Quick Service Meal Plan

[Tpeila]

Planning our first trip to WDW in February for 9 days! We are looking at the Quick Service Meal plan. My husband thinks its not worth it. I have read it can be but takes some planning. Any thoughts.
Thanks!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The QSDP is almost never worth it when paid for.

QSDP costs $44.13 per adult and is two QS meals (entree+drink) and 2 snacks per day. General value of most QS meals for an adult, with drink, is about $16, with some outliers managing about $20. A snack is $3-5 each. It would also have a resort mug, refillable only at resorts.

It's very hard to make QSDP "break even" for adults.

 

[HopperFan]

I would seriously do some studying menus. I did it for 12 days once, thought I was prepared, and ended up hating it half way through. All I wanted was a TS meal or just a sandwich. I personally did not think it was worth it and it was so much work. I kept all my receipts and we literally broke even within a couple dollars BUT had I eaten like we normally do (all QS) we would have saved so much money not getting it. DDP can be made to work well if you like buffets and character meals and have no options for discounts like AP or TiW.

As far as making it easier, I don't agree. I would rather just charge to my MB, just as easy as dining plan, and I will order what we want and not be stressed trying to use up credits.

If you choose to get it: The plus is you will no longer get desserts with your meals but get 2 snacks. That would be a plus for me because we got bored with the same old desserts and we were never hungry at meals for it. I would much rather try some of the great snacks that are too pricey for me otherwise. We ended up splitting some bigger meals so we could split a breakfast platter and not outlay any cash for breakfast. If you can get BOG, great value for your QS credit.

 

[Tpeila]

I would seriously do some studying menus. I did it for 12 days once, thought I was prepared, and ended up hating it half way through. All I wanted was a TS meal or just a sandwich. I personally did not think it was worth it and it was so much work. I kept all my receipts and we literally broke even within a couple dollars BUT had I eaten like we normally do (all QS) we would have saved so much money not getting it. DDP can be made to work well if you like buffets and character meals and have no options for discounts like AP or TiW.

As far as making it easier, I don't agree. I would rather just charge to my MB, just as easy as dining plan, and I will order what we want and not be stressed trying to use up credits.

If you choose to get it: The plus is you will no longer get desserts with your meals but get 2 snacks. That would be a plus for me because we got bored with the same old desserts and we were never hungry at meals for it. I would much rather try some of the great snacks that are too pricey for me otherwise. We ended up splitting some bigger meals so we could split a breakfast platter and not outlay any cash for breakfast. If you can get BOG, great value for your QS credit.

LOL is there a cheat sheet for the acronyms?

 

[HopperFan]

LOL is there a cheat sheet for the acronyms?

SO SORRY just saw your post count.

There is actually ... http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-list-of-common-abbreviations.1660743/

TS and QS are Table Service and Quick Service
DDP is Disney Dining Plan so the one with table and quick service included
AP is Annual Pass
TiW is Tables in Wonderland, discount dining for Annual Passes, Florida Residents and Disney Vacation Club member
MB is your Magic Band
BOG is Be Our Guest restaurant

 

[Faldred]

Planning our first trip to WDW in February for 9 days! We are looking at the Quick Service Meal plan. My husband thinks its not worth it. I have read it can be but takes some planning. Any thoughts.
Thanks!

How many are going? The lower level dining plans are totally not worth the cost for adults, but if you start throwing in children (age 3-9) the math gets a lot different.

 

[Tpeila]

How many are going? The lower level dining plans are totally not worth the cost for adults, but if you start throwing in children (age 3-9) the math gets a lot different.

How many are going? The lower level dining plans are totally not worth the cost for adults, but if you start throwing in children (age 3-9) the math gets a lot different.

There are 4 of us. Me and my husband. Our 7 year old and our 12 year old who eats us out of house and home! The travel agent quoted us $400 below what we could get online for the dining package so we are still considering it after thinking "no" last night. The 12 year old literally would say his meal and what I have left over and still ask for more

 

[Faldred]

Unless it's part of a "free dining" package, I'd ask for a room+tickets only quote too, and do the math yourself. With three "Disney adults", I can't see how paying for QSDP will work out in your favor.

 

[Tpeila]

So I think we may change routes here and go with the Standard Dining Plan.
We have a 7 yr old and a 12 yr old who eats us out of house and home.
From what I understand with 9 days we can get 4 character meals, 1 table side, 9 quick service and 9 snacks.
This I think would be worth it for us.
Thoughts?

 

[Faldred]

Not correct. First, it's based on nights, not days (so be careful about expecting one too many).

Secondly, you'll get 1 table service (TS), 1 counter service (CS), and 2 snacks per person, per night for 2017. Most character meals cost only 1 TS credit and some "sit down" locations cost 2 TS credits per person. (2 TS locations are signature restaurants and dinner shows, but character meals aren't necessarily in that bucket - only Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom is a signature character meal.)

It's kind of complicated. Best place to start would be the official brochure, but note that the list of restaurants included on the plan is incomplete, as it usually takes right up until New Year's for all the 3rd party restaurants to sign on for the following year. (Which they all do, anyway. Only once has a restaurant dropped from the plan for reasons other than permanent closing.)

