Review: Standard Disney Dining Plan

Disney offers 3 different types of dining plans, Quick Service, Standard Dining Plan, and Deluxe Dining Plan.  This is a review of the Standard Dining Plan.

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:

• Per Night each person receives
• 1 Quick Service meal
• 1 Table Service meal 
• 2 Snacks per person
• Per your stay each person receives
• 1 refillable mug

A couple things worth noting when you have a child (9 or under) on the plan they have to order off the kids menu at table service restaurants.  This will have a relatively mild impact on your planning especially if  you have a child that wants to meet characters as those meals are generally a high priced buffet or family style option anyway.  Children (9 or under) on the plan can order anything at Quick service locations.  In other words Disney lumps all your Quick Service credits together to use as you see fit.

So for this review I will give you an idea of how we used our credits and also what those credits included. 

• 2 Adults and 1 child (4 years old) for 7 nights
• 3 refillable mugs 
• 14 Adult Table Service credits
• 7 Child Table Service credits
• 21 Quick Service credits
• 42 snack credits

How did we use those credits?  Mostly character meal dinners or "experience" meals so that adds to the cost, there is no cheap way to eat at Chef Mickey so that make the dining plan a better option for those meals vs other menu order table service options.  First we will look at what were our table service meals.

• Garden Grill Dinner
• Whispering Canyon Dinner
• Tusker House Dinner
• 50's Prime Time Dinner
• Coral Reef  Dinner
• Hollywood and Vine Dinner
• Chef Mickey Brunch

We had planned to have a guest with us at Chef Mickey so I set aside a Table service credit to use at that meal.  I decided that at 50's Prime Time my husband would order the sampler, and a milkshake and a dessert, I would order the wedge salad appetizer and a iced tea.  We swapped the milkshake for the tea and I had the meatloaf from the sample with my salad.  That meal ended up with terrible service issues and they comped the drink (and my daughter ended up with a giant cup of sprinkles to take home since she fell asleep waiting on her ice cream with mickey sprinkles) so it was $9.10 out of pocket there.  Ended up that our guest did not make it to Chef Mickey so we used the credit for last minute snacks which was not a good value however I it made much more sense to pay $9 for a meal than $45 brunch buffet.  We really enjoyed Garden Grill and Whispering Canyon and our family is not a big fan of buffets so those meals were just ok.  We had a long slow meal at 50's and probably would have felt better about that meal if we had not overheard the tables around us discussing getting an anytime fastpass because of their issues.  However, we did not get charged for a drink and my daughters upgrade to a sundae, but like I said she never took a bite of the ice cream because she fell asleep, that also the reason we were so patient because she needed the nap and we had a comfy place to sit while she slept.

Now for the quick service credits, remember we had a toddler with adult credits.  Also our toddler is more likely to nibble off our plates rather than eat a full meal.

• Breakfast - Be Our Guest - 2
• Lunch - Pecos Bills - 1
• Lunch - Santuli Canteen - 1
• Lunch - Back lot - 1
• Lunch - Be Our Guest - 3
• Lunch - Wolfgang - 3
• Breakfast - Pop Century  - 1 
• Dinner - Liberty Tree Tavern - 2
• Breakfast - Art of Animation - 2

So you can see that a lot of the time we just split a larger portion meal like the fajitas at Pecos Bill or the chicken and beef salad at Santuli Canteen.  Even at breakfast we could split a bounty platter or at Be Our Guest we could easily share with our toddler.  I do wish we would have picked up a few more quick service meals to at least try a few more places.  Our surprise best meal was at Liberty Tree Tavern in the American Pavilion at Epcot.  That was a selection my husband made looking through the app while we waited at Character Spot.  I got the Cobb salad and he got a Crispy Chicken sandwich and we got a cupcake to split.  When we finished my husband said "I could eat that meal again right now it was so good".  That night we realized that the kids meals had our daughter's favorite drinkable yogurt in them and I think looking back I would have ordered her a few kids meals here and there to get some kid friendly items just on our trays since we had extra credits anyway.

