Dining Plan = Too Much Food!

[HayGan]

I can see where if you like CS that may be the downfall of the DDP for you. Even if not on the DDP we eat at 1 or 2 TS a day. Our challege is getting in the CS! Even our kids like the break for meals in the nice cool air!

I have to agree with you on the CSs! Last year we ended up with 4 (or 6) CS credits on our last day. I ended up going to Captain Cooks and getting a bunch of stuff for the plane and home. I got uncrustables plus a piece of fruit or chips, a dessert item (I chose Mickey rice krispy treats) and bottles of soda/water with each of our remaining CS credits. We also had 4 snack credits so we ended up coming home with 8 Mickey rice krispy treats We did spread out our TR credits last year by paying for some of the kids meals OOP. Since we can't do that this year, I think we will likely use more of our CS credits. We will likely use CS credits for breakfast some mornings and lunch on other days. It will be interesting to see if we end up with any credits remaining this time

 

[beeayekay]

DH and I went the first week of the free dining last year. For the most part, the plan was just right for us. We both had desserts and appetizers when offered. We sometimes took the frozen lemonade as a dessert when offered. That is really great on a hot day.

Breakfast was peanutbutter crackers and milk, since we weren't really ravenous. We had an early lunch around 11. Dinner was quite late for us most nights 8 or 8:30. The only time we were over stuffed was the first day when we did a breakfast at AK at 8, lunch at AK at 1 and dinner at Hollywood and Vine at 6............ooooooooooo, were we stuffed then! We waddled over to Fantasmic!!

Our snack credits were used mostly for water in the parks.

We found that spacing the meals worked really well for us. We are going back in two weeks and I have planned almost the same. On days we have a breakfast scheduled, we will have a late lunch and possibly a snack dinner if needed. I don't think we ever want to try two TS in one day again!

Babs

 

[laceemouse]

Do people only eat one meal a day??

I think the plan is just right:

Snack - breakfast
CS - lunch
TS - dinner

Even my skinny kids can handle that!

We eat three meals a day normally ... even when on WW + snacks. We just eat less at each meal.

Maybe people are stuffing themselves at each meal?
WDWO

The problem is not number of meals per day but the amount of food at each meal. When we eat out at home, maybe once a week, we MIGHT order one appetizer for the six of us to share. If we have any room left at all after the entrees (which is rare) we MIGHT order one dessert to all share. The idea of having six of EACH delivered to our table is ludicrous!! I know you don't have to order all of that, but if you don't then you are paying ALOT for the meal plan and not getting a good deal. If it were free we would take it, but we have decided the plan is not worth it for us to pay for it with 3 kids who are "adults" at WDW. Even dh and I get tired of so much food, and he is a pretty good eater and I am fat! One of my kids is a vegetarian and one is very picky/small eater. We would still need another small meal a day. We do need to eat three times a day, but paying for the plan and then buying some things out of pocket is really NOT a good deal. Mega $$$$!!!!! We generally buy one CS, one TS and one snack per day at WDW, with breakfast usually something small in the room, but we never buy the AMOUNT of food on the plan and never spend as much as the plan would cost us to buy.

 

[laceemouse]

We eat three meals a day normally ... even when on WW + snacks. We just eat less at each meal.
WDWO

IF you eat less at each meal I DOUBT you are buying an appetizer and a dessert for each person twice a day!!! To see if the plan is a "good deal" you need to compare the cost to what you really WOULD order, not total up all the food you got versus what the plan cost you. KWIM???

 

[patsal]

That's what is nice about trying it out for free. Now you know it isn't for you. For us it is exactly what we eat and where we eat when we are on vacation so it works really well. We all tour and eat differently which is a good thing or we'd all be in one really long line! Before the DDP my dining tabs were very high--DDP did save me 37%. We also do not push food--so if our children did not want apps/desserts, an adult entree we didn't force them to eat it. As for the cost of the plan (I've never been able to travel when it was free) so long as you dollar cost average it all works out over the course of the vacation to better than breakeven. Even if you do not eat all your entitled to you will get what you paid for.

 

[stites1]

We just got back from 5 days at dis and i have to disagree. Maybe we're a bunch of pigs, but with all the running around we did we had no problem fitting in all the chow. Even the 6 year old finished everything on his plate. Yummmm!

