With these meals, does the DP make sense?

[lecach]

7 night trip in March
My Mom and Me
We usually eat 1 CS and 1 TS a day anyway. Do you think with the below plans that the Dining plan is a good fit and value for us?

Day 1 - afternoon arrival so 1 snack and probably 1 CS
Day 2 - hotel snack for breakfast, CS lunch, Chefs De France (probably getting the filet)
Day 3 - hotel snack for breakfast, Pecos CS lunch, Kona Cafe for Dinner
Day 4 - hotel breakfast, Earl of Sandwich for lunch, Boma for dinner
Day 5 - hotel breakfast, 50's prime time for lunch, dinner CS
Day 6 - Boatrights for breakfast (TS), snack in the park, Hoop De Doo (2 TS)
Day 7 - snack at hotel, CS for lunch and dinner

 

[beroh2253]

We really like the DDP, what we did in Sept. is paid for the Hoop-DE-Doo with our rewards card points this gave us a TS for dinner every day and we did Crysral Palace for breakfast one morning. The morning we did Crystal Palace at lunch time we were somewhat still full and split a CS at Columbia Harbor House. Had some CS left to use for breakfast like Konga Toast at Capt. Cooks in Polly. Used some of the snack credits for a hot stick bun for some breakfasts and some of the CS for a made to order ice cream sundae late night at the resort, we paid oop for any sodas or water at the parks.
Chefs de France and Kona are great choices for dinner and the Hoop we have seen 3 times and can't wait to go back. Boatwrights for breakfast has the konga toast but at Riverside fod sout they have a made to order omlet that is made to order or freshly made right then. Great sandwich at the Earl or if busy Wolfgang Pucks is just as good. Don't know about Boma for dinner but have been at Bome for breakfast 3 times and is great. Pacos Bills has a real good bacon double cheeseburger and a nice fixins bar but we now prefer Columbia Harber House for a CS for lunch at the MK. If you get a chance try Flame Tree BBQ @ the Animal Kingdom great ribs or bbq chicken.
Boy I a getting hungry but as you can see the DDP gets you to try many places to eat.

 

[septbaby]

Yes.

Marriott Grande Vista is one of my favorite Orlando resorts!

Not only is the DP a good value for how you intend to eat, but it is so nice to ignore price and just order what you want.

 

[lecach]

Marriott Grande Vista is one of my favorite Orlando resorts!

We liked it but I prefer staying onsite. You can't beat a free suite though.

This trip - if we go - would be staying at Port Orleans French Quarter. That's the favorite of my Mom and I. We stayed there our very first time onsite.

I guess what's made me really want to go for my birthday less than a year after our family vacation is that while we had a wonderful time sharing the World with DS the first time, it's a completely different experience without a child. And without the whole family. We had to watch the budget for meals with the whole family and didn't go to any nicer sit down meals since we had DS. So this time we'd be able to do that. And I think once DS is older it will be harder to go without him. Also, my Mom and I went for my 25th and 30th birthdays so it just seems right to go for my 40th. We went to Hoop De Doo for my 25th and havent been since so I think it's time. My DH is a sportswriter covering college basketball and since my birthday is March 12, he always has to work that week for March Madness.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Looks like you will make out ok on the plan. You'll definitely save a couple of bucks versus paying out of pocket. Even if you don't save that much, something is better than nothing. The important thing is the DDP fits your eating style, so you cna do what you would have done anyway, and save a few dollars (and maybe more) to boot.

 

[septbaby]

We liked it but I prefer staying onsite. You can't beat a free suite though. .

Once again we agree. If its a Disney vacation, onsite, but if I'm just in Orlando the Grande Vista works for me!

 

[lecach]

If we decide to pay OOP for Hoop De Doo, what other TS meals would you guys suggest? Maybe something at Downtown?

 

[LizinSTL]

7 night trip in March
My Mom and Me
We usually eat 1 CS and 1 TS a day anyway. Do you think with the below plans that the Dining plan is a good fit and value for us?

Day 1 - afternoon arrival so 1 snack and probably 1 CS
Day 2 - hotel snack for breakfast, CS lunch, Chefs De France (probably getting the filet)
Day 3 - hotel snack for breakfast, Pecos CS lunch, Kona Cafe for Dinner
Day 4 - hotel breakfast, Earl of Sandwich for lunch, Boma for dinner
Day 5 - hotel breakfast, 50's prime time for lunch, dinner CS
Day 6 - Boatrights for breakfast (TS), snack in the park, Hoop De Doo (2 TS)
Day 7 - snack at hotel, CS for lunch and dinner

Your planned TS credits have a value of about $180pp. Since the plan will cost you about $280 pp, it's probably not going to save you a remarkable amount. Without it you could choose a light lunch of a salad at 50s PT or just an app and dessert at Kona, for example. In order to break even on the DDP w/ these meals you'd need to change a few like drop Boatrights breakfast (or pay OOP), move 50s PT to dinner, add another dinner time meal (they are your best value on the DDP.) HDDR is actually a pretty decent value on the DDP now because it includes the tip.

2 breakfasts at Boatrights would be $30 or so for 2. (That's w/ coffee/juice) HDDR is $55 pp or so and it includes the tip and sangria/beer.

In your shoes, I'd probably NOT do the DDP based on your planned meals. (This is coming from someone who loves the DDP!)

 

[susieq76]

Hey! I know you! LOL- I knew that I knew you as soon as I saw the "son got Bacon" notation- I mean- no one else could possibly have that one!!!!!!

We love the DP- I would get it. What *I* would do is pay oop for Boatwrights bf and keep the HDDR as credits. I think breakfast is easily shared (but we're no big bf eaters anyway). I don't think you'll save a fortune, but I think you'll make out at least a bit.

 

[lecach]

Hey Susie! I would have recognized you as soon as I saw your screen name - I look at all your cake threads on TM. Amazing!!!

We're still torn. Thinking about adding Wolfgang for Wednesday and moving Boma to Friday night since we're going to AK that day anyway. Just not sure about the DP. If we could have an appetizer instead of dessert that would seal it. We would never order 2 desserts.

I went ahead and booked most of our meals. Really all we need now is the flight.

Of course DH is still in shock since he found out my Mom made our hotel ressies in November (go Mom ). His biggest concern is that this trip will leave him with an extra week vacation than I will have. So he hasn't given his seal of approval (but as we all know that's JUST a formality ). I suggested to him that I would use my arsenal - the fact that he was in Vegas when we moved from our old house leaving me to handle the movers all alone. And THEN he was working the day we moved into our new house (he could have gotten out of it). And THEN I let him go to Vegas about a year ago with 3 poker buddies - two of which were women. I told him he OWES me .

 

[susieq76]

I suggested to him that I would use my arsenal - the fact that he was in Vegas when we moved from our old house leaving me to handle the movers all alone. And THEN he was working the day we moved into our new house (he could have gotten out of it). And THEN I let him go to Vegas about a year ago with 3 poker buddies - two of which were women. I told him he OWES me .

He!!- he owes you two WDW vacations!!!!!! Jeesh!