I feel so DUMB!

[herewego1]

We have never done the dining plan, but are thinking about doing it for our January 2013 trip. We (2 adults, and 8 year old and a 4 year old) are staying at the Contemporary for 7 nights. I am COMPLETELY dumbfounded by how the dining plan works!

I like to see something to really understand it. If anyone would have a second, could you show me what one (or two!) typical day for us eating-wise would look like on the regular dining plan and how this all plays out with the credits? We always do Chef Mickey's and T Rex for dinner and hopefully the new Be Our Guest restaurant will be up and running by then and we can get an ADR for that for dinner. Also, we want to do breakfast at Hollywood Studios one morning. Lunch at Le Cellier, Via Napoli and Liberty Tree. Those are the must dos.

Thanks!

 

[iloveeeyore]

You get 1 table service, 1 counter service, and 1 snack per night per person. So for 7 nights, you'd have 7 sit-down meals, 7 counter service meals, and 7 snacks per person. You can spread them out over the course of your stay, or use them all up in 1 day, if you choose. They are good from the moment you check in until midnight on the night you check out.

We enjoy the DDP and find it works nicely for our family. We usually use our snack for breakfast (or eat cereal bars we bring from home) because we like being at the park for rope-drop, don't spend time or credits on breakfast. For lunch we get counter service meals in the park, and we enjoy a nice table-service dinner.

Counter service meals include a combo (usually a main course, side and dessert, plus a soft drink). So at Columbia Harbor House, for example, you could get a tuna sandwich, potato chips, apple pie and a soda. At Flame Tree BBQ, a chicken & ribs combo beans, key lime mousse and a bottled water. For TS meals, you can pick an entree, dessert and soft drink. Or you get a full buffet. Appetizers aren't included, and you're not allowed to swap an appetizer for dessert (we always prefer appetizers, so usually pay for a few to share OOP). Tips are extra at the TS venues, not included in your credit.

Be Our Guest Restaurant might be a signature dinner, so it might "cost" you 2 of your TS credits to dine there. CM, T-Rex, LC, VN, and LTT are each 1 TS credit. By breakfast in HS, do you mean Hollywood and Vine? That would be another TS credit. So you are up to either 7 or 8 credits, depending on how many BOG is. You are always welcome to pay OOP for anything you want, H&V is probably best OOP for the adults, but for the kids, it might work out cheaper OOP for one of the other places.

Do you have other questions? I think there's a sticky thread at the top of this board with FAQs about the DDP. Good luck!

 

[beedale862003]

Thanks for the explanation, this wasn't my question but I'm really debating if its worth it for my family. This helps.

 

[vicki_c]

Thanks for the explanation, this wasn't my question but I'm really debating if its worth it for my family. This helps.

Well what is your question? You said you were dumbfounded by how it works and the PP explained how it worked.

 

[tley]

I think the DDP works out to cost between $40 and $50/day (based on a rough calculation from a reservation I just made) - so lets assume $50 as a worst-case scenario.

In looking at your choices for meals, I'd venture to say that you will, on average, spend close to or more than $50/day/person on food:

Example (one meal):
Lunch at Le Cellier: 31.99 + 10.00 for Dessert (41.99)
Supper @ Yak and Yeti Counter Service: $9.99 + $3.58 for Dessert ($13.57)
Snack (Mickey Head Ice Cream - yum!): $3.00 - $4.00

So before tax, you're around $60 (I don't know the tax rate in FL). This will likely not be the case everyday, but what it will allow you is the ability to choose higher value restaurants (Chef Mickey's might be higher than $50 on its own) and probably even out by the end of your stay. If you were planning on middle of the road places to eat, then the math may not work out as evenly and paying OOP would be the better choice. Keep your receipts and add it up at the end - we do, its exciting!

Hope this helps!

 

[Sandi]

Well what is your question? You said you were dumbfounded by how it works and the PP explained how it worked.

No, this person jumped onto the thread to express appreciation for the explanation even though it wasn't her/his question. It was the OP who requested the explanation.

 

[vicki_c]

No, this person jumped onto the thread to express appreciation for the explanation even though it wasn't her/his question. It was the OP who requested the explanation.

Oops - sorry - hadn't had enough coffee at that point!

 

[beedale862003]

Well what is your question? You said you were dumbfounded by how it works and the PP explained how it worked.

I meant I'm not the original poster...

