Can't make the math work

[Colleen27]

Persimmondeb- Thanks for your input. This may have gotten lost in my rambling before so I will repost as this is a genuine question and I'd like some input:

So character meals or seating packages are good value on the plan - what else? If I go the regular dining plan route I will just pay OOP for Cinderella so we don't burn up 8 credits there. But what about the snack credits - how best to use those?
And what other meals are priorities if doing a dining plan?

thanks again

Anything fixed price is generally a good value, especially with kids. At character meals and buffets/AYCE places like Ohana and Boma (dinners), the cost of a child's dinner is almost as much as the cost of the plan for the night, making the kids' quick service and snack credits nearly "free".

Be Our Guest breakfast is an excellent value quick service choice. So are the places like Flame Tree and Cosmic Rays that have chicken and BBQ combo meals. A lot of QS meals are shareable, so ordering two or three meals for the four of you can help you get the most from your credits.

When it comes to snacks, the very best value is seasonal - the tasting portions at the Food & Wine or Flower & Garden booths. But there are a lot of $5+ snacks available year round, sweets like funnel cakes and specialty cupcakes and savory items like soft pretzels w/cheese and falafel. If you're not using snack credits on drinks you should be able to get a $5 average value without thinking too much about it.

And in 2018, the plans include an adult beverage with meals, which might make it a better fit for you than the 2017/previous plan in which value hinges in part on wanting a soda/tea/coffee with every meal.

The plan absolutely doesn't work for everyone, but those are the places to look to find value if they happen to fit the way you prefer to order while on vacation.

 

[Nancyg56]

If it is important enough to you, find the time to "do the math" in as much detail as you can. The dining plans are very dependent on your dining habits and it's difficult to get someone else to figure out how a dining plan would work for your family. Finding/making the time to figure out how it would work for your family is part of good planning if making a dining plan work is important to you.

I agree, especially if you are really not familiar with the menus and costs at Disney restaurants. I know my family and I know where they like to eat and can pretty much predicts their entree choices, if they will have an appetizer, which dessert every one will choose, and how they snack through the parks. For me, it is not whether we will choose a plan, but if it makes sense to buy the DxDDP, but I still have to invest time because our family dynamic and focus of the trip changes every trip.

No one can tell you if a plan is worth it or not. WE can guess based on the preferences you post, but that is really only a guess.

Persimmondeb- Thanks for your input. This may have gotten lost in my rambling before so I will repost as this is a genuine question and I'd like some input:

So character meals or seating packages are good value on the plan - what else? If I go the regular dining plan route I will just pay OOP for Cinderella so we don't burn up 8 credits there. But what about the snack credits - how best to use those?
And what other meals are priorities if doing a dining plan?

thanks again

My family loves the snacks, and we do tend to use them at Starbucks. ( I average $7 for my Starbucks beverages, and am too darn cheap to buy them at home very often.) Truthfully, just avoid waters, soda, etc. Do not spend them on the under $3 items.

Look at the dining packages, such as Fantasmic or ROL. Many times there are extras added to them for 1 credit, and even if you do nto want to stay for the show, they are a good value. We will sometimes book Fantasmic Dining package Mama Melrose for a late lunch and then give our vouchers away.

At dinner we like coffee or tea with dessert, so even if we have water or wine for me, the beverage is not lost.

If you are credit conscious and we usually are, you can think about Akershus for an early or late breakfast. This is one of our favorite character meals, and it is in a lovely Castle. This one is a very good value and bonus for us: we book it before the park opens. Epcot in general and the WC specifically, is truly lovely that early in the morning. The Princess interaction is very nice, and the food is delicious and plentiful. No need for lunch after that one! Look for a CS meal in EPcot that eveing and split it. Most portions for the CS restaurants are large enough to share and you then get to have a great snack after that.

 

[sharonabe]

Look at the dining packages, such as Fantasmic or ROL. Many times there are extras added to them for 1 credit, and even if you do nto want to stay for the show, they are a good value. We will sometimes book Fantasmic Dining package Mama Melrose for a late lunch and then give our vouchers away.

Just in case you didn't see the announcement a while back, 2018 F! pkg will NOT include the app, so there's really nothing extra there anymore. Wondering if the same will become true of the others once they gauge reaction to this one.