Please help deciding on dining plan

[kaytieedid]

We are going to be at Bay Lake Tower for 5 nights and can't decide whether to do the Disney dining plan or the Quick service plan. Can anyone give advice? We're especially concerned about our options for breakfast on the quick service plan. Where can we use our snacks and counter service credits at The Contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian?
thanks!!!

 

[ilovepete]

I know at the Polynesian there is Captain Cooks for QS/Snacks. At the Contemporary there is the Contempo Cafe or the Cove Bar for QS/S. And at the Grand Floridian there is Gasparilla Grill. I know the Gasparilla Grill has full breakfast but I think the others are just snacks or lunch items. That is going from memory so maybe someone else will chime in and confirm or deny.

You could always do a QS breakfast at the parks like the Main Street Bakery, etc.

 

[tony67]

Yeah you can use your CS or snack credits at any resort location that takes them and is open. So captain cooks at the poly or the QS place in the CR has things.
They will have pastry or fruit for a snack credit and full breakfast for a CS credit most likely.

At the Coronado they had omelets and they most likely have that at other location for a CS credit.

Main street Bakery is also a good option.

I usually bring cereal or breakfast bars to supplement the QSDP, but that may not work for you.

 

[mikethern]

The standard dining plan is A LOT of food.
If you want to overeat, get the standard plan.
The main advantage of the standard plan is that you get to eat in the nicer restaurants.

 

[StJohnfamily]

We are trying to decide which dining plan to get. Any advice would be most helpful. We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Villas and have a kitchen. I was planning on making breakfast in the room (egg/ham/english muffins). We would love to go to Jiko and Saana for dinner, but I can't figure out the number of TS credits you have to use. We were also thinking about a nice dinner while at Epcot. We get in late on our first night, but will need to get dinner. We will be there for 4 nights before leaving for on the Christmas cruise. Plan to leave resort by noon.

 

[mikethern]

Pam, The Garden Grill at Epcot is awesome. The food is made with vegetables grown on site. The restaurant rotates to give you a view of the "Land" ride. You have to make a reservation as soon as possible though because it is so popular. The Garden Grill uses one table service credit per person.

Saana uses one credit per person, but Jiko uses two credits per person.

 

[HS3kids]

I am definitely not an expert, and this is my first time using the dining plan, but we went with the regular DDP because of the character dining options. Dining with princesses and mice can be expensive when paying OOP

24 days to go!

 

[havoc315]

We are going to be at Bay Lake Tower for 5 nights and can't decide whether to do the Disney dining plan or the Quick service plan. Can anyone give advice? We're especially concerned about our options for breakfast on the quick service plan. Where can we use our snacks and counter service credits at The Contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian?
thanks!!!

In some ways, breakfast is easier on the QSDP, due to the extra snack and refillable mug.
For example, for breakfast on the QSDP at Contemporary Cafe, you can get juice to drink with your mug, and use 1 of your snacks for cereal or a bagel. (and still have a snack leftover for the day).
On the regular DDP, you just get the 1 snack and no refillable mug. So it seems to me, you will find that you will have to go a bit OOP. (Maybe buy breakfast for the room, or use a snack credit for cereal, but OOP for a beverage.)

But what I have come to realize, if you like to eat, in the way that the meal plan is designed, then pick the mealplan that is right for you.
If you want a couple quick counter meals per day, then the QSDP. If you want to basically sit down for a regular meal + dessert about once per day, then the regular DDP.

If you want maximum flexibility to mix and match, you are probably best off just paying OOP. And paying OOP may actually end up being cheaper for you, than using the mealplan.

 

[havoc315]

I am definitely not an expert, and this is my first time using the dining plan, but we went with the regular DDP because of the character dining options. Dining with princesses and mice can be expensive when paying OOP

24 days to go!

Seems like the kids prices on DDP can create value with character meals. For adults, it's pretty even.
Chef Mickey's, for example, is $34 for dinner.
The DDP is $42 in 2010, and $46 in 2011. Unless the buffet prices go up significantly in 2011, you wouldn't be getting too much value.
$34 for Chef Mickey's character dinner -- let's say you did QS for breakfast -- Main Street Bakery Egg, Ham, and Cheese Croissant $5.99 + coffee $1.89

So that's $42 in total, using 2010 pricing. On the regular DDP, you would still have your snack credit left-- a $2-$4 value, so using 2010 pricing, that's your real savings, about $2-$4 dollar using the typical character meal example. (If you used your QS for an expensive QS lunch, the value could be a few dollars more).
Using the same example in 2011 pricing, you'd be losing money (unless Disney intends to raise most of their restaurant prices by a whopping 10% next year)

 

[sndral]

We are trying to decide which dining plan to get. Any advice would be most helpful. We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Villas and have a kitchen. I was planning on making breakfast in the room (egg/ham/english muffins). We would love to go to Jiko and Saana for dinner, but I can't figure out the number of TS credits you have to use. We were also thinking about a nice dinner while at Epcot. We get in late on our first night, but will need to get dinner. We will be there for 4 nights before leaving for on the Christmas cruise. Plan to leave resort by noon.

Flying in from the west coast we often arrive late, as well. Add in 1 1/2+ hours for ME to get a good idea of actual dinner time and make sure something will be open that late. BTW, there is nothing open late foodwise @ Orlando airport, either. Assuming you arrive early enough, you could use 2 TS for Jiko one night, 1 ts for Epcot rest. another night and your last night 1 ts for Sanaa. Your cs can be for lunch in the parks or dtd. Your snacks for treats.
Since you're going on a cruise next, you'll have LOTS of food there.