Why do you or don't you use the DDP? Any level of it.

[Luvamouse]

Since I started on the DIS boards, I have been intrigued by the DDP fans and non-fans. While I realize the DIS is a miniscule portion of the actual visitors to WDW, you are the ones I am curious about since you are the ones really thinking it through. Probably a lot more than most who just book when they call CR for the convenience/possible savings.

I see people who say they would never do the DDP, even if it was free. I see those who do it only if it is free. I see those who choose QSDP. I see people who pay for it happily. I see those who even do the DxDP. Why? Why do you chose to do it or not?

My family might do the QSDP. I am unsure since I can't really guarantee we will match the cost of the plan for the way we eat. Great deal, but may not really benefit us, so I am more comfortable paying OOP. I used all my old slips and the current QSDP offers and menus to arrive at this conclusion. I'm fine with that. (Oh, and I am almost one of the wouldn't do it if it were free since I can't imagine taking the time from my day or planning so much...)

But it keeps me wondering... why do YOU do the things you do?? Hope I've offered enough choices- choose any and all options that suit you-- but perhaps you can keep it to all no or all yes answers ;).

**Option 6 should be "we choose/enjoy WDW." I can't figure out how to edit the poll...

[tndisneyfan]

I have done the basic DDP twice in the past several years and enjoyed it but probably won't do it again. One of the reasons is cost, with no appetizer and no tip, it's just not as good of a deal. The main reason though is we just don't want to take time out of the parks to do TS every day. On out last 9 night/10 day trip we ate 3 TS, that's all. That seems to work well for us. Wouldn't do the deluxe dining because of similar reason, cost and too much time spent eating.

We are thinking about doing the QSDP. It doesn't seem to be a big cost saving but if I can crunch the numbers and find I break even with what I would normally order we will go ahead and get it. I like the idea of it being paid for up front and also the freedom to order what I want even if it's more expensive or have dessert.

[Tricia1972]

Thanks for asking! This is sure to be an interesting conversation.


We are a family of grazers who eat little to no red meat. At home we'll typically eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and a chicken or turkey based entree, with a salad or veggie, and fruit or perhaps a cookie for dessert.

We toured with the DDP and found it to be way too much food at both our CS meals and TS meals.

We would still have our regular bowl of cereal for breakfast in the morning. Mid morning we'd get hungry and might grab a snack to share with the group.

We'd sit down for our CS lunch and it was huge. In real life we'll occasionally get a burger and a fry meal at Mc Donald's, but don't do it day after day. We'll also generally order two burgers and split an order of fries. After a few days our tummies would revolt at the thought of another CS lunch. We'd usually grab our desserts to go, but then ended up with a huge collection of mediocre prepackaged chocolate cakes in our fridge. Where and when were we going to eat them? We prefer a more nutritious breakfast, even on vacation. We were there for two weeks and that's too big of a shock to our system to have snack based breakfasts for that long.

We'd go back to our resorts to rest after lunch. After our siesta we'd head out for dinner. Full dinner and full desserts - for each of us. We'd barely recovered from lunch and weren't hungry for that much food.

There were also days where we'd have reservations and maybe not be in the mood to go to that restaurant or maybe wanted to be in a different park that night. A few nights someone in our party would be feeling ill. Well the meals are prepaid for, so off we'd go. Not in the mood.

I ended up resenting the plan. Some of my favorite snacks weren't covered, so I'd pay for what I wanted and then use credits for other items because they were paid for. Probably doesn't help that I am not a huge fan of Coca Cola products. :goodvibes

We toured without the plan in March of 2008 and LOVED it. We'd cancel meals that we weren't in the mood for. We'd order what we could eat, not what we were entitled to at CS locations. Sometimes we'd tour our way around the park - just snacking. Not one worry about if something was covered by the DDP or if we were using all that we'd prepaid.

We sat down for a meal every day and usually a cs or two. Sitting down and relaxing is hugely important, but you aren't required to have the DDP to do that. ;)

After an 8 day/7 night trip touring and eating like we wanted we added up all of our reciepts. We saved $500 by not getting a dining plan.

That's the long answer.....


