Free Dining- Choose favorites or maximize credits

[pinkxray]

This spring will be our first time with free dining. Before the discount came out I had decided to skip the dining plan and just pay OOP since most of our choices would be character breakfast or cheaper lunches like the Plaza or Tony's. Then, free dining came out for our dates. This is the only discount available for our dates (fingers crossed for a room only discount). I am having a hard time picking our ADR's b/c most of my choices our on the cheaper side. Since the dining is free should I just book what I really want since it's not like I am losing money doing the dining plan?

5 credits- (2 additional nights on dvc points- no dining plan)
Choices:
Ohana Dinner
Via Napoli Dinner

Ohana Breakfast
Akershus Breakfast
Chef Mickey breakfast
Crystal Palace Breakfast
(one would be OOP)

We love character meals! I know it would be a "better use" of a credit to switch CM or CP to dinner but we don't love the food at dinner buffets. Also considered WCC or Chefs de France but wouldn't really consider this if we had to pay OOP.

(We will also have T-REX dinner and HOB lunch)

 

[Nadjalu]

Go where you really want to go.

DO NOT get hung up on trying to maximize your $$$. First off it is FREE dining, meaning you aren't paying. So why would you even worry about trying to go to more expensive places, if the cheaper ones are where you want to go??

Sorry, I don't get the whole "caught up in the hyped places". There are some places I love...CP, Chef Mickey's and Tony's. Yes others can go to Cali Grill and Jiko, but I like what I like and their menus don't appeal to me.

So I say go where you want, eat what you want and be excited you aren't paying for any of it!!!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I love breakfast buffets with the characters, I don't give a hoot if it's the least expensive meal. I only tried to "maximize" the dining plan the first time we had it, after that I went to the restaurants we liked and ordered what I was in the mood for even if it was the least expensive thing on the menu. Eating steak each night did not make me happy.

 

[basketlacey]

We have our first free dining trip coming up. We aren't really used to making many ADRs at all. In fact, we have done a lot of offsite eating and counter service meals in the past. I picked what I think we will like rather than worrying much about cost.

The only cost concern I have is making sure if we need to pay OOP for a meal or two, that we pick the cheapest. So I guess in a way, I am trying to maximize the plan. But, for our TS, I am definitely picking based on what I think everyone will enjoy.

 

[3boys4me]

Choose what you like. The first time we had the dining plan I tried to "maximize" my snack credits, big mistake. Our last day we were in the hotel gift shop getting snacks with our left over snack credits. I wish I would have used them along the way. Lesson learned. Our last trip we used them as we went for snacks and went to the restaurants we wanted and ate what we wanted to there, and rarely did we ever pick the most expensive items on the menu, only if that's what we wanted. Enjoy!

 

[squirrel]

I also don't try to maximize the DDP. I pick places that I like eating at. We have some buffet breakfast as they are really good. I love steak so we are also eating at some places that I can get that.

 

[pinkxray]

Thanks for all the replies. I am glad everyone says to just book what we like. There are many places I would like to try eventually but while DD is young and wants to meet characters, the characters breakfast are our favorites. Anyway, it's not like Chef Mickey and Akershus are cheap.

 

[maggiew]

Thanks for all the replies. I am glad everyone says to just book what we like. There are many places I would like to try eventually but while DD is young and wants to meet characters, the characters breakfast are our favorites. Anyway, it's not like Chef Mickey and Akershus are cheap.

Go to the character meals NOW while your DD is young and can enjoy them. The day comes all too quickly when they don't want to do character meals. Take it from me, a mom of an 18 yo DD and a 15 yo DD! You have plenty of time for Chefs de France and Le Cellier later.

Maggie

 

[nbs2]

One thing that we are doing is trying to identify one or two "endangered" places - that is, places that we may never go to in the future for one reason or another. For example, we booked an LC ADR, even though I think we would have more fun at Biergarten or a second trip to Akershus. Because of the impending shift to 2 credits and accompanying, inevitable, price increase, we thought we would try it now.

Otherwise, we tried to focus the same way as you - on what would be the most fun at this point in our kids' lives.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

We did both. We are going to plenty of places that wouldn't be considered the best use of meal credits (lunch at LTT and Sci-Fi.) We're also trying a few places we've wanted to try and wouldn't do if we weren't on the DDP (Ohana and Akershus.)

 

[ncc1701]

DH & I had free DDP last year.We didn't maximze our credits either.We did however try 2 place we might not have done if paying OOP.We did Chefs de France for lunch and Tutto Italia for dinner.We agreed we will go back to Chef at lunch or maybe even dinner even if paying OOP, but TI is off the list free or not.
We also ordered what looked good to us and not by the price point.

 

[caroline1851]

Eat where and what you want, not what's most expensive. The only time I think you should consider cost is snacks. Don't use a credit for a snack under $3. If it's cheaper than $3, just pay oop and save your snack credits for the pricier things.