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Adventure Island water park’s All Day Dining Deal: Is it worth the price?

Posted by ThemeParkMom on June 19, 2009 | No Comments

The new all-day dining plans being offered by many theme parks are a great solution for limiting your spending at the parks. I think they are especially good for groups that include tweens and teens, who might not be good at budgeting their spending money throughout the day. Many moms and dads aren’t so great at that either. But when you make a decision at the beginning of the day to buy an all-day dining plan, you have to wonder if it’s worth it.

So today I want to take a look at Adventure Island’s All Day Dining deal. The meal plan is available at the Tampa water park for a price of $22.95 for adults and $13.95 for children ages 3-9. It includes meals from two dining locations Surfside Cafe, which is near the front of the park, beach and wave pool, and Mango Joes, which is near many of the Water Slides and Rambling Bayou.

For adults, you can get an entree platter, side item OR dessert, and a soft drink, iced tea or 20 oz. bottled water each time you go through the line at one of the participating restaurants. Children have to order off the kid’s menu.

Here are some sample food prices from Mango Joe’s:

• Bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries or fruit – $7.79
• Cuban sandwich with black beans and rice – $8.29
• Chicken caesar salad – $8.29
• Soft drinks – $2.59
• 20 oz. Aquafina water – $2.69
• Chocolate cake – $3.29
• Cookies – $2.29

Here’s a look at the Mango Joe’s Kid’s Menu:

And here are some menu items from Surfside Cafe:

• Slice of pepperoni pizza and fries or fruit – $6.59
• Chicken strips and fries – $7.99
• Chef salad – $7.99
• Soft drinks – $2.59
• 20 oz. Aquafina water – $2.69
• Super waffle cone – $4.79
• Cheesecake – $3.29

The kid’s meals at Surfside Cafe offer a hot dog, chicken strips or turkey sandwich with fries or applesauce and a drink for $7.49.

What makes Adventure Island’s All Day Dining Deal worth the price is the inclusion of unlimited soft drinks and bottled water. And since it’s a water park, there is truly a convenience factor to wearing the dining deal wristband and being able to leave your wallet in your locker at the front of the park.

I would typically not eat two meals in a water park during a day, but I might if I bought the plan. Even with eating just one, let’s run the numbers…

Kid’s All Day Dining Deal is $13.95:

• 1 Kid’s Meal (drink included) – $7.49
• Cookies – $2.29
• 3 bottled waters at $2.69 each – $8.07
• Total: $17.85

Adult All Day Dining Deal is $22.95:

• Cuban sandwich with black beans and rice – $8.29
• Iced tea with lunch – $2.59
• 3 bottled waters at $2.69 each – $8.07
• Super waffle cone – $4.79
• Total: $23.74

As you can see, this deal works with eating one meal and a dessert, as well as some bottled water. And remember, the first aid folks at Sea World tell me that the No. 1 problem they treat is heat exhaustion/dehydration, so that water is important.

And if you ate two meals in the park or additional desserts, you can see how the savings would stack up.

So that’s the good stuff.  Here’s the downside: You can’t eat everywhere or eat anything you want. If your child has his heart set on Dippin’ Dots or a slushy from one of the carts or other food locations around the park, you’ll have to pay out of pocket. Remember that it also doesn’t include beer or other alcoholic drinks sold at Adventure Island.

So Theme Park Mom’s advice is to discuss this in advance with your children (and Theme Park Dads, too!). Explain that you have limited money to spend, and you are going to have special wristbands that will allow you to get food and treats like ice cream and cookies at Adventure Island, but you won’t be able to buy everything. This is the discussion Theme Park Mom has with her Theme Park Kid before entering the gate anywhere.