Disney Dining Deluxe 2008

[dgagnon519]

Is anyone else planning on doing this? I decided to and I am just wondering now if I made the right decision. Was curious on other peoples plans and how they are using it?

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

DD11 and I plan to use it on our next trip. We will do several signature dinners and alternate between breakfast and lunch TS credits. Late breakfast, early dinner, or early lunch, later dinner, etc. With a couple credits still and 2 snacks per day left over, we shouldn't have any problem about long times between meals. I am fairly used to a 3 meal a day routine, even if it's a snack at one of the meals, so we've scheduled 2 good meals and a snack for every day. I hope it works well for us.

 

[Colleen27]

We're trying it in January, and *really* looking forward to all the yummy restaurants. We probably won't use every single credit, but by my math, we don't have to for the plan to make sense, and we're looking forward to having 2 sitdown meals each day and trying several of the signature restaurants for the first time.

 

[hddanis]

We're using it too! I can't wait. 4nights/5 days

Thursday:
Lunch: SciFi Dine In
Dinner: 50s Primetime Cafe

Friday:
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Dinner: ??? All Star Cafe - Wide World of Sports?????

Saturday:
Breakfast: Chef Mickey's
Dinner: Cinderella's Royal Table

Sunday:
Breakfast: Kona Cafe
Dinner: Le Cellier

Monday:
Breakfast: Pop Food Court
Lunch: Yak and Yeti
Dinner: 1900 Park Fare (by the end of this day I shouldn't need to eat for a week!)

I love that I don't need to worry about paying any meals OOP...It's all paid for and a savings of around $300+

 

[twoeeyy]

We also are bouncing back Sept 26 thru Oct 5th. Originally when we booked this trip we were planing on not ' doing ' WDW but just using POP as a home base and eating meals at all the various hotels and doing other things like Sea world, Universal etc........But, now I am thinking about doing the deluxe plan and making this trip all about food, shows etc.. . I am trying to figure if we will be able to find enough places that we want to eat at without entering any of the parks. We are only planing on a 1 day base ticket but this also might change in the next 9 months .

 

[Skallywag]

Wonder if anyone could enlighten me on how this works please. We will be staying for a few days after our Panama cruise and thought it may work for us but really seems complicated.
Thanks

Brenda

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

No, not complicated at all. Each person is allotted 3 credits per night's stay, 2snacks and a refillable resort mug. The credits can be used any way you want (i.e. 3 table services per day, 1 table service breakfast and a signature dinner using 2 credits, 2 table services and 1 counter service, etc.) You can use the credits on table or counter service plus the 2 snacks for each person every day. If you wanted, you could not use any snack credits one day and use 4 the next day. The main gist is you have a certain amount of credits per person (3 per nights visit) and you may use them anyway you like between check in time and midnight at check out time. (6 night visit = 18 credits per person + 2 snacks)

Hope that is clear as mud!

 

[Skallywag]

Thank you so much for your reply - still somewhat confused as it would appear you cannot have a main course just a starter (entree) and what is a signature dinner.

We will be staaying at OKW as thought about eating at the restaurant there. Could we have full breakfast and also dinner there or is that not possible.

Do you find these plans are good value - sure someone will tell me if they are not.
Brenda

 

[hematite153]

I doubt I'd ever pay full price for the deluxe plan but we booked the bounce-back and opted for a value resort (vs. moderate this year) to compensate for the cost of upgrading to deluxe.

We both really like good food so we figure we'll use it to go to a signature everyday. Hopefully, it won't spoil us too much and we'll be able to go back to buying a single meal/day (with a mix of TS and CS) and cooking the rest of our food ourselves.

 

[Hootch]

Thank you so much for your reply - still somewhat confused as it would appear you cannot have a main course just a starter (entree) and what is a signature dinner.

We will be staaying at OKW as thought about eating at the restaurant there. Could we have full breakfast and also dinner there or is that not possible.

