Do you eat 3 meals a day on the DDP? Should I eat lunch?

[writersblock42]

I haven't used the dining plan yet. If we do use it, I think we are going to share meals. My husband and son also eat cereal every day at home. I was thinking of just getting some milk and cereal for breakfast or pop tarts, or yogurt, or other things I can keep in the fridge and eat quickly. That is what we did last time.

 

[ReneeA]

Unless you are both really, really, REALLY BIG eaters...3 meals a day is too much. We still had CS and snack credits left when we went home last year...and that is even with sharing with a 2 year old that wasn't able to be on the plan.

Seriously, it is an OBSCENE amount of food. Grab a snack in the morning, eat an early CS lunch, then grab a TS dinner. We did it last year, and it was great.

Have you thought about how much time it is going to take, or the fact the you are going to be stuffed to the gills uncomfortable due to all of the food?

 

[gigi1313]

Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing

glad i'm not alone

 

[Disney8704]

Its to much food if you let it to be to much food. You dont have to order everything that comes with your plan. And no one can sit there and make you clean your plate either. I can go to a buffet all I want, doesnt mean I have to eat a lot. And besides it would have been 5 hrs since I ate breakfast by the time I eat lunch. Trust me by the time I eat lunch, I'll be ready. Now one thing I might do instead of doing the dining plan is to pay OOP, just incase we arent hungry for lunch. That way I wont feel that my money went to waste on the plan if we dont use all the CS credits. Then again with the TS credits, $38.99 per day, would have paid for my TS dinner and Water.

Unless you are both really, really, REALLY BIG eaters...3 meals a day is too much. We still had CS and snack credits left when we went home last year...and that is even with sharing with a 2 year old that wasn't able to be on the plan.

Seriously, it is an OBSCENE amount of food. Grab a snack in the morning, eat an early CS lunch, then grab a TS dinner. We did it last year, and it was great.

Have you thought about how much time it is going to take, or the fact the you are going to be stuffed to the gills uncomfortable due to all of the food?

 

[mickeymousemom]

Oh. My. Lord.

Everyone in my family LOVES to eat. Loves to EAT. Loves TO eat. We had the free dining plan last year and rarely used extra money for other meals. We used our TS all for dinner, because that's where the best bargain is. A couple times we paid OOP for a couple of platters at POR(breakfast) to share among 5 of us. Then we used our CS credits for lunch. We were absolutely STUFFED every day. I can't imagine spending $500 for extra food AND using the DP. They about had to roll us out of there as it was, and when we left we still had a couple CS credits left over.
To answer your question, no way. We didn't eat 3 meals a day on the DP. It would have taken all the oompah loompahs to roll us home.

 

[sugarpie]

I'm starting to think you're joking about the extra $500 for food. If a person were to actually eat that much food they would gain 20 pounds in a week.

 

[Dorisk3]

Its to much food if you let it to be to much food. You dont have to order everything that comes with your plan. And no one can sit there and make you clean your plate either. I can go to a buffet all I want, doesnt mean I have to eat a lot. And besides it would have been 5 hrs since I ate breakfast by the time I eat lunch. Trust me by the time I eat lunch, I'll be ready. Now one thing I might do instead of doing the dining plan is to pay OOP, just incase we arent hungry for lunch. That way I wont feel that my money went to waste on the plan if we dont use all the CS credits. Then again with the TS credits, $38.99 per day, would have paid for my TS dinner and Water.

I was going to say the dining plan might not be right for you- but you'll still pretty much break even or be slightly ahead with doing the 1 TS a day, a snack and not using all your CS-but using some. I guess what is blowing alot of people's minds is your cheerful acceptance of paying extra for what they think you don't really need. You are probably the dream customer of Disney- because it doesn't seem like cost bothers you. Just bring the money and the credit cards, it kinda looks like your mind is made up. It's nice to go as a couple and enjoy everything slowly if you want with lots of eating out. I've got 2 little ones with ants in their pants so we can never really savor a meal!

 

[ReneeA]

I take my post back.

Eat all you want - spend extra money on more meals. It's your vacation. You should do what it takes to have a good time.

Apparently, you DIDN'T put this out as a question to get opinions.

 

[Disney8704]

OK Let me try to explain this in a way I hope everyone understands. Going by this years prices this is what we have for Breakfast and 1 OOP Dinner:

Chef Mickey's $50.00
Grand Floridian Cafe $50.00
'Ohana $50.00
Boma $50.00
Boma $50.00
The Mara $30.00 (picking up water while we are here)
The Mara $30.00 (once again, picking up water while we are here)
Donald's $50.00
Rainforest Cafe (DTD) $60.00

TOTAL - $420.00
Water $2 x 4 = $8.00 per day @ 2 bottles per person, per day x 9 days = $72.00

GRAND TOTAL - $492.00

See why now we need an additional $500

The prices above does include everything we would order, plus tax and tips.

 

[Disney8704]

Easy fix for that, lots of duck tape!

I've got 2 little ones with ants in their pants so we can never really savor a meal!

 

[Disney8704]

Please dont get me started on the oompah loompahs, lol. I really hate that song they sing. I dunno whats worse. That song or its a small world. But anyways, like I said before, we can go off and eat buffets for breakfast but doesnt mean we will take that much. DH prob will, but me, prob not. I will prob grab some bacon, eggs, a mickey waffle and maybe a muffin and a drink and that will prob be it for me. DH on the other hand, get him at a buffet and he easily eats 2 plates. And plus with all the walking and energy we are gonna be burning riding rides, we'll definantly be hungry again by 1 for lunch. It doesnt take us long to get hungry again when we are at a theme park, especially me and Disney. Perfect example, last time I went down, we came out of Sci-Fi cafe, headed towards Fantasmic, of course I was completely stuffed, sat down about an hr later after just standing there in line, and guess what. While sitting down and waiting for fantasmic to start, I had to buy popcorn and I ended up eating the whole thing by myself before Fantasmic even started. Just to go show you, when Im in Disney, Im a human trash can.