The short answer - doesn't fit our touring style/eating habits, and yes I do feed my kids three meals a day.

[jlewisinsyr]

We do the dining plan not really to save money, but to plan ahead and ensure most of our food costs are pre-paid. We love to eat at 2 credit dining places, so the deluxe plan works well for us.

[disney4us2002]

I said it was a good value and it is for us because it is free, lol. I don't know if I could talk dh into paying for the DDP for the five of us as it is a big upfront expense when all five of us are "adults". I do know that in previous years we easily spent nearly $200 on just dinner for the five of us so I do believe it would be a savings for our family. I definitely think previous versions were a better value when the tip and appetizers were included but my kids are thrilled that they get dessert. If we were paying OOP we might get an appetizer or two to share but we would never buy five desserts. My kids think every meal should end with a dessert but since they are usually very pricey and just unnecessary, we would almost never get dessert without the DDP.

Typically we do eat one TS meal per day in Disney and I'm a bit of an obsessive planner so I do enjoy perusing menus, finding restaurants that seem to give us the most bang for the buck, etc. so I definitely enjoy the time involved with preparation for using the DDP.

[laceemouse]

We loved free dining when we got it, but we don't buy the dining plan. My oldest (17) is a tiny eater, and vegetarian. She eats less than the plan costs. My youngest is 11 and we would have to pay for an adult plan. She eats like a bird and only kid food. Even though my other two are good eaters, our family just doesn't need 6 appetizers and 6 desserts on the table! We often get one of each to SHARE when we go out.

Generally we eat three meals a day, two smallish ones and one good sit down. We don't want the CS only meal plan YUK!!! BUT, the mid-range one is a lot of food even for us. Like I said, we LOVED it when we got it for free, but we don't feel the price is worth it to us.

Now if DH and I ever get to go ALONE, that would be a different story!

[scrappinmom]

Your poll just made me break out the calculator & figure this out....

We've done the dining plan on the past 4 trips (ok so I only actually paid for it once!), but we're doing it for our 13 day trip in March. Here's why....

My travel gang includes myself and my 2 dd's (14 & 9)...we all like to try different things, and character dining is a must for us nearly every day. This will be the first trip that not ALL of our TS's are character.

I did the math....it costs roughly $70 a day for the 3 of us on the dining plan...so one TS breakfast (let's just say CP since it's a less expensive option) will cost approximately $50, 3 snacks would be at least $7.50, and even if we split a couple of counter service meals it'd still be around $25-30...so even on my cheapest days I'm still saving a few bucks. Now on a expensive day...say CS breakfast at the resort at least $30, snacks again $7.50 and dinner at Garden Grill $72....I don't understand how it could NOT be cost effective....We use the dining plan and STILL end up paying for at least one breakfast TS OOP.

Am I doing something wrong? Yes some days we dont' eat 3 meals, but even then it's a break even deal.

[medicgirl911]

The reason I chose to use the Dining plan..well reasons...
I like that the majority of our food costs are already paid for that way, taking a lot of worry about budgeting vacation costs out of the picture. Food can be a big cost of the vacation so its nice I dont have to stress about that part too.
I read the dining reviews and salivate over the pictures too much making me want to try more and more restaraunts to the dining plan fits that well. I like the one quick service and one table service per day. I dont think I could eat so many table services like with the uber-super-deluxe plan, that is a lot of extra time and food, I think I would leave weighing 100lbs more!
Now, I don't know if I have tailored our Disney vacations to match that because I have never went without the dining plan, but I don't want to go without it!!

[PaulaSB12]

I go to disney solo usually and having the meals is nice. Relax at a ts or a qs restaurant and eat all of my steak (when at home I take half of any steak back for the dog and cats so they now expect it) what could get better?

[Tricia1972]

Your poll just made me break out the calculator & figure this out....

We've done the dining plan on the past 4 trips (ok so I only actually paid for it once!), but we're doing it for our 13 day trip in March. Here's why....

My travel gang includes myself and my 2 dd's (14 & 9)...we all like to try different things, and character dining is a must for us nearly every day. This will be the first trip that not ALL of our TS's are character.