 

[Disney8704]

I really dont see why people are saying its to much food. A friend of mine she just came back with her DH and said it was not to much food. They ate breakfast at 8am all character buffet meals, at 1 they had a CS lunch and at 6 they had their TS dinner. And when they ate, they were always hungry again for their meals. And yes they even ordered an appitizer, entree and desert. She showed me pics and I can see how they were able to. They entrees are small. CS lunches look no smaller or bigger then when I went in 2003 and as for TS entres looks they have have shrunk.

 

[sistertrip]

Don't get me wrong - I really loved being on the Dining Plan. I loved being able to order what I wanted and not worry about price. Now that I know what it's all about, I would even consider paying for the dining plan but planning ahead a little better (later dinners, early lunches, etc.).

 

[bicker]

My official thought on the dining plan (after free dining last week) is that it's way too much food. Had we paid for the dining plan, it would have been about $900 for four people for 6 nights. Had we paid for all of the food we got on the dining plan, it would have been over $1400. Seems like a good deal, however, if we had not been on the dining plan we would have never spent that much on food. Not only would we not have eaten so much, but we wouldn't have had such expensive meals.

That's why I feel it is essential that folks compare the cost of the Dining Plan to what they would have spent if they were paying OOP. However, many folks have found that even in that context, the Dining Plan is still a very good deal. We're four adults visiting next February. We know we'd have at least one CS meal and one TS meal each day. Based on previous trips with a similar group of four, it wasn't hard to take a good guess on how much we'd have spent if not for the Dining Plan.

The thing that I'm concerned about is the appetizer & dessert for TS and dessert for CS for every meal.

Actually, I went a bit further: Even though we knew that we'd probably have ordered a salad at dinner each night, I calculated how much we'd have spent on meals assuming no appetizers and no dessert. We'd still save money with the Dining Plan (about $120 for the five days). So, if you don't want appetizers and desserts, don't order them! Or just take a small bite, to see what they're like, and leave the rest.

I would like to see a dining plan that costs less with maybe just a table service and a snack for each night.

I agree with wdwobsessed -- there wouldn't be enough folks who would actually elect to skip a meal each day. Any other scenario for such a Dining Plan would work against what Disney's trying to accomplish with the offering.

 

[debbie655]

I agree with sistertrip that planning is key. For my family, it was just too much food. Like another poster said, when we eat out at home, we do not all order individual appetizers and deserts but rather share one. Now I know that a sit down dinner with three courses every night is too much for my family so next year I will probably plan a TS dinner every other night with a sit down breakfast on the other days and we could just grab a CS dinner wherever we happen to be. I think that would work better for us. Again, not complaining since it was free but just an observation.

 

[laceemouse]

I really dont see why people are saying its to much food. A friend of mine she just came back with her DH and said it was not to much food. They ate breakfast at 8am all character buffet meals, at 1 they had a CS lunch and at 6 they had their TS dinner. And when they ate, they were always hungry again for their meals. And yes they even ordered an appitizer, entree and desert. She showed me pics and I can see how they were able to. They entrees are small. CS lunches look no smaller or bigger then when I went in 2003 and as for TS entres looks they have have shrunk.

If they had a character meal AND a CS meal AND a table service meal every day they were obviously sharing meals as the plan does not cover that much. I have to say, if it were just dh and I that might work out. We could each take a taste of the other's dessert/appetizer and be fine. I just don't think it is worth it for us with the 4 kids. We have been to WDW at least a dozen times and never once have we gotten a dessert with a CS meal. Maybe once or twice we have gotten an appetizer or dessert to share at a TS meal. YMMV!
I must add, I am not at all surprised to hear the the TS entrees have shrunk since the DP has started. Many folks who do not like the plan have complained about this and the lack of variety at meals. I guess we will see in November?

 

[mlwear]

I didn't want to do DDP this because I thought it was too much food last year. But, DH added up the costs of what we would spend OOP (not including snacks, apps and desserts) and it was cheaper to buy the DDP esp. once tip and tax were figured.

I think they could cut the dessert at CS. JMHO. We used most snack credits to buy take home items from the resort gift shop.

My MIL was with us for part of the trip and was so upset by all the wasted food. We wanted her to just enjoy herself, but she kept saying how this meal would feed her for several days. She refused to order apps. and insisted on ordering the cheapest item on the menu (I guess old habits die hard, but it kind of drove us nuts because we wanted her to just relax and enjoy).