Next to discuss snacks, our trip before this one I found us using snack credits on things we wanted but that were not a good value use of a credit.  We used all of our snack credits through out our trip and I even paid out of pocket for a cupcake to take with us on the way out.  What I did this time was I purchased $35 worth of snacks from Amazon Prime Now.  That included 12 bottles of water, a pack of bagels, bananas, strawberries, grapes and similar items.  I also brought granola bars and fruit snacks in our luggage.  So I was able to utilize our snacks for much better value items but I had a ton to use at the end of the trip.  I used 20 snack credits at Goofy's candy company in Disney Springs which was fun and made for a good value as the check out price was over $110.  

Even doing that we still had 5 Quick Service and 1 Table Service credit we had to convert to snacks.  We used our snacks to create a better buffer between our meals we would get a snack at 10-11 am then we could eat lunch at 2pm.  This was good and bad for our toddler she would share the snack, say a pretzel or the mac and cheese (at AK Smiling Crocodile) and last a little longer then be asleep before we sat down for lunch.  That was part of the reason we had left over Quick service credits because had she been awake I would have been more likely to purchase a second meal but with her asleep we would share one and pick up something small or she would have a granola bar after her nap. Then she would last until our early dinner ADR usually between 4:30-5:30 pm.

The refillable mugs are a blessing and a curse, by that I mean having unlimited beverages are great but the refillable mugs leak and get cumbersome if you take them to the parks with you and don't actually hold that much.  So here is how I handle them.  I brought refillable water bottles to take with us in the parks.  I would take our three mugs and our two water bottles with me in the morning I would make fresh brewed sweet tea for my husband (because he hated the fountain sweet tea).  He ended up with a water bottle full of sweet tea and I had my bottle with unsweetened tea that we would take with us each morning and a bottle of water.  That easily lasted until lunch and we would refill our water bottles at lunch if we could.  So we really limited what we had to purchase as far as drinks by being a little more prepared.

Here is what the numbers ended up looking like.

• 2 Adults and 1 child (4 years old) for 7 nights
• 3 refillable mugs - $60.68
• 13 Adult Table Service credits & 7 Child Table Service credits - $829.36
• 16 Quick Service credits - $290.94
• 5 Quick Service credits converted to 15 snacks - $66.85
• 1 Adult Table Service credits converted to 3 snacks - $15.00
• 42 snack credits - $220.78

• Was it worth it?
• The plan cost $1,237.11
• Cost of the items we purchase $1,483.61
• Value? We saved $246.50

Could that number have been more?  Yes it could have been, it also could have been less.  With any Disney Dining Plan  you can not leave credits unused, when you do Disney wins.  Also, the dining plans now include a "specialty" beverage that can include alcohol, we don't drink alcohol so we can't tell you much other than if you do you will save more because alcohol at Disney is expensive.  Ask your server what is included and sometimes you can get the "fancy alcohol" drinks without the alcohol but still with the light up glow cube.  

In full disclosure, we got the quick service dining free with a free dining discount and paid to upgrade to the standard dining plan.  I really think this is the plan that we will use more regularly moving forward.

Value of Deluxe Dining Plan 2018

We are back from our January 2018 Disney trip.  We added the Deluxe Dining Plan to our trip because the math worked for us.  You can see the pre trip numbers here.

Our meal schedule was heavy in the character meals as it was our 3 year old's first trip.  My mother-in-law joined us in the parks for 3 of our days, that is really where our value was added by having deluxe dining.  She used 6 of our credits, without her there those credits would have had much less value.  Generally speaking we would have used those credits but probably more as a shareable lunch at a quick service instead of a full table service meal. So those 6 credits would have gone from a $35-49 value down to $20-25.  We would have still saved some money, so its still good to do the math.