I did the math....it costs roughly $70 a day for the 3 of us on the dining plan...so one TS breakfast (let's just say CP since it's a less expensive option) will cost approximately $50, 3 snacks would be at least $7.50, and even if we split a couple of counter service meals it'd still be around $25-30...so even on my cheapest days I'm still saving a few bucks. Now on a expensive day...say CS breakfast at the resort at least $30, snacks again $7.50 and dinner at Garden Grill $72....I don't understand how it could NOT be cost effective....We use the dining plan and STILL end up paying for at least one breakfast TS OOP.

Am I doing something wrong? Yes some days we dont' eat 3 meals, but even then it's a break even deal.

Not discrediting that the DDP is a good deal for your group - but your math is a little bit off. The DDP would cost $90/night for two adults and one child. ($39.99/Adult and $11.99/Child)

Beyond that it depends on how the group eats as far as it being a money saver or not. It's not for us, but I am glad that it works for you :goodvibes

[scrappinmom]

Not discrediting that the DDP is a good deal for your group - but your math is a little bit off. The DDP would cost $90/night for two adults and one child. ($39.99/Adult and $11.99/Child)

Beyond that it depends on how the group eats as far as it being a money saver or not. It's not for us, but I am glad that it works for you :goodvibes

That's true Tricia...the past time we paid dd was still a child....it's till a deal for us though

[RMulieri]

We love the dp.We enjoy the sitdown meal once a day just to unwind.Plus we try food we otherwise might not of because of cost.We also enjoy that everything ( except tips) are essentially already paid for.Makes planning a lot easier for me when I am not sitting here trying to figure the cost .

[GatorLady]

For right now the DDP works for us. We are a family of four, two kids (DS16, DD6). We travel during the summer and for the last several years Disney has been our only vacation destination.

I do wish it was still tip included and appetizer instead of desert, but we do still save some money (I did the math). Because of the age of DD, we do character meals and travel during a time when "holiday pricing" ups the price of those meals. The other restaurants we have tended to choose have been some of the more pricey and we wouldn't pay those prices to eat there if we were not on the DDP.

I am a planner by nature, and since we go in the summer, touring would be a nightmare (IMO) without one, so our schedule doesn't tend to change as far as which parks we might do so that is not an inconvenience for us.

I bring cereals etc. with us so we eat breakfast early in our room (we do rope drop). After touring we do an early CS lunch and then depending on crowds/heat maybe a couple more rides before back to the resort for our daily break. We rest/nap, shower and head back to the parks to do our TS meal, then more touring. With our schedules right now, we hardly ever eat out when we are at home, so this is nice (especially for me ;) ).

Could we eat cheaper, yes, but right now we enjoy eating like this. After 2010 when DS is in college and DD isn't so into princess we might try something different. :)

[Luvamouse]

Thanks to everyone who is voting and/or posting. I really have wondered so many times why someone would do the DxDP since it takes so much of your day to enjoy your meals, and I for one don't think we could even each do a whole CS and enjoy the thrill rides we love :sad2: I think it is interesting to see how we all think and it explains why the question "Should I do the DDP or not??" gets such varied answers. It really has to do with how we envision our trips as families or individuals.

[jeff2]

For my family of 4 (all adults) we knew we would want to do a sit down dinner practically every day of our stay. Given the Disney prices for dinner using the DP turned out to be a good deal for us. Each of our dinners ($33-$45/pp) was about the price (or more) of the daily DP.

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I voted for No- We don’t like to have to plan where we will eat before the day/hour arrives. Besides not wanting where we want to plan 90 days before we arrive, sometimes my family and I change our minds at the last minute about where we want to eat and sometimes we change our minds while driving to the location we originally planned to eat at. Besides that since we always stay Club Level while at WDW we have the lounge for breakfast every morning and we also like to take full advantage of the hot hors d'ouvres they offer from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM, which we think can be a meal replacement.

[Mary976]

I travel with my teen DD, and I will say that having only two people does make things cheaper and faster all around. I am a vegetarian, and DD is not a big eater, so the plan is not a good value for us. I've added up our food costs, and it's cheaper for us to pay OOP than it would be for either the regular and CS plans. Vegetarian entrees at both TS and CS places are usually among the cheapest, plus DD and I will often split meals. Also, we do not get dessert at CS places and will only rarely get it at TS meals. Plus we spend a lot of time at Epcot and enjoy grazing from the various CS places.

