Dining Plan Reduction

[Disfan1968]

So they are "stealing a snack" from the QS Plan and hoping we won't notice I imagine. With this reduction, does paying out of pocket really become the only sane option for the QS plan? Most especially if they enact their yearly price hike on top of it?

What will other QS plan people do with this? I have always liked the idea of having my food paid for on vacation ahead of time, even if it cost me a tad more money to do so, but there does come a point when you are just plain "a sucker," and maybe that's where I am at with this latest change.

If you don't want to read the link, they are removing the dessert from both QS meals daily and adding only one back in in the form of one extra snack (so two snacks total).

http://www.kennythepirate.com/2016/...g-plan-and-deluxe-disney-dining-plan-details/

 

[supersnoop]

This is what happens when people complain and ask for more flexibility.

 

[loves to dive]

This is what happens when people complain and ask for more flexibility.

Complain to whom? At the restaurants/QS locations you can complain all you want, the plan is what the plan is and they aren't going to do anything that isn't allowed on the plan. You can certainly write a letter to Disney but I'm not sure it would get you very far. The dining plan has almost always been pretty fluid changing price and entitlements almost yearly.

 

[Hikergirl]

I read on here all the time that people don't eat desserts with every meal so I don't think there is anything wrong with them taking the dessert included out of the meal but adding an extra snack credit on the plan. If you want dessert use that snack credit.
I don't see it as a reduction, I see it giving you more flexibility.

 

[Nancyg56]

I read on here all the time that people don't eat desserts with every meal so I don't think there is anything wrong with them taking the dessert included out of the meal but adding an extra snack credit on the plan. If you want dessert use that snack credit.

I like this option.

 

[OThopeful35]

I like this option. I usually pass on the QS desserts anyway. Or my son will stock pile them in his backpack

 

[BethR9]

I like it also. We'd only get the dessert because it was included. Certainly didn't need it or even really enjoy it. Now we can choose a snack whenever and wherever we want it.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Definitely a lost entitlement per day on the QS plan for 2017.

 

[runnermama78]

I would prefer it that way...I'm typically too full for dessert after a meal. I'd much rather have a citrus swirl or something, anyway.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The QSDP has always been such that unless you get it free it probably isn't worth it for adults. With the adult/child pool, there may be ways to leverage it to be worth it.

Right now, QSDP is $44.13/night, and includes the mug, 2 QS meals (entree, drink, dessert) and one snack. Child is $19.04. To really get $44/day out of the QSDP, you need to be doing BOG breakfast and lunch, with an odd stop at Flame Tree, and never get a food court breakfast.

 

[1983DisneyFanatic]

While this is a win for the regular dining plan, it's a loss of a snack for the quick service plan. It won't affect my as I don't do the quick service plan, but it's not good for those who do. More flexibility, but it's at a cost.

 

[Tom P.]

Eh. I can see how this can be seen as a loss on the Quick Service plan, since you lose two desserts but only gain one extra snack credit, but honestly I think it is going to be better for most people. Just how many people are taking advantage of the desserts when they eat QS? I don't know about you, but there's only so many of those little chocolate cakes I can eat in one vacation! By converting one of those to a snack credit, you have the flexibility to use it any time you want, and can potentially use it for snacks that are far more expensive than the value of one of those desserts. I think it makes a lot of sense and is in line with what people have been saying about the plan for years.

 

[sharonabe]

Well it makes the math a little easier. I don't factor in the mug, because that's just too fluid (ha ha) for every person. For us, it's like a free souvenir.

So, for the meals themselves, assuming $5 per snack, that leaves $34 to be "spent" on your two meals on the QSDP. You're going to have to work to spend $17 at EVERY QS meal you eat just to break even. It's doable, but it will take some planning. If you have kids, you'll still save money. Their meals are around $6. So two meals and two snacks add up to $22 plus tax for that $19. AND if Disney continues to allow you to get adult meals with kid's QS credits, you'll save even more

The regular DDP is the real winner with this change. Take the two snacks off the almost $64, and you have $54 to "spend." It's not too difficult to spend an average of $40 per TS meal if you're doing a few character buffets, so that only leaves the $14 for your QS meal which is also pretty easy to do with just an entree and drink. Of course this only holds true as long as those character buffets STAY at one TS credit instead of two. If that change happens, you're going to have to do some math.

