So many questions about the deluxe dining plan.

Joined
Apr 27, 2016
Hi everyone. I apologize in advance for all of my rambling. We just returned from a week at Disney and spent a small fortune on food and especially cocktails.

I am usually really good as budgeting our vacations but our friends met us there for 5 nights. cocktails starting flowing and the budget went right out the window.

We have never been on the dining plan before. The regular dining plan just doesn’t work for us because I am not a fan of Disney’s counter service options. In a perfect world Disney would add another plan that included 2 table service credits & 2 snacks per night.

My boyfriend and I have another 6 night trip booked for the first week of September (just the 2 of us) and 8 nights booked the first week of December. The same friends are going to join us for the December trip.

I have been reading all the posts I could find here on disboards about putting the deluxe plan on 1 room and sharing it with people in another room and I am trying to figure out if it will work for the way we eat.

From what I have read we would get 1 app, 1 entree, 1 dessert and 1 alcoholic drink per credit. I looked over the menus at the restaurants we just ate at and some restaurants don’t specifically have an app sections. How strict are the restaurants with apps verses sides? I am a vegetarian and tend to have better luck finding foods I can eat on the side section. For example. We ate at the boat house and the other 3 people in my group ordered dinners and I ordered the Mac and cheese & asparagus off the sides menu. Would we be able to use 6 credits for the 3 of them and have my sides count towards their appetizers?

I know it’s unlikely but Will they let you substitute dessert for a second cocktail if the price is less? We are not big dessert people.

We are planning on booking California grill brunch once our 180 day window opens, I have read conflicting reports on whether or not regular alcoholic drinks are included on top of the Mimosa’s. Any recent updates.

What is included at wine bar George on the deluxe plan? Is it 1 credit each?

I don’t understand why doesn’t make all of these answers available in black and white so there isn’t so much confusion.

I looked everywhere and I could find a thread discussing the best restaurants for the deluxe dining plan. I found plenty of threads discussing the regular plan but it’s not the same because they don’t include apps.

The buffets seem to be s good value on the regular plan but seem to not be so great on the deluxe. Am I wrong on this?

Option 1. Buy the TIW card to save 20% on our last 2 trips of the year including alcohol. I might have to kick myself if this is an option we choose because I could’ve used it on our last two trips.

Option 2 add the DDP to our 8 nights for a total of $1860 or $930 per couple. (This price will be a little lower from buying discount gift cards but I am not calculating that because I will buy the discounted cards if we pay oop)

Ready for the kicker. Our friend works for espn and gets a cm discount. Usually 20% but it doesn’t work on alcohol.

By my calculations. Each meal credit costs $35.41 for 1 credit restaurants and $70.82 for signature restaurants. Assuming snack credits are worth $5 each.


I’m going to stop rambling all of my thoughts now. . Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.
 
I assume you're AP holders or DVC since you can only buy TIW if you are one of those. The discounts at TIW are definitely more generous than AP and also allow the discount to be applied to larger parties (I think it's only 3 people + the AP holder for a straight AP discount)

In terms of DxDP - as a general rule you CANNOT substitute items (i/e. dessert vs drink, appetizer vs side, etc). SOMETIMES at the CM/Restaurant manager's discretion they may make minor substitutions (i.e. a small salad or cup of soup in place of an app) but that is very hit or miss. And Dining Plan menus can be restricted in terms of what you can order from the menu - not all menu items are included in a dining plan credit use. I can say 100% that you cannot substitute an alcoholic beverage for any DP food item regardless of the price listed on the menu.
 
From what I have read we would get 1 app, 1 entree, 1 dessert and 1 alcoholic drink per credit. I looked over the menus at the restaurants we just ate at and some restaurants don’t specifically have an app sections. How strict are the restaurants with apps verses sides? I am a vegetarian and tend to have better luck finding foods I can eat on the side section. For example. We ate at the boat house and the other 3 people in my group ordered dinners and I ordered the Mac and cheese & asparagus off the sides menu. Would we be able to use 6 credits for the 3 of them and have my sides count towards their appetizers?

No. Sides are not apps. Not sure where you ate that didn't have apps listed as I can't think of a TS that doesn't have an app section.

I know it’s unlikely but Will they let you substitute dessert for a second cocktail if the price is less? We are not big dessert people.

Nope. As PP said, this one won't fly.
 


