Please help us decide!!

[TigrLvsPooh]

My DH and I need some major help with our upcoming trip this July. We are trying to decide if we should do the deluxe dining plan, the regular dining plan, or no dining plan. It will just be the 2 of us, kids aren't coming, and it's our 10th wedding anniversary. We've done the dining plan several times, so we are very familiar with how it works. Here are the pros and cons....

Deluxe Dining Plan = we'll be able to eat dinner every night in a signature dining restaurant, which would be much more romantic than a single table service restaurant. But I worry that this is going to be way too much food for us, a sit-down lunch, a sit-down dinner, 2 snacks, it just seems like we'd be sick by the end of the day! Also we are staying club level at the YC so we'll have lots of snack and munchies there. It seems like this would be eating all day long!

Regular Dining Plan = would be less food and less money, but the restaurants wouldn't be as romantic and we're kind of sick of eating at the same places we normally eat at with the kids, it doesn't really seem special for our anniversary. But the value would be better.

No dining plan = we can snack and munch in the lounge at the YC. Then pay cash to eat a couple of nice meals, then the other nights just snack around the parks. More of a laid back approach.

I'm personally leaning towards no dining plan just because I really want to relax and not be on an eating schedule. But DH really wants to take advantage of the signature dining so he's leaning towards deluxe dining plan. I'd LOVE some help with this!!! Thanks!!!

 

[Tink888]

Well, since it sounds like DH is headed for deluxe and you are leaning toward no plan, why not meet in the middle with the basic plan. You'd be covered as far as snacks and beverages with a snack credit each day and refreshments at CL level at the resort. You'd have the CS meals each day and you can still double up on the TS credits to try some of the signature restaurants your husband is looking forward to.

You'd be saving 60.00 per day not using the deluxe plan and you could apply that savings toward the cost of some of the less romantic TS places you've been to before and just pay out of pocket. Or, some days you could do a CS and snack your way around the world. You wouldn't necessarily have to do a TS every day. I think you'd probably come out about the same paying for some of the TS out of pocket as you would paying for the deluxe - you might even save a little money. I also think you might find more flexibility as you wouldn't feel tied down every day to TS dining all the time or stuck with too much food.

Whatever you decide, I hope you and DH have a wonderful vacation and anniversary!

 

[JeanfromBNA]

We did the dining plan twice in a row and I actually got sick from so much food. This year, we got annual passes and the Disney Dining Experience card which takes 20% off of your entire bill, including alcoholic beverages. It does add an automatic 18% gratuity, but we usually tip 20% anyway. I've liked the DDE much better so far.

 

[Hopefully]

Since it is mid May and your trip is in July, I would check out the availablity of ADR's at the TS restaurants you are interested in before you commit to either Dining Plan. You may find that they are not available at all, at this point in time. Especially for the DxDP where you are looking at Signature Restaurants. I would think they may already be all booked.
HTH

 

[Tissa]

I agree, see if you can get the ADR's you want then decide on the dining plan. I'd go for the deluxe since it's for your anniversary.

 

[pigletto]

I would go with the regular dining plan.
You could still use 2 of your table service credits to book a few signature restaurants and then still have a counter service for lunch everyday or save the CS for the nights that you aren't booked for a signature restaurant.
Then if you chose to pay oop for anything it could be for a table service here or there which would be more economical than paying oop for signature places. If you are going for a week you could still book 3 signature places.

Is this making any sense at all? I'm afraid you are getting my first reply of the day before I've had any coffee

 

[MickeyNicki]

I say no dining plan because you are on CL at the YC. We went for 9 days last month and I had TS breakfast and dinner planned every day and by mid week we were so full and tired of eating plus we were not hungry enough to snack or do any CS lunches.

DH gained a few on this trip but I didnt!

We are going back in Oct for 9 days and staying CL at the AKL and the F&W is going on so I only have 3 TS breakfast and 3 TS dinners planned for the entire time.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Thanks for all your help everyone! We went ahead and made some ADRs for dinner just in case we do the dining plan. I'm still thinking deluxe is too much food, but we'll see if DH wins this one! I'm still trying to recover from the Dining Plan 10 days ago!!!

 

[septbaby]

You've done the DP and DH wants the Deluxe plan for your anniversary. You're staying YC, Club level to boot so just finish with the bang.

The Deluxe plan would allow you to order room service as a 2TS meal; that's pretty romantic. In that case just order one meal and share, you both eat use your credits, but it won't be so much food that you'll be uncomfortable.

Also you probably won't use a lot of those snack credits. Use those to bring treats back for the kids. They won't be so upset that you left them at home when you come back loaded down from Goofy's Candy Co.

Congrats and enjoy your trip.