Quick Service or Disney Dining Plan

[Crackel]

Which one is better and why? And if I purchase the one with one table service meal could i use that credit for quick service instead? I just don't know what were gonna end up doing dining wise once were actually there.

 

[rt06]

The DDP was perfect for my party of 3, including one picky preteen. How people dine on the deluxe plan, I do not know. Use the credits as they are. Trading down is a waste when a buffet can run $40/pp. if that's the case, you may be better off just seeking a room discount.

Two quick meals daily can fill you up, but I think table service is an important part of the Disney experience.

 

[englanddg]

I get the Deluxe every year. One of the advantages is the ability to use snack credits for breakfast (or just skip breakfast) and then be able to double up table credits for signature meals.

If you eat a lot of Table Service, you can get any of the plans to work out as a value. If you do QS with them, then you are wasting the value of the credits.

 

[englanddg]

Which one is better and why? And if I purchase the one with one table service meal could i use that credit for quick service instead? I just don't know what were gonna end up doing dining wise once were actually there.

To actually answer your question, TS credits can be used at QS places for any of the plans.

 

[brifraz]

Which one is better and why? And if I purchase the one with one table service meal could i use that credit for quick service instead? I just don't know what were gonna end up doing dining wise once were actually there.

Only get the regular DDP if you are planning (and booking) table service restaurants. If you are just going with the flow when you get to Disney, I would advise not to get a dining plan at all or at most get the quick service plan. The likelihood of making the DDP worthwhile without advanced dining reservations is pretty slim. If you are going to do spur of the moment dining, then getting a room discount is likely a much better savings for you.

 

[Master Yoda]

I would never pay for the quick service plan as you really need to work at it to get into the black or even break even. It would be much easier and typically more economical to just pay as you go.

It is much easier to break even or save using the regular DDP especially if you plan on doing a number of the buffets or character meals.

You can not trade credits in either direction on the quick service or regular dining plan. There have been a few instances where trading in a TS for QS was allowed, but these were during a very busy free dining promotion and it is not normal practice.

 

[harryk]

Don't know what you are going to do regarding dining until you get there -- pay as you go.
Dining plans can prove very expensive if you don't work them correctly.

 

[Mukta]

Don't know what you are going to do regarding dining until you get there -- pay as you go.
Dining plans can prove very expensive if you don't work them correctly.

This is very good advice. Look at menus and see if your family will eat an entree, drink and dessert twice a day every day. If you want any kind of flexibility, pay out of pocket.

 

[dreamfinder]

Look at the menus, and figure out what you would eat at the restaurant. Best is if you don't look at the prices. Then if you end up picking the cheaper items, odds are the dining plan isn't for you. But if you would choose the most expensive item on the menu regardless of what it actually costs, then the dining plan might work for you. Make sure you know exactly what is included in any level of the dining plan. If you won't use all of it if you had to pay OOP, then the dining plan won't save you money.

 

[hellowonderland]

We went pay as you go for 11 nights, and it was a far better option. I usually get appetizers, for instance, and you can't do that on the regular plan, and I never eat dessert (unless it's peanut butter related). My husband gets expensive steaks but being a vegetarian, I normally eat the cheapest option. It just wasn't feasible - and when I worked it out when we got home, we saved A LOT vs if we had gotten the plan.

 

[bcalltimandanna]

I consider @WDWFigment the expert on this subject

 

[bcalltimandanna]

And I will shamelessly plug his blog: disneytouristblog.com

 

[MOXOMUMD]

Also add in that you will be paying a table service tip OOP on the dining plan too.

 

[Minnie_girl]

Don't know what you are going to do regarding dining until you get there -- pay as you go.

Dining plans can prove very expensive if you don't work them correctly.

True, but if you get familure with the dinining plans they can actually save you money and for me, keep me on budget.

 

[disneygirl1]

What is best for you is going to depend on your touring style. If you are one that is constantly on the go and does not like to follow a schedule then QS is probably the way to go. If you don't mind being on a schedule and like eating at a sit down location daily then the DDP is the way to go. For us, we enjoy the QS plan b/c it gives us a little freedom to do what we want when we want. I like not having to worry about being somewhere to eat at a specific time. We are going for just under 2 weeks in May and will do the DDP. On a trip that long I don't mind taking time to enjoy a nice meal daily!

 

[tink33]

My family gets the QS plan and pay for Donald's Breakfast OOP. We aren't sure what we are going to do on our next trip. We had 7 QS meals left over between the 3 of us at the end of our trip.