Do I or Don't I....

[MablePines24]

Hi all!


I’m starting to plan a trip for 6 in December 2017. I know it’s early, but we need to budget for 2 families of 3. We’re doing 6 nights in 2 rooms at Coronado Springs, with 4 or 5 day non-park hopper tickets. We’re planning on a day at Universal and buying Very Merry Christmas party tickets. The item I’m debating is whether or not to get a dining plan. I’ve gotten it before, through Free Dining which was awesome. We loved the convenience of it and the fact everything was taken care of ahead of time, with the exception of drinks and tips. However, this time, my son will be 11 and considered a Disney Adult. That means the Disney Dining Plan (1QS, 1TS, etc) is an additional $1100 on top of our room and ticket package for my family of 3. Do I use that money better somewhere else and pay for meals out of pocket? Or should I say go for convenience and spend the $1100?


Thanks!

 

[Lisa F]

I think since you are doing a day at universal that 6 nights worth of food when you're in the parks 4-5 days plus party is too much. You'll be trying to cram it all in and especially with your son being a disney adult, you are probably better off just paying out of pocket... unless what you are going to do is split the meals with the other family... that is pay for it on one room, split the meals in half, split the cost in half and then go OOP on anything else. In that case I think you could definitely use up 18 TS, 18CS and 18 snacks between the two rooms in a way that would save everyone money.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Oop is cheaper. Just budget and stick the money of a gift card. Use that to pay. No guilt or worry. 2017 is in a galaxy far far away so plan accordingly.

 

[GillianP1301]

You need to try and figure out how much food you would buy/eat if you do go OOP and see how that compares to the dining plan - your break even is $1110, which is about $180 a day. 3 adults at one TS restaurant is going to run you on average about $120, so if you do 2 TS a day, then you're definitely good with the dining plan. If you think you will just order QS a couple times a day, share meals, etc...,then obviously dining plan not for you. Google dining plan calculators, there are tools out there that will help you calculate this based on your restaurant choices.