Minimum Stay for Dining Plan? UPDATE

[FayeW]

Is there a minimum # of nights you have to stay to be able to have the package with the dining plan? If not, please tell me if this makes sense: We are arriving for an 8 night stay; 7 nights already booked through skyauction so we need to book a one night stay for the night we arrive. To add the extra night at Bryan's Spanish Cove will cost about $150 + tax. I am thinking that if we book that night at a value resort, buy 1 day base ticket and the dining plan, we could try a some restaurants we would not try otherwise. We are 2 adults, 1 10yr old, 1 8yr old, so the dining plan would cost $105 for us. If I understand correctly, we are able to share TS meals, and they don't differentiate between a child's TS credit and an Adult TS credit, and you have until 11:59pm on the day you check out to use all your credits. With that in mind, we could have a TS meal at LeCellier on the day we arrive, and the next day CRT for dinner, and share the 4 CS credit between the 4 of us for those 2 days as well, paying out of pocket for the kids meals or extra drinks as required. My 10 yr old will be charged for adult dining plan, but due to her age, would be allowed to order from the children's menu, right? Now that I have gotten myself excited about the possiblility of trying these 2 restaurants that we would probably never try otherwise, would we be allowed to do this?


ETA: Given the size of the meal portion shown on the menu for CRT, we wouldn't necessarily have to use a child's TS credit for an adult meal. I am sure that with an appetizer, and a dessert, my husband and I could manage to share the King or Queen's cut of prime rib, my son could use his child's TS credit, and we could order off the kid's menu for my 10 yr old. That would still leave her "adult" TS credit, and one of ours, for the next day. Not trying to "cheat" the system, just want to get the best value, and a two excellent meals we probably wouldn't splurge on otherwise!

 

[NJ Cruisers]

I have also been trying to determine if the dining plan is right for us. But I think the flaw in your plan is that you can't buy the dining option unless you also buy park tickets. One day park tickets are very expensive.

Can someone answer if this is true about also buying the tickets to get the dining plan?

Thanks

 

[FayeW]

Yes, I was thinking about the tickets, and the way I understand it, you can buy any ticket you want, as long as it is at least a 1 day basic ticket. Since I was going to buy the 10 day premium non-expiring anyway, I will have to determine if it is cheaper for me to buy them through Disney as part of the package, or buy them through the mousesavers link at ticketmania, and buy the additional 1 day basic ticket with the package. The upside of that scenario would be that I could just use the base ticket on a day we knew we were going to be at one park for the whole day, and save a day on our premium pass for our trip next year. Any thoughts, anyone?

 

[FayeW]

OK, I called to get more info, and the CM I spoke to confirmed that I only have to stay 1 night to be eligible to buy the dining plan ( as long as I buy park ticket(s)). So far, so good, except that he said that LeCellier is a signature restaurant, and requires 2 TS credits per person! Someone posted a link to a document which explains the dining plan in another post, and it show Coral Reef as the only signature restaurant in Epcot. Does anybody know for sure how many credits LeCellier uses? Thanks!

 

[angel's momma]

LeCellier was originally 2 TS, but switched to 1 TS.

 

[FayeW]

Never Mind! I just priced out the difference for buying the 10 day premium, no expiry tickets as part of the vacation plan, and it will cost $162 more to buy from Disney vs. the mousesavers link with ticketmania! If I buy just the 1 day base ticket with the plan, it will add $242.04! That completely uses up any savings we would have had with the dining plan! Anybody who hasn't signed up for mousesavers, do it now to take advantage of the excellent ticket prices!