mh3
Registered: May 2009 Posts: 6
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Review Date: Sun September 20, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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pre-paid, could order what you wanted. No tipping
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Cons:
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too many drinks and snacks
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9/11 - 9/16 I have used the basic DP in the past. Taking my grandkids (3 yrs. 10 mos., 2 1/2 and 6 mos.) this trip meant that table services were not a good idea. Thought the QSDP would fit our needs. In theory it sounds great, 2 counter meals: entree, drink, dessert and 2 snacks per day. Plus a refillable resort mug per person. We only went to a theme park one day out of the five we were staying. So for us having the refillable resort mugs included in the QS plan negated the need for a drink with each meal. And at breakfast you get two beverages. Our room fridge ended up filled with water and juice bottles from meals we couldn't consume them. Even the snacks credits were hard to use up as we were so busy that we would forget to use them.
I did an cost analysis for this trip. For 2 adults and 1 child I saved $272. So from a monetary aspect the QSDP worked for me. However, I had to deal with the stress of how we were going to consume all the fridge beverages and use up all the snack credits by the end of our stay.
That being said I advise you to think about what your particular family dining tastes are. Then make your own decision as to whether or not you get any of the DPs.
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tinkerbell2b3
Registered: September 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 2
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Review Date: Wed September 9, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Convenience and value
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Cons:
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some of the meals can be repetitive
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We used the Quick Service Dining Plan for the first time this past trip, 8/23 - 8/31. We have used the regular dining plan every year since they came out with the dining plan and were happy with it, however, we have three small children and we just couldn't see planning our days around meals anymore. Plus with our long Disney days, having three kids at a table service restaurant was a nightmare for us at times, depending on the restaurant. We found this plan to be perfect for us at this stage in our lives - we could eat wherever we found ourselves to be, and did a very good job making the most out of the meal plan. We did find that some choices could be somewhat repetitive, however, if you went to the right places, such as Yak & Yeti's quick service, or Sunshine Seasons, or Wolfgang Puck Express, you had excellent choices. Our one meal at Wolfgang Puck cost the same amount as what we paid for the entire cost of the meal plan for the day. We also utilized our snacks to our advantage - paying for waters and other small items at $2.50 or under, and using snacks for ice cream treats, dole whips, and the wonderful items at the Mainstreet Bakery (which some were over $4). We used the rest of our snacks up for breakfast at the Mainstreet Bakery for their enormous cinnamon rolls and frozen lattes (both over $4 each in value).
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EeyoreFan928
Registered: May 2009 Location: Phila, Pa Posts: 9
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Review Date: Tue September 1, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great for family budget!
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Cons:
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None
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I like this plan the best this way we are not on any time schedule to make dinner and lunch at different places, I can't eat that much food in 1 day. And if you want to have a sit down meal then just pay for that one. No Biggie! We usually only have 2 sit down meals during our trip, we are busy with everything else.
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gipper
Registered: August 2009 Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sun August 30, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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We have done the meal plan for our last few trips to WDW and love it. It is nice to know how much will be spent on food, pay up front, and not have to worry about money once on vacation. This was the first time we did the QS plan. It was okay, by the end of the week we were all tired of the QS and wanted a regular meal. We never use up all the credits with any of the meal plans. We had 24 credits to use up on our last day. We went to the Boardwalk bakery and left with pastry that last for a week at home. That was fun for the kids because they felt like they were still on vacation. We loved the re-fillable mugs. We have a child that has many allergies and is very limited in what he can drink. When I booked the dining plan I mentioned it to the CM, she gave me a phone number to call to discuss my child's allergies. I recieved 2 phones calls from WDW letting me know that they would accommodate my son's allergies. Pierre from the Boardwalk Bakery (Boardwalk was home for us) called me and told me to ask for him when we arrived. There was a note for the Bakery staff informing them of our arrival and what we needed. The staff at the Bakery was outstanding! I liked the QS because I didn't have to make ADR and plan our whole vacation around eating. It was nice to just be able to eat freely wherever we happen to be on any given day. I would recommend the plan.
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Bobmom
Registered: August 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10
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Review Date: Thu August 20, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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No need for ADR!! ( :
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Cons:
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None!!
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I loved the QSDP for my family of five on our 8 day August vacation. I was concerned as to whether or not we would have enough to eat without the fancier sit down dinners, but I worried needlessly. We certainly had more than we could eat.
What we did and it worked great for us was - we got our free refillable mugs right away. When we had dinner in our resorts food court, we used our refillable mugs and since a drink came with our counter service meal, we got beverages in bottles that we brought with us to the parks or had in our room fridge for a late night or early morning snack. Since we had two snack options a day, we used our refillable mugs at breakfast and one snack credit each at the bakery for a bagel or muffin. At night before retiring to our rooms, we again used our refillable mugs and a snack credit at the bakery for cheesecake, cookies, or ice cream as a late night dessert.
