minie_meese
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2007
- Messages
- 897
We used the Disney Dining Plan for this trip and had plenty to eat, actually more than we are comfortable eating. It didn't quite fit with our life style and it was a little confusing for some in our party.
I did not keep track to the penny but know we saved a considerable amount over what we ordered, but we ordered more than we normally eat, and we ate at more table service restaurants than we normally would on vacation.
We ate at Table Service restaurants every evening (and for one character breakfast). I am sure we would have eaten at more counter serivce restaurants had we not been on the DP. The table service meals took more time out of our day than I normally want to spend eating. I'd rather spend more time eating casual meals and swimming in the pool. When we go to a restaurant we want to really go all out and go to a top of the line restaurant, and do that once or twice. For people who like to eat at restaurants most evenings the dining plan might be a better idea. I am guessing with next year's changes it will still have some benefit but much less.
All of the CMs at the restaurants and counter service locations understood the plan pretty well and could explain what was included and what was not. We were mostly able to stretch the CS and snack credits to provide 2 meals per day for everyone.
I understood the plan fine but the rest of our party did not and every attempt I made to explain it ahead of time fell on deaf ears. As a result when the rest of our party besides me used the plan they did not use it very efficiently. Instead of getting a snack for dessert with a CS meal they got none and went back later to get a snack using a snack credit. They got the idea by the 3rd day.
We encountered one problem with a server at the Brown Derby. This is one place we really like to eat but this experience left me a little cold. We decided to not use the dining plan there because of the number of TS credits we had left. The host asked if we were on the dining plan. I said yes but we would not use the plan for that meal. He said, "no problem". The server asked the same thing at the start of the meal and I told him we would pay for the meal out of pocket. At the end of the meal I gave him my room key and told him to charge the meal to my room he came back and said he had deducted 2 TS credits per person. I understand that mistakes can happend but when I asked him to correct it he got very huffy and said he would need to get a manager. Ten minutes later he came back and almost but not quite threw the folio on the table. I just let it go because it is not worth ruining a day because of one rude person.
When I look back on the week I think it was worth trying the dining plan but I won't be anxious to do it again.
I did not keep track to the penny but know we saved a considerable amount over what we ordered, but we ordered more than we normally eat, and we ate at more table service restaurants than we normally would on vacation.
We ate at Table Service restaurants every evening (and for one character breakfast). I am sure we would have eaten at more counter serivce restaurants had we not been on the DP. The table service meals took more time out of our day than I normally want to spend eating. I'd rather spend more time eating casual meals and swimming in the pool. When we go to a restaurant we want to really go all out and go to a top of the line restaurant, and do that once or twice. For people who like to eat at restaurants most evenings the dining plan might be a better idea. I am guessing with next year's changes it will still have some benefit but much less.
All of the CMs at the restaurants and counter service locations understood the plan pretty well and could explain what was included and what was not. We were mostly able to stretch the CS and snack credits to provide 2 meals per day for everyone.
I understood the plan fine but the rest of our party did not and every attempt I made to explain it ahead of time fell on deaf ears. As a result when the rest of our party besides me used the plan they did not use it very efficiently. Instead of getting a snack for dessert with a CS meal they got none and went back later to get a snack using a snack credit. They got the idea by the 3rd day.
We encountered one problem with a server at the Brown Derby. This is one place we really like to eat but this experience left me a little cold. We decided to not use the dining plan there because of the number of TS credits we had left. The host asked if we were on the dining plan. I said yes but we would not use the plan for that meal. He said, "no problem". The server asked the same thing at the start of the meal and I told him we would pay for the meal out of pocket. At the end of the meal I gave him my room key and told him to charge the meal to my room he came back and said he had deducted 2 TS credits per person. I understand that mistakes can happend but when I asked him to correct it he got very huffy and said he would need to get a manager. Ten minutes later he came back and almost but not quite threw the folio on the table. I just let it go because it is not worth ruining a day because of one rude person.
When I look back on the week I think it was worth trying the dining plan but I won't be anxious to do it again.
