Orlando Florida/Disneyworld (Part 2) *CLOSED*

Nala

cathys1 wrote: »

Ok - following that last post - if we do do disney - is the dining plan worth it. We've only just started to look into going again, and seen this - Is it worth doing? Lady at the travel agents said a soft drink in the park costs £6, and eatting for 4 would cost £30 for lunch easily. Is that right - with the good exchange rates? I know these places charge lots, and it's been 10 years so can't remember what stuff cost!
We always said that if we went with children we'd make sure that we could afford to get what they wanted (almost everything - luggage restraints and all!) so therefore, trying to budget to make sure we can afford it all!!!

I find Allears good to look at to get prices for.

If your hotel has a fridge in the room we also found it worked out really well to buy small bottles of water from the supermarket and take one each with us a we left the room. Even if it's only your 1st drink that you take out with you it makes a difference to your spends.

Here's the list from the Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom just to give you an idea of prices. In some places I found I was happy with a kids meal ie in one of the Hollywood Studios places I had the stir fry. Some of the adult counter service meals can feed 2 children. If you don't want all the different sides with the counter service meals you can ask for them to be left off and the price will be deducted.

Oh and don't forget that any counter service will give you a cup of ice if you ask. Get your sodas with less ice too

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chicken Breast Nuggets and Fish - Served with French Fries or Apple Slices $8.19[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]6 Chicken Breast Nuggets - Served with French Fries or Apple Slices $6.89
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]8 Chicken Breast Nuggets - Served with French Fries or Apple Slices $7.69[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fried Fish Basket - Served with choice of either French Fries or Apple Slices $7.09[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Anchors Aweigh Sandwich - white tuna with lettuce and tomato on toasted multigrain bun $6.69[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Lighthouse Sandwich - hummus with tomato & broccoli slaw $6.49[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Garden Harvest Salad - mixed greens, chicken, garden vegetables, cheese and sunflower seeds $7.19[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BLT Salad - Mixed greens with crispy chicken, bacon, egg, and tomato $7.19[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]French Fries - $1.99
Potato Chips - $1.29
Coleslaw - $.99
Strawberry Yogurt $1.99
Chocolate Cake - $3.59
Apple Crisp $3.59[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bowl of Vegetarian Chili $4.49
Bowl of New England Clam Chowder $4.49[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Orange Soda, Light Lemonade and Nestea $2.09 and $2.39
Orange or Apple Juice - $2.39
Coffee - Reg and Decaf $1.69 & $1.89
Hot Tea or Nestle Hot Cocoa - $1.89
Whole or Lowfat Milk- $1.29
Chocolate Milk $1.99
Bottled Water - $1.25 and $2.00[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Kids' Picks
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For Guests 9 and under
All meals include choice of two sides: grapes, carrot sticks or applesauce.
Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water or apple juice. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Macaroni and Cheese - $4.49
Garden Salad with Chicken - $4.49

Chocolate Chip Cookie [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]$1.19[/FONT]

Hope that helps

vegas07

cathys1 wrote: »

Ok - following that last post - if we do do disney - is the dining plan worth it. We've only just started to look into going again, and seen this - Is it worth doing? Lady at the travel agents said a soft drink in the park costs £6, and eatting for 4 would cost £30 for lunch easily. Is that right - with the good exchange rates? I know these places charge lots, and it's been 10 years so can't remember what stuff cost!
We always said that if we went with children we'd make sure that we could afford to get what they wanted (almost everything - luggage restraints and all!) so therefore, trying to budget to make sure we can afford it all!!!

hi,

not sure what dates you're going, but just in case this helps - it was posted on TripAdvisor...

"Free Disney dining Plan 2009 is now available. Need to book between 20th August, 2008 - 4th November 2008 for arrivals between 2nd August - 3rd October 2009 to qualify. Good luck done this before fantastic value"

may be useful for someone...

