DVC room and a dining plan?

[Stitch in Wonderland]

Hey all! I need thoughts. We are staying in Kidani DVC Villa for 7 days in November. We will be there for the end of F&W. We have 2 early Character breakfast reservations and BOG for lunch. That said, I am questioning if getting a dining plan, QS or TS is worth it since we do have the full kitchen and will be bringing some of our own food. The QS seems the most worth it for us as I don't know that we want to sit down for long meals when we are out in the parks. However I am not sure if it makes sense! I have been crunching numbers for where we may eat and the costs and I come out to around $100/day for just meals and appetizer type foods. No snacks included. Since the QS dining would require us spending at least $150/day to make it worth it, what would you do?
I wasn't sure if this was better on the Dining Forum or DVC, so I can transfer the question if you think I'm in the wrong group.
Thank you for your time and thoughts!

 

[nickys]

Hey all! I need thoughts. We are staying in Kidani DVC Villa for 7 days in November. We will be there for the end of F&W. We have 2 early Character breakfast reservations and BOG for lunch. That said, I am questioning if getting a dining plan, QS or TS is worth it since we do have the full kitchen and will be bringing some of our own food. The QS seems the most worth it for us as I don't know that we want to sit down for long meals when we are out in the parks. However I am not sure if it makes sense! I have been crunching numbers for where we may eat and the costs and I come out to around $100/day for just meals and appetizer type foods. No snacks included. Since the QS dining would require us spending at least $150/day to make it worth it, what would you do?
I wasn't sure if this was better on the Dining Forum or DVC, so I can transfer the question if you think I'm in the wrong group.
Thank you for your time and thoughts!

What kind of room do you have, a studio or one with a kitchen? $50 a day on top of meals seems a lot to make up with just snacks. And will the meals you’ve come up with even fit a QS dining plan?

The only time we made a dining plan work for us was last visit where we had a multi split stay over Christmas. First part was 24th Dec - 26th. We had BOG breakfast and CP dinner on 24th, Chef Mickey on 25th and Ohana breakfast on 26th. That left 2 QS meals per person left (4 adults). Used 2 on pizza from the Mara on the 26th, and 2 at Epcot on 25th. The mugs were good for our whole 12 day stay. Snacks we used on 6 tubs of ice cream from the store at Kidani, but of course we had a freezer, and we got some of them transferred back to Bay Lake!

Over New Year weekend, it just didn’t work out, even with 2 more character meals plus Hoop de Doo.

I know you were talking about the QS plan though. Gut still says no. So does your math.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Here is a little bit of a crazy idea... If there was a way to break your trip into one 3 night stay, then a 4 night stay. You could conceivably, do the meal plan for one portion of your stay and pack in some character meals and other buffet type meals if you were planning on doing that. We did this, on our past trip and it worked out really well, as we did not want 7 nights of all those meals. That said, if you are locked into 7 nights straight, I say skip it unless you were planning expensive sit downs every night. It ends up being a lot of food with the snacks etc, and you may not even want to do a sitdown every day. If you have a full kitchen or even just the little studio kitchen you can have breakfast etc right in the room.

 

[Stitch in Wonderland]

What kind of room do you have, a studio or one with a kitchen? $50 a day on top of meals seems a lot to make up with just snacks. And will the meals you’ve come up with even fit a QS dining plan?

The only time we made a dining plan work for us was last visit where we had a multi split stay over Christmas. First part was 24th Dec - 26th. We had BOG breakfast and CP dinner on 24th, Chef Mickey on 25th and Ohana breakfast on 26th. That left 2 QS meals per person left (4 adults). Used 2 on pizza from the Mara on the 26th, and 2 at Epcot on 25th. The mugs were good for our whole 12 day stay. Snacks we used on 6 tubs of ice cream from the store at Kidani, but of course we had a freezer, and we got some of them transferred back to Bay Lake!

Over New Year weekend, it just didn’t work out, even with 2 more character meals plus Hoop de Doo.

I know you were talking about the QS plan though. Gut still says no. So does your math.

We are in a 2 bedroom with a full kitchen. Which is what made me question if it was worth it. I think if we had a room without a kitchen, it may be worth it, but considering we have the space to store food and we are driving so we have a car to go get food...you are right. The numbers are close, but still far enough that it's probably not worth the cost. Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[correcaminos]

Here is a little bit of a crazy idea... If there was a way to break your trip into one 3 night stay, then a 4 night stay. You could conceivably, do the meal plan for one portion of your stay and pack in some character meals and other buffet type meals if you were planning on doing that. We did this, on our past trip and it worked out really well, as we did not want 7 nights of all those meals. That said, if you are locked into 7 nights straight, I say skip it unless you were planning expensive sit downs every night. It ends up being a lot of food with the snacks etc, and you may not even want to do a sitdown every day. If you have a full kitchen or even just the little studio kitchen you can have breakfast etc right in the room.

