Should we do the dining plan?

[IMGONNABE40!]

We are a group of newbies--6 adults and 4 children, 14, 9, 2, 2. We hope to stay on site either at CSR or AKL with the possibility of Pop. FOr some reason my mind tells me to dimiss the dining plan. Then I read that so many people on here have the plan that I am beginning to wonder about it.

My thought is that the plan will be too restrictive. It sounds like folks with the dining plan make ADR's all over the place. What if we are not the type of travelers to make ADR's in advance and want to have the flexibility to be more spontaneous with our dining plans? I really don't want to have an ADR at say, an MK restaurant, and it works out that on that day we are not at MK. Would the dining plan still work for us? Is it really that much of a cost saver?

Thanks!

 

[Allensfan]

I am new here too, going in Sept and staying at the Aminal Kingdom Lodge. I have worked the numbers 10 different ways and getting the dining plan sounds like the only way to go. The money it saves in unreal.

We are not big eaters, so having a quick snack for breakfast is perfect for us...the plan pays for us to eat at a counter service for lunch (no rsvps needed) and then a sit down dinner. One huge meal a day will be plently for us.

Examples of our trip:

If we eat at a counter service (three people) that will run us about $25.00- $30.00.

Dinner at San Angel Inn (not one of the most expensive choices) will cost us about $75.00 (not even including tip) plus we eat get a snack which would be about $10.00. For the day we have spent at least 120.00 and on the meal plan, it costs us $86.97.

Some of the meals we picked for dinner will easily be over $100 for the three of us.

Now you do have to pick sit down meals and make advanced seating. But that is the only meal of the day you would have to plan so maybe it is worth it to save so much money. We figure the meal plan is going to save us about $300-400, which we felt was a great savings.

Also, for us...it was fun looking at meals on line and restruants and picking what sounded like fun to us. And I had the benifit of checking places out so that I did not pick places that people had bad reviews about. Although I am sure some of my picks are not fav. of other people. Having one planned meal helped me plan the days and all the other stuff can happen at a more relaxed pace.

I sure hope this helps you....have a great trip.

 

[timandlesley]

Do the dining plan!!!! We did it last year and will never go without again. It was a TRUE vacation for us to have one sit down meal a day including some character meals for the kids, be able to order anything we wanted off of the menu and not have to stress over the cost. I liked pre-paying for this too so it was budgeted ahead of time. As far as ADR's, you will need to make these in advance anyway. If you plan on having sit down meals make sure you do make these or you may not be able to find anywhere to eat (I've been reading a lot of reports on here that people are turned away without them) and I know from experience that the week we were there we had not success making last minute ADR's for that week. Book the dining plan, make your ADR's, if you get there and decide to sleep in one morning and not do that scheduled character breakfast you can always call and cancel, better than being without in my oppinion.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thank you. That is helpful. Where did you go online to view a list of restaurants?

My thinking is that we will use TourGuideMikes to help us plan our days in the parks. My concern is that we will have ADR's for restaurants in places where we are not recommended to be. How soon should we make ADR's? How bad is it to just wing it with no ADR's? Is an ADR different from a PS?

 

[DisFlan]

Make ADR's! It's getting much harder to just "wing" it at the last minute. You might end up waiting a very long time to eat, or get stuck with undesirable times.

ADR's (Advanced Dining Ressies) replaced PS (Priority Seating) last year. The name change didn't really change anything much.

You can make ADRs, with a few exceptions, 180 days ahead. You should make your ADRs as early as possible. Allearsnet.com has a good list of restaurants, where they are, menus, prices and dates to make ressies.

DisFlan

 

[angel's momma]

Thank you. That is helpful. Where did you go online to view a list of restaurants?

My thinking is that we will use TourGuideMikes to help us plan our days in the parks. My concern is that we will have ADR's for restaurants in places where we are not recommended to be. How soon should we make ADR's? How bad is it to just wing it with no ADR's? Is an ADR different from a PS?

Here's a link to menus:
http://allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

ADR & PS is the same thing, just a new wording. ADRs can be made 180 out. With so many people on the dining plan, it's advisable to make ADRs.

