Premium (Dining) Package Questions

[amcjeep4life]

I was very happy to see this thread up, as we are staying on the Premium Plan in September. Then I noticed it was about 1 year old. Has anyone had any more recent experiences? We are looking forward to this stay. It is our first stay on property. My DH and I were there in 00, but only did 3 parks (we skipped MK, as it's just for kids. What was I thinking!?!?). This time, we decided to only do the world, and are bringing our nieces, ages 10 and 12, for their first visit ever! We are staying CL at the AKL as well. If this stay goes as I anticipate it will, we may never do anything but the Premium Plan again. Tickets to Cirque! How can anyone say they wouldn't want to see the show again!? We saw it our first trip, and have seen 3 other shows in our area. Can't wait to see it at WDW again!

 

[doeby]

If you are renting point can you get the premium plan? I was interested in getting the plan, but didn't know if you could while renting DVC points. We are going in January and staying at the BWV. If someone could please help me it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[ZekeKelso]

If you are renting point can you get the premium plan?

As of now, no. You can only get it as part of a Magic Your Way package. But they might make a change for 2008. Cross your fingers, but don't count on it. Personally, I think it unlikely they would open it up to DVC - but I'd be very happy if they did!

 

[IcePrincess467]

I would love to be able to afford the Premium Plan....but as it is DH & I will be pushing it with the DDP...it works out to be something like $3000 with the DDP, PH tickets, waterparks and more at a value resort for the 2 of us during value season!! I plugged it in with the PP and it worked out to be close to $6000 and all this doesn't include our airfare!! I think for the time being we'll just do the DDP and maybe, just maybe, one day we will be able to upgrade to the PP

 

[honeymo78]

amcjep4life - sadly our last 2 trips were on DDP and not premium like usual - haven't been on it since our honeymoon in 05. However with the exception of those 2, every trip has been some form of the premium plan. Our next trip is trying out the platinum plan.

Some general tips we've learned about it - while you can get it at all levels of resorts, staying value may not be the best use since there are no sit down restaurants, room service (not at mods either), and no on site recreation. If you really don't like TS meals, its kind of a waste to use this on CS all the time unless you are really getting it for the golf. We've never golfed but I know that if you golf a few days of your trip you've almost paid for the package. Also sometimes servers and CMs get confused. There must not be many people using these packages because I've been told too many times that something will cost 2 TS credits or that I don't have any CS credits available. Just be prepared - know what the package includes b/c you might have to instruct a CM.


I really wish they would allow DVC to add this on - letting them get DDP was a step in the right direction but I don't see it happening either. That's the biggest reason we have no interest in DVC.

 

[amcjeep4life]

Honeymo, thanks for the info. The idea of having to instruct a CM is a bit overwhelming. I'm really just getting the hang of the plan myself, since it is sort of my first trip. We chose to do the Premium plan simply to enhance the trip, which may be the girls' only trip, I just don't see their mom getting them near WDW for many years, if ever. Will the recreation areas be aware that the plan includes their uses? Or will I have to instruct the CMs there? My nieces always gripe because I try to turn everything into a learning experience for them, they'll laugh their butts off if I spend the trip telling the CMs how to do their jobs!

 

[honeymo78]

We've never had any issues with recreation. We spend a lot of time at the marinas and everyone seems to know what to do. Generally they just made an imprint of the card and maybe pressed a button. There aren't too many all inclusive recreation options so I think its easier for them to be familiar with it. I think the issue with dining comes from not knowing what button to push - there is a premium button to charge to the premium plan, a TS button for ddp, a CS button for ddp, platinum button, etc. Just tell them to punch the Premium button - or help them find it lol. Just remember that you get 3 meals a night, TS or CS, signature or otherwise and you'll do fine.

We also kept one key without room charging privileges (just ask when your cards are printed) and used that for our dining and recreation so there was no way for any mistakes to be made and have the room charged instead.

 

[NMW]

We used the premium plan in 2003 when it was called the "Gold Plan". Interestingly enough, the "Platinum Plan" kept the same name and same features-V&A, room service, in room babysitting. The "Gold" plan kept all the same features-tours, child care centers, signature restaurants, water craft. Disney just changed it's name to "premium"

We probably didn't get that great of a $$ value from it, but we loved it. We didn't do Cirque or any tours. We didn't rent any watercraft. We couldn't use the child centers because our youngest was only 23 months old at the time (kids have to be 4 and potty-trained). Our DD's age is probably what kept us from Cirque-I can't even remember. We DID do a lot of signature restaurants however (Yachtsman, Portabello Yacht Club, Flying Fish, Calif Grill. We also did really nice sit-down lunches every day-Rainforest in AK, Concourse steakhouse while at MK, for example.

We liked it because we wanted a sit down lunch break every day because of our baby. It was a nice break-for our 5 & 7 year olds too. We also like the "all-inclusive" concept a lot. We liked having everything already paid for. We never had an interest into breaking it down in a per day dollar amount vs. how much we would normally spend or that kind of thing.

We still are not really into tours, watercraft, golf (although DH would hop on that if I let him ), child centers, etc. I would love a meal plan that offered 3 meals a day WITHOUT all the extras. We would probably do Cirque now, but that's about it. I would even love a meal plan with 2 TS meals per day. That would be perfect for our family.

I am still holding out hope that Disney will tweak it's dining plans for people like us in 2008. We'll just have to wait and see.

PS-for those of you who feel bad about DH and the golf thing, don't. We go to Myrtle Beach every summer-just got back on Sunday in fact. DH gets to golf quite a bit on those vacations. That's not counting the golf the rest of the year when we aren't on vacation either!

 

[mello]

That would surely make it worthwhile for me! Peppermint Pedicure every afternoon lol!