Anyone use the quick service dining plan yet??

[threeh]

We are thinking of using this (as long as it is an option) for our Winter 2010 trip. The quick service plan sounds good, I was just wondering if any intercotees have used it and how they made out?? I REALLY like the idea of not making any ADR's, I always feel like I'm wathcing the clock to see where we have to be, etc. I thought this could be the fly by the seat of our pants trip!! (With a basic idea of the places we want to eat but just go to what ever park/ resort we would like)
Thanks all:mickey:

[DryCreek]

I think that is the plan we will use next time we go (about two years).

I agree, having to make your ADR's way in advance ,and then timing all of your day around that does tend to destroy the spontaneity that makes a visit to WDW so magical.

We were on the standard dining plan last week. We ate at several places we would not have without the plan, so I don't consider it a waste for at least one visit.

[Mousefever]

I think that $30 per day for an adult (especially if one "adult" is a picky 10 year old), is too much money for what is offered on that plan.

2 quick meals/day
2 snacks/day
1 refillable mug per stay

I guarantee that my family can eat on less than $90/day if we're not doing a table service meal. I think that the deal is not good.

By the way, before this trip, we have always gone with a dining plan. Since our DS turned 10, though, there are no good dining plans for our family.

Amy

[Mousefever]

Does anyone besides me have an opinion on the value of the quick service plan?

Amy

[PirateLover]

We flirted with getting the Quick Service plan but when we really sat down and crunched the numbers, it didn't make sense for us. Rarely would we be actually saving any money. Sometimes we can split a meal or can get by not eating a full meal. We calculated that we would be breaking even at best.

[Seasonscraps]

I don't see the value in the QS plan either.

2 counter service meals run approx $10-12 each
2 snacks max out at $4 each
There's your $30

You get the mug for free but over the course of a vacation, that probably breaksdown to a savings $2-3 per day. Not really worth paying Disney in advance for such a nominal savings.

[princessjojo]

It's a plan that really doesn't appeal to our family either. For a short trip, maybe, but that would have to be without my husband also. Again, it would have to be a short trip. I just couldn't fathom eating basically nothing but burgers, fries, or pizza with the occasional salad for 8-10 days twice a day.

[tjstrike]

I think we're going to try the QS for our upcoming trip in March. I'm a # cruncher myself and like was already said, if you eat both meals at the parks, plus the snacks your in it for $30 a day anyway. It takes away from the hassle of going out of the park to eat, wondering where you have to cut spending to pay for meals, etc.... It might not save on $$$ but I think it saves on headaches and heartaches :)

[disneyfan328]

After crunching the numbers DH and I decided to go ahead and do it. We will hae 2 out of pocket meals anyway during the trip so those will be TS so we won't be eating just burgers and pizza the whole time. I figured it this way -

2 adults @ 29.99 each per day - while its true that in most places you will about break even on the adults I find it easy to see that there are many places where it will be ( with drink and dessert) 15.00 per adult to eat CS. plus the 2 snacks valued at up to 8.00 per day and the refillable mug.

2 kids 9.99 per day - the kids is WELL worth it since you can get 2 snacks alone at 4.00 each plus their meals which run anywhere from 4.00 up to 8.00 each and then the refillable mug.

I plan on keeping track - but again even if we only break even it is worth it having it paid for in advance and the kids know that they get 2 snacks per day and once they use them thats it so it is easier to deal with no having to say no 100 times a day.

also with the ziplock bags that I carry if we aren't hungry for our dessert at lunch or dinner time, then we can always save it for later. If we have leftover snack credits at the end we will head to goofys and use them up on yummy stuff to take home.

as long as all goes well and we get to go on this trip I will post when we get back about how the value and the food works out.

[PetefromRI]

We'll be trying it in May.Could the 2 of us eat cheaper than 60.00 per day?Without a doubt.But we wouldn't be eating desserts and we'd be spliting meals and going without all the snacks.If I want to really economize,we would go without the plan or maybe stay at a value resort.We always get alot of food on the DDP and this way we won't have to pay anything out of pocket.We also found that there are lots of good quality CS places so it's rarely about hamburgers and fries.The numbers worked pretty good for us.

[bob6572]

Seems to me you get a lot more for the $10 more for the regular DDP. When you figure a buffet is $32, lunch $10 and a $3 snack you get more bang for your buck. And kids are even better.

[BMan62]

Just a quick example based on our 3 night trip back in January. It was DW and myself. We had the regular DDP, not the QS plan but this is what we had for QS:

Germany Sommerfest - 2 Bratwurst, 2 Diet Coke, Black Forest Cake, Apple Strudel 29.00

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café - 2 Chicken/Rib Combos, 2 Diet Cokes, 2 Strawberry Yogurts 39.13

Yak & Yeti Local Food Café - Honey Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Chocolate Cake, Mango Pie, 2 Diet Cokes 34.02

The confusing part:
Now, looking at that, one QS meal per day for two adult averaged over $34, which is about $17/person. Two QS meals would then equal about $34, plus you still get two 'snacks' which would be about $3 on average or $6 per day. Let's leave the resort refillable mug out of this as it is a one time charge and we come up with about $40 per person per day for the QS plan.

