I have been carefully reading every blog, and obsessively watching every vlog, then crunched numbers, in separate spreadsheets, to evaluate the DDP for an upcoming stay for myself (vegan) and DS 19 (omnivore/leans heavy carnivore).
The TS plan does not work for us. Too much food, too much dessert, too much sitting.
The QS plan makes good sense for us.
We prefer the QS restaurants that represent good value on the QS plan. I can see myself enjoying a cocktail with lunch/dinner. My son would enjoy selecting the most expensive (red meat) option and specialty drink.
Our meals will therefore easily surpass the $25 pp per QS meal.
We both enjoy Starbuck's and those drinks easily break the $6 floor for snack credits.
We enjoy the Blue/Green milk and other more costly snacks.
We eat breakfast at our hotel in the morning, and pack fruit and water bottles (to fill at parks).
After crunching the numbers, the QS plan would save us ~$100 over the week. Not too bad!
Importantly, I noticed how I *felt* while I was typing the numbers into my "budget limiting" spreadsheet -- omitting all (alcohol and specialty) drinks, all snacks, and selecting the least expensive (yet still desired) option at each QS restaurant.
It just didn't *feel* good.
The QS plan would save a bit of $, and, would love provide the freedom of selecting more expensive (and desired) food and drinks, plus experiment more, push more culinary boundaries, and allow myself the freedom of allowing my son the freedom to select any option, including encouraging him to select a drink (instead of ordering water with meals, to respect the budget), and not worry about the inevitable sticker shock that the receipt produces.
I will use my Target Circle Card to purchase the Disney GC for the 5% discount (perhaps even wait for a Costco deal), thus making the QS DDP even more advantageous.
Math matters... and so do feelings... lol.
I've done the table service dining plan before covid and the amount of scheduling was my main complaint.
