If you are trying to decide on the Dining Plan...

[Lookn4Mickey]

oops wrong thread

 

[mybgirl]

HI; very very good info !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++

take care

MARY

 

[mybgirl]

Just some math to help you decide if you shoud do the Dining Plan...

2006 Price $37.99

Considering tax and gratutity is included, if I take those off the the $37.99, your food cost would have to be under $31.00 per day. Now if you plan on 2 soft drinks and one bottled warter or snack, that brings actual down to $25.00.

For Kids at $10.99, removing tax and tip, $9.00 left.

The way I look at it, there is almost no way you would not spend $9.00 on a child per day on actual food.

For adults, most counter service entrees range from $7.00-$9.00, so you would only have to spend $17.00 on a table service entree to "break even".

Since most buffets are over $20 and many entrees are in the teens, if you plan to eat many buffets or TS, you will at least break even, but will most likely come out ahead.

The way I think is that if I would spend about the same oop as doing the plan, I would rather do the plan and have the option of appetizers and dessert. Even without ordering the app or dessert, most places, you would still break even.

Also on buffets when child's plate is $10.99, their other meal and snack are free!

About the only way it is not cheaper is if you mainly eat cs and drink tap water.

This is just how we made our decision.

 

[AdventurerKat]

How does everyone end up with snack credits left over? Cant you use them for bottled water or a soda? I know that is what mine are going for when I use it my next DVC trip.

 

[mybgirl]

How does everyone end up with snack credits left over? Cant you use them for bottled water or a soda? I know that is what mine are going for when I use it my next DVC trip.

HI Last June that is what my DS and I did . Had chips, water pop and some fruit for our trip home.

 

[mom2cookies]

we did the dining plan for the first time last year, and will do it again this year. Last year it was "free" so Dh didn't think he wanted to add the DP this year. After looking at last years receipts and adding the tips and gratuities, he changed his mind. We used the CS for breakfast at the resort (All-star movies) and just bought snacks to go with snack voucher for lunch and had TS for dinner. It worked out really good for us. The family started the day off well nourished , to busy with rides and shows to be hungry or take time out for big lunch. And by the time dinner time arrived, we were ready for a rest and were hungry. also, since they get dessert with TS, we didn't have to buy snacks while waitting for night time shows to start. It was a good plan for us. Our kids range from 9-14. w/ a couple of picky eaters.

 

[pooch]

use some CS credits for breakfast, split CS at lunch time and then be hungry for the TS meal. 4 of us, all on the adult plan, maybe 2 & 2 split between breakfast & lunch will be enough? Not looking to max out the plan, just want everyone to be HAPPY!!!!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

For our trip in Oct I have decided that the dining plan is for us. I budget $50 a day for food anyways so it's a good deal. Also I like knowing that my meals are prepaid so I can eat what I want. I can also try places that I would not have gone to before like Le Cellier and Crystal Palace.

 

[beansmom]

even sharing CS meals, I think DBF and I will come out ahead as we want to try lots of new places for TS. One good dinner is well over $50 and that still leaves us buying lunch, snacks. We should at LEAST break even. And less hassle.

 

[marcyinPA]

Being vacation I just don't want to eat pb&j for lunch or be stressed about not ordering what I want b/c of cost. Does that make sense?

That makes perfect sense to me! That's how I think about it as well! It's vacation...I like to eat and drink whatever I want. In my opinion, there can never be "too much food" when you are on vacation!

 

[marcyinPA]

we did the dining plan for the first time last year, and will do it again this year. Last year it was "free" so Dh didn't think he wanted to add the DP this year. After looking at last years receipts and adding the tips and gratuities, he changed his mind. We used the CS for breakfast at the resort (All-star movies) and just bought snacks to go with snack voucher for lunch and had TS for dinner. It worked out really good for us. The family started the day off well nourished , to busy with rides and shows to be hungry or take time out for big lunch. And by the time dinner time arrived, we were ready for a rest and were hungry. also, since they get dessert with TS, we didn't have to buy snacks while waitting for night time shows to start. It was a good plan for us. Our kids range from 9-14. w/ a couple of picky eaters.

That's exactly how we used the plan. We were also AsMo, and ate a nice breakfast every day, skipped lunch, and had a great TS meal every evening. We did not spend one penny out of pocket (except for "adult beverages")...

We also got the plan for free...but we'd definitely pay for it in the future!

 

[srq5000]

I will be traveling to Disney with my wife for 10 days in December. We aren't the type of people who plan an itenerary before we leave. We plan on which park we will go to the night before and just go with the flow. I am wondering if it would be possible to go with the meal plan based on this (in terms of making dinner reservations). I would not want to have dinner reservations in Epcot and end up being at MGM instead that day. I assume because we don't plan ahead of time it may be a problem, unless you can make a reservation maybe the day before? Any advice?

 

[beth_cam]

well...if you have hopper passes you could always go over to whichever park you are scheduled at. As well there are many nice restraunts at the hotels. If your table service meals are more breakfast and lunch you can often get those ADRs with less notice. I wouldnt want to count on walking in to restraunts though. But we walked into Le Cellier and Tappanyaki(sp?) at off times. However we also got 'ADR's by stopping by the restraunt after arriving at the park an dbooking a lunch, then returning 2-3 hours later at the now scheduled time. You can make a best guess at where you think you might be or book some of those better dinners. Then take the rest of the days as they come. We had all 8 meals booked last year but canceled two when we we were able to get into others, totally forgot about one.

 

[Vijoge]

Cheaper or not, the dining plan is the only way we'll do Disney again. Keeps my husband from stressing out over meal prices when we're there. I'll be eternally grateful to the person/people who thought of this!

Exactly, only I'm the one who stresses over it. My husband insisted on getting the dining plan even though our granddaughters are the world's smallest and pickiest eaters. While I'm sitting here with the menus trying to decide which way to go he's saying "just get the dang dining plan and don't worry about it..". So I did and our food is paid for and everyone is free to eat as much or as littleas they want.

 

[anny_c_99]

We too are doing the dining plan this trip (end of May - June 3rd). This will be our first dining experience with this plan.
I am looking forward to it, as with so many others it will give us the opportunity to eat at some of the TS that we normally would not have . I also did the analysis of the cost, and for us, (3) adults, we just couldn't beat it.
Now we are looking forward to making the ressies. Woo Hoo.

 

[Noleball]

In another thread, I addressed the thought of having little ones that eat.. well, little. We are using this to our advantage with DD5 and DD1 in that we will likely pay for a kid's meal OOP and save the credits. We will attend 3 or four character breakfasts and at least three TS dinners. That is what makes the meal plan work for us.

In other's cases, I understand the reasoning of some that do not use the plan but I am impatiently awaiting the dining adventure in DW while I am there and this makes it easier for me to pay for it.