Just did it - booked DCL for December - Disney Meal Plans Question

We went back & forth for a few days and finally cancelled our Bermuda Cruise and went w/ DSL - 4 Days Land/3 Sea. We're going December 9th.

I can't wait to see WDW and DCL all decked out for the holidays. I'll have to be sure i'm 100% ready for Christmas before we go LOL!

We didn't book a meal plan for the parks and i still need to fully research it. In reading it sounds like a lot more food than we'd normally order (ie: app, entree, dessert for each) but overall is it worth it?

I'll be researching it this weekend - fortunately, in a way...DS is napping alot today.

Any recommendations?

Laura
Mom to Will

http://b4.lilypie.com/BhyBm5.png

Sounds like fun!! We'll be down there around the same time. The meal plan is a TON of food, but if you plan on doing a lot of character meals, it will be well worth it. If you plan on eating on the go (counter service) most of the time, you'll probably find it a hassle and waste. Take a look at the menus on allearsnet.com to see what you might be eating while there, and see if you think it would be worth the money! We did it once when it was free, and it was a wonderful treat. We did so many character meals, and a couple of nice sit-down meals that we wouldn't normally have done. But we haven't decided whether to do it or not for our trip this December.

I would say it depends on how much you guys eat. So far for DH and I we have found that it would just be way too much food for us. We usually don't eat 3 full meals a day. We try to plan our meals so that we'll have a breakfast buffet, snack for lunch and a sit down dinner or some combination of that. Each time we go we talk about what we would have to eat if we had the plan and we laugh! We've personally found that it would cost us more money to go with the dining plan.

On another not, whatever you decide, call and make reservations as soon as possible! Especially for the character meals!

Can't say for sure as I'm deciding the same thing, but keep two things in mind:
1. dining plan includes tax and gratuity, I believe
2. dining plan also, to some, has a convenience factor. My SIL said it was nice to just not have to worry about pricing out meals, tipping, etc.

>1. dining plan includes tax and gratuity, I believe
>2. dining plan also, to some, has a convenience factor. My SIL
>said it was nice to just not have to worry about pricing out
>meals, tipping, etc.

Yes, those are two of the factors i'm thinking!

Laura

Here are the main reasons we don't use the dining plan:

1) a full sit down meal every day cuts into park time
2) it forces us to plan more meals than we prefer to plan
3) it forces us to eat at WDW for all meals

We are going the week before! We are on the dinning plan (1st time - and last since it is changing for 2008). I really didn't have a choice because the rest of the people on party wanted it and we just went along. As long as you eat the one table service meal per day, I think it is a very good deal. I priced it compared to what we would order if not on plan (usually no apps or dessert) and it came out even or better. It depend on where you eat.

I am a bit worried about missing our reservations (we already have them made) because it is sapposed to be difficult to just walk up and be seated. But I already have a few options in mind in case we do. I also think we will end up sharing some of the counter meals and therefore be able to get a few counter breakfasts out of it.

Here's an example I used:
Lunch of chicken strips and coke ------ 9.53
Dinner Chef Mickey's ------------------ 32.19
______
41.69 total with tax

The DDP is 38.99 per day and also inclued a snack, and I could've got a dessert with lunch.

I normally wouldn't eat a sit down every day, but I think it is a value for what you are getting.

HTH! And check out alllears and disboards if you haven't already!

I didn't even think about splitting the counter meals - great idea! I just got off the phone w/ the dining people and made reservations for:

1900 Parc Fare
Cheft Mickeys
Sci Fi
Garden Grill

I might change some of them since I didn't exactly time the reservations w/ which parks are open on which days - but all of the reservations are for dinner time, so that probably won't matter so much. I might make another reservation or two. We definitely intend on one sit down meal, minimum, per day. I don't really want to subject DS to two sit downs/day (or myself!).

Laura
Mom to Will

http://b4.lilypie.com/BhyBm5.png

You should check the park times because certain days MK closes earlier for the Christmas party. We have reservations for:

Chef Mickey's dinner
Tony's
Ohana's
Hollywwod & Vine for Little Einstein/JoJo breakfast
Spoodles
Raglan Road at Downtown Disney

I made one for every night so at least we have something planned. We'll cancel if needed. Can't wait!