The QS meal plan was so easy at the theme parks as well. The staff at the different QS restaurants all knew what came with the plan and reminded me to order the desserts or drinks I was forgetting. They were all so helpful, friendly and nice.
Our best discovery for the Quick Service meal plan was at Down Town Disney named Wolf Gang Puck Express. They have a restaurant there that is for counter service credit that has a menu far beyond the average counter service joint. You go in and place your order (kids actually get desserts from the grown up menu instead of the usual grapes and applesauce) then they give you your cups and a table marker and you actually get waited on like a table service restaurant without the tip. The food is to die for and our waiters were professional, friendly, and they brought our dinner (on real plates with real flatware!!) to us, refilled our drinks, and brought dessert too! So, for the QSDP, take the time to stop in for a fabulous meal worth your time. You really get your money's worth since my family of 5 would have paid $90 a night if we didn't have the QSDP to eat there.
The QSDP made my family happy. We had used the regular dining plan in the past and I was afraid we would miss out, but honestly, it allowed us to be much more spontaneous and not stuck at a park waiting for our reservation to come up.
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Doombuggy
Registered: July 2008 Posts: 12
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Review Date: Wed August 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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lots of food, good value for money, good for lighter eaters
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Cons:
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none
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We saved lots of money with this plan for our family of 4 with 2 picky eater kids. At Wolfgang Puck Express at DTD, our lunch cost about $65 which is more than the plan for 1 day. Adults get plenty of food. You can use one of the desserts to get a bagel and pastry for breakfast and save a snack. This plan is great for families with kids who don't like sit down dinners (not many do) and who want to spend more time in the parks. It was great to NOT worry about getting somewhere for a reservation. This program is an excellent option.
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Mrs K
Registered: July 2009 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1
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Review Date: Fri July 31, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Convenient, you never have to carry cash
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Cons:
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none
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We decided to purchase the QS meal plan for our July visit. I don't think it really saved us much money, but with two teens and a 20 year old it was perfect. We never even carried our wallets. You don't have to worry about cash or charging meals to you room. The kids could go and eat where they wanted. If there was one draw back, it was that you get too much food. I can't imagine fitting in time for all the meals on the full service plan.
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penguins1992
Registered: June 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 2
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Review Date: Wed July 15, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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convenience, cost, availability
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Cons:
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somewhat limited choices
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Our family has two adults and two teens, 15 and 17, and a baby who brought her own food. We all used the Quick service meal plan and it worked out great. On several occasions some of us got food from one place, while the others ate somewhere different. The flexibility is very nice. If you do your research you can find places that have different choices than hamburgers, wraps, and salads.
Use your snack options on things of higher value, like pretzels or ice cream. At Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square at MK, you can get an ice cream sandwich as a snack item. It is two very large cookies with about 3 scoops of ice cream between them. We went back multiple times for those.
In the Land building at Epcot, my wife and I had a great meal at Sunshine Seasons. I had salmon, she had rotisserie pork chop. If you eat there, get your dessert from the far left side where the real (fresh) desserts are, not the pre-packaged stuff. We had cheesecake and something else that I only remember tasted very good.
In the Morocco area of Epcot, the Tangierine Cafe has a chicken and lamb combo platter that has plenty of food and is very delicious.
If you go to Downtown Disney, eat at Wolfgang Puck Express. It is in the quick service plan, has a lot of variety, and is VERY good.
Cosmic Rays in the Magic Kingdom also is very good and offers a lot of variety.
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HollywoodTowerHotel
Registered: July 2009 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed July 8, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Freedom, flexibility, meals are prepaid
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Cons:
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Need to do your homework, but it's worth it!
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Having done both the regular DDP and the QSDP, I can say that this new option is worth the money. Besides the fact that your meals are already paid for, if you know what you're doing, you get more for your money. The key is to know where you can use the plan and what you get with it. For example, breakfast can be where you lose money if you don't take advantage. At Pop Century, we were able to get a platter, a LARGE juice, and an extra pastry. Seems gluttonous, yes, but it takes your meal further. Also, the QSDP can be used in many locations in all parks so the choices are endless. Even the countries in Epcot take the plan. We were able to get fish & chips at Yorkshire County Fish Shop, bratwurst at Sommerfest, and we used several snack credits at the Boulangerie Patisserie, Sommerfest, and Kringla Bakeri og Cafe. The Kringla Sweet Pretzel alone is over $4! I only wish we could do this plan again on our next trip (in 7 days!), but we're staying at the Dolphin because we get a free night for my husband's birthday.
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golittleperson
Registered: August 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 13
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Review Date: Fri June 26, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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spontanious, price
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Cons:
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bored by end of 8 days with choices
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This year we opted for the counter service quick dining plan. We did eat out 4x out of our 8 days and just pay for what we ordered at more traditional restaurants. I like that we did not have ADR's each night that limited where we had to be at a certain time. We had more than enough food and the last day we had 18 snacks to get and carry home. There are several selections in the parks for variety but we found the parks unusually busy and the heat unusually bad (6-16 thru 6-23) so we often retreated to our resort (CB) which has a good food court. I must admit by the end of the week I was a bit tired of the choices.
