First time without dining plan question

[ProudSoccerMom]

Hi! For our last several WDW trips we've booked the free dining bounceback offer. For us, it was more about convenience than anything - the dining plan always ended up being too much food for the way we normally eat. We always ended up bringing home snack credit items and sometimes would just share a DDP credit and use the extra on a signature dining experience.

This year is different. We didn't book the bounceback last year because we weren't sure if we'd be able to travel to WDW this year due to school and sports schedules. But, we now have found some time in November, and are planning what for us is a last-minute trip (under 180 days).

I was able to book our resort using the current fall discount. We decided we did not want to pay OOP for the DDP because, as I said, it's just too much food. I'm actually excited at the freedom of not using it. Which is where my question comes in...

What restaurants would you choose if you are paying OOP? Quality of food and experience are what we are looking for. We'll have a car and our 11 year old will be with us. My husband and I will most likely share an entree where the portions are large. Or, we may just do drinks, appetizers, and salads, again depending on portion sizes. We like to try new things. Dessert is a once in a while thing if we are in the mood. We'd usually rather get ice cream somewhere, unless it's a favorite dessert from a WDW restaurant. Our son will often choose adult entrees over kid's entrees.

I've made reservations at some of our favorite WDW places, but thought I'd post this to see if there are some other places we may have overlooked in the past due to DDP restrictions. I'd love to try some new places this time around. Any suggestions you have will be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[lorenni]

I've never done the dining plan, so here is where we regularly eat:

Tusker house if we want a character breakfast. For my family, this is the best breakfast on property.

Sanaa for either lunch or dinner. Even when we are not staying at AK. We will likely end up grabbing an Uber over on our next trip, as this is my fathers favorite place at Disney and he'll be with us.

San Angel Inn - we like sitting inside the pyramid, the food is really good and the drinks are even better.

Flame Tree BBQ for lunch if we are at AK

And then a rotating list of places depending on where we are that day. This next trip we are trying out Tiffins and Skippers (we're excited to have options other than burgers and turkey legs in the MK).

You don't say anything about your eating preferences, so YMMV. Is there anything specific you are looking for?

 

[ShannonMB]

DD and I are taking a quicky trip in September with no DDP for the first time, and I am excited to try going without! I've always loved the convenience and the pay ahead aspect, but the more trips we've been on, the more it feels restrictive. So many great snacks and things to try that we are always too full for! I'm thinking of things like the special mac and cheeses somewhere in Fantasyland, the fries loaded with crazy toppings at the Outpost, the nutella or chicken waffle at Sleepy Hollow, cinnamon rolls at Gaston's. Who has time for sit down meals every day with all that going on?! Plus we will be there during Food and Wine, so DDP be darned this trip!

 

[ChasingLeslie]

Via Napoli, 50s Prime Time, and LTT are good TS OOP choices.

 

[Melissa_E]

We are also going to WDW without a dining plan for the first time. So while I'm not an expert going OOP, I can tell you where we are eating in October.

Staying at Shades of Green, we have breakfast included in our package, while we know we won't eat breakfast there all the time, it is nice to have it. We are staying from Tuesday to Tuesday:

Tuesday- travel day- no meals planned due to going to MNSSHP, we'll eat on the way in and CS when we get there
Wednesday- Epcot- I'd love to get a reservation at Akershus because I loved that breakfast! But, I'm OK without one, we can eat light at SOG and eat our way around the Food and Wine festival
Thursday- PPO BOG ressie, I just wanted to see the castle, so we'll eat light when there; it is our anniversary so we are splurging on Narcoosies.
Friday- PPO Tusker House- just for a character meal; We also have a dinner ressie for Rainforest Cafe hoping it might become a Rivers of Light combination
Saturday- Kona Cafe breakfast (TONGA toast!)

We are combining WDW with US, so after Saturday, we won't have tickets for the Disney parks
Sunday- Yachtsman Steakhouse (this was hubby's choice) for dinner
Monday- Boma for dinner
Tuesday- finish up US and travel day home

 

[sharonabe]

Shula's is one of the high end places that doesn't take the DDP. I'd check that out for a special meal.

Disney Springs has lots of new restaurants. You may want to check out some of those menus as well.

 

[Lisa F]

I booked biergarten for dinner for the first time ever and have been going for nearly 20 years and got a lot of great feedback about it but also that it is a good deal at lunchtime (I'm on the dxddp and dinner fits better into our schedule). Also as mentioned above splitting a large pizza at via Napoli is a good bargain. The rest of the world showcase restaurants are fairly high priced I think.

I've read that the appetizers at Yak & yeti are outstanding - the ahi nachos for two are inexpensive and plenty big for a full meal, if not to share. This sounds like a great place to go OOP and do drinks and appetizers (maybe dessert).

I am doing a split stay and even though I am doing the DxDDP for most of my stay, I am paying OOP for Sanaa. The bread service is definitely splittable and large - you could probably split an entree and that, the prices are reasonable.

I would be inclined to try some of the lounges. the Tambu lounge in the poly and the Nomad lounge in AK both get great reviews.