Big things to remember when thinking about the difference of the deluxe dining plan and the quick or standard plan is that deluxe included an appetizer and desert for table service meals.  Our 3 year old also was not required to eat off the kids menu (I think that is not the case for standard dining plan table service).  Only 3 of our meals were not buffets the first one I did not realize that she could order a standard meal/appetizer, the second we ordered her an adult appetizer (after the waitress suggested it) but a kids meal and the third (Be Our Guest) I did not order her a meal she shared with us.  It's my understanding that for quick service the meals are all grouped together and kids are not required to order kids meals so that makes for much better value.  I would recommend knowing where the best shareable quick service locations are to maximize your value.  We used one of our credits at Flame Tree BBQ and shared it between 4 people (toddler included) because we got the chicken, ribs, and pulled pork combo.

I will admit that I did not maximize our snack credits  because I had just intended to use them instead of spending any money on snacks.  Looking back I wish I would have gotten water to take into the parks as I bought several bottles of smart water, at $4.5 a bottle its a good value but if I would bought it before hand at $1.50 a bottle it would have freed up several snack credits.  Even if I only had a bottle a day to start our day with it would have given us 5 extra snack credits.  I only purchased one cupcake out of pocket when we were leaving the hotel so our credits really covered our needs just not anything extra to take home.  I also wish I would have had a better plan to have a grab and go breakfast in our room for my husband.  A bag of bagels would have saved us a lot of stress.  I had planned several late breakfasts so that we could ride stuff first then head to breakfast on those days we really needed something to take with us for he and my daughter to eat at the bus stop or walking through the park.

As I look back the best advice I can give you is check the numbers based on what you would order at each location you want to visit.  If you plan to have two rooms really check the value of one room with deluxe dining and one room with a different plan until you find a combo that will benefit you.  Be creative if you planned on having two rooms one with 2 adults and one with 2 adults and 1 child it might make more sense to have 3 adults and 1 child on the deluxe plan and the other adult on no plan.  You have to be careful because this affects your room entry but if your all going to be together or if  your rooms are adjoining keep the door open and it wont matter.  When doing the math it always makes more sense for kids to be on the deluxe plan rather than an adult.  My sister and I have discussed this option and really think the next time we visit it will be the way to save money.  What you need to do when you plan ahead is to be sure that the standard dining plan is used for buffet meals and the deluxe is used where at non buffet table service options.  You also need to be sure that you plan if you all wont be dining together that someone has meals on their account to use.  I would also have a written plan of what room will pay for which meals so that you don't have to think about it once your there.

Day 1:
Hollywood and Vine (Fantasmic Package) - 3 credits
Sci-Fi Drive In - 3 credits

Day 2:
Crystal Palace - 3 credits
Tony's Town Square - 3 credits

Day 3:
Akershus - 4 credits
Garden Grill - 4 credits

Day 4:
Be Our Guest - 3 credits
Cinderella's Royal Table - 8 credits

Day 5:
Tucker House - 4 credits
Flame Tree BBQ - 1 credit

Out of pocket	$1,339.86
Deluxe Dining	$1,090.00
Refillable Mugs (3)	$53.97
Snacks ($4.50 each)	$96.00
Total Value	$399.83

3 Adults and 1 Child

Carriage Ride at Fort Wilderness

My husband and I took trip to Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary December 2014.  We did several "horsey" things and I am going to review them over the next several posts.

Check out the first post here.
This is the second post: Carriage Rides

We actually did the Holiday Sleigh Ride at 9 pm at Fort Wilderness.  We had dinner at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at 6:15 pm.  There was about an 45 min gap between the time the show was over and the start of our sleigh ride, so we walked around the general area and visited the gift shop and just enjoyed the quiet of the evening.  Be aware that we went in December and it things were closing as we were waiting to walk around.  If I remember correctly I think we had to wait a little longer than we thought.  The ride was nice it was cool but there was a blanket in the sleigh so it was comfortable.  We had a ride that was timed to be during the fireworks so we were able to see some of the higher fireworks over the trees but was not a great view.

