Questions about the Dining Deal

[rnorwo1]

I've read about the dining deal here on this board and had a few questions, trying to decide if it's worth it for us.

How long are the lines at restaurants usually? We'll be going the Monday before thanksgiving... if we have to go thru a long line twice to get a side and then a dessert, it may not be worth the time taken away from the shows/rides.

It says that a drink is included with the meal... if we just wanted a drink, can we just get that?

Is bottled water included?

Is there anywhere to eat breakfast? It seems like you really need to eat two meals to get your money's worth.

If the snack carts are not included, are there counter services where you can get good snacks?

The restaurants seem limited: Voyager’s Smokehouse (excluding Baby Back Ribs), Seaport Pizza, Terrace Garden Buffet, The Spice Mill, Seafire Inn, Mango Joe’s... are any of these places good?

Sorry for all of the questions, I'd just hate to pay for it and then have to pay to eat someplace else!


Thanks!!!

 

[DOOM1001]

I've read about the dining deal here on this board and had a few questions, trying to decide if it's worth it for us.

How long are the lines at restaurants usually? We'll be going the Monday before thanksgiving... if we have to go thru a long line twice to get a side and then a dessert, it may not be worth the time taken away from the shows/rides.

It says that a drink is included with the meal... if we just wanted a drink, can we just get that?

Is bottled water included?

Is there anywhere to eat breakfast? It seems like you really need to eat two meals to get your money's worth.

If the snack carts are not included, are there counter services where you can get good snacks?

The restaurants seem limited: Voyager’s Smokehouse (excluding Baby Back Ribs), Seaport Pizza, Terrace Garden Buffet, The Spice Mill, Seafire Inn, Mango Joe’s... are any of these places good?

Sorry for all of the questions, I'd just hate to pay for it and then have to pay to eat someplace else!


Thanks!!!

The lines can be long at times and short at times,they usually move pretty fast though.Bottled water and sodas are included and if that's all you want that's fine.Remember that entrees come with a side,so if it says you can also get a side or dessert it means that your entree will come with a side already and you can get another side or a dessert so I don't really see the need to go through the line twice.

I don't believe breakfast is included but the restaurants do open up fairly early.I also heard that there is a very good discount on the snack carts like maybe half off if you have the all day dining plan.The restaurants are all very good,I've said it for years that Sea World and Busch Gardens food is much better than what you find at Disney or Universal,especially the desserts which are made in house.You can see that from the $30 they charge compared to Universal's all day dining deal which is like $20 and limits which counter service restaurants you can eat at,except for the ribs all the CS are available at Sea World.

I did the all day dining plan at Busch Gardens this summer and this is the perfect time to use it as the parks are open late,it gets so hot you need drinks constantly and it's just great to go into the restaurants to get out of the heat.Also with an Annual pass you get the 10% discount so you only pay $27.You have to ask yourself how much you eat and drink and how late will the park be open to be able to get at least two meals in.I think I ate and drank over $75 for the $27 I paid when I used it at Busch Gardens,however if I go on a Monday in January with the park closing at 6pm,I might not buy it with the earlier closing time and probably not having to drink as much as in the summer.One thing to note is that I remember hearing they were offering the dining plan for $20 on days the park closes early,I don't know if they always do it but I know they have in the past.

 

[rnorwo1]

Thanks so much for the info! Do you know the average cost of a meal with drink at a CS? I searched for menus with prices but couldn't find any. The disney dining plan is too much food for me, so not sure I'd eat $30 worth of CS in one day... unless they're really pricey. But I do drink a TON of water, hot or cold, so I may make up for it if the bottled water is included.

 

[DOOM1001]

Thanks so much for the info! Do you know the average cost of a meal with drink at a CS? I searched for menus with prices but couldn't find any. The disney dining plan is too much food for me, so not sure I'd eat $30 worth of CS in one day... unless they're really pricey. But I do drink a TON of water, hot or cold, so I may make up for it if the bottled water is included.

Most entrees in the CS restaurants are in the $7-$10 range with some of the items like a chicken/rib combo maybe going for $12 and the baby backs around $15 or so.The sodas and bottled water will be around $3 and the desserts will also be in the $3-$4 range.

 

[rnorwo1]

Thanks! I doubt I would break even, but others in my group would. I appreciate the info!

 

[jlines]

Voyagers is open for breakfast and has some pretty good choices. The other nice thing is that fruit is a side so you can just go in and get that and a water if you want a break out of the heat.

The desserts run around $3 and I think drinks were in the $2.50 range. Most entrees seemed to be around $9.

The combo meal at Voyagers was very good and I loved the carrot cake. The hamburger (not my first choice but DH wanted one) wasn't very good but the fries were very good. The breakfast platter was pretty good also.

Most places used a dot system that let you know what was included. You simply choose one red, one blue, and one yellow item and the cashier will wave you on. Its a good deal is you are there from open to close and drink a lot of bottled water. The portions are large though, so if you are a small eater you may do better to not do the meal deal and split food with someone else.

 

[rnorwo1]

Voyagers is open for breakfast and has some pretty good choices. The other nice thing is that fruit is a side so you can just go in and get that and a water if you want a break out of the heat.

The desserts run around $3 and I think drinks were in the $2.50 range. Most entrees seemed to be around $9.

The combo meal at Voyagers was very good and I loved the carrot cake. The hamburger (not my first choice but DH wanted one) wasn't very good but the fries were very good. The breakfast platter was pretty good also.

Most places used a dot system that let you know what was included. You simply choose one red, one blue, and one yellow item and the cashier will wave you on. Its a good deal is you are there from open to close and drink a lot of bottled water. The portions are large though, so if you are a small eater you may do better to not do the meal deal and split food with someone else.

Thanks! Having breakfast does change the equation a bit! I appreciate the details too, that will be helpful.