Mary

[winterman]

We did the DDP twice, mostly because it was free. When we planned our trip for May, 2008 we had planned to buy it. However, we changed our minds when they eliminated the tip and the appetizer. We still had a TS meal almost every day but I didn't eat any entrees. I had appetizer, salad and dessert. Not to save money - it was just what I wanted. So the DDP no longer suits my tastes. However, we have just made plans to go back to WDW in Sept 09 and if Free Dining is again offered we will take it. I can adjust my tastes for 'free.'

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[JimMIA]

We are former fans of DDP. Back when the food was good and the appetizer and gratuity were included, we enjoyed DDP...although we never would have done it for more than 5-6 nights. Just too much same old Disney food.

With all the changes, we ditched DDP a year ago and now eat almost exclusively offsite. We usually do only one character meal onsite, and we grab an occasional snack whenever we want.

We find the food offsite better (both casual food and fine dining), more varied, quicker, and cheaper. We'll never go back.

Even if the cost equation changed greatly, we're fed up with the bulk-cooked food and standardized menues. There was a time when Disney Dining offered some pretty good restaurants, but they're mostly gone now, replaced by carbon-copy food served by waiters in different uniforms.

We still enjoy the character meals, but that's because of the characters. They're ridiculously overpriced, the food is mediocre on it's best day, but the experience is pure Disney and we always look forward to those events. Not the food or the value, but the experience.

[TDC Nala]

I took the third option even though I don't have a family. I'm paying for just me. It's not a deal for one person, and I prefer not to have to order what they tell me I have to order.

By selecting DDP you allow Disney a good bit of control over what you eat and where you eat it. If I want a flatbread from Bluezoo, or to eat lettuce wraps at the Tambu Lounge, or my local friends have an offsite spot they are dying to take me out to try, I don't have to say "Can't do it, it's not on the dining plan."

I used it back when the appetizer and tip were included - back then it was an overwhelmingly good deal for anyone. Now, I won't use it even if it's free.

[magicaldisney11]

I had to rethink the DDP when they took away the tip/appetizer away but the other times we went we ate 2 TS's and all the rest counter service. SInce I am a single Mom with 4 sons (now they are 22,19,16 and 10 but were younger when we all went together the last time) I had a hard time budgeting for them and doing TS's. With the DDP we get to go out and enjoy a relaxing time in a "real" restaurant as my youngest calls it. These are places that they would never have gotten to go to if I was paying OOP.
Also, it was the easiest way to see the characters without having to stand in the long lines :cool1:
The budgeting part is the best part of it for me. I hate to have to say to them on vacation...wait I have to see how much that is before you order it...we go through enough of that when we are in the real world.

[Justsyd2]

We are using the Deluxe Dining Plan for our trip this May 31 - June 6. It's just myself and DH. We love the fact that our meals will be prepaid, that we can have three nice TS meals and two snacks each day, and that we get to eat at nice restaurants. For us, the food is part of the DW experience.

[Tikitoi]

For our upcoming trip, with it being only DD11 and myself, we are skipping the DP. Mainly because I can't bring myself to want to paying an adult price for her while she still thoroughly enjoys the children's choices and only weighs 58 pounds. ;)

[patsal]

I like to eat, where, when and what I want. I find all the plans too restictive and prefer to pay as I go. With four of us, all over 10 there is no savings for us in the way the current plans work and food that we wouldn't eat is included while food we would prefer is excluded.

[The 'Mickster']

The dining plan allows us to be able to enjoy the many wonderful and exciting disney restaurants that we wouldn't necessarily afford to pay. It adds a whole new element to the disney experience and I would recommend it to anyone. I too wish we didn't have to pay for tip but I can live with it.

