Quick Service Dining Plan - Is it worth it?

[Figaro928]

We are still in the very very early stages of planning an early November trip. At that time, our kids will be 6, 4.5 and (gulp) 6 months old. The past two times we've gone, we have gotten the Regular DDP. While really nice, it didn't fit our family perfectly - it was A LOT of food & it took from park time. Plus, even though we had budgeted for it, all the tips needing to be paid off at the end of the vacation was a kick in the butt.

This time around we were thinking of eating mostly quick service meals with maybe one added character meal (probably brunch at Tusker house, since it was amazing last time)

So I am in the beginning process of starting to budget out a QS DDP vs out of pocket. I realize our time frame MAY fall into the free dining category and we'd be staying at a value resort, in which this would be a no brainer, but I don't want to rely on it. Crunching numbers, I believe the QSDDP would equal $102 a day for us (2 adults, 2 kids, 7 nights) . This is also the first time we will be paying for 2 kid dining plans since the last time one was under 3. Man, I wish the mugs were optional, we need one, at most.

Has anyone utilized the QS DDP and been happy with it? Advice? Suggestions?

 

[Metalborg]

As someone who frequently uses the QSDP, I feel that it is worth it. One strong piece of advice I can give is that some restaurants are better bang for the buck options than others on the plan. For example, Cosmic Ray's 1/2 Chicken and Ribs platter is a credit on the plan and depending on your group's appetites, it could feed two or more people. Earl of Sandwich on the other hand, is the opposite. The Quick serve plan does allow for a litte more spontaneity than the Table serve plan, so you can get food at your park schedule.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Probably not for your party. It's very hard to find DDP value for a just-barely child. We were six grown adults on our last trip and six QS meals, including drinks and desert, was too much.

 

[Jon81uk]

Just bear in mind that at $42 per adult that means you need to look at spending $5 on each snack plus $18.50 on each QS meal. So if you eat a $10 salad and a $4.50 dessert and $3 drink you are just breaking even. But if you have the $16 ribs and chicken combo as the entree then you are ahead.
Its also worth thinking would I actually eat dessert at every meal like that if paying cash. If you wouldn't normally eat that much dessert you are spending money on something you don't want.

 

[DarthVader]

Worth is a subjective term. I actually wanted to use the QS meal plan for my up and coming trip, but after running the numbers thanks to these two sites: Disney Dining Calculator and Seeyarealsoon I found was spending more with the plan then without. The major problem I incurred was the fact that Disney considers my 10 year olds adults when it comes to the meal plan. I think it would have been a closer call for the meal plan had it not been for that one issue.

 

[Figaro928]

I know its a silly qualm but I wish the refillable mugs were optional. An extra "value" of almost $80 for 4 mugs that we will barely use is, to us, more wasteful than the excess of food.

We would definitely eat differently - shared meals, fewer desserts - if paying out of pocket, but we've never paid out of pocket. I think it's more a mental thing when you are actually looking at the prices as oppose to paying upfront.

 

[DarthVader]

I know its a silly qualm but I wish the refillable mugs were optional. An extra "value" of almost $80 for 4 mugs that we will barely use is, to us, more wasteful than the excess of food.

I'm not on the meal plan this time around and I fully expect to buy those refillable mugs. I really don't want too, but that's part of the Disney experience my kids have come to look forward too. We didn't do it for our last trip because it was just an extended weekend trip, but even then they were looking forward to it.

I view it as something that brings the enjoyment to my kids and isn't that what the Disney trip is about?

As for the meal plan, since my kids are now 10 years old, it makes no sense. Running the numbers ,thanks to the resources I linked above. I'm looking at a meal budget of :
$3,000 for the Quick Service Meal plan (includes both covered and non-covered meals)..
$2,979 for the regular dining plan (covered and non-covered meals
2,524 for out of pocket expenses.

Now, if I was able to use the child pricing for my kids the numbers would look like this:
2,140 for QS
2,035 for regular
1,884 for out of pocket.

Since we will not do the meal plan, and my kids still eat off the kids menu, its our plan to have them order off the kids menus, so the out of pocket costs will be closer to the 1,884 then the 2,524 if that makes sense.

 

[Figaro928]

I'm not on the meal plan this time around and I fully expect to buy those refillable mugs. I really don't want too, but that's part of the Disney experience my kids have come to look forward too. We didn't do it for our last trip because it was just an extended weekend trip, but even then they were looking forward to it.

I view it as something that brings the enjoyment to my kids and isn't that what the Disney trip is about?

My husband and I aren't coffee drinkers nor soda drinkers. We both mainly drink water, plus a drink comes with each meal, so the kids were able to get juice or milk each time. Plus, I never wanted to walk all the way back to the room to drop them off or carry them within the parks. Our last trip we got 3 of them. maybe used them a handful of times for a late night cup of tea or hot cocoa. I think I've used them more post vacation , which is still pretty minimal.

Its just another thing to factor in. If we used the plan, we would obviously get them, but if not, I don't think we'd even get one.

I used the Disney Dining Calculator in very simple terms and it figured we'd come out $20 on top. But that's with the desserts and drinks and such.

Thanks for your input

 

[Princess Kaylee]

We are still in the very very early stages of planning an early November trip. At that time, our kids will be 6, 4.5 and (gulp) 6 months old. The past two times we've gone, we have gotten the Regular DDP. While really nice, it didn't fit our family perfectly - it was A LOT of food & it took from park time. Plus, even though we had budgeted for it, all the tips needing to be paid off at the end of the vacation was a kick in the butt.

