Deserts at Counter Service

[Tbella]

I am getting the regular dining plan for our September trip. I was going over some of the counter service menus and the deserts just don't seem appealing to me. Can I skip the desert when I am ordering my counter service meal and then use the desert meal credit for a desert at another place, say like the Magic Kingdom Bakery or the Bakeries in Epcot? If so, what is the process. Thanks for any information you can give me.

 

[jazzyscoob]

You would not be able to save the dessert option for a different place. You can swap the dessert for a bottle of water or fruit at most CS.

 

[Tbella]

thank you that's good to know. would I be able to use it at the bakeries as well and what is the procedure? Do I specify at the bakery that I want to purchase a pastry for a desert credit and not a snack credit?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

There is no such thing as a dessert credit. There is a meal credit, or a snack credit. If you don't get a desert with your meal the meal credit is still gone. You will have to use another credit to get a different dessert at a bakery.

 

[jazzyscoob]

If you wanted a dessert from either the France or Norway bakery you could use a quick service meal credit. You could pick a sandwich, drink and a dessert. We really enjoy the sandwich options at both places so it is a good use of a quick service meal for us.

 

[Tbella]

Thank you all for the clarifying Hopefully they will let us swap for fruit.

 

[lauraleh]

I've done a lot of research about CS desserts since we will be on the QSDP and there are some places that have great desserts! I've planned on going to many of those. For instances, Boardwalk Bakery. You can order an entree and then pick one of their fabulous desserts. Other places that have well known good desserts are Contempo Cafe, Starring Rolls, Sunshine Seasons, lots of places in the World Showcase (France, Norway especially come to mind), Be Our Guest (lunch), Wolfgang Puck Express and many more! You aren't limited to the typical "Disney chocolate cake" if you do your research!

We do have some places that we will be switching the dessert out for fruit and then using a snack credit later for something sweet if we need it. Flametree is one that comes to mind.

 

[purple figment]

Thank you all for the clarifying Hopefully they will let us swap for fruit.

The fruit is often the apple slices or grapes that are on the kids menu.

 

[Tbella]

I've done a lot of research about CS desserts since we will be on the QSDP and there are some places that have great desserts! I've planned on going to many of those. For instances, Boardwalk Bakery. You can order an entree and then pick one of their fabulous desserts. Other places that have well known good desserts are Contempo Cafe, Starring Rolls, Sunshine Seasons, lots of places in the World Showcase (France, Norway especially come to mind), Be Our Guest (lunch), Wolfgang Puck Express and many more! You aren't limited to the typical "Disney chocolate cake" if you do your research!

We do have some places that we will be switching the dessert out for fruit and then using a snack credit later for something sweet if we need it. Flametree is one that comes to mind.

This is very helpful! Thank you! This should be a thread of its own: "Best Counter Service Deserts."

 

[Tbella]

The fruit is often the apple slices or grapes that are on the kids menu.

That doesn't sound appealing at all .

 

[purple figment]

There might be some CS that have a fruit garnish or a fruit cup as part of an entree so you could ask if that would qualify for the dessert component, but unfortunately there aren't many venues that offer fruit cups on their menu. Because you have to use the entire CS credit in one place many opt to get a bottle of water for the dessert component.

 

[LJSquishy]

You forfeit the dessert portion of your CS meal if you do not use it right when you purchase your entree and drink. As the others said, you may substitute bottled water or prepackaged grapes or a prepackaged cookie if they have those items available. You may not save your dessert allotment to use at another establishment since there are no dessert credits. You will have quick service/counter service credits (1 QS credit = Entree, Beverage, Dessert) and you will have Snack credits (1 Snack Credit = A single-serve snack food item with the DDP logo).

If you are paying for the dining plan I would rethink it and consider paying out of pocket if you aren't interested in the desserts offered. Honestly, they were all close to terrible...the only decent ones we had were at Sunshine Seasons and Columbia Harbour House was not too bad. We mostly subbed desserts for a cookie. Also, at Tangeirine Cafe you must get the baklava with your meal, they will not let you sub for one of their tasty desserts if you're on the DDP.

 

[Southern Bell]

I personally wish they would take the desert away on the quick service dining plan and give me back 2 snacks instead! Most of the time we don't even want a desert after a meal but would enjoy it later. It would give you more choices! I even gave some of my desert away to a family standing in line beside me, after asking their parents, if it was OK.

We ate a couple of meals at our resort and found them to be a little more flexable than a couple of places we asked inside the theme parks and of course more convenient to save something. I was able to get a pastry to save for breakfast, and juice or milk for the drink.

I just asked a couple of places for something different, and was denied, it was either cake, yogurt, give it away or throw it away! LOL! I'm certainly going to keep in mind what lauraleh posted!

 

[leeber01]

I think you can also ask for ice cream, if they have it, right? And that can be done so you get it a little while later.

Does anyone know more about this?

 

[eeyoresmom]

Ice cream is available at mostly resort food courts.Outside of Sunshine Season's at Epcot I can't think of another in park place that offers ice cream as a dessert option. Even here it is the frozen novelties. Some of the resorts offer ice cream as a dessert option (Some have actual cones/bowls/ sundeas, some have the novelties such as mickey bars in a seperate cooler). Everytime I have asked for fruit instead of dessert I have gotten the small grape packages that come with the kids meals. You really have to research if desserts are important. There are some great options but if you will be eating your qs in the parks, you will be much more limited in terms of desserts.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Yep. No saving the dessert portion of the credit and using it someplace else, but the restaurant may (or may not - depends on which one) allow you to substitute water or those packages of fruit (grapes or apples I think) that they have for the kids meals. If you skip the dessert entitlement entirely at the time you order, it's gone.

I think you can also ask for ice cream, if they have it, right? And that can be done so you get it a little while later.

If ice cream is available at the QS you're at, you can come back and get the ice cream later, but no more than an hour, and it must be at the same QS place. That's so you don't have to worry about it melting while you eat your entree.

 

[purple figment]

I think you can also ask for ice cream, if they have it, right? And that can be done so you get it a little while later.

Does anyone know more about this?

Ice cream as a dessert option is mainly at some of the resort food courts. When you go up to the cashier to pay you have to tell them that you want ice cream as your dessert. The cashier will put a time limit on your receipt (probably about an hour) for you to come back for the ice cream.

 

[nkereina]

You can always ask for the dessert to go, and most places will be able to box it up or put it in a bag for you to take back to your room, if convenient.

We've often swapped for a bottle of water which I throw in my bag. And as another note, we we were able to convert a leftover QS credit into two snack credits about two years ago. They did this for us at the POR food court before we headed home. Not sure if this is the norm or if you'd be able to do it elsewhere, but something to consider.

 

[DJFan88]

You can always ask for the dessert to go, and most places will be able to box it up or put it in a bag for you to take back to your room, if convenient.

I like this option. Sometimes you're full, but if you take something (not as perishable, like one of those big cookies) you can have it in a little while when ready.