Upgraded to Deluxe Dining...Crazy??

[wezee]

Dh and I booked a bounceback week Sept. '08 with free dining. I called today and upgraded to deluxe dining, because......
1. There were so many 2TS restaurants we love...(Narcosee's, Yachetsman)
2. There are several 2TS we have not been to yet..(Jiko, Artist Pt. etc.)
3. There are several 1TS we have not been to....Raglan Rd, Yak and Yetti,Kona
Cafe, Mama Melrose).
4. I really wanted to go to Cinderella's Castle for breakfast.
5. Would like to attend Hoop de do, haven't been for a couple of years.

We would only eat 2 meals a day (one 2TS and one TS)

ARE WE CRAZY???????

 

[WETWHISTLE]

I'm considering upgrading to Deluxe DDP, but I just can't decide for sure yet. I don't think we would do any Signature Meals...but we do know that we want appetizers and so far we have 4 Character Breakfast reservations that we would be paying for OOP. I'm just trying to figure out if we can swing it so that it would be a value to us.

We have our Dinner ADRs made...but I do not want to have to make ADRs for lunch.

Have any of you had luck walking up to Table Service restaurants for lunch? We're going February 15 - 25.

Thanks!

 

[wezee]

This will be our first trip where we will do TS for lunch or breakfast, so I have no experience with the walkup question. I think we will prob. make ADRs for the lunch TS meals. And of course we will definantly make ADR for evening meals.Have you ever been to the castle for character breakfast???

 

[WETWHISTLE]

I've never been to the Castle for breakfast, no.

I didn't mind making ADRs for Character Breakfasts and our TS Dinners. I've already done that. But I don't want to make ADRs for lunch. I don't want to be tied down THAT much, ya know? If we could get away with walking up to a TS for lunch, I wouldn't mind upgrading to the Deluxe DDP, but if it meant me making ADRs for lunch, I'd have to say no.

 

[Colleen27]

You aren't crazy, or if you are, you're in good company. We're doing the delue plan in January mainly for signature dinners. We only have one day planned where we'll have 3 meals - the plan for the rest is breakfast or early lunch and then a signature dinner.

 

[wezee]

Thanks Colleen, I Told my DH we would upgrade as long as he didn't make me eat 3 sitdown meals everyday. I think with the 2 meal idea, I can maybe walk off the extra calories. But knowing someone else out there is thinking the same way makes me feel alot more sane.

 

[twoeeyy]

I posted a similar thread not that long ago.

we also booked free dining thru bounce back. It will cost us 864.00 more to upgrade to deluxe dining plan, after looking at menus for us we figured it would not be worth it. We ( 2 out of the 3 of us ) find nothing on the signature restaurants menues that we liked

We will just pay OOP if we need / want any other food than with the DDP.

 

[pkf4bucs]

I look at it like this. We got the Deluxe plan and then applied the Disney Visa code to our ressie and with that savings I look at the upgrade in meal plan as well worth it.

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Dh and I booked a bounceback week Sept. '08 with free dining. I called today and upgraded to deluxe dining, because......
1. There were so many 2TS restaurants we love...(Narcosee's, Yachetsman)
2. There are several 2TS we have not been to yet..(Jiko, Artist Pt. etc.)
3. There are several 1TS we have not been to....Raglan Rd, Yak and Yetti,Kona
Cafe, Mama Melrose).
4. I really wanted to go to Cinderella's Castle for breakfast.
5. Would like to attend Hoop de do, haven't been for a couple of years.

We would only eat 2 meals a day (one 2TS and one TS)

ARE WE CRAZY???????

I don't think your crazy at all. It's exactly what we plan to do next December.

 

[hddanis]

You're not crazy. We've got the Deluxe plan booked for our Jan trip. We're only doing 1-2credit meal (Cinderella castle dinner) and the rest are TS breakfast and dinners and CS lunches (or attempt walkup TS). We still should come out ahead..and even if we only break even I don't care. I LOVE having everything already paid for beforehand so I don't have to worry about it (and my DD13 can have prime rib every night if she wants!)

We enjoy eating on vacation and to be honest, look forward to dining as much as the rides. I don't mind taking time from the parks for a sit down meal..we don't take an afternoon break or do much hopping from park to park. So we have the time to do it.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

We are doing it in April, and in Sept for our free dining+deluxe dining. It is like getting 2 for 1 when you pay for the deluxe 32.00 per person on top of free dining!!!