The campground was all decorated up for Christmas and it was surprising how many RVs had major holiday decorations set up.  Our driver said it gets even more festive the closer you get to Christmas. The ride was a nice quite trot around the campgrounds, it was odd to be passed by some of the large buses but the horse was comfortable and the driver well trained, so it felt very safe.  This was the end of a long day and quite a romantic ride so we really just enjoyed the ride.  I only have one picture that I have found and for some reason the driver did not realize we would like to have the horse in the picture too.

Holiday Sleigh Ride

The driver indicated that the horses are the same horses that pull the trolley down main street and they all just rotate around and have days off like other cast members.  Generally the "horsey" staff seem very broad in their job duties as our driver had just helped bathe and groom Cinderella's ponies for the parade earlier that day.  He indicated that they started getting them ready at about 3 pm for the evening parade.

On a side note this reservation is paid at the time it is booked so be aware that it will hit your credit card as soon as it is processed.  There is a sign on the sleigh that tipping is not permitted, however, I always tip my sleigh/carriage drive when I do this type of thing so I tipped him as I would anywhere else I take a carriage ride.

Putting it all together

As you count down to your trip date its time to get everything together.

• Pack your suitcase
• Don't wait until the last minute as you might need to stop at the store and pick up some last minute items.
• Pack your park backpack
• Limit what you plan to carry everyday
• Get your mousekeeping envelopes ready
• Get your tipping envelopes ready
• Don't forget your nonstandard staff (tour guides, carriage drivers, baggage handlers)
• Finish your planning binder
• ICE sheet
• Card numbers and 1-800 numbers for lost or stolen
• Have your driving route planned
• Reconfirm your hotel reservations 
• Snacks or dining locations
• Get your vehicle an oil change and check up
• Reevaluate your cost budgets
• Make final plans with your housesitter

Touring Plans Info

I just purchased my Touring Plans membership for the year for under $10.  I do believe that will be the best $10 I send in preparation for my next trip.

If you have not heard about Touring plans check them out here.  The customized plans are really nifty.  If you want to follow their plan great if not then you can build one yourself.  I figured I knew what I was doing to I just started playing with one and I love the idea. It automatically knew that the day I was working on was a special event day (usually as the dates are not out yet) so I can adjust my plan to incorporate that info if I choose.  I was using a crowd calendar to pick days but once I do that I can put those choices into the plan and see if it will actually work.

I am going to be working on what park, what days, what restaurants, and what activities this weekend and this tool will really help in that process.  Even better is they have an app for your phone so you can check things off as you do them.

I am hoping it will let you see list later as a record of what you did and what you skipped.

So I will definitely have more info about this later as well so check back.

Have you used touring plans?  If so, let me know you opinion in the comments.

Quick Tips

I just wanted to talk Disney today, so here is a list of general tips:

• Use the package delivery if staying onsite (it takes 24 hours to get back to your room so schedule your shopping accordingly)
• Use photopass or take plenty of pictures 
• Take a nap in the afternoon (or go to the pool)
• Be at a park at rope drop (early in your trip so you realize how great it is)
• Use the Disney Transport System (try the boats as well, study the routes before you get there)
• Have at least one character meal no matter how old you are
• Accept the fact that you wont be able to do everything 
• Enjoy the things you can do
• Ask for towel specific animals from housekeeping (its fun)
• Use all your meal and snack credits (you paid for them even if you just get nonperishable stuff from the food court)
• Be creative with snack credits (sometimes you can trade meal credits for 3 snack credits)
• Pin Trade (get pins from ebay or amazon)
• Penny Press Hunt
• Try rides you have never been on before
• Enjoy the scenery
• Take time to slow down (it is your vacation isn't it)
• Coordinate Clothing it makes for better pictures
• Don't be afraid to ask about discounts when booking your trip  

So, just some random thoughts of the day.