New to Disney Dining plans

[Mckymousefn]

Ok, we have been to Disney a few different times, but we have never done the dining plan. I have a few questions that i hope someone can help me with.

#1
If we get the Quick service plan where we get 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks per person a day... say we go to Cosmic Rays, can we buy any food there and have it covered under our plan?

#2
If we are going 6 days and 5 nights, are we covered for the 6 days or the 5 nights?

Thanks!!

 

[Faldred]

Cosmic Ray's is a CS location available on any of the dining plans.

Plan credits are based on the number of nights of your reservation.

 

[Nadjalu]

As PP said, your dining credits are based on "nights" staying at the resort.

And yes, if you go to Cosmic Rays you can order anything, including the rib/chicken combo meal.

 

[Mckymousefn]

So 6 days, 5 nights.... We would only have the credits for the 5 and the 6th day we would be on our own?

 

[squirrel]

Depending on your arrival/departure times you may have to purchase a meal or two out of pocket.

Sometimes you can share a meal and save the credit for another meal. It depends on how much you eat and if you share any meals.

For 2 CS credits you can get a large pizza, 2 drinks and 2 desserts. If you have 3 or 4 people and can make this a meal for everyone then you saved at least one credit.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

So 6 days, 5 nights.... We would only have the credits for the 5 and the 6th day we would be on our own?

Your dining credits are good from the time you check in until midnight on the day you check out and you can use those credits however or whenever you want.

 

[Mckymousefn]

For those of you that have done the dining plans.... is it worth the money? There are 5 of us and we are debating if we should do it. Our first day will be a Sunday and will be checking out on Friday.

 

[TDC Nala]

You get all your credits as soon as you check in. It's then up to you how to spend them. If you're on quick service for 5 nights you'll get 10 meal credits and 10 snack credits per person (your total account for your party of five will be 50 meal credits and 50 snack credits, all adult credits since you don't have any kids young enough for child credits) and you can use these any day and any time you want. If you have credits left over on the day you check out, you can still use them until midnight, when they expire. If you run out of credits, you have to start paying out of pocket for meals.

 

[Mckymousefn]

Thanks so much for all your help.

But those of you that have done it... is it worth it?

 

[Nadjalu]

Thanks so much for all your help.

But those of you that have done it... is it worth it?

Yes it was worth it for us. It is just myself and DH right now and when we paid for the DDP we saved over $120 the first time we used it. This was on a 4 night/ 5 day vacation.

Second time we had Free dining, but DH kept receipts and in the end we saved over $200 for a 6night/7day vacation. (this was eating normally)

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Thanks so much for all your help.

But those of you that have done it... is it worth it?

We are a family of 6 and for us, the Basic/Regular Disney Dining Plan is the best thing they have come up with since Fastpass. If you plan to eat at least one sit-down/table service meal per day, then the DDP will save you money. For us the Deluxe plan is a waste of time and money unless you are doing A LOT of 2 credit signature meals and dinner show. We have never done the quick service plan, as we like to have at least one table service meal per day.

 

[paxsarah]

We did QSDP on our trip this May and found it very much worth it. We did one character meal OOP but otherwise the plan served us from rope drop the day we arrived until mid-afternoon the day we left (including a few snack-credit goodies for the road home).

 

[squirrel]

Since you have been to Disney World before, how did you eat last time?

Did you share meals more than once or twice? If the kid's share meals a fair amount then it may work out cheaper to pay out of pocket.

Would you normally eat dessert with your CS meals? If not, then it could be cheaper to pay out of pocket.

Do most of you prefer the more expensive entrees listed on the QS menu?

Will you use up all of the credits that the QSDP gives you? If you don't think you will then it's not worth paying for the Dining Plan.