silver pkg question regarding dining

[Alannah]

Hi there...we have a 7nite dreammaker pkg booked (w room only bookings ahead and after) and I'm considering adding silver plan. We have several pss booked including Hoop de doo, fantasmic pkg, california grill, etc. Family of 5 (2 children under 9). I'm thinking silver plan may save us some money. Two questions...
1. When dining, can we specify that only the two adults & junior will use the wishes and children we'll pay for with cash? I thought I read somewhere that somebody had difficulty with this, but when I read the mousesavers.com site it sounds like this shouldn't be a problem? Anyone out there have experience with it?
2. If I've already booked & paid for cirque de soleil category 1 tickets, could I apply the difference in wishes (I know wishes just covers category 2) to my account? (I know this isnt really a dining question, but wasn't sure where to put it).

Thanks for any input and comments on wishes in general.

 

[kristen821]

1. I have read about somebody paying for the children meals and not using thier wishes so I don't think that will be a problem, unless they changed that rule at wdw because anyone who has read mousesavers does it and disney may be losing money because of it. It might also depend on the restuaraunt or waiter/waitress
2. I don't know the answer to your question, but do know that we used our wishes to see cirque and the seats were fine we were up on top but i think those seats are better sometimes since you don't have to be looking up. the theatre is small so you can see from anywhere.

We always get the silver plan and wouldn't do it differently. You get so much food that we never use all our points on food and also never pay for a meal while we are there. It is great!

 

[rocketriter]

A contrary opinion: we've done the silver plan twice and will never do it again. You don't get your money's worth unless you make PS at the expensive restaurants. Once you do, you're locked down in your choices of where to go each day and it gets very difficult to improvise.

The dining, of course is good and the food can be delicious. But the quantity gets to be a problem. Every time you sit down, you find yourself ordering the appetizer, the salad, the main course, the side dish, the add-on, the beverage, the dessert. Meals turn into 90-minute ordeals and you push away from the table so logey you want to go back to your room and take a nap. After a while it isn't fun, it's an obligation.

A humorous side effect of the plan: our kids were 7 and 10 the last time we did it. They used the plan to try stuff we'd never buy them otherwise: lobster, prime rib, filet mignon, you get the idea. The nice thing is that we got to let them try these things for no extra charge. The problem (?!?) is that now they like them! Every time we go to a restaurant, they want to order the lobster or the prime rib or the filet. No kids meals for these yuppie puppies!

 

[Alannah]

Thanks for the reply. When you used wishes to see cirque, did you first buy your tickets before you left home? It appears that's the only way to do it (?) if you want to get your seats booked early and then have them credit your account?

 

[Alannah]

Rocketriter...that is funny! It doesn't take them long to catch on does it? Another question re wishes is this...I've read that kids need to order from the kids' meals. But it sounds like your kids ordered whatever they liked? Can you do this? and just get smaller portions? I know I wouldn't want my kids to be ordering corn dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches and paying for it with a wish, but if they are able to order what they want, that's not too bad. And I hear you with the obligation thing and it's something I'll consider as I do like to get my money's worth but the only person in our family who appreciates a large meal in one sitting is my husband. The rest of us are grazers. Too bad they don't have a grazer's plan! I like the convenience of knowing my meals are paid for. I have a tendency to get uptight about the expense of it all and I'd rather ignore it and pretend I'm not paying for it

 

[Becky2005]

A humorous side effect of the plan: our kids were 7 and 10 the last time we did it. They used the plan to try stuff we'd never buy them otherwise: lobster, prime rib, filet mignon, you get the idea. The nice thing is that we got to let them try these things for no extra charge. The problem (?!?) is that now they like them! Every time we go to a restaurant, they want to order the lobster or the prime rib or the filet. No kids meals for these yuppie puppies!

I had to laugh at this, we are going on the Gold plan (yes I know $$) but the one thing I DO like about it is that in general we have picky eaters here at home but my oldest has been asking if she can try more brave choices, etc... on the Gold plan, I can say "go right ahead" and if she hates it, I won't feel like I need to force it down her throat. I'm kind of picky, so about the only time they get the fancier stuff is when we go out to eat. So my oldest is excited about this.

 

[rocketriter]

A year and a half ago our kids were allowed to order anything they wanted, not just kids meals. What's more, the wait-staff at more than one restaurant would chirp right up with "You can all add on the lobster tail for free, you know." And believe me, we did.