Is it worth it???

[purplevalentine]

Thinking about adding the Quick Service Dining Plan onto my package. Is it worth it value wise or should we just go on our own when we arrive. There is a significant price difference. Any pros, cons, or advice?

Thanks for your answers!
Happy Holidays!

Karen

 

[katieam1]

Thinking about adding the Quick Service Dining Plan onto my package. Is it worth it value wise or should we just go on our own when we arrive. There is a significant price difference. Any pros, cons, or advice?

Thanks for your answers!
Happy Holidays!

Karen

When you are there what will you be getting? Quick Service food or Table services? I like the dining plans. The quick service is new never had that before. I like to get the dining plan because it is prepaid before I go and do not have to worry about that. I always work the dining plans out to be worth it when doing the math for my family. But each family is different.
Here are the menus for the counter services and Table services in Disney.
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm
maybe this would help you decide more. Just remember you can not add the plans on at check in they have to be added on up to 72 hours before.
Good luck!! and have a great vacation!!

 

[su_A_ve]

For quick service, it depends on what and where you get it to be worth it. A 'meal' from one of the counter service places on a park is 'ok', however a much better counter service place would be pepper market, or the sub place in DD.

Still, if you would do a few character meals, then it won't be worth it. Also, if you have a car, you could drive off property for a decent meal for a lot less.

So, it depends - you need to do the math and figure out if it would be worth or not.

My .02...

 

[purplevalentine]

When you are there what will you be getting? Quick Service food or Table services? I like the dining plans. The quick service is new never had that before. I like to get the dining plan because it is prepaid before I go and do not have to worry about that. I always work the dining plans out to be worth it when doing the math for my family. But each family is different.
Here are the menus for the counter services and Table services in Disney.
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm
maybe this would help you decide more. Just remember you can not add the plans on at check in they have to be added on up to 72 hours before.
Good luck!! and have a great vacation!!

It's just myself and my nephew (17). Never used a dining plan before. Usually we do quick service stuff and maybe a choice one or two sit down restaurants. This is why i was thinking of the quick service plan. I do like the thought of prepaid. No stress while i'm there.

 

[kristenrice]

I looked at the quick-service menus to get an idea of the prices. I made up a hypothetical scenario of what our family (DH, Me , DD5 and DD3) would actually eat at each CS meal if we paid OOP. We would only be spending about $60/day (EDITED!) for 2 CS meals. (Kids and I are light eaters so we would share meals) Compare that to the QS DDP which would cost us about $78/day. OK, the QS DDP includes a mug and 2 snacks. So, the mug is $13.99...multiply that by 4 ($55.96)...and divide it by 5 (our # of nights) and the mugs are costing us $11.20/day. So now, our OOP total is about $72/day. Also, those 2 CS meals include beverages. If we ate at the resort, we'd use the mugs so that would lower those meals by about $5 each. Basically, we'd break even if we bought $8/day in snacks. Since the QS DDP allows us roughly $32/day for snacks, it seems like a better deal. The catch for us is that we don't eat $32/day in snacks on top of 2 CS meals.

I agree that the prepaid part is nice. That is why I have been a big fan of the DDP in the past. Now that I've been on the regular DDP twice, I am no longer a huge fan. The last trip, we had 4 CS meals left over that went to waste. We also had 8 snack credits to use up on our last day. It is a lot of food, but if you wouldn't eat it anyways, there really isn't a huge savings. As I said, I have been a huge fan of the DDP in the past and I crunch numbers constantly to find out if it is a good deal or not. I think I would do the QS DDP except there are too many TS meals that I enjoy!

My plan for our June trip is to have a pre-set food budget. Then, I am going to buy a Disney Gift card for that amount. It will serve as our "food card" and essentially serve the same purpose as a "pre-paid" meal plan. This trip will also be our first as AP holders so we are going to get the TIW card. We'll see how this works out. We just bought into DVC so I have about 50 years to tinker with my plans!

 

[su_A_ve]

I looked at the quick-service menus to get an idea of the prices. I made up a hypothetical scenario of what our family (DH, Me , DD5 and DD3) would actually eat at each CS meal if we paid OOP. We would only be spending about $40/day for 2 CS meals. (

$40 is WAY under budget for 2 CS meals for 2A,2C, even if you are a light eater...

Any adult entry with a water or soda would cost you close to $10. The kids meal, about $5 a piece, even if you also get one, you figure out $25 per CS for all 4 of you. Get a salad, and you are up in the $30 a meal easy. CS at the parks is also smaller portions... Your true cost per day would probably be in the $50 for just two counter service (and skipping dessert).

However, if you have a car and a couple of times, you go out of property, then it makes sense to skip DDP. The quick option would be ok for shorter trips and maybe even adults only or with the intention of not doing any character meals. Go with kids, and chances are they'll want one, and then, QS doesn't make sense and the basic DDP becomes more appealing.

It's a matter of budgeting it all.. It's good to know sites like this one or allears which show you the menus and prices. You can potentially see the differences and see if it's worth it or not.

My .02...