[secretpantssam]

I used the dining plan for the first time during free dining in september. I obviously enjoyed getting all the food for free, but I don't think I would want to pay for it. First, I don't like planning my meals ahead of time. I like deciding the day of what I'm going to eat and when. Somedays I'm more hungry than others and sometimes I'm in the mood for specific things. I also found making reservations to be very stressful. It's a lot of pressure to decide when and where everyone is going to each months in advance. And trying to get specific places at specific time...:scared1:

Because it was free, I also wasn't concerned about what I ordered or if I finished. I wasn't worried about "getting my money's worth" so if I just wanted a little salad for lunch or to skip dessert, I did. I feel like if I already paid a certain amount for my meal, I would force myself to order something more expensive, even if I didn't want it. Or to eat dessert every meal...and I'm not a big fan of dessert to begin with.

I do see the benefit of not having to worry about money on the trip and being able to try restaurants you may not if you were paying out of pocket. It was convenient to not have to look at prices. And also just to carry the room key to charge the meal credits on. And if you are a big fan of dessert...this would work out great.

But personally I don't think I would actually pay for it. I like winging it when I get to Disney.

[jimmalru80]

Yes we use the Deluxe Dining Plan. We usually have our trips to WDW revolve around our meals.

[coachyo]

FEED ME popcorn:: :drinking1 :mickeybar

Heck yeah, we do the DDP as part of the vacation enjoyment. To know we will have several nice meals out and know that we don't worry about the cost it great. :cool1: I too enjoy the planning and researching to see what is out there. :surfweb: To pick a really fun place and then see my family enjoy it so much, it is so worth it. :) Using the time to eat is a great way to get a little down time and even the time we may use to get there is good for us to unwind even. Would we or do we eat like this at home? No most people do not, but hey this is vacation in the Happiest Place on Earth! Also, by using my Disney Visa my food budget is on 6 month no intrest too. If I did it OOP I would just have to take it out of the savings before we leave.

Ya'll have a great vacation!

YO

[Colleen27]

We do the dining plan not really to save money, but to plan ahead and ensure most of our food costs are pre-paid. We love to eat at 2 credit dining places, so the deluxe plan works well for us.

That about sums it up for us as well.

We don't do the standard dining plan any more because I really dislike the whole counter service experience, especially with kids in tow. Obviously the quick service plan has no appeal for the same reason!

I really enjoy dining as a part of any vacation (it comes from living in a small town with no real restaurants - vacation is the only time I get to indulge my foodie side without having to cook!), and I don't want to be thinking about costs when deciding where to eat or what to order. So the deluxe plan is perfect. We can enjoy signature dining and all the wonderful World Showcase restaurants and never worry about ordering the most expensive thing on the menu or think about how having sushi for lunch and steak for dinner will effect the budget. We did save a bit on the plan, but I'd do it even if we were breaking even or paying a little bit for the convenience of having everything pre-paid.

[jlewisinsyr]

I voted for No- We don’t like to have to plan where we will eat before the day/hour arrives. Besides not wanting where we want to plan 90 days before we arrive, sometimes my family and I change our minds at the last minute about where we want to eat and sometimes we change our minds while driving to the location we originally planned to eat at.

I hear this often, the DDP isn't what causes one to have to plan, it's the availability of the restaurants. Sure, you shouldn't make reservations and not use them because you are taking away table space from others, but most places don't have strict cancellation policies, so in theory you could cancel just a few minutes before your reservation, and go somewhere, if there is availability.

The second piece, having concierge, is a valid point.

[ILoveMyDVC]

We are former fans of DDP. Back when the food was good and the appetizer and gratuity were included, we enjoyed DDP...although we never would have done it for more than 5-6 nights. Just too much same old Disney food.

With all the changes, we ditched DDP a year ago and now eat almost exclusively offsite. We usually do only one character meal onsite, and we grab an occasional snack whenever we want.

We find the food offsite better (both casual food and fine dining), more varied, quicker, and cheaper. We'll never go back.

Even if the cost equation changed greatly, we're fed up with the bulk-cooked food and standardized menues. There was a time when Disney Dining offered some pretty good restaurants, but they're mostly gone now, replaced by carbon-copy food served by waiters in different uniforms.

We still enjoy the character meals, but that's because of the characters. They're ridiculously overpriced, the food is mediocre on it's best day, but the experience is pure Disney and we always look forward to those events. Not the food or the value, but the experience.

