Platium dining plan

[goofyo81]

So my DD and I will be visting Sept 2011 ( so far away ) but I am trying to firgure out what is the best dining plan for just us we love golf and recreational activities i just dont know if it is really worth the money we will not be traveling with children our first time on a solo trip and we will be stying at the the Gf if anyone could offer some suggestions i would be greatly appreciated

 

[TDC Nala]

You're referring to the platinum package plan, which is not a Disney Dining Plan. It includes many other components besides dining.

The Platinum package plan includes:

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two snacks, per person, per night. Available 100 Walt Disney World restaurants (includes tax but not gratuities, unless otherwise noted).
One resort refillable mug per person
Unlimited selected recreation, including Golf, Miniature Golf, Water Sports, Archery, Tennis, Guided Fishing Excursions, Cane Pole Fishing, Horseback Trail Rides, Pony Rides, Carriage Rides, Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, Bike Rental and Watercraft Rental. Some restrictions may apply and advance reservations may be required, and are suggested.
One admission per person to Cirque du Soliel La Nouba
Unlimited use of Disney Children’s Activity Centers
Unlimited admission to selected theme park tours
Preferred fireworks viewing areas for Wishes at the Magic Kingdom and IllumiNations at Epcot. ( Advance reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance and voucher is required.)
One portrait session and photo package with professions PhotoPass professionals
One Disney’s Photopass CD
Private in-room child care (4 hour minimum, 6 hour maximum, gratuity is not included)
One selected spa treatment per person
Fireworks cruise (one per reservation, everyone on your reservation is included)
Reserved seating at Fantasmic! (one per person)
Nightly turn-down service
Personalized pre-arrival itinerary planning
Richard Petty Drive along experience
Exclusive keepsake (one per room)

Also, it differs from the Disney Dining Plan in the dining component. You receive three meal credits per night. All restaurants, even signature restaurants, are one credit on the platinum package plan. A number of restaurants that don't accept the Disney Dining Plan, even Victoria & Albert's, are included.


All this will cost you (in 2010 - don't know what the price will be in 2011) $220 per night per adult. If it's a short trip, you may not be able to fit enough in to get your money's worth, but that's up to you.

You should probably keep in mind that trying to fit all this in might also mean less time to spend in the parks.

 

[goofyo81]

Also, it differs from the Disney Dining Plan in the dining component. You receive three meal credits per night. All restaurants, even signature restaurants, are one credit on the platinum package plan. A number of restaurants that don't accept the Disney Dining Plan, even Victoria & Albert's, are included.


All this will cost you (in 2010 - don't know what the price will be in 2011) $220 per night per adult. If it's a short trip, you may not be able to fit enough in to get your money's worth, but that's up to you.

You should probably keep in mind that trying to fit all this in might also mean less time to spend in the parks.[/QUOTE]

So I am new to the dining plan considering when we were just there in july we stayed Off site so we payed for everything with cash......


when you say we get 3 dining credits per night of our stay that means one credit per meal?

 

[TimandDesi]

I'm going in December for my Honeymoon. We're doing the Premium package, vs. the Platinum. The major differences is that in the Premium plan, any tours where you get in the water at EPCOT is not included, V&A's is not included, the Photopass CD is not included, and the fireworks cruise is not included. Other than that, very similar. Under platinum, everything is one credit. V&A's, Hoop-De-Doo, Cinderella's Royal Table, everything. Three meals a day, pretty much wherever you want. If you take advantage of the other things this package has to offer, those credits can be hard to use up! I'll be there 8 days, seven nights, which means 21 credits. With the tours we're doing, we couldn't fit in all of the table service, and are doing a counter service for one breakfast at Port Orleans Riverside's food court! So, if you are going to use most of those things, and I mean a real good amount, then it can be worth it, but you'll have to stuff yourself full, and have every day planned out completely to take advantage of it. Consider what you really want to do, and if it doesn't come to the cost of the plan, it may not be worth it for you. Also look at the Premium as a good, slightly cheaper, option.

 

[Pakey]

We did the Platinum Plan while staying at GF, RPC. We did a full week of it, just my husband and I. We've also done the Premium Plan one while staying YC, club level.

My thoughts:

I'd never do it while staying club level again because we were just so full from the meals that I didn't feel that we were able to enjoy our time in the club.

We have been on over 20 WDW vacations and the one with the Platinum Plan was the least relaxing of all of them. Second least relaxing was the one with the Premium Plan. These types of vacations are very structured and leave little time for spontanaety or just hang out at the pool time,etc. In order to make the plans make sense financially, you have to take advantage of the meals and activities. We were exhausted at the ends of these vacations.

We much prefer to just go on our own, book the tours/golf/spa treatments we want without feeling like we have to cram it all into one vacation. For us, having so many "appointments", whether it be meals, tee times, tour times, etc. is not a vacation.

For us, it was way too much food. Disney's portions are so big that a 3 course meal 3 times a day is more food than my husband and I care to eat. Maybe I could see doing it for 2 days but not for a week. We were miserable so after 3 days (on both vacations) we were dropping meal reservations left and right so we left a lot of money on the table.

 

[TDC Nala]

The Platinum Plan is NOT a Disney Dining Plan, it's a totally different type of package add on. Therefore I can't tell you if you get all the dining credits at once like you do on a Disney Dining Plan, but I believe you do. The literature for the platinum plan says you get "breakfast, lunch and dinner" so you get three credits for each night you stay on the plan.

Yes, each ONE of your platinum dining credits can be redeemed for a meal anywhere that accepts it, including both TS and CS restaurants.

 

[Jeanieblue114]

Platinum plan brochure:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...og/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2010Platinum.pdf

Premium plan brochure:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...log/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2010Premium.pdf

What is weird is that i picked up the ACTUAL brochures from the Poly conceirge last week and the premium brochure had Vic and Al's in it on the list. I really think it was a typo though because it had an asterisk next to it but no info at the bottom of the page and the platinum plan had the same thing but included a statement that it was for a certain menu there.
The conceirge said that if it's in the brochure then it's included but there and at the Contemporary they admitted that they know little about those plans and the details because nobody really gets them very often.
I find it also odd that the brochure says you get break, lunch, din, but then says you can use credits any way you want and then gives and example of credit use..but it's the same example from the generic brochures and lists out QUICK SERVICE use!

I think this plan can be good if you pretty much skip the parks and just have a trip that you take advantage of the tours every day (at least the ones that you can get without park tickets), the cirque show, the fireworks cruise, the spa treatment, vic and al's, and fine dining each night.
I though of doing the plan next year, but it would be all about doing the tours each day and fine dining each night...and not sure if it's cheaper to just use the disney visa or dvc discount for tours and do better?

 

[TDC Nala]

but it's the same example from the generic brochures and lists out QUICK SERVICE use!

You can use premium/platinum credits for quick service if you choose to.

I think this plan can be good if you pretty much skip the parks and just have a trip that you take advantage of the tours every day (at least the ones that you can get without park tickets)

These are package add-ons, so you need to buy at least a one-day park ticket with your package. And they are available only with package reservations. They cannot be added to a DVC points reservation.

 

[snykymom]

How much is the Premium Package in 2010? Can you get it with an AP without buying tickets?

 

[TDC Nala]

How much is the Premium Package in 2010? Can you get it with an AP without buying tickets?

Premium package in 2010 is $164/night/adult and $114/night/child. No, you can't get it with a ticketless AP package, that's only applicable to the Disney Dining plans. You'd have to buy at least a one-day ticket.