Have you ever used the PREMIUM PLAN?

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I am posting this under the dining plan board because I found the premium plan under dining plan option when booking a trip, but if this is in the wrong place please feel free to move it.

Have you ever used the premium plan?

I see that it includes the deluxe dining plan plus all the park tours, Cirque Du Soleil, the Ft Wilderness Segway tour. It even says fishing excursions, horse back riding, boat rentals and special seating areas for wishes and illuminations.

I am curious if any of you have ever used the premium plan and if so what parts of it did you use? Did you go on the park tours or use any of the recreation included?

Also a dining question...can anybody tell me of TABLE SERVICE breakfast places that AREN'T character meals? I am trying to fathom if it is even possible to have a table service breakfast that doesn't include characters or princesses.

 

[smiths02]

Never used premium plan.
Breakfast without characters-these are at Deluxe resorts:
boma
The Wave
Whispering Canyon
Grand Floridian Cafe
Kona

Kouzzina at the Boardwalk

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Thank you. I also found out Olivia's at OKW has a TS breakfast with no characters.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not technically a Disney Dining Plan, the premium and platinum is a different program, but it's discussed on this board because it has a dining component similar to the Disney Dining Plans.

Other non-character table service breakfasts: Kouzzina, Captain's Grill (menu or buffet), Boma (buffet), Rainforest Cafe (2 locations), Grand Floridian Cafe, The Wave (menu or buffet), Whispering Canyon Cafe, Kona Cafe

 

[Jeanieblue114]

I have looked into the premium plan but it really doesn't seem to be a good value.
You would have to consume enormous amounts of food and be at meals approx 6 hours a day.
Then somehow fit in several of the elaborate tours and a dolphin swim and a few other things to make it a good value.
I've priced it out a few times as something DIFFERENT to do because I'm at the parks and resorts so much.
But there aren't enough hours in the day to make it work for me.
I figured I am better off doing the dining I want to do (i usually use Tables in wonderland discount so i can order what i want including booze with a discount instead of a dining plan that i find restrictive).
And then add in a tour or two...I can get discounts through some other programs like DVC and annual passes and disney visa for some things as well.

It just works better with a less hectic vacation schedule for me and is a better price.

I recommend pricing out some of the things you want to do on the premium list, taking into account how much time is available, and then decide if it would work for you.

 

[Ro Z]

Never used premium plan.
Breakfast without characters-these are at Deluxe resorts:
boma
The Wave
Whispering Canyon
Grand Floridian Cafe
Kona

Kouzzina at the Boardwalk

No characters at
Captains grille at YC also RFC at AK. I dont think the one at DTD serves breakfast and I think it is on the DDP

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

We did the premium plan, about 10 years or so ago--back when I had 2-3 kids (I now have 4). My MIL paid for us all (our family, DBIL and his family, MIL) to go, on the premium plan.

I have to say, I thought it was a huge waste, and would never pay for it myself. You pay for 3, sit-down meals each day, including appetizers, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages. We left a LOT of food uneaten, we didn't order all that we "could" have, and got sick of spending half our time in restaurants.

We did rent watermice and my kids went parasailing--that was tons of fun. We had special spots for fireworks viewing, a special reception at Epcot, BIL went golfing, and our niece went horseback riding. All were fun activities, but I don't feel like we got the true value out of the plan.

OTOH, MIL is the type to like having everyone do whatever they want. She didn't care about the wasted money, she wanted it to be fun and all expenses paid. So, from her perspective, it was fine. I, personally, couldn't shell out that kind of money without worrying that I wasn't getting enough value out of the plan.

Just so you know, I now have 4 kids, and we tend to stay offsite. My kids actually prefer that! I'm going next month, with just my little guys (DD9, DS6), and staying onsite, using ME and the regular Dining Plan. It'll be interesting to see how it all works out for us.

 

[Eddy]

Before the start of the year you only needed to do one night, so last year my wife and I did Plantium plan for one night. She took my spa credit and had a massage. I did tubing and Parasaling. We took the tour that goes to all four parks, ate at Victoria and Alberts, Hoop De Doo, and CRT. The circus was dark to got gift cards for the value of cost. Oh she had a facial also. With the park ticket we had to buy was able to use it a Disneyland as they take unused Disneyworld days there. So really got my moneys worth. This year we took 4 grandkids and had 2 rooms. So I booked one room with the Premium Plan for 3 nights We did both Segway tours, did tubing and Parasaling also had fishing tour,Keys to The Kingdom Tour, saw the circus.When you are renting the boats anyone can go so we didnt need the plan for the 3 year old or 5 year old to enjoy tubing or fishing oh ya we also did a poontoon boat and the little boats. In 2010 I also did Premium plan when we took 6 grandkids all teenagers they still talk about the tubing
Although I liked it better when you could do it for one night I might do it again if I take the last of our grandkids who are in their teens. If you google Premium Plan for one night you can find a site with over 150 pages about people who have done the plan Oh one last thing you would have 4 days to eat all your meals and use other things on the plan as it expires at midnite the day u check out.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

If we get free dining and upgrade to the premium plan it would cost us an additional $1400 or so if I did the math right. For 2 of us.

JUST upgrading from regular DDP to DlxDp would cost $600 by itself so now we are down to $800.

There are tours at 3 of the 4 parks that I would do that range from $70 to $90 each so that is almost $600 more dollars in tours. So we are down to $200.

If we did the segway tour at Ft Wilderness and Cirque Du Soleil we would be down to zero. Minus $200.

SO anything we did above that would be basically free.

I am just not sure I want to do all of that stuff. I think I might like the deluxe dining plan for sure so I might just upgrade to that. But I was just curious who all might have done the premium plan and what all they did or how long they stayed.

We would only be there 6 days.

Thank you all for the info.