Please help me pick a meal/dining plan

[walkdmc]

We (family of 4, 2 kids ages 9 and 6) will be visiting WDW Nov. 13-20. This will be our 3rd trip in 18 months (don't worry, we won't be keeping up this frequency, we "had" to go in Nov. to use up some newly acquired DVC 2009 points). During our previous visits we did character meals ad nausea. We used the Deluxe Dining Plan both visits and have little interest in adding meals to our current ADRs listed.

Kouzzina
Sanaa
Le Cellier
Sci Fi Diner
CP (only b/c it's at 8:05 on a day the MK opens at 9am)
San Angel Inn (love the atmosphere)
Momma Melrose

We probably won't do the Deluxe plan since we'll be spending some time at Universal this trip. And, we'd like to have beer/wine with our meals.

I'm debating the DDP with the 1 CS/1TS/1 Snack/person/night
vs.
TIW (I'm an annual passholder)
vs. just paying out of pocket

I might add, if my 9 year old is forced to order one more meal from the kids' menu, he might run away.

Thanks for all your input.

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

Hello OP!

Well - I don't think you'll see anyone complaining on here about "Frequency of visits!"... LOL

Rather... folks will mainly be jealous (as I could be)!

I don't have an excel spreadsheet showing how DDPvs TIW vs OOP would look for you...

However I will say... when DDP came out I was (AM) a BIG FAN... because with our family of FIVE ... I have no doubt it saved us money...the 'paying ahead' of dining was a HUGE relief...and it saved a lot of time and energy...recording debits in the checkbook, etc.

THAT BEING SAID... Our last visit was just myself and DS18 (GRaduation Celebration) and we went OOP...

I did enjoy the "Freedom" of ordering 3 appys instead of lunch when I wanted to try new things....I'm not a big dessert eater...much would rather appys instead... and not locked into a big meal when I would rather just 'try' something... so I do understand the enticement of both packages...

If DS9 is an "adult" type eater... maybe you can do well with OOP...I would think with a smaller group and preferences... you would do well...

Have a magical visit !
Mary

 

[walkdmc]

I'm thinking the same thing. But it's very hard for me to imagine paying for all those snacks we so enjoy. Of course, we pay for them one way or another but we really like getting 3-4 snacks/day, if you count frozen lemonades and waters.

I also agree with the excess of food on the DxDP. I'm a huge eater (literally) and after 3 TS meals/day, I often felt sick and had trouble sleeping. It wasn't pretty. For that reason, I really don't want to do DxDP. Although that would give us our snacks.

I guess I have to really look at the menus and crunch the numbers. Thanks!

 

[jblrn2b]

People always debate the DDP. For us, d/t my spoiled boys wanting to eat at signature restaurants and wanting to eat all the time it works for us. I can not feed my 16 yo on $70 a day at WDW - that's us.

I will say though that last trip my littlest was 9 yo (this trip he's 10 boo-hoo) they made him "adult meals" scaled down when he wanted them - Just ask.

 

[Flossbolna]

A few thoughts:

With the TIW you will be able to save on your beer and wine with your meal as well.

As far as I understand the TIW will be valid for one year. So if you plan to return within 12 months from your November visit, you can use it for two trips.

If you want to have this pre-paid feeling, I have read about people who put their meal budget on a gift card and used just that for paying for everything. This way you still feel like you already paid for it - and if you don't use it up, you can go and by an aditional souvenir or keep the gift card for the next trip.

I personally prefer not to be on a dining plan, but have the freedom to order what I want and where.