What of you think of the new CS dining plan?

[Flyin2MCO]

In addition to the issue I have will all the desserts on the dining plans, I also just don't get the refillable mug concept...Why are folks so wrapped up and excited about the concept of a "bottomless" mug of soda or whatever?

First of all, water is your best bet to stay hydrated in the usually hot Florida climate (and last time I checked, tap water is free), and how much soda does the average adult or kid need?

Is it a "value" thing?...if so, I don't buy that concept for folks at the mod or deluxe resorts....you are laying down a good deal of cash per night for the room, and a few bucks saved on sodas is a tipping point for the budget?...I just don't get it.

 

[mom2aredhead]

If you don't eat a TS meal every single day but only a couple per trip, this very well may be a great plan for you. Get the new CP DDP and pay for the TS OOP. It's worth doing the calculations for where you plan to eat.

That's us! I think it'll work great for our family. For starters, we're at the resort enough that the mugs are worth it...we use our mugs for drinks with our CS meals and throw the bottled drinks that actually come with the meals in the 'fridge for later to bring to the park. We stay at AKL and the pool is adjacent to Mara, so we'll refill the mugs several times while swimming too. We use lots of snack credits for breakfast, and often have our CS desserts for snacks during the course of the day.
We like to do some TS, but they're lots of character things, since we have a 4.5 year old, so clearly not the "best use of credits" if we were caring about that. And honestly, the TS takes so long and we've been sooooo underwhelmed with the food that we'll just pay OOP for a few of them rather than feel obligated to eat 6 or 7 TS during the course of our trip since we already pre-paid for them on DDP, kwim?
Plus we always do Rainforest Cafe at least once, which isn't on DDP, so there's one TS credit wasted, we would be fine skipping dessert, and we already have to pay for apps, gratuity and alcohol OOP anyway, so for us to pay OOP for a TS entree here and there in addition wouldn't be too bad.

Keep in mind, I haven't actually sat down and done the math, but at first glance, looks pretty good to me. Especially since the next trip I have planned (only in my mind) is during the Food and Wine Festival, so hopefully the stands will still take DDP snack credits and we'll be good to go!

 

[lovndisney]

I think this is the way we are going to go. We are not big sit down eaters when on vacation. Just experienced that this week while at the shore. I would rather enjoy what there is to do then eat. I would like to eat maybe one sit down meal and of course the character breakfast. But i have a little more time to think about what deal is best for me, my dh and my two children.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

However, I still have an issue with dessert at every meal...are there people out there that really eat dessert every day at lunch and dinner? Perhaps this is just a vacation thing....I might eat dessert once or twice a week usually, and then even when on vacation it's not something we order frequently. The snack credits can be used for plenty of dessert-like options, so it all seems like sugar overkill.

When I'm on vacation, I absolutely eat dessert with every meal. Heck, at home, we have dessert after dinner probably 4 nights a week! I guess it just depends on what your idea of kicking back and having a good time is. I don't think we're peculiar though.

We would use the snacks but from what I've heard the snack list is going to be SEVERELY cut back from this year.

I'm not sure where you heard that but it's not the case. You can go on the website now and see the 2009 passages. The basic DDP is the same as last year.

 

[mom2aredhead]

I think this is the way we are going to go. We are not big sit down eaters when on vacation. Just experienced that this week while at the shore. I would rather enjoy what there is to do then eat. QUOTE]

We think exactly alike. Must be the Jersey in us!
I have good restaurants around here. I cook filet mignon at home. Good food is not a novelty to us. Yes we like to eat well, but for the limited time we're on vacation, it's not a priority. I do not have Tower of Terror, SpectroMagic, Kilimanjaro Safari or Soarin' nearby, so if I'm going to budget my time to do attractions or eat, attractions win out every single time.

Down the shore we live on cereal or toast for breakfast, sandwiches on the beach for lunch, and mostly boardwalk food for dinner with the occasional nicer restaurant thrown in. I certainly don't want to give up precious beach time just to eat - that would be very un-Jersey girl of me!

 

[IWannaBeTink]

I was happy to see this option - I think it might be perfect for me and DS, as he doesn't really like anything on the TS menus. Assuming it's $26, otherwise it might not save us much $$.