IMO DDP is too much food, but luckily with all the walking I gained only 2 pounds and DH only 1. We can lose that in a week pretty easily.

I enjoy the DDP though (both paid and free). It is nice knowing everything is paid up front. We also experimented with places we ordinarly may not have.

One last thought, though, a day or two after we arrived home I saw a news story about kids and obesity. A lawyer is trying to blame fast food, restaurant portion sizes, etc. I couldn't help but think that Disney considers 10 year olds adults and gives them apps, huge entrees and desserts plus a snack. Yes, I know it is vacation. I know it is all about personal responsibility, but DDP is definitely too much food for the majority of "junior" adults.

 

[Disney8704]

They paid OOP for their breakfasts and no they didnt share any meals. They all had their own appitzers (dinners), entres, and deserts. I for one will prob be the same way well minus for the appitizers, cuz I really never order any that and most of them dont look to appealing to me. DH and I plan on doing the same thing. Pay OOP for our breakfasts, using CS for lunch and TS for dinners and Snacks for water. We to will be going to a lot of character meals for breakfasts, but we also plan on eating at Boma twice and the Mara twice as well. The rest will be Donalds, CP, Ohana and GF Cafe. Me and DH can eat a lot at home and on vacation. I for one can sit down eat a thanksgiving dinner and be hungry again an hr later. Happens every thanksgiving day. I guess my matabolism is still fast although it has slowed down some. DH other hand, he can eat a thanksgiving dinner, but be hungry again like 2 hrs later. Overall, we plan on having 5 hrs in between our meals. Between running around and riding rides, we will get hungry again. Last time we went down we eat BIG breakfasts and then 3 hrs later we were hungry again for lunch. We would just get the combo and sometimes a desert and then about 5 hrs later, we were ready for dinner. Everyone is different. Just because it maybe to much food for a lot of ppl, doesnt mean its to much for everyone. Take my stepdad for an example. You get him in a buffet he will fix himself about 4 plates and then an hr later, be hungry again. Hes got an appetite like I dunno what. The CS combo meals, I showed him a pic one time of a burger and fries and he laughed and said that would be his appitizer. And trust me, that would be true for him. He can eat A LOT.

If they had a character meal AND a CS meal AND a table service meal every day they were obviously sharing meals as the plan does not cover that much. I have to say, if it were just dh and I that might work out. We could each take a taste of the other's dessert/appetizer and be fine. I just don't think it is worth it for us with the 4 kids. We have been to WDW at least a dozen times and never once have we gotten a dessert with a CS meal. Maybe once or twice we have gotten an appetizer or dessert to share at a TS meal. YMMV!
I must add, I am not at all surprised to hear the the TS entrees have shrunk since the DP has started. Many folks who do not like the plan have complained about this and the lack of variety at meals. I guess we will see in November?

 

[PrincessTrisha]

For our family, the biggest problem was the training we've received on being members of the "Clean Plate Club." We'd go into a meal telling ourselves, "OK, now we don't have to eat every bite of everything. It's OK to eat half the appetizer, half the entree and half the dessert." But that training's still pretty deep and we had to work hard to overcome it.

I agree - this is a problem for most families.

When I was young and we ate in a restaurant - it was always, "eat your fries / potatoes / veggies / whatever side your meal came with FIRST, because you can always take the meat to go." Even when we were on vacation we did this (and then would make the extra meat into sandwiches for the next day. This was possibly the most difficult thing to "get over" with the dining plan - although I love mashed potatoes, at some point you gotta say "forget the potatoes" and start cutting into the steak.

 

[bicker]

I think they could cut the dessert at CS. JMHO.

I agree; it's overkill. However, that probably means that lots of guests simply pass on it. So they get the benefit of offering it, without incurring the cost of providing it. Therefore, eliminating it wouldn't translate into much, if any, downward pressure on our price.

My MIL was with us for part of the trip and was so upset by all the wasted food. We wanted her to just enjoy herself, but she kept saying how this meal would feed her for several days.

This is really the worst-case scenario for the Dining Plan, and folks who cannot enjoy it for what it is may really be better off without it.

I know it is all about personal responsibility

This is a really good point. Folks have to come to grips with this, and stop blaming others for their own decisions.

