dining plan for one?

[minnie4me]

My mom is coming to WDW w/ us, but staying in her own room. TA says she can get a package deal, we already have tix. Trying to decide if it is worth it...free dining would be great, but not sure she will qualify. Going June 12th thru 18th. I was thinking of her getting the qs plan. That way we could get a qs breakfast and lunch free each day. Get the biggest we can and share then pay oop for others. Do you know the cost? Which plans get a free refill mug? I think qs does. I am assuming you can fill with any fountain drink? I would save my soda drinking for that and get water with meal. Do they have sugar free or light lemonade at drink fountains? I forget. If we went with regular dining plan, I imagine at TS meals, her check would be separate from our (DH, DS & me) but we could just tip once, we are paying oop. I hate trying to seem cheap, but I also hate paying too much for food, anywhere

 

[hannahdrewmom]

QS does get the free refill mug although it would be hard to carry around throughout the day I would think. I'd crunch the numbers though... depending on where you are staying it may still be cheaper to do a room only discount. The qsdp really doesn't save you very much as opposed to oop in general. So if you can equal the price per person for the dining plan with a room discount I'd go room discount and not be tied to the dining plan. That way you were more flexible.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

And the refillable mugs are only vqlid at the Resort, not in the Parks.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And meals & credits can't be shared with persons not on a dining plan.

 

[catne]

I'd be surprised if free dining were offered in June.

Don't quite understand part of your post. Does she already have tickets? (You said "we have tix"...wondering does that include your mom having tix too?) Because if so, she would still have to buy ticket again, at least for one day, to get a room & tickets package. You have to book a package to be able to add the dining plan. (If they offered free dining in June, you have to buy a package with at least 2 days park tickets & room at rack rate. If you're paying for the dining plan, your room package must include at least one day's ticket. So also wondering about your comment "if we went with the regular dining plan...separate tickets, etc." If you already have tickets, you'd also have to rebook your room as room & tickets package--paying for tickets again--in order to add the regular dining plan to your room.)

 

[Faldred]

If your mom is on the dining plan, but you are not, she is not supposed to buy or share food with you, according to plan terms.

Also, free dining for a single guest in a room is likely not going to be the best discount available. Room rate discounts are more likely to be greater savings.

 

[minnie4me]

We both got a discounted room rate, so I guess I am basically comparing 30% off room (I think it was that or 25%) to her getting a qs plan. I figure, breakfast and lunch you sit where ever, no server, so who knows who ate what....
She does not have park tix yet...so if TA wants to add them to her room does she loose room discount? TA seems to want to do this, but if that was the case, it wouldn't seem right. I can get her tix thru Undercover tourist, like we got ours.

 

[kmedina]

I have never been lucky enough to go during the free dining promotion. We still get the dining plan, because it is worth the cost if you use it right. The deluxe plan works the best for us, but I say you get whichever one works the best for her. If you are not planning on eating at many table service meals, get the quick service plan. Technically, you are not supposed to share (and we get the deluxe, so we never need to share). However, you are welcome to eat anything that your mom cannot finish on this plan. That is better than throwing it away. The mug can only be refilled at the quick service location in her hotel. There are a variety of drinks you can put in the mug. It usually excludes milk, juice, alcohol (of course) and some others. My son only drinks milk and bottled water, so his mug is basically a waste (but it comes with the deluxe plan, so we get it).

If you get the regular dining plan, you are still welcome to do the same as above with your quick service meals. Table service is a little bit more tricky. If you are eating at a family service or buffet, she obviously cannot share with you. Everyone would need to pay for themselves. If it is a sit down table service meal, you are more than welcome to order an appetizer or something small and eat whatever your Mom cannot. Disney does not charge plate splitting fees that I am aware of. The wait staff will not likely discourage this. I do suggest you order something (even if it is very small) since you are taking a space in the restaurant. That gives the wait staff a little extra in the form of tip. It would not be fair to take that space if you do not order anything in my opinion.

You can pay separately from your Mom or just have them deduct her dining plan meal from your bill. For tipping purposes, you will see what the entire meal would have cost if she did not have the plan. That way, you can tip the right amount. I always order deluxe, so I only know that costs $78.99 per adult and $21.99 per kid 3-9. I would imagine the regular plan and quick service plan would be a bit less. I read somewhere that the difference between the QS plan and DDP is only about $10 a day per adult. If you will eat at least one TS per day, it is worth the extra $10 to get that plan.