Deluxe Dining Plan help

[First time disney]

I've been to Disney World twice as a child but don't remember a lot about it. We just got counter service and ate once at Epcott at a sit down place ( in Germany since my dad was stationed in the army there.)
My husband, 9 yr old son, and in-laws are going and staying for a week and we all have the deluxe dining plan. We have decided to not eat breakfast, we are just buying bread, cereal and milk and letting our son have breakfast in the hotel room so we can eat at better places for lunch and dinner and some signature restaurants and using 2 credits at some places.
I know that we can get appetizers, entree's & desserts at all the places we are eating, but can my son also get all that too? And then what about what kind of drinks can you order without being charged extra? We all like coke products but some times I order a lemonaid when we eat out here at home. (We don't drink alcohol).
Just wanting to know if someone can really explain to me how it works. I've tried reading about it on different sites and it just doesn't really explain. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[mickeysshoes]

First off WELCOME!!!

We always get the deluxe...first to answer your questions. It will work the same for your son...he will just order from the kids menu. Your waiter will be able to tell you if something is or is not included but for the most part something like tea or lemonade is included. We have learned to just ask the they will guide you.

We love plan. We do lunch and dinner also like you plan to do and it give you time to relax while you eat. We like to use our snack credit for breakfast. IE: fruit cup, bagel, whole fruit, juice, water or soda. Any thing under $5 most of the time will be a snack credit item. We never do 3 FULL meals in a day.....just way too much food. We do have one sit down breakfast and that day we will just snack for lunch and to a early dinner.

Good luck!!

 

[First time disney]

Thanks for the info. Another ? I forgot to ask. How does the server know what dining plan we have? Do we scan our magic bands before-hand?

 

[First time disney]

Yet another ?- we aren't getting to Disney till right at lunch time, then eating at The Wave... Of American Flavors so I'll have 2 snack credits extra, right? Cause we are eating dinner that night at 5:30 at California Grill. So I won't want a snack for that day.

 

[DisneyJoe]

With the Deluxe Dining you get, per person per night:

- 3 meal credits, than can be used for quick service or table service
- 2 snacks

As @mickeysshoes said, the snack credits can be used to have light meals. If you buy things to eat in the room, you may have a ton of snack credits left at the end of your trip. See this page for snack credit strategies http://www.mousesavers.com/disney-dining-plan-tips-and-tricks/#snack and these tips too http://www.mousesavers.com/disney-dining-plan-tips-and-tricks/

 

[First time disney]

We have all our reservations set up for sit-down places. (Ex. Liberty Tree Tavern, 50's Prime Time, Narcoosee's) so some of our eating places are signature. My husband & son have to eat dinner early so we have lunches set up around 11:30 and dinners around 5 pm cause they get really bad heartburn if they eat past 6 pm. But I thought I might save snack credits and just get something little to tide me over before lunch since only my son will eat breakfast at the hotel room.
Sorry for so many ?'s. I want to have some idea of what's going on when we get there. I'm so glad to find this site and where I can ask ?'s. Some sites I have found don't let write enough to try to explain something.

 

[First time disney]

We have all our reservations set up for sit-down places. (Ex. Liberty Tree Tavern, 50's Prime Time, Narcoosee's) so some of our eating places are signature. My husband & son have to eat dinner early so we have lunches set up around 11:30 and dinners around 5 pm cause they get really bad heartburn if they eat past 6 pm. But I thought I might save snack credits and just get something little to tide me over before lunch since only my son will eat breakfast at the hotel room.
Sorry for so many ?'s. I want to have some idea of what's going on when we get there. I'm so glad to find this site and where I can ask ?'s. Some sites I have found don't let write enough to try to explain something.

And as for snack- I know my son will want to use his on yummy stuff & not for breakfast items.

 

[DisneyJoe]

And as for snack- I know my son will want to use his on yummy stuff & not for breakfast items.

Will everyone be eating snacks?

 

[fbp]

You are going to be so full. I'm jealous.