When are yo going? The time you are going makes a difference as to if you would be able to change your ADR if you find yourself in a place different than your ADR - value season would probably be easier to do so than peak season.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

We plan to be there in July '07--so I guess ADR's will be a must.

I just looked at the prices for the plan. Seems Cheap! Here are my new questions:

What about kids under 3? It does not seem like we'll pay for the plan for them, but what do they eat? Do we buy them a meal seperately?

If we get a 6 night package with hoppers for 7 days, how many days are included in the dining plan?

Are any beverages included--soft drinks,milk, beer, wine, etc?

If we are at a dining plan restaurant, is there is certain "sub-menu" we can order from, or can we just order what we want?

What are the extras people end up paying for? Drinks? Appetizers? Desserts? Extra Dressing? Cheese on a sandwich?

Thank you for all the responses!

 

[Ms.Mouse]

Yes, Do the Dining Plan!!! We like to have one sit down dinner each evening to "wind the day down" and talk about our day (we all separate and do our own thing in the parks.) The "sit-down" meal alone MORE THAN pays for the price of the Dining Plan... And if you're eating your TS at one of the "less expensive" places, you may be getting your counter meal "free" but it's still a savings.

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

We plan to be there in July '07--so I guess ADR's will be a must.

I just looked at the prices for the plan. Seems Cheap! Here are my new questions:

First, most of your questions can be answered in the Dining Plan FAQ. But I'll try to the best of my knowledge (bear in mind, I haven't done this yet, this is just from what I've read for my upcoming trip).

What about kids under 3? It does not seem like we'll pay for the plan for them, but what do they eat? Do we buy them a meal seperately?

You don't pay for them, but they have to share with you. If you want them to get their own separate meal, it's out of pocket.

If we get a 6 night package with hoppers for 7 days, how many days are included in the dining plan?

6. But you can use your dining credits from check-in to midnight on the day you check out.

Are any beverages included--soft drinks,milk, beer, wine, etc?

Non-alchoholic beverages are included. Alcohol, milkshakes and specialty drinks (like glowing ice cube drinks) are out of pocket.

If we are at a dining plan restaurant, is there is certain "sub-menu" we can order from, or can we just order what we want?

You order what you want.

What are the extras people end up paying for? Drinks? Appetizers? Desserts? Extra Dressing? Cheese on a sandwich?

Appetizers and Desserts are included. There are a few restaurants that will charge you if you want to add on, say, lobster to your steak meal. I don't think extra dressing or cheese would be out of pocket, but I am not completely sure. Drinks, see above.

Hope that helps! I'm trying to plan all this for our June 06 trip, so I've read bunches of info about the plan.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thank you! And of course, I have more questions!

It seems that a child dining plan for a 6 night stay is only about $65. Is there a way to buy that for a two year old, without having to buy park tickets for the child?

What if your whole party does not eat together? For instance, if some one skips the parks for a day and wants to do a CS at the hotel while the others do a CS at the park--is that possible? What if one or two people bail on a reserved TS and want to do a TS at the hotel (assuming they can get in). Will that work?

If you have an ADR for 8 people and only 4 people show up, do they still charge you for 8?

Thanks.

 

[jarrdisney]

If you're visiting disney for the 1st time I would definatley reccomend the dining plan. Having a "key to the world" pass that includes dining, credit, room key, park access, etc is a great asset. Once you have mastered the parks and places to eat, I don't think it's neccesary. One word of advice would be to PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!! That is going to save you the most time and $$$$ when it comes to eating in disney. These boards are very helpful when it comes to reccomendations on places to eat. The counter service meals can really be hit or miss so do your homework.

I suggest: Cosmic Rays, Backlot express, tusker house, and most the CS at epcot are pretty good.

As for table service meals I would suggest: Le Cellier, CA Grill, Artist Point, Citricos, Bistro de paris

hope this helps. but remember. plan your days and meals. I know it may seem like a lot of work, but it's definatley worth it in the long run

 

[angel's momma]

Is there a way to buy that for a two year old, without having to buy park tickets for the child?

