Points for room versus cash on food...

[rchristiansen]

Now that we get the dining plan what would you do - If you were a family of 3 or 4? So if you have 2 adults and 2 children that would be about $96 a day for food or equal to about 10 rented points....interesting view on the cost of making your own food versus the dining plan. What do you think?

 

[cslittle999]

We're not DVC owners yet but we seriously thinking about (really we just looking for the right resale). On our last trip we used the dining plan. DW and my thinking is that for a short trip we would get the dining plan because we wouldn't want the hassle of getting more than breakfast food for a few days. For a longer stay we would have more days at the resort and I don't see us resort hopping just to get variety. We also found the dining plan more food than we would normally eat and I don't want to think about the weight gain if we did it for two weeks.

 

[pouncingpluto]

Along the same lines, I think we would use the plan for shorter trips and skip it for longer ones. We have DDE now, but we're not planning to renew our annual passes. Plus, with the cost of DDE going up, it's not quite as good a deal as it has been in the past, especially if we are only going to take one trip a year.

But for a short trip, we could stay in a studio, and we'd have fun with the different restaurants on DDP.

For a longer trip, we would definitely want a 1-bedroom for the space, jacuzzi tub, etc, and since we have the kitchen I would want to take advantage of it for some meals.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't see us ever using the dining plan, but then, we kind of like to cook for ourselves sometimes.

 

[Cinderella]

For me - definitely the one bedroom - more privacy and the hot tub. But it depends how much you like cooking! At least the dining plan is a good deal and will save you some cash. I don't know if you're allowed to do this, but maybe you could split your one bedroom stay into two different ressies and get the dining plan for part of it - then you could do a mixture of eating in and out.

Please - don't flame me anyone. As I have said - i don't know if it is allowable to do it this way - just an idea.

Me, I can't do without either - the dining plan offer was too good for us to pass up, and i now really find it difficult to stay in anything but a two bedroom. First it was a one bedroom - made that mistake at the start and there was no going back to a studio. Then we stayed in a two bedroom last trip and can't go back to a one bed. It was quite funny - when we got there the kids were complaining that i'd said they would get a seperate bedroom instead of the pull out. The unit was so huge that they couldn't find the bedroom!

Anyway - be prepared - if you stay in a one bedroom, it will really spoil you for the studios if you plan to stay in them in the future.

 

[rchristiansen]

Well we've stayed in the 1BR twice before. I cooked occasionally - but nothing fancy. My DH said he enjoys eating out as a part of vacation, so the dining plan was fun for him.

We only have one 3 year old DD, so far, we won't have complaints from her about the size....probably in a few years though!

 

[cobbler]

I would choose the one bedroom. I am the only girl in the house (even the dog is a boy) and our boys are getting older so it is almost essential - not really but you know - for hubby and myself to have our own bedroom and bathroom in the mornings and in the evenings.

I think I would do a studio for a short trip (3 nights, maybe 4 and that is pushing it) and do the dining but anything over 4 nights will be a one bedroom.

 

[dtndfamily]

We got a taste of the dining plan last year and we loved it. For my DW and my 2 DS, 5 & 4, it will work out well staying in a studio and getting the dining plan, especially for all the Character meals we do. They are still young enough to share a bed without any major disagreements. As the boys get older I can see us skipping the 1BR and moving right into a 2BR. We might decide to get the DDE at that point since we will have the full kitchen at our disposal.

 

[Cinderella]

I must have read this wrong - i didn't read that you only had one three year old. I change my vote - for just the two of you and a three year old i would go for the studio. You would probably want her in the same room. My six year old let himself out of the room in a one bedroom at OKW once - he used a chair to open the chain - because he couldn't find us - so he thought we had gone without him!

It would be nice to have the dining plan and not have to cook.