 

[sherreis]

I agree - this is a problem for most families.

When I was young and we ate in a restaurant - it was always, "eat your fries / potatoes / veggies / whatever side your meal came with FIRST, because you can always take the meat to go." Even when we were on vacation we did this (and then would make the extra meat into sandwiches for the next day. This was possibly the most difficult thing to "get over" with the dining plan - although I love mashed potatoes, at some point you gotta say "forget the potatoes" and start cutting into the steak.

I am finding this thread very interesting because we kept going back and forth about whether to do DDP. We ended up choosing it because once I figured out cost differences, it wasn't that much of a difference, and, I kind of liked the idea that our meals were now pre-payed and I wouldn't have to worry about any of that when on vacation.
I know DH will get his money's worth because he is of the "clean plate club" and he has learned to eat his meat first, while it's hot.
As for the boys, they have learned they are allowed 2 french fries when first eating, but, then they have to eat their hamburger, whatever, so I know they're getting their protein.
I have to agree with most posters that it just seems like there is going to be a lot of food. We normally get 1 appetizer to share when we eat out and that is not all the time. It is also very rare that we get dessert when we eat out.

 

[mspdieselbear]

The thing that I'm concerned about is the appetizer & dessert for TS and dessert for CS for every meal. If we order an appetizer or dessert, we usually order one (maybe two) for the 4 of us to share. That is where I'm concerned it is going to be too much food. My DH is a big eater but I'm not even sure he can handle an appetizer, entree & dessert at each meal. We are going to try to order things that we can save for breakfast or a later snack but don't know how successful we will be. DH & I are testing it on a couple only trip in December to see whether it is worth it for the family trip in March.

ETA: Plus I was taught as a child not to waste food so it is hard for me to leave lots of food on my plate though I'm getting better.

VICK,
Good to hear from the UP!!! I will be at POR starting Friday (25th) with the DDP. I will let you know what another Michigander thinks. It sounds like alot of food for me too!! I was raised the same way, no food left on the plate!! We are doing the parents only trip this time (the kids are mad).
Tell DH he probably wont get any pasties or jerkey on this trip.....bummer.

ADR:
Captain Jacks
O'hannas (2 nights)
Nine Dragons
Boma
50's Prime Time

Signed,
Just another troll!!!

 

[Iluvthemouse]

I have to agree that the DDP is alot of food. By the end of the week we were sharing meals.
When we travel to Orlando, we love to go eat at Emerils. Last Sept we had reservations toward the end of the week. By the time we were supposed to go we were so full and tired of eating that way for the week that we just xxl'd Emerils.

But we booked again for this Sept with the free DP.. I love the choices of restaurants that we would never had eaten in if we were paying.

 

[BevS97]

I was thinking of doing it, but mixing up when we use the TS, some days a sit down breakfast, some days a buffet lunch, and sometimes dinner. Yes, you eat less at lunch so it is perhaps less value for money, but it keeps things more interesting and stops that feeling of 'so much food'. I also thought of doing at least one of the 2x meals, again this would mean we could eat at someplace we would never normally try, and on another day we can have less food without feeling we are wasting anything.

I love the idea of knowing it is all pre-paid and I can order whatever I want without worrying about it. I think we would probably break even on the deal - I don't see us ordering the most expensive meal just because we can, but I think we will try restaurants that we wouldn't normally try.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I have sat down, with all my ADRs, for the third time now. I have compared apples to apples, trying to be sure as to the best way to do our dining this fall. I just ordered my DDE card (second one, I let the first one lapse without renewing it in May). I sat with the menus and did the best case scenario as to what we would 'actually' order if using just the DDE card. Then, I figured what the DDP would cost us for our stay. When I compared what I would really order I came up with $384 total (not counting those few meals or adult beverages I would use the DDE for). The cost of the DDP is $380 for the two of us for 5 nights. So, I buy the DDE card for $60, I have already saved $40 by using it for HDDR seats. So, I have to make up $20 in order for it to pay for itself....not a problem since I'll have the Oct trip, as well as one in Dec and one in Aug to use it.
So....we'll add the DDP to our DVC reservations. Will we eat everything that is offered to us on the plan? Probably not. I don't think we'll need the dessert for the CS meals. But, otherwise, it fits our style pretty well. You just have to sit down, take some time, and figure out how it stacks up against other ways of paying for your meals.