[skwak]

We are really trying to decide whether or not to do the meal plan. Here is my problem:

We arrive late Tuesday and depart at 6:00 on Friday to go to Port Canaveral for the cruise. So if we get the meal plan for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday it will cost $202 per day (5 adults/1 child) and we will have credits for 18 snacks, 18 counterservice meals and 18 table meals. Obviously Tuesday we are going to use none. However I doubt we would use the 18 of each on Wed/Thu/Fri since the tableservice meals include so much. If I eat that much at dinner, I will not need lunch or vice versa. Am I missing something here? Plus, I want to go, go , go. I don't want to have a 2+ hour meal!

Now we are coming back for 1 night on the day after the cruise but I suspect that the meal plan credits from before will expire on check out. Is that true?

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dana]

Yes, the meal credits expire at midnight on the day you check out. You won't be able to carry them over. I honestly don't think the meal plan will work in your favor. Do you spend $202 a day on food normally at WDW? IF you are more of a counter service, eat and run family, then skip and just eat on the fly.

[gingles]

I think Dana is right in your case, especially if I understand you will arrive well after dinner time on Tue. That leaves only two nights you'll be eating dinner. You could use up your TS points with a 2-point dinner (I love Cal. Grill!!!) but you'll probably leave some CS points on the table (pardon the pun).

Just a thought, have you thought of doing your cruise first, followed by your WDW tour?

[mickey]

We did the same thing late last year, 4 nights worth of meals in only 3 days in the parks, as we arrived late the first night and left at 4 AM going home. The last day was tough, we had a Counter service and 2 Table Service left, plus about 3 snacks each. By the end of the day, I was stuffed, we spent all day eating.

I would agree, may be worth passing up the dining plan this go round.

[skwak]

Originally Posted by mickey

We did the same thing late last year, 4 nights worth of meals in only 3 days in the parks, as we arrived late the first night and left at 4 AM going home. The last day was tough, we had a Counter service and 2 Table Service left, plus about 3 snacks each. By the end of the day, I was stuffed, we spent all day eating.

I would agree, may be worth passing up the dining plan this go round.

Especially since I am going on a cruise after to get even more stuffed!

[Soundgod]

You can always use the extra table service meals for character breakfasts or go to the better places that hit you for two meals.
When you say you arrive late, how late is late? You can be seated at most sit downs as late as 9:45. You've got to eat anyway.
Don't think of it as 18 meals of each type. You have 6 people, so that alread makes it only 3 meals a day for 3 days per person. On the first day you use a snack. Second day you start at Chef Mickey's, do your counter for lunch, and do dinner at one of the other table places. Third day do a counter breakfast, counter lunch, and a sit down dinner. Yes, there are two snacks still available, but it's easy to kill them during the day.
Also, you're expensing it out wrong. You need to do per dayper person, or 3 day total per person. It's about $34 per person. The snack is valued about $5.00, the counters will be somewhere around $10.00. That leaves $19.00 for your sit down and that also includes the 24% tax and tip. If your sit down meal includes a $5.00 appetizer, a $12.00 entree, a $5.00 dessert, and beverage $3.00, that totals out to $31 with tax and tip. So, you pay for dinner and the rest is $3 a day for lunch and a snack. What do you say now?