 

[pooch]

Somewhat confused ( as usual!). I thought on DDP, you could switch out dessert and /or drink for an additional side. So next year, that will not be an option?

 

[jon18uk]

Somewhat confused ( as usual!). I thought on DDP, you could switch out dessert and /or drink for an additional side. So next year, that will not be an option?

From 2017 QS meals won't include a dessert/snack, but an extra snack credit is added overall.

If nothing changes in the next few months that means
Quickservice plan will have 2x QS meals (entree and drink) and 2x snacks and a mug. This is the loss of a dessert compared to the 2016 plan.
Regular DDP will have 1x table service (entree, dessert, drink) one QS (entree and drink), 2x snacks and a mug. This means the overall amount of food is the same as 2016 but you don't have to get the snack in the same transaction as the QS meal.

Overall it add flexibility (as you won't need to order dessert/snack at same time as QS meal), but also means it is not worth purchasing the QS plan as even harder to break even with $5 less value included.

 

[mdsouth]

From 2017 QS meals won't include a dessert/snack, but an extra snack credit is added overall.

If nothing changes in the next few months that means
Quickservice plan will have 2x QS meals (entree and drink) and 2x snacks and a mug. This is the loss of a dessert compared to the 2016 plan.
Regular DDP will have 1x table service (entree, dessert, drink) one QS (entree and drink), 2x snacks and a mug. This means the overall amount of food is the same as 2016 but you don't have to get the snack in the same transaction as the QS meal.

Overall it add flexibility (as you won't need to order dessert/snack at same time as QS meal), but also means it is not worth purchasing the QS plan as even harder to break even with $5 less value included.

Thanks for the clear summary. I have not been to Disney since 2014 so this helps my planning for 2017. I was leaning towards the quick service plan since it will just be me and my two teenage kids going.

But I was also thinking about just bringing along gift cards or adding a specific amount to our magic bands to serve as our "personalized" plan. I made up the term so those of us who like the meal plans because it allows us to not worry about the cost of separate meal items and just choose what we want instead of constantly thinking about the cost and our budget for food. If I tell myself it is part of the personalized plan it might work.

 

[Hikergirl]

Overall it add flexibility (as you won't need to order dessert/snack at same time as QS meal), but also means it is not worth purchasing the QS plan as even harder to break even with $5 less value included.

Not necessarily, some people have been known to use a snack credit for a meal, most likely breakfast but there are some things that can pass as a lunch. So now on the QSDP you are getting 1 dessert taken away but now you have the option to cover another meal with that snack credit. So you could in essence feed yourself 3 meals a day on the QSDP.

 

[jon18uk]

Not necessarily, some people have been known to use a snack credit for a meal, most likely breakfast but there are some things that can pass as a lunch. So now on the QSDP you are getting 1 dessert taken away but now you have the option to cover another meal with that snack credit. So you could in essence feed yourself 3 meals a day on the QSDP.

But if the QS plan is $44 then even if you manage to get one expensive snacks at $6 and one cheaper at $5 you then need to get $33 out of the two QS meals, so each entree needs to be $13 or more just to break even. If someone prefers salads and cheaper $10 sandwiches, the QS plan will never work out a good value, even if they do use the extra snack for breakfast instead of dessert.

 

[Hikergirl]

But if the QS plan is $44 then even if you manage to get one expensive snacks at $6 and one cheaper at $5 you then need to get $33 out of the two QS meals, so each entree needs to be $13 or more just to break even. If someone prefers salads and cheaper $10 sandwiches, the QS plan will never work out a good value, even if they do use the extra snack for breakfast instead of dessert.

I don't think that the QSDP is a good value as is anyway so this change doesn't really change anything IMO.
Now, you may not have to spend extra OOP for breakfast, or order breakfast food to your room, you can just use that additional snack credit. That is how I would use it, we usually have breakfast in the room that I pay OOP for, and there is no way I could eat a dessert with lunch and dinner so the loss of that wouldn't matter to me. Everyone is different though.
I'm sure people will find ways to maximize the value for them just like they do now.

 

[mdsouth]

Where are you getting the $44.00 amount for quick service. Has this information been posted somewhere?