What do you all think of my Deluxe Dining Plan itinerary choices? REVISED & UPDATED!

[aljack33]

We are doing a split stay as well. We are doing the Deluxe DP for the first half of the stay and just the regular DP on the second half. I picked all the signature restaurants we want to go to for the first half of the trip. I think I have come up with a really good plan. I hope I don't end up changing it 100 times before March.

Deluxe DP at Poly

3/26 CS Lunch; LLT dinner
3/27 CS breakfast; CRT Lunch; CHef Mickey's Dinner
3/28 Hollywood & Vine breakfast; O'Hana Dinner
3/29 AK Breakfast; LeCellier dinner
3/30 Askerhaus Breakfast; Narcosses
3/31 CS Breakfast; Kona Lunch; GF Dinner
4/1 Crystal Palace Breakfast; Yachtsman Dinner
4/2 O'hana Breakfast; ESPN LUnch; Coral Reef Dinner (Switch to BC and DP)
4/3 Used Snacks from Deluxe Plan day before for Breakfast; CS lunch; Garden grill Dinner
4/4 CS breakfast or lunch; 1900 Park Fair Dinner
4/5 Cape May Breakfast; CS lunch - go home

We are actually 1 credit over on the Deluxe Plan but I figure we will be sharing CS's where we go so we will have enough to cover that 1.

I can tell you, my DD5 will consume enough Mickey Ice Cream bars to use all the 2 snack credits a day. I wish I didn't have to buy her plan at all. She only eats those bars all day long. But we are in Disney, so I figure let her be

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

That's us too. I refer to myself, DH & DS as frustrated foodies - we only get to indulge on vacation and daytrips, because we live in a small town where dining options are pretty much fast food, bar food, or coney island. So when we go to Disney, we EAT! We're going for 11 nights this time, even though we were happy with the amount of rides/shows we fit in to much shorter trips, because we wanted more time for nice meals. I figure if we were happy with how much we got to see and do in 5 days, we'll be thrilled with how much we get to see and do in 12, even with two sit-down meals each day!

That was my thought exactly when I decided to do a two week trip: that we could see and do more, at a somewhat more relaxed pace, if we stayed longer than a week. And as far as all (and I do mean all) the food concerned, like you guys, we don't eat out all that much around here because our local options are pretty much fast food and chains that we have zero interest in (read: Olive Garden, Applebee's, etc., etc., ad nauseum). And on top of that, we've been almost monastically strict about eating very, very right since August (and will continue to eat that way right up to and immediately following our trip), but when go down to WDW, we sort of throw caution to the wind, as least as it pertains to "eating right". So it'll pretty much be "let the Bacchanalia begin!"

 

[aljack33]

I agree. We are going to be there too for 11 days. How many rides and shows and parades can you do and see in 11 days - a lot. So, we want to spend some time eating and doing a lot of character meals. My kids enjoy the characters more than anything so I figure instead of standing in a line for an hour to see them, why not just have a meal with them.

I was going back and forth between doing the deluxe or not, too but we decided to go for it the first half of the trip. If we were only there a few days, we wouldn't do it because we would be cramming in all the rides and shows. I think if you are there longer, doing the deluxe plan is a great option.

Your choices look great.

 

[Colleen27]

Have you actually worked out that the deluxe dining plan is worth it for you guys? By work out I mean actually go through the menus and get a rough idea of what you'd order? I only say this because you have a few meals that you will either have to pay out of pocket for or are CS meals which are really a waste on the deluxe plan. And you will be so full you won't have room for the snacks anyway. And since tips and alcohol aren't included, it's a heck of a lot of money to pay on top of the deluxe dining plan.

It sounds like a delicious itinerary but i'd try to work the numbers to see if you are actually saving by having the plan. It might work out cheaper for instance to get the normal dining plan and pay out of pocket for the rest or not to get it at all.

Whatever you do, have fun and walk like the Dickens to walk off all those yummy calories!!

It really isn't that hard to make the deluxe plan a decent deal. It sounds like a lot of money, but given Disney dining prices, it really isn't. I worked out the numbers, because I know that on the regular dining plan using credits for signature meals detracted from the value of the plan, and that's the big thing we're using the deluxe plan for. We're mostly planning on 2 meals per day: breakfast or lunch, and a signature dinner. For the curious, the numbers I came up with, along with the spreadsheet I used to calculate them (figuring the value of each meal, including tax, as well as the OOP tip budget) are in the last link in my signature.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

We are doing a split stay as well. We are doing the Deluxe DP for the first half of the stay and just the regular DP on the second half. I picked all the signature restaurants we want to go to for the first half of the trip. I think I have come up with a really good plan. I hope I don't end up changing it 100 times before March.

Deluxe DP at Poly

3/26 CS Lunch; LLT dinner
3/27 CS breakfast; CRT Lunch; CHef Mickey's Dinner
3/28 Hollywood & Vine breakfast; O'Hana Dinner
3/29 AK Breakfast; LeCellier dinner
3/30 Askerhaus Breakfast; Narcosses
3/31 CS Breakfast; Kona Lunch; GF Dinner
4/1 Crystal Palace Breakfast; Yachtsman Dinner
4/2 O'hana Breakfast; ESPN LUnch; Coral Reef Dinner (Switch to BC and DP)
4/3 Used Snacks from Deluxe Plan day before for Breakfast; CS lunch; Garden grill Dinner
4/4 CS breakfast or lunch; 1900 Park Fair Dinner
4/5 Cape May Breakfast; CS lunch - go home

We are actually 1 credit over on the Deluxe Plan but I figure we will be sharing CS's where we go so we will have enough to cover that 1.

