Dining Plan Confusion

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

I was wondering if anyone could explain the dining plan a little better to me? I looked it up online but since I've never used it before was confused on how many places actually accept it in Disney World. You see my husband and I are very spontaneous, stop, grab, and go kind of people, and are trying to decide if the dining plan would work for us. Is it available everywhere? Like at all of the resorts cafeterias and restaurants? Any places where it is not accepted? Thanks so much in advance!

 

[HB2K]

Here's how the system works, at least how it's been told to me. We're going next week so I can follow up then as well.

For every night you have purchased in your package you will receive the following for each member in your package:

1 Counter Service Meal which is made up of

• 1 Non alcoholic beverage (Soda, Milkshake, etc)
• 1 Entree or Value Meal
• 1 Desert

1 Snack which is one of the following

• Popcorn
• Ice Cream Novelty (Mickey Bar, etc)
• Bottle of Soda
• Medium Fountain Drink
• Bottle of Water
• Milk

And finally 1 table service meal which entitles each member to the following:

• 1 Appetizer
• 1 Entree
• 1 Non Alcoholic Beverage
• 1 Desert

We did the package for a few reasons. First off it's nice to be able to pre-pay for our food....one less variable to worry about when we get there.

Second it's going to save us money. Normally we planned about $100 a day for our family of 3 1/2. The food package cost us $80 / day.

Third the food package is "making" us eat nice meals which we normally wouldn't have done due to cost (at least not in the once a day frequency). So instead of eating counter service all week with one or two sit down meals sprinkled in, we're eating all over the place, which for these Disney vets opens up a whole new experince.

With table service meals being an integral part of the package, your experince may be hit or miss if you want to be able to walk up to a restaurant when you're ready to eat. We setup our Priority Seating arraingments but we are now pretty much bound to a schedule...which will also be a first for us...

There are restaurants which are not included (first springing to mind is Victoria & Alberts at the Grand Floridian....not like we would have eaten there anyway). There are also some restaurants which are labeled "Signature" restaurants which require you to trade TWO of your counter service meals to eat there once. Off the top of my head this list includes the Hollywood Brown Derby, Hoop De Doo Review, California Grill, Le Cellier, and others. A whole list can be found on www.disneyworld.com. I think just about all character dining (including the Princesss & Cindy breakfasts) are included in the package and count as a single table service meal....

 

[Chuck S]

I think HB2K meant to say that the Signature restaurants require 2 table service options, not 2 counter service options.

 

[HB2K]

I think HB2K meant to say that the Signature restaurants require 2 table service options, not 2 counter service options.

OOPS! Chuck is right.

 

[drogerstn]

According to Dinsey Dining Plan Brochure , you can use the options in any order during your stay.

For a family of four "adults", the cost was $35 per person per day when I did a reservation check recently. If we were to average one table service meal (non-Signature Restaurant) and one counter service meal each day plus a snack each day, this would be close to break-even for us (good chance that we would spend less than $35 each depending on what we order).

We manage to eat some meals in our room and some off site during a visit, so we don't average one table service meal a day. Also, when we do a table service meal, we usually do a breakfast buffet or a lunch and use that time as a break time for the day; there is less value in the plan for table service meals at lunch time.