Our restaurant choices-- out of pocket or dining plan-- WWYD?

[SumWhrOvrThRanBo]

We will be taking our first trip to WDW this October & I have our table service restaurants picked out- we are a family of 7-- mom, dad, 16yrs, 14yrs, 9yrs, 7yrs & 16 months... Wondering if DDP will be worth it. We will be staying 5 nights in an AOA family suite...

Raglan Road dinner
Tusker House breakfast
Sci-Fi dinner
Hoop-Dee-Doo Review

Thanks!

 

[6disneykids]

You need to check out the menus from various sites such as allears. Your teenage kids are "Disney adults" when it comes to the dining plan, so that may alter your decision, but the middle kids are still "kids" and their plan is relatively inexpensive (compared to the adult price). There are so many people on the boards that are pro or con DDP, so you will get many different responses. You also have to take in to account if you have picky or adventurous eaters, because that too will influence your decision. You also don't have to pay for the youngest one because he/she is under 3, but will be required to either eat part of someone else's meal or pay for an additional meal.

As for my family, I have 6 kids 2 of which are "Disney adults" and one is under 3, it is a sanity saver for us to get the DDP.

 

[Diegosmom]

Ok my advise is if you decide on the dining plan I would reconside some of the ADRs...

With dining you can do some of the more expensive charachter meals or the Fantasmic package at DHS (Mama Meleose and Hollywood and Vine are 1 credit). Not sure if your kids are boys or girls but the princess meal in Epcot is also 1 credit.

And if you eat at a buffet the baby eats for free otherwise I think they just eat off of someone's plate or you pay OP (although I think I read reports of a free toodler meal)...

Also consider you quick service location. I would go on all ears and add up what you think everyone would order and see if it saves you money...remember if paying OP you need to add in tax (included in the meal plan)...

I need notice the food court at AOA seems to be a bit more then the other value food courts so if you plan on having a few meals there the meal plan might work out...

 

[julie4423]

It probably wouldn't be worth it with those restaurant choices. Again, you have to look at menus to be sure. Keep in mind that you are staying at a time that FD has been offered in the past. However, staying at a value would mean that you have to pay the upgrade cost for everyone. I have a family of mostly disney adults that don't fit in a standard room, and it's actually cheaper for me to stay at a mod resort with 2 rooms and not have to pay the upgrade cost on FD. Something to keep in mind should it be offered.

 

[SumWhrOvrThRanBo]

Thanks so much! So many decisions to make.

 

[Herfnerd]

It probably wouldn't be worth it with those restaurant choices. Again, you have to look at menus to be sure. Keep in mind that you are staying at a time that FD has been offered in the past. However, staying at a value would mean that you have to pay the upgrade cost for everyone. I have a family of mostly disney adults that don't fit in a standard room, and it's actually cheaper for me to stay at a mod resort with 2 rooms and not have to pay the upgrade cost on FD. Something to keep in mind should it be offered.

I agree that with those choices I don't think its worth it.

We are at MCO waiting to fly back home. Did the Stay Play and Dine plan and it eas well worth it for us. Then again, we ate at Boma, Kona Cafe and Monsieur Paul for TS. Wolfgang Puck Express, BOG, La Hacienda Cafe and yak and yeti for cs.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I was curious, so I entered your choices in the spreadsheet price estimate calculator from another thread here and even with picking five average CS meals too and the 1 snack per person per day it appears the dining plan would cost about $500 more than OOP.

The spreadsheet is really impressive, and gives you a good estimate of average prices for different restaurants without having to go into the detail of looking at what individual items cost. The results depend a lot on the situation, as in our case we saved $200 with the DDP.