Thanks for all your comments! Looks like there was some confusion, but what I'm gathering is that "WE CAN" order separately at table, even when our whole room has dining plan? Definitely decided against Deluxe plan...now wandering if I can shave off enough table service credits (if kids eat from kids menu) to basically get another table service meal. I would say it would have to be more than 2 to justify another family table service meal.
- It would almost assuredly be a waste of money to get the Deluxe Plan. Even the regular dining plan might be a bit break-even.*
- Be explicit with the table service server or the person taking your counter service order when you start the order. If you're just a family of 3, tell the server "the adults will use the dining plan, we'll pay out of pocket for our son." If you're 2 adults, one child over 9 and one child under 9, "we're using 2 adult credits and one child credit, paying for one child out of pocket," and so on.
- When it comes to table service meal credits, the credits you save paying for your child's meals out of pocket could go towards Signature Dining meals for the grown-ups.
- It would probably be best to look for counter service restaurants that serve adult meals that would appeal to your child so you don't have many of those left over. However, I believe the policy that's still in place is that any left over counter service meals can be swapped out for 3 snack credits (if this has changed, I'm sure someone will correct me but we did this as recently as last December). In this case look for snack items that are more easily kept or already pre-packaged...unless you have a way to keep and refrigerate items that are best kept cold. We usually drive there and back from NJ and have a decent sized cooler with us, so buying things like cupcakes and fudge, throwing them in ziploc bags and using those treats as a sort of Disney detox on the way back home is nice. There are also decent sized bags of pre-packaged snacks like The Chip and Dale Mountain Mix or Nature's Trail Mix that don't exactly scream "Disney" but the OOP prices for those items aren't so out of line compared to supermarket prices for comparable items.
(*Off-topic, the Deluxe Dining Plan CAN "save" a lot of money and arguably a lot of time for parents of smaller children, if they prefer a lot of character meals and buffets. The cost for a kid's breakfast and a kid's dinner at buffet/character meals is usually as much as OR MORE THAN the cost of a night for a child on the Deluxe Plan anyway. Example - a breakfast at Tusker House and a dinner at Liberty Tree (all you care to eat but not a buffet or character meal) would cover the $38.75 cost of the kids' deluxe plan with one more meal and 2 snacks left to go. Plus you met 4 or 5 characters at breakfast, got your photos and autographs for the kids, no need to wait in a queue to meet those guys later on.)
