Three Teen Boys Eat thru Quick Service DDP

[LeighaB]

We are a family of 5 and have made many trips to WDW. We have NEVER used a Disney Dining Plan! This coming spring, we plan to visit again and are seriously considering the quick service meal plan. With three teenage boys, we have found that they eat more and want to stay in the parks longer. They are also done with the character meals and such. If I (mom) get one meal at Be Our Guest, I'm good.

So my question: Can three teen boys and two parents get value from the Quick Service Dining Plan?

 

[DisBuckMan]

IMO, it's pretty hard to get $$$ value from the QSDP. With the 2017 QSDP price for adults, you pretty much have to average about $18 per QS meal, and $5 per snack. Not saying it can't be done, but you'd be left choosing the most expensive items on the menu. Plus, who's to say that the most expensive things on the menu will be what you're in the mood to eat at that particular time? Sometimes a teenager (or adult) just wants a $12 cheesburger and fries, or $11 chicken nuggets.

 

[Faldred]

Agreed. QSDP only makes financial sense as part of a dining+room+ticket package discount or if you have children age 3-9 in the party.

 

[LeighaB]

So I have AoA and park tickets. Got 30% off room with pin code. Thought I would use savings to try meal plan, but sounds like I'm better off paying out of pocket.

 

[ibela]

So I have AoA and park tickets. Got 30% off room with pin code. Thought I would use savings to try meal plan, but sounds like I'm better off paying out of pocket.

I've done the math several times and with 2 adults and 2 children and sharing meals to getting mostly adult meals even with the kids credits, I calculated us still barely coming out ahead. With all adults, definitely go oop.

 

[kaybird]

I'll weigh in the other way. We have 3 boys, and could never had fed them except for the DDP. With the QS, they often got the largest meals, which quickly add up if you aren't paying attention. The combo plates at Fairfax Fare, Cosmic Rays, and Flame tree are awesome and provide a lot of great food for the bottomless pits that are boys. Sunshine seasons, American Pavilion, Pecos Bill's all provide great sized portions. in 2017 with the split of the dessert credit, it should make filling those growing boys a snap!

 

[Nancyg56]

I would look at the QS menus and then decide. Years ago, when we took my teenaged nephew, meals put us in the poorhouse. That boy could eat, at times ordering two full meals at a sitting. My DH was a hungry guy too.

Check out what you think they will order. You know if they will want the soft beverages at lunch and dinner, will split meals for breakfast or lunch to have three a day, and if they like the snacks. I think that if they are bottomless pits, this is one time the plan could give you an edge.

 

[North of Mouse]

I would look at the QS menus and then decide. Years ago, when we took my teenaged nephew, meals put us in the poorhouse. That boy could eat, at times ordering two full meals at a sitting. My DH was a hungry guy too.

Check out what you think they will order. You know if they will want the soft beverages at lunch and dinner, will split meals for breakfast or lunch to have three a day, and if they like the snacks. I think that if they are bottomless pits, this is one time the plan could give you an edge.

Flame Tree - $16.49 (next to highest meal)
Sunshine Seasons $13.99 (Highest meal)
Leaves $15.86 for two snacks + taxes
QS meal plan - $46.34

We drink water with our meals (which deducts $6.28), so could never max it, plus we don't always want the most expensive offerings.

Also, regarding your nephew, how would the dining plan have helped that situation if he used both of his meal credits for one meal (two credits)? He would have had to pay oop regardless before the day was over! So, being a 'bottomless pit' would definitely not be contained in a daily quick serve plan price.

It's more convenient to just charge to the room, eat what/when you want and also not have to keep up with # of credits used or left.

Disney 'does' make money on their plans, but can make it look so convenient and like a bargain for guests.

Modified to reflect drinks included in meal prices. Even 'trying' there's no way to use the complete 'daily' allotments. You could conceivably get three meals for that amount + snacks, but unfortunate that is not the way it's set up by Disney. Paying oop I could easily eat three meals plus snacks, but we don't even eat that much food.

 

[Disneylover99]

I'll weigh in the other way. We have 3 boys, and could never had fed them except for the DDP. With the QS, they often got the largest meals, which quickly add up if you aren't paying attention. The combo plates at Fairfax Fare, Cosmic Rays, and Flame tree are awesome and provide a lot of great food for the bottomless pits that are boys. Sunshine seasons, American Pavilion, Pecos Bill's all provide great sized portions. in 2017 with the split of the dessert credit, it should make filling those growing boys a snap!

