Dining plan novice needs your advice

[Plan Man]

We are going to disney July 1st to the 9th. Five of us no (3-9) children. We were offered a free quick service dining plan from disney vacations. At this point I have upgraded to the snack, Quick meal, and Table service option. It was an extra $13 per person per day.

I need your tips and advice on the best way to use the dining plan. We generally eat at the nicer rest. such as Le Cellier, California Grill, Yachtsman etc.

And- was it worth it to upgrade?

 

[OandA]

The quick service plan is garbage so it was worth it to upgrade for such a small fee.

Use your credits at expensive restaurants. 'Ohana for example.

Le Cellier is now 2 credits for dinner. It is still 1 credit for lunch.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

Our family enjoyed the quick service plan and didn't think it was "garbage."

But that is neither here nor there. My husband and I will return to the World and will be on the same dining plan you upgraded to.

Think about how your family wants to eat and spend their vacation. Make reservations ahead of time. Use your credits for your most expensive meals. Also check to see what restaurants are two credits.

 

[dixonismydog]

I agree.....upgrade. We got a pin for free dining as well.....but for $13 a day.....we totally upgraded!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

The 3 restaurants you listed are all signature for dinner and 2 credits. They aren't the best use of dining plan credits when on the regular plan. I'd look at where you want to eat because if you only do 2TS meals you will be paying for meals OOP anyways.

 

[Moira222]

Definitely for $13 a day its worth it. You can spend $13 buying bagels & fruit for breakfast for 3 people!

We'll be doing the DP for the third time in May for our family of 3. Normally I will bring things like instant oatmeal & breakfast bars to supplement the breakfast (all that walking all day makes ya hungry!) but have found that we typically may spend one or two meals OOP just because DD loves Rainforest cafe (not on DP) and then we inevitably are starving somewhere for a little more than a CS, but we have been very happy with the DP. You didn't mention the ages of your kids -- if they are teens (aka human vacuums) then you may want to look into the DXDP - it gives (I think) three TS credits per day and covers the more expensive signature restaurants like Ohana and Le Cellier dinner.

happy planning!

 

[Plan Man]

The kids are 15 DD 17 DS 20 DS and for part of the time 22DS. We actually will have 60 TS options and only staying for basically 9 days The 22YO will only be with us for 3 of the days so we have a few extras of everything. I have been making ADRs some double TS and some single. I am just not sure how to maximize the plan.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Here is how I would consider the issue:

You have, free, the Counter Service Dining Plan which provides you two counter service complete meals including entree, drink, and dessert per day. In addition, you get two snacks per day plus a refillable resort mug.

The "value" of the counter service meal runs around an average of $14 per Lunch or Dinner. There are places where you can get get more "value" or less, but 14 seems to be a good average of eating around the world. If you grab a meal with a drink and dessert. If you drink water and don't want a dessert, the "value" is much less.

If you use your Counter Service Credit for Breakfast it is worth, on average, about $10 since there is no dessert nor an extra juice option to add.

The snacks have a value of $3.50 average. Some snacks are more, some less, but $3.50 is relatively representative.

The mug runs right at $15.

By upgrading to the regular DDP, you will lose eight counter service meals, eight snacks, and the mug. All of things together have a "value" of $155 lost. In addition, you will have to pay 104 per person to upgrade. So, the change has a "cost" of $259 to be able to add Eight Table Service Credits if you would have used the counter service credits for dinner or lunch.


If you use all 8 of those credits at the Signature restaurants which require 2TS credits per meal, you will be have "spent" $64.75 per meal.

Keep in mind that if you eat at these signature restaurants on the regular dining plan, you will be able to get an entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic meal and the tax covered.

You mentioned eating at California Grill. Were you to eat there and order the most expensive entree, the filet at $44, the most expensive dessert of chocolate cake at 13, and a soda at $3, your total bill, with tax comes to $63.90.

As such, you would be losing money to upgrade to the regular DDP and then use it for a dinner at California Grill.

