LIVE blog - Dining: The Final Numbers

Happy Thursday, everyone!  Today I board the Disney Dream, and will be only checking in sporadically here and on social media. I wanted to wrap up the Live blog about the dollars and cents of the Dining Plan so let's go!

As of this writing, I have not used my last Counter Service credit yet; however, I am using it for breakfast on this final morning and have already selected what I am ordering, so I can report back to you and then do the final tally.

I will also be doing a pros and cons post about the Dining Plan in the coming weeks!

So here is the Wednesday and Thursday AM information:

Wednesday: 

Breakfast - I used a Snack credit at Hollywood Studios to get a muffin.
Actual cost if paying OOP: $2.99
Dining Plan: 1 Snack credit

Lunch - Pepper Market.  I ordered the Empanadas, a soda and a piece of German Chocolate cake (which is in my fridge as we speak, and might be a snack later tonight).
Actual cost if paying OOP: $18.57
Dining Plan: 1 Counter Service credit

Dinner - Maya Grill.  I had a soda, the Shrimp Tacos and a piece of the Coconut Flan for dessert.  That was my favorite dessert of the vacation so far!  So good.
Actual cost if paying OOP: $34.93
Dining Plan: 1 Table Service credit

Thursday:

Breakfast - Veggie omelet with an orange juice.
Actual cost if paying OOP: $10.98
Dining Plan: 1 Counter Service credit

I also have 2 remaining Snack credits left; I am going to pick up two bags of Goofy's Candy Company candy at the gift shop and either take them home or share with friends on the cruise.
Actual cost if paying OOP: $7.00
Dining Plan: 2 Snack credits

So......drumroll please......

Cost of Dining Plan: $242.56

Actual cost of food ordered: $226.08

So, as you can see, had I paid for the Dining Plan I would not have saved any money (although the totals were very close).  However, as I said I also did not order typically higher-priced items or even look for the most pricey snacks to get the "best deal."  And of course, this was a Free Dining promotion so I came out money ahead, as I didn't pay for the Plan.

I do think the Dining Plan has merit for many reasons, and in the coming weeks we'll chat about it more in a Pros vs Cons post, so be on the lookout for that.

Today I depart on the Disney Dream!  I will be trying to post a picture or two, here or there but won't have as much internet access while on the ship. But I look forward to sharing LOTS of pictures and videos with you when I return to land on September 7th.

Thanks for reading - and have a magical day!

LIVE blog - The Dining Plan: How's It Going?

Good afternoon from sunny (and HOT!) Orlando!

If you remember, back when I was talking about this vacation and Free Dining, I said I would report back and let you know how the Dining plan worked out.  Meaning, in terms of dollars and cents, would you save money by choosing the Dining plan?

Of course, the Dining package was Free (I booked a Free Dining room and ticket package) but for the sake of reporting, let's assume I paid the $60.64 per adult, per day rate for the regular Dining plan. As a reminder, this gives you, for each night of your stay, one snack, one counter service meal and one table service meal.  You also get a refillable mug to use at your resort for coffee, soda and tea. So, in total, I would have paid $242.56 for the dining plan.

Also, I am ordering what I would have ordered regardless of whether I had the Dining plan or not. Meaning - if I want to order the pasta or the steak or the salad, etc, I will - vs looking at the menu and saying "This pasta costs $15 and this steak costs $30 so I am going to get the steak." This is not a wrong way to do the Dining Plan, by any means - in fact, it gets the most bang for your buck - but since I am comparing apples to apples, I wanted to order what I would have, had I paid out of pocket.

I am also committed to not spending any additional money on food, above and beyond the Dining plan. I will report on this as well, and let you know how it works out.  I know it can be done, with a little creativity, and so I'm anxious to try out my "strategy".

So that I don't have a monster-huge post when I get home, I am going to check in every day and give you the lowdown on Dining from the previous day.  I'll let you know what I ordered and how the total for the day compared to the $60.64 per day price of the Dining plan.  I'll also keep you posted on how many snack, counter and table service credits I've used, and how many I have remaining. At the conclusion of the trip, I'll give a grand total and we'll have a final discussion.

Since tips for your servers are not included in the Dining plan, I am not going to report what I spent on those, as I would be paying them regardless of having the Dining plan or not.

I will report on Tuesday what credits I have used so far, and what the dollar value of those items were compared to the Dining Plan.

In the meantime, have a wonderful afternoon and I'll see ya back here tomorrow!

LIVE blog post - First Full Day: August 31st, 2014

Hello, everyone!  Hope you're having a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  I am having a blast down here and wanted to share with you my Sunday and what I did on my first full day at Disney World.

The morning started a Pop Century.  I didn't need to be at Downtown Disney until about 10AM, so it was nice to sleep in and have a leisurely morning.  I checked out of Pop, had my bags transferred over to Coronado, and made my way over to Downtown Disney.

After browsing in a few shops (and buying the Disney Dooney and Bourke I have been eyeing for YEARS - love it!!), I met my cousins and my cousin's girlfriend at Splittsville, the bowling alley and restaurant.  I will write up a whole blog post about it later, but we had a great time.  It's $20 per person to bowl for an hour and 15 minutes, and we got in almost 3 full games, which was great.  The lanes are very nice, and the bowling alley is very cool and retro.  We had a great time.  Our scores, however, were nothing to brag about.  :)

After we bowled, we ate at Splittsville and then the kids dropped me off at Coronado Springs, which will be my home for the next four nights.  Again, a full blog post about Coronado is coming but - - spoiler alert - I LOVE it.  Just adore it.  I will be back here again.

It's been center-of-the-sun hot in Orlando, which is par for the course in August/September.  I had thought about going to Animal Kingdom in the afternoon, but decided that a dip in the pool was a better idea.

It was heavenly - just what I needed.  I walked around a bit, and discovered that the laundry facilities are mere steps from my room, which is awesome. I then went to the Lounge in my room section (I am in the Business section of rooms, as this is a Convention resort) and grabbed a few snacks and a Diet Coke.

I then came back to my room, and decided to hop over to Hollywood Studios for about a hour or so.  I went on the Backlot Tour, walked through One Man's Dream and then headed back on the bus to Coronado.  I grabbed a quick dinner, and went back to the room to rest up.

Tomorrow is Magic Kingdom (well, you'll be reading this Monday, so, today) and probably another afternoon in the pool.

I will also be posting an update on the Dining Plan, so look for that on Monday late-afternoon!

Thanks for following along - have a magical day!