Just a FYI....the 2 quick service meals in 2017 will lose dessert, but you are only gaining one snack in return, so it's really a loss.

 

[Nancyg56]

Flame Tree - $16.49 (next to highest meal)
Sunshine Seasons $13.99 (Highest meal)
Two sodas $6.28
Leaves $9. 56 for two snacks + taxes
QS meal plan - $46.34

Maybe if you ordered the most expensive snacks, you could conceivably max the cost each day. We drink water with our meals (which deducts $6.28), so could never max it, plus we don't always want the most expensive offerings.

Also, regarding your nephew, how would the dining plan have helped that situation if he used both of his meal credits for one meal (two credits)? He would have had to pay oop regardless before the day was over! So, being a 'bottomless pit' would definitely not be contained in a daily quick serve plan price.

It's more convenient to just charge to the room, eat what/when you want and also not have to keep up with # of credits used or left.

Disney 'does' make money on their plans, but can make it look so convenient and like a bargain for guests.

That dining plan would not have helped. Honestly, nothing would have helped! The boy was taking weight training, was a swimmer and worked in a gym. He ate like every meal was his last! Lol!!! I was just commiserating with folks who feed hungry teenage bottomless pits.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

That dining plan would not have helped. Honestly, nothing would have helped! The boy was taking weight training, was a swimmer and worked in a gym. He ate like every meal was his last! Lol!!! I was just commiserating with folks who feed hungry teenage bottomless pits.

I have a 13 year old DD who is a competitive cheerleader and she is ALWAYS hungry. She does about 20 hours a week in the gym, between practice, tumbling, conditioning, ect. Athletes definitely eat more.

 

[Amelia :)]

I can see how it would be very convenient though (math aside), they'd be able to go off on their own and grab themselves snacks and quick service meals without having to carry cash or keep pestering you for money. I'd consider it.

 

[photophreak]

We did the QS dining plan on our last trip a couple years ago, and it worked ok for our family of 5 (parents + 3 boys roughly 11, 8, 5 at the time). I do the dining plan more for convenience than for savings if I'm being brutally honest. By the end of our trip, I was ready to vom at the QS choices in the food court at our resort. Probably a combo of the heat, the Disney exhaustion and the running everywhere trying to get in everything the kids wanted to do. We're going back for spring break 2017, and I went with the DDP so we would have some table service meals where we can hopefully sit + enjoy a meal now and then. Plus we are staying longer, so hopefully, it won't be so frenetic + exhausting.

Excuse any abbreviation faux pas... I've lurked now and then, but want to head into our spring break vacation armed with everything I need to know for success, so I finally registered. This is my first post.

 

[tinkermom_of_two]

We did the QS dining plan on our last trip a couple years ago, and it worked ok for our family of 5 (parents + 3 boys roughly 11, 8, 5 at the time). I do the dining plan more for convenience than for savings if I'm being brutally honest. By the end of our trip, I was ready to vom at the QS choices in the food court at our resort. Probably a combo of the heat, the Disney exhaustion and the running everywhere trying to get in everything the kids wanted to do. We're going back for spring break 2017, and I went with the DDP so we would have some table service meals where we can hopefully sit + enjoy a meal now and then. Plus we are staying longer, so hopefully, it won't be so frenetic + exhausting.

Excuse any abbreviation faux pas... I've lurked now and then, but want to head into our spring break vacation armed with everything I need to know for success, so I finally registered. This is my first post.

to the boards!

I was also a long-time lurker before I joined. We have almost always booked with some sort of dining plan deal, and I agree that it does make things more convenient sometimes, especially if you, like me, will order cheap based on price rather than what you want to order OOP, even though you know it may still be cheaper! We just started going without the dining plan again, because with our DVC stays now, the full kitchen makes us less likely to eat out as much, or split stays make the dining plan less convenient.

I will say that after switching from QSDP to DDP, we never went back - we found that a guaranteed sit down break helped make it feel more like a vacation, because it forces you to take a break from running attraction to attraction more than a QS does. However, I will warn you that with a longer trip comes more food - we have gone twice with a two week free dining deal, and the second time we definitely picked fewer buffet meals!

 

[6disneykids]

I had a similar thought that was posted above, while at times the QSDP is not as ecomomical per se, it allows teen boys some freedom. We have 2 teen boys who are bottomless pits, both very active, and we let them go off by themsleves while we are in the same park. They can go where they want and order what they want. (mine are now 17 and 18, and have been allowewing them to do this for 2 or so years now.)