Help with Dining credit decision

[Gophers]

we Will not have enough TS credits on our next trip so I’m trying to decide do I use 4 TS credits at Le Cellier or use them at Tusker House Bk and Garden Grill Bk -2 each for TH and GG. I’m sure sure what is all covered at Le Cellier?

 

[PardonOurPixieDust]

Assuming that you’re not on the Deluxe Dining Plan, a Table Service credit includes an Entree, Dessert, and alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.

So it doesn’t cover appetizers or anything labeled as an “enhancement.” To my understanding, you can use two people’s entitlements to get the steak for two.

The best way to be sure what’s a better deal is to go over what you would order and compare that cost against the combined total of two character all-you-can-eat meals. It should also be noted that you can do Tusker House as a Rivers of Light package for the same 1 TS expense of RoL reserved seating matters to you.

 

[Gophers]

Assuming that you’re not on the Deluxe Dining Plan, a Table Service credit includes an Entree, Dessert, and alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.

So it doesn’t cover appetizers or anything labeled as an “enhancement.” To my understanding, you can use two people’s entitlements to get the steak for two.

The best way to be sure what’s a better deal is to go over what you would order and compare that cost against the combined total of two character all-you-can-eat meals. It should also be noted that you can do Tusker House as a Rivers of Light package for the same 1 TS expense of RoL reserved seating matters to you.

Thanks for the info. Yes we are doing Dining plan and not the deluxe. So our entree will be $54 each so it seems the character meals at $35 each would be a little bit better deal.

 

[PardonOurPixieDust]

As a rule of thumb, 1TS restaurants have a higher potential value than signatures. While more expensive, an entree at a signature is not a full twice the cost of one at a standard table service. Also, as a rule of thumb, character meals are some of the best value meals on a dining plan.

I just wasn’t sure the exact costs of your particular meals and didn’t want to mislead you.

Drink costs at the signature have potential to be slightly higher, and you do have to factor in the cost of a dessert if you’d order one, but it’s still not enough to make up that difference. Plus, paying Le Cellier out of pocket means you could potentially split one entree, an appetizer, and an order of poutine, rather than be restricted based on what’s included. You get the same things at the all you care to enjoy locations either way.

 

[Gophers]

You’ve been a great help. Thanks again!

 

[sharonabe]

Thanks for the info. Yes we are doing Dining plan and not the deluxe. So our entree will be $54 each so it seems the character meals at $35 each would be a little bit better deal.

You can also mix it up if you want. One of you use the plan at Le Cellier and one of you pay OOP, then do the same at one of the breakfast. This way you could order the $54 steak on the DDP, pay OOP for apps and/or sides and share. The DDP user still gets the dessert (to share) and an alcoholic drink too. Once you add the steak, dessert, and alcohol up, it comes pretty close to the cost of the two buffets, but the OOP cost for the apps and sides is much less.

 

[Aliceacc]

We love LeCellier. But we dropped it this trip to save money-- those double credits can do a real job on the budget.

We love TH breakfast-- we do a late breakfast and it becomes more of a brunch as they change over to the lunch buffet. We'v never tried GG for some reason.

At the end of the day, you and your kids are going to remember the great time you had, not necessarily the wonderful steak you had at Le Cellier. So, as much as I love it there, I vote for sticking to single credit meals to get the most bang for your buck.

 

[Gophers]

You can also mix it up if you want. One of you use the plan at Le Cellier and one of you pay OOP, then do the same at one of the breakfast. This way you could order the $54 steak on the DDP, pay OOP for apps and/or sides and share. The DDP user still gets the dessert (to share) and an alcoholic drink too. Once you add the steak, dessert, and alcohol up, it comes pretty close to the cost of the two buffets, but the OOP cost for the apps and sides is much less.

I’ll look at that option too!

 

[Gophers]

We love LeCellier. But we dropped it this trip to save money-- those double credits can do a real job on the budget.

We love TH breakfast-- we do a late breakfast and it becomes more of a brunch as they change over to the lunch buffet. We'v never tried GG for some reason.

At the end of the day, you and your kids are going to remember the great time you had, not necessarily the wonderful steak you had at Le Cellier. So, as much as I love it there, I vote for sticking to single credit meals to get the most bang for your buck.

This will be our first time at Le Cellier so im looking forward to it. TH is one of my favorite character breakfast meals. Looks like we’ll pay out of pocket for LC and use the TS credits on TH and GG.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Tough decision, because neither signatures which require 2 credits nor breakfasts (outside of Chef Mickey's or Akershus) are good deals price-wise on the DDP.

 

[JimmyBean42]

Rule of thumb for me is never use dining credits on Signature restaurants and always pay OOP for those. You generally end up losing money if you use your credits at signature.

 

[MomOTwins]

Garden Grill and Tusker House breakfast are both $32 each before tax (the $34.08 price on the dining board sticky is after tax) and includes juice/coffee, so a combined total of $64 per person for both meals. At le cellier, assuming you both get steak, you are looking at $54 per person for filet and ribeye, or $59.50 per person for the porterhouse, plus desserts (included on DDP) are each $11, plus if you drink wine with dinner (also included on 2018 ddp) the price for a featured wine by the glass is $16-20 according to the disney website menu. So that is between $81-91 per person at Le Cellier before tax if you are maximizing your value on the plan. So a much better deal at Le Cellier than the $64 before tax you would spend paying both breakfasts OOP. Even if you skip the wine and just drink water (not even soda), you would still be ahead at Le Cellier with a $54 entree + $11 dessert = $65.

This seems like a no brainer for le cellier for me unless you are planning not to order steaks.

 

[PardonOurPixieDust]

You can get alcohol at the character breakfasts too, though, bringing them back close to equal (because two drinks versus one)

 

[Gophers]

Garden Grill and Tusker House breakfast are both $32 each before tax (the $34.08 price on the dining board sticky is after tax) and includes juice/coffee, so a combined total of $64 per person for both meals. At le cellier, assuming you both get steak, you are looking at $54 per person for filet and ribeye, or $59.50 per person for the porterhouse, plus desserts (included on DDP) are each $11, plus if you drink wine with dinner (also included on 2018 ddp) the price for a featured wine by the glass is $16-20 according to the disney website menu. So that is between $81-91 per person at Le Cellier before tax if you are maximizing your value on the plan. So a much better deal at Le Cellier than the $64 before tax you would spend paying both breakfasts OOP. Even if you skip the wine and just drink water (not even soda), you would still be ahead at Le Cellier with a $54 entree + $11 dessert = $65.

This seems like a no brainer for le cellier for me unless you are planning not to order steaks.

Thanks for the info. We don’t drink wine or beer but if we can get other mix drinks we will do that. For desert we are going to look at that as well and if we do get them then that will help with picking LC.

 

[MomOTwins]

Thanks for the info. We don’t drink wine or beer but if we can get other mix drinks we will do that. For desert we are going to look at that as well and if we do get them then that will help with picking LC.

Yep - "Mixed Drinks and Specialty Cocktails" are included in addition to wine and beer per the disney website. I hadn't really thought about alcohol at breakfast because we always book PPO breakfasts, and while I do like a mimosa with a later brunch, 8am is just too early for me. But as someone else pointed out, if you do like a breakfast cocktail it would bring the cost of the two breakfasts closer to dinner at Le Cellier.