 

[auntie]

If you don't mind...how much is the Deluxe Dining plan as opposed the regular dining plan of some $40.00 per person per day? We did DP last year and thought it was GREAT! Many visits to the World and first time we did a dining plan. We ate at many places we might not have otherwise, and my son tried foods he might not have otherwise..not wanting to waste money on something he might not eat. Most of all the covenience factor was great. I'm not crazy about the fact that they dropped the apetizers from the regular dining plan. We enjoyed that most of all. Never really gave much thought to an upgraded dining plan. Figured we'd probably just pay out of pocket next trip, since we don't care for the drop in apetizers and no gratuity included..more for convenience rather than price. Frankly I wish they had just raised the price of the regular dining plan and kept it the same. Since they didn't ..what can I expect in the upgraded dining plan? Thanks.

 

[drag n' fly]

I think it is a great idea. Dh and I are going down in April with no kids and we got the DDDP. We are going to hit all the nice 2 credit places we would otherwise never go to with the kids and drink nice wine and linger, no commando buffets this trip I tell ya!

To auntie(last post)

The Deluxe Dining Plan is $69.99 (plus tax)/guests ages 10 and up and $19.99(plus tax)/guests ages 3-9 per night of your stay.

 

[auntie]

Does the Deluxe Plan include the gratuity?..I'm sorry to be such a pest..but I know little about it. I assume it includes a third meal..is that two table service meals a day? ...and a counter service meal per day..per person?
I'm not sure we'd eat three meals a day...although the idea of using it for signature restaurants or dinner shows is certainly something to consider.
We really did love the convenience of the dining plan last year.

 

[Colleen27]

Does the Deluxe Plan include the gratuity?..I'm sorry to be such a pest..but I know little about it. I assume it includes a third meal..is that two table service meals a day? ...and a counter service meal per day..per person?
I'm not sure we'd eat three meals a day...although the idea of using it for signature restaurants or dinner shows is certainly something to consider.
We really did love the convenience of the dining plan last year.

No, it does not include gratuity.

It does include 3 meal credits per night, which can be used for any combination of TS and CS that you'd like.

 

[auntie]

Really..three meal credits that can be used any way you'd like. I didn't realize. Hmm..certainly something to consider if we are planing more sig. restaurants and a dinner show. Thanks for the information.

 

[disneygal2007]

It seems to me thats allot of eating. We are doing the basic and to us at times thats allot of eating. But worth it it saves so much. I think the deluxe is a spurge but if u can afford it go for it

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

It seems to me thats allot of eating. We are doing the basic and to us at times thats allot of eating. But worth it it saves so much. I think the deluxe is a spurge but if u can afford it go for it

Probably seems like a lot of eating, but you are probably trying to use up all those counter service meals. With delux you can use it for signature places, and that takes care of that situation, in my opinion. Then you can do character breakfasts every day.

 

[auntie]

If you are using some of those credits for dinner shows or signature restaurants it's really the same as the regular dining...since these would require two table service credits. It would basically work out to two meals a day..only you would still have the option of appetizers. I could see where if that was the plan, the Deluxe Dining would be something to consider. I guess it would really depend on how one plans to use those credits.

When we went in May we might have done some breakfast buffets, but didn't want to waste our table service credit on them, when the better value for that TS was at dinner. Which we totally took advantage of. The Deluxe Plan would mean that one wouldn't have to choose...and could do a breakfast sit down..and then a signature dinner sit down. Still only two meals that day.
Since our family is older....the youngest being 16, I think this is an option that adults or those with older kids might enjoy, should it be financially feasible.

 

[itchin2go]

The Deluxe Plan would mean that one wouldn't have to choose...and could do a breakfast sit down..and then a signature dinner sit down. Still only two meals that day.
Since our family is older....the youngest being 16, I think this is an option that adults or those with older kids might enjoy, should it be financially feasible.

This is exactly what we're doing. Most of our days are breakfast/signature dinner days. The bulk of the day is still wide open for "playing it by ear". We figure that some days we'll do snacks mid-day, and some days we may feel like having CS lunch. I love being able to look forward to a great breakfast, and a great dinner, but having the day open to customize depending how we feel at the time.