Not a lot of savings, but in this economy every bit helps.

However, I do have to agree with bob6572 and say you get a whole lot more bang for your buck with the standard DDP.


Again, based on our January trip (3 night stay) --
Dining Plan Meals Total: $440.74
Std. Dining Plan Cost: $239.94
Savings: $200.80

[Iluvpooh]

I just got back yesterday and we did the QS Plan. 4 adults and 5 kids.
As far as the value of it, I'm unsure. I did not pay for it (my Mom did), so I guess it was a GREAT value for my family.:thumbsup:

I do not have anything bad to say about it. Most of the time we did not get a dessert we opted for bottles of water, vitamin water, ect.. instead. At the resort we would get bottles of juice, millk or Mickey Rice Krispy treats (to bring home).

I will say that at the end of the week, we had 56 snack credits left! I brought home tons of unicorn suckers and fudge from the confectionary as gifts for family and my DDs classmates.

The only problem I guess I had is the lack of options at the Parks counter service locations. I do not plan on eating Fries or Pizza for a few months.

[Mousefan29]

We'll be trying the QS in March. I agree the standard plan is probably a better value, but with 2 active boys, 7 table service meals are too many! Another thing that factored for us is that we didn't want to plan our days around our dining reservations.

[PetefromRI]

Seems to me you get a lot more for the $10 more for the regular DDP. When you figure a buffet is $32, lunch $10 and a $3 snack you get more bang for your buck. And kids are even better.
For us it's really about 40.00 more per day for 2 adults when you add in the tip at the TS restaurants.As much as I enjoy the TS restaurants,as other posters have said,sometimes the extra planning for dinner times takes away some of the spontaneity of a Disney trip.

[garthbarth1]

Not to be off topic...but can you snack credits at the confectionary for things like fudge? If so...yuuummmy!:cloud9:

[Iluvpooh]

Not to be off topic...but can you snack credits at the confectionary for things like fudge? If so...yuuummmy!:cloud9:
Yep, but you couldn't get the tin. I had to pay $3 extra per tin. Trust me I didn't mind.:cool:

[caryrae]

I kinda see it as a good thing because you will have a bunch of your meals paid for before you go on vacation. The more you can have paid off before your vacation the better IMHO.

[garthbarth1]

Thanks, pooh, for the info on the fudge!
We too, will have the QS plan for our Sept. trip. Looking at prices, and from what I remember previous trips, it seems to be about a break even. (except for the resort mug- that is somethig we would never purchase on our own, so its a nice little bonus) Its nice to have food paid for when you go, one less thing to worry about. We most likely will pay out of pocket for one or two TS meals (Teppan Edo, for sure-maybe Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree, or Whispering Canyon) But like many others, the cost savings of only 10 or so dollars per day for the Standard Plan is not worth the feeling of being tied down to our dinner/lunch reservations. Also, we are not breakfast type people, so the two meals per day for us works prefecty, not couting the snacks. Fudge, yummmyy...

[afowl1017]

I thought this could be the fly by the seat of our pants trip!! (With a basic idea of the places we want to eat but just go to what ever park/ resort we would like)
Thanks all:mickey:

This is why my husband and I are considering the QS plan. We have three children who are picky eaters anyway. The idea for once not having to be somewhere at a certain time is very appealing to us, having done the DD plan plan before. I must admit it is fun to plan things out before you go, calling up and reserving a table, choosing the places you want to eat...looking at all the yummy :eat: menues! (I do that even if we aren't going on a vacation :secret: lol!)

[SBETigg]

The only problem I guess I had is the lack of options at the Parks counter service locations. I do not plan on eating Fries or Pizza for a few months.

Lack of options? With Flametree BBQ, all of World Showcase, and some of the MK choices like Columbia Harbour House and Cosmic Ray's? You could have easily ventured way beyond fries and pizza or even burgers. I think the Quick Service variety is outstanding.

[threeh]

Lack of options? With Flametree BBQ, all of World Showcase, and some of the MK choices like Columbia Harbour House and Cosmic Ray's? You could have easily ventured way beyond fries and pizza or even burgers. I think the Quick Service variety is outstanding.

This is why we are thinking of trying QS next trip. We've done the gammit of dining plan , both deluxe and gold old silver plan (who remembers that??) and after comparing menus this last trip it seems most of the CS places in EPCOT and Ak have very good choices. I think we will about break even because the trip we just got back from most of our counter services totals for a meal (party of 5 3 adulats 2 kids) ran us about 55-60$. I figure with the 2 snacks and the mugs we'll be a tad bit ahead.
Thanks all for the info!!
Happy planning:mickey:

[Iluvpooh]

Lack of options? With Flametree BBQ, all of World Showcase, and some of the MK choices like Columbia Harbour House and Cosmic Ray's? You could have easily ventured way beyond fries and pizza or even burgers. I think the Quick Service variety is outstanding.
Sorry-I should have clarified that I was traveling with 5 kids! At first we tried eating at different places so the adults could eat what they wanted, but it was too time consuming. BTW-you should have seen me the day the kids ate at Liberty Inn and I carried a tray of food for 4 people from Morocco back up the hill to sit with them.