I wanted to know if the DDP was good for us..

[gourmetgirl]

...so I just spent 2 hours pouring over the menus of every counter service and full service restaurant that we plan to visit.

I read every menu to the family and noted what they thought they would eat. I added in drinks and then only included dessert if I really thought we would order it. I detailed and was as precise as possible.

When all of that time was spent and my head was swimming from the numbers, I added everything up.

The difference between DDP and OOP?

$6.00 :cheer2:

2 adults, DS (11) & DS (9)

[imthatgirl]

then you have to decide, is 6.00 worth the convenience? i say yes, either way whether it cost you 6 or saved you 6, it makes life easier.
oh and did you add in tax?

[asmit4]

Plus- are you 100% sure that no one will per chance order something more expensive than you had estimated?

IMO- the DDP is worth the convenience, but that's your decision.

[gourmetgirl]

The DDP was 6.00 more. And I'm TOTALLY getting it. I was leaning away from it, thinking that because I have a 10 year old who eats very little, it just wouldn't add up. I am SO glad that I checked because now there is no question in my mind that the DDP is the way to go.
:cool1:

[imthatgirl]

The DDP was 6.00 more. And I'm TOTALLY getting it. I was leaning away from it, thinking that because I have a 10 year old who eats very little, it just wouldn't add up. I am SO glad that I checked because now there is no question in my mind that the DDP is the way to go.
:cool1:

yup, we always get it too. and think of this, the 6.00 more is exact because you know exaclty how much the ddp will cost you, but you dont know what the meal would have cost, so it could even be saving you money.

[Krmrr]

Did you remember the snacks? Schoolbread, pineapple floats, Oh, my. Can't wait!

[LindyN]

That is with the prices you saw on menus today. No telling what the prices will be for those same meals when you actually get there.

Here are some really current menus:
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/menus.shtml

[hoosiergirl7]

For us it is so worth it right now. DH and I like to eat well on vacation and we are very much steak and seafood lovers. So we tend to go for the more expensive meals because of that.

There is a DDP spreadsheet somewhere on the DIS. I downloaded it and it automatically calculates each persons expenses for both TS meals and CS meals. It also includes gratuity. Thus far we have calculated all our TS meals and 2 CS meals. Well as of right now we're saving over $100. And we still have 4 CS meals to add. So we'll easily save $200 by my best guess and that probably includes the snack credits.

I still think if the DDP were only $6.00 more I'd still use it.

[ReneeA]

I did the same thing, and the DP added $10 a day for us.

However, my numbers were done with mainly CS for the week, and only 1 or 2 TS meals.

Is $10 a day worth it to me to get a nice, sitdown, cool TS meal everyday? ;) Is $10 worth it to me to not have to tell my kids they can't have something on the menu because it's too expensive? Is $10 worth it to me so that I don't have to give my DH the look of death when he orders the $34 steak at every TS we enter?

Heck yes, it is!:rotfl:

[Jubilee]

The DDP was 6.00 more. And I'm TOTALLY getting it. I was leaning away from it, thinking that because I have a 10 year old who eats very little, it just wouldn't add up. I am SO glad that I checked because now there is no question in my mind that the DDP is the way to go.
:cool1:

Cool!

Hey, each trip is different too. Right now my husband and I love the meals because we have young children and never get to go out...this is our vacation, the family vacation, the kids' vacation, etc. Maybe there'll be trips where we just do counter service meals, in which case it wouldn't be worth the DDP...but I love the convenience of it overall.

[Goofy&Sleepy]

Guess I think of things differently....we have done DDP 3x w/a 2 & 5 yr old....now we have 3 & 6 yr old & the main reason I am considering NOT doing it & doing DDE is because we ALWAYS end up cancelling a ressie b/c of scheduling. I don't feel I can be as regimented as DDP calls for w/TS. Have had to cancel several meals (naps/tired/not feeling good) & just took what we could get at last minute. Even did SCI FI as TS just b/c there was nothing else that day.

Going to calculate & see if DDE & DVC discounts would get us some benefits.

[MissMagnolia]

I did the same thing - I detailed it here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1890852

It is definitely worth it to us.

[momtoty2001]

For us it is so worth it right now. DH and I like to eat well on vacation and we are very much steak and seafood lovers. So we tend to go for the more expensive meals because of that.

There is a DDP spreadsheet somewhere on the DIS. I downloaded it and it automatically calculates each persons expenses for both TS meals and CS meals. It also includes gratuity. Thus far we have calculated all our TS meals and 2 CS meals. Well as of right now we're saving over $100. And we still have 4 CS meals to add. So we'll easily save $200 by my best guess and that probably includes the snack credits.

I still think if the DDP were only $6.00 more I'd still use it.



Does anyone have the download for calculating if DDP is worth it for their family? I would love to take a look at it. Thanks!:worship:

[disney-inspired]

Add in dessert at every TS! I'm not 100% sure of this but maybe you can take it out and eat it later.

I think it's a great value and really convenient. You don't have to worry about carrying cash or credit cards around, just your room key.

[JohnsonsRUs]

I think one of the things we like best about DDP is that it gives us the option to eat at places we would not normally be able to afford, like Coral Reef in Epcot and a greater amount of character meals each visit. I think that if we did not do DDP we would probably do more CS and limit the character meals to 1 or 2.

I do sometimes feel like we are more bound to a schedule than we would prefer, but that was better if we planned a breakfast or lunch instead of a dinner and then were free the rest of the day. We also have not had a problem getting ressies the day of or day before when we have a change of plans, even when we had the Grand Gathering last year during President's week.