Disney Dining Plan - How does it work?

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

we have just booked to go back to port orleans in may for 2 weeks and have the quick service dining plan inculded for free. Could someone explain to me how it works, can we order anything or is there a set menu for it? I have never done a meal plan before (either wdw or dlrp) so have no idea how it works etc, so any help would be brill. We tend to eat at the hotel (breakfast everyday and sometimes for lunch or dinner) and also mainly counter service places, witht he exception of about 3 table service meals in china, 1 meal at 50s prime time. But as our DD will be 20 months i am thinking we will probably do 2-3 character type meals as well so do you think i would benefit more from the standard dining plan rather than the quick? As i say the dining thing is baffalling me big style as we have never done it before so please help!!!!

 

[jrpc]

Hi

We have done the QS Plan twice and really enjoyed it and have it again free for our trip in September 2011. However if you are wanting to do Character meals they are not included so you would need to pay off plan for those (we occasionally book a restaurant meal and just pay, its not so bad if you have the QS Plan free as its still would work out cheaper than dining at Disney with no Plan depends how many thimes you want to do this of course!). The QS plan can be used at all counter service restaurants (including the ones in all the Disney hotels we often walk over to the Contempory from the Magic Kingdom) The thing we find best about QS is that we are not tied by having to pre book all our restaurants and therfore have to be at a certain park at a given time, it gives you lots more freedom to eat when and where you like.

You can order a main course from the menu and a dessert plus soft drink for one meal credit, most things are included, the menus have a symbol next to the things that are included (a purple box with DP in it). Not all snacks are on the Plan e.g. things like the Turkey legs are not included but unless you are fussy eaters you will always find something. One really good value meal is Wolfgang Puck Express at Downtown Disney as you order at the Counter but then a waiter brings your food (with proper cutlery etc!) To date Refillable Mugs have also been included for everyone on the Plan. Remember that any snack credits left over at the end of the holiday can be used to get crisps, fruit etc which you can eat at the airport!

Hope this helps you decide and have a great trip

 

[Goofyish]

The Quick Service Dining Plan will give you 2 Counter Server Meal and 2 Snacks per day, per person. You also get a refillable mug for use at your resort.

The following gives more information and details of all the places included in the plan:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...altDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2011QuickService.pdf

 

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

thanks so much for helping, i am off to have a look at the other thread now

i am thinking we will probably do 6 table service meals during the holiday so i wonder if we will be better to upgrade to the next level one or go with the QS and pay for these 6 meals. I wonder does anybody know if i can upgrade for just one of us?? Ie, 14 nights worth of table service for me (7 meals for 2 people) and 14 nights of QS for oh (7 meals each) or is that not allowed???

 

[wayneg]

Regular DDP brochure here http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...alog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2011Dining.pdf

You all have to be on the same plan, you can't just upgrade 1 in the room as far as I know.

To upgrade it will cost £280 (taken from Disney.co.uk) divide that by 2 adults = £140pp divide by 6 meals = £23/meal or $35/meal. Paying for 6 meals will cost you somewhere about that (depending where you eat and what you eat, breakfasts less)

No brainer to me but we eat a table service every day, no way could I do 2 counter service a day.

 

[Elise79]

Regular DDP brochure here http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...alog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2011Dining.pdf

You all have to be on the same plan, you can't just upgrade 1 in the room as far as I know.

To upgrade it will cost £280 (taken from Disney.co.uk) divide that by 2 adults = £140pp divide by 6 meals = £23/meal or $35/meal. Paying for 6 meals will cost you somewhere about that (depending where you eat and what you eat, breakfasts less)

No brainer to me but we eat a table service every day, no way could I do 2 counter service a day.

The other thing to consider is they will lose one snack per day and the refillable mugs.

Having been with a baby of a similar age those snacks can be useful to make up meals so 2 meals can easily be split between the 3 of them.

Doing 2 CS meals a day is OK if you use the resort food courts.

 

[wayneg]

The other thing to consider is they will lose one snack per day and the refillable mugs.

Having been with a baby of a similar age those snacks can be useful to make up meals so 2 meals can easily be split between the 3 of them.

Doing 2 CS meals a day is OK if you use the resort food courts.

