Specific ADR Advice Please :)

[katiee_106]

We are on the Disney 2017 Deluxe Dining Plan and our group of four will be visiting Walt Disney World in December. I am looking for some ADR advice. We have already done our 180 day bookings and we stuck to 1 Table Service meal per day. I am now wondering if I should add more Table Service Meals to get our money’s worth on the Deluxe plan or if it would take up too much of our park time. The meals in *s are what I was thinking of adding and they are all available at this point. Any advice would be great! Thank you!
Here is what we’re working with:

Day 1: Arrival (CSR and Disney Springs)

Dinner @ Morimoto Asia - 8pm

**thinking of adding Planet Hollywood lunch**

Day 2: Epcot

Dinner @ Via Napoli - 6pm

Day 3: Magic Kingdom

Breakfast @ Cinderella’s - 8:30am

**thinking of adding an early dinner at the Plaza Restaurant**

Day 4: Animal Kingdom

Breakfast @ Tusker House - 9am

**thinking of adding dinner at the Rainforest Cafe**

Day 5: Hollywood Studios

Lunch @ Sci-Fi - 1pm

**thinking of adding dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe**

Day 6: Animal Kingdom

Dinner @ Yak & Yeti - 6pm

Day 7: Magic Kingdom

Dinner @ BOG - 7pm

Day 8: Universal Studios

*None*

Day 9: Resort Hopping

Breakfast @ Kona - 9:30am

Dinner @ Yachtsman - 7:30pm

Day 10: Departure (CSR and Disney Springs)

Lunch @ Raglan Road - 12pm

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Personally I don't like to do more than one TS per day.
I also don't think the Deluxe plan is at all worth the money if you are only going to do one TS per day.
Perhaps you may want to look into downgrading to the regular dining plan and just stick to your one TS per day.
You could buy a QS breakfast for pretty cheap or what I do is bring something from home since I don't like to eat much early in the morning.
Then use a QS or TS for lunch and then which ever one you didn't use use it for dinner.

 

[katiee_106]

Personally I don't like to do more than one TS per day.
I also don't think the Deluxe plan is at all worth the money if you are only going to do one TS per day.
Perhaps you may want to look into downgrading to the regular dining plan and just stick to your one TS per day.
You could buy a QS breakfast for pretty cheap or what I do is bring something from home since I don't like to eat much early in the morning.
Then use a QS or TS for lunch and then which ever one you didn't use use it for dinner.

I should have specified that we are getting Free Dining and just had to pay a small up charge to deluxe, and we did do the math and it will be worth it, even buying quick service and snacks. Thanks for the advice.

 

[HappyMomma]

I would change some of your TS to Signature dining that takes 2 credits, if they still have that as an option. I haven't done the dining plan in years, for this very reason. You are a slave to the plan. And we always had credits for snacks left at the end of our trip.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

We always do the deluxe dining plan and this is how we plan our days...
We love character meals, so usually plan 1 per day , almost always late breakfast early lunch so that we aren't losing that great early am park time. By that time we are ready for a nice air conditioned (yes, it's that hot in December) break.
We have a really nice dinner every night. Sometimes with a dinner package (Candlelight Processional, F+ etc) or a signature meal. We enjoy the chance to sit and relax and spend time with an excellent meal. We are both employed at busy busy jobs full time so Disney is not just a time to go go go, but a time yo sit back and relax with our families.
There is no right or wrong answer.

 

[quakechicago]

Very true there is no one way, it's whatever works for you. We also always do deluxe dining. We average walking 10-15 miles a day. We are go go goers (by nature -- I'm sort of a recovering type A and make coffee nervous), so we plan our dining to see tons of characters without waiting in lines (bonus: usually much better food, no allergy concerns, a fun rest, and air conditioning or a break from the rain!). Dining like this actually forces me to relax and enjoy (which I basically need) and I get to take better pics and videos for us to remember the trip after (it goes by in such a blurrrrrr).

We usually have an early breakfast, a brunch/lunch before a disco nap, then have a great dinner. We do end up with snack credits especially with longer trips (although no meal credits with 2 credit meals, arriving early first day and leaving late on last day), but that means I get to have a super fun shopping spree for snack gifts on the last day. I bring an extra bag for the trip home. Really. I'm the aunt that sends all our nieces and nephews these super parks-only Disney holiday treats in their holiday gift boxes and what we don't send, or give to friends, we enjoy to extend the magic of our trip over the next few months (depending on the treats of course). Usually if we still have a few extra credits left over I'll call some kids nearby over and let them each pick out a treat or if our daughter has a great time playing with other kids while they're in the parks or our hotel, it's great fun to tell them to pick a surprise.

Math-wise and fun wise it is so worth it! My DH was not a huge fan of WDW when we first started to go with our kiddo (*Gasp* IKR?!), but a few trips in where there are set rests with food, and this year in January he started asking me when I was booking our trip.

 

[10CJ]

Looking at the restaurants you have chosen I don't really understand why you are doing the deluxe plan at all.

I agree with adding more signature restaurants. I would add Tiffins instead of Rainforest on your AK day.

 

[monique5]

We always do Deluxe Dining Plan, DD9 this year. So we always come out ahead. A few days 3 meals if start early & end late, but always 2 TS meals a day including CRT, HDDMR, CP Dining Package (Holidays), F! Dining w/HBD on occasion, Le Cellier all which are 2 credits. Starbucks is a great snack location, 3 Cakepops On DDP, coffe, etc. Cinnamon Roll @ Gaston Tavern is great mid-day meal & use of snack credit. Breakfast is typically a Character Meal unless eating @ Boma.

You need more ADRs or switch dining plans. Even for a few dollars more (it literally should be dollars then no true lost but options upon arrival) it’s a waste (lost of monetary value) to convert to QS meals unless converting higher end QS Meals & 2X a day or that’s a ton of snack conversations.

 

[KenHutch]

Try some signature restaurants. Using the plan for Quick Service really doesn't pay for itself. But remember if you book multiple sit down meals you are falling into a time sink. We tried the deluxe plan once but decided afterwards that between the huge amount of time we spent and the mandatory tips for a party our size eating at buffets it really wasn't to our taste.