Has anyone ever done the Premium Dining Plan?

[juliebug1997]

My question isn't about dining.....

I was reading on the WDW website that you can go on select tours as part of the cost of this. Does anyone have any experience with this? I know I've seen people do the premium for a couple of days and then downgrade their dining plan. We would probably do that as well, since it would cost about $3000 for the two of us for about eight days. Just was wondering about others' experiences with the non-dining part of this plan.

TIA!

 

[bytheblood]

Yes, people have done it. You should ask on the restaurants forum. Also, a Google search might give you more real experiences.

 

[purple figment]

Here's a l-o-n-g thread that has many people's experiences on it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2404255

 

[jvptravels]

I did the premium plan last month and loved it! I took five tours, parasailed twice, used a Sea Raycer and took the personal watercraft tour. All this and LaNouba, plus preferred viewing of Wishes and Illuminations, plus I got a Fantasmic! dinner package, and was upgraded to VIP because my original Fantasmic! show was rained out.

All-in-all, I found the premium plan to be a great value, and I easily used more than $1000 worth of entitlements above and beyond the cost of the plan. I highly recommend it.

 

[momofkids]

Can you use the meal credits for any meal of the day? The way they write it in the premium dining plan brochure is that you get 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner. Do they keep track of this or is it like the other plans where you can use the meal credits for any meal of the day you wish? I didn't know if the 2012 plan was different that way from the 2011 plan from the thread link.

 

[jvptravels]

Can you use the meal credits for any meal of the day?

Yes. You can use the meals however you like. They just subtract 1 credit for each meal at you eat. And I'm assuming you already know that signature restaurants are only 1 credit on this plan.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not a Disney Dining Plan - the Premium and Platinum Package Plans are a different program. They are not available on DVC reservations, and a free dining plan promotion cannot be upgraded to Premium or Platinum.

They have a dining component that resembles the Deluxe Dining Plan, although ALL restaurants, including signatures and dinner shows (and Victoria & Albert's on the Platinum plan only) are one dining credit per person.

I know I've seen people do the premium for a couple of days and then downgrade their dining plan.

For this reason, last year Disney started a three-night minimum stay rule for the Premium and Platinum Packages.

These packages are generally recommended for guests who are mostly interested in the tours and shows, and will pack as many of those as possible into their days.

 

[catne]

Just a heads-up on the premium plan, and additional cost considerations...used to be you could book it for just one or two nights, and get the entitlements to use over the two or three days. But they changed that so now there's a minimum of THREE nights on the premium plan.

And the way Disney works it, you cannot book part of your stay as one plan and then " downgrade" your dining plan after a couple of days. The only way to have 2 different plans during your stay is to have two completely separate reservations (technically, you'll have to "check out" of the first reservation and "check in" on the 2nd reservation. And there is a chance that you would actually have to move rooms for the 2nd half of your trip depending on how the bookings go & your luck.)

Also, if you do not have Annual passholder status, then to get a dining plan you will have to purchase a room & tickets package for both reservations, so your park tickets will cost a lot more since you have to buy tickets on both packages to get dining plans on both packages...for example, if you were going for a 7 night vacation...the first 3 nights with premium plan, and then the 2nd reservation to be 4 nights with regular dining. You'd pay about double for the park tickets because the first reservation will have 3 day ticket (about $242 per person), and then 2nd reservation would have 4 day ticket (about $255 per person.) so you'd spend about $500 per person for tickets. That's the expensive way to buy tickets, because they front-load the cost into shorter multi-day tickets. If you had one reservation for all 7 nights, your 7 day ticket would be $288.

AND with two separate reservations, keep in mind that all the premium entitlements would expire at midnight of the day you "check out" in the middle of your trip...so you would not be able to spread the premium entitlements out over your entire trip, it would be only be available on the first 4 days (including your check-in & check-out day, with the 3 night minimum for premium.)

 

[momofkids]

Yes. You can use the meals however you like. They just subtract 1 credit for each meal at you eat. And I'm assuming you already know that signature restaurants are only 1 credit on this plan.

Yes, thank you. I seriously considering this for a future trip. We really want to do the tours and shows and have not because of cost. This really makes them affordable. Is there a minimum ticket purchase with this?

I am assuming 2 or 3 day minimum?

 

[momofkids]

Sounds like it works best to start with premium package for a few days then a room only reservation. We could just add days to the tickets purchased with the package if we needed to.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sounds like it works best to start with premium package for a few days then a room only reservation. We could just add days to the tickets purchased with the package if we needed to.

this will work as long as you are OK with no dining plan on the second reservation. I'm currently unaware of the rules regarding ticket length on the premium/platinum packages, if there are any. On a regular package you can buy any length of ticket you wish (except on the free dining promotion which requires 2 day tickets).