 

[SarahD]

I did some figuring on this, too. We did decide to add it. I priced some CS restaurants - it would be about $30 per meal for the four of us (2 adults, 2 children). That's without dessert, which we wouldn't normally get. If you add in dessert (which can be taken to go many places, from what I understand) AND two snacks per person - it's a bargain. We're planning to eat breakfast in the room - we're happy with cereal, donuts & bananas. If you plan ahead, there are many CS places that have food I consider a good dinner. Cosmic Ray's at the MK, for instance, has 1/2 rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes. Columbia Habour House has fish & chips. And don't forget the refillable mugs - even if it's just to grab a drink in the afternoon or when we get back to the hotel at night.

 

[kristenrice]

$40 is WAY under budget for 2 CS meals for 2A,2C, even if you are a light eater...

Oops! I guess my brain is malfunctioning again! Our CS meals average out to about $30 as you said. I usually get a combo and give the fries/side to the kids. The kids split a kids meal and DH gets a combo also. DH and I generally share a drink too. At Pecos Bill's, for example, I get the chicken wrap with fries ($7.59), girls share a hamburger meal ($4.49), DH gets the cheeseburger meal ($6.09) and we share a drink ($2.39). That total comes to $20.56 before tax. I guess that is where I got the $20 from, but that is only one example. Since my girls are light eaters, I'll order 2 kids meals and I'll just get a side or drink and then finish up what they don't eat. That also helps keep the cost down. No flames please, I am not ordering a kid's meal for me, I am just eating what is leftover from my kids. Or, I order one adult and one kids meal and the girls and I split it all. DH is on his own...he's a big eater!

 

[JulieEck]

$40 is WAY under budget for 2 CS meals for 2A,2C, even if you are a light eater...

Any adult entry with a water or soda would cost you close to $10. The kids meal, about $5 a piece, even if you also get one, you figure out $25 per CS for all 4 of you. Get a salad, and you are up in the $30 a meal easy. CS at the parks is also smaller portions... Your true cost per day would probably be in the $50 for just two counter service (and skipping dessert).

I wouldn't say it's WAY under budget. After our last Dec/Jan trip, I calculated the average cost per day for food for us as $42/day. We are 2A and 1C and that included everything including snacks. Now, we didn't do 2 snacks per person per day, etc. and we share drinks, don't get desserts, had the refillable mugs to use at night and share food. We typically did 2 CS meals a day and would eat breakfast on the go that we brought from home (granola bars, etc.) I think that for light eaters, 2 adult meals and one childs meal could definitely feed a family of 4. If you get two entrees at $7 each, share a drink $2, one kids meal $4.50 - totals about $22 including tax. Maybe they don't drink soda and get waters - that saves a couple of dollars. There are lots of ways to eat inexpensively (relatively speaking) at Disney World.

Dining plans may be a good deal when you add up what you would spend to get all of the food on the plan, but lots of people don't normally eat like that and can spend less money paying OOP for everything. Just depends on your eating habits and what kind of trip you want to have.

 

[JulieEck]

Oops! I guess my brain is malfunctioning again! Our CS meals average out to about $30 as you said. I usually get a combo and give the fries/side to the kids. The kids split a kids meal and DH gets a combo also. DH and I generally share a drink too. At Pecos Bill's, for example, I get the chicken wrap with fries ($7.59), girls share a hamburger meal ($4.49), DH gets the cheeseburger meal ($6.09) and we share a drink ($2.39). That total comes to $20.56 before tax. I guess that is where I got the $20 from, but that is only one example. Since my girls are light eaters, I'll order 2 kids meals and I'll just get a side or drink and then finish up what they don't eat. That also helps keep the cost down. No flames please, I am not ordering a kid's meal for me, I am just eating what is leftover from my kids. Or, I order one adult and one kids meal and the girls and I split it all. DH is on his own...he's a big eater!

We are always eating my DD's leftovers. The kids meals come with a lot of food for little girls! Most times we will only open one of the side items it comes with and save the other one for later as a snack. As far as ordering kids meals for adults, no flames from me as I've done that before. I'm a fairly picky eater and sometimes noting appeals to me from the adult menu. Also the kids meal has just the right amount of food for me where the adult meal often is too much.
At Columbia Harbor House, DH will get a fish meal ($7.09), DD a kids meal ($4.49) and I get the clam chowder ($4.49) and DH and I split a large drink ($2.39) - total including tax = 19.66. And we are all full when done.

 

[Poohbug]

I checked out the menus and I figure it will save us about $5/day. I used the menus to pick out things we will actually eat. I also like the fact that it is all paid for and convenient. Plus, I love me some snacks and I would never buy them without the plan-I would want to try/have them, but I wouldn't buy them. It's vacation-snacks are good.

This will be the last time we buy the DP for a while, DS is 9 and next year we will have to pay adult prices He would never eat enough to pay for adult prices, at least not yet. Now if it was free.......

 

[Luv2Roam]

With the counter service plan participants also receive a refillable resort mug. I think those sell for around $13 a piece now alone. Or something like that.
We are not big on counter service. I can't imagine we would ever buy that plan. But I think it is a great option for many.

 

[purplevalentine]

Thanks to all the answers. Decided to do the quick service plan. I took everyone's advice and checked out some menus. The way my nephew eats it will be well worth the money.

Happy Holiday's to all!




Karen

 

[Lorenski]

I'm taking a solo trip in May and added the quick service plan. this plan will be perfect for me as I really don't plan on eating TS while there.