Do you find these plans are good value - sure someone will tell me if they are not.
Brenda

there are three meal credits per day. At a table service restaurant, the meal includes an appetizer, entree and non alcoholic drink. If it is a buffet meal then anything is fair game. Signature restaurants are high end restaurants that require two meal credits. Some of the signature restaurants are Artist Point, Jiko, CRT, California Grill, etc. Some people will opt for a breakfast and a dinner at a signature restaurant which would use all three meal credits for one day. That doesn't mean that all three credits have to be used in a day. You can opt to have breakfast at CRT and dinner at Jiko one day and two normal tables service restaurants another day.

Here is a link with an explanation of what is included.

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/packages/2008-packages.htm#dlx

And here is a link with restaurants that are in the dining plan program.

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/packages/2008restaurants.html

 

[hematite153]

still somewhat confused as it would appear you cannot have a main course just a starter (entree) and what is a signature dinner.

appetizer = starter
entree = main course

We will be staaying at OKW as thought about eating at the restaurant there. Could we have full breakfast and also dinner there or is that not possible.

If you have the deluxe plan, you can eat 3 meals a day. So, yes, you could choose to eat both breakfast and dinner at the same place--just make sure you make ADRs in advance.

Do you find these plans are good value - sure someone will tell me if they are not.

Whether or not they are a good value depends on how your family will eat. I tend to make a plan for what we'd eat on the plan, what we'd eat if we were trying to save money and a third for what we'd eat if we weren't trying to meet any planning expectations. Then, I compare costs and food and we make a decision that is somewhere between the three.

(I should probably also add, that we don't force people to stick to the final plan, but it does inform our schedule.)

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

Well, whether it's a good deal or not for your family will kind of depend on your eating styles and how much you plan to spend already. Hootch did a very nice job of explaining and including links to relevant information (D'oh ). Take a look at those and see if you like the restaurants that participate, look at their menus and prices (allearsnet.com or here on the DIS board lists that information) and figure out what you and your family would normally order. If it averages over $70 per day per person (not including tips) then it may be a good deal for you. If not, you may want to pay Out of pocket (oop) still.

 

[snoopybabe]

While I originally was doing the Deluxe DP for my husband, it really is turning out for me too. Looking at these picutes on the boards make my day. My friends at work laugh at me because it is all about the food We're getting to enjoy some signature restaurants, sushi, & using it over our 5nights/6 days there.

Sunday:
Liberty Tree Tavern - Lunch
Narcoosis - Dinner

Monday:
Yak & Yetti - Lunch
Brown Derby - Dinner

Tuesday:
Akershaus Princess- early Lunch
Garden Grill - dinner

Wednesday:
Tokyo Dinning - Lunch
Fairygodmother Dinner @ Castle - Dinner

Thursday:
Mama Melrose- Lunch
LeCellier - Dinner

Friday:
Boatwrights - Breakfast
TBD - Lunch

Does anyone have any suggestions for a great lunch to end our trip? We will be leaving about 2 PM. to start traveling home. Thanks for your help!

 

[hematite153]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a great lunch to end our trip? We will be leaving about 2 PM. to start traveling home. Thanks for your help!

Raglan Road or Wolfgang Puck

 

[Merilyn]

We are DVC members so we can use the Disney Dining also. I have never had the deluxe plan so am I to understand that we could eat 3 sit down meals a day? With the reg plan ,we had one counter, one sit down and one snack. I went to the website but I still am not sure what we get. The deluxe still includes the appetizer. Both have tips separate now. Can someone tell me the cost of both plans in 2008? We have used the reg plan twice and loved the options it gave us. There are several places we loved to eat that are no longer on the plan. This upsets me more than the appetizer and tip thing. Just want to make sure so I can decide what I want to do. I see the Concourse Steak house is closing, another place we like to eat! Also, if you get 3 credits (CS or TS) per day and want to do the 2 credits thing. You still have 1 credit CS or TS, right? Thanks for the info.
Merilyn

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I'm doing it next Sep/Oct. I plan on eating at a lot of signature restaurants. It seemed like a really good deal at $70, but then I was able to book it with the bounceback promo for $32 a night, it was too good a deal to pass up.