What if you whole party does not eat together?

If you have an ADR for 8 people and only 4 people show up, do they still charge you for 8?

There have been reports of adding children under 3, but they must buy a ticket, unless it's DVC.

Everyone doesn't have to eat together.

You aren't charged if less people show up UNLESS it's a meal that you had to prepay a deposit, such as CRT.

 

[robsmom]

Keep in mind that the under 3 child is free at buffets including charactor meals so you don't need to buy a meal there or "share" with anyone. Having two 2 year olds, I think buffets with the meal plan would work well.

A lot of people find the meal plan to be a ton of food. For lunch or dinner at a Counter Service (CS) you are going to get your meal, side, drink and a dessert. I think that you could supplement and share with the 2 year olds pretty easy and a low cost.

I find planning ADR's is not to bad, decide on a plan for where you think you want to be park/resort first (use tourguide mike, etc) and then book where you expect to be. It is absolutely possible to change them once you arrive. You just can't always get your first choices. Last trip we cancelled 2 or 3 and went other places. One afternoon we decided that we were hot and tired and did not want to go back to the park we had planned. We cancelled dinner and wanted to go to 1900 Park Faire. They were booked but we go into Citricos. when we got to the grand floridian, I walked up to 1900 and was able to get a table. You never know.

 

[twinsmamma]

We plan to be there in July '07--so I guess ADR's will be a must.

I just looked at the prices for the plan. Seems Cheap! Here are my new questions:

What about kids under 3? It does not seem like we'll pay for the plan for them, but what do they eat? Do we buy them a meal seperately?

If we get a 6 night package with hoppers for 7 days, how many days are included in the dining plan?

Are any beverages included--soft drinks,milk, beer, wine, etc?

If we are at a dining plan restaurant, is there is certain "sub-menu" we can order from, or can we just order what we want?

What are the extras people end up paying for? Drinks? Appetizers? Desserts? Extra Dressing? Cheese on a sandwich?

Thank you for all the responses!

yes you can buy a plan for the child under three but you must also buy park tickets. Buffets are free for them and they can share off you plate at t/s rest. or you could buy them a childs meal( ranges from 4-6 dollars)
you do not all have to eat together the credits are one your room keys and they swipe your card when you pay.
non alscholic drinks are included, sometimes milkshakes and milk just ask your server.
creits are based on the number of nights in stay so you would get 6 t/s and 6c/s and 6 snacks.

 

[kimberh]

I book my ADR's in the park and then that is the park that we do that day. If we take a day off form a park then I book a ADR at a hotel or on the Boardwalk that we really like. Look at the menu's and see what kind of food your family likes. The ADR's are a must. On one trip we stayed a extra day and we didn't have a ADR for the park that day, every place that was really good was totally booked. For about two hours we wasted time trying to find a good place to eat. We all became frustated with the whole thing and ate a hamburger. We really enjoy sitting down at the end of the day and talking about all we have done, it's part ot the magic for us, especially when all of our family gets to go.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

For us, the dp ended up sealing the deal. We knew that flight, park tickets, and accomadations were doable, but we had no idea what food would cost. As regular DL visitors we just eat in the family motor home, so we're really excited for a vacation where we have more options than what we bought beforehand. The more and more we looked at the dp the more we realized what a savings it was. It offers tremendous variety and gives diners a chance to have some classic Disney fun since character meals are included and are only 1 TS credit(except for CRT). I would have thought that character meals would be considered signature dining as I was doing most of my dining research before I got the dining guide.

 

[drogerstn]

...Would the dining plan still work for us? Is it really that much of a cost saver? ...

The dining plan is not a cost saver for us. We'd spend at least $250 more on food during a 7-day visit if we purchased the dining plan for our group of four "adults". This includes eating one buffet breakfast and 3 TS lunches during this 7-day time period. There is a potential to save even more than this, but we like to have an occasional TS lunch during our stay and a big breakfast once during our stay.