Every family has to consider their own preferences and needs, I don't really like fountain soda, mostly get bottled drinks with meals & buy bottled from Publix so Refillable mug is not much use.
Snack credits we had 25 left(still using bags of candy now) in August with only 1 per day.
We eat majority of CS in food courts(AKL, POR & POFQ) but 1 a day is enough, we like a TS every day also.
Glad I have not had to consider a 20 month old and change our ways.

 

[paulh]

Have to agree with Wayne on this one. No way could we do 2 quick service meals every day, but each to there owen.
Check out the ddp part of these boards for help and info regarding the dinning plans available and were to eat there is sme great info there
Paul

 

[2Tiggies]

Have to agree with Wayne on this one. No way could we do 2 quick service meals every day, but each to there owen.
Check out the ddp part of these boards for help and info regarding the dinning plans available and were to eat there is sme great info there
Paul

As Paul and Wayne said, it is a very personal decision as to which dining plan would suit you. I prefer the QSDP and just pay OOP for a TS every few days.

The only advice I would offer you in making your decision would be to choose the plan that you feel would best suit your needs as adults - not based on the baby. It may be that you prefer to have a sit down at least once a day, in which case yes, by all means, go and upgrade to the regular DDP. I would caution against upgrading purely for the little one to experience character meals. Many toddlers are terrified of the characters at close range. Your baby may love them, but you don't really know and if you eventually determine that the QSDP would suit you better, rather pay OOP for a few character meals than base your whole trip's meal itinerary on a plan just for the sake of a few meals you don't even know if your baby will enjoy.

Again, someone may disagree with what I said and you need to take all advice into account. Ultimately it needs to be your decision.

 

[wayneg]

I fully agree with Lee, our 3 year old God Daughter is going with us in August, no idea how she is going to interact with the characters (doesn't even like Santa) We are going to do a character meal on our 1st day to see how she responds then have a back up meal itinery if its a bad experience, change the other 4 character meals we have planned to regular TS meals.

Every child and every family is different.

 

[jrpc]

Hi

As has been said it depends on what you like, we stay at Coronado Springs and the Pepper Market has lost of choice so although you go and order yourself a waiter brings drinks etc so when eating at the resort its a little like being in a restaurant, as I said earlier for us it means we have a lot more flexibility to eat where and when we want

 

[Elise79]

I fully agree with Lee, our 3 year old God Daughter is going with us in August, no idea how she is going to interact with the characters (doesn't even like Santa) We are going to do a character meal on our 1st day to see how she responds then have a back up meal itinery if its a bad experience, change the other 4 character meals we have planned to regular TS meals.

Every child and every family is different.

Wayne

Just wanted to say Chloe doesn't like Santa either (she will be 3 in June) and she doesn't like face characters (fairies were our last attempt) but loves the furs such as Mickey. May be worth trying your god daughter with both types as she may be the same so don't rule out all characters straight away. Also DD some times takes a while to 'warm' to them.

 

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

thanks for all the replies guys, i think me and oh need to have a think of how many table service meals we will have, i dont think we would do one a day so i wonder if the standard plan would be too much. Character interation for DD is one of the main reasons that we will do table service as she has been exposed to characters from a young age and loves them , she also loves santa, so i think she is the exception to the rule. But at the same time she can be a fidgetty girl so the thought of a table service meal everyday with her might be a little too much. i also think the snack credits will be useful for feeding her as daddy doesnt share his food so me and her will be sharing my main meal so the snacks will help top us both up. thats again for the replies and the clickys, i am off to have a think

 

[Goofyish]

You said you enjoy breakfast, so one of your quick service meals would be breakfast and then you can use the other on for lunch or dinner depending on where you are.

With such a young one you may find it difficult keeping to your ADRs if you booked a table meal everyday. Your park plans will also be dictated by your table service ADRs if you upgrade.

 

[paulh]

if you think that you will have Table credits over why not think about doing some of the signature ones which take 2 or the dinner shows which also take 2.also you
Paul

 

[garethanders]

Just to reiterate what others have said its all preference. Money is an issue to upgrade but me and my DW find one of the reasons we have the DDP Is that having a table service meal, breaks up the day and give us a chance to have some rest time if we are in the parks,

and with so many places to eat it can be different every night of our stay