QSDP Opinions

[klmorg]

We are thinking of purchasing the QSDP and then paying for two character meals OOP. I know I need to hurry up and purchase the plan but every time I think I have decided to purchase it something pops up to make me hesitate.

The plan is: We bring our breakfasts with us for most days...(muffins, cereal and milk etc..) We do lunch and dinner out. We will do Crystal Palace and Chef Mickeys as the two TS character meals(paid OOP) and other than that will do CS meals(on the QSDP). We will eat breakfast at CS two times to make up for the two missed CS meals.

Any opinions about if the DP is worth purchasing or should I just go OOP for the entire trip?? I like the idea of the convenience of the DP...I just don't want to pay more for the same amount of food!!

 

[iluvchip&dale]

I have never personally done the QSDP but I have done the basic DP and i know we save hundreds of dollars by doing that. I think with any of the plans, if you were paying OOP you would probably not eat as much or order the most expensive thing on the menu. That being said I think the DP is totally worth it if not for the saving but for how convient it is not having to budget money and worry. Since everything is paid for all you do is show up and eat. BTW the chef mickey breakfast is one of my favorite and I don't usually like breakfast. So I am sure whatever you decide will make your vacation a great one!

 

[klmorg]

Thanks! That helps....

And yes we love Chef Mickeys too!! That was our first character meal ever!!

 

[septbaby]

You save about $10 per night per adult and bout $2 per child. So for your family it will cost about $42 per night more for the Basic DP.

Let's say you go to CM's for Dinner and CP for Lunch the total bill with taxes for you family of 4A and 1C would be: $246 for your family. So if you are staying 6 nights you would spend about $250 to upgrade to the Basic plan. If you did that not only would you get CM and CP, but you'd also get 4 more TS meals. So taking DD4 to a princess meal could be arranged as well. My numbers might be off a bit, but basically you can bank on that CM/CP OOP money being worth about 3-4 more TS meals if you upgrade to the Basic plan.

If you weren't going to spend $ on TS meals, I think the QS plan could work, but as you can see spending that much more you may as well give your family nice TS meals.

Hopefully you already have ressies for CM and CP. ESPN Club and Beaches and Cream don't take ressies, so you can treat them like "QS" meals in terms of just show up, but you will have a wait.

Good luck with your plans and decisions.

 

[klmorg]

You save about $10 per night per adult and bout $2 per child. So for your family it will cost about $42 per night more for the Basic DP.

Let's say you go to CM's for Dinner and CP for Lunch the total bill with taxes for you family of 4A and 1C would be: $246 for your family. So if you are staying 6 nights you would spend about $250 to upgrade to the Basic plan. If you did that not only would you get CM and CP, but you'd also get 4 more TS meals. So taking DD4 to a princess meal could be arranged as well. My numbers might be off a bit, but basically you can bank on that CM/CP OOP money being worth about 3-4 more TS meals if you upgrade to the Basic plan.

If you weren't going to spend $ on TS meals, I think the QS plan could work, but as you can see spending that much more you may as well give your family nice TS meals.

Hopefully you already have ressies for CM and CP. ESPN Club and Beaches and Cream don't take ressies, so you can treat them like "QS" meals in terms of just show up, but you will have a wait.

Good luck with your plans and decisions.

OK...that is more to consider. You made allot of sense to me and now upgrading may be a good plan too! Back to the thinking board for a bit!! I keep asking DH to help me decide but he just says it is all up to me!! We do have our ressies for CP and CM! Thanks!

 

[mom of princessx2]

Aren't our DH's great!! They let us pick what ever we want but don't realize we spend 6 months (or more) racking our brains on if we made the right choices!! I would have to agree with septbaby. I think anytime you want to do character meals you are better off w/DDP. It really isn't that much more and you get a TS each day. We are going w/the QSDP in May(just to try it) but in Nov we are back to DDP so we can do the character meals.

 

[TifffanyD]

You save about $10 per night per adult and bout $2 per child. So for your family it will cost about $42 per night more for the Basic DP.

