Whole New Plan!!

[SCbelle]

Well, after MUCH research on this board (LOVE INTERCOT!!:thumbsup:) We have decided to scale back to the regular DP.

Both girls are great eaters and I cannot accept that they will have to order from a standard children's menu at every TS (why do they all have to be virtually identical?) So paying for chicken strips they can eat at home is pointless. My daughter and her cousin would much rather try what we are eating.

Second, the tipping alone for 7 TS is going to cost us too much. We will save $350/family by doing this. There is no way we will spend an extra $70/day on food. Lastly, I cannot fathom EATING THAT MUCH IN 4 DAYS:sick:!

So that leaves me with these ADR's:

CRT breakfast for whatever day that I can get
Boma
Poly Luau (for Thanksgiving if possible)

That uses up the TS's and I have already read a lot about great CS's from you all.

I am at peace now! :cloud9:
Thanks to you all!

[WRWDisney]

Maybe I'm misreading, but what you have listed is actually 5 credits worth of meals each. Both CRT and the Luau are 2 TS meals (unless they have changed the plan, and I don't think they have). Also, the 6 month window for reservations will be here in a couple of days and I just want to make sure that you are on the phone at 6 am of the first day possible (even 180+ 10),if you want any chance of getting CRT.

Second, whether the DDP makes sense: from your posts, I am reading that you are two families each with 2 adults, and one child (so for one family on the dining plan it would be $37.99 x 2 + 10.99 for a total of 4 nights i.e. $347.88 +tax and tip) for just the three meal you described (since they are all three fixed price) it would be $275.81 plus tax an tip. So to even break even, you would need to spend $75 on your CS meals. This is not impossible, but is very close to what you will spend.

CRT is the most inefficient use of TS credits out there (figure it costs you $31.99 cash or to TS credits which at most dinners are worth at least $30 each when you get a drink, entree and dessert). Buffets are the second least efficient use.

Finally, I do not think you have enough credits to do what you want. I am not saying all of this to criticize your dining plans (they sound great to me:mickey:) but to help you re-think whether you should even be looking at the DDP (BTW, you do not need the DDP to make ADR's at 180; you can even make the ADR's and then, later add the dining plan to your package).

I would make my ADR's on Tuesday and then decide on whether to do the DDP sometime between now and then. I really think it will be more cost effective for your family and allow you to do what you all want.

Anyway, my:twocents:

Have a great trip:thumbsup:

[SCbelle]

Thank you for the input!:D

We actually have 5 days of meals, but as we are leaving Fri morning I can use Friday credits for the other days.

It basically comes down to finances. The automatic tipping plus the extra $70/day per family is just too much right now. We can use some of that for shopping.

As to the food quantity, that much in 4 days would make us all sick. And after comparing the kid's menus, I was very disappointed in their choices. I realize many kids are picky but these two are not.

Yes, I know CRT is not the best use, but when you are with 5&7 yr old girls, it is a MUST!

Disney is not going anywhere, so we know we can return and taste more then.:mickey:

[JenniferS.]

I totally agree about the children's menu's. I always feel bad that they have to eat the same stuff for a whole week straight.

[droopy d.]

I always feel bad about my DS since he is not as picky an eater as my DD who can eat mac. and cheese everyday. One way to get around eating the same thing is to go to buffets each has just a little something different to choose from.

[WRWDisney]

So you are coming in Sunday night and leaving Friday? (thus 5 credits each--it is based on the nights you stay, not the days) That would actually make my calculations against using the DDP make more sense. The plan would cost $434.85 instead of just buying those three meals outright ($275.81). I would definitely just pay out of pocket for your meals; have your ADR's but forget about the dining plan.

Again, have a great trip:thumbsup:

[SCbelle]

Yes, we arrive late Sun and leave Friday AM.

Do you think we are better off without the CS and Snack credits too? I figured we'd still come out better using those for lunches and some dinners.

Thanks!:)

[WRWDisney]

Well, snack credits are for items $4 and under, so there max value is $60. If you spend on average $30 for each lunch (which I think is high, but...), your counter service will be at $150, for a total of $485.81, so you'd be about $50 dollars ahead. However, your child would have to order off the kids menu at all of those CS meals, you would actually have to use them all and all of the snacks at max value. My experience is that for a number of those CS meals, you will either underspend, or be able to share two three ways (thus allowing you child to have something other than pizza, chicken nuggets, or mac & cheese). I honestly think you will break even or save money by not doing the DDP.

Let me clarify, I am not against the DDP (though it use to have a lot more value). As a matter of fact, we are using it for part of our trip next month (we are split stay, so we can have it only during part of our stay); because the numbers add up for us. My thought is simply that at most it will be a wash for you and possibly cost you more than it is worth given your plans.

Take a look at some of the CS menus on-line. If it looks like that you will spend more than say $35/ a meal for the three of you, then go for it. If not, just put the money aside and pay out of pocket.

It is a personal choice. No matter what you choose, have a terrific trip. I am just thinking of ways to have just as great a trip while saving a few $$'s:thumbsup:

[HndrdPrcnt]

What we did to get around the kids having to order off the Kids' menu is claim them to be 10 yo. This ends up costing a little more, but then they can order off the adult menu!! Check it out, it may be worth it for you too!!:thumbsup:

[SCbelle]

LOL:blush: It would be difficult to claim these girls are 10yo!! They are 5 & & and both VERY petit. If they were 10, they'd have growth problems!! :D

Not a bad compromise idea though.

[MickeyMousse]

We felt the same away about the TS menus on our last trip for our DS's. Every restaurant menu was practically the same except for an item or 2. It became very difficult for them at meal time :( to become excited to go to any restaurant. By day 4 we just let them choose whatever they wanted from any menu if they weren't happy with the choices given to them on the kid's menu.

[Janmac]

As WRWDisney has mentioned, I recommend figuring your meal cost as much as you can. You may find out that the dining plan doesn't save you much.

We did that for our upcoming trip. One cold wet day in February my niece and I looked at the menus and figured out what sounded good for each of us in our group, and added up the costs. It was an enjoyable afternoon, thinking about eating at DIsney!

If you have the time with one of your family members, get a calendar or make a chart, and pick out what you'd eat or write down the costs of the buffets and fixed price meals.

You may have to figure the lunches without the dining plan by thinking who's likely to want to split. At places like Flame Tree BBQ we used to always split lunches. With our grandson being a teen now, he can finish his lunch and help us with ours. There are some restaurants where we don't seem to get too much food.

We generally have CS left over but I'm thinking this trip, our grandson will think a CS meal is a snack.

Add it up with taxes both ways, with the DDP and without.

I'm thinking WRWDisney is right. You may be saving money by not getting the DDP.

Enjoy!

Jan