DDP for DH and I? Yes or No?

[Disney8704]

OK. Im making final decision here about weither or not to do DDP. Right now we arent on the DDP. If we do not go with the DDP, we will be spending $1700 on food (breakfast, lunch & dinner plus tips and tax) and 2 snacks a day, for the each of us. We will be bringing filtered water bottles with us for water regardless if we do DDP or not. If we do the DDP, it will cost us $1460 (DDP for 12 days, OOP for some breakfasts, 1 snack each day for the each of us - although if we are on the DDP we might not need that extra snack, plus tips). So obviosuly we will be saving some money. Now the reason why Im asking if we should do the DDP is because where we are eating. We are eating A LOT of buffets and family style meals and not sure if the DDP would be worth it for those types of meals. The only way I can see it being worth it, is just simply because we would be saving $240. Here is where we would be eating:

Breakfast
Princess Storybook Dining - OOP
Donalds Safari Breakfast - TS
'Ohana - TS
Boma - TS
MK Bakery - OOP
Mara - OOP
Crystal Palace - TS
Mara - OOP
Boma - TS
Mara - OOP
Mara - OOP
Mara - OOP

Lunch
Mara - CS
Grand Floridian Cafe - OOP
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS
Counterservice - CS

Dinner
Boma - TS
Coral Reef - TS
Hoop-Dee-Doo - OOP - ALREADY PAID FOR
Cinderellas Royal Table - OOP - ALREADY PAID FOR
Wolfgang Puck Express - OOP
Liberty Tree Tavern - TS
San Angel Inn - TS
Chefs de France - TS
Counterservice - CS
Sci-Fi - TS
50's Prime Time - TS
Counterservice - CS

Just also wanna add that ADRs have been made already, and that the Hoop-Dee-Doo and CRT meals are not included in that $1700 price I posted earlier (above). Also DH LOVES food. He cant seem to go more then 4 hrs without eating. Me I love food to, especially deserts! :cloud9: But he has a way bigger stomach then I do. But its weird. We could go to a buffet around here, stuff ourselves silly and then 2 hrs later we're hungry again. :confused3 With them not including Appetizers, thats ok because we never get Appetizers anyways.

So do you think we should do the DDP or just go ahead and pay OOP?

[Disney8704]

bump

[blueeyesrnc]

DDP is great imho. Maybe if you decide to do it, reconsider some of your dining plans. I mean do less CS and more TS. This will require more planning and more research, but you still have some time left to do this and make those ADR's. Also, to make this a greater value, you may consider some of the premium restaurants like Jiko's, California Grill, etc. This is where the value really comes in.

[Disney8704]

I dont think we can fit more TS in. First off, we would only get 12 TS credits, and all 12 are taken up. And 2nd, there are a few days where we have a TS breakfast and dinner. We dont need TS lunches as well. Thats just way to much. Not to mention I dont want to take up more valuable time during the day for lunch when we can do CS. We have to use up those CS credits anyway.

DDP is great imho. Maybe if you decide to do it, reconsider some of your dining plans. I mean do less CS and more TS. This will require more planning and more research, but you still have some time left to do this and make those ADR's. Also, to make this a greater value, you may consider some of the premium restaurants like Jiko's, California Grill, etc. This is where the value really comes in.

[Krmrr]

I figure $200 saved is worth it. Also you should reconsider your OOP, for example the Princess Storybook breakfast costs more than most of the rest so you should use a TS for it and pay for a cheaper one.

[Disney8704]

Yeah I was thinking that to. I just wanna make sure 100% that the photo package is included with the DDP. A MOD stated that this will happen starting at the end of the month. But its Disney. You never know. They could say 1 thing and turn around do something else later. I know the photo package is included with CRT, so lets hope that the photo package is included for PSD as well for DDP.

I figure $200 saved is worth it. Also you should reconsider your OOP, for example the Princess Storybook breakfast costs more than most of the rest so you should use a TS for it and pay for a cheaper one.

[stepdisney]

When are you going in August? You could get the plan for free. Is your trip after August 24? Is it close? Also, I would pay for some of the less expensive dinners OOP. Breakfast is usually a lot less expensive than dinner. I would pay for them OOP.

[PixieDustandEeyore]

as far as buffet my TA warned me when I made my ADR's that if you go to a buffet without DDP they may charge you extra so be aware of that!

[pilferk]

I'd go with the DDP.

The cost savings is enough to justify it for me. BUT (and it's a big but) as a DVC member, I don't have to "front" the DDP cost in advance...I pay upon checking.

The thing that you may need to do is to assess whether fronting the DDP money at least 30 days prior to your trip is "worth" the savings. IMHO, it is....but you might not think the same thing.

[Disney8704]

Why would they charge you extra if you pay OOP? I've never heard of that before. If the buffet is supposed to be say $23.99 per person, thats what Disney has to charge you. They can not charge you a higher fee because they feel like it. Not only is it wrong, but against the law as well. If they are gonna charge say $25.99 per person, that menu better say $25.99 per person.

as far as buffet my TA warned me when I made my ADR's that if you go to a buffet without DDP they may charge you extra so be aware of that!

[Disney8704]

We're going Aug 5-17th, so we come home just before free dining begins. Also to take full advantage of the DDP, you have to use all your credits. Why pay for some OOP and have credits left over? :confused3 The breakfasts for like the Mara, yes we will pay those out OOP because all our CS credits would go towards lunch.

When are you going in August? You could get the plan for free. Is your trip after August 24? Is it close? Also, I would pay for some of the less expensive dinners OOP. Breakfast is usually a lot less expensive than dinner. I would pay for them OOP.

[pilferk]

Why would they charge you extra if you pay OOP? I've never heard of that before. If the buffet is supposed to be say $23.99 per person, thats what Disney has to charge you. They can not charge you a higher fee because they feel like it. Not only is it wrong, but against the law as well. If they are gonna charge say $25.99 per person, that menu better say $25.99 per person.

During certain dates (May 25th - July 5th, currently) there is a "holiday buffet pricing" increase in effect.

http://www.allears.net/din/restnews.htm

Holiday Pricing: May 25, 2008 - July 5, 2008 :
Breakfast: $32.99 ages 10 and older; $14.99 ages 3-9
Lunch: $34.99 ages 10 and older; $15.99 ages 3-9
Dinner: $39.99 ages 10 and older; $16.99 ages 3-9

If you're on the Dining Plan...you're not paying any more for the Dining Plan during that time frame and the buffets "cost" the same number of credits they do any other time of year.

If you're paying OOP....you're paying a premium during that time frame.

[Disney8704]

Well thats understandable for holiday rates. But for a normal day? Not so understandable. But that still doesnt make any sense though. Why charge holiday rate during that entire time? Yes theres memorial day, father days and july 4th. But those 3 days arent every day of the rest of May, June and the first part of July.

During certain dates (May 25th - July 5th, currently) there is a "holiday buffet pricing" increase in effect.

http://www.allears.net/din/restnews.htm

Holiday Pricing: May 25, 2008 - July 5, 2008 :
Breakfast: $32.99 ages 10 and older; $14.99 ages 3-9
Lunch: $34.99 ages 10 and older; $15.99 ages 3-9
Dinner: $39.99 ages 10 and older; $16.99 ages 3-9

If you're on the DDP...you're not paying any more for the DDP and the buffets "cost" the same number of credits.

If you're paying OOP....you're paying a premium during that time frame.

[TiggerDad3]

Based simply on the money saved, I would do it.