Rach

disney_cjd

cathys1 wrote: »

Ok - following that last post - if we do do disney - is the dining plan worth it. We've only just started to look into going again, and seen this - Is it worth doing? Lady at the travel agents said a soft drink in the park costs £6, and eatting for 4 would cost £30 for lunch easily. Is that right - with the good exchange rates? I know these places charge lots, and it's been 10 years so can't remember what stuff cost!
We always said that if we went with children we'd make sure that we could afford to get what they wanted (almost everything - luggage restraints and all!) so therefore, trying to budget to make sure we can afford it all!!!

all softdrinks in the Disney parks are two dollars each. In fact Disney get all their coke products for free so they make a nice little earner from this!

Drinks in the Disney parks restaurants are a little dearer. You can but souvenir cups which you can refill for a charge.

as for the dining plan. the yank love it. food is generally much cheaper in the US than here but in the parks its a little more expensive. For example at the Pizza Planet in Hollywood studios, four indiv pizzas and four drinks will cost you nearly 35 dollars.

Also with the dining plan you can get character brekkies of dinner shows like the Luau.

disney_cjd

Nala wrote: »

I find Allears good to look at to get prices for.

If your hotel has a fridge in the room we also found it worked out really well to buy small bottles of water from the supermarket and take one each with us a we left the room. Even if it's only your 1st drink that you take out with you it makes a difference to your spends.

Here's the list from the Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom just to give you an idea of prices. In some places I found I was happy with a kids meal ie in one of the Hollywood Studios places I had the stir fry. Some of the adult counter service meals can feed 2 children. If you don't want all the different sides with the counter service meals you can ask for them to be left off and the price will be deducted.

Oh and don't forget that any counter service will give you a cup of ice if you ask. Get your sodas with less ice too

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chicken Breast Nuggets and Fish - Served with French Fries or Apple Slices $8.19[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]6 Chicken Breast Nuggets - Served with French Fries or Apple Slices $6.89
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]8 Chicken Breast Nuggets - Served with French Fries or Apple Slices $7.69[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fried Fish Basket - Served with choice of either French Fries or Apple Slices $7.09[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Anchors Aweigh Sandwich - white tuna with lettuce and tomato on toasted multigrain bun $6.69[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Lighthouse Sandwich - hummus with tomato & broccoli slaw $6.49[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Garden Harvest Salad - mixed greens, chicken, garden vegetables, cheese and sunflower seeds $7.19[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BLT Salad - Mixed greens with crispy chicken, bacon, egg, and tomato $7.19[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]French Fries - $1.99
Potato Chips - $1.29
Coleslaw - $.99
Strawberry Yogurt $1.99
Chocolate Cake - $3.59
Apple Crisp $3.59[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bowl of Vegetarian Chili $4.49
Bowl of New England Clam Chowder $4.49[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Orange Soda, Light Lemonade and Nestea $2.09 and $2.39
Orange or Apple Juice - $2.39
Coffee - Reg and Decaf $1.69 & $1.89
Hot Tea or Nestle Hot Cocoa - $1.89
Whole or Lowfat Milk- $1.29
Chocolate Milk $1.99
Bottled Water - $1.25 and $2.00[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Kids' Picks
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For Guests 9 and under
All meals include choice of two sides: grapes, carrot sticks or applesauce.
Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water or apple juice. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Macaroni and Cheese - $4.49
Garden Salad with Chicken - $4.49

Chocolate Chip Cookie [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]$1.19[/FONT]

Hope that helps

Allears is a great resource isnt it

disney_cjd

Nala wrote: »

We always said we'd never in a million years go in the summertime but you know how these things go.
We've been twice in August, last year we didn't get a drop of rain although a couple of times we saw a dark rain cloud in the distance which would explain why some folk we were chatting to at the airport said it rained and we said it didn't
In 2005 we had rain for about 1/2 hour whilst we were in a sports shop at the Premium Outlets.
The worst weather we've had was 2 days of non-stop, couldn't get the wipers to move fast enough, rain in October 2002.
So I guess half the time it's just luck!
Having said that I wouldn't recommend the summer time for a 1st timer. For ourselves we don't mind as there isn't that urgency and panic of needing to do everything. It can be quite nice to slow down, smell the roses and use the air-com

Yep they all have swings and roundabouts but I would never put anyone off coming anytime. If Aug is when you can come then fine, be prepared for your three oclock shower, its humid but the pool is a great refresher. In Jan it can get cold as low as 60 on same days this year and Feb was no better. But the year before it was lush. The point is its normally hot all year round but you can never gtee it.

