Disney style and dining plans

[MinnieGi]

I guess we're a number 6 since my DH calls my Disney plans a military action plan!!! However I have to say my plans still let us have relaxation time at the resort, it's ALL just in the schedule!!! We start out early, leave early afternoon, relax, and then go back into the park for night time fun.

 

[sheila <3 WDW]

We are a 12, too. Our first trip was back in September and DD had just turned 3. We figured the sit down meals would be good breaks for us to rest during the day. We are going again in May and figure the same thing. The first trip was 5 nights, the May trip will be 4 nights. If we ever go longer, maybe 7 or 8 nights, we'll probably drop down to the regular dining plan and either bring or buy stuff to keep in our room for meals/snacks.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We are between a 9 & 13. We spend a lot more time at the resorts then the parks. Some of our trips don't even include park visits. We pay OOP for meals since the dining plans don't suit us.

 

[MPHARJ]

12, tried the DxDDP last year and loved it, liked being able to try all sorts of new places, sitting down and relaxing out of the heat and being waited on! We have it booked for this year!

 

[lesabrowning]

We are a 12 : )

 

[FamilyDisneyLovers]

We are a very happy 7!!!! We are from the North East where every thing is a little more fast pased. We try to satify everyone with us and enjoy ourselves along the way. We look foward to a good TS meal and some down time while eating, then we are off again.

 

[clanmcculloch]

We're definitely 9. We use TourGuide Mike to accomplish everything we want but we spend maybe half days at the parks with break days built in so no commando for us. We like to take advantage of all the ammenities offered at our resort and spend lots of time in the pool. For our upcoming 7 night/8 day trip I have 8 ADRs, a few of which are signatures so that would be 11 credits over 7 nights. Dining plans don't suit us (DD10 usually prefers kids meals, we don't order dessert or appetizers very often unless the appetizers are the actual meal, DxDDP would be way too much food, very few fixed price meals, no kids under 10) and we have TiW so OOP works best for us.

 

[drewmer]

We are #9. We love to see a lot of things but we try not to run all over. My wife and I eat many small meals a day so we often share something. The dining plans just don't work well for people who graze.

It also seems that the plans are dropping the quality and raising the prices of meals. If you can have anything from the menu most people will go for a higher priced meal even though you might normally have been happy with something smaller or less expensive.

 

[mommycrawford]

We are a 7. We want to see as much as possible but part of vacation is food IMO. We don't eat out a lot - once every 1-2 weeks usually so eating out on vacation is a special treat to me. I feel like the DDP give us the best of both a sit down meal every day and the CS that give us the flexibility tour during the day. We will rest if we need it, but we also have a plan. The longer the trip, the more relaxed we can be. Since we have 6 full days to do 4 parks that allows a little more relaxation especially since we're going in Sept. when it's not as crowded.

What s/he said!

...not cooking and washing up after is DEFINATELY part of vacation for me!

 

[postage stamp]

We did 12 once. WAY TOO MUCH FOOD. We did 11 once. STILL WAY TOO MUCH FOOD!.
We are now 9 people. Nine works best for us at this point in our family's habits.

 

[disneybex]

We were 11 on our last trip and it was brilliant! As our first trip we felt we did everything - but we have to go for 3 weeks to eb able to see everything at this pace.

This year we are going for 12, there are 2 of us and we are getting married at WDW so we really wanted to be able to include the signature restaurants. Plus we got the DDP for free so it was only £15/day to upgrade

 

[wdwmom0f3]

7. See as much as we possibly can without losing any limbs – Regular DDP

That little bit of down time while we sit and eat (even if it is a character meal) revitilzes us to hit things hard again afterwards!

This is what we do too!! We do take afternoon breaks though, and that helps a lot.

 

[sillylily]

We're a 9; DH and I both work really stressful and hectic jobs, and our youngest DD has asthma that can be exacerbated by heat and humidity if she pushes herself too hard. We're going OOP, because after crunching the numbers none of the dining plans are saving us any money at all. I want to enjoy Disney, but I don't want to remember there being a harried pace!

 

[postage stamp]

I think if my husband and I went without the kids again we'd go back to being 12 people. I'm a foodie and he like to keep me happy. We know what we want to see and do there and without the kids (ours are still pretty young) we move a lot faster so I think we'd have more time to sit down and eat for every meal. Plus we'd love to try more of the signature places. A nice dinner without the kids never hurt nobody!

 

[Darcy03231]

We're an 11. I have to say, this is after multiple trips though. When we first started going, we tended to go all day and just eat CS meals (there was no dining plan then). As we've gotten older, we look forward to taking it at a slower pace and having at least one TS meal a day.

 

[catra121]

12. See as much as we can at a relaxed (if that is possible at Disney) pace while enjoying a vacation. We are on vacation not a military mission. - DXDDP

LOVE the deluxe dining plan. It is so convenient and it fits my style of a relaxing vacation perfectly. I really love TS meals and trying the different restaurants. It allows me the time to relax and take everything in.

But I am also a park lover. I go to Disney for the parks. I no longer feel the need to go on EVERY ride. I have my favorites and I just do those. I like taking it easy and planning the vacation just enough so that I don't really have to think while I am there. I don't have to make any decisions.

I think it is definitely possible to take a relaxed vacation at Disney AND enjoy the parks. But I think that first timers would have a hard time with this because they wouldn't KNOW yet what their favorite things to do are. But if you've been several times and you do know what you want to do...it's easy to relax at the parks...if you want to. Some people enjoy the running or have kids who want to see everything or big groups with different interests...that makes it harder. But when I go...I like to take it easy.

 

[2Tiggies]

We are at 6 - QSDP gives us more flexiblity with time and the food is not that important to us. A nice meal every few days is good enough for us.

 

[disneycruising]

We would be an 11.

We have done the parks a number of times. So, we don't feel we have to race to see everything while we are there. We are also DVC members...so we know we will be back.

Someday, I would like to try the DX plan. With 4 children I just can't justify the extra expense. Maybe when they leave home and it is just DH and I.

 

[Tony NY]

As for me & my the powercahir 12 with the DXDP as the far as the family goes is an 8th

I'm not going to lie. But I <3 to see it all and eat in all the grate disney resturants but I fell I need a vacation from Disney world from all the good food and and all the ppl oh wait I live in NYC I need disney more than ever