Now, were you to use those eight credits at the nicer one table service credit restaurants, you could "come out ahead" as each meal would only have cost you $32.38. Restaurants you might want to consider include Yak and Yeti, Mama Melrose Fantasmic Dinner Package, Coral Reef, Akershus, Le Cellier for Lunch, Tutto Italia, Boma, Sanaa, The Wave, The Grand Floridian Cafe, and Kona Cafe.

If I were in your shoes I would either Keep the free Counter Service dining plan and add in a few of the 2TS credit restaurants out of pocket, or I would add the regular dining plan but book 1TS credit restaurants.

Keep in mind that if you keep the counter service dining plan, you could eat at several very nice restaurants, out of pocket, which are not included in the DDP. Il Mulino, Bistro de Paris, Bluezoo, and Wolfgang Puck's Dining Room.

At Bistro de Paris, for example, you can get a Three Course Meal for only $54 without wine.

Yet, the value of the counter service meals is only realized if you will actually enjoy eating at the counter service restaurants. Here is the list of our favorites:
Gasparilla Grill at Grand Floridian
Cook's at Poly
Wolfgang Puck's Express at Downtown Disney
Tangerine Cafe in Morocco at Epcot
Sunshine Seasons in the land at Epcot
Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom
Yakatori House in Japan at Epcot
Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom
Starring Rolls Cafe in DHS
Flametree BBQ at Animal Kingdom
Yak and Yeti counter service at Animal Kingdom
Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge
Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Pizza Planet at DHS
Kringla in Norway at Epcot


If your family would really love to do the 2TS credit restaurants each night, then you could come out ahead if you added an additional $44 per night to add the Deluxe Dining Plan, which would let you have three credits per day per person. You would keep the two snacks and refillable mug per person.

For our family, we have done the Counter Service plan, either free or OOP, and then paid for 3-4 nice meals out of pocket. Many things we enjoy are just not on the regular plan. The Wishes Dessert Party and the places like Bluezoo are really wonderful and I hate to miss them because we are tied to the dining plan.

We have also upgraded the free Counter Service PLan, but only if we keep our table service restaurants to the one TS places.

 

[5boyz]

Here is how I would consider the issue:

You have, free, the Counter Service Dining Plan which provides you two counter service complete meals including entree, drink, and dessert per day. In addition, you get two snacks per day plus a refillable resort mug.

The "value" of the counter service meal runs around an average of $14 per Lunch or Dinner. There are places where you can get get more "value" or less, but 14 seems to be a good average of eating around the world. If you grab a meal with a drink and dessert. If you drink water and don't want a dessert, the "value" is much less.

If you use your Counter Service Credit for Breakfast it is worth, on average, about $10 since there is no dessert nor an extra juice option to add.

The snacks have a value of $3.50 average. Some snacks are more, some less, but $3.50 is relatively representative.

The mug runs right at $15.

By upgrading to the regular DDP, you will lose eight counter service meals, eight snacks, and the mug. All of things together have a "value" of $155 lost. In addition, you will have to pay 104 per person to upgrade. So, the change has a "cost" of $259 to be able to add Eight Table Service Credits if you would have used the counter service credits for dinner or lunch.


If you use all 8 of those credits at the Signature restaurants which require 2TS credits per meal, you will be have "spent" $64.75 per meal.

Keep in mind that if you eat at these signature restaurants on the regular dining plan, you will be able to get an entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic meal and the tax covered.

You mentioned eating at California Grill. Were you to eat there and order the most expensive entree, the filet at $44, the most expensive dessert of chocolate cake at 13, and a soda at $3, your total bill, with tax comes to $63.90.

As such, you would be losing money to upgrade to the regular DDP and then use it for a dinner at California Grill.

Now, were you to use those eight credits at the nicer one table service credit restaurants, you could "come out ahead" as each meal would only have cost you $32.38. Restaurants you might want to consider include Yak and Yeti, Mama Melrose Fantasmic Dinner Package, Coral Reef, Akershus, Le Cellier for Lunch, Tutto Italia, Boma, Sanaa, The Wave, The Grand Floridian Cafe, and Kona Cafe.