 

[momdad4kids]

I dunno,we've been number crunching all day over the new CS plan vs the old plan. As much as Id love to think that doing TS meals everyday with 4 kids ages 6 - 9 was going to be wonderful I know in my heart its going to have some issues,lol.Trying to get everyone to the resteraunt by the reservation time ,waiting for the meal to arrive not to mention everyone trying to decide what theyre going to eat,then getting to think about what they ordered and changing thier minds after the fact, its bound to create at least one disasterous meal . Add to that our kids arent big eaters and ourselves, well desert ALWAYS looks so good but I never order it after usually im full anyway.
The resort mugs are a must ,its just convience, you go ,you get coffee water, milk, pop whatever and you dont need to dig for cash or put a $2 drink on your card.
Now heres what I came up with ,as we planned on doing Rainforest or the House of Blues anyway during our 8 night stay that was one meal OOP leaving 7 more .Our girls really would enjoy a character meal or 2 and we had planned on doing those as breakfasts anyway,hence less $$$ than dinner or lunch.
that will give us more CS meals we can use for breakfast or just a late nite snack back at the hotel, I do some of my best eating at 11 pm,lol
Then add in the 18% gratuity which to be honest with ourselves and my sil total of 7 ppl is going to be automatic,(totally burns my butt too just in case you wondered,I tip according to service if you give great service your going to get a great tip,if not, not so great,ruin my meal and you get nothing,I work contract and if I dont perform I dont work,simple as that) Im guessing we can save even with buying some TS meals about $300,maybe to someone staying in a $800 a night hotel not much money but thats new sneakers for everyone here,lol

 

[HelenePA]

Is it a "value" thing?...if so, I don't buy that concept for folks at the mod or deluxe resorts....you are laying down a good deal of cash per night for the room, and a few bucks saved on sodas is a tipping point for the budget?...I just don't get it.

Oh another point.. TIPPING! No tipping on this plan! I'll be in a Mod and will be laying out some serious cash as a family of SIX. My kids would rather milk than soda. I like ice water better than anything...

 

[Flyin2MCO]

I have good restaurants around here. I cook filet mignon at home. Good food is not a novelty to us. Yes we like to eat well, but for the limited time we're on vacation, it's not a priority. I do not have Tower of Terror, SpectroMagic, Kilimanjaro Safari or Soarin' nearby, so if I'm going to budget my time to do attractions or eat, attractions win out every single time.

Totally understand what you are saying, but dining can be a big part of the Disney experience...For us it's not about the quality or type of food, it's more about the surroundings and atmosphere. We don't have a Sci Fi Dine In Theatre or Akershus nearby, so we like to take advantage of the unique experiences.

Believe me, except for a few of the high end joints, Disney food is nothing to write home about...I never remember the food we eat, but I do cherish the experiences...

 

[rentayenta]

This is us too. We use the regular DDP, and we always have several CS credits leftover. Our trips are usually 9-10 days, I can't imagine eating CS for that long.

DH was so sick of chicken by the 3rd day.

 

[rentayenta]

Oh another point.. TIPPING! No tipping on this plan! I'll be in a Mod and will be laying out some serious cash as a family of SIX. My kids would rather milk than soda. I like ice water better than anything...

That is a great point. The lack of tip included is what's turning me off from the DDP.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Totally understand what you are saying, but dining can be a big part of the Disney experience...For us it's not about the quality or type of food, it's more about the surroundings and atmosphere. We don't have a Sci Fi Dine In Theatre or Akershus nearby, so we like to take advantage of the unique experiences.

Believe me, except for a few of the high end joints, Disney food is nothing to write home about...I never remember the food we eat, but I do cherish the experiences...

I actually think there is some really great food at WDW. We loved pretty much every place we ate. You just have to choose wisely. But if you eat at places like Sci-Fi Dine-In, you won't find it.

 

[Flyin2MCO]

I actually think there is some really great food at WDW. We loved pretty much every place we ate. You just have to choose wisely. But if you eat at places like Sci-Fi Dine-In, you won't find it.

That was my point...Sci Fi is widely known for mediocre food....but we love the unique atmosphere and fun.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

That was my point...Sci Fi is widely known for mediocre food....but we love the unique atmosphere and fun.

I know but I was disagreeing with your opinion that Disney's food is all mediocre or "nothing to write home about."

 

[bronwyn]

I think it's great that they've added this option. We're taking a mom / daughter trip next year and I know the girls aren't going to want to do sit downs all the time. At first I thought it was a bit expensive but after pricing out the counter service meals and snacks, I think it's right on. I didn't even include desserts in my calculations and it still seemed fair. I'm not sure we'll use the refillable mug very much but I'll certainly take it.

The girls really want to do Chef Mickey's and Ohana, so we'll just pay OOP for those. I also compared the basic dining plan to the QS option and paying out of pocket for 2 meals and the basic dining plan was still more expensive. It was the money for tips that really made the difference.

 

[nascarcheshirecat]

I am not a big breakast eater. so the refillable mug for tea in the morning, and if not using a snack credit for a pastry like before, could get fruit or anything else out of pocket. . then a cs at 1130 and dinner later. works for me,

 

[mom2aredhead]

DH was so sick of chicken by the 3rd day.

That's funny. In May we were on regular DDP and had a TS nearly every night, and my son ate nearly nothing but pasta and vanilla ice cream all week and he was sick of that!

Totally understand what you are saying, but dining can be a big part of the Disney experience...For us it's not about the quality or type of food, it's more about the surroundings and atmosphere. We don't have a Sci Fi Dine In Theatre or Akershus nearby, so we like to take advantage of the unique experiences.