 

[Tpeila]

Not correct. First, it's based on nights, not days (so be careful about expecting one too many).

Secondly, you'll get 1 table service (TS), 1 counter service (CS), and 2 snacks per person, per night for 2017. Most character meals cost only 1 TS credit and some "sit down" locations cost 2 TS credits per person. (2 TS locations are signature restaurants and dinner shows, but character meals aren't necessarily in that bucket - only Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom is a signature character meal.)

It's kind of complicated. Best place to start would be the official brochure, but note that the list of restaurants included on the plan is incomplete, as it usually takes right up until New Year's for all the 3rd party restaurants to sign on for the following year. (Which they all do, anyway. Only once has a restaurant dropped from the plan for reasons other than permanent closing.)

Well this is even better! We are staying 9 nights.

 

[Faldred]

Well, any questions you have, here's the place to ask them!

 

[HopperFan]

Not correct. First, it's based on nights, not days (so be careful about expecting one too many).

Secondly, you'll get 1 table service (TS), 1 counter service (CS), and 2 snacks per person, per night for 2017. Most character meals cost only 1 TS credit and some "sit down" locations cost 2 TS credits per person. (2 TS locations are signature restaurants and dinner shows, but character meals aren't necessarily in that bucket - only Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom is a signature character meal.)

It's kind of complicated. Best place to start would be the official brochure, but note that the list of restaurants included on the plan is incomplete, as it usually takes right up until New Year's for all the 3rd party restaurants to sign on for the following year. (Which they all do, anyway. Only once has a restaurant dropped from the plan for reasons other than permanent closing.)

This is correct. NIGHTS. The cost is $$ per person per night so it adds up fast.

Compare menu costs of where you want to eat with Dining Plan costs.

So each guest will get if you booked:

9 nights = 9 Table Service, 9 Quick Service and 18 Snacks

 

[Faldred]

And, again, I'd suggest getting both room/ticket and room/ticket/dining quotes, seeing what the price difference is, and then deciding if you're better off paying as you go rather than using a dining plan.

Oh... and your trip is in February? You'll want to make sure you can get enough dining reservations to use up all of those table service credits before committing to the dining plan. As hard as it may be to believe, other guests started booking their reservations three months ago, and many restaurants "sell out" fast.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

It sounds like this is a first trip. I want to warn you about picking restaurants and planning ADRs. You need to plan 1.5 hours to get to a restaurant, and perhaps 2 or more hours dining time. Many run 30 minutes or more late seating you, etc. The point of this is you are taking all that time away from the parks and all the other wonderful things to see and do. It can be stressful and you feel like you are always having to leave something fun to go to an ADR. It is too easy to get caught up in "I want to dine here, and ooooh, there, and aaah there" when looking at menus and restaurants, but the reality of doing it and the logistics of getting there are quite another thing. There is so much stimulus overload and wonders to behold enjoying WDW.

 

[Tpeila]

It sounds like this is a first trip. I want to warn you about picking restaurants and planning ADRs. You need to plan 1.5 hours to get to a restaurant, and perhaps 2 or more hours dining time. Many run 30 minutes or more late seating you, etc. The point of this is you are taking all that time away from the parks and all the other wonderful things to see and do. It can be stressful and you feel like you are always having to leave something fun to go to an ADR. It is too easy to get caught up in "I want to dine here, and ooooh, there, and aaah there" when looking at menus and restaurants, but the reality of doing it and the logistics of getting there are quite another thing. There is so much stimulus overload and wonders to behold enjoying WDW.

Thanks - I'm hoping with 8 full days we should be able to spend two days in each park and not feel rushed. But then again I have no idea what to expect! I'm a planner. My husband wants to know what what park we are doing which day. I figure if I can plan one day with fast passes and a meal in each park and then the second day we go back do all the things we missed or want to do again.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I figure if I can plan one day with fast passes and a meal in each park and then the second day we go back do all the things we missed or want to do again.

make advance FP+ for every day. It will be very difficult to get some options day-of, and if there is any chance you might want to repeat a headliner, get FP+ for them twice.

Similarly, if you get a dining plan, you really need to commit to dining reservations to make it "worth it."

If you want to go with the flow, skip a dining plan.

 

[Faldred]

Thanks - I'm hoping with 8 full days we should be able to spend two days in each park and not feel rushed. But then again I have no idea what to expect! I'm a planner. My husband wants to know what what park we are doing which day. I figure if I can plan one day with fast passes and a meal in each park and then the second day we go back do all the things we missed or want to do again.

That can work. So for the first four days you'll make your FP+ selections and in-park ADRs. I'd suggest using remaining TS credits (assuming you're going with a dining plan... still not sure it's worth it for your case without a "Free Dining" promotion) at resort or Disney Springs restaurants on the last four days so you're not tied to a specific park.

Even then, I'd make a guess as to what park on what day to minimize transportation issues and to book FP+ for those days - you can always change your FP+ as late as that day, just subject to availability, but if you do wind up going to the park you guessed at, you'll have those to use. Also, budget a minimum of an hour to get from park to restaurant (some will take less, but better to not be late/rushed) and assume a typical table service meal will run about 75 minutes or so from the time you are seated.