If I were in your shoes I would either Keep the free Counter Service dining plan and add in a few of the 2TS credit restaurants out of pocket, or I would add the regular dining plan but book 1TS credit restaurants.

Keep in mind that if you keep the counter service dining plan, you could eat at several very nice restaurants, out of pocket, which are not included in the DDP. Il Mulino, Bistro de Paris, Bluezoo, and Wolfgang Puck's Dining Room.

At Bistro de Paris, for example, you can get a Three Course Meal for only $54 without wine.

Yet, the value of the counter service meals is only realized if you will actually enjoy eating at the counter service restaurants. Here is the list of our favorites:
Gasparilla Grill at Grand Floridian
Cook's at Poly
Wolfgang Puck's Express at Downtown Disney
Tangerine Cafe in Morocco at Epcot
Sunshine Seasons in the land at Epcot
Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom
Yakatori House in Japan at Epcot
Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom
Starring Rolls Cafe in DHS
Flametree BBQ at Animal Kingdom
Yak and Yeti counter service at Animal Kingdom
Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge
Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Pizza Planet at DHS
Kringla in Norway at Epcot


If your family would really love to do the 2TS credit restaurants each night, then you could come out ahead if you added an additional $44 per night to add the Deluxe Dining Plan, which would let you have three credits per day per person. You would keep the two snacks and refillable mug per person.

For our family, we have done the Counter Service plan, either free or OOP, and then paid for 3-4 nice meals out of pocket. Many things we enjoy are just not on the regular plan. The Wishes Dessert Party and the places like Bluezoo are really wonderful and I hate to miss them because we are tied to the dining plan.

We have also upgraded the free Counter Service PLan, but only if we keep our table service restaurants to the one TS places.

THAT WAS AWESOME!!!! Now I could have missed it in your recap but what about the "tips" for table service?

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Tips for Table Service are Out of Pocket whether you are on the DDP, Deluxe DDP, or paying Out of Pocket.

When running numbers for my family I tally what we would pay in tip, because I know what they like to eat and can very precisely determine what our meal costs will be for the family. It is also very easy to plan tip when eating at set price activities such as Buffets.

Since this family seemed interested in Menu driven restaurants, the tip is more difficult to determine as I am an outsider.

I decided to leave tip out of this discussion as it would be their financial OOP responsibility whatever dining plan they choose.

 

[5boyz]

Tips for Table Service are Out of Pocket whether you are on the DDP, Deluxe DDP, or paying Out of Pocket.

When running numbers for my family I tally what we would pay in tip, because I know what they like to eat and can very precisely determine what our meal costs will be for the family. It is also very easy to plan tip when eating at set price activities such as Buffets.

Since this family seemed interested in Menu driven restaurants, the tip is more difficult to determine as I am an outsider.

I decided to leave tip out of this discussion as it would be their financial OOP responsibility whatever dining plan they choose.

BTW...I checked out the qs dining places on your list that we have not tried and am going to try most of them this year....

 

[smiths02]

Here is how I would consider the issue:

You have, free, the Counter Service Dining Plan which provides you two counter service complete meals including entree, drink, and dessert per day. In addition, you get two snacks per day plus a refillable resort mug.

The "value" of the counter service meal runs around an average of $14 per Lunch or Dinner. There are places where you can get get more "value" or less, but 14 seems to be a good average of eating around the world. If you grab a meal with a drink and dessert. If you drink water and don't want a dessert, the "value" is much less.

If you use your Counter Service Credit for Breakfast it is worth, on average, about $10 since there is no dessert nor an extra juice option to add.

The snacks have a value of $3.50 average. Some snacks are more, some less, but $3.50 is relatively representative.

The mug runs right at $15.

By upgrading to the regular DDP, you will lose eight counter service meals, eight snacks, and the mug. All of things together have a "value" of $155 lost. In addition, you will have to pay 104 per person to upgrade. So, the change has a "cost" of $259 to be able to add Eight Table Service Credits if you would have used the counter service credits for dinner or lunch.