I assume you're AP holders or DVC since you can only buy TIW if you are one of those. The discounts at TIW are definitely more generous than AP and also allow the discount to be applied to larger parties (I think it's only 3 people + the AP holder for a straight AP discount)

In terms of DxDP - as a general rule you CANNOT substitute items (i/e. dessert vs drink, appetizer vs side, etc). SOMETIMES at the CM/Restaurant manager's discretion they may make minor substitutions (i.e. a small salad or cup of soup in place of an app) but that is very hit or miss. And Dining Plan menus can be restricted in terms of what you can order from the menu - not all menu items are included in a dining plan credit use. I can say 100% that you cannot substitute an alcoholic beverage for any DP food item regardless of the price listed on the menu.
Yes. We have ap passes. Is there a list somewhere of items that are not included? I could be 100% wrong but I would think they would make an exception on sides vs. apps when there is litterly not 1 vegatarian option. Like I said they are usually cheaper too.
 
Yes. We have ap passes. Is there a list somewhere of items that are not included? I could be 100% wrong but I would think they would make an exception on sides vs. apps when there is litterly not 1 vegatarian option. Like I said they are usually cheaper too.

As I mentioned before, listed price on the menu doesn't = ability to substitute. It's not a factor in determining what is and isn't allowed on the DXDP.

If you look up individual restaurants on the Disney website, the menus online tend to list when things are specific to the dining plan or not.

In terms of sides vs apps you have an incorrect assumption - they will not make an exception if you are on the plan. Again, cost on the menu is not a factor in determining what is and is not allowed.

When you have a dietary need, the BEST thing you can do is make sure it is noted on your reservation and include that you'll be using a dining plan credit to eat there (there's a "special instructions" area on each reservation, or you can call and have it added). The chefs at the Disney restaurants are AMAZING at meeting dietary needs and when they know you are coming ahead of time, they will make sure you have a viable dinner option that meets your needs.
 
I’m not immediately aware of a Disney table service restaurant that does not have a vegetarian option. It may not be one that is appealing, but it is there. Now if one is a vegan, that could be a different story.
 


As I mentioned before, listed price on the menu doesn't = ability to substitute. It's not a factor in determining what is and isn't allowed on the DXDP.

If you look up individual restaurants on the Disney website, the menus online tend to list when things are specific to the dining plan or not.

In terms of sides vs apps you have an incorrect assumption - they will not make an exception if you are on the plan. Again, cost on the menu is not a factor in determining what is and is not allowed.

When you have a dietary need, the BEST thing you can do is make sure it is noted on your reservation and include that you'll be using a dining plan credit to eat there (there's a "special instructions" area on each reservation, or you can call and have it added). The chefs at the Disney restaurants are AMAZING at meeting dietary needs and when they know you are coming ahead of time, they will make sure you have a viable dinner option that meets your needs.
Thank you. I'll look again but when I looked at the menus I didn't see anything that expressly said what was included in what wasn't. There is also not a box to check when making a reservation to let them know if you are a vegatarian. They do have every allergy listed in the book though. Maybe I just got lucky or it was because we weren't on the plan but I had no problem substituting fruit for breakfast when meat was the only option.
 
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I’m not immediately aware of a Disney table service restaurant that does not have a vegetarian option. It may not be one that is appealing, but it is there. Now if one is a vegan, that could be a different story.
The isn't 1 entree or 1 app at the boathouse that is vegatarian. Most restaurant do have 1 and only 1 entree that is both Vegan & vegatarian. I realize that it can get confusing for people that eat meat but vegans and vegatarians have very different dietary needs.
It doesn't help that there are countless people out there that claim to be vegatarians but they eat chicken & seafood.
 
Thank you. I'll look again but when I looked at the menus I didn't see anything that expressly said what was included in what wasn't. There is also not a box to check when making a reservation to let them know if you are a vegatarian. They do have every allergy listed in the book though.

Nope it's not a box to check - it's a "Special instructions" free text box where you can type in whatever restrictions/allergies you have and any special instructions for the meal. - it appears on the same page where you enter your contact phone # toward the end of making the reservation. if you've already made reservations you may need to call Disney Dining and they can add your needs to any of your existing reservations.
 