 

[twoeeyy]

Yesterday I must have spent 4+ hours planing out ADR's for our 10 day trip this coming Oct. My head is still a little fuzzy !!
Some days I have planed 3 meals others I did breakfast and supper and am leaving lunch open

 

[hematite153]

We are DVC members so we can use the Disney Dining also.

Yes. And you can book the dining plan without purchasing park tickets if you are staying on points at a DVC property.

I have never had the deluxe plan so am I to understand that we could eat 3 sit down meals a day?

The deluxe plan is new for 2008, so, nobody has first-hand experience with it yet.

Correct. With the deluxe plan you can eat 3 meals (appetizer, entree, dessert/juice(breakfast), non-alcoholic beverage) at ANY of the restaurants listed for the dining plan. (Note: signatures still require 2 credits.)

The deluxe still includes the appetizer. Both have tips separate now.

Correct.

Neither plan includes tip, both include tax, and the regular dining plan no longer includes an appetizer.

Can someone tell me the cost of both plans in 2008?

Someone please correct me if necessary, but, I believe the prices are:

Regular DP: $36.99 (10+), $9.99 (3-9)
Deluxe DP: $69.99 (10+), $19.99 (3-9)

There are several places we loved to eat that are no longer on the plan. This upsets me more than the appetizer and tip thing.

Which version of the list of participating locations did you use?

When the 2008 plan was first announced there were many missing locations. However, all but one of the places we were hoping for were added in November and there are reports that more should be added in early Dec.

I'd recommend waiting a week or so and then looking for an updated list.

Also, if you get 3 credits (CS or TS) per day and want to do the 2 credits thing. You still have 1 credit CS or TS, right? Thanks for the info.
Merilyn

I'm not certain I'm interpreting this question correctly. But, assuming that I am....

Yes, you will get 3 meal credits per person per day. So, if you were 2 adults, staying for 3 nights you would have a total of 18 credits. You can use these 18 credits anyway you wish.

I.e.

Arrival Night: HDDR (2 credits per person, for a total of 4 credits)
Day 1: Donald's Breakfast Safari at Tusker House (1 credit per person, for a total of 2 credits); Lunch at Yak & Yeti CS (split 1 CS meal between 2 people for a total of 1 credit); Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse (2 credits per person, for a total of 4 credits)
Day 2: Crystal Palace breakfast buffet (1 credit per person, for a total of 2 credits); Lunch at Peco's Bill (split 1 CS meal between 2 people for a total of 1 credit); Dinner at Kona Cafe (1 credit per person, for a total of 2 credits)
Day 3: WCC breakfast (1 credit per person, for a total of 2 credits)

Yesterday I must have spent 4+ hours planing out ADR's for our 10 day trip this coming Oct. My head is still a little fuzzy !!
Some days I have planed 3 meals others I did breakfast and supper and am leaving lunch open

Only 4-5 hours! That's nothing! I'm sure we've spent that long working on it already and we've only nailed down our signatures! I'm not sure whether it's necessary planning time, or, just a creative way to procrastinate.

 

[3dog2kidmom]

Is anyone else planning on doing this? I decided to and I am just wondering now if I made the right decision. Was curious on other peoples plans and how they are using it?

We are

DH and I with DS10 and DD8 will be down in January for 4 nights and 5 days, and our ADRs stack up like this:

Monday (Pirate & Princess Party) -- Lunch at CS someplace (share 2 credits), Dinner at CRT (8 credits)
Tuesday (Epcot) -- Lunch at Coral Reef (4 credits), Dinner at Le Cellier (4 credits)
Wednesday (Animal Kingdom) -- Breakfast at Kona (3 "adults" share 2 meals - 3 credits), Lunch at Yak & Yeti (3 adults share 2 meals - 3 credits), Spirit of Aloha dinner show (8 credits)
Thursday (Magic Kingdom) -- Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (4 credits), Dinner at 'Ohana (4 credits)
Friday (Studios) -- Character breakfast at 'Ohana (4 credits), early dinner at Mama Melrose (4 credits)...

Total = 48 credits

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I'm gonna do the deluxe plan Dec. 2008. I can't wait to try it. I found that one of the most difficult parts of planning for my last trip was deciding which places to eat at and now I don't have to go through all that since we can eat at all of them.