Help me decide - Dining Plan or not?

[brighteyes]

We have all our adr's booked.

18th-Donald's breakfastsaurus 10:30 am
19th-Chef mickey's 6:00 pm
20th-Sci-fi 1:20 pm
21st-Kona Cafe 8:30 am
22nd-Primetime Cafe 6:35pm
23rd-Ohana's Lilo and Stitch 9:30 am
24th-Alfredo's 6:30
25th-Polynesian Luau 5:15

I have booked the dining plan but am so sure my 11 year old will not eat off the adult menu. My question is can he order off the kids menu whether we are on the dining plan or not?

I just cant see paying 38.99 a day for him when i can feed him for probably 20.00 i could use that extra 20towards extra water and snacks since it will be aug and hot.

Even if i cancel the DP i would keep the luau and character meals and probably do 50's and sci-fi but hte rest counter service.

My friend is going with me and shi is on the DP with her daughter can we all eat at the same table if me and my son are not on the DP?

So many questions, sorry. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[goinback]

Unfortunately, you cannot let your 11yo order off the kids menu. With all the TS you have booked, I would do the DDP! When we came to WDW in 05 , we were spending around $100-$150 a meal at the TS res. I think it is a super savings for TS. Not so much for CS

 

[brighteyes]

So, even if I am not on the DDP my son cannot order off the kid's menu? If that is the case then I may just cancel most of those ADR's except the character breakfasts and just do counter service and save myself a few hundred dollars.

With those ADR's on the DDP it would be worth it IF my son would eat off the adult menu, which he won't. I would rather eat somewhere CS I don't like than be paying 40.00 day for my son to sit at a restaurant and order something he wouldn't eat anyways. And then have to go later and buy him CS or something OOP anyways. Or go to the restaurant and order my meal and he can eat my mashed potatoes and salad or order fries. He is not a big meat eater, except McDonald's.

Looks like I will be cancelling my DDP and most of those ADR's. Oh well.

 

[septbaby]

I did some math for you using menus at allears.net and making a few assumptions:

You are dining for 9 days (Luau is 2TS) @2*$38.99 on DDP = $351

Without DDP you'd spend $10 CS and $4 snacks daily (probably low$)
Without DDP you'd buy a soft drink/juice/coffee and just an entree/buffet.
With DDP you still have to pay tax(6.5%) and tip (18% assumed)

With the TS choices you've listed you'd spend over $500 OOP (tax and tip included). This includes always ordering from adult menu (selecting the low priced entree) or paying adult buffet price.

Finally, it will be awkward for your friend to order whatever and never reach into her wallet and you pennypinching and always reaching for payment. That might not feel like a vacation. Hope this helps!

 

[septbaby]

I doubt there would be a problem for your son to order off the kids' menu on DDP (you've already paid for a more expensive meal), but check the DDP brochure available online.

This kid's choices don't comply well w/our vegetarian diet, so we'll have a reverse issue. We are used to substituting/requesting, so it won't spoil my vacation to make special requests. Though we eat cheese, I won't allow him to eat Mac & cheese and pizza at every CS, even if he wants too!

 

[brighteyes]

Well here is the math I did so far for DDP

38.99*2*9 = 701.82 US dollars which i have to also pay exchange on canadian $ which isn't much right now.

OOP

luau - 58.99*2= 117.98
chef mickey's 27.99*2=55.98
donald's 18.99*2=37.98
ohana's 18.99*2=37.98 = 249.92 for 8 meals

9 dys * 2 meals per day * 2 = 36 less the 8 above = 28 meals at 20.00 for CS=560.00 plus above meals =809.00 plus tax and tip.

My point is it is going to kill me to watch my son have to order a plate of food that he is not going to like at these restaurants, or if we share then i will be left with TS credits i haven't used which is also a waste of the DDP.

To pay OOP would be more $$ and we would not get to eat at the other restaurants, but at least with CS he would get more of a variety to his liking, or we could order a large pizza for dinners or take him to Mcdonalds a few times, rather than have him sit there and order a plate of ribs because he is on the DDP and doesnt' like anything, and let it sit there? Or take him to spoodles where he can eat his rice.

DDP would be worth it if my son could eat off the kids menu at these rest. but if not I'd rather pay OOP and take him somewhre where i know he's going to eat, like cosmic rays where they have rotisserie chicken and we could split a meal.

I am still not sure what to do, I don't want to pay more than I have to, but if it means my son will get to eat I will have to do that. It is not about the money, its about not stressing out on my vacation that my child is not eating.

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

the DDP was the best thing we ever did. We saved so much money and my dad the accountant that he is had to write everything down and added it up, we spent at our TS above and beyond what we spent for the day total so for us we saved money. now when we would go w/o it we wouldnt eat at a TS every day nor would we get an appt. or dessert but we never had trouble eating our meals and at times we ended up using our snack credits for breakfast pastries instead of snacks at night (the parks also closed early when we were there in May) but we will always use the DDP from now on...now for the DME that was not so magical for us and we prolly wont use that service next trip.

 

[allyphoe]

Your DS shouldn't have any trouble ordering off the kids' menu. The only DDP issue there is that kids must order off of the kids' menu; adults can order off of either. There's a decent chance he'd get an adult portion of the kid item, particularly if you ask for that.

