Well, I did it! Bought the Quick Service Plan for Our Upcoming Trip!

[JerseyJanice]

We are taking a 4-night trip during the Food & Wine Festival. After three years in a row of week-long trips when we got the regular DDP, we feel like we've spent enough time sitting in Disney restaurants.

I don't know if we'll save any money with the QSDP, but here are my reasons for doing it:

1. Since I used my Disney Visa to pay for it and it's part of our vacation package, we'll get six months free financing. Also, we get the Disney reward dollars for charging it.

2. My son and nephew are old enough now to separate from us in the parks (15 and 14). They can eat meals without us there and being able to use their resort cards to pay will make it convenient for them to do so. Also, my nephew is an extremely picky eater; he pretty much sticks to chicken nuggets, burgers, and hot dogs. OTOH, my son eats everything, so if DH and I want some more exotic food, he and DS can go eat where they have what he likes.

3. This is the biggest reason--32 snack credits to spend! You can bet we'll use most of those credits at the Food and Wine Festival kiosks. When we had half as many snack credits with the regular DDP, we always had a lot leftover. This time, I'll make sure we spend them before we pay OOP for snacks and drinks.

 

[ciera321]

I think your reasoning is good! Do your dates not work for the free dining? One of these years we will go for the Food and Wine Festival. All the pictures I see look so good!

 

[JerseyJanice]

If my dates fell during Free Dining, I'd have been all over it. The three trips when we had the regular DDP were FD and it was a terrific value each time.

We do things with my nephew often, and his parents do a lot with our son. Both boys are only children, so we're raising them close to each other. We have a kind of deal between us--whatever we do, we pay for both kids' food. IOW, if DN's parents take my son to a waterpark, we pay for his admission, but the parents buy his food for the day. DN's parents pay for his airfare to Florida and his park ticket, but we take care of feeding him.

I loved the Food and Wine Festival! I went only once last October, but I thought it was a great and unique experience. So much so that I'm bringing my husband back to do it again. He didn't come with us last fall; I fit it into a visit with my brother who lives in Tampa.

DH lives to eat and drink, so it's right up his alley. I think he'll enjoy it even more if we're using snack credits for the food samples since it won't seem as expensive.

 

[3boys4me]

We are taking a 4-night trip during the Food & Wine Festival. After three years in a row of week-long trips when we got the regular DDP, we feel like we've spent enough time sitting in Disney restaurants.

I don't know if we'll save any money with the QSDP, but here are my reasons for doing it:

1. Since I used my Disney Visa to pay for it and it's part of our vacation package, we'll get six months free financing. Also, we get the Disney reward dollars for charging it.

2. My son and nephew are old enough now to separate from us in the parks (15 and 14). They can eat meals without us there and being able to use their resort cards to pay will make it convenient for them to do so. Also, my nephew is an extremely picky eater; he pretty much sticks to chicken nuggets, burgers, and hot dogs. OTOH, my son eats everything, so if DH and I want some more exotic food, he and DS can go eat where they have what he likes.

3. This is the biggest reason--32 snack credits to spend! You can bet we'll use most of those credits at the Food and Wine Festival kiosks. When we had half as many snack credits with the regular DDP, we always had a lot leftover. This time, I'll make sure we spend them before we pay OOP for snacks and drinks.

You will love it. I totally agree with spending enough time siting in restaurants. When we went last year with the regular dining plan, over 9 park days, we estimated that between getting to, waiting for and eating TS meals we probably spent the equivilant of 2 park days eating and a lot of $$$ in tips. Did the QS plan in March and liked it so much we are doing it again in November. Have fun!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks, 3boys4me, for your kind reply!

I just posted on another thread how we've never been rushed in any Disney restaurant. Seriously. We often have the opposite experience where eating and settling the check takes far too long.

I did make a couple of ADRs we'll pay out-of-pocket for if we decide to use them. I got Ohana's on Saturday night. If my brother joins us, he, DH and myself will go for dinner there. No way am I paying $30+ for my nephew to eat chicken nuggets there. Also have an ADR for Sci Fi Dine-In. The menu there is inexpensive and it's a fun place plus DH has never been.