The isn't 1 entree or 1 app at the boathouse that is vegatarian. Most restaurant do have 1 and only 1 entree that is both Vegan & vegatarian. I realize that it can get confusing for people that eat meat but vegans and vegatarians have very different dietary needs.
It doesn't help that there are countless people out there that claim to be vegatarians but they eat chicken & seafood.
Is this not vegetarian?
Cavatappi with Roasted Butternut & Arugula
Roasted Mushrooms, White Wine, Garlic-Brown Butter Sauce, Grana Padano Cheese
 
Also, vegetarian dining is usually not the best value on a dining plan. At the Boathouse for instance, it looks like a vegetarian could get a $19 pasta dish while the others get a $40 steak.
 
The isn't 1 entree or 1 app at the boathouse that is vegatarian. Most restaurant do have 1 and only 1 entree that is both Vegan & vegatarian. I realize that it can get confusing for people that eat meat but vegans and vegatarians have very different dietary needs.
It doesn't help that there are countless people out there that claim to be vegatarians but they eat chicken & seafood.
Salads will usually count as apps as well and it looks like they have a pimento cheese app
 
The isn't 1 entree or 1 app at the boathouse that is vegatarian. Most restaurant do have 1 and only 1 entree that is both Vegan & vegatarian. I realize that it can get confusing for people that eat meat but vegans and vegatarians have very different dietary needs.
It doesn't help that there are countless people out there that claim to be vegatarians but they eat chicken & seafood.


When I look at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/disney-springs/boathouse-restaurant/menus/dinner/

It looks like both the
Pimento Cheese appetizer and the
Cavatappi with Roasted Butternut & Arugula


Would be vegetarian.
 
Thank you everyone for your replays. I truly appreciate them. I fully admit I knew absolutely nothing about the deluxe dining plan and am learning as I read all the comments. My intention wasn't to turn this into a vegatarian thread by any means, I just mentioned it in passing to give a reason on why I am more interested in the sides.

I do find it ridiculous that most Disney restaurants only have 1 vegatarian meal which gives me 0 choices unless I ask if they can modify a different meal for me. I gaurentee that all of you meat eaters reading this wouldn't be thrilled if at every restaurant you went to only had 1 option for you. I have been a vegetarian most of my life and when I was younger it was much more understandable to have limited options but in 2019 it is much more common.

I know that this plan isn't designed for someone with my eating habits but the other 3 people in my party do eat meat and we all always order a cocktail with dinner.
Our bar bill at dinners is what made me think of looking into the plan in the first place. If each drink was $12.50 that is $50 per meal for the 4 of us.
 
I know that this plan isn't designed for someone with my eating habits but the other 3 people in my party do eat meat and we all always order a cocktail with dinner.

You could still do the plan on one room and divide that cost by 3 people. Then the other 3 use the credits, and you pay OOP for the things you can eat. There may be places where the app on one of those meals will appeal to you; there may not. If all of you want an alcoholic drink, you'll still have to pay for one OOP as well. This would probably be the most economical way to go for your Dec trip. If you get the TiW for your other trip, you can still use it for your meals in Dec and anything extra they may get as well.
 
I agree with @sharonabe . Just be aware that there's been some difficulty sharing the deluxe DDP lately. The reports of not being able to share have decreased lately but there are still a few reports of it happening. Who knows what will be allowed in the coming months.
I did read this too. I will definitely be keeping an eye on that.
 
Yes. We have ap passes. Is there a list somewhere of items that are not included? I could be 100% wrong but I would think they would make an exception on sides vs. apps when there is litterly not 1 vegatarian option. Like I said they are usually cheaper too.
They will not. Frequently, they will be willing to swap out part of the meal - say your entree comes with cole slaw, but you don't eat cabbage. They are probably willing to substitute fries. They won't let you exchange the appetizer for the mac & cheese.
Thank you everyone for your replays. I truly appreciate them. I fully admit I knew absolutely nothing about the deluxe dining plan and am learning as I read all the comments. My intention wasn't to turn this into a vegatarian thread by any means, I just mentioned it in passing to give a reason on why I am more interested in the sides.
Understood, but then you went on to claim there was not even one vegetarian option. But there is.
I do find it ridiculous that most Disney restaurants only have 1 vegatarian meal which gives me 0 choices unless I ask if they can modify a different meal for me. I gaurentee that all of you meat eaters reading this wouldn't be thrilled if at every restaurant you went to only had 1 option for you.
It's a restaurant. Yes, you can ask to have something modified.
If there were only one meat dish on a menu and it's a meat I don't eat, I would choose a different menu item which I realize isn't possible vegetarians and vegans.
 

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