If you use all 8 of those credits at the Signature restaurants which require 2TS credits per meal, you will be have "spent" $64.75 per meal.

Keep in mind that if you eat at these signature restaurants on the regular dining plan, you will be able to get an entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic meal and the tax covered.

You mentioned eating at California Grill. Were you to eat there and order the most expensive entree, the filet at $44, the most expensive dessert of chocolate cake at 13, and a soda at $3, your total bill, with tax comes to $63.90.

As such, you would be losing money to upgrade to the regular DDP and then use it for a dinner at California Grill.

Now, were you to use those eight credits at the nicer one table service credit restaurants, you could "come out ahead" as each meal would only have cost you $32.38. Restaurants you might want to consider include Yak and Yeti, Mama Melrose Fantasmic Dinner Package, Coral Reef, Akershus, Le Cellier for Lunch, Tutto Italia, Boma, Sanaa, The Wave, The Grand Floridian Cafe, and Kona Cafe.

If I were in your shoes I would either Keep the free Counter Service dining plan and add in a few of the 2TS credit restaurants out of pocket, or I would add the regular dining plan but book 1TS credit restaurants.

Keep in mind that if you keep the counter service dining plan, you could eat at several very nice restaurants, out of pocket, which are not included in the DDP. Il Mulino, Bistro de Paris, Bluezoo, and Wolfgang Puck's Dining Room.

At Bistro de Paris, for example, you can get a Three Course Meal for only $54 without wine.

Yet, the value of the counter service meals is only realized if you will actually enjoy eating at the counter service restaurants. Here is the list of our favorites:
Gasparilla Grill at Grand Floridian
Cook's at Poly
Wolfgang Puck's Express at Downtown Disney
Tangerine Cafe in Morocco at Epcot
Sunshine Seasons in the land at Epcot
Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom
Yakatori House in Japan at Epcot
Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom
Starring Rolls Cafe in DHS
Flametree BBQ at Animal Kingdom
Yak and Yeti counter service at Animal Kingdom
Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge
Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Pizza Planet at DHS
Kringla in Norway at Epcot


If your family would really love to do the 2TS credit restaurants each night, then you could come out ahead if you added an additional $44 per night to add the Deluxe Dining Plan, which would let you have three credits per day per person. You would keep the two snacks and refillable mug per person.

For our family, we have done the Counter Service plan, either free or OOP, and then paid for 3-4 nice meals out of pocket. Many things we enjoy are just not on the regular plan. The Wishes Dessert Party and the places like Bluezoo are really wonderful and I hate to miss them because we are tied to the dining plan.

We have also upgraded the free Counter Service PLan, but only if we keep our table service restaurants to the one TS places.

I like your calculations, but OP also has to take into account whether they would use all those snacks and mug? We did regular DDP with 4 adults and a 2 year old and we did not need the mug for sure and we had more than enough snack credits (with just the one per day)

Also, you have to average it...you could do California Grill and lose a few bucks and then do Bistro de Paris and come out a little ahead. I agree not to do ALL 2 TS places, but some would be okay mathematically

 

[sanapp]

If you family prefers the 2TS credit dining then upgrade to the Deluxe, but with a guest staying with you only a portion of the time that would leave you with quite a few extra credits. I am planning on doing deluxe during the next visit as there are so many signature spots I want to try as well as HDDR. It is only me and DD8 though. I want to do deluxe before she turns in to a "Disney Adult" as it would then not be worth the price as she would still want to order from the child menu. She loves to eat out, but does not have the palette to go with it yet.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

"Also, you have to average it...you could do California Grill and lose a few bucks and then do Bistro de Paris and come out a little ahead. I agree not to do ALL 2 TS places, but some would be okay mathematically"

Ah, Bistro de Paris is NOT on the Disney Dining Plan. It will always be Out of Pocket, but it is a wonderful restaurant and really only second to Victoria and Albert's for quality and ambiance. It can be a VERY expensive dinner, but it can be quite reasonable given the value for your money.

