If you are not on the DDP, How many TS do you eat at during your stay?

[forever a child]

Here is another poll I have done in past years. I find these type of information polls very interesting, don't know why. :D

Anyway, if you are NOT on the DDP...How many Table Service Restaurants do you eat at during your WDW trip?

Share tips you use like sharing, TiW or anything else you find helpful.

[SBETigg]

We like to eat TS most times. It wasn't until our fourth visit that we even tried any of the CS places, and were pleasantly surprised. Now we mix it up, but usually have a TS once a day of stay. No cost saving tips here. We splurge at WDW.

[KylesMom]

We are not on the dining plan - we utilize the Tables in Wonderland discount card purchased in conjunction with our A/Ps instead. We find it's a better value for the way our family eats on vacation.

We have scheduled seventeen TS meals for our fifteen-day stay next July. The duplicate days are a character breakfast/late dinner and an early lunch/late dinner.

[finaldynasty]

DDP is like American Express...I never leave home without it!
:mickey:

[Dream'nDisney]

We have never had the DDP before, but are taking advantage of the free dining during our stay this time. I hope it benefits us as much as we think it will. That being said, we usually have 1 TS per day for every day of our stay except for maybe one or two days (and we usually stay 9 or 10 nights).

[buzznwoodysmom]

Now that one of our kids is considered an adult we no longer purchase the dining plan. He eats so little that it doesn't make sense to be on the dining plan with him. He can't eat a whole adult meal and often wants what is on the kids menu anyway. We still typically eat one TS per day. The only saving tips I have is that with my two kids both being small eaters, they can often share a meal, and DH and I often share meals too. Our family can actually get by with sharing 2 or 3 appitizers and one dessert and be completely satisfied. We never, ever can eat 4 full meals and desserts so the DP always seemed like such a waste to us. And another tip is to eat your TS meal at lunch time as its usually cheaper for lunch than dinner.

[lovin'fl]

Could not answer. We've only done 1 full trip without the DDP and did NOT do any TS meals, but that was our very first trip in 2003 and money was tight. We did a quick 3 nights there, in 2008, without going into the parks (stayed at OKW and went to Downtown Disney, Boardwalk, Seaworld and pool at OKW). We did 3 TS, paying out of pocket, during that trip. We are going in August for 6 nights and not doing DDP. We'll still probabaly do 6 TS, maybe some lunches and some dinners. DH really wants to go off resort for dinner, but I'm not sure that'll happen ;-)

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Love my table services!! :cloud9:

Usually down for more than 2 weeks and we do at least one a day. :D

[Momto3littlemice]

We did the DDP in 2007 when it was a better deal and we just felt that there was too much food. Additionally it became a bit much to eat out for every meal, our family just doesn't eat that much. We really prefer our dining out to be a special experience. And yes, we are on a tight budget to make this happen while the kids are so young on one income!

So, for us we started staying offsite in a house with a full kitchen and therefore are only eating at 4 TS meals on our upcoming trip. We usually pack a lunch (just pb and j) for at the park and eat breakfast at our house. Some nights we cook in, some nights we go out! It works out well for us and the kids have fun no matter what! This year we are doing two brunches at TS, two dinners at TS, and one dinner CS. All other meals will be made at our house!:mickey:

[mainemajor]

When not on the DDp we usually eat 1-2 TS meals at most. That is one reason we like having the DDP, with it we make more time for meals and don't rush around as much

[Dsnygirl]

We really enjoy at least one TS meal each day, usually for dinner, just as a chance to really sit down & relax, talk about our day, etc. As our trips are usually b/w 8-10 days, that gets us b/w 8 & 10 TS meals per trip, w/o counting the character breakfasts we enjoy. 'Ohana and CP for breakfast are "must-do's" for us, so add those in... and I guess we're definitely a 10 TS or more family per trip. :mickey:

[PopPhan]

I said zero, but honestly we generally use the Planet Hollywood 15% off coupon from the package for a meal, and possibly hit one of the RainForest Cafes...Figured since these were not DDP restaurants, they don't count!

Since the DDP came out, I don't think we've gone without it though. Even to the point of actually PAYING for it once!

[DizneyRox]

Wasn't sure if you really meant TS restaurants, or equivalent credits. I think on our last trip we averaged about 1.75 a day, sometimes we actually did two, sometimes we did a 2 TS equivalent, and other times, just one.

Never with the DDP, always with the TiW

[Disney4us2]

I have only been to WDW using the DDP. I like to have a TS break usually for dinner. This past trip I even had a few OOP table service dining experiences. I planned in advance for those by putting money on a Disney gift card to use for any OOP dining.

