Dining Plan Ordering Tips

jpmom

Always Disney Bound!
Joined
Aug 3, 2004
Messages
357
Just got back from WWD.
We are a family of 4 -- 2 adults, two boys (8 & 6)

We are DVC members and decided to use the dining plan for the first time.

Felt it was worth it for the Table service portion -- however, way too much food for us as far as snacks and counter service is concerned.

Biggest takeaway --

When at a Table Service restaurant, do not -- I REPEAT -- DO NOT order your entire meal at once. The server will ask you, but just order your appy and WAIT to order your entree. Unless, you want your entree to come out when you are half way done with your appy -- this is the best advice I can give.

We were at JIKO and our entree came out before we finished our first course. We asked them to bring it back, which they did. Our dinner came out later, and it was a new, fresh dish. It was fish, so they couldn't "hold" it in back. However, if this was a 1-credit TS, not sure if the same service would apply.

Anyway, after that experience, we just held off ordering our entrees. We watched other diners, however, and saw the meals just coming out like clockwork. Seems that they really want to turn tables over and get as many people in and out as quickly as possible. I can understand this (to an extent) at restaurants in the parks (Liberty Tree, Mama Melrose) but at fine dining like Jiko, Artist Point Cal Grill, I think it's a bit rude.

We used our children's table service credits for our dinners and paid out of pocket for their entrees and dessert. In fact, because they are not huge eaters, they often split one entree. The servers were ok with this and we never had anyone react negatively.

For lunch at counter service I ordered three adult meals each day. Again, the boys would split the adult CS meal. Only once did the Cast Member tell me I could only order 2 adult meals at a time.

For the CS meals, it is simply too much food. My husband and I often share an adult CS meal anyway, so to sit there with a full entree, drink and dessert for each of us, it was quite gluttenous.

We will probably not do the meal plan again, and will go back to using our Disney Dining Experience card.

Definitely saw a drop in the level of service, especially at the 2 credit restaurants. The only exception was our meal at Artist Point on New Years Eve, where we had a lovely waitress who was a pleasure to have serve us.

Have fun, but plan to come home 10 lbs heavier!
 
Just got back from WWD.
We are a family of 4 -- 2 adults, two boys (8 & 6)

We are DVC members and decided to use the dining plan for the first time.

Felt it was worth it for the Table service portion -- however, way too much food for us as far as snacks and counter service is concerned.

Biggest takeaway --

When at a Table Service restaurant, do not -- I REPEAT -- DO NOT order your entire meal at once. The server will ask you, but just order your appy and WAIT to order your entree. Unless, you want your entree to come out when you are half way done with your appy -- this is the best advice I can give.

We were at JIKO and our entree came out before we finished our first course. We asked them to bring it back, which they did. Our dinner came out later, and it was a new, fresh dish. It was fish, so they couldn't "hold" it in back. However, if this was a 1-credit TS, not sure if the same service would apply.

Anyway, after that experience, we just held off ordering our entrees. We watched other diners, however, and saw the meals just coming out like clockwork. Seems that they really want to turn tables over and get as many people in and out as quickly as possible. I can understand this (to an extent) at restaurants in the parks (Liberty Tree, Mama Melrose) but at fine dining like Jiko, Artist Point Cal Grill, I think it's a bit rude.

We used our children's table service credits for our dinners and paid out of pocket for their entrees and dessert. In fact, because they are not huge eaters, they often split one entree. The servers were ok with this and we never had anyone react negatively.

For lunch at counter service I ordered three adult meals each day. Again, the boys would split the adult CS meal. Only once did the Cast Member tell me I could only order 2 adult meals at a time.

For the CS meals, it is simply too much food. My husband and I often share an adult CS meal anyway, so to sit there with a full entree, drink and dessert for each of us, it was quite gluttenous.

We will probably not do the meal plan again, and will go back to using our Disney Dining Experience card.

Definitely saw a drop in the level of service, especially at the 2 credit restaurants. The only exception was our meal at Artist Point on New Years Eve, where we had a lovely waitress who was a pleasure to have serve us.

Have fun, but plan to come home 10 lbs heavier!


When did you get back? I thought that as of Jan 1 the childrens credits and the adult credits were separate. I believe they did this to stop what you were doing. Using children's credits for adults. No wonder you had so much food, you were getting adult meal, while only paying for a child. Not bad.
 
Thanks for the tips. We're going in Feb with a family of 4 (2A, 2C (7 & 4)

Did you pay out of pocket for every TS for the kids? We're only going to 2 resturants that are not buffet or family style. I'm wondering if we should do the same thing. Our kids aren't big eaters. They could split something.

Also like the other poster said, I understand that in 2007 you can't order 3 adult meals at a CS with 2A, 2C. This is a bummer because my kids could probably eat 1 adult CS between the 2 of them.

I'm not a big lunch eater anyway. I think I may use mine or the kids CS for breakfast and then split an adult CS between the 2 kids for lunch and use the kids CS for me and pick off their plate.
 
We were there from 12/28 'till 1/3.

We paid out of pocket for all the children's meals since we ate at 2-credit restaurants 4 out of 5 nights.

As far as the CS meals were concerned -- two adult meals would have fed all of us. I only ordered 3 adult CS meals because of what I read on this board.

One more suggestion to Disney would be to offer a piece of fruit for dessert instead of the over-processed chocolate cakes, carrot cakes etc. They are so sugary and full of preservatives. A banana, orange or apple would be much better and probably even cheaper for Disney.
 

Just a note that what the OP did is no longer possible.
 















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