MYW Dining pondering

[Luv2Roam]

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread of MYW dining "what if's". ( I won't be purchasing it due to living near WDW.)
I read someone's comment on another board where they stated they would not buy it as it would only save them $1 a day in food.
And this made me wonder. IF I was purchasing this plan, what WOULD I save?
One advantage as some mention, with the dining plan guests would most likely order what food they REALLY want, but may not otherwise order due to price. I know I would.
I am also assuming sales tax is included with the meal plan.

So here is my example with just playing with numbers~
The dining plan is $35 a NIGHT per adult, correct?

One of my days would be:

1 table-service meal including appetizer, entree, dessert, non-alcoholic beverage and gratuity
Kona Cafe:
crab cakes $8.99
Char Crusted Filet Mignon $24.99
dessert $5.99
ice tea $1.99 (?) (Or a pot of coffee?)
$41.96 (estimate, since I do not recall what ice teas cost. A POT of coffe is $6.99. I do not know what a cup of coffee costs at Kona.)
tax: 2.73
Tip: $7.75
Estimated total $52.44

1 counter-service meal including entree and non-alcoholic beverage
With a meal voucher style, I would try at Cosmic Ray's:
Beef Burger with Roll with potato croquettes $8.99
ice tea 1.99
tax: .71
total $11.69

1 snack including either ice cream, cookie, popcorn or a non-alcoholic beverage
Just to make things easy, let's say $2.50

Estimated total for that day for meal coupons:
$66.63

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

We did the same things using the menus posted on Deb's site. We found that it did save us money, on the places we would go anyway.

At first, I thought against the plan, thinking that my kid's were getting older, and maybe not want to sit, and spend that much time eating, but as we started putting our list together, I found out, I was totally wrong.

Plus it takes the hassle out of the week. As someone mentioned, no pouring over the menu, thinking is that too expensive, of whatever. Just order what sounds good. No worries that you ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, yesterday too.


BTW- I think tax is added to the $35.00, but then tax, and tip is included at the restaurants.

 

[cslittle999]

I did some comparison booking on Disney's site (a package with and without dining) and there was no tax added on top of the meal plan so it really is just $35 per night for adults.

 

[scrump]

I'm trying to figure this out for myself as well. Typically, we eat only at table service restaurants, and very rarely from snack wagons or counter service locations. This means that I'd be content with the "table service" portion of the MYW Dining Plan, but would end up with a bunch of "snack" and "counter service" credits that I'd be forcing myself to use on items that I wouldn't otherwise have gotten. Additionally, not all our favorite restaurants are likely to be on the table service lists. Speaking strictly in terms of dollars, we would be saving money, but may end up paying more if we didn't restrict ourselves to the plan. The ease of it is incredibly appealing, though.

 

[Conkozan]

I think that if the restaurants included are ones you WANT to eat at, it can be a tremendous deal! That is-if they leave the list as it is and not take any more off!

If they added more on in World Showcase it would even be better.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I am still thinking of what to do and I need to make a big decision soon because it will affect where we will stay too...swan or polynesian. I looked at the dining and our 3 teen ds are all considered adults. I am trying to think that to get our moneys worth we must always seek out a snack place that is on the list, alot of times my ds dont like sit down meals and just fast food, so we would definetely not make out well with that and if they really hate the food at a restraunt they just order from the kids meal choices, a big waste of money then, plus they just changed the akershus restraunt, which was my dh and my favorite, rainforest is not included, that is one of the ds favorite. It looks like I would save money if I dont get the plan. We budget about $150 a day for the 5 of us. We eat breakfast in the room and usually do l counter service and 1 sit down a day, but it seems like I would have to plan the dining in detail plus the parks etc. I guess you would just have to see what works for your own family.

 

[Amberle3]

I just pulled the supposedly-updated list from the travel agent webite and it has Akershus listed as a table-service restaurant included in the plan. Rainforest is not listed.

 

[Leslie32]

I did this to with the restaurants listed on a website, which I know they have changed by now. I just wanted to see if it would be worth it. We have 2 adults and 2 children with the meal plan and we have never been to disney world before so we don't know anything about any of the restaurants listed so we don't have favorites yet. The meal plan will save us money. Plus it will be easier on me having the meal plan then I won't worry about over spending which I usually do, LOL. A buffet alone with tax and gratuity would be about 90.00 just for the sit down. So I just got my 90 dollars worth right there. So with the counter service and snack we should be saving at least 20 a day.

 

[scrump]

I think Akershus is now Princess Character Dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If this is the case, then I think it is considered alongside "Signature" restaurants which take two table service credits.

 

[WDWBetsy]

I think Akershus is now Princess Character Dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If this is the case, then I think it is considered alongside "Signature" restaurants which take two table service credits.

You can trade 1 table service meal for 1 character meal.

 

[MomofKatie]

WDWBetsy is right... none of the character meals count as two credits. They are ALL one meal credit. I heard that Akershus is keeping the lunch and dinner the same- Norweigen food. The service will be family style, though. The breakfast is the only meal that is American-style.

 

[scrump]

I think the information on the dining keeps changing. Latest update on mousesavers is clocked at Jan 7, 2005 and has Akershus as a character dining location using 2 table service meals.

http://www.mousesavers.com/DiningPlanLocations.pdf

 

[scrump]

I see where I misread. The * is under the Mickey head and I assumed they were part of one footnote. Sorry, I now know that character meals are just one table service credit!

Thank goodness for these boards!