Dining plan

[pinkrose]

So, regardless of how many days I have in the resort, it's based on how many days my ticket is for? So if I am staying in the resort for 9 days, but only get a 7 day pass, then I only get 7 days on the dining plan, whereas if I get a 10 day parkhopper pass, I get 10 days on the dining plan? Am I understanding it correctly?

Check your PM's:wave:

 

[pinkrose]

Ya, I know what each person gets, but I'm just trying to weigh it in my mind to see if it's really a good deal. Like I said, it seems to come to about $37 per person per day. So, if we eat at, say Pecos Bills in Frontierland, and spend about 15 bucks total, that's about $7.5 dollars a piece. And although we may splurge occasionally and eat at a really expensive sit down meal, it's unlikely that we would be spending $30 per person per day on the other meal of the day...which leads me to wonder if we would actually spend more money using the dining plan, than we would if we didn't. I guess if the most expensive table service eatery and the least expensive were both equally covered under the plan, that could make it more worth the money, since we could eat at the coral reef for the same price as, say, the San Angel. Did I also read correctly that the tip is already included in the price of the dining plan?

That link I gave you will answer most of your questions. It explains much more than just what all each person gets.

 

[TwoTigersMom]

it helps me to see it like this: If your arriving at 5:30pm you'll only need dinner that night (assuming)

Day1 Day2 Day3 Day4 Day5

B B B B

L L L L

D D D D

S S S S

AAKKK It shows it right when I'm typing it out, but it won't show it right when it posts oh well sorry

 

[LaughingGravy]

There's also the fun factor to be had when on the dining plan of ordering any entree you want and not worrying at all, even a little, about whether you should splurge for that extra buck or two for the other meal on the menu because you could save that for a soda or snack later on.

It is indeed easy to save up snacks because you will certainly be on the full side for the most part. The dessert that comes with each counter service meal is what does it.
One nice hot day I used two snacks for some well appreciated ice cream that I wouldn't have bought if I wasn't on the plan.

That just makes it more of a vacation.

 

[sbkline]

Check your PM's:wave:

I did. Thanks for the info. :animwink:

 

[sbkline]

it helps me to see it like this: If your arriving at 5:30pm you'll only need dinner that night (assuming)

Ya, I was kind of thinking that, as well. If we don't check in until evening, then we get to save a snack and a meal for one of our other days, which would mean that if we want to exchange two table service meals for a character dining, we can, without forfeiting one of our meals, since we have an extra from a previous day to use. Additionally, we plan to visit Busch Gardens and Universal, so there will be two days where we can carry over at least one meal to another day, so if we want to eat three meals on a couple days, we can. :animwink:

 

[sbkline]

jiko, flying fish cafe, california grill, citricos, narcoossees, artist point, yachtsman steak house, brown derby, and character meals are signature

That's what I'm confused on and need some clarificiation. From what I can tell, the big French restaurant in EPCOT is pricier than the Brown Derby, yet you say that the Brown Derby is a "signature" eatery whereas France is not. Is it based on something other than price, then, or is France a signature restaraunt as well?

 

[pinkrose]

That's what I'm confused on and need some clarificiation. From what I can tell, the big French restaurant in EPCOT is pricier than the Brown Derby, yet you say that the Brown Derby is a "signature" eatery whereas France is not. Is it based on something other than price, then, or is France a signature restaraunt as well?

Here's the link that will tell you how many points each place is. :wave:

http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...gespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/MYWDining.pdf

 

[DisneyBunny]

That's what I'm confused on and need some clarificiation. From what I can tell, the big French restaurant in EPCOT is pricier than the Brown Derby, yet you say that the Brown Derby is a "signature" eatery whereas France is not. Is it based on something other than price, then, or is France a signature restaraunt as well?

I think the confusion arrises from the fact that there are two resturatnts in France. The Bistro de Paris is the 2 credit eatery, while Le Chefs de France is only a 1 credit place. That link above should help you a lot.

 

[shoppingnut]

Ya, I was kind of thinking that, as well. If we don't check in until evening, then we get to save a snack and a meal for one of our other days, which would mean that if we want to exchange two table service meals for a character dining, we can, without forfeiting one of our meals, since we have an extra from a previous day to use. Additionally, we plan to visit Busch Gardens and Universal, so there will be two days where we can carry over at least one meal to another day, so if we want to eat three meals on a couple days, we can. :animwink:

Yes, you can use your meals in any combination. If you decide to have three sit down meals in one day or three counter service in one day, you can.

The way we used the plan was to have the counter service for breakfast in the morning and the sit down for dinner, this way we did get more bang for our buck. Because we went in August, it was hot, so we tended to use the snack option for ice cold bottled water in the parks.

Since you are staying on property, you can use DME for free and don't have to rent a car. It is not cost effective to rent a car to eat just at taco bell and ihop for a week. If the rental car is $160 for the week, plus $35 in gas & tolls, that is $28 a day and you haven't eaten anything yet. It is almost the cost of one person's per day price for the dining plan. This is a vacation and you should treat yourselves to some things that you wouldn't normally.

