Deluxe dining

[3Rouselings]

I am planning my families second trip and like our first we are planning on going with the deluxe dining plan. I find there to be too much of a gap between the plans and my dh is a big eater so this is really the best way for us to go.

My current thought is that we will do a big sit down breakfast and a sit down supper every day. Then if/when we are hungry we can grab something at lunch. I realize that for some people this may seem like a waste of money (subbing a quick service for a table servce credit). I should also say that our kids are up at the crack of dawn so breakfast each day will be early and suppers would be later into early evening.

We are a family of five so eating out of pocket isn't an option, and I am a planner and like going knowing that all of our major expenses have been paid for. My questions are: can I substiute a quick serve meal or counter service meal for one of my table service credits AND am I missing something in the dining plan that may better meet our needs. For us two table serves and a quick serve plus the two snacks would be a perfect plan but I know that there are as many variations as families so it's impossible for Disney to meet everyone's wishes!! On our last trip we had a few credit left over and they let us convert them to snacks (3 snack = 1 meal credit) but I am hearing that this is no longer an option.

HELP!!

 

[TDC Nala]

On the deluxe plan, you do not get table service and counter service credits. You get meal credits, which can be used for either table service or counter service. Your choice what you spend them on. The biggest difference is that while appetizers are included with lunch and dinner at table service on the deluxe, with a counter service meal appetizers are not included.

Converting to snacks is no longer an option as of January 2012. The only option now is using them for continental breakfast at the resort CS, where you can choose one baked good, one piece of fruit and one beverage per meal credit, but you can't assemble your choice of snacks to trade for a meal credit anymore.

Another thing you might consider is doing some 2 credit signature restaurants or dinner shows.

 

[buzz1fan]

You can use a ts meal credit for a qs meal. We have done that. I would look at the numbers. I would look at the difference in the basic dine and deluxe. Then look at if u got the basic which meals u would pay oop. If u end up paying overall close to the deluxe or more than get deluxe. U are better off getting deluxe even if u "waste" credits for quick service meals. We do this often for2 night stays, we get there early in the morning on a Saturday stay 2 nights and leave monday afternoon . We have 6 meal credits for 3 days to use. Works well.

 

[Daphne W]

We did the deluxe dining plan in March for the first time and we loved it! We did a table service meal everyday and a table service meal at night. We loved being able to eat at the signature places and not have to give up any meals on other days to be able to enjoy this luxury. We did on most days get a counter service meal for lunch. My kids are creatures of habit and need three meals a day. I doubt we will go back to the regular dining plan again after being on the deluxe plan. The only thing we will do different is to add more of the signature meals to our schedule.

 

[3pletprincesses]

I seriously don't believe you will need the QS for lunch. we usually do early breakfast and early signature diner and use our snacks during the day and have yet to not fill full between those 2 meals and god knows DH can eat LOL We usually plan our meals in a way to keep at least 1 credit each for our week stay just in case we are hungry for a lunch but thet has yet to happen. We usually leave without using that credit or more like going to Earl and get a sandwich meal to go and take it with us to the airport or for our drive home.