[mickeysgirlz]

When I was booking my reservation tonight, the CM kindly reminded me that the dining plan was now open to passholders . . . so I said "I dunno, we don't like to do sit down meals EVERYDAY!" and she told me this:

"You can use your TS credits for CS, you just have to inform the cashier. BUT, you can't save up CS to use for TS!"

Has anyone done this before . . . I've never heard of this?

[DisneyTeacher]

Yes, I've heard of this but it's not a good use, I'm not sure you'll come out ahead.

[Soundgod]

Why would I waste a TS credit on a CS meal? I'd rather use two TS credits and eat at Narcoossee's or California Grill.
Or to put it another way, why would you spend $35 for a $12 meal?
The only time this makes any sense is if you're on the deluxe plan with three TS credits per day and you only feel like sitting down for 2 meals that day.

[mickeysgirlz]

I think it only makes sense if you look at the dining in a whole!

$37.99/day adult and $9.99/day child . . . right?

I went to allears.net to estimate the meal costs (tax not included)

1 adult / 2 kids:

Breakfast, Pop Cafe: 8.97 (cinnamon rolls-ie. snack)

Lunch, Cosmic Rays: 21.83 (counter service)

Dinner, Sunshine: $27.23 (counter service)

TOTAL: $58.03 - I paid $57.97 (saved .06¢ that day - Using a TS as a CS)



Next day, say I do a similar Breakfast/Lunch, but now I'm doing the Candlelight Dining Packages:

Breakfast: 8.97

Lunch: 21.83

Dinner: Me $44.99 - 2 children $37.99 : $120.97

TOTAL: $151.77 - I paid $57.97 (saved 93.80 that day)



So the next day, similar, 'cept we go to Chef Mickey's

Breakfast: 8.97

Lunch: 21.83

Dinner: Me $29.99 - 2 children $14.99 : $59.97

TOTAL: $90.77 - I paid $57.97 (saved 32.80 that day)

So YES, I agree that using A TS meal for a CS meal doesn't save me as much $$, BUT it's LESS FOOD . . . cuz after a few days of TS meals . . . I feel like this and would rather be like this and have saved .6¢ on that day!

So over the course of 3 days, I've SAVED $127.20 in FOOD . . . right?

[Jennatrz]

I guess it can work out in the end. That is great the way you broke it down.

[Jennatrz]

Hey by the way.....do you still have to purchase MYW ticket when you purchase the dining plan? Or do you have to purchase AP at the same time you purchase the DP?

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by Jennatrz

Hey by the way.....do you still have to purchase MYW ticket when you purchase the dining plan? Or do you have to purchase AP at the same time you purchase the DP?

NOPE! If you have an AP you can get dining now! You no longer have to purchase the MYW ticket (unless you want FREE dining!)

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by Soundgod

Why would I waste a TS credit on a CS meal? I'd rather use two TS credits and eat at Narcoossee's or California Grill.
Or to put it another way, why would you spend $35 for a $12 meal?
The only time this makes any sense is if you're on the deluxe plan with three TS credits per day and you only feel like sitting down for 2 meals that day.

I agree . . . I would use it as a 2 TS first BEFORE I would us it as a CS!

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by Jennatrz

I guess it can work out in the end. That is great the way you broke it down.

Thanks! I'm a visual person . . . it works better for me this way!

[Jennatrz]

That is so great to know. What about for SP's? My dm has an SP. I wonder if it works for that also?

[shaggie229]

We have used the TS for CS in the past. They do tell you that it is up to the discretion of the CS restaraunt you go to, but we never had a problem.

[Jennatrz]

I can't see why they would ever have a problem with that. It is much less expensive for them.

[Soundgod]

I've done the math and posted so many times it makes my head swim.
If you look at this per person, and just the one adult at that, the most expensive CS meals are any of the grilled entrees from Sunshine Seasons and the chicken/rib combo from Cosmic Ray's.
So, $20.00 Cosmic Ray's
$16.50 Sunshine Seasons
$ 3.50 snack
Total minus sales tax= $40.00

But this is an extreme example and assumes you take the desserts as well.
More common would be a cheeseburger combo and a chicken finger combo.

So: $7.60 + $2.30 + $3.50 = $12.70 Bacon Double Cheeseburger
$6.90 + $2.20 + $3.50 = $12.00 Chicken Strips
$ 3.50 Snack
$28.20 Daily total minus sales tax

And that is considerably lower than $38.

Yes, you might be able to come out in the end as a zero sum difference, but I'd rather not. You might feel that you've "saved" money, but you didn't get full value for your purchase. I'd rather get full value for my purchase, especially because my purchase includes a room that is costing at least $100 a day. And let's not forget that you're now adding an 18-20% tip out of your own pocket now. (Which some people will use as an excuse to do all CS) And if you want to talk about too much food, there is more food in the Cosmic Ray's chicken/rib combo than most sit down full course meals. Again, I still don't see how a sit down meal of an entree and side dish and dessert is that much more food than a CS meal with dessert, entree and French fries, but that's a discussion I can't win around here with so many parents with light eating kids.
If you are talking the deluxe dining plan, that's different because that is three sit downs each day and each TS includes appetizer, entree, dessert, and beverage. That can be too much food, but you're only adding $30 a day to the cost and the most usual way to use those credits is a character breakfast, possibly a CS for lunch, and a TS for dinner or Character breakfast and signature 2 credit dinner and you use your two snacks during the day to fight off the hungries.

[Soundgod]

Originally Posted by mickeysgirlz

When I was booking my reservation tonight, the CM kindly reminded me that the dining plan was now open to passholders .

We have done two visits since they changed the rules for passholders.
You can book the dining plan even if you are staying just one night. You do not have to buy tickets if you are an AP holder. The rest of the normal rules apply.
$200 deposit with balance due 45 days from date of arrival. If you make your reservation within those 45 days, payment in full is required upon booking.
What I have done was reserve the room and pay the first night deposit as a normal room only reservation then I wait until the last moment, 3 days before arrival, and change the reservation to add the dining plan.
Also, an interesting tweak I used on our last visit was to book the first day as room only and then book the second and third days as a new reservation with the deluxe dining plan. (Arrive Saturday-depart Tuesday)
This way, we had to only deal with paying dinner out of pocket the first night.
When we woke up in the morning, we were then on the dining plan for essentially three days and were able to use two sit down credits Sunday, two on Monday, and two on Tuesday, and then we departed because, your dining dredits are good until midnight on your checkout day.
An alternate would be to book the first two days with deluxe dining plan and eat lunch and dinner in WDW on your arrival day (works if you're arriving early in the day), two on your first full day, and two on the day you check out (but really are continuing with a room only for one more day).
You will need to pay for breakfast out of pocket on that last day when you are departing for home.
I hope this isn't too confusing.

[timsha]

Not to thread jack, but have a foolish question. We have been AP holders for years, and you could never get the DDP with the AP. When we booked our trip and made our ADR's, the DDP was not there. Can I call and add the DDP now and keep all of our ADR's, or would I have to rebook all of our ADR's?