 

[tinker625]

Just came back from WDW. We were on the DP, and will NOT do it again. I kept my receipts and stored the prices on my Iphone.
Per the food plan $ 53.00 aday for an adult. They only time you were doing ok on the plan is if you go to the Buffet's or order the most expensive meals on the menu. Also if you dont eat desset the food plan is not worth it. All the dessert is added to the cost of the meal. We physical could not have a dessert with every meal its too much(for us) But all this add's up.
Dessert with lunch, dessert with dinner and a snack every day. So much food for me and my family. My kids at times did not want a sit down, but if you dont do it your losing money.
It was an additional $ 820.00 for 5 nights of food.
1 counter
1 table
1 snack.
But when you do the plan it becomes a package and you get extra things like,
100 points game card
Everyone gets acup from the resort(REFILL)
discounts on activtys etc.
If you use all of this then it works out, but to spead all the money on food it WAS NOT worth it for us.

Good Luck...

 

[jthornton94]

It totally depends on how your family eats on vacation. We enjoy sitting down once a day, love desserts, and good steaks, so we usually come out a bit ahead with the DDP. Look at some of the menus on allears and price out what looks good to you. Remember to include the cost of a drink as well. Then compare that to the price. If you are a light eater, prefer appetizers, don't like making reservations, than it probably isn't for you.

 

[herewego1]

You get 1 table service, 1 counter service, and 1 snack per night per person. So for 7 nights, you'd have 7 sit-down meals, 7 counter service meals, and 7 snacks per person. You can spread them out over the course of your stay, or use them all up in 1 day, if you choose. They are good from the moment you check in until midnight on the night you check out.

We enjoy the DDP and find it works nicely for our family. We usually use our snack for breakfast (or eat cereal bars we bring from home) because we like being at the park for rope-drop, don't spend time or credits on breakfast. For lunch we get counter service meals in the park, and we enjoy a nice table-service dinner.

Counter service meals include a combo (usually a main course, side and dessert, plus a soft drink). So at Columbia Harbor House, for example, you could get a tuna sandwich, potato chips, apple pie and a soda. At Flame Tree BBQ, a chicken & ribs combo beans, key lime mousse and a bottled water. For TS meals, you can pick an entree, dessert and soft drink. Or you get a full buffet. Appetizers aren't included, and you're not allowed to swap an appetizer for dessert (we always prefer appetizers, so usually pay for a few to share OOP). Tips are extra at the TS venues, not included in your credit.

Be Our Guest Restaurant might be a signature dinner, so it might "cost" you 2 of your TS credits to dine there. CM, T-Rex, LC, VN, and LTT are each 1 TS credit. By breakfast in HS, do you mean Hollywood and Vine? That would be another TS credit. So you are up to either 7 or 8 credits, depending on how many BOG is. You are always welcome to pay OOP for anything you want, H&V is probably best OOP for the adults, but for the kids, it might work out cheaper OOP for one of the other places.

Do you have other questions? I think there's a sticky thread at the top of this board with FAQs about the DDP. Good luck!

Thanks SO much! I guess I really need to take a look at where, what and how much we eat while we are there to see what works out better. I REALLY appreciate the help!!

 

[herewego1]

I think the DDP works out to cost between $40 and $50/day (based on a rough calculation from a reservation I just made) - so lets assume $50 as a worst-case scenario.

In looking at your choices for meals, I'd venture to say that you will, on average, spend close to or more than $50/day/person on food:

Example (one meal):
Lunch at Le Cellier: 31.99 + 10.00 for Dessert (41.99)
Supper @ Yak and Yeti Counter Service: $9.99 + $3.58 for Dessert ($13.57)
Snack (Mickey Head Ice Cream - yum!): $3.00 - $4.00

So before tax, you're around $60 (I don't know the tax rate in FL). This will likely not be the case everyday, but what it will allow you is the ability to choose higher value restaurants (Chef Mickey's might be higher than $50 on its own) and probably even out by the end of your stay. If you were planning on middle of the road places to eat, then the math may not work out as evenly and paying OOP would be the better choice. Keep your receipts and add it up at the end - we do, its exciting!

Hope this helps!

Thanks! It does! I guess I really need to figure out if it is a good deal for us or not based on what we would normal eat and where. THANKS again!

 

[LynnTH]

The last couple times we got the Regular DDP (1TS, 1CS and 1 snack). I love the DDP and love eating at the TS Restaurants we might not normally eat at. That being said now that both my kids are over 10 - we will probably not go with that plan again. But, I think it is a great value when you have kids under 10 years old. My kids loved getting dessert with every meal and I didn't have to tell them no all the time. Lots of times my DD and I would split a CS meal and we did end up having extra at the end of the trip. The portions can be pretty big.