One day we got 3 pastries, a ice cream novelty, bowl of fruit, and cranberry juice for breakfast-2 SC. A few days later we were able to get 3 ice cream sundaes as a "continental combo" The cashier at the ice cream counter had a little trouble with it but the manager was able to show her how to ring it up as a "combo".

Truthfully, we didn't use many CS for breakfast. It's really not a good use of your credits. You only get 1 entree and 1 beverage at breakfast. At lunch and dinner you get that and a dessert (usually any snack item counts as a dessert)

 

[firecracker725]

Just a thought - if you are trying to stretch your dining credits, wouldn't it be more cost efficient to use your CS credits for lunch or dinner? You get much more food & it will hold everyone longer. Then for breakfast, use your snack credits for pastries, biscuits/gravy, etc. Also, we often saved our evening TS dessert in our room fridge & ate it for breakfast; then if need, use a snack credit between breakfast & lunch.

Another way to stretch your DDP credits is to share a lot of the BIG portions offered, such as, Pecos Bill, Cosmic Ray's, POR create own pasta, Starring Rolls huge sandwiches & cupcakes, etc.

Some families also take some cereal along for breakfast in the room, or if a car is available, buy locally for a cheap breakfast.

Enjoy your trip.

This!

If it were me, I'd just shove some cereal bars and pop tarts in my suitcase before I'd waste credits on CS breakfast.