Questions about Quick Service Dining Plan

[Aflyingbuttress]

Hello. I'm new here. I've looked for information on the QS dining plan but am probably missing it somewhere. I apologize if these are questions asked a thousand times already.

I'm planning my familys first trip to Disney. Both my husband and I have been there in the past, but not since we were kids. We are taking our 4 year old. I'm trying to decide whether we should get the quick service dining plan.

We will probably eat one big meal per day and snack the rest of the time. I'm not big on breakfast or breakfast food and would probably just drink a coffee and eat a muffin. My daughter does not drink soda or tea. My husband and I will drink a soda with meals but water the rest of the time. We really enjoy food and will want to try lots of stuff. I also don't eat big portions and could easily share food with my 4 year old.

So, is it worth it for us to get a dining plan or are we going to feel locked in with no variety? Is it really a big savings or just a matter of convenience?

I was also wondering a few logistical things. With the two QS per day plan, is one for breakfast and one for lunch, or can you use them for lunch and dinner? Is there a maximum price you're allowed to choose from or can you order anything from a restaurant that accepts QS dining plans?

Sorry this is so long! Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[sharonabe]

You can use your QS credits for any meal of the day. You get an entree, drink, and dessert, BUT the drink/dessert credits can be exchanged for anything that has the snack logo next to it on the menu board. If you google or go to easywdw.com, you can see some pictures of menu boards and understand what that logo is.
You will have to get the plan for all three of you, so the cost will be about $110/night.

Your best bet is to check out the menus here http://allears.net/dining/menu or here http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm to begin to see what you might eat and the cost.

If you're only going to eat one big meal a day, the QSDP probably won't be a good fit. Paying OOP will probably be cheaper.

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

Thanks! Those links will really help. You did make me wonder something though when you mentioned the cost per night. We are staying 5 nights, which is 6 days. Does the dining plan cover 5 days or 6 days? In other words, will we have credits the day we check in or out?

 

[purple figment]

The dining plan is based on the number of nights you are staying. The credits will be available from the moment you check in at the resort through 11:59 PM on your check out day,

 

[jon18uk]

Thanks! Those links will really help. You did make me wonder something though when you mentioned the cost per night. We are staying 5 nights, which is 6 days. Does the dining plan cover 5 days or 6 days? In other words, will we have credits the day we check in or out?

You can use the credits in any combination on any days, but the number of credits is based on how many nights. I guess this is becuase most arrival and departure days are only half days so you don't need as many meals

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

Thanks!

 

[Guyton dis lover]

We get the standard dinning plan when we go. That gives us a table service meal and a quick service meal a day with a snack. The QS dinning plan is good. Value resort food courts are a quick service meal food service outlet. Does not matter which meal you eat. Moderate resorts that I have stayed at do not accept the quick service dinning at the moderate resort food courts. Now there are exceptions to this rule and you may want to check the resort you are staying at to see if the food court does accept the QS dinning plan. In the parks you will find quick service food service food outlets. Quick service meals can be found just about everywhere. Quick service meal credits can not be used for character dinning packages or Event dinning packages. A snack is anything less that about four dollars. Any snacks that we have left over after our stays come home as fudge from the confectionary at tne magic kingdom. Do not forget your mugs. Your mugs can be used at any resort during your stay. You can drink coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and Sodas. Forget carrying the in the park unless you just want to drink water in the park.
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/dining-...c-kingdom-quick-counter-service-disney-world/
http://www.*************.com/8-best-counter-service-restaurants-in-epcots-world-showcase/
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/dining-...d-studios-quick-counter-service-disney-world/
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/dining-...ingdom-quick-counter-service-at-disney-world/

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

It sounds like you may just want to pay out of pocket. If free dinning is offered obviously take it. The past two trips we opted out of the dinning plan and I kept the receipts to do the math (yes there is something wrong with me). We didn't order as much food at meal time and shared, then had more snacks through the day which we enjoyed more. We never went hungry. We drive and bring snacks for breakfast and a case of water & coke. For us it was much more convenient to order what you want, swipe your band and be on your way instead of trying to figure out what is on the plan.

 

[SunnieRN]

We have taken many trips using the quick service plan. My grandmunchkins like breakfast. We would use one credit for a meal for them to share.

Disney, at this time, is not enforcing the kids must eat off the kids menu at most quick service locations, so that also allows you more choices.

Some reasons I love the QS dining plan is:

Be Our Guest restaurant. It is quick service for breakfast and lunch, but you must make reservations, as it is VERY popular. It is the only QS restaurant that requires reservations.

Tangierine Cafe, in Epcot has wonderful food. The prices are still one credit, even though the food is better here than the table service restaurant nearby.

Wolfgang Puck Express - Marketside, in Disney Springs. It's pricey for QS, but it is on the QS dining plan and the food is really good! There are also a lot of new QS restaurants in Disney Springs that accept the QS plan

Variety, without worrying about the price. No matter which QS location you visit, in any park, at the Disney Resorts, or Disney Springs, you can use the dining plan. There are a few locations scattered about that don't, Ghirardelli in Disney Springs for one, but otherwise your golden, no matter what the price.

Refillable mugs, useable at your resort, for soda, coffee, iced tea, hot tea, or hot cocoa.

The extra good thing about this, is the dining plan changed this year. A lunch or dinner includes a drink, entree and dessert. Breakfast does not include dessert. But, you have the option to exchange your drink and or dessert, for any snack item. You say you like coffee and a muffin for breakfast. Your husband could get a breakfast and exchange his drink for a muffin. You then have your breakfast also as you can use your refillable mugs. They have Mickey shaped waffles in a lot of the kids breakfast choices. My grandmunchkins love them!

