Quick service Or Disney dining plan single parent 3 kids?

[pinkprincess81]

Hey everyone,

I am travelling out in november and staying at POR i have got the quick service dining plan and just wondered if i was better to upgrade to the dining plan?

I am going with my 3 kids 12, 8, and 7 years.

thanks

 

[wen-tom]

I would say it depends on what sort of thing they all like to eat and how structured you want to make your days.
with quick service there is lots of choice and you will have no waiting around for a table and can pick what you want when you want it.

With table service, you are likely to need reservations which means knowing where you will be and when to be able to 'schedule' the meals in. You might be able to get some walk ups but again that depends on where you like to eat.

I think if it were me with the ages of the children I might stick to the quick service but thats just because i would want the flexibility.

 

[higgy66]

My DD's are 9 & 8 and love restaurants and I know they would be disappointed if we didn't visit a restaurant each day

If i were to go on holiday with just the girls I would definitely want a table service - OK you might have to book in advance and wait a little to be seated but if you're anything like me I would consider these points

1) I wouldn't leave the girls seated at a table while I went to order the food at the counter - only have girls so a bit OCD about being protective!
2) if we waited to find a table after we'd ordered I'd be carrying/balancing the tray loaded with food and drinks while trying to spot a table and then negotiate the girls to grab it as quick as they could
3) Eating at a restaurant is a bit more special and relaxed so you can bond more over the meal


These are just my opinions as I know lots of people prefer the flexibility of the QSDP but even in this country I love eating our with the girls so it's just the icing on the cake at the end of a great day

 

[2Tiggies]

My DD's are 9 & 8 and love restaurants and I know they would be disappointed if we didn't visit a restaurant each day

If i were to go on holiday with just the girls I would definitely want a table service - OK you might have to book in advance and wait a little to be seated but if you're anything like me I would consider these points

1) I wouldn't leave the girls seated at a table while I went to order the food at the counter - only have girls so a bit OCD about being protective!
2) if we waited to find a table after we'd ordered I'd be carrying/balancing the tray loaded with food and drinks while trying to spot a table and then negotiate the girls to grab it as quick as they could
3) Eating at a restaurant is a bit more special and relaxed so you can bond more over the meal


These are just my opinions as I know lots of people prefer the flexibility of the QSDP but even in this country I love eating our with the girls so it's just the icing on the cake at the end of a great day

This shows how it is such an individual experience. Single mum here, but I only have one daughter so easier in some ways and perhaps more challenging in others.

I had no problem sending my daughter off to sit at a table while I ordered our CS while she was younger. She is 10 now and I prefer to have her with me as she is great at helping to carry things to the table, which certainly can be a challenge, especially navigating through a busy CS area.

I do think your younger children will enjoy some character meals though. We prefer the QSDP but have always done several sit down meals each trip and I just pay out of pocket for those. Have you discussed it with the children? They are all old enough to give valuable input

 

[queendisney]

I would say it depends on what sort of thing they all like to eat and how structured you want to make your days.
with quick service there is lots of choice and you will have no waiting around for a table and can pick what you want when you want it.

With table service, you are likely to need reservations which means knowing where you will be and when to be able to 'schedule' the meals in. You might be able to get some walk ups but again that depends on where you like to eat.

I think if it were me with the ages of the children I might stick to the quick service but thats just because i would want the flexibility.

yep same here

There is far more choice then just burgers and fries on this plan so you needed worry about that side of things. also are you children big eaters..there is a lot of food on the other plan, will it be a waste or money to upgrade if they just don't eat that much? Are you ok about sitting down and planning each and every day of you holiday so far in advance for the adr's? We find it a bore planning our parks around our food...we are there for the theme parks and just eat in whatever park we are in when we feel like it and not because we have to because of an adr.

You can always just pay for extra ts meals if you want some charecter dining it would work out cheaper then paying the upgrade.

You certainly will be having a bonding time without having to sit down to a ts meal every day and depending when you plan to go you should have no probs about finding a table to sit at.

edited....just seen you are going November time, perfect time to go with light crowds except near Thanks Giving. Oh and welcom to the boards...

 

[wayneg]

Welcome to DISboards.

I don't think being a single parent has a lot to do with it, its down to type/style of dining your family prefers.

Home or on holiday we have a family table meal every evening so the regular DDP is the only one we are interested in.
Other families enjoy the QSDDP, its not just burgers & fries but its not enough for our needs.

 

[dixonsontour]

Welcome!

We also love the ddp as we enjoy the character and themed meals like sci fi. It's an important part of our holiday.

If you do upgrade remember you will need to pay tips on ddp but not qsdp.

 

[Debbyt28]

I'm with the QSDP brigade with a few OP meals with the QSDP you get 2 snack credits a day which covers treats which could add up OP and last year we had quite a few left over we were able to take bags of candy home. Did I mention my two little DD were 22 and 17

 

[LauraDaveCharlie]

Think dixonsontour makes a really good point that it's easy to overlook - the cost of tips that you need to add onto table service meals.

We have done the QSDP (which we got free) and loved it. I did loads of research beforehand so we ate at a really wide variety of restaurants serving many different types of food - and we were there two weeks. Looking at the menus on Allears and adding up what the tips are likely to be for table service meals over the whole holiday can be an eye-opener!

Plenty of great counter service places to eat that offer relaxing, good quality experiences - Flame Tree BBQ, Contempo Cafe, Wolfgang Puck Express (best counter service bargain ever!) to mention just a few. Also POR has one of the best foodcourts anywhere with the make-your-own-pasta-dish counter (or whatever it's called!)

Finally think about if your family are big eaters. Even the QSDP was far too much food for us and I love my food! We would have just wasted so much on the full service plan.

Only downside of the QSDP is that children's menus can be repetitive so you have to do your research and plan ahead. With a bit of attention to detail (of course none of us on this site are familiar with that concept!) you can make sure your children get a wide variety of choice over the time you are there.