Advice with 2TS credit restaurants

[cwnhokie]

We are thinking about doing our 10th anniversary trip in WDW this Fall and catching free dining and the Food and Wine Fest. I was just looking over the dining plan and most of the restaurants that I was looking forward to trying kidfree are 2 TS. Any advice from experiences Dining planners on this, how to share meals, which ones are worth it, how to stretch the plan. I figured we'd be spending some OOP money at the Food and Wine fest. What do you think? Am I making any sense?

 

[QueenT]

I am having the same problem. We are going with kids, but they are older & DH & I plan to eat at 2 or 3 dinners by ourselves. My top 3 are California Grill, Flying Fish, & Artist Point (not counting the 2 that aren't on the plan, Shula's & Le Bistro de France).

DH is a chef & likes to try different foods. Kids want buffets.

I saw one post where they were using sharing CS meals, then subbing extra CS credits to make up for TS 2 credit meals.

This seems like a good way to manage credits.

 

[mello]

We were there for the free dining plan during F&W Fest this past Sept, and found that there was so much food that we didn't wind up using all our snack and CS credits. We loved the dining plan and thought it was a good deal, and would be even if we had paid for it. That said, we decided that next time we'll actually do a couple of 2TS credit meals on purpose, and leave a couple days unplanned. That way maybe we'll use all our CS, and we'll have a bit more flexibility - not having to be at a reservation every single day.

I'd just use the TS credits you have to go to the restaurants you want to go to, and plan on either paying oop or using cs the other days.

Another option would be to use 2TS credits for one meal and pay oop for the other meal at each restaurant, if the server says that's okay. Then you could share one appetizer and dessert, and not be quite so full.

Enjoy eating your way around the world!

 

[cwnhokie]

Mello,
What did you think of the food and wine festival? Were the crowds managable? We are planning a kidless trip for our anniversary and this seemed like a fun option. Did you do any of the special events?

 

[mello]

The crowds seemed pretty manageable to us. Epcot just seems to handle crowds so much better than the other parks. The atmosphere was festive, and all the little booths set up with small offerings from the different countries were really fun. Most things are like $3 or so, for little cups of wine, and hors 'd ouvre size portions of things. We had fun eating and drinking our way around the lagoon. And there was lots of musical entertainment too. Very fun. We didn't stay late into the evenings, or do any of the special events 'cuz we had our kids with us (I understand that things get a bit more boisterous later at night). I think it would be a really fun thing to do if you don't have kids with you. We're right now planning a little anniversary getaway without ours, but unfortunately not during F&WF. We actually feel like traitors to be going there without them LOL!

Mello,
What did you think of the food and wine festival? Were the crowds managable? We are planning a kidless trip for our anniversary and this seemed like a fun option. Did you do any of the special events?

 

[cwnhokie]

I know what you mean, my DH is still not sure if he can handle the guilt. But my DS5 gave me his blessing today, just as long as grandma gets to come babysit. So I guess it's ok. How old are your kids?

 

[mello]

Grandma's coming to stay with the younger two while the older one's at boy scout camp, so they're okay with it too. But we keep looking at each other guiltily whenever the little one starts singing "Wishes", or saying, "I want to go to Disneyworld, and see the castle, and see Cinderella, and the fireworks..." We're not actually even going to any of the theme parks, but I know we'll keep saying, "the kids would have liked this..." lol.

I know what you mean, my DH is still not sure if he can handle the guilt. But my DS5 gave me his blessing today, just as long as grandma gets to come babysit. So I guess it's ok. How old are your kids?

 

[ReallyFunMom]

Another option would be to use 2TS credits for one meal and pay oop for the other meal at each restaurant, if the server says that's okay. Then you could share one appetizer and dessert, and not be quite so full.

QUOTE]

This is the way I am leaning and would still buy alcohol and such to add on for additonal tip but does it have to be cleared with server? Is it allowed sometimes but not other times?

 

[CinRell]

I saw one post where they were using sharing CS meals, then subbing extra CS credits to make up for TS 2 credit meals.

This seems like a good way to manage credits.

I don't think you can sub CS credits for TS credits...

 

[QueenT]

I meant that you would eat 2 counter service instead of 1 CS & 1 TS in a day, by means of sharing a big counter service serving size meal on 1 or more days when you at 1 CS, 1TS. This would be somewhat dependent upon the size & makeup of your party.

For me, dd11 doesn't always eat much, sometimes neither do I, while dh & dd16 usually eat more, so with some of the CSs where they seem to serve a lot of food in a serving, you could share & use 2 CSs instead of 4.

Probably depends on the CS restaurant though, & might be hard to plan out.

I am PLANNING on OOP for some TS to make up for the 2TS, but if it works out with the sharing we may do at least 1 day just CS all day.