Advantages/Disadvantages of QS Only - (Anyone NOT do TS Meals)?

[Just Love Disney]

For the past 6 years, our family (Me, DH, DS19, DD16) has always done TS meals for dinner. Sometimes I wonder if our schedule would be more relaxed if we DIDN'T book ADR's for TS meals and just ate at a QS on the fly - whenever we're hungry, wherever we happen to be, etc.

Anyone else just eat QS meals? What are the pros and cons in your opinion? Did you feel like you were missing out on part of the Disney experience by doing just QS?

Thanks for your help

 

[pershing]

We have done both in the past. However, we tend to do a Disney Cruise after doing the parks, so Quick Service is fine for us. Our fine dining happens on the ship. I try to maximize our counter service meals so that we are getting our money's worth. It all depends on what you enjoy. Fine dining is part of a Disney experience for some people. For us, we are looking to fill our stomachs without having to pay out more money for food.

 

[Disneylover99]

We go for two weeks at a time and only do quick service meals on many of our trips. it's awesome! Frees up our time and it's easy to make and change fp's or switch park days so easily.

 

[pens4821]

We did that one of our first trips back in years. We only made a couple ADRs. However we didn't research too much, and just ate when we were hungry. It just so happened we never went anywhere that had anything different. We ate way too many burgers/chicken tenders that trip, and we said we would never do it again. But we are planning on doing it again this time, after looking into the different cuisines. While I know they won't be as good, at least this way we will be getting some different types of food.

 

[Vdh730]

I was thinking of limiting our ADRs on our upcoming trip in August. I had a ton planned but hate how much money and time the use up. I just did a purging of many of them. We still have a few ADRs but way less than last year. I am so afraid we will have to eat the same thing over and over since Since counter service can lack options.

 

[Disneylover99]

I was thinking of limiting our ADRs on our upcoming trip in August. I had a ton planned but hate how much money and time the use up. I just did a purging of many of them. We still have a few ADRs but way less than last year. I am so afraid we will have to eat the same thing over and over since Since counter service can lack options.

Check out the menus! There is a ton of counter service variety out there, especially at Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs. Hollywood Studios is the only park we find lacking for counter service.

 

[AprilDreamsOfDisney]

For the past 6 years, our family (Me, DH, DS19, DD16) has always done TS meals for dinner. Sometimes I wonder if our schedule would be more relaxed if we DIDN'T book ADR's for TS meals and just ate at a QS on the fly - whenever we're hungry, wherever we happen to be, etc.

Anyone else just eat QS meals? What are the pros and cons in your opinion? Did you feel like you were missing out on part of the Disney experience by doing just QS?

Thanks for your help

Just came back from another trip in which we only did QS and this is our second week-long trip in which we've done that. When the kids were younger, we always did a character meal TS for lunch so that we met characters then and not in long lines. It was wonderful, but now that they're slightly older and they've met the characters lots of times, we don't feel the need.

I do a basic touring plan, so I know whereabouts I'm going to be in the parks at lunch and dinner times. It helps in terms of ensuring you're eating at fun places and not having the same things over and over again.

For example, some favourite QS places on our MK days are: Columbia Harbour House, Pecos Bill, and then the QS at the monorail resorts. At Satuuli Canteen in AK, I had a super interesting meal, and the same goes for Sunshine Seasons at Epcot. I think you CAN end up with lots of burgers and macaroni, but do some research beforehand and you'll likely find some amazing and interesting meal choices at QS in all the parks.

One of the HUGE advantages is the savings - we spent sooo much less on food when we do it ourselves (ie: no dining plan) and stick to QS meals. Often, as an adult, I prefer the child's size portion. An example of this is the nachos as Pecos Bill. I paid $6.99 for a plate of nachos with queso/beef. It was piled high, so I split it between two plates and loaded them up with the free toppings. It was a ginormous plate of food when I was done! And, I got fruit and a drink to go with it!

I think if I were going in the summer, I would be more likely to book TS meals for lunch, simply because it was always a lovely hour and a half break to look forward to in air-conditioning. But, then again, that was with character meals and with a dining plans when my kids were young.

 

[Just Love Disney]

I really do feel like it will make the trip more relaxed if we just wing it and maybe plan one TS dinner that we can all agree on. Our trips for the first 5 years were 16 days each but now that we have a kiddo in college and the other will be a Junior, 10 days is our max and we need to make better use of our time that we had to in the past.

Thank you for all the great feedback!

 

[loves to dive]

I really do feel like it will make the trip more relaxed if we just wing it and maybe plan one TS dinner that we can all agree on. Our trips for the first 5 years were 16 days each but now that we have a kiddo in college and the other will be a Junior, 10 days is our max and we need to make better use of our time that we had to in the past.

Thank you for all the great feedback!

Just so you know it's easy to wing it and do TS, it's the only way we do it. We usually book TS while walking around the park for that night. We do have park hoppers and we rarely make a lot of FPs in advance either so we totally wing it.

