QS dp vs paying OOP--am I missing something?

[rebeccalizzie]

So I am trying to budget for our Disney vacation in May. The original plan was to have one CS meal per day and one snack per day in the parks. We were going to eat breakfast in the room and take a break at lunch and have lunch in the room as well (Ft Wilderness cabin, so we'd have a full kitchen). This needs to be a budget trip so I priced out meals using Allears.net and came up with basically $40 per meal--three adults and two kids. That's with drinking tap water. So our in park meals for 4 days came to around $280, which I rounded up to $300.

If I do the QS DDP, it comes to $352 (3 nights, and my youngest is free). So for basically a $50 difference we get 6 meals and 3 snacks per person instead of the 4 meals and 4 snacks I had budgeted, and the meals include desserts and drinks which we weren't going to get before so I figure that makes up for the lost snack. I am a fairly light eater so I have no problem splitting my food with the 2 year old if I'm getting dessert, and if anything this seems like more food than we'll need. We'll also save money on the lunches we were going to eat in the cabin and the snacks I was going to purchase at Walmart to eat in the park.

What am I missing? I think I skipped something vital here

 

[Hook326]

If I'm reading this right, you only budgeted $160 for 4 meals not $280 (4 meals at $40/meal). Is the extra $120 for the snacks? Just wanting to make sure I'm not confused before I answer your question!

 

[Marionnette]

So I am trying to budget for our Disney vacation in May. The original plan was to have one CS meal per day and one snack per day in the parks. We were going to eat breakfast in the room and take a break at lunch and have lunch in the room as well (Ft Wilderness cabin, so we'd have a full kitchen). This needs to be a budget trip so I priced out meals using Allears.net and came up with basically $40 per meal--three adults and two kids. That's with drinking tap water. So our in park meals for 4 days came to around $280, which I rounded up to $300.

If I do the QS DDP, it comes to $352 (3 nights, and my youngest is free). So for basically a $50 difference we get 6 meals and 3 snacks per person instead of the 4 meals and 4 snacks I had budgeted, and the meals include desserts and drinks which we weren't going to get before so I figure that makes up for the lost snack. I am a fairly light eater so I have no problem splitting my food with the 2 year old if I'm getting dessert, and if anything this seems like more food than we'll need. We'll also save money on the lunches we were going to eat in the cabin and the snacks I was going to purchase at Walmart to eat in the park.

What am I missing? I think I skipped something vital here

The QSDP for 3 adults and 1 child would cost $381.18 for 3 nights according to the dining plan calculator on DVCbyRequest.com. But the other information is correct as you understand it. Just remember that the child will only be able to purchase a children's meal with his/her credits. You wouldn't be able to share meals with the child and then use his/her credits to purchase an additional adult meal later.

TBH, I would probably spend the extra $80 just so that I didn't have to return to the cabin for lunch. You have such a short visit that you're going to want to get the most out of each day. Traveling back and forth to your resort for lunch is going to easily take 2-3 hours out of your park time daily.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

This is a no brainer. If you are already planning breakfast and one other meal to be eat in the cabin why would you even consider the DDP?

 

[rebeccalizzie]

If I'm reading this right, you only budgeted $160 for 4 meals not $280 (4 meals at $40/meal). Is the extra $120 for the snacks? Just wanting to make sure I'm not confused before I answer your question!

Yes, for snacks ($4 each so $20 a day) and an extra expensive snack at Epcot (a beer for DH, sushi for the teenager and I, etc, so an extra $35 that day).

The 381 is probably part of where I messed up--I was probably looking at the wrong price. Disney's website isn't working correctly for me so I was using numbers at Allears and they may have been non-current numbers.

I kind of agree on wanting to stay at the park more, I just keep going back and forth about the mid-day break. My youngest is 2.5 and the middle is 6, I keep wondering if we'd be better off taking the break. But yes, going back and forth seems like we'd waste SO much time, and it's such a short trip!

Thanks for helping me pick this apart in my head.

 

[rebeccalizzie]

This is a no brainer. If you are already planning breakfast and one other meal to be eat in the cabin why would you even consider the DDP?

I was only planning that to make it cheaper, and it seems like the price difference isn't *that* great. If we could eat more meals in the park and not blow the budget, I'd rather do that. I think. If it isn't going to make everyone insane not taking the sacred mid day break LOL.

What I really wish is that I could find a way to stay longer instead, but that's not even close to possible

 

[Eureka]

Even if you take a break, you might not want to cook. For just $80 difference, would probably use the DDP. For one thing, it will eliminate the "I wants" if the kids know they have a set number of snacks to use, and you said you'd be drinking water. This way you get a drink ( my kids love soda when we eat out because they do not drink it at home).

 

[pocomom]

Yes, for snacks ($4 each so $20 a day) and an extra expensive snack at Epcot (a beer for DH, sushi for the teenager and I, etc, so an extra $35 that day).

My youngest is 2.5 and the middle is 6, I keep wondering if we'd be better off taking the break. But yes, going back and forth seems like we'd waste SO much time, and it's such a short trip!