Let's say you go to CM's for Dinner and CP for Lunch the total bill with taxes for you family of 4A and 1C would be: $246 for your family. So if you are staying 6 nights you would spend about $250 to upgrade to the Basic plan. If you did that not only would you get CM and CP, but you'd also get 4 more TS meals. So taking DD4 to a princess meal could be arranged as well. My numbers might be off a bit, but basically you can bank on that CM/CP OOP money being worth about 3-4 more TS meals if you upgrade to the Basic plan.

If you weren't going to spend $ on TS meals, I think the QS plan could work, but as you can see spending that much more you may as well give your family nice TS meals.

Hopefully you already have ressies for CM and CP. ESPN Club and Beaches and Cream don't take ressies, so you can treat them like "QS" meals in terms of just show up, but you will have a wait.

Good luck with your plans and decisions.

Yes you gain the 4 more TS meals but you lose 5 snacks per day (1 per person), the mugs, and the 2 extra QS meals (that OP was going to use for breakfast). Plus pay more tips. I calculate an upgrade from QSDP to DDP would cost about $10 (plan diff) + $6 (estimated tip) + $3 (snack) + the mug... or about $20 difference per day, for an adult. Kids would be less, say $2 + $2 + $3 + mug or $8 a night. So for 4A1C it would be more like $88 a night..

 

[klmorg]

Yes you gain the 4 more TS meals but you lose 5 snacks per day (1 per person), the mugs, and the 2 extra QS meals (that OP was going to use for breakfast). Plus pay more tips. I calculate an upgrade from QSDP to DDP would cost about $10 (plan diff) + $6 (estimated tip) + $3 (snack) + the mug... or about $20 difference per day, for an adult. Kids would be less, say $2 + $2 + $3 + mug or $8 a night. So for 4A1C it would be more like $88 a night..

More to think about! I think we are going to stick with the QSDP. I know we will use every meal this way and we also benefit having the mugs and the extra snacks per day.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[septbaby]

More to think about! I think we are going to stick with the QSDP. I know we will use every meal this way and we also benefit having the mugs and the extra snacks per day.

Thanks everyone!!

1. The mugs are only good at your resort, not at the parks or any other resort.
2. The second CS meal is replaced by the TS meal.
3. You should pay tips on any TS meal you have, so figure those at whatever rate you think is fair.
4. You'll have to decide if the QS meal plus snack is better than a TS meal for your group.

How many nights are you staying?

Again if you weren't essentially paying for the Basic plan anyway, I would be right with Tiff saying stick with that QS plan. Take a look at your park/daily plans, let the family look at the TS menus and decide, those teens are probably your biggest worry anyway, some of them can pack it away! Either choice you make one thing is for sure: you'll be at WDW with your family and that's the best choice you could ever make.

 

[TifffanyD]

Again if you weren't essentially paying for the Basic plan anyway, I would be right with Tiff saying stick with that QS plan.

haha I probably sound like a big fan of QS dining but honestly we usually go with the deluxe plan! We are doing QS for the first time in May. I would be sad to go back down to one snack a day after being spoiled on these plans (I know, I know - we can always BUY more... but what's the fun in that)

But anyways, those tips definitely do add up!

 

[klmorg]

1. The mugs are only good at your resort, not at the parks or any other resort.
2. The second CS meal is replaced by the TS meal.
3. You should pay tips on any TS meal you have, so figure those at whatever rate you think is fair.
4. You'll have to decide if the QS meal plus snack is better than a TS meal for your group.

How many nights are you staying?

Again if you weren't essentially paying for the Basic plan anyway, I would be right with Tiff saying stick with that QS plan. Take a look at your park/daily plans, let the family look at the TS menus and decide, those teens are probably your biggest worry anyway, some of them can pack it away! Either choice you make one thing is for sure: you'll be at WDW with your family and that's the best choice you could ever make.