Some of the Disney Springs places that take DDP are not great values on DDP. The D-luxe burger takes it but you don't get much for it.. I don't think their fries are included. I would try that on the DDP. Also the poutine place.

At Hollywood Studios 50's PT is inexpensive and with HUGE shareable portions and fabulous milkshakes.

In the MK people like the plaza for OOP - they no longer take ADRs either. Not a great value on the DDP but prices have gone up there recently.

Beaches and Cream remains one of the biggest bargains for cash on Disney property.

Ample Hills creamery at the boardwalk doesn't take DDP at all

Trail's End buffet for both breakfast and dinner gets rave reviews on the boards and both are very inexpensive by disney buffet standards

Casey's Corner at MK has some interesting dogs and prices are low.

Agree with LTT for lunch mentioned above. ooey gooey toffee cake! their apps get surprisingly good reviews as well!

Then there are all of the QS places that are good values on the DDP because they are kind of pricey but also because portions are huge. Flame Tree BBQ, Wolfgang Puck Express, Pecos Bills, Tangierine Cafe, Cosmic Ray's are some off the top of my head.

 

[USCAnna]

We tried OOP last time after being on DDP and DxDP in the past. We really loved it. It gave us so much more flexibility. Sometimes my kids like to over off the adult menu, or get an appetizer instead of a kids entree. We will also be doing OOP again for our upcoming trip in November.

 

[sharonabe]

The D-luxe burger takes it but you don't get much for it.. I don't think their fries are included.

Fries are not included, but they are a snack credit, so you can use your dessert or drink entitlement to get them, at least for the rest of 2016. That makes it a decent value on the DDP.

 

[ProudSoccerMom]

Thank you, everyone! Some of those suggestions are already on our list, but there are just as many that were not. I really appreciate your help!

 

[Disney_Alli]

Check out all the Swan and Dolphin restaurants. We had a great experience at Il Mulino and Garden Grove - although that was for a specific event - I've rarely heard a bad thing about any of their restaurants and they don't take the dining plans.

 

[CraigInPA]

My wife and I eat at the same restaurants, and have, more or less, the same meals. For years, we took the room discount at the Poly, which more than offset the cost of the deluxe dining plan for us. However, after adding up the cost of the meals, we often just broke even. The only way we "saved" money was by taking home all the snack credits in the form of candy bars or trail mix. Plus, as you noted, there are times when you are taking something on the menu only because it's covered by the dining plan. So, a few years back, we just stopped buying the dining plan. Instead, we eat everywhere we like (Narcoossee's, HBD, GFC, 'Ohana, Captains Grille, Via Napoli, San Angel Inn, Artist Point, Kona, LTT, Y&Y, BOG, Rose and Crown, California Grill, etc...) and order what we want. The first year we saved $500 over the cost of the dining plan. How did that happen? My wife and I usually just aren't hungry enough to have an app, entree, and dessert each. Often, we split the appetizers or the desserts. At HBD, we boycotted dessert because it was that small plate sampler thing. Instead, we had funnel cakes later in the park.

 

[wisconsinmama]

We are also doing OOP this trip. For those who have done OOP how do you pay? Do you just charge everything? I was thinking of maybe using a prepaid CC? Looking for tips if you have any

 

[lorenni]

We are also doing OOP this trip. For those who have done OOP how do you pay? Do you just charge everything? I was thinking of maybe using a prepaid CC? Looking for tips if you have any

I use my magic band and charge everything to my room. You can either have a credit card set up for room charges or go to the desk with gift cards or cash to pay off the balance.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Our upcoming trip is without a dining plan, and thinking about it because of this thread, it will be the first time in five trips.

What we're doing differently is making far fewer ADRs. We'll probably have fewer table service meals and use our time to do more in the parks.

 

[LovesTimone]

DH and I normally when its just the 2 of us and a short trip we skip the dinning plan, as we are residents and also we have TIW. But for longer trips with family we go the DDXDP route, with all the character meals, and signature, and new spots at DS for us and the family added in... its worth it to have everything paid for up front.

I will say that we once did a family trip without DDXDP.... DH was like never again... pay for it up front.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We paid OOP last trip. Two adults, one Disney adult and one child. The most economical meals we did were Via Napoli twice, Beaches and Cream and Kona. We also did Cali Grill, Ohana, CRT (which without using two credits and tip included was a good deal IMO), Be Our Guest and Chef Mickey's. We tried a lot of new CS places we wouldn't have been able to do. Our fave was CHH. We also really enjoyed Captain Cooks, Boardwalk Bakery and eating/drinking around the world two evenings. We drank a few nights and even did a night at Trader Sam's. It was worth it for us to pay OOP. With all of that I figured we would have had to pay about $700 above the DDP alcohol included. The DDP would've been around 2000. We spent about $2300-2500 for all of that. 9 TS, 13 CS, mugs and tons of snacks. We didn't eat one meal in our room.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We are also doing OOP this trip. For those who have done OOP how do you pay? Do you just charge everything? I was thinking of maybe using a prepaid CC? Looking for tips if you have any

I charged to my room via the MB and paid the room down with Disney gift cards I purchased before our trip.