If we do QSDP,...???

[JJsmama]

Considering QSDP this year. It would be the first time not doing DDP. My boys Voted for QSDP (of course, I can over-ride that decision.) It does interest me though since my boys all got more expensive this year, I just added another night and decided to invite my mother to join us...

If we do QSDP:

1. what are restaurants with good atmosphere for dinner? I don't want to feel like I am in McDonald's all the time.

2. Will we have to wander around looking for a table in vain at most places?

3. Seems like we should not use it for breakfast? Is it the general opinion that CS breakfast is not a good use of the credits.

I would still be choosing probably at least 5 TS over 6 days.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Better Atmosphere Restaurants

Magic Kingdom: Columbia Harbor House, upstairs. There are usually plenty of seats and it does not feel like a Mc Donalds, as there are wooden chairs and some themed decorations.

Epcot: Yakatori House has a beautiful Japanese garden with flowing stream and hanging lanterns. It is outdoors, but beautiful and peaceful. There is indoor seating available, but it feels more like a fast food joint. Tangerine Cafe has great food and some seating in the back which is private and well themed

Animal Kingdom: Flametree BBQ. They have covered seating in beautifully carved gazebos overlooking the river and Expedition Everest.

Hollywood Studios: I usually eat at Starring Rolls since the food, especially the cupcakes, is excellent. They have outdoor seating under umbrella tables and are not open for dinner. The dining options here just don't float my boat, so I cannot be as helpful here.

Downtown Disney: Wolfgang Puck Express gives you limited service such as a waiter who brings out your meal and can get you drink refills.



As to breakfast, we usually use the mugs for either coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and then use a snack credit for a muffin or fruit.

Your resort choice really afffects the CS dining plan as well. The value resorts have a lot of choices, which are surprisingly yummy (such as the shrimp lo mein at POP) some of the deluxes have pretty limited counter service options, which limits the enjoyment of the Counter Service Dining Plan.

If you are planning on paying OOP for five sit down meals over six days, then you will end up using your counter service credits for a Counter Service Breakfast, unless you are paying for breakfasts such as character breakfasts. You really need to look at what you will be purchasing and perhaps it would be better for your family to get the regular DDP or pay oop.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Are your older boys planning on ordering off the kids menu at the 5 TS places? I only ask because if they aren't, I think they Regular Dining Plan may be more cost effective for you. If you pay for the QSDP and OOP for 5 TS meals...might be quite a bit more than if you get the Regular Dining Plan.
That being said there are plenty of CS places that you can eat at without feeling like you are at McDonalds. It depends on when you are going that will determine if you will be wandering around looking for a table.
Some of my thoughts on great CS places:
AK - Pizzafari or Flame Tree BBQ
Epcot - Sunshine Seasons or Tangerine Cafe
MK - Columbia Harbour House
DHS - Backlot Express or Starring Rolls
Our favorite CS place is WPE @ DTD - There is also Earl Of Sandwich.

 

[Cin]

Our favorite counter service meals were at All Star Music resort (where we stayed), Pecos Bill's in MK, Columbia Harbour House in MK, Main Street bakery in MK, Tanginerie Cafe (spelling??) in Morocco at Epcot, Sunshine Season food fair at the land pavillion at Epcot, Wolfgang Pucks Express, Pepper Market at the Coronado Springs resort, Flametree Barbecue at AK, and our favorite snacks on the plan were the dole whip at the MK and the ice cream sundaes at our resort.

 

[aubriee]

Maybe I'm missing something but if you are doing five TS restaurants over a 6 day/5 night trip, why would you do the counter service plan? It seems like the basic DDP would be cheaper and would work better for you. It's only $10.00 more/night and those five TS meals would be covered. If you do the counter service plan and still pay OOP for five TS meals, it seems like you'd have quite a few CS credits left over.

We are not big breakfast eaters, so if we do the basic DDP what we do is either skip breakfast or use a snack credit for breakfast, then do a CS lunch and a TS dinner.

 

[JJsmama]

Maybe I'm missing something but if you are doing five TS restaurants over a 6 day/5 night trip, why would you do the counter service plan? It seems like the basic DDP would be cheaper and would work better for you.

I know it seems strange, but when I did the calculations, it was about the same to do the QSDP and add some TS (the ones my kids wanted were cheaper: SCi Fi, Plaza, LTT lunch) OR to do the DDP and add in more CS or TS plus the snacks and mugs....

Maybe I did leave something out of my calculations. Don't be too distracted by my statement of adding in the TS. That is my old habit of lots of TS coming back. I really wanted to know which CS had good atmosphere, seating, food, etc IF we did choose QSDP - in order to make a decision. Thanks for the info everyone. I think you are all right and QSDP is not for me though.

 

[blessedby3]

When I figure out cost for our family, we come out cheaper to use the CS plan and pay for 2 or 3 TS oop. That way we get some TS and all the CS meals, which give us the benefit of using some of them for breakfast and get 3 meals per day. I think its the best plan for us. We dont like being tied to a TS everyday, so we get the best of both worlds. Im not sure if 5 TS meals oop would still be cheaper or the same cost, but for us 3 was.

 

[pauly's girl]

We are doing the same. For the first time we will be doing QS and adding 2-3 table services (OOP). This works out to be about what we would pay for just the DDP...We will be getting more meals with two CS and 2 snacks per day and 3 TS for the same cost plus the resort mugs (which work really well for us)!!