I can tell you, my DD5 will consume enough Mickey Ice Cream bars to use all the 2 snack credits a day. I wish I didn't have to buy her plan at all. She only eats those bars all day long. But we are in Disney, so I figure let her be

Sounds good! I had pretty much given up on ever being able to eat at Narcoossee's, since SO never cared for seafood. But, out of the blue this weekend, he asked me to prepare him some tilapia and... he LOVED it!! Now, SO's fairly raving about seafood! So we might be changing one of our dinners (most likely CRT) to Narcoossee's. Ah, life is good!

 

[Colleen27]

My kids enjoy the characters more than anything so I figure instead of standing in a line for an hour to see them, why not just have a meal with them.

That was my first thought about the deluxe plan. We aren't breakfast people, in that none of us are hungry in the morning, and DD & I don't eat most traditional breakfast foods. So we've never done character breakfasts, because it seems like a waste of money or limited TS credits to use for a meal we won't eat. Since the TS credits aren't so limited on the deluxe plan, we're planning on doing most of our character time in restaurants. No waiting in line for Mickey & the gang, the Princesses, or Lilo & Stich, because we're eating at Chef Mickey's, Cinderella's Royal Table, Restaurant Akershus, and Ohana!

I've been hoping for something like the DxDDP for years, ever since our first family trip. We don't do enough recreation to justify the premium plan, but we love the idea of having all these dining options! So if I sound a little enthusiastic about the new plan, that's why.

 

[aljack33]

Plus in the Deluxe Plan, the appetizers are just an added bonus! We love trying different appetizers that we would never normally order, so that is just an added bonus in the deluxe plan.

Plus, don't forget the refillable mugs, that is another bonus!

 

[Colleen27]

Sounds good! I had pretty much given up on ever being able to eat at Narcoossee's, since SO never cared for seafood. But, out of the blue this weekend, he asked me to prepare him some tilapia and... he LOVED it!! Now, SO's fairly raving about seafood! So we might be changing one of our dinners (most likely CRT) to Narcoossee's. Ah, life is good!

Narcoosee's is DH's only must-do restaurant at Disney. He loves lobster, and Narcoosee's is the only dining plan restaurant that has whole lobster and surf & turf on the menu. What can I say - he's got good taste!

 

[aljack33]

We cannot wait to try Narcosses. The only thing I am concerned with is the dress code. It is almost impossible to get DD13 out of anything but gym shorts and a tshirt. That is still in the back of my mind on planning. how much of a fight is she going to put up there and at yachtsman with the dress code

 

[itchin2go]

We're doing the deluxe plan too! We're doing mostly breakfasts before the parks open, and then a few 2 TS dinners. We're only doing one TS lunch, so that will leave us plenty of time in the parks. Can't wait!

 

[aljack33]

We are only doing 1 or 2 lunches, too. Although, we are doing it opposite - we are doing the character buffets later. We want to get to parks early, hit the rides then when the masses start arriving, we will hit the buffets. Plus, we will be too full to do a lunch. I think (actually i am hoping) our plan works for us. I have been going back and forth my DH is getting sick about hearing it. Plus, everytime I talk to him, I change my mind.

 

[itchin2go]

We are only doing 1 or 2 lunches, too. Although, we are doing it opposite - we are doing the character buffets later. We want to get to parks early, hit the rides then when the masses start arriving, we will hit the buffets. Plus, we will be too full to do a lunch. I think (actually i am hoping) our plan works for us. I have been going back and forth my DH is getting sick about hearing it. Plus, everytime I talk to him, I change my mind.

My husband is sick of hearing about it too! I finalized the reservations yesterday and now I feel kind of lost and empty... Just kidding, but I did SO love planning it and now what am I to do? I've started tentatively planning the NEXT trip - no lie. I'm hopeless!

Like you, I think we're going to be too full to do many lunches. I kind of like having the middle part of the day open to play by ear.

We're VERY early risers, so the early breakfasts (7:30) will eat up some of the time before the parks open. If they had extra EMHs (like 6:00 a.m.), we'd be all over that!

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

Shamelessly bumping for some more feedback!

 

[aljack33]

I am going over your list again. Everything looks really good, but I am wondering, are you taking a car or will you be using the buses?

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

I am going over your list again. Everything looks really good, but I am wondering, are you taking a car or will you be using the buses?

We were going to use the buses. If we drive down, we'll, of course, have a car. But if I conquer my fear and we fly down, we'll only rent a car on the days we go off property.

 

[aljack33]

I actually think you did a wonderful job. You picked the right places for where you are going to be at. First look, i was worried with you being at AK and the bus situation getting where you needed to be on time, but you did a great job with your choices.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

I actually think you did a wonderful job. You picked the right places for where you are going to be at. First look, i was worried with you being at AK and the bus situation getting where you needed to be on time, but you did a great job with your choices.

Thank you!

And we kind of have an idea about what to expect regarding getting to and from the various restaurants, because that's pretty much what we did when we were down there in 2005 (only we weren't on the DDP). Yes, it can be a hassle at times, but we're pretty good about not cutting it too close. And if we get really fed up with the Disney transportation (a distinct possibility), we can always rent a car or call for a taxi.

 

[aljack33]

We did taxis twice last trip. I don't have a problem forking over $12 to $20 for peace of mind to get us where we need to go on time. We always stay at the Poly and the only time we had trouble was getting from the Boardwalk back to the Poly and from the Poly to DTD. Other than that, Disney buses did just fine for us to get us to our reservations.

I am excited to try the Deluxe DP. I mean, I eat breakfast, lunch adn dinner while I'm not on vacation, I don't see why I will be disappointed having 2 sit down meals a day while on vacation!