N00B needs help getting the best deal

[Disney845]

I agree with all of the others who mentioned giving up the Preferred room. We have stayed at Pop several times and do not feel the location of the Preferred rooms is worth the added cost. As others have mentioned, you can make room requests (does NOT mean they will be honored). We have stayed in the 50s section twice and the 60s section facing the lake (on the reverse side of the building from the Preferred rooms) and thought these locations were both very nice. We didn't enjoy the 90s section location (themeing, distance, etc).

Is this your first visit to WDW? If so, hopping may not be important, because you will be content to spend a full day in one place. Also with the little one, you might not choose to stay very late at the parks. We really enjoy hopping around to take advantage of EMH (specifically the evening ones, as we are not early risers on vacay), so we may go to one park for the morning/afternoon and hop to the EMH park for the evening.

I have not tried the QS dining plan yet, but I do enjoy the regular dining plan (1 TS, 1 CS, 1 snack). I like that it is already paid for with our vacation other than tips and any additional snacks/foods we choose to have. We have done it several times for free dining, and have also paid for it. I enjoy doing the sit down meal once a day (nice change to burgers/pizza/chix strips at both lunch and dinner every day), plus my SO is picky (he has allergies/stays away from several ingredients) and this allows us to schedule buffets where he has a better chance of finding several things he will enjoy. As other's mentioned the best way to see if this is a good deal for "your" family is to look at the Disney menus (be aware that they are subject to change) and calculate what you think the cost of the foods you would like to eat and restaurants you will visit based on your theme park schedule. If you think your little one would be too geared up for a TS every day and CS more fits your style then the QS plan may be better for you.

 

[Lisa_M]

Thanks so much everyone!!! =)
What I'm looking at now is,
7d/6n
POP Standard Room
7 Park Tickets (No PH)
QSD Pkg (With 2CS and 2 Snacks)

Then with the Gift Card I'll add on the water park (If possible) and maybe pay for a Character meal or a TS meal at some point.

Again, I really appreciate everyone's advice!! This board is the best!! :

This is what I would do minus the water park because I don't like waterparks. Have fun!

 

[3boymthr]

Thanks so much everyone!!! =)
What I'm looking at now is,
7d/6n
POP Standard Room
7 Park Tickets (No PH)
QSD Pkg (With 2CS and 2 Snacks)

Then with the Gift Card I'll add on the water park (If possible) and maybe pay for a Character meal or a TS meal at some point.

Again, I really appreciate everyone's advice!! This board is the best!! :

I totally agree w/dropping the park hopppers. We went for the first time as a family this past spring and found that the going back to the same park was the way to go. We stayed at YC and still didn't care that we couldn't go back to EP every evening - we had so much going on that we just didn't care. We didn't stay at POP so can't address that question.

For questions on the GC and adding water park tix after you get there post over on the Theme Parks board. There are a couple of regulars over there (Cheshire Cat I think?) who are employees at WDW working in the ticketing area who can answer these types of questions.

 

[Lisha1979]

Planning disney is going to make me nuts LOL
Thank goodness for this board!! =) I don't know where I'd be with out you guys!

I talked to DH tonight and I think we're going to skip the water park all together, with that I'm thinking about skipping the Dining Pkg as well. This way we'll spend the Gift Card on our food.
We've also decided to change to 6d/5n.
On our way home from Fl we're going to stop by the beach and spend 2 or 3 days. Any good suggestions? We're from TN and are thinking about Savannah Ga. We want to travel at least half way to get to a beach that way we're not stuck driving an entire day back =)

 

[Shmily1]

I live about an hour from Savannah and 40 minutes from Brunswick. Tybee is a smaller beach area but there is a lot to do in Savannah. Jekyll and St Simons (out from Brunswick) is a larger beach area, but none of these are the pristine beaches like in the FL. The best ones would be closer to WDW at St Augustine or Daytona.

Figuring the costs of the QSDP and the costs it would be to buy QS meals, I would be able to eat cheaper at QS than the DP would cost. If I was going to do the QS meals, I would just pay OOP, too.

 

[SandrA9810]

The dining plan can really help the costs. You'll also recieve a free mug for soda/coffee/tea/hot chocolate refills your entire stay. And you don't have to follow the guidlines of 2CS/1snack a day. You'll get 10 cs credits and 5 snack credits to use however you would like. And even for a family of 3, you can look at spending 35-40$ at some counter service places for one meal (peco's and cosmic rays can get up there in cost).
And if you have a bunch of snacks left over, stock up for the ride home. You can use them to get bottles of soda/water, or bags of peanuts and candy. I love going to the bakery and getting deserts.
The regular dining plan is a bit much, cause you'll feel like you're going from one dining location to the next. But the quick service plan is generally what people eat in one day. Either a late breakfast/early lunch and then dinner. Don't forget a soda costs 2.50 each.

 

[Dancemom03]

you'll feel like you're going from one dining location to the next.

You make it sound like that's a problem...

 

[SandrA9810]

ohh for me... I'd do it in a heart beat. But I'm guessing some one coming for the first time doesn't want to spend their entire time eating through the parks.

Now what I don't get, are the people that use the deluxe dining plan. How can you eat three table service meals in one day?? Even doing a signature place that takes two credits seems like a bit much.