The dining plan IMO is well worthwhile.

 

[sbkline]

I think the confusion arrises from the fact that there are two resturatnts in France. The Bistro de Paris is the 2 credit eatery, while Le Chefs de France is only a 1 credit place. That link above should help you a lot.

Ya, that does explain alot. And that link above helped alot, so thanks to whoever posted it.

So, for the table service meals, would it be wise to start trying to book those now, or is it still a little early yet? Our vacation is planned for April 9-18 of next year.

 

[DisneyBunny]

Ya, that does explain alot. And that link above helped alot, so thanks to whoever posted it.

So, for the table service meals, would it be wise to start trying to book those now, or is it still a little early yet? Our vacation is planned for April 9-18 of next year.

The earliest you can book is 180 days in advance, so you've still got time. But once that 180 day mark rolls around I'd book as soon as you can. Some of the more popular places fill up fast, and if you want a specific day and time your best bet is to book as soon as possible. :wave:

 

[sbkline]

Since you are staying on property, you can use DME for free and don't have to rent a car. It is not cost effective to rent a car to eat just at taco bell and ihop for a week. If the rental car is $160 for the week, plus $35 in gas & tolls, that is $28 a day and you haven't eaten anything yet. It is almost the cost of one person's per day price for the dining plan. This is a vacation and you should treat yourselves to some things that you wouldn't normally.

Well, we drive our own car down, so we wouldn't be out for car rental and gas probably wouldn't be that much just to run into kissimme or Orlando. But still, the dining plan does look like it has some perks of its own and I am seriously considering it.:animwink:

 

[MouseearsDeb]

HI, haven't read most of the post regarding your original question, but you can't book until like 180 days ahead of your vacation. But it is HIGHLY recommended to book. I know we never spent the 37 a day per person, but I think you have to look at what you can get for that $37. Like some have said, most character meals, a lot of the nicer restaurants including coral reef are single points. You also get an app., entree, desert PER PERSON. If you like to try different things to eat, you might order one entree and split it. Then a few hours later do that somewhere else. THis year we are using the free dining plan and I'm looking forward to seeing just how much we save compared to what it would have cost.

 

[shoppingnut]

Since you are staying on property, you can use DME for free and don't have to rent a car. It is not cost effective to rent a car to eat just at taco bell and ihop for a week. If the rental car is $160 for the week, plus $35 in gas & tolls, that is $28 a day and you haven't eaten anything yet. It is almost the cost of one person's per day price for the dining plan. This is a vacation and you should treat yourselves to some things that you wouldn't normally.

Well, we drive our own car down, so we wouldn't be out for car rental and gas probably wouldn't be that much just to run into kissimme or Orlando. But still, the dining plan does look like it has some perks of its own and I am seriously considering it.:animwink:

Yes, it does make a difference that you are driving and will have a car. But I still think that because it is vacation you should treat yourself and maybe try some different things. With the dining plan you do not need to worry that oh that appetizer cost $9 and this one $6, but I would really like to have the $9, but end up ordering the $6 to save money or not one at all. At least with the dining plan there are no worries and you can pretty much eat anything. For instance when I went to Chef de France, I generally get the escargot at $9.75, Grilled tenderloin of beef $28.95, creme brulle $7 and soda $2.50 which is already $48, not including tax and tip for me alone.

 

[sbkline]

Yes, it does make a difference that you are driving and will have a car. But I still think that because it is vacation you should treat yourself and maybe try some different things. With the dining plan you do not need to worry that oh that appetizer cost $9 and this one $6, but I would really like to have the $9, but end up ordering the $6 to save money or not one at all. At least with the dining plan there are no worries and you can pretty much eat anything. For instance when I went to Chef de France, I generally get the escargot at $9.75, Grilled tenderloin of beef $28.95, creme brulle $7 and soda $2.50 which is already $48, not including tax and tip for me alone.

Good point. I'm stronlgy leaning towards going that route at this time, although we still have plenty of time to think about it.

Has anyone ever tried using one of their snack allotments at that bakery in Norway? They have some pretty delicious desserts there and I was hoping that those would count towards snacks.

 

[The Adventurer]

BY ALL MEANS, DO THE MEAL PLAN!!! IT IS ONE OF THE BEST DEALS DISNEY HAS EVER DONE. AT TABLE SERVICE MEALS (UNLESS IT IS A BUFFET) YOU GET AN APPETIZER, AN ENTREE, AND A DESSERT TO YOURSELF, AND THE GREAT PART IS... YOU EAT SO MUCH AT THE FIRST TWO MEALS, YOU END UP NOT EVEN BEING HUNGRY FOR A THIRD. THE ONLY THING: DO NOT TRADE IN ONE TWO OF YOUR TABLE SERVICE MEALS FOR A SINGLE SIGNATURE MEALS - THAT IS BASICALLY A DOUBLE CHARGING - IF YOU ARE INTENT ON DOING A SIGNATURE MEAL, DO THE DINING PLAN AND PAY FOR IT SEPERATE!!! I JUST GOT BACK FROM DISNEY AND WE USED THE MEAL PLAN AND IT WAS EXCELLENT.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT SPOTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE FROM:

Coral Reef Restaurant
Boma- Flavors of Africa
Whispering Canyon Cafe
50s Prime Time Cafe'
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

We went to Garden Grill, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace, Restaurantosaurus, and Chef Mickeys, and payed for a luncheon at Cinderella's Royal Table and had a blast. I hope you and your wife have an excellent trip.