 

[jenn-]

Your DS shouldn't have any trouble ordering off the kids' menu. The only DDP issue there is that kids must order off of the kids' menu; adults can order off of either. There's a decent chance he'd get an adult portion of the kid item, particularly if you ask for that.

I would tend to agree with this view. The biggest difference would be the "charge" for an adult buffett vs a child buffett, which you will be forced to pay OOP anyways because of his age without the DDP.

 

[Alesia]

So, even if I am not on the DDP my son cannot order off the kid's menu? If that is the case then I may just cancel most of those ADR's except the character breakfasts and just do counter service and save myself a few hundred dollars.

Honestly, this is what I would do. I know that most people on here love the DDP but it really doesn't fit with the way we eat.

 

[LizinSTL]

We have all our adr's booked.

18th-Donald's breakfastsaurus 10:30 am
19th-Chef mickey's 6:00 pm
20th-Sci-fi 1:20 pm
21st-Kona Cafe 8:30 am
22nd-Primetime Cafe 6:35pm
23rd-Ohana's Lilo and Stitch 9:30 am
24th-Alfredo's 6:30
25th-Polynesian Luau 5:15

I have booked the dining plan but am so sure my 11 year old will not eat off the adult menu. My question is can he order off the kids menu whether we are on the dining plan or not?

I just cant see paying 38.99 a day for him when i can feed him for probably 20.00 i could use that extra 20towards extra water and snacks since it will be aug and hot.

Even if i cancel the DP i would keep the luau and character meals and probably do 50's and sci-fi but hte rest counter service.

My friend is going with me and shi is on the DP with her daughter can we all eat at the same table if me and my son are not on the DP?

So many questions, sorry. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Are you in the same room with your friend? If so, you both need to be on the same package.

If you are going to be doing 7 TS meals anyway, then I'd keep the DDP. You should be able to get larger portions of child entrees for your son at the a la carte restaurants you've chosen. Just ask nicely. Have you reviewed the menus with him? He may find things on the adult menu that appeal to him- even skipping the appetizer or dessert- you should still be ok- value-wise.

Are you firm with all of your ADRs? Maybe you can consider changing one or two to buffet meals. They offer more flexibility to pickier eaters. Boma is very good (and a great end to an Animal Kingdom day.) Biergarten is fun. Hollywood and Vine offers the Fantasmic package without characters @ dinnertime.

 

[brighteyes]

Well that is just what I may do, add a few more buffets so he can have more variety. He would just like to be able to order chicken fingers or plain pasta for those places that don't have it on the adult menu, but have it on the kid menu. But if he can get those if I am on the DP then great. I am still ahead $$ if he can do that.

My friend is not in the same room, so that is not an issue. Or we figure my friend's daughter can order what my son would eat off the child's menu since she is a child on the DP and he can order what she would eat off the adult menu and then switch!!

I have reviewed the menu with him but what he says he will eat and what he actually eats is a whole different story.

Thanks guys for your opinions and advice.

I will stick with the DDP and maybe just add one more buffet.

Steph

 

[allyphoe]

I have reviewed the menu with him but what he says he will eat and what he actually eats is a whole different story.

I hear ya! My DD4 is not a fan of food that is different than she expects it to be. There were plenty of things on the CS menus that she would normally at least be willing to try at home. I made a list of what each place had that I thought she might eat, and at each meal she got 3 choices. WDW + all of the food being an unknown = 12 days of nothing but mac-n-cheese.

 

[brighteyes]

I hear you on that one! lol Funny thing is when my DS was four he was eating stir-fry, casserole, everything, I mean he ate everything. lol. Now he eats chicken, chicken nuggets, salad, cucumber, potatoes, brocoli, green beans, rice, pizza, fries, and that's about it!!

How I long for those days again.

Oh well hopefully he will eat something, if not I guess he will be hungry! lol

Steph

 

[byoung]

The DDP is well worth it.

 

[stormi65]

My 13 year old daughter is a vegetarian or rather a "carbeterian", but we signed up for the dining plan and hope at some of the sit down meals such as Epcot they will allow her perhaps to order from the children's menu.

 

[PatsGirl]

Ordering from the kids menu when you've paid adult prices should not be a problem at all. I'm in the same boat (except we have Free Dining so it doesn't have the same urgency) and have asked this: Can my DD10 and her BBF10 order the adult appetizer (they like salads, shrimp cocktails, garlic bread, etc), a kids entree like chicken fingers or hot dog, and adult dessert (jello doesn't cut it for them, lol). We are definately going to try this, can't imagine why we can't do it, but....

We are also doing two buffets so it's a moot point there: Boma and Ohanas. It's at LeCellier and Mama Melrose that I want to do it. Of course, they could always get something like the chicken parm at MM, sauce on the side, with a side of pasta, etc. and the chicken at LeCellier -- they both eat simply, no extravagant sauces or spices.

 

[brighteyes]

I went with the dining plan after all so I don't have to worry about money...

We leave in 2 1/2 weeks!!!



Stephanie

 

[clutter]

Don't forget, they are more than happy to 'adapt' and adult entree to a junior's tastes. For instance subbing fries for whatever side is offered, preparing steak without the sauces. Trust me, I have experience with this!