Dining & Fun Packages For DVC Members?

[BCVBRUCE]

Hello Everyone,

Way back in 1996, when my wife and I went to WDW on our honeymoon, we purchased the "Food & Fun" plan. This plan was excellent stand-alone add-on that we purchased in addition to our non-packaged stay at Port Orleans. Everyday, we were entitled to pre-paid meals and pre-paid recreation.

I know there is some thing similar with the Dream Maker package with all it's silver, gold and platinum add-ons. However, you MUST buy the Dream Maker package to take advantage of the add-ons. For anyone not familiar with the packages, click here.

When I made my most recent reservations, MS informed me that there was no such pre-paid plan available to DVC'ers because we did not purchase our stay at a WDW resort using the Basic Dream Maker package. MS informed me that this was popular question. I basically informed her to put me down as a DVC'er who was interested in pre-paid food & recreation. Maybe, one day a plan will be available to DVC'ers as an add-on.

If anone else is interested in such a plan, contact MS and let them know.

Have Fun,
Bruce

 

[Chuck S]

While there are certainly some DVCers that would want to take advantage of these plans, in the long run they save you little (if any) money, but are simply a convenience in that they are "pre-paid".

If you simply put aside the same amount of cash for your trip (perhaps on a pre-paid bank card type thing) and then ate where you preferred, you may actually save a little money.

At least this seems to have been the concensus when this topic has been discussed here in the past.

 

[Dean]

I agree with Chuck, little if any value there. Even with the Food n Fun, once they started requiring kids to eat from the Kids menu and took the fishing excursion out, it was a doomed plan with little value as well.

 

[starwood]

You might want to check on the budget board the threads about the meal vouchers from Hotwire and Connections. I'm planning on trying a few of these in April.

 

[Chuck S]

The meal vouchers available at AK are pretty good, too.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

The vouchers @ AK are awesome! I can't understand why WDW allows Hotwire/Connections/etc. to make so much money off the Q&C Meal Vouchers when they could be doing the same thing themselves by expanding the AK vouchers to the other parks.

Is park attendance @ AK so much lower that it is an enticement to get people in the park?

 

[Bracho]

I have to go with Chuck also.. before I got involved with DVC I purchased the packages just because I didn't want to deal with a budget everyday, not because it saved me any money. They should be seen simply as a convenience because when you break it down at the end of the trip by saving every receipts, you will spend ALOT more money then you could have eaten...LOL (and I can eat alot, trust me on this!!!).

Good Luck

 

[rocketriter]

I've done the food plans and they made our family uncomfortable. We felt that we had to have PS at as many nice restaurants as possible to get the value out, so every meal was a big sit-down time-consuming deal. We ate impossibly too much, got uncomfortable, and began to dread the meals. Too much of a good thing!

 

[Dean]

The last time I got the Food n Fun card, it cost us about $375 or so (3 nights for 4 people, 2 kids). Had we paid full price for everything, it would have cost us about $975 for what we did/ate. But the reality is we would never have did all the things or ordered all the meals we did., especially kids ordering adult meals, deserts and the like. I'd estimate our costs without the FnF would have been less than or close to what we actually spent. And studies have shown that after 3 days, the usage of these type of plans (All Inclusive) drops dramatically. That's why most AI plans require it for the LOS as did the FnF.

For us, the cheapest option the last few trips has been the Play 4 passes. They are FL resident only and cost anywhere from $99 to now $119 for a 4 day park hopper with blackouts and an expiration usually in the late summer or early fall.

 

[Poorman]

The best deal by far is the childrens meal at AK. You get a pizza , small drink and a bag of chips . Then you get a coupon for a soda/water and another for a popcorn or ice cream. All for $5.99 plus tax.

Originally posted by calypso*a*go-go
The vouchers @ AK are awesome! I can't understand why WDW allows Hotwire/Connections/etc. to make so much money off the Q&C Meal Vouchers when they could be doing the same thing themselves by expanding the AK vouchers to the other parks.

Is park attendance @ AK so much lower that it is an enticement to get people in the park?

 

[BCVBRUCE]

I definitely do see the points that several of you have made. However, I like the package deals for the convenience that they offer. I like the idea of a pre-paid vacation and not have to worry about budgets, receipts, etc. while I am trying to relax.

I am not worried about trying to beat WDW at its game and eating more than the cost of the plans (although, very easy to do).

I also enjoy slowing down in the day and taking time and eat a nice slow table service meal at a first class restaraunt. I do not mind being "forced" to eat 2+ meals a day. Remember, we have 40+ years to see all of WDW. We do not have to squeeze it all in in a matter of days.

I think the convenience of the packages is the main plus. Did we not all "Pre-Pay" 40+ years of vacation for convenience, value and to be "forced" to take time out of our busy lives and relax at least once per year?

Have Fun,
Bruce

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

Originally posted by Poorman
The best deal by far is the childrens meal at AK. You get a pizza , small drink and a bag of chips . Then you get a coupon for a soda/water and another for a popcorn or ice cream. All for $5.99 plus tax.

how do I buy these?
Steph

 

[crisi]

We don't feel a need for the plans for the convience aspect. Years ago, it would have been nice - when we traveled with travelers checks and we worried about budget and carrying those checks or cash around. Nowadays, everything goes on the room card - can't be any more convienent than that. And since we are pretty sure we won't charge as much as the plan anyway, we just budget to pay a plan sized bill when the charge bill arrives.

Apparently, years ago, such a plan was offered to DVCers, but it sold so poorly it was dropped.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I don't think there would be a demand for a food plan for DVCers in that the units come with a full kitchen or kitchenette(studio). Our firsttrip to OKW, before we were owners, the little kitchenette in the studio saved us a TON of money that we normally spend on food. We were able to eat breakfast in the room every morning (fridge, toaster, coffee maker) and with the fridge, we could store cold cuts for sandwiches if we can park from the parks early. Don't even get me started on how much we save now that we stay in the 1 bedroom with the full kitchen!

 

[Chuck S]

3Disneynuts,

The AK vouchers are available at the counter service restaurants and AK guest services. The adult version is about $12 and allows you to order any of the adult entrees from the counter service restaurants and a drink, it also includes an ice cream or popcorn and another drink during the day. It is a 3 part tear-off voucher (1 for entree & drink, 1 for popcorn/ice cream and 1 for the additional drink). All three portions must be used on the day of purchase, so sometimes we simply get the extra drink and take it with us when we leave the park.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

Thanks Chuck that is a good deal IMO