 

[RedRuby]

To back up the speculation on the 2 year olds not needing a meal plan - we visited WDW with our twins when they were 2yo, too (on the free dining meal last Sept/Oct). We simply shared our meals with them -- at some restaurants, just one adult credit was plenty of food for all four of us....both at the sit-down and counter service locations (I swear the most expensive counter service meal on a single credit is the Pepper Market's steak with grilled vegetables, potatoes, slushie and a dessert (it rings up at the till as $27, I think!).

For other locations, we got two full adult meals and shared them around -- or ate at a buffet where the under-twos were free anyway.

We had a 10 night stay (planned for 9, had one extra day due to illness), and spent less than $30 on our out of pocket expenses for things not on the plan. And $20 of that was specifically buying two kids meals out of pocket (for other children at our table) so that we could save the meal credit for another time! The other $7-$8 was for a meal which my Dh ordered poolside, but wasn't available on the plan.

We had extra CS and one extra TS credit at the end, and so could have even avoided these costs if necessary. I covered one meal for the table sitting next to me at the Crystal Palace, and bought something like 3 CS meals for a family at Casey's Corner when I was strolling by....We had 7 snack credits left, and bought drinks for our trip home.

For our hypothetical next trip, we're considering a DVC rental, but only because the dining plan is available for DVC now. I'm convinced it's a good deal for our family.

Oh, and to answer the issue of the plan only covering two meals per day, we just split credits a couple of times to allow us 'room' for breakfast, or had a snack in the room. It partly depends on your appetite and how flexible you are likely to be (and would be happy doing). I think my extended family members may have spent more out-of-pocket because they weren't as interested in studying the options and doing the calculations on an ongoing basis...which was perfect for them, since they didn't want the hassle.

It was also easier to rationalise the dining plan when it was 'free' but I'd probably still pay for it, knowing that I'm likely to split meals where needed to extend the credits accordingly.

 

[bridget]

Last year in Sept. we had the free dining. It was wonderful!!!! We were very spoiled. We got drinks and dessert, and usually we never do that! We ate at California Grill, LeCellier, Chef Mickey's, Liberty Tree Tavern and Concourse Steak House for our TS. We either used our CS at a park or at the hotel.

We are going back and May and we were debating because this time we would pay for dining.

This is my thinking.....If we just wanted to eat at counter service places, and not buy extra snacks or drinks, I think we could eat for less than $260. However, we would not have any character dining or probably even any sit down places, and that was a fun part of our trip last time. 1900 Park Fare at dinner with Cinderella is almost $100 for the 3 of us!

Last time, I feel I did a very good job of planning (and I don't like planning soooo much, that it isn't any fun, and you are ALWAYS having to be some place). I either made reservations for a TS in a park or at the Contemporary, and we went to Magic Kingdom after dinner. We ate lunch where ever. I have a little girl, so we would go back for naps in the afternoon or to swim, then go out again at about 5pm. Most reservations for dinner were around 5:45 or 6 pm.

This time I decided to go for buffets with character. We are eating at Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare and Crystal Palace. I know these are not the California grill, but with a 3 year old I decided this time buffet's would be faster and last time she LOVED the characters.

It is also nice to just grab a snack, and not worry about $$$$. We saved our receipts last time, and even if we paid for the meal plan, we would have saved tons. Granted, we would not have eaten at half of the places we did if it wasn't for the meal plan, but the meal plan allowed us to eat at places we never would have considered.

Bridget

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thank you for all of the replies. I am convinced the DP will be a $$ saver and will be plenty of food for all--even the babies not on the plan. My concern is that having the TS will "obligate" us to make ADR's and I am fearful that having ADR's is too restrictive for our style of travel. I do expect to plan, plan, plan. That is not the issue. The thing is that people make ADR's as much as 180 days in advance. However, if I am using TourGuideMikes, I will not know 180 out which parks we will be in on any given day on our vacation, or which days we will take off from the parks. I was just wondering how people resolve this issue.

I have started another thread about doing ADR's at signature dining places and using our TS credits that way. I figure we can do a signature meal on our arrival day and that would not detract from making the most of a day in the parks. Any other ideas?