 

[First time disney]

Yes. The 5 of us are all about food, especially myself and FIL! Lol!!!!! We figured if we are going to pay the $ to have a Disney vacation, we might as well go all out, so we have the deluxe plan, staying at Bay Lake at Contemporary. ( my son is train obsessed so he wanted to stay at the monorail- his words)
We got the memory maker too. This will probably be the only time we will ever get to take our son to Disney that's why we paid a lot.

 

[slappy magoo]

Yet another ?- we aren't getting to Disney till right at lunch time, then eating at The Wave... Of American Flavors so I'll have 2 snack credits extra, right? Cause we are eating dinner that night at 5:30 at California Grill. So I won't want a snack for that day.

You're basically allotted AN AVERAGE OF 2 snacks a day for each NIGHT of your reservation. If your trip is 8 days and 7 nights you get 14 snacks and 21 meal credits that you use or lose by the end of your checkout day but when you use those credits is up to you. You can avoid snacks till the last day and then make a hog of yourself if you want. Also, the credits are pooled amongst the whole party so you can steal all of them if you want and if you don't mind making family members cry.

 

[loriloughs]

The deluxe plan is a LOT of food. The last time we went we got the regular dining plan-one sit down, one counter service and one snack. That was a lot of food and we went to Downtown Disney our last day there to use up snacks. I wouldn't waste snacks getting water. I have heard you can have water shipped to your room. Much cheaper. You might want to rethink spending all that money on deluxe plan and go with regular dining plan. There are websites that weigh and compare packages. Mouse savers, allears net, Easydisney, etc.

 

[First time disney]

My MIL already paid for everything, and we go in 10 days, so kinda late now. We figured if we are going to spend the $ for everything else, we would get the best for eating too. When we go on vacation, we like to go to sit down places, and not fast food stuff.

 

[First time disney]

We went through a travel agent to set everything up

 

[englanddg]

So...you are going with Deluxe Dining and 4 adults and 1 child?

 

[englanddg]

You're basically allotted AN AVERAGE OF 2 snacks a day for each NIGHT of your reservation. If your trip is 8 days and 7 nights you get 14 snacks and 21 meal credits that you use or lose by the end of your checkout day but when you use those credits is up to you. You can avoid snacks till the last day and then make a hog of yourself if you want. Also, the credits are pooled amongst the whole party so you can steal all of them if you want and if you don't mind making family members cry.

Slappy nailed this answer!

 

[First time disney]

Everyone, thanks for all the info. My husband says I worry about all of it too much, that I'm not the one handling it. He thinks we just get to the airport when we are supposed to, and everything else will go smoothly.
I guess since MIL went to talk to the travel agent I'm not supposed to inter fear.

 

[englanddg]

Everyone, thanks for all the info. My husband says I worry about all of it too much, that I'm not the one handling it. He thinks we just get to the airport when we are supposed to, and everything else will go smoothly.
I guess since MIL went to talk to the travel agent I'm not supposed to inter fear.

I wouldn't worry about it. I do Deluxe every time. You'll completely enjoy the experience and, I suspect, the wonderful food you'll be able to try.

You'll have a great time!

If you have any last minute snack credits left over (you probably will), you can burn them on Mickey Rice Crispie treats to bring back home with you.

 

[First time disney]

That's a good idea. Knowing me, I won't have any left. I get thirsty walking around a theme park all day, then I'll want something to munch on with the drink. So there goes my 2 credits, then knowing I have 2 extra that I didn't use the first day, I'll have to get a drink again. Lol!!!!

 

[englanddg]

That's a good idea. Knowing me, I won't have any left. I get thirsty walking around a theme park all day, then I'll want something to munch on with the drink. So there goes my 2 credits, then knowing I have 2 extra that I didn't use the first day, I'll have to get a drink again. Lol!!!!

I thought the same...I think you'll be surprised.

I've had the Deluxe for 5 trips...and I've NEVER been able to use all my credits by the last day.