Newbie here. Hello! Is the deluxe dining plan worth it for us?

[krowe333]

I have been trying and trying to budget between doing the deluxe dining plan or spending out of pocket for a week and I need some help.
I am 36, my dh is 40, our daughters are 8 & 12.
We will be doing the Cinderellas Royal Table, The Crystal Palace, Rainforest Cafe, Coral Reef, Sci-Fi Dine In, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall w/Princesses, and maybe Chef Mickeys at Contemporary Resort and Ohana's Lilo & Stitch B'fast.
Our daughters are eaters! They eat all day to night-lol!
We will be staying at Pop Century Resort for 5 nights, not using the park hopper. Doing MK 2x and the rest of the parks 1 day.
Using the EMH to the fullest.
Thank you for any and all information,
Kimberley

 

[havoc315]

The rule of thumb with 2013 pricing, you need to use 3/4ths-4/5ths of your credits for TS just to break even. With Chef Mickey and Ohana you are at 9 out of 15 credits per person. So just to break even, you probably need to add 3-4 TS meals more.

- its hard to add a lot of TS meals when staying at POP and especially without parkhoppers. It becomes a chore to get to TS restaurants.

-At ala carte restaurants, is your 12 yo going to want big adult appetizers, entrees, and desserts, or want simpler food? Are you comfortable paying over $100 per day for a 12-year-old?
-conversely for the eight-year-old, will she always be happy with the children's menu or will she want bigger portions?

Based on the information you provided, it doesn't sound like any dining plan would be a good value for your family.

 

[CatNipRules]

Me and my family are doing the deluxe plan.

For you guys to get the most out of your money I would recommend eating at mostly Table Service restaurants.

Look over the menus and see what your family would like it eat.

My family and I are doing the Deluxe plan and I know that we will more than make up for the cost. However, if you and your family are picky eaters or you want to eat at counter service restaurants, then I would recommend doing the middle dining plan and paying for some of the other meals out of pocket.

For us, it's a matter of having everything paid for in advance and not worrying about have to save the money for food and we are able to eat what we want and we don't have to worry that we will have enough money for our whole trip.

For us, the Deluxe plan makes sense, but I know that it's not for everyone.....

 

[abdgeek]

I have been trying and trying to budget between doing the deluxe dining plan or spending out of pocket for a week and I need some help.
I am 36, my dh is 40, our daughters are 8 & 12.
We will be doing the Cinderellas Royal Table, The Crystal Palace, Rainforest Cafe, Coral Reef, Sci-Fi Dine In, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall w/Princesses, and maybe Chef Mickeys at Contemporary Resort and Ohana's Lilo & Stitch B'fast.
Our daughters are eaters! They eat all day to night-lol!
We will be staying at Pop Century Resort for 5 nights, not using the park hopper. Doing MK 2x and the rest of the parks 1 day.
Using the EMH to the fullest.
Thank you for any and all information,
Kimberley

All of the restaurants you mention, except CRT, take only 1 TS meal. If you went with the deluxe meal plan that would mean that you would have 2 TS meals and 2 snacks left each day. Eating at the signature restaurants would be the best way to use up the remaining 2 meals each day(Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Brown Derby, Flying Fish, etc.). The deluxe plan also includes an appetizer, entree, dessert, and drink for lunch and dinner. Are you and your kids used to eating that much food? The 8 year old would have to order off the kids menu(if it is available) and the 12 year old would order off the adult menu.

Maybe consider getting the regular dining plan. That gives you 1 QS, 1 TS, and 1 snack each day. You could use your TS for breakfast and then use your QS for lunch or dinner. Anything else you would pay out of pocket. Since CRT would take up 2TS, you would need to pay for one TS meal during your stay(depending on how you use your meals).

 

[mickeypedia]

Ok the way I'm seeing this is you may want to slim down on your table services.....as it seems right now, you will be mostly eating instead of enjoying the parks. Being this is your first time you are going to want more park time then eating. What I usually do is the regular dining plan which includes 1 snack, 1 quick service, and 1 table service a day. I usually book 1 table service a day. I would do only 1 princess table service. keep in mind, if you use the dining plan CRT is 2 credits which would only leave you 3 table services. I usually pay OOP for breakfast unless it is a special breakfast like chef mickeys or Lilo and Stitch. I also pack snacks that my kids will enjoy for between meals like trail mix and cheese crackers. you can bring snacks into the park and it would bring down your cost. Hope this helps....and you have a great trip.

 

[krowe333]

Thanks CatNipRules.

Thanks havoc315.
I have a few more questions to help understand a bit more. Yes, those are all the TS meals that we will be eating. The rest we would be doing CS, which would be all 5 lunches, and 2 dinners.
And our family is picky eaters. We don't care for upscale restaurants, we would rather just do the character dining and the 3 other dinner restaurants, and then the rest CS.
So it will be best to pay out of pocket for us? Cause I really can't see us eating over $370 or so a day for food. Just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision.
Kimberley

 

[mickeypedia]

My family is the same way....that is why I book alot of buffets/character meals....There is always something for everyone. I would do regular dining and pay OOP for anything else. I think this would be more economical for your family. CS are included with this dining plan.

