Dining Plan Dilemma

[KittyKat1978]

A little background:

I have been to WDW twice with friends. Once Sept 09 w/FD (regular) and again in Sept 11 w/FD (quick service).

Both times brought our breakfast (cearal the first time and oatmeal the second time). I am not a big breakfast person, but I do have a snack between breakfast and lunch when I am working when I only eat cearal.

I am going again in Sept (see a pattern here) w/FD (QS) by myself.

I have been looking at upgrading to the regular dining plan.

The cost to upgrade would be around $140 (upgrade and tips).

If I stayed with the QSDP and pay out of pocket for the 4 TS that I want to try it would cost me around $140. And if I stayed on the QS I could use the 4 extra QS meals to buy breakfast (I would have 6 QS in total because I arrive to WDW after dinner and leave WDW just after breakfast). I would have to buy one breakfast O/P for a total of $10.

Recap:

Upgrade to Regular dining cost $140 and I would have to bring breakfast for 6 days

Don't upgrade and pay O/P $150 (4 TS & 1 QS) but I have read that breakfast is not a good use of dining credits.

I am confused as to what to do. What do you think?

 

[Granfan]

How can it not be a good value when it is free. I would not upgrade. Keep the money and pay as you go for the dinners and the one breakfast. You will then have more flexibility to order at your table service meals or even to skip a meal.

 

[danceintherain]

In both scenarios, you're getting 1 TS, 1 QS, and 1 Snack (I think I read somewhere that the QS plan no longer includes two, but it will only benefit you in this calculation if it does). The only difference being that one includes an extra quick service meal.
In both scenarios, you're planning on paying around $150 for a third meal. The only difference being that one includes a hot meal and the other breakfast cereals.

It seems to me, that sticking with the quick service plan actually gets you more food for the same cost. Regardless of how good a value breakfast is on the dining plan, you're basically getting it as "free" meal anyways. If you were paying extra for a meal you weren't going to eat it would be something altogether different. The way it looks, you don't even have to eat the second quick service meal to break even with the regular dining plan. If you do, it's just a bonus.
Unless, of course, I'm missing something.....