Dining Plan Help - Which Plan?

[Sappermont]

Hi everyone,

I've learned so much from you all - thanks. I was hoping that you would offer your experiences and advice with the dining plans. This is the first time that I'll be using a dining plan at WDW and I'm both excited and unsure if it all.

Right now we are on the plan that has one counter service, one table service, and one snack per night.

We are staying for 6 nights, 7 days. We've made several table service reservations already. We have plans to use two credits twice (Fulton's & Room service).

From what I can see it might be worth upgrading, we'd get free mugs, and is it true that if we upgrade we get an appetizer with each meal rather than just a meal and a dessert?

Can you just forgo the dessert if it starts to get too much?

Thanks for any and all opinions!!

Best,
Laurie

 

[purple figment]

Hi everyone,

I've learned so much from you all - thanks. I was hoping that you would offer your experiences and advice with the dining plans. This is the first time that I'll be using a dining plan at WDW and I'm both excited and unsure if it all.

Right now we are on the plan that has one counter service, one table service, and one snack per night. We abbreviate it to the DDP here.

We are staying for 6 nights, 7 days. We've made several table service reservations already. We have plans to use two credits twice (Fulton's & Room service). Fulton's is not on the DDP or DxDDP. It is only on the all inclusive Platinum and Premium Plans.

From what I can see it might be worth upgrading, we'd get free mugs, and is it true that if we upgrade we get an appetizer with each meal rather than just a meal and a dessert? Yes, on the Deluxe Dining Plan (DxDDP) every adult can choose an appetizer at lunch and dinner. Children have to choose from the children's menu. Also, there is no appetizer at breakfast.

Can you just forgo the dessert if it starts to get too much? Yes, you can skip any component you wish. However, we often take the desserts back to our room for later in the evening or breakfast the next morning.

Thanks for any and all opinions!!

Best,
Laurie

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Sappermont]

Hope this helps a little.

Hi Kim T,

Thank you very much for all the information. That's a bummer about Fulton's. Would you recommend paying OOP? Is it worth trying, I guess is what I'm asking?

Have you tried either DDP or DXDP before? Do you think it's worth it to upgrade?

Thanks so much for the advice about bringing dessert back to the room. That's a great idea!!

Thanks again.

Best,
Laurie

 

[WTP]

It sounds like the basic dining plan would be good for you. You can always order any appetizers you want OOP and go to Fulton's. I would go through and add the cost of appetizers, what you think you might get at Fulton's, the mugs, and anything else you might really want to do and then compare it to the DxDP

 

[havoc315]

If you upgrade to the DxDP, I would not pay OOP for Fultons --- just because you will have paid for so many credits, you don't want to let them go to waste. If I was sticking with the ddp or skipping a plan entirely, I would gladly go to an OOP restaurant.

There can definitely be good value to upgrading, especially if you want lots of appetizers, and primarily TS meals. We upgraded on our last free dining trip, because we really didn't want any CS meals.

You would be getting 18 credits per person for your trip. It would be worth upgrading, if you planned on using at least 15-16 of those credits, and you planned on using at least 12 credits for TS meals -- primarily lunches and dinners. Thus, you need to be pretty committed to at least 2 TS meals per day, most days. You said you are 7 days/6 nights-- if your seventh day is a full day, it will certainly give you more time to use your credits.

 

[Sappermont]

It sounds like the basic dining plan would be good for you. You can always order any appetizers you want OOP and go to Fulton's. I would go through and add the cost of appetizers, what you think you might get at Fulton's, the mugs, and anything else you might really want to do and then compare it to the DxDP

Thank you! That's a good idea. I'm going to do put a cost analysis together. Do you think Fulton's is worth trying?

 

[Sappermont]

If you upgrade to the DxDP, I would not pay OOP for Fultons --- just because you will have paid for so many credits, you don't want to let them go to waste. If I was sticking with the ddp or skipping a plan entirely, I would gladly go to an OOP restaurant.

There can definitely be good value to upgrading, especially if you want lots of appetizers, and primarily TS meals. We upgraded on our last free dining trip, because we really didn't want any CS meals.

You would be getting 18 credits per person for your trip. It would be worth upgrading, if you planned on using at least 15-16 of those credits, and you planned on using at least 12 credits for TS meals -- primarily lunches and dinners. Thus, you need to be pretty committed to at least 2 TS meals per day, most days. You said you are 7 days/6 nights-- if your seventh day is a full day, it will certainly give you more time to use your credits.

Thanks so much for the info. and analysis. I've never used a DP while at WDW and it can get overwhelming. Thanks!