 

[jvptravels]

It's not a Disney Dining Plan - the Premium and Platinum Package Plans are a different program. They are not available on DVC reservations, and a free dining plan promotion cannot be upgraded to Premium or Platinum.

They have a dining component that resembles the Deluxe Dining Plan, although ALL restaurants, including signatures and dinner shows (and Victoria & Albert's on the Platinum plan only) are one dining credit per person.

I've read this type of reply before. Quite frankly, it sounds as if people are putting the Premium Plan down. Saying that they have a "component that resembles the Deluxe Dining Plan" is like saying the deluxe plan is better in some way, when this obviously is not true.

If one must compare apples and oranges here, I would say that the Premium and Platinum Plans offer guests a more in-depth, or "all-inclusive" Disney experience. These plans are not included in the discount packages or so-called "free dining" offers. Therefore, people who choose either of these plans probably are not concerned with cutting corners. They are more concerned with enjoying the best of everything Walt Disney World has to offer.

When I did the Premium Plan last month, the only decision I struggled with was whether or not to upgrade to a deluxe resort from a moderate. (Wilderness or Animal Kingdom Lodge vs. Port Orleans Riverside). I stayed with Port Orleans because I knew I would not be spending a great deal of time at my resort. Great choice.

 

[catne]

I don't read that comment as putting the Premium and Platinum plans down at all...just as distinguishing them as being very different from the regular Disney dining plans (all of which claim to be a discount...they advertise some percentage of savings) I always read those comments as letting people know the Premium & Platinum plans are not to be confused with discount programs...so more like putting them "up", lol.

I suspect TDC Nala used the wording "resembles Deluxe dining" to specify the part of the Premium & Platinum plans that people might sometimes confuse with straight dining plans.

 

[catne]

AAA travel agent told me there was a 3 day park ticket minimum on the Premium package (to go along with the 3 night minimum reservation)

Now that's what she said when I was looking into the possibility of booking this package...'course it's not necessarily true...she's been known to be wrong about some details in the past, lol.

 

[jvptravels]

Of course you do need a valid park ticket for most tours.

 

[TDC Nala]

I've read this type of reply before. Quite frankly, it sounds as if people are putting the Premium Plan down. Saying that they have a "component that resembles the Deluxe Dining Plan" is like saying the deluxe plan is better in some way, when this obviously is not true.

I don't get it. The premium/platinum packages are NOT the same as the deluxe dining plan. People on this board are generally familiar with the deluxe dining plan. The only real difference is that all restaurants are 1 credit on the package plans, so how is that not better than the deluxe plan? Of course, if all you want is the dining you are far better off with the deluxe dining plan rather than paying the extra for the premium plan, which will get you tours and shows. Cannot see where it is incorrect to point that out, especially on the Dining Plan board. It is also correct to point out that the Premium and Platinum packages are NOT Disney Dining Plans and are not considered part of the same program. How that equates to better or worse, I don't understand.

The OP is interested in reviews of the non-dining component, but this is the Dining board, and the OP did refer to it as the Premium Dining Plan, so much of the posted info was for those who check the post and find it interesting...A link was given to a post on the Resorts board that may have a lot of the info she is looking for.

 

[juliebug1997]

I don't get it. The premium/platinum packages are NOT the same as the deluxe dining plan. People on this board are generally familiar with the deluxe dining plan. The only real difference is that all restaurants are 1 credit on the package plans, so how is that not better than the deluxe plan? Of course, if all you want is the dining you are far better off with the deluxe dining plan rather than paying the extra for the premium plan, which will get you tours and shows. Cannot see where it is incorrect to point that out, especially on the Dining Plan board. It is also correct to point out that the Premium and Platinum packages are NOT Disney Dining Plans and are not considered part of the same program. How that equates to better or worse, I don't understand.

The OP is interested in reviews of the non-dining component, but this is the Dining board, and the OP did refer to it as the Premium Dining Plan, so much of the posted info was for those who check the post and find it interesting...A link was given to a post on the Resorts board that may have a lot of the info she is looking for.

Thanks! I originally posted this on the Theme Park Strategies and I even said "This is not dining plan related."

I was looking last night at the cost differences between the DxDP and the Premium/Platinum and just noticed the unlimited tours, etc. It sounded really awesome but the cost difference for eight days between the DxDP and the two others is like $2000 for the two of us so I'm not sure if it would be the best use or our money. A little disappointed but I'll keep it in mind for the future in case we get a wild hair.

Thanks for all the answers, everyone! Off to read that thread now!