DDP not for me but I could be wrong. High end dinners.

[Disney Legend]

We are staying for 5 nights Christmas week and coming back the following week. Myself, DW and 2 children will eat at the Flying fish, Yachtsman steakhouse, Le Cellier and Flying Fish again the first week. We only eat out for dinners. I took a quick look at the DDP and I would have to use 2 tickets for this meal. I assume that based on my dining choices, DDP is not good for me? Thanks.

[Tricia1972]

If you order the most expensive items on the menu and pay oop at Flying Fish once - you'll still come out ahead on the DDP. You would also come close to breaking even on the DxDDP with your meals - especially if you'd like appetizers.

On my spreadsheet you save about $200 DDP vs no DDP for FF once, Yachtsman, and Le Cell.

On the same spreadsheet you would spend about $57 more than planned food cost AND have 2 extra credits per person on the DxDDP. That's eating at the TS's you mentioned and eating at 5 CS locations.

The $57 is assuming you'd order no appetizers as well.

[asmit4]

In your case, at least the basic would most likely be good. You said you only eat 1 meal out for dinners. Does that mean that you brown bag lunches, snacks and breakfast?

Most people tend to do 1 TS place for 1 meal, but also do 1 CS place for 1 meal and perhaps a snack like a soda or an ice cream during the day.

Do you ONLY buy 1 meal onsite and not buy any other food for the day?

[TDC Nala]

I have no idea how they'd come out ahead on the basic using 2 TS per meal and not eating ANY CS unless it's free dining. All the restaurants the OP listed are 2 credit restaurants except for Le Cellier. They would have to pay for one of the 2 credit meals.

Of course if they want appetizers they'd need to buy them.

[Tricia1972]

I figured them using 5 CS credits, to me eating out means eating out someplace nice, so I assumed they'd use the CS's 'grabbing a bite'.

Not using any CS will change it.

Flying Fish, Yachtsman, and LeCellier - 5 Credits total - 2 Adults/2 Children
Average Steak dinner - $40 = $240
Average dessert $8 = $48
Average Soda $2.10 = $12.60

Average 2 TS kids meal $18 = $72
Average 1 TS kids meal $7.49 = $14.98

Your cost with tax will be about $412. Your DDP cost will be $479.80.

So if you are doing no snacks and no CS then yes, it's cheaper for you to pay OOP vs using the 5 credits (per person) to you in the DDP

[squirrel]

Isn't this during Holiday pricing? If it is then wouldn't it be best to have the DDP.

[Tricia1972]

Holiday pricing only affects fixed price restaurants - so it wouldn't affect this poster.

[Disney Legend]

In your case, at least the basic would most likely be good. You said you only eat 1 meal out for dinners. Does that mean that you brown bag lunches, snacks and breakfast?

Most people tend to do 1 TS place for 1 meal, but also do 1 CS place for 1 meal and perhaps a snack like a soda or an ice cream during the day.

Do you ONLY buy 1 meal onsite and not buy any other food for the day?

Thanks for all the replies. We own DVC so we have a full kitchen at the Disney hotel. We also could consider DDE but no annual passes and also consider DDDP but we generally only eat nice dinners (I eat a lot of turkey sandwiches during the year to do this).

I should also add that one child will be 1.5 years old and prefers the GDE (Gerber Dining Experience) so she will not chow down with the clan on the same food fare.

I generally stay with the 1.5 year old and my DW and DD hit the parks so no CS for me.

Based on all this additional information, how does this affect Tricia's soreadsheet? Thanks!

[TDC Nala]

You can't get the dining plan for your infant anyway.

I did get the impression from the first post that the OP had no intention of eating at CS at all. Now it looks like he only leaves the villa to get dinner. If you're not going to use the CS credits, don't go with the plan. If you can think of a way to use all your credits, then go with it. Do you prepare everything in the villa, even breakfast, other than dinners?

[Disney Legend]

We stop at Walmart and pick up mostly light foods. I am amazed at the amount of Pringles that wind up in the cart:rolleyes1.

[Tricia1972]

I would guess then that the DDP would not work for you. Having one child vs two children on the plan decreases your value by about $15. You'd have to spend about $65 on CS's and Snacks in order to get to a 'break even' point and you'll only get to that point by ordering steak every single time at every single meal.