Its the sunshine state after all

cathys1_2

Thanks for that info - great help. It was the free dining plan for holidays booked next summer that sparked the question, was it more cost effective to go then, or sort food ourselves and go at a diff time of year.

spaceman5

cathys1 wrote: »

Ok - following that last post - if we do do disney - is the dining plan worth it. We've only just started to look into going again, and seen this - Is it worth doing? Lady at the travel agents said a soft drink in the park costs £6, and eatting for 4 would cost £30 for lunch easily. Is that right - with the good exchange rates? I know these places charge lots, and it's been 10 years so can't remember what stuff cost!
We always said that if we went with children we'd make sure that we could afford to get what they wanted (almost everything - luggage restraints and all!) so therefore, trying to budget to make sure we can afford it all!!!

i can confirm that all bottles on the parks are $2, there is generally a choice of coke, diet coke, morning dew(a bit like sprite), sprite and a few others, and bearing in mind these bottles are 95ml bigger than the 500ml bottles we get here in the uk, so u r getting more for your £1(at todays rates), as for meals £30 per meal, where does the travel agent eat harrods, our most expensive meal came in at just under $50(£25), bearing in mind that included 2 adult main meals, 2 kids meals, 4 puddings and 4 drinks, most of the time we ate our meals came in at under $30 nevermind £30, but if it is free and you want to go at a time when you will qualify for it, then take it, even if you eat a few times where you cant use it, you will save a fair bit of money, HTH Dave

spaceman5

Edinburghlass wrote: »

we stayed in Pop Century for our first visit and the food court there is very reasonable and plenty of choices. Fun theme and plenty of pools for the kids to enjoy even at night when returning from the parks.

i second that, we have just returned from 2 weeks at pop century, and we loved it there, Dave

disney_cjd

spaceman5 wrote: »

i can confirm that all bottles on the parks are $2, there is generally a choice of coke, diet coke, morning dew(a bit like sprite), sprite and a few others, and bearing in mind these bottles are 95ml bigger than the 500ml bottles we get here in the uk, so u r getting more for your £1(at todays rates), as for meals £30 per meal, where does the travel agent eat harrods, our most expensive meal came in at just under $50(£25), bearing in mind that included 2 adult main meals, 2 kids meals, 4 puddings and 4 drinks, most of the time we ate our meals came in at under $30 nevermind £30, but if it is free and you want to go at a time when you will qualify for it, then take it, even if you eat a few times where you cant use it, you will save a fair bit of money, HTH Dave

Aye, word of warning on the Mountain Dew mind you, it has LOADS of sugar init. Kids use it to keep them awake at exam time etc.

Its an awesome drink mind and I love it. Plain old basic version not the red or diet rubbish

As for grub and meals out, I could not do it as cheaply as you Dave meals at chevvys and smokey bones were about 35 bucks plus tip without puds but with two adults and two kids meals and two adults having coke or something. Places like Olive Garden (my fav) and Outback a little dearer at maybe 50 bucks and it we ate at a Disney resturant we kiss goodbye to 60 plus dollars.

Disney is dearer for grub so if you get a FREE dinning plan they you have done well and it gives you options. You can use it for a night show like a luau or something.

cheers

Essex-girl_2

I cant believe a travel agent told you drinks are $6 - thats terrible.

I must admit we dont eat much at the parks, as someone has said we have a huge breakfast then a snack for lunch. (We have the buffet breakfasts at Golden Corral)

We used to like Casey's hot dogs (Magic Kingdom) but since they made them healthier they are not so nice.

One of our memories of our first visit to Disney was DD walking around eating a turkey leg for about an hour!

Cant wait to go back to Orlando, dont know when that will be though.