[TheVBs]

During a 10 day stay we'll have about 5 TS.

[forever a child]

:bump:

[joonyer]

For a week long stay we might eat 2-3 TS meals, usually one character breakfast buffet, another fun place like 'Ohana or Teppan Edo and maybe someplace someplace new on each trip. We are park commandos so we try to maximize our theme park time, and quite frankly I don't find any of the WDW restaurants to offer really outstanding food, especially in the parks. Artist Point and California Grill are really good, but are really pricey. We choose to spend less by eating mostly CS meals because the less we spend on food, the more often we can afford to visit WDW.

[luvdiznee]

If me and DD13 no dp. If me, DD13 and anyone else, will usually get the dp. :mickey:

[moe513]

great question. we do one ts per day per visit.
we love our ts meals:mickey:

[amorillo]

Regardless of whether we have the DDP (don't always get it) we eat at least 1 TS meal a day... sometimes two! We're another family who likes to splurge when we're in WDW! :mickey:

[ChipDale2708]

We typically will do one TS meal a day and it is generally breakfast or lunch. The DDP was convenient for not having to think about money other than tips at the restaurant, but it was just too much food for us. We also like to split meals so we can snack more around the World! :tasty:

[GrmGrninGost]

We use the DDP if we plan on eating more than 1 or 2 TS meals. We actually try to go during the fall when they have been doing the free dining. :mickey: Gotta love it!

[luvdiznee]

Oh to answer the question ...me and DD usually eat 1-2 TS's. And she almost always orders from the kids menu. She is a petite thing.:mickey:

[Kathy Jetson]

We like to do one character breakfast and one ts at T-Rex. We don't like to take time out of our day when we could be riding rides:mickey:

[A Big Kid]

DDP for us is not about cost so much as avoiding the misery of eating so much.

We always found ourselves scurrying to use all of our credits on the DDP.

Now we just eat as we please. If we want to split a TS or a CS, fine, lets do it. If we want a TS or CS all to ourselves, fine lets do it. If we want a combination or the two, that is cool too.

We enjoy the parks, enjoy eating, and get to avoid that overstuffed, day after day, feeling we got on the DDP.

It does save us some money, but that is not our main objective.

[LVT]

We do 1 per day kind of early 4-6pm. I also require naps since we go to early and late EMH.
Sometimes a chair for a hour is worth a lot.

[Mackflava99]

Truthfully, if I am not on DDP, the TS will be less, but if i am on, then we approach it as a way to sit and relax as a family-

so i am content either way

[LandFan]

We usually eat one TS a day - almost one day per trip we will hit a day that is all CS.

We like having at least one TS a day to sit down in a cool spot and talk, eat and relax. Usually if I am paying OOP, it is a combo of lunch and dinner time meals as the lunches are often cheaper. If we are on free dining it is usually dinner TS - because, well, why not use it!

[SurferStitch]

We do a TS dinner every day. We also do several TS breakfasts and a couple lunches during out trips, too.

I remember the days of Fall Fantasy where breakfast was included every day, so we spent many breakfasts at the Grand Flo Cafe among other places. :cloud9:

One FF was gone, we only did DDP once. Other than that, it was straight OOP or TiW. TiW is wonderful!

[Jared]

I typically have one table-service meal per day, usually at dinner. I never use the dining plan, instead utilizing the Tables in Wonderland card in conjunction with my annual pass.

[Dopey's Girl]

No DDP for me. I'm a big girl, and that is too much food for me!

I have a TiW card that I use, but we still only have a few ADR's each trip. I dont like to be tied down.

[TinkerbellT421]

With the DDP we found it was not convenient and actually a waste of time and money for the way we eat. We felt we were tied down to having to eat a TS every single day, eat a cm's every single day, eat a dessert with every meal and have to use all our snacks. Both times we even left a couple of credits behind which we were more upset about because we essentially did pay for the ddp so to leave credits behind that cannot be changed into cash if not used was such a waste. We now use the TiW card and it is a way better value for us. Ddp no longer or ever again. Not even if it were free. But, we still eat a TS every weekday including our counter services and still save money, cash value. We do not limit ourselves without the DDP, we have done Ohana, cape may, etc paying cash. No worries about what we are ordering price wise. We also do eat desert if we feel the need or want or will have a couple snacks a day if we feel the need or want. And we always come back with money left over to add to next years budget. We do not typically eat TS on the weekends because those are mostly travels days so we typically eat light.