Thanks for helping me pick this apart in my head.

It depends on how you look at it. My 3 year old thought the boat ride back was his favorite ride at Disney! Don't miss Chip n Dale's Campfire, and have fun!

 

[worm761]

We don't take mid day breaks. Never have. I have been taking DS since he was 5 and DD since she was 22 months old. We just found a meal and a show was a good break in the afternoon so that is what we do.

 

[rebeccalizzie]

Thanks for the advice! I talked to DH--we're going to get it and I'm very happy because it means I won't be cooking at ALL! It's $100 more once I use the actual correct numbers (thank you Marionette!). I budgeted $100 for groceries, so I'm going to reduce my grocery budget to $40 which I think will be plenty for some simple breakfast and snack items and at that point we decided it's silly not to go for it

We're going to plan on just taking our time at lunch and dinner and leave the parks a little earlier if the kids are really wiped out, and skip the huge break in the middle of the day.

Yay yay yay! I think I just assumed that the DDP would cost way too much but for our family for this particular trip it happens to work perfectly!

 

[patsal]

Overall I am not a DDP, in any form, proponent;however, in your shoes I think I would be doing the QS DDP...

 

[disneymom3]

Thanks for the advice! I talked to DH--we're going to get it and I'm very happy because it means I won't be cooking at ALL! It's $100 more once I use the actual correct numbers (thank you Marionette!). I budgeted $100 for groceries, so I'm going to reduce my grocery budget to $40 which I think will be plenty for some simple breakfast and snack items and at that point we decided it's silly not to go for it

We're going to plan on just taking our time at lunch and dinner and leave the parks a little earlier if the kids are really wiped out, and skip the huge break in the middle of the day.

Yay yay yay! I think I just assumed that the DDP would cost way too much but for our family for this particular trip it happens to work perfectly!

Here is my suggestion for a mid day break. Bring a few empty paper lunch bags in your backpack/purse. Get you QS meal, put the hamb etc in the bag. (This is for ease of carrying only.) then go out the entrance--this applies best to either MK or the Studios) and find a shady bench...along the water toward the Contemporary or toward Epcot depending on where you are. Sit down and take your lunch out...tada....nice quiet picnic with way less time used than truly leaving the park. This will also give your littlest ones time to just wiggle about and have some free wandering time. We did this many times when our son was younger and needed the sensory break.

 

[DisneyDiana]

We got the QSDP last year for free and decided to keep it rather than upgrade. We very much enjoyed it! I ended up getting fruit and muffins for dessert when available and used those for our breakfast.

 

[rebeccalizzie]

Here is my suggestion for a mid day break. Bring a few empty paper lunch bags in your backpack/purse. Get you QS meal, put the hamb etc in the bag. (This is for ease of carrying only.) then go out the entrance--this applies best to either MK or the Studios) and find a shady bench...along the water toward the Contemporary or toward Epcot depending on where you are. Sit down and take your lunch out...tada....nice quiet picnic with way less time used than truly leaving the park. This will also give your littlest ones time to just wiggle about and have some free wandering time. We did this many times when our son was younger and needed the sensory break.

Oh that does sound nice. We were also thinking of eating at the playground area at the parks that have it (like the dino theme one at AK) if there are benches nearby.

I have no desire to do table service meals this trip because the boys honestly exhaust me when we are at sit down restaurants. It isn't relaxing at ALL right now. So I think the QSDP will be perfect. DD and I are already scheming on how to scam snack credits from DH so we can use them at Epcot LOL.

 

[Dean1972]

Are tips added on to the QSDP?
I know with the reg DDP 18% tip is added for TS restaurants?

 

[bumbershoot]

Are tips added on to the QSDP?
I know with the reg DDP 18% tip is added for TS restaurants?

There's no tip for the quick service plan, because you don't tip at QS restaurants.

And just in case I'm misunderstanding you, there's no tip added into the TS DP price; you tip separately out of your own pocket.

 

[Dean1972]

Thanks for clarifying this. I'm from Australia and our waitstaff wages are typically $20+ an hour & tipping is different ( optional here )
So if you plan on the TS dining plan you will have to allow 18% tip OOP.?
Cheers

 

[Junebugwv]

We stayed at the Cabins for a week in Oct with 2 of our kids and 3 grand kids ages 8, 5 and 3. We never considered taking a mid-day break to return to the Cabins because it would take too much time out of the park day. A ride on the train at MK, a boat ride from HS or EP can be just as relaxing.

 

[dpswift]

Unless your family are big eaters or need special foods you probably do not need to spend an additional 40 dollars for groceries. We have always had more than enough food on the dining plan. In fact we usually had some left over. I would save that money towards the special snacks (DH's beer) that you mentioned previously.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

You don't tip on QSDP. They are counter service meals-think fast food places. Although I think many are better than the local MCD or KFC.
OP- I think you made a great choice. We had free QSDP last June and loved having it. We ended up paying OOP I think $20. We ended up sharing a lot of the meals b/c they were big so the extra credits went towards breakfast.