I agree with that last statement 100%. We can't go wrong at our favorite place to be! We will be arriving on March 28th and there through April 4th. My two teens are happy with keeping the QSDP. And everyone sort of wants the mugs as souvies....

My DD(4) was my main concern with QS as it seemed she would be existing on Chicken nuggets and fries...I did find Peco Bills in MK that serves burgers on the child menu, not much better but different. I will be bringing carrot sticks, applesauce and fruit cups in the parks for her anyway as she likes to have fruits and veggies to snack on through out the day. There are a few places that serve pizza too. I think the food court at POR will have the best choices for better food. They have a pasta bar (she loves pasta)and a better all around selection.

Between the POR food court and the two TS meals we will be paying for OOP the rest would be QS from the parks.

 

[jennipooh]

it seemed she would be existing on Chicken nuggets and fries...I did find Peco Bills in MK that serves burgers on the child menu, not much better but different. I will be bringing carrot sticks, applesauce and fruit cups in the parks for her anyway as she likes to have fruits and veggies to snack on through out the day.

Your little veggie eater will be just fine. And you won't need to bring the carrots and applesauce from home. Believe me it rains applesauce around the cs kids meals!

I have a veggie eater (and some fruits). He's ten now, and eats about twice as much as I do! (he is about 4ft tall and weighs 72 lbs - don't know where he puts it all)

Anyway, Dec '08 as well as other trips DS got grapes with a lot of his kids meals and it seems like he got applesauce with almost every kid's meal (with Mickey on the foil lid! ) He also shares a lot of adult meals with me.

I think we are both ready for him to begin getting his own adult meals (he eats so much more than I do, now - I think I would starve if we kept sharing) Also, he enjoys a lot of the kid's meals, but we found this past Dec (when he was still 9) that the kid's meals were really more like snacks for him.

Some of his favorites that your dd might like:
Pizzafari (AK) - kid's spaghetti and meatball
Columbia Harbour House (MK) - kid's grilled chicken salad
Cantina de San Angel (Mexico Epcot) - kid's quesadilla and chips with cheese sauce
Sandwiches on rolls and wraps at several places. Baked Chicken legs at a couple of places when he was smaller (I think DHS and AK, still offer these)

My DS rarely eats burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fries, yet we always find something great for him. And remember all kids meals will include 2 sides (most places with have the grapes and applesauce, some will have carrot sticks, a few places back in 07 gave him little salads as sides - but not this last time.)

Hope this helps!

 

[teach22180]

I just made the big decision today to get the QSDP! I did the math for what I would normally have eaten, added in the $8 for two snacks, and everyday was over $30. So, I will save a few dollars, plus have the mug for free, and I would have gotten that anyway. I wouldn't have chosen all the desserts and 2 drinks for breakfast, but I figure I'll need waters in June anyway, and I don't HAVE to eat the desserts! It will be fun to have the meals already paid for, though.

I am also eating 2 TS meals and hopefully at Beaches and Cream, but I have about $200 on my Visa rewards card to pay for those meals and a few breakfasts because I do like hot breakfasts on vacation. I wouldn't want to upgrade to the DDP because I don't want to have to eat TS solo every day.

Hope my experience is helpful to you. Have a fun trip!!

 

[La2kw]

Dining plans only "save" you money if you are planning on eating that way regardless of any plans. Unless you eat desserts/snacks four times a day, the QSDP makes no sense, especially since most of the CS desserts are so crummy now compared to what they used to be. Unless you eat TS every day and dessert/snacks three times a day, the DDP makes no sense. We eat maybe one dessert a day and we enjoy an appetizer or two when we do eat TS meals. We've never done the dining plan and we've never spent as much money on food as the DDP would cost us. We like TS, but not every day. The QSDP doesn't make much sense for us because we do not eat dessert four times a day, which is basically what you get. We like to eat mostly CS, a few TS, and a few meals in our DVC unit. We have been doing it this way for over 15 years and it still works for us.

 

[klmorg]

Your little veggie eater will be just fine. And you won't need to bring the carrots and applesauce from home. Believe me it rains applesauce around the cs kids meals!

