CS lunch + TS dinner = full belly

[Cookie Princess]

We are trying to sort out how we are going to utilize the dining plan. I made most of our ADRs for dinner. I see a lot of people are using CS for lunch and then TS for dinner? I am worried that we will be too full to eat the complete "3 course dinner" if we have CS for lunch. Has anyone done CS for breakfast and then just a snack at lunch? I am not worried about DH who could consume the state of TX at each and every meal, but DS and I aren't big eaters. Is it still a good value to get a CS breakfast? HELP!

Signed...one frazzled planner

 

[Leota]

I'm not a huge eater, amount wise either - Love Food, but just in smaller amounts. This is what we did in August on the dining plan.
Skipped breakfast (just coffee or small snacks) and had an early CS lunch around 11:00 am as soon as CS opened.
Then we didn't have our TS dinners til around 8:00 pm. We like to dine a little later on vacation anyways.

I still couldn't finish all the food they gave us, but I was hungry at both meal times with that schedule.

 

[singingpixie]

we plan on doing about what Leota did. DBF doesn't eat breakfast, and isn't usually hungry for anything more than counter service until 7 or 8, so we'll probably do an earlier CS lunch and then a later dinner, scheduled around nighttime shows and such. Hopefully this along with all the walking will help us be able to sample all the wonderful food! -Meg

 

[bellarella]

Why not split your CS meals? Instead of using 2 CS for lunch, use one for breakfast and one for lunch and split each meal. That way you can get a good start to the day, have something for lunch and room for a good dinner.

 

[agotta]

Dh and I are planning on using one CS for breakfast and one for lunch. That way we figure we won't be so full by the time dinner comes around.

 

[jcemom]

I'm not sure how it happened, but we've ended up with several days of TS lunch and dinner, and several days of CS only. In the beginning planning stages I was going for one TS and one CS each day, some lunch and some dinner. Somehow it didn't end up that way, lol. So, I guess we'll get stuffed to bursting one day and then do counter service the next (if we're able to eat at all).

Actually, I do know how it happened I guess. Epcot has plenty of places we'd like to try, so on our Epcot day we have TS lunch and dinner. Sci-Fi is a must for us, and I wanted a Fantasmic Package, so on our MGM day we again have TS lunch and dinner. We're doing AK on the morning of MNSSHP...DS wanted to eat at Donald's and we have LTT before the party, so again two TS that day.

I can just see it now...half way through my vacation I'll be shopping for bigger clothing...at Disney prices...which will cancel out any benefit of the "free" dining.

 

[Tissa]

DS & I usually split a cs breakfast around 7am then lunch was around 12:00 with dinner around 6pm. Some days we split a cs lunch if we weren't that hungry. With breakfast you can get a banana for the dessert so I usually got that or the cheesecake and kept it in the room for a late night snack. We never got cs dessert while out at the parks. You didn't want to be that full before Tower of Terror.

 

[jcemom]

You didn't want to be that full before Tower of Terror.

We'll be sure to ride before we stuff ourselves.

 

[Cookie Princess]

I can just see it now...half way through my vacation I'll be shopping for bigger clothing...at Disney prices...which will cancel out any benefit of the "free" dining.

I will be right there with you searching for Hidden Mickey stretch pants!

 

[DisneyMomJen]

We just returned last week from using the meal plan. There were 5 of us, 3 adults (my son is 10) and 2 children. After the first day or so I realized that it is best to split the CS credits since for us it was really impossible to have such a big lunch and then a HUGE dinner. So, we could use 2 CS for 4 of us for lunch. A hint I used from the disboards was to order the double cheeseburger and ask for an extra bun which we had to pay for (anywhere for .50 - .80 cents). This easily fed 4 of us since my husband usually did not eat lunch. Also, I asked if we could exchange the dessert for an extra drink. The register person said to ask at the counter after we paid. This was no problem at all. We ate breakfast one morning on Main Street at the Bakery. This was not the wisest use of the CS credit. If you use the CS credit other places you can easily feed 2 people for breakfast since you can get a drink, meal and dessert which can be used for a donut or pastry. You can also use one of your snack credits to purchase the 2nd person juice or coffee. This does depend how much you are used to eating. We usually do not overeat and this was how the plan worked out best for us. I would definitely do the meal plan again!

 

[whacked]

I will be right there with you searching for Hidden Mickey stretch pants!

It looks like Mickey on the rack, but turns in to Baloo when you put them on.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

We are trying to sort out how we are going to utilize the dining plan. I made most of our ADRs for dinner. I see a lot of people are using CS for lunch and then TS for dinner? I am worried that we will be too full to eat the complete "3 course dinner" if we have CS for lunch. Has anyone done CS for breakfast and then just a snack at lunch? I am not worried about DH who could consume the state of TX at each and every meal, but DS and I aren't big eaters. Is it still a good value to get a CS breakfast? HELP!

Signed...one frazzled planner

This is what we are planning to do. Use our cs for breakfast and our ts for dinner and have a snack at lunch if we are hungry.

 

[amsafko]

I like your ideas of having CS for b-fast but I'm afraid we'll lose time getting to the parks - did you find it was hard to be at parks when they opened? We are going over Easter so it will be very crowded. We have two children: the oldest will be 4 and the youngest will be 2. Most days we plan on getting an early start at the parks (be there upon opening) and stay through lunch (was thinking of a CS for lunch) then go back to the hotel for a nap and swim. Then return for late afternoon at the same park and have a TS dinner. Does this sound like a good plan or should we use our CS for b-fast and have a snack for lunch with TS dinners. We are going to try to get some character b-fasts some days so that will change things up a bit. I was going to have dd's share their meals (older dd is a big eater, the other not so much). As you can tell I'm too much of a planner since this won't be until Easter, I just can not wait to go so planning helps me pass the time.

 

[agotta]

I like your ideas of having CS for b-fast but I'm afraid we'll lose time getting to the parks - did you find it was hard to be at parks when they opened? We are going over Easter so it will be very crowded. We have two children: the oldest will be 4 and the youngest will be 2. Most days we plan on getting an early start at the parks (be there upon opening) and stay through lunch (was thinking of a CS for lunch) then go back to the hotel for a nap and swim. Then return for late afternoon at the same park and have a TS dinner. Does this sound like a good plan or should we use our CS for b-fast and have a snack for lunch with TS dinners. We are going to try to get some character b-fasts some days so that will change things up a bit. I was going to have dd's share their meals (older dd is a big eater, the other not so much). As you can tell I'm too much of a planner since this won't be until Easter, I just can not wait to go so planning helps me pass the time.

You have the right idea with going back to the hotel in the afternoon, but cs lunch during Easter is mad!! I would bring breakfast for the room, get to the parks for open and use open EMH. Go to either your resort or a resort for a CS lunch and then head back to the parks in the afternoon and use your TS for dinner.

 

[Disneytrip]

This is the way to save lots of money and time--we usually bring one medium-sized duffle bag filled with bottled water, small Tropicana bottled OJ, cereal boxes, snacks, and styrofoam bowls and spoons. I pick up milk at the hotel's food court grocery area and use a the room fridge (hopefully your room has a fridge). My BF doesn't eat breakfast but I need it! I usually hand him a nutri grain bar as something to have if we don't get to lunch by 11:00. This way our stomachs are full and we are ready to go hit the park, and you don't have to worry about money or getting breakfast to room.