Is this completely crazy?

[have2getaway]

I started out making reservations in an effort to save time, but now I'm worried our whole day will be spent eating, but I know you often have to wait for QS anyway. I also forgot to factor in tipping and realized that we could be spending as much as $500 in tips. We aren't crazy about QS, although our kids are, but it almost feels like with what we are spending on food and tips, we could have just rented a studio and ate in, but...this would have meant more work. We are staying at the Poly, and are on DXDDP with a huge discount so I think the cost, even with tips, outweighs the cost of a studio or villa. Does anyone else second guess themselves like this? Should I schedule earlier breakfasts or less lunches? Our boys eat frequently during the day so I don't think we can skip meals. Here are my current reservations for a Jan. trip, which have changed numerous times. It will be me, DH, and our 3 youngest boys--triplets age 7:

Sat:
Narcoosees dinner 5 pm

Sun:
Crystal Palace breakfast 8:30
Artist Point dinner 5:30

Mon:
CRT breakfast 8:55
San Angel Inn lunch 12:30
Chefs du France 5:30

Tues:
Akershus breakfast 8:15
BoG lunch 11:15
The Wave dinner 5:15

Weds:
Tusker House breakfast 8:20
Via Napoli's dinner 6:15

Thurs:
O'Hana breakfast 8:30
Garden Grille lunch 12:25
Coral Reef dinner 5:30

Fri:
The Wave breakfast 8:00
California Grille dinner 5:20

Sat:
Cape May Minnie's buffet breakfast 8:30

Leave Disney

I was also considering Sanaa, but feel like I can't squeeze in anymore. Just wondering if I have the right combination of buffets, meals, types, times, etc? What would you change if you were me?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

with what we are spending on food and tips, we could have just rented a studio and ate in

You'd probably need a 1BR to eat in. A Studio has a microwave and a toaster. While I can cater on those two items for several days, I wouldn't want to do it for a week for multiple people now that I am out of college. Food for 5 in just a microwave the size of the one in studios and a toaster is a challenge!

On a day like Thursday, you will be spending ~4.5 hours sitting at a table eating. How will your boys handle that? In my experience, most kids don't tend to do that often. Breakfast is usually non-complex before school. At school, most kids are lucky to get 25 full minutes for lunch. Then dinner might be sit-down with the family (or not; depends on the family). So 4.5 hours might be about a quadrupling of their usual dining time.

 

[Disneylover99]

It looks like some days you'll just spend the day eating, especially with 3 reservations per day.

Your CRT breakfast is scheduled just 3 and a half hours before your San Angel reservation at another park. By the time you finish CRT, it will be almost time to head to Epcot.

BOG is just three hours after Akershus. Different parks. So again, you're practically eating and leaving.

 

[dskib]

It's true that with the deluxe plan that you're spending a lot of time eating. It does take away park touring time, that's for sure. You seem to be aware of that which is good. I found it frustrating myself.

The ways I tried to get more park time was to use the meals on arrival day and departure day when I had no park plans. Use credits on 2 credit restaurants. Make breakfast reservations as early as I could inside the parks. I tried to only do 2 sit down meals on a park day.

Looking at your plan, the only issues I see are that it requires park hopping and the fact that 3 meals on the same day will take a lot of park time away. Do you have a car or are you using Disney transportation? You're already losing park time with full service meals, and park hopping takes additional time.

Of course, I'm all about the parks, so that's an issue for me, but not everybody is

Your choices look fabulously yummy!!!

 

[have2getaway]

You'd probably need a 1BR to eat in. A Studio has a microwave and a toaster. While I can cater on those two items for several days, I wouldn't want to do it for a week for multiple people now that I am out of college. Food for 5 in just a microwave the size of the one in studios and a toaster is a challenge!

On a day like Thursday, you will be spending ~4.5 hours sitting at a table eating. How will your boys handle that? In my experience, most kids don't tend to do that often. Breakfast is usually non-complex before school. At school, most kids are lucky to get 25 full minutes for lunch. Then dinner might be sit-down with the family (or not; depends on the family). So 4.5 hours might be about a quadrupling of their usual dining time.

Good to know that a studio doesn't have a kitchenette. I basically have way too many meals, which is Exactly what I was worried about! Ok. Well, I guess I will review with DH and pick things to eliminate. Thank you!

 

[have2getaway]

It looks like some days you'll just spend the day eating, especially with 3 reservations per day.

Your CRT breakfast is scheduled just 3 and a half hours before your San Angel reservation at another park. By the time you finish CRT, it will be almost time to head to Epcot.

BOG is just three hours after Akershus. Different parks. So again, you're practically eating and leaving.

So...how many sit down meals do most people plan for? I clearly have too many, but just wondering what to ditch and what to keep?

 

[have2getaway]

It's true that with the deluxe plan that you're spending a lot of time eating. It does take away park touring time, that's for sure. You seem to be aware of that which is good. I found it frustrating myself.

The ways I tried to get more park time was to use the meals on arrival day and departure day when I had no park plans. Use credits on 2 credit restaurants. Make breakfast reservations as early as I could inside the parks. I tried to only do 2 sit down meals on a park day.

