Help me decide! DDP or club level?

[P.I.G.mommy]

So we are currently booked at the grand Floridian in a standard garden view room with the deluxe dining plan. I just found out that if we downgrade our dining plan to the one table service, one quick service and one snack, we can stay club level in the outer building for $10 more........would it be worth it to switch?

We are a family of 5, and have character meals and a few other sit down meals planned already......we have always done deluxe dining in the past

 

[Tam1067]

We have done deluxe dining, regular dining, and club level (at the GF in Sugar Loaf). We are also a family of 5.

I prefer club to either of the dining plans. With 5, you can get quite a bit of value out of the lounge. At the GF, many evenings, we would just have dinner in the lounge. I know it's not "meant" to be a dinner, but they really do give lots of food, and if the kids are tired and not in the mood to go to a big meal, we were happy to hang out in the lounge.

Breakfast there is really nice. Afternoon and evening snacks are also good. I don't think you would really want a dessert (as you get on the DDP) plus club level desserts--or at least I know we couldn't eat that much!

I think for us, even the regular DDP plus club level would be too much food.

In any case, we like the club level. Plus, you get an area to spread out and relax, beyond the room.

 

[fairy8i8]

It depends on what makes you happy. If you only typically eat 2 meals a day and don't do signature dining venues often, then downgrading your dining plan and getting the concierge benefits could be a good fit.

However, if you have a family of foodies and tend to use most of your Deluxe Dining points, then it could actually end up being more expensive because of the additional out of pocket expense (or it could make for some unhappy family members).

Benefits of Concierge
-greeted upon arrival and escorted to check-in in the concierge lounge (usually)
-use of concierge to book meals and extra activities (rumor has it they are subject to the same restrictions as booking meals online yourself- so you still need to let them know your preferences early, and if something's gone, it's gone. However, they may check for cancellations for you and get you in)
-use of concierge lounge, which at GF is mainly about the snacks. You get continental breakfast items and yummy treats in the evening. If these snacks sound more appealing than a full meal, have at it.

Personally, I would stick with the Deluxe Dining, but since it seems like you visit Disney World fairly often, so if you want a different experience at the Grand Floridian, it could be a fun change of pace. Some people swear by concierge and will never go back. Others don't feel extra special or pampered with concierge and therefore don't see the point in the extra cost.

I would see what your family members want to do.

 

[mickeynut1]

If it were me, I'd stick with GV and DlxDDP. Having stayed all levels at the GF, I don't care for the SL lounge being located right in the lobby as you enter the SL building. The lounge was always chaotic and crowded in the morning and evening and IMO, there isn't enough seating to accommodate the amount of people that stay there. If the choice was between RPC/DDP and GV/DlxDDP, I'd choose RPC without hesitation, but between GV/DlxDDP and SL/DDP, I'd go with GV over SL.

 

[AliceIn]

I keep going back and forth about our next trip. We did the DDxP last time and it was great for us. We like to do early character breakfasts in the park, and then do signature dinners in the evening. I like getting in the parks early and getting to see the characters before the crowds later in the day, and we do love the nice dinners. Then again, we also have days where we won't be in the parks where the club breakfasts would be nice. Decisions, decisions!

 

[pamkat1820]

If it was my choice I would down grade the dinning to regular DDP & add the CL to make up the difference. The deluxe dinning is a lot of food but if you have done it in the past and it worked for you then stick to what u know.