 

[krowe333]

Thanks for your feedback mickeypedia and abdgeek.
I hope our trip is great!
Our 8yr old will be fine w/kids menu and our 12yr old will be ordering off the adult menu, she loves to eat and is skinny as can be-I think she wants to feel "older"-LOL!
So exactly which dining plan would work for us? Or do you think none would work for us?
Thanks so very much.
Kimberley

 

[krowe333]

mickeypedia, which dining plan are you telling me about. The QS dining?
Can you explain how many snacks, CS, and TS you get?
Thanks

 

[mickeypedia]

Magic My Way plus dining.....each person gets 1 snack, 1 quick service or counter service, and 1 table service for each night you book. you are staying 5 nights so each of you would have 5 snacks, 5 quick services, and 5 table services for your stay. It costs between $50-$55 a night per adult---way cheaper then the $85-$90 a night per adult. Some of those table services are about $40 a person itself (roughly)...and let's face it a quick service can cost about 15-20 a person if you get entree, drink, and dessert. And your snack average is $3 and included with the dining plan is also an unlimited refillable mug (for your resort/everyone in your party recieves one) which is almost 15 per person. So I would go for plus dining. I bring the mug with me and fill it up at water fountains throughout the park (beats paying $3 per bottle) I think it would be the best for your family.

 

[CatNipRules]

Thanks CatNipRules.

Thanks havoc315.
I have a few more questions to help understand a bit more. Yes, those are all the TS meals that we will be eating. The rest we would be doing CS, which would be all 5 lunches, and 2 dinners.
And our family is picky eaters. We don't care for upscale restaurants, we would rather just do the character dining and the 3 other dinner restaurants, and then the rest CS.
So it will be best to pay out of pocket for us? Cause I really can't see us eating over $370 or so a day for food. Just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision.
Kimberley

Knowing that your family is a picky eater, I would definitely do the mid DDP. Pay out of pocket for some of your meals.

My DS was a picky eater and doing the Deluxe plan a few years ago would have been a complete waste of money.

 

[OThopeful35]

I agree with Catnip rules, you should do the regular DDP. DS(9) and i did the DDP last year and we did many character meals and it worked out great!

 

[krowe333]

Thanks to all for helping me decide! I will be doing the regular DDP.
Thanks again,
Kimberley

 

[havoc315]

Thanks CatNipRules.

Thanks havoc315.
I have a few more questions to help understand a bit more. Yes, those are all the TS meals that we will be eating. The rest we would be doing CS, which would be all 5 lunches, and 2 dinners.
And our family is picky eaters. We don't care for upscale restaurants, we would rather just do the character dining and the 3 other dinner restaurants, and then the rest CS.
So it will be best to pay out of pocket for us? Cause I really can't see us eating over $370 or so a day for food. Just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision.
Kimberley

Definitely not the DxDP in that case. *Possibly* the basic ddp, and use it for your more expensive meals. If you think you would use all of your snacks, and you want individual desserts at 5 all your covered CS meals, if you use the ddp to pay for your 5 most expensive TS meals... Then the ddp might save you money. And you pay oop for the cheaper 4 TS meals and 2 CS meals.

But if I may steer you towards realism -- you don't need 15 formal full meals over 5 days.
Not to say you won't eat 3 times per day. But with big all-you-can eat buffets every day, I doubt you will hunger for so many full additional meals. You may find 4 people can share 2 CS meals, or even just snack a bit. If any of your big breakfasts are late morning, they will hold you over till dinner easily.

 

[havoc315]

Magic My Way plus dining.....each person gets 1 snack, 1 quick service or counter service, and 1 table service for each night you book. you are staying 5 nights so each of you would have 5 snacks, 5 quick services, and 5 table services for your stay. It costs between $50-$55 a night per adult---way cheaper then the $85-$90 a night per adult. Some of those table services are about $40 a person itself (roughly)...and let's face it a quick service can cost about 15-20 a person if you get entree, drink, and dessert. And your snack average is $3 and included with the dining plan is also an unlimited refillable mug (for your resort/everyone in your party recieves one) which is almost 15 per person. So I would go for plus dining. I bring the mug with me and fill it up at water fountains throughout the park (beats paying $3 per bottle) I think it would be the best for your family.

Just some perspective -- op is going in 2013. Ddp is between $55-57 per adult. Some TS are indeed around $40... And many are under $30. Ohana breakfast, Crystal Palace breakfast, are both under $30 per person. The typical range for CS meals, with tax, is $15-18. $20 is possible, but extremely rare.
So $28 TS meal.. $15 CS meal.. $3 snack --- the ddp is far far from a no-brainer. It will indeed work out for some people, but not most.

 

[canopynut66]

the only one showing that takes 2 TS is Cinderellas and the rest were 1 TS so deluxe plan is a lot of food. but then maybe doing all that in 5 days you might need them. we stay at POP as well and just upgrade to the MYWD plan with 1 QS and 1 TS and a snack and we big eatters as well but always have most snacks left and couple of counters left.. one thing good at POP is can eat your counter service and not take a dessert and have them stamp your receipt and then have 90 minutes to get a ice cream sundae later. they good (in case can not get over to Beaches and Cream)