Oh. Columbia Harbour House, Yakitori House, Backlot Express, Tusker House, and Flame Tree Barbeque are some of the best quick-service locations on property.

 

[JPVonDrake]

Let me clairfy some questions regarding the Disney Dinning Plan included in the Magic Your Way Plus Dine Vacation Package. Remember this plan is part of a vacation package and cannot be sold separately*

The current price for the Magic Your Way Plus Dinning Package is:

37.99 per Guest (age 10+) per night of your stay
10.99 per Guest (age 3-9) per night of your stay
Plus the cost of your Disney Resort room and Magic Your way tickets.
(Everyone in room must be on the same package and ticket options.)

You can choose any length Magic Your Way Ticket (from 1 to 10 days) regardless of the length of your Resort stay, but everyone in the room must choose the same ticket length and options on this package.

The number of entitlements on the dine plan is always based on the number of nights on your resort stay not the number of days, and is not based on the length you choose for your Magic Your Way Ticket.

But one of my questions is, is a full service meal on the dining plan the same regardless of how much the meal would actually cost? For example, say we ate at a table service restaraunt one day which was roughly $20 per person, and then ate at another one another day which was higher priced at, say, $35 per person. Would they both be equally covered under the dining plan, or is there a price limit on it as well?

Correct, there is no price limit on what you order and you do get to order from the regular menu. At a Table Service Restuarant, simply choose 1 appitizer, 1 entree, 1 desert, and any non-alcoholic beverage, and the plan covers the entire meal including tax and gratuity.

Another question: Say we check in Monday night around 5 PM. Do we still get the snack, the counter service and the table service for Monday, or does it start on the first full day there? And what about check out day? Do you still get all three for the day you check out? Or, again, is it only for the full days you are there?

With the plan you get 1 Table Service Meal, 1 Counter Service Meal, and 1 Snack per Guest (age 3+) per night of your stay but you can use them at any time, in any order thoughout your stay.

For example if you have a family of 4 (all over the age of 3) and stay for 4 nights (5 days including arrival and departure), your family gets 12 of each entitlement (4 guests x 4 nights) that can be used by anyone in the room at any time until each entitlement is depleted. Any unused entitlements will expire at midnight on the date you are scheduled to check out. As long as you each most or all of your meals at Disney Restaurants (which as others have said will save you time too) the average Guests will save over 30% or more on their dining, and eat better then they would if they paid al a carte.

Just what is a signature restaraunt?

There are 12 signature Restuarants that count as 2 of your Table Service entitlements per Guest. These include:

Jiko - The Cooking Place (Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (Disney's Yacht Club Resort)
Flying Fish Café (Disney's Boardwalk Inn)
California Grill (Disney's Contemporary Resort)
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review Dinner Show (Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds)
Mickey's Backyard BBQ Dinner Show (Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds)
Citricos (Disney's Grand Floridian Resort)
Narcoossee's (Disney's Grand Floridian Resort)
Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (Disney's Polynesian Resort)
Artist Point (Disney's Wilderness Lodge)
Cinderella's Royal Table (Magic Kingdom Park)
The Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney-MGM Studios)

All Character Meals (excluding those held at Cinderella's Royal Table) count as only 1 table service entitlements per Guest.

Signature restaurants menu items cost on average twice as much (or more) per Guests then most other table service locations on property, hence the reason for counting as 2 table service entitlements. As such, the average Guest will save twice as much dining at a signature restaurant using this plan.

That's what I'm confused on and need some clarificiation. From what I can tell, the big French restaurant in EPCOT is pricier than the Brown Derby, yet you say that the Brown Derby is a "signature" eatery whereas France is not. Is it based on something other than price, then, or is France a signature restaraunt as well?

There are two restuarants in France at Epcot

Les Chefs de France (France/downstairs) - counts as 1 table service meal
Bistro de Paris (France/upstairs) - this location is NOT included on the plan at all.

If anyone has any other questions about the Disney Dining Plan or any other Disney Vacation Package, please feel free to post, or PM me anytime!

Hope this helps!:sohappy:


* The Disney Dining Plan can be added to a Disney Vacation Club Reservation booked with DVC points and the Guest is staying at a Disney Vacation Club property.

 

[Dagger]

JP, you're so awesome. Look at you with such a plethora of information that you had to provide footnotes :lol:

 

[JimboJones123]

If you do get add ons -- like shrip on your steak -- it can cost extra out of pocket.