I have a veggie eater (and some fruits). He's ten now, and eats about twice as much as I do! (he is about 4ft tall and weighs 72 lbs - don't know where he puts it all)

Anyway, Dec '08 as well as other trips DS got grapes with a lot of his kids meals and it seems like he got applesauce with almost every kid's meal (with Mickey on the foil lid! ) He also shares a lot of adult meals with me.

I think we are both ready for him to begin getting his own adult meals (he eats so much more than I do, now - I think I would starve if we kept sharing) Also, he enjoys a lot of the kid's meals, but we found this past Dec (when he was still 9) that the kid's meals were really more like snacks for him.

Some of his favorites that your dd might like:
Pizzafari (AK) - kid's spaghetti and meatball
Columbia Harbour House (MK) - kid's grilled chicken salad
Cantina de San Angel (Mexico Epcot) - kid's quesadilla and chips with cheese sauce
Sandwiches on rolls and wraps at several places. Baked Chicken legs at a couple of places when he was smaller (I think DHS and AK, still offer these)

My DS rarely eats burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fries, yet we always find something great for him. And remember all kids meals will include 2 sides (most places with have the grapes and applesauce, some will have carrot sticks, a few places back in 07 gave him little salads as sides - but not this last time.)

Hope this helps!

Thank you! That does help allot! My DD is also very thin and tall for the amount of food she eats! I guess because it is mostly fruit, veggies and pasta!! She loves pasta! She is not much on red meat, meatballs and the occasional burger. She also loves pizza too.

I just made the big decision today to get the QSDP! I did the math for what I would normally have eaten, added in the $8 for two snacks, and everyday was over $30. So, I will save a few dollars, plus have the mug for free, and I would have gotten that anyway. I wouldn't have chosen all the desserts and 2 drinks for breakfast, but I figure I'll need waters in June anyway, and I don't HAVE to eat the desserts! It will be fun to have the meals already paid for, though.

I am also eating 2 TS meals and hopefully at Beaches and Cream, but I have about $200 on my Visa rewards card to pay for those meals and a few breakfasts because I do like hot breakfasts on vacation. I wouldn't want to upgrade to the DDP because I don't want to have to eat TS solo every day.

Hope my experience is helpful to you. Have a fun trip!!

We always have a fun trip at Disney Thanks!! I have done the math too and the QSDP seems like just the ticket for my family. I have been checking out the menus some more today and like the OP said there are fruit options at all places and veggies at some too for the kids! We will be having a couple of hot breakfasts just to use the CS meals we don't use for a lunch or dinner when we do our TS OOP meals. We bring cereal/milk, muffins and some other breakfast foods for the other days and for some snacks.

Thanks for all of your input!! It really does help!!

 

[horsified1]

We just got back from using the QSDP. Myself and 6 yr old son (picky eater). We loved the flexibility of the plan. We did do 2 TS that we paid for. I can tell you that every meal we ate was around $20 for the two of us and when we both got snacks it was usually $8-$10. So, if you multiply that times 2 per day, that is $58-$60 per day times 7 days=$420 + 2 mugs at $15, so basically $450. I only paid $250 ish for the QSDP for the 2 of us, so definitely a savings. We only had hamburgers once the entire time and that was because that was what we wanted. There is lots of variety if you use your credits wisely. You can get fruit, yogurt, vegetables and even cereal with milk as snack credits if you need something to fill in with. We actually had trouble using up our snack credits. One great QS place at Epcot is Sunshine Seasons at the Land Pavillion. We got roasted chicken and smashed red potatoes there (they also have pork chops). It was very good. The kids menu even provides for a chicken leg and same potatoes. There is Flame Tree BBQ. If you use your credits wisely, there are many options. Go to allears.net and check out the menus for each place. Decide what looks good for you. Also, the resorts usually have many different choices if you eat meals there. We ate at some other resorts QS places and had different choices. We really liked the plan. If you use it right, I don't think you will be disappointed.