Looking at your plan, the only issues I see are that it requires park hopping and the fact that 3 meals on the same day will take a lot of park time away. Do you have a car or are you using Disney transportation? You're already losing park time with full service meals, and park hopping takes additional time.

Of course, I'm all about the parks, so that's an issue for me, but not everybody is

Your choices look fabulously yummy!!!

We do have park hopper tickets, but we do not have a car. We are all about the parks as well and will probably want early breakfasts most days. I'm thinking I need to cancel lunches. How long do character breakfasts typically take? If we did earlier buffets, would that be better?

 

[2forMe]

Is there a way to downgrade to the regular dining plan. For me DX DP is a lot of good, time and yes more $$$ in tips.

 

[mjmgsssp]

We typically do 1 QS and 1 TS meal per day. My suggestion would be to spend more of your TS credits on the signature restaurants or dinner shows, which use 2 TS credits each.

 

[have2getaway]

Is there a way to downgrade to the regular dining plan. For me DX DP is a lot of good, time and yes more $$$ in tips.

I'm looking into it, although with our discount, we were basically paying for the regular plan and getting deluxe so I am considering reserving more signature meals. Of course, I don't think that will help me with the tips.

 

[have2getaway]

We typically do 1 QS and 1 TS meal per day. My suggestion would be to spend more of your TS credits on the signature restaurants or dinner shows, which use 2 TS credits each.

Thank you. I'm looking into doing this. I have 4 signature restaraunts now. Are there any other you would suggest?

 

[mjmgsssp]

We enjoy Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse, and the Hoop Dee Doo Revue.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Good to know that a studio doesn't have a kitchenette. I basically have way too many meals, which is Exactly what I was worried about! Ok. Well, I guess I will review with DH and pick things to eliminate. Thank you!

Officially, DVC call those a kitchenette. They have a coffee maker, microwave and toaster. They don't have real plates, real cutlery or any other way to cook stuff. As a master of dorm cooking, I can do fairly well with those objects, but wouldn't want to for a week for 5 sober people.

I would consider booking a breakfast, then a signature or dinner show. If you do CRT as a breakfast, book something as a dinner that is 1 credit. BOG breakfast and lunch are QS, which is a poor value on DxDP.

And definitely consider the tendencies of the triplets. I suspect when they're not happy, meals get long.

 

[Disneylover99]

So...how many sit down meals do most people plan for? I clearly have too many, but just wondering what to ditch and what to keep?

1 TS per day is the maximum for me, but I'm happy with two weeks of counter service anyways.

I agree with others. Book some 2 TS places. We love Hoop de Doo and Spirit of Aloha.

 

[have2getaway]

I looked into downgrading and there is no price difference staying at our current resort, which is the Polynesian, but...if we moved to POR, the cost is $2,000 less, and we pick up 2 additional days to the park. We would then have regular dining plan. We would have to give up some signature restaraunts and the huge convenience of the monorail so on the fence with what to do. I know what DH would want me to do.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Good to know that a studio doesn't have a kitchenette. I basically have way too many meals, which is Exactly what I was worried about! Ok. Well, I guess I will review with DH and pick things to eliminate. Thank you!

And don't forget you each get 2 snacks per day!!!!

I'm also booked with DxDDP for upcoming trip and we decided to do as many signatures as possible. We're only doing 2 TS meals/day because it does take up a lot of park time.

 

[Scootypuffjr]

I really love POR and when we don't stay in the deluxes that is my only other choice. $2000 and 2 park days is a lot imo and the regular dining plan was more than enough for us and we still did some signature dining.

 

[dskib]

I looked into downgrading and there is no price difference staying at our current resort, which is the Polynesian, but...if we moved to POR, the cost is $2,000 less, and we pick up 2 additional days to the park. We would then have regular dining plan. We would have to give up some signature restaraunts and the huge convenience of the monorail so on the fence with what to do. I know what DH would want me to do.

I LOVE POR. Just sayin . Then again. I've never stayed deluxe, so I don't know what I'm missing. . The regular dining plan is plenty for us. If we don't have a character breakfast planned we just eat something light in the morning on the go, make a table service ressie for lunch or dinner and find a good counter service for the other meal. Saving $2000 gives you a LOT of wiggle room if you decide to pay for a meal or 2 oop.

 

[Disneylover99]

I looked into downgrading and there is no price difference staying at our current resort, which is the Polynesian, but...if we moved to POR, the cost is $2,000 less, and we pick up 2 additional days to the park. We would then have regular dining plan. We would have to give up some signature restaraunts and the huge convenience of the monorail so on the fence with what to do. I know what DH would want me to do.

I love the Poly, but sometimes the monorail is down, which is a huge inconvenience. Or worse is when you are on the monorail and it stops halfway between destinations and you have to wait. Plus you're still relying on buses for AK and HS anyways.

Personally, I would take the huge savings and 2 extra park days and book POR.

 

[dskib]

And the monorail is really only convenient for MK and Epcot. It's not like it goes everywhere