This time around we were thinking of eating mostly quick service meals with maybe one added character meal (probably brunch at Tusker house, since it was amazing last time)

So I am in the beginning process of starting to budget out a QS DDP vs out of pocket. I realize our time frame MAY fall into the free dining category and we'd be staying at a value resort, in which this would be a no brainer, but I don't want to rely on it. Crunching numbers, I believe the QSDDP would equal $102 a day for us (2 adults, 2 kids, 7 nights) . This is also the first time we will be paying for 2 kid dining plans since the last time one was under 3. Man, I wish the mugs were optional, we need one, at most.

Has anyone utilized the QS DDP and been happy with it? Advice? Suggestions?

YES. We got it free a few weeks ago and we loved it. You get two quick service meals ( heaping servings) that includes a meal, drink (even though you have the refillable mug) and a desert. You also get a snack everyday. We had so many meals rollover because they over feed you. There are lots of yummy quick service meals. We love flame tree bbq, pizza palace , and be our guest!

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

If you do decide to pay out of pocket, my best advice is to pack food from home. We took our 3 year old in December of 2014 and brought a lot of food with us. We ate our own food for breakfast- cereal bars, granola bars, dried fruit etc, and packed snacks for the day- goldfish, crackers and what not. We also brought our own water bottles from home (the kind that keep your drinks cold all day). We packed a few loaves of bread in a shoe box so they wouldn't get crushed along with peanut butter, nutella and jelly. We only bought one quick service meal per day, sometimes we packed sandwiches and snacks to eat in the park, and then ate dinner in the food court back at the hotel. Other days, I didn't have time to pack lunches before we left so we ate in the park, and then had our sandwiches and snacks for dinner. Our daughter was still using a stroller so it was easy to throw everything in the basket for the day. It was a big money saver!

 

[glvsav37]

Im in a similar deal. My daughter is will be 10 and eats like a bird. I'd try and sneak her in as 9, but unfortunately she's so tall, she gets confused for 12. lol.

Likewise, we have more than 1/2 our meals being buffets where it's not a 'price on the menu' type of charge. For those she would surely get charged as an adult.

I think we are just going to bite the bullet and get her the adult plan. I don't mean to throw money away, but I also value the convenience of just not having to do math games and play who's on what plan vs who's paying cash, who gets a drink, who doesn't? Just not worth it to me I'm on vacation. She's a kid and kids love snacks so I'm sure at least having those will make the difference negligible.

 

[DarthVader]

Likewise, we have more than 1/2 our meals being buffets where it's not a 'price on the menu' type of charge. For those she would surely get charged as an adult.

For me, I think it will be easier to order kids meals when I'm not on the meal plan. As noted above my cost for a family of four on the QS meal plan would run around 3,000 bucks where as the non-meal plan I'm shooting for 2,000. Mostly because I'll be ordering the kids meals. I'm sure if there is a restaurant that balks at them getting kids meals, we'll opt for the adult meals as I do not want to be dishonest, but I think that will be a rarity

 

[SAV]

For us it wasn't worth it. My wife wrote down every food transactions amount for the trip and we came out behind on what we would have spent vs. what we did spend. Also, I think it is too much food with a 32oz beverage and dessert at each meal...especially in the summer heat. Normally, I wouldn't get the monster sized drink or a dessert with every meal. So then I was so stuffed from the meals that I didn't want to get the yummy snacks that I was looking forward to(Dole Whip Float, hand dipped Ice Cream Cookie Sammich, etc).

I prefer to take the room discount and pay for food OOP.

 

[dreamfinder]

The mugs are throw ins. Costs them next to nothing, and really shouldn't impact your food budgeting, especially if you wouldn't buy them. Will all four of your family members eat desserts and drink the included beverages at every meal? Two full sized sodas, along with 2 kid sized waters/milks/whatever may be alot of beverages for your family, never mind the desserts. If you knock out those desserts at most meals, and would only buy one (or none) beverages outside of what comes with the kids meal, you wouldn't save anything, and probably would end up spending more with the dining plan.

Now if the dining plan is free, will the food you do eat cost more than any potential discount? It most likely will. I think you have a typo in your initial cost, I think its $120 per day, $42ish per adult, and $17ish per kid. Even if you knock $20 off per day for unwanted desserts/beverages/mug costs, I think it would be pretty hard to save more than $100 a day on a value with a room only discount.

 

[glvsav37]

For me, I think it will be easier to order kids meals when I'm not on the meal plan. As noted above my cost for a family of four on the QS meal plan would run around 3,000 bucks where as the non-meal plan I'm shooting for 2,000. Mostly because I'll be ordering the kids meals. I'm sure if there is a restaurant that balks at them getting kids meals, we'll opt for the adult meals as I do not want to be dishonest, but I think that will be a rarity

I don't think any location would not allow you to order off the kids meal at any age. I'm sure if an adult came in and just wanted a small portion of chicken fingers and fries, they could order it of the kids menu. At a menu price location, you are paying for the food served vs a buffet where you are paying for entry into the restaurant and the food is there for the taking.

But I hear you, we debated back and forth over it, but with the majority (75%) of my meals being buffet (like you, I don't want to be dishonest) trying to get her in at the kids price most likely isn't going to happen. So for the few instances where we are at a traditional TS restaurant where she would be ordering a kids meal, the cost difference is only a few bucks in the end. I'd love for her to stretch her food choices a bit, so hopefully she can be persuaded to order something a little more exciting then chix fingers or pizza then.

 

[DarthVader]

I'm sure if an adult came in and just wanted a small portion of chicken fingers and fries, they could order it of the kids menu.

Oh, I've done that myself - my kids get a kick when I eat off the child's menu