Oh. My. Lord.

Everyone in my family LOVES to eat. Loves to EAT. Loves TO eat. We had the free dining plan last year and rarely used extra money for other meals. We used our TS all for dinner, because that's where the best bargain is. A couple times we paid OOP for a couple of platters at POR(breakfast) to share among 5 of us. Then we used our CS credits for lunch. We were absolutely STUFFED every day. I can't imagine spending $500 for extra food AND using the DP. They about had to roll us out of there as it was, and when we left we still had a couple CS credits left over.
To answer your question, no way. We didn't eat 3 meals a day on the DP. It would have taken all the oompah loompahs to roll us home.

 

[Dorisk3]

Easy fix for that, lots of duck tape!

They'd find someway to walk around with their chairs attached to their butts- bumping into other innocent diners all the while!

I see what you mean about your breakfast plans- I'd still stick with the dining plan for your dinners, even factoring in some missed CS's- you could always do the math on allears to see if it works out. If your TS meals are late enough in the day you might find yourself able to do the three meals, and it is after all your vacation- so I think what you wanted to take for cash to cover these expenses would be right.

 

[Disney8704]

Yeah we probably are just gonna stick with the dining plan. The $38.99 per person, per day is our TS dinners and waters and any lunch we can manage to throw in our stomaches. DH I know will eat lunch. He's ALWAYS hungry. And worse comes to worse for breakfasts, I can always make the ADRs and if we arent hungry enough, we can just go to the Mara and grab something and I can always call and cancel my ADR for that morning. No biggie. As for our TS meals Im thinking around 6 - 6:30, so that way we have plenty of time to get seated, order and eat and grab our spots before Spectro Magic, Wishes, Fantasmic and Illuminations start.

They'd find someway to walk around with their chairs attached to their butts- bumping into other innocent diners all the while!

I see what you mean about your breakfast plans- I'd still stick with the dining plan for your dinners, even factoring in some missed CS's- you could always do the math on allears to see if it works out. If your TS meals are late enough in the day you might find yourself able to do the three meals, and it is after all your vacation- so I think what you wanted to take for cash to cover these expenses would be right.

 

[tinkamom]

Um....I managed to have a $500 bill in addition to Free dining last year! But that did include alcohol!

 

[gigi1313]

have you considered the premium or platinum plan? sounds like it would be just right for you/dh...

 

[Disney8704]

I have considered it but it costs wayyyyy to much. And we wouldnt use anything that comes with it except for maybe the cirque du soleil tickets and maybe the backstage safari tour. We never go to the water parks so those opitions would be pointless. We dont go to the water parks, for 1 not really into water parks and 2 we never have the time to go to them. So it would be pointless to get it. And besides u have to stay for 10 nights and we can only afford 9 nights at AKL.

have you considered the premium or platinum plan? sounds like it would be just right for you/dh...

 

[gigi1313]

unfortunately the disney reservation system is down, 'cause i was going to run you some numbers... i know for a fact that you do not have to book 10 days on the premium plan...

 

[DiszyDeanette]

Oh. My. Lord.

Everyone in my family LOVES to eat. Loves to EAT. Loves TO eat. We had the free dining plan last year and rarely used extra money for other meals. We used our TS all for dinner, because that's where the best bargain is. A couple times we paid OOP for a couple of platters at POR(breakfast) to share among 5 of us. Then we used our CS credits for lunch. We were absolutely STUFFED every day. I can't imagine spending $500 for extra food AND using the DP. They about had to roll us out of there as it was, and when we left we still had a couple CS credits left over.
To answer your question, no way. We didn't eat 3 meals a day on the DP. It would have taken all the oompah loompahs to roll us home.

This is exactly what I was going to post! My husband and I never stop laughing at the "I'd never do the DDP, it's toooo much food!" posts here. I mean, can there be too much food? Especially yummy Disney food? We are FOOD people, that's a major part of our vacation! Then I think about adding another TS meal every day, and I get ill just thinking about it, LOL! At the most we would pick up a muffin or piece of fruit at our resort in the morning. We were usually still digesting whatever excellent and enormous dinner we had the night before! But if you want 3 squares a day, isn't there a premium dining plan for that? I've never seen anyone actually use it, but it might save the OP some $$?

 

[Disney8704]

I've already checked and trust me, it doesnt save me money. Infact doing the premium will cost more then doing the dining plan and bringing along an additional $500.

FROM WDW SITE:
DINING $3417.80 +$500 Cash = $3917.80
PREMIUM $5397.98
SAVING OF DOING DINING & $500 CASH - $1480.18

This is exactly what I was going to post! My husband and I never stop laughing at the "I'd never do the DDP, it's toooo much food!" posts here. I mean, can there be too much food? Especially yummy Disney food? We are FOOD people, that's a major part of our vacation! Then I think about adding another TS meal every day, and I get ill just thinking about it, LOL! At the most we would pick up a muffin or piece of fruit at our resort in the morning. We were usually still digesting whatever excellent and enormous dinner we had the night before! But if you want 3 squares a day, isn't there a premium dining plan for that? I've never seen anyone actually use it, but it might save the OP some $$?