 

[crabbygal902]

QS Plan advantages:

1. Alcoholic bev is included for adults (yay!)
2. Everyone gets a refillable mug
3. The cost is reasonable IMHO
4. It isn't that difficult to maximize your dining credits by choosing more expensive options
5. Everyone gets 2 full meals and 2 snacks a day
6. Your food is pre-paid and it is guaranteed that everyone can be fed well without bringing extra money.
7. Snack credits are often substantial enough to use for a good breakfast
8. No ADRs to worry about
9. The QS plan really makes sense for those who want to use it for Food & Wine festival, each meal credit can be broken into 3 choices (no alcohol though) at any 1 booth. Those F&W offerings can be quite expensive and value for your QS credit can be terrific.
10. Disney has some fantastic QS locations where dining feels (and tastes) special. Our favorites: Polite Pig, Wolfgang Puck Express, Capt Cook's, Columbia Harbor House, BoG lunch, Flame Tree, Tangierine Cafe, The Bakery in France.
11. QS is perfect for trips where you want to spend more time touring and less at the table.

QS Plan disadvantages:

1. Finding a QS location where you want to use your alcoholic beverage credit can be a challenge
2. If you don't eat very much, the plan would probably not be a good fit for you
3. There is some homework involved if you want to be assured you'll come out ahead cost-wise
4. You must use all your credits for the QSDP to be cost-effective
5. There is less freedom in your choices than just buying what you want as you go
6. Most QS locations are counter service and you may miss the enjoyment and relaxation of a nice meal served to you at a slower pace. The only exceptions I can think of are WPE and BoG lunch. If you like to linger over a meal, this may be a disadvantage for you.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

QS Plan advantages:

1. Alcoholic bev is included for adults (yay)

1. I thought that was TS only?

 

[Disneylover99]

1. I thought that was TS only?

Nope. Quick service too!

 

[JerseyJanice]

We went to Disney for a long weekend to celebrate my 50th and got the QS Plan. Best decision ever made.

It was during Food & Wine so we made out like bandits using snack credits at the booths. But what was really great was that we were staying at Coronado Springs and had the Pepper Market. Loved it! With the real dishes and silverware and CMs to help with soft drink refills, it was almost like dining at a table service.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Keep in mind if the locations are crowded, you can use the mobile ordering app - saves a ton of time when there are long lines at the QS locations!

 

[Accidental Magpie]

We are doing this next trip. Only reservation will be for BOG for lunch on one day. Easy peasy. We are 49 and 13 and want to chill. I know where the food we want is located. Put fast passes nearby around lunch times - done.

 

[BandtheBoys]

For the past 6 years, our family (Me, DH, DS19, DD16) has always done TS meals for dinner. Sometimes I wonder if our schedule would be more relaxed if we DIDN'T book ADR's for TS meals and just ate at a QS on the fly - whenever we're hungry, wherever we happen to be, etc.

Anyone else just eat QS meals? What are the pros and cons in your opinion? Did you feel like you were missing out on part of the Disney experience by doing just QS?

Thanks for your help

We have gone (with kids) 6 times. We had done TS for the first few years and then decided to just do QS one year - I would never just do QS again.....because we had done the sit down restaurants, we knew what we were missing. Yes, we had more time in the parks but we missed the variety of food and atmosphere that the sit down restaurants offered. (Keep in mind we go during free dining and pay to upgrade so cost is worth it for us)

 

[mamamelody2]

DH and I went to WDW last November 12-20. We did QS only and really enjoyed it! We could switch park days if we wanted and just eat when we were hungry, not when we had our ADR that we made 6 months ago. LOL. The only ADR we had was BoG PPO breakfast one day. We had the regular DDP our first 2 trips, so we did know what we were missing, but we actually didn't miss it at all. I did not eat one burger and the only nuggets I had were the ones on the shrimp/fish/chicken platter at CHH. We were really happy with our meals. Highly recommend Satuli Canteen, Flame Tree BBQ, Pecos Bill, Columbia Harbour House, Sunshine Seasons, and I really enjoyed the salmon at ABC Commissary in HS.

 

[eiblehs]

For my last trip, I had the summer quick service dining plan. I only "splurged" once on the trip and booked one TS meal. All of the rest of our meals were at QS restaurants. I'm doing the same thing this summer because I got the same dining plan. I will splurge on one table service restaurant, but WDW has a lot of great QS restaurants on property. I definitely don't feel like I was missing out on anything.

 

[Specter]

To offer up one counterpoint to most of what I saw skimming over the replies, DW and I (no kids) like to have a TS meal each day as either a late lunch or a reasonable dinner. We tend to go in winter or spring, so it's not about escaping the heat but as anyone who has been knows, you put in some miles each day, and we welcome the chance to be in one spot for an hour, get off of our feet, and enjoy the experience of a sit down restaurant. Nothing in the world wrong with it if that isn't someone else's way. We aren't full on foodies, but we definitely can be adventurous eaters and there are so many fun options that we now feel that planning our ADRs and anticipating each one is part of the experience of the trip for us. Either way, enjoy.

 

[scard192]

we had the DDP (FD) for our 2009 and 2013 trips. kids were younger, we did lots of character meals and enjoyed it. 2013 FP+ started and it was kind of a pain to have to constantly be looking at the time we needed to use our FP+ and be at our ADRs.

2016 we had the QSDP(through a TA deal) and loved the freedom to eat when and where we wanted.The kids are older now,not interested in character meals and were very vocal that they did not want to "waste time" in restaurants when they could be on rides. I marked in MDE which CS places would fit the likes/dislikes of everyone in our party so when we were hungry I could easily find somewhere to eat.

We did do 1 TS meal that I paid for with Disney Visa Rewards.

Next trip we will do the QSDP again.