As to the idea that some 2TS credits would be a good idea for the OP given that they are on the regular dining plan, I have run the numbers and found only ONE restaurant where it makes sense economically for the OP, with a cost for 2TSC at $64.75. Several are very close.

Here are the 2TS restaurants and the bill when ordering the most expensive entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic drink, plus tax.

Artist Point: $61.77
Brown Derby: $59.64
Cinderella's Royal Table: $54.76
Citricos: $62.84
Flying Fish: $60.71
Hoop Dee Doo Review: $61.99 (if Category 1, available at the 9 p.m. seating)
Jiko: $58.58
Le Cellier: $59.64
Narcoossee's: $82.01 with Lobster Meal
Yachtsman: $62.83

Now, when you are on the Deluxe dining plan you get to add in an appetizer, which allows the total value of the meal to increase a great deal, usually in the $8-$16 range.

On the deluxe plan you keep the mug and both snack credits. Given that the OP has boys who are 17, 20, and 22 I assume they will get great use of those snacks and refillable mugs.

Even if they do not use them during the trip, the cup has some value just as a Disney remembrance. There are many disney snacks which are shelf stable and may be transported home to continue the Magic or make great gifts to the people who took in the mail, watered the plants, walked the dog, or did any other act of kindness.

The ability to get good use of the mug does somewhat depend on where you are staying. When at Yacht Club or Beach Club it can be a bit of a hike/inconvenience to refill the mug, which may limit its use.

We use ours in the morning, attatch them with carabiners to the stroller when we are done, and in the afternoon when we come back to the hotel we refill them. we usually fill them once more that evening and take them back to our room. Given that we are there for no less than a week, that becomes 21 uses of the mug.

The price of the mug, out of pocket, equals the price of one regular sized soda per day on a seven day trip. If your trip is markedly shorter or longer, or your drink consumption higher or lower, then the value of the mug can be very high or very low.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Recommended 1TS credit restaurants for people who like nice restaurants and have hungry boys:

Liberty Tree Tavern. For lunch they offer a wonderful menu including an amazing pot roast and a fantastic dessert the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. For Dinner it is an all you care to eat served family style, no wresting with people at a buffet. The food is "Thanksgiving Dinner." Request seating in the Washington or Franklin rooms for a quieter ambiance.

Le Cellier for Lunch. Grab the Mushroom Filet and the Whiskey Cake.

O'hana. Their all you care to eat meat centric meal, including some amazing chicken wings, is brought to your table. Request seating outside the main room for a quiter dining experience.

Tutto Italia. Beautiful ambiance and great short ribs.

Grand Floridian Cafe offers a killer Lobster burger or New York Strip and finish off the meal with a chocolate fondue.

Cape May Buffet is in the beautiful and serene Beach Club. With all you can eat crab legs and clams as well as ribs, it is one of the nicest buffets on property. In addition the host of mini desserts means you really can have one of everything.

Kona Cafe is a great restaurant in an o.k. setting. The food here is really wonderful. Shrimp and Scallops - panko breaded shrimp and pan-seared scallops with sticky rice and ponzu, spicy guava-passion fruit and wasabi cream sauces.

Raglan Road in Downtown Disney offers live music and can be a rather loud experience, but fun exciting. Ask to be sat in a back room if you like things a bit mellower. The Salmon of Knowledge and It's not Bleeding Chowder were both "worth every penny" when we are not on the DDP. Their bread pudding is legendary.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe is another treat. The Macadamia Crusted Chicken followed by Carrot cake is Yum-tacular.

Last, I suggest Boma. I love the food here, but it is a standard buffet and every time I am there the people dining there do not seem to understand the concept of the pods, which can be visited in any order. Everyone lines up, like sheep at one end, and then slowly inches forward, past pod after pod where they don't want anything in the mistaken belief that they are "following the rules and getting in line." It makes the process rather cumbersome. The restaurant is really loud, and not in a good way, but man that food is wonderful.