Believe me, except for a few of the high end joints, Disney food is nothing to write home about...I never remember the food we eat, but I do cherish the experiences...

I totally understand what you're saying about the atmosphere of some of the restaurants. And don't forget the characters too. That's pretty much how we book our ADR's, with a few exceptions. I'll do about 3 or 4 nights of atmosphere, then I'm good - at least with the QS plan I don't need to commit to 7 nights again, but I'll likely still save a little money.
We live near Manhattan and we go there fairly often. We've eaten at Old Homestead and Peter Luger's steakhouses, Carmine's and Becco (and a million others) for Italian, Rosie O'Grady's, Mexicali Rose, Bar Americain (talk about over-rated ) Virgil's BBQ, not to mention the kabob/shwarma places on every streetcorner. We also have Mars 2112, Bubba Gump, ESPN Zone, Jeckyl and Hyde, Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood etc. etc. for atmosphere. Then there's Atlantic City, also fairly close and home to just about every celebrity chef restaurant you can think of. Having that around me, I really don't see Disney a "dining destination". Please understand, I'm not knocking anyone who does, and I'm really not trying to sound like one of those "food snobs" - it's just a matter of perspective and what you have available to you at home.

 

[Flyin2MCO]

I know but I was disagreeing with your opinion that Disney's food is all mediocre or "nothing to write home about."

I do think it's all relative...as far as theme parks and large volume environments go, WDW does indeed offer a great variety of food choices and some of those are in fact very good. As others have noted, it's tough to get excited about the food quality if you have great cuisine near your home. In addition to eating at the previously discussed Sci Fi on our upcoming trip, I've also made ADRs at Marrakesh...now I have several great kabob and Middle Eastern joints within 20 minutes of my home that put Marrakesh to shame, but we'll eat there anyway for the surroundings and entertainment. Hey, I think we're on the same page that we both love eating at WDW, just for different motivations!!

We've eaten at Old Homestead and Peter Luger's steakhouses, Carmine's and Becco (and a million others) for Italian, Rosie O'Grady's, Mexicali Rose, Bar Americain (talk about over-rated ) Virgil's BBQ, not to mention the kabob/shwarma places on every streetcorner. We also have Mars 2112, Bubba Gump, ESPN Zone, Jeckyl and Hyde, Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood etc. etc. for atmosphere. Then there's Atlantic City, also fairly close and home to just about every celebrity chef restaurant you can think of. Having that around me, I really don't see Disney a "dining destination". Please understand, I'm not knocking anyone who does, and I'm really not trying to sound like one of those "food snobs" - it's just a matter of perspective and what you have available to you at home.

Yep, agreed...although having eaten at the AC version of Old Homestead and a few of the other high end places, some of those are not that great either....

My philosophy on WDW dining is to have a great time and enjoy the atmosphere, while not getting overloaded either with too many calories or too much time sitting around when we could be touring....if the food is good then that is a bonus....

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Having that around me, I really don't see Disney a "dining destination". Please understand, I'm not knocking anyone who does, and I'm really not trying to sound like one of those "food snobs" - it's just a matter of perspective and what you have available to you at home.

All the places that you listed that you dine at around your home are basically chain restaurants so no worries about me calling you a food snob. My DH is a professional chef and I would say that we are a little on the food snobby side, just to let you know where I'm coming from.

We live near many exquisite fine dining establishments that are world renowned. However, the only five diamond restaurant's chef's table that I've been able to eat and the best meal of my life was at is WDW. I've eaten boat loads of sushi at this point throughout North America and Europe but the best sushi I've ever had was at WDW. There are many other examples that I can give you.

When I say that WDW has great food options, I'm not talking about Sci-Fi Dine-In (Did I mention ?) or even Restaurant Marrakesh (although it's fine). I'm talking about places like Victoria and Albert's, California Grill, Jiko, Bistro de Paris, The Wave, etc.

WDW has a lot of crap food because oddly enough that's what most people demand. However, they also have some wonderful fine dining establishments. My whole point is: How can one eat at a place like Victoria and Albert's and say that WDW's food is nothing to write home about?

 

[kimsuenew]

I think that the price sounds awfully high (just our opinion).

At $26.00, I know we can eat cheaper than that, (per person, per day) at CS places. We would not purchase it. The DDP's come with extras that we don't usually buy (soda and dessert) for instance. We could order food, paying out of pocket, and drinking water (with no dessert) twice a day and it will be far cheaper than the CS DDP costs.

Honestly, I do not know if the CS DDP (not Basic DDP) being offered to us as a bounceback offer would be a big enticement to bounceback. Well... maybe, because it is free!

For us, we can grab a quick bite in the room (foods we brought with us or bought at a nearby grocery) for breakfast and then buy what we need in the parks, and the cost would be less.

Now... if the CS DDP were no more than $20.00 or $21.00 per person, we would consider it perhaps, but otherwise... no!