Personally I think that's not a wise idea. Risking having to move rooms isn't good IMO. Not for such a short trip.

We are in a 2 bedroom with a full kitchen. Which is what made me question if it was worth it. I think if we had a room without a kitchen, it may be worth it, but considering we have the space to store food and we are driving so we have a car to go get food...you are right. The numbers are close, but still far enough that it's probably not worth the cost. Thank you for your thoughts!

We don't need a full kitchen to make the food we do usually have. Granted we do breakfast in the room and then light meals like bagels, sandwiches, yogurts etc.

If you are planning a meal a day in the room I would be skipping the DDP. It stops being worth it pretty quickly (if at all) unless you know how to work it anyway.

 

[Minthorne]

Probably save more just getting a TiW card.

 

[Stitch in Wonderland]

Here is a little bit of a crazy idea... If there was a way to break your trip into one 3 night stay, then a 4 night stay. You could conceivably, do the meal plan for one portion of your stay and pack in some character meals and other buffet type meals if you were planning on doing that. We did this, on our past trip and it worked out really well, as we did not want 7 nights of all those meals. That said, if you are locked into 7 nights straight, I say skip it unless you were planning expensive sit downs every night. It ends up being a lot of food with the snacks etc, and you may not even want to do a sitdown every day. If you have a full kitchen or even just the little studio kitchen you can have breakfast etc right in the room.

And that is what got me thinking about it to begin with! Originally I had not even considered it. But then our stay was broken while I was trying to piece together a week in a 2 bedroom (vs a 1 bedroom) and I saw that I could get one for just part of the trip since it was separated...then it was for sure worth it! But then I asked them if we would have to move rooms since they were different reservation numbers and they combined them all into one 7 day stay.
We have a full kitchen and we can be happy with granola bars and waffles for in the AM...I just don't know realistically how much time we will have and how hungry we will be throughout the day

Probably save more just getting a TiW card.

I was considering that, but my MIL is the DVC member, she's just not going this year and didn't last year either so she told is to use her points. Since she isn't coming, we can't get the TiW card. I'm bummed!

 

[Stitch in Wonderland]

Here is a little bit of a crazy idea... If there was a way to break your trip into one 3 night stay, then a 4 night stay. You could conceivably, do the meal plan for one portion of your stay and pack in some character meals and other buffet type meals if you were planning on doing that. We did this, on our past trip and it worked out really well, as we did not want 7 nights of all those meals. That said, if you are locked into 7 nights straight, I say skip it unless you were planning expensive sit downs every night. It ends up being a lot of food with the snacks etc, and you may not even want to do a sitdown every day. If you have a full kitchen or even just the little studio kitchen you can have breakfast etc right in the room.

Originally our trip was broken up as I was trying to piece together a 2 bedroom for 7 nights and that is what made me consider it to begin with. But then when I asked Member Services if we would have to switch rooms, they put the whole reservation together so it's all one long stay. Which is fine, but that is when I started questioning if it was still worth it. Considering the fridge and freezer room we have and the fact that we typically are just fine with Granola bars, bagels or waffles for breakfast...and I can pack Uncrustables, snacks and frozen waters in a cooler backpack...I suppose that would make it so we only really need 1 QS meal a day?
This is what I was thinking would be the result, I just wanted opinions from experienced people. Our last trip was hurried and some of the meals were covered by my MIL (she was with us that time) so I don't have a realistic idea of food costs.
Thank you for your time and thoughts!!!

 

[Stitch in Wonderland]

Personally I think that's not a wise idea. Risking having to move rooms isn't good IMO. Not for such a short trip.



We don't need a full kitchen to make the food we do usually have. Granted we do breakfast in the room and then light meals like bagels, sandwiches, yogurts etc.

If you are planning a meal a day in the room I would be skipping the DDP. It stops being worth it pretty quickly (if at all) unless you know how to work it anyway.

Same here with breakfast. We can eat full breakfasts, but none of us are really hungry right away and are fine with quick breakfast snacks.
Thank you for that! 2 quick services a day on top of 2 snacks per person doesn't seem like too much until you really think about it and the cost. I don't want to waste credits!