No matter what you decide, have a magical first trip as a family!!!!!

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

This is all really helpful. So am I understanding correctly that with the QS dining plan I can get 1 lunch entree, 1 lunch dinner, 1 snack, and exchange my drink and desert for an additional 2 snacks? I could do 2 meals and 5 snacks if I want to? I'm assuming that I would have to get the two snacks with lunch and dinner at the time that I am getting my meals. Are they snacks we can toss in a bag to give to our 4 year old later? And we can get ice water for free in the parks and use our mugs at the resorts?

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

When I go on to the Disney website and look at the dining options I can filter for 2016 QS dining plans and by price per guest. With the exception of Be Our Guest, all QS restaurants fall in the $14.99 and under category. Am I correct in assuming then that each QS meal is about $15 in value or is that not including drinks, deserts, etc?

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

Sorry, another question. LOL

What about the kids meals? Do they get a dessert/drink? Can they exchange for a snack?

 

[jon18uk]

When I go on to the Disney website and look at the dining options I can filter for 2016 QS dining plans and by price per guest. With the exception of Be Our Guest, all QS restaurants fall in the $14.99 and under category. Am I correct in assuming then that each QS meal is about $15 in value or is that not including drinks, deserts, etc?

Some entrees are now over $15, such as a Tex Mex burger with fries at Pecos Bills ($16) and a smoked meat platter at Flame Tree ($20). But other entrees are as low as $9. Then drink is $3.29 and dessert/snack around $5.

 

[disneyseniors]

From the way you described your eating habits, I would definitely go out of pocket! It sounds like you would have much too much food to eat. We have used the fdp many times, and you always get the most expensive entrée (it seems), and eat your desert, because it comes with the meal. I hate to waste food, so I ate too much trying to use the dp.
Last year, we ate out of pocket and it was great and freeing! We sometimes shared meals, skipped meals, snacked, and never felt we were locked into hamburgers and fries. There is a wide variety of good food available in counter service places.
Hope this helps.

 

[purple figment]

This is all really helpful. So am I understanding correctly that with the QS dining plan I can get 1 lunch entree, 1 lunch dinner, 1 snack, and exchange my drink and desert for an additional 2 snacks? I could do 2 meals and 5 snacks if I want to? I'm assuming that I would have to get the two snacks with lunch and dinner at the time that I am getting my meals. Are they snacks we can toss in a bag to give to our 4 year old later? And we can get ice water for free in the parks and use our mugs at the resorts?

On the QS Plan when using your credit at lunch or dinner you get an entree, dessert and non-alcoholic fountain drink. If you don't want the dessert or beverage you can exchange it for anything on the same menu that has the purple ddp snack logo next to it. Some of the items might be portable enough "to toss in a bag" for later, but many choices will not be. The allears site has the purple ddp logo next to eligible items on their menus so it is a good place to get an idea of what substitutions are available at the various QS locations:
http://allears.net/dining/menu/

If you use your QS credit at breakfast you only get an entree or breakfast platter and beverage. There is no dessert component so not a good use of the QS credit.

You can get cups of ice water at any QS venue. Mugs can only be used at all of the Disney resorts.

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate al, the answers. This definitely helped.

There is one thing I'm still a bit unclear on. Do the children's QS meals also include a drink and dessert or is it just one entree on the kids menus? I noticed many of the kids menus have entrees that include milk or some other drink and this made me wonder if with a kids credit you can get the kids meal that includes a drink plus a dessert and snack, for example.

 

[sharonabe]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate al, the answers. This definitely helped.

There is one thing I'm still a bit unclear on. Do the children's QS meals also include a drink and dessert or is it just one entree on the kids menus? I noticed many of the kids menus have entrees that include milk or some other drink and this made me wonder if with a kids credit you can get the kids meal that includes a drink plus a dessert and snack, for example.

If you get a kid's meal with your QS credit, you will only get what's listed with the kid's meal. They can usually get milk, juice or soda for their drink. Their dessert is listed with the meal and is usually applesauce, grapes, etc. There will be small print at most QS locations saying they can get a cookie or fries or something like that instead of the "side" components listed with the meal. They cannot sub their drink/dessert part like the adults do IF you get them a kid's meal. However, with QS credits, many, many report that kids can get an adult meal with their kid credit, so then, they would be able to do the substitution.

 

[Aflyingbuttress]

Ok thanks. That clarifies things. I've taken a look at menus for a good portion of the QS restaurants at our resort, Epcot, MK, and AK and I'm just not seeing the value. I feel like I must be missing something because other than convenience I don't see benefits to the QS plan. Perhaps if one is very crafty with how they decide to use them. I could see how you might achieve some savings with careful planning.

As an outsider looking in (not having been to Disney in about 20 or so years) the savings are lost on me. The children's portion costs $17.47 per day and on the menus most meals average around $6. I saw a few for $8 and I think a couple for $9. The most I saw for a snack was $5.50. Assuming you were determined to order the most expensive thing in the menu you could get a free snack, I suppose. I don't see that happening though.

I think I'd rather have the flexibility than the potential savings of a few dollars her or there. But I can see how figuring out the math and getting the best deal could be kind of fun too. Thanks for all the feedback. It's helped me figure out that it would be better for us not to get it.

 

[SunnieRN]

That's understandable!! All families are different. When we go, we share a lot of QS meals, as many of them are very large. This way we only had as much food as we wanted, we had credits for breakfasts and many of the meals we enjoy were at the more expensive locations and were the more expensive items.

This trip we are going with free dining. Looking at the menus, I don't see the value, if we were paying OOP, but, for free we are still ahead, even with the higher room cost and park hoppers.

It's what works best for you and your family!!!