Meal Plans and Food

[Frozen2014]

Hi,

We're planning our first trip to DW in Oct and are trying to figure out the meal plan. We are looking at travelling from Sun (arriving lunch time or afternoon?) and leaving following Sat (after breakfast?). One day we will be offsite (lunch and dinner).

We're thinking of possibly getting the middle meal plan, which is basically 1 quick meal, 1 table service + 1 snack per day. So one meal/day will be out of pocket, but having said that, if we're offsite a day, we can use credits from that day for an extra breakfast or lunch.

What I'm trying to determine is
1) If it's worth it
2) ALSO...when I look at quick service and table service meals, they are full heavy meals. Personally we prefer a simple sandwich or salad for lunch (e.g. just a bagel, light salad). Do the restaurant at DW offer simple type meals? And if so, if we prefer such items for say most lunches, would the meal plan be worth it? e.g. would these still cost $8 like most public places charge?

 

[sharonabe]

It doesn't sound like your family eats the way the plan is designed.

Does everyone want a dessert at EVERY meal? Do you drink soda/tea/coffee with EVERY meal? Do you want several buffet DINNERS? Do you want steak or high end seafood for most of your TS meals? If the answer to most of those is "yes" then you want the DDP.

If you usually eat lighter, you're not going to be able to maximize the value.

Here's a general breakdown of the value of each credit including tax:

TS $37.50
QS $17.00
Snack $4.00

When you look at menus, if you're not "spending" those amounts, you'll do better OOP.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thank you. Your reply is very helpful...esp the breakdown of the numbers.

To answer your questions,
1) for vacation time, I could see us enjoying dessert each night at dinner, but not at lunch
2) I'm a water drinker myself, but my husband and 2 kids would have a drink at each meal (coffee/pop, juice/milk)
3) A nice dinner or two would be nice, if they also had kids options
4) Some dinners may be buffet depending on the place

But I'm hoping for at least one meal (eg. lunch) we can find something simple and healthy, as opposed to being stuck with grease and big meals 3x/day

 

[figment_jii]

But I'm hoping for at least one meal (eg. lunch) we can find something simple and healthy, as opposed to being stuck with grease and big meals 3x/day

The DDP (middle dining plan) doesn't really allow for three big meals per day. It's basically one sit down meal and one quick service meal, plus a snack. Some quick services venues do carry sandwiches (e.g., Kringla at Norway, Earl of Sandwich, etc.), so you can probably find some lighter items on menus. Likewise, TS locations also have light options (e.g., salads, sandwiches, etc.). However, it's generally not a really efficient use of a TS credit to order just a sandwich or something small at a TS location.

Not all TS or QS meals at WDW are greasy...some are, especially if opt for fried foods, but many are not. I think it would probably be best if you looked at the menus of the places you're thinking of going to and see if there are things that interest you and what the approximate price would be. From there you can see if the dining plan would be a good fit for your family.

http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningmain.cfm

 

[sharonabe]

Thank you. Your reply is very helpful...esp the breakdown of the numbers.

To answer your questions,
1) for vacation time, I could see us enjoying dessert each night at dinner, but not at lunch
2) I'm a water drinker myself, but my husband and 2 kids would have a drink at each meal (coffee/pop, juice/milk)
3) A nice dinner or two would be nice, if they also had kids options
4) Some dinners may be buffet depending on the place

But I'm hoping for at least one meal (eg. lunch) we can find something simple and healthy, as opposed to being stuck with grease and big meals 3x/day

The price break down I gave is for adults. With two kids in the mix, you're likely to do better at saving some money IF they are both Disney kids (9 and under).

You really do need to look at the restaurants (both TS and QS) to determine where you're likely to eat and what you WANT to eat. Don't let the price of the item determine whether you would order it; just "order" what you WANT and do the math.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thank you for the great links. Am noting them.
It's amazing how much planning and research a DW vacation takes.

It does seem like it would be more food than we'd need. Having said that, there's something for having it pre-paid so when we're there, we don't have to think about the cost of the meal.

 

[Disfanx4]

Thank you for the great links. Am noting them. It's amazing how much planning and research a DW vacation takes. It does seem like it would be more food than we'd need. Having said that, there's something for having it pre-paid so when we're there, we don't have to think about the cost of the meal.

You would get the same feeling by buying gift cards and paying less

 

[clanmcculloch]

...there's something for having it pre-paid so when we're there, we don't have to think about the cost of the meal.

For some people, the dining plan CAUSES them to think about the cost of the meal because they've paid for the plan so they want to make sure they get their money's worth. If you would normally choose one of the items on the menu that happens to be among the least expensive, will it bother you since it's not as good of a value on the plan? Will you feel obligated to choose from among the most expensive menu items?

For others, it is very freeing as they don't have to look at the price at all because it'll cost a credit regardless and they don't think about what they paid for the plan.

It's important to know what direction your mind is more likely to go.

 

[TanJDis2014]

Not sure where to post this, here it goes I'm trying to decide between Ohana for Breakfast or Dinner. We have reservations for both on different days, but Hubs wants to do Universal one of those days. Which meal is can't miss??
Thanks in advance

 

[sharonabe]

Not sure where to post this, here it goes I'm trying to decide between Ohana for Breakfast or Dinner. We have reservations for both on different days, but Hubs wants to do Universal one of those days. Which meal is can't miss??
Thanks in advance

I think you need to delete the above post and start a new thread with your question as this doesn't really go along with the original post or title.

 

[MataHari22]

I have researched this DDP vs OOP for the last two trips and for me, it's cheaper to pay out of pocket. My friend that I travel with, is stuck on the whole DDP thing though, because last year, when I booked, we got it free. I think if you get it free, it can be good, but I think most times, if you can get a room discount, you save more that way, than getting free dining. To try and get my money's worth out of it this year, I decided to do a couple of character meals. So, I will be doing Crystal Palace and Tusker House for breakfast. Couple of things that you may want to do to make up your mind, is look at the menus of the restaurants you plan on eating at. Get an idea of what you think you would enjoy. Would you be sacrificing what you really enjoy to eat the way that the dining plan specifies? Then, take a look at the Disney Dining Calculator. Input all the info and see where you stand.

http://www.distripplanner.com

Now, if you are a person that gets upset about spending and would rather not worry about what you order and just would rather scan your band and have it deduct credits, I can understand that. I can understand why for some they would rather do it that way. Some people agonize and won't pick something they really want to eat because it cost too much if they have to pay out of pocket.

If you want to have it paid for before your trip, you can always go the gift card route, as many people on the disboards, do. This way, you have the money saved before you go and you use those.

If I do go to WDW again, for me, I have decided I want to try and get a deal on a room discount and pay OOP for my food, because it will be a better value and save me more money. I just do not eat enough food to make the DDP worth it for me.