I still would recommend this plan for the price, choices and freedom it allows. Nice that things were pre paid and the simpler, I can have vacation the better. Have used the DP plan in the past but it lost the charm when appetizers and tips were no longer included - so the cc had to come out at every meal anyway. I like this now!
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lamlung
Registered: June 2009 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 7
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Review Date: Mon June 15, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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paid in full before vacation begins, quicker than eating table service meals
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Cons:
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needs more variety in food choices, especially for picky eaters
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I've had the opportunity to try both the regular dining plan and now the quick service dining plan. I think I still prefer the regular dining plan, but the quick service is perfect for those traveling with a large group and/or with children. I was at WDW with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, husband, and three young nephews (all under 7 years old). It would have been difficult to try to sit down with everyone. Plus, we only had a 5-day park pass and we wanted to get in as many attractions as we could. However, I felt that many of the quick-service options tended to sell the same kind of food. I was able to find something different everywhere we went because I'm not very picky, but my husband had trouble finding anything other than chicken to eat. Overall, I would recommend using this dining plan if you are worried about time and money.
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disfam4
Registered: May 2009 Location: Davis Junction, IL Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat May 30, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Plenty of food, more time in parks
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Cons:
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Could use more menu variety
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Used QS plan on six night stay 5/23-5/29 for family of four. More than enough food and we liked not having to schedule meal time like we have with other dining plan. Do your research to get the most of your snacks - Main Street Bakery has wonderful snacks (ice cream sandwich, cinnamon rolls) that 2 can share! Check out the menus on this site to help with variety. Too many of the quick service restaurants have the same items. Wolfgang Puck Express was best meal of the trip - can't believe it's a quick service location!
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marsdnr
Registered: November 2006 Location: East Windsor, Ct Posts: 40
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Review Date: Sat May 23, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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your meals are paid for before you start your vacation
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Cons:
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DH and I were in WDW 4/26 - 5/03. So with the seven night stay we had 28 counter service meals and 28 snacks. The total saving from using this DDP was about $10 to $15 per day. But the nice part was not having to take out money to pay for meals. I do not like hambugers and had no problem finding good and healthy food for meals. We used our snack on prepackaged veg's and dip, and fruit. As well as some great pastries. If you do not want to take the time for sit down meals everyday this plan is worth looking at. I will use this plan again on my next trip to WDW.
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wisconsinbu
Registered: May 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat May 23, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Cheaper than other plans, Quick reservations needed
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Cons:
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none
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We stayed May 5-12 first time using the dining plan and this one was perfect (we have kids 6 and 3). Each meal counts as one credit no matter which Counter Service restaurant you eat it. Whether its a burger and fries in the park or Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney ( I highly recommend eating there atleast once the food is great, we went out of our way the last three nights to eat dinner there) Also Cosmic Rays in the MK has a Combo of Chicken and Ribs that is plenty of food for 2 adults and 2 kids. So you can share two of those and save credits which we did and used for lunch at the hotel the day we left. We ate at Magic Kingdom-Cosmic Rays, Pecos Bills, Epcot- Mexico-Cantina de San Angel , Morocco-Tangierine Cafe , The Land -Sunshine Season, Animal Kingdom- Yak Yeti, Hollywood Studios- Catalina Eddies, Toluca Turkey Legs, Downtown Disney- Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich. All Star Sports Food Court. Everything we ate was delicious.
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Barbie
Registered: January 2009 Posts: 6
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Review Date: Mon May 18, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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plenty of food, prepaid convenience
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Cons:
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unsure of where to use snack credits
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We had the QS DP for May 1 and 2. We arrived LATE May 1 and left before lunch on May 3. So, we had a total of 4 meals and 4 snacks each, and only a little over 24 hours to use them all. We ended up using our meals this way: Saturday Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, and Sunday Breakfast. We used 2 of our snack credits at Tamu Tamu Refreshments in the Animal Kingdom and got 2 milkshakes that were more like soft serve icecream. We ended up buying a ton of mickey ear rice krispy treats. We gave one as a souvenir to a young nephew and the kids have enjoyed having one every now and then as a reminder of Disney fun. Having dessert with lunch and dinner made it almost unnecessary to use the snacks. We really felt like we had tons of food. We may have felt differently if we'd been there for a longer period. We will most certainly use DDP again. Looking forward to it, actually.
The only negative I could see is that Disney is not forthcoming about where you can actually use snack credits. For example, we used snack credits at Tamu Tamu, but that's not a Disney-published place to claim your snack credits. We've found some great websites that list the places people have been able to use snack credits, but there's always a part of me that is afraid that when we try to use a snack credit at an unofficial spot, we'll be refused and embarrassed. That won't stop me from using DDP again, and it won't stop me from trying to use snack credits at some of those places. I just wish Disney was more forthcoming about all the places you actually can use the snack credits.
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