OMG -word for word that's how we feel!

[karliebug]

I have done the dining plan twice-once when it was free (that's a no brainer) and once when I paid. For my family we can eat cheaper by just doing a couple of ts meals and mostly counter service. we generally don't eat dessert and order water so while those extras are nice they aren't necessary. When appetizers and tips were included it was much more of a value, now not so much.

[mandynee22]

I voted for No- We don’t like to have to plan where we will eat before the day/hour arrives. Besides not wanting where we want to plan 90 days before we arrive, sometimes my family and I change our minds at the last minute about where we want to eat and sometimes we change our minds while driving to the location we originally planned to eat at. Besides that since we always stay Club Level while at WDW we have the lounge for breakfast every morning and we also like to take full advantage of the hot hors d'ouvres they offer from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM, which we think can be a meal replacement.


This is part of my plan. We'll do 4 nights at a value with 7 day hoppers and the dining plan. Then We'll do 3 nights at the AKL club level- resort only(it's a nominal difference than Savanah View w bunk beds- like 50 bucks total). I figured it was cheaper getting the tickets on my first package.
Then breakfast will be free in the lounge... and they have refreshments through the rest of the day with apps and whatever. I figure we can do those last days pretty cheap when it comes to food.

[rentayenta]

Due to doing a split stay this trip, the DDP is perfect for us. It allows us to try new restaurants without going broke and enjoy a character meal as well. Having said that, if we had to have the DDP the entire trip, we wouldn't be doing it. 10 days on the DDP on our last trip was just too much food and unnecessary.

[Bellybean]

We've used the DDP for the last 2 trips and will again in March. DH loves it and wouldn't want to go without, by I don't love it and think it's a bit more trouble than it's worth to us. I'm the one that does the planning.
We'd do a TS every day no matter what. The problem for me is that we have 2 kids and they eat 3 meals/day plus snacks. I'm so busy making sure we share when possible to preserve our CS credits and it annoys me. We adults get the mugs anyway so we can use them at breakfast for our shared meals.
Then we try to share at lunch and I always feel like I have to scour the menu and make sure we're maximizing what we can get. It really seems silly to me to work so hard to fit what we want into the plan.
TS meals are fine, but we would normally order an appetizer and share one dessert. I also admit I've been a guilty of trying to maximize the plan by ordering more expensive stuff than I normally would.
For our upcoming trip, I'm not going to police everyone's order. We'll just pay extra to get what we want without me stressing about stupid stuff like DH not ordering a dessert he's entitled to receive.
I've taken a realistic look at where and what we'd eat and found that we're saving a few bucks with the DDP, but only because we have 2 kids. When the first one becomes an adult, we'll be losing money with the plan. On previous trips with the appetizer and tips included, the plan was perfect for us.
We don't always eat at the most expensive places and we do TS breakfasts and lunches at times, so that reduces our savings. When I did my calculations, I didn't count all the desserts because we normally would split 1-2/day.
Bottom line is the plan pays off barely for us now, but causes me stress at mealtimes. I'm going to try to ignore the plan on our trip and let everyone eat as they please instead of trying to maximize every credit.

[Brer Shay]

I'm a "yes" on the DDP, but not really for any of the reasons listed. I like it because of how much it contributes to the overall vacation experience. I know each day that I (and the family) will get plenty of good food and I never have to look at the price of what it is. DS wants a snack, sure! DH wants dessert at each meal, sure! DD will only eat 3 bites of each thing on her plate, but I still don't have to stress about it, sure! Less stress on the trip for everyone and less of mom/dad saying "No." Sounds like a great plan to me.

[Brygida]

My family might do the QSDP. I am unsure since I can't really guarantee we will match the cost of the plan for the way we eat. Great deal, but may not really benefit us, so I am more comfortable paying OOP.

Not having a great sit-down meal in a WDW restaurant is like not staying in a WDW resort. Yes, people stay offsite and love it, but I don't get that!??

I want the *total* Disney immersion. A WDW vacation is the best stress reliever I have ever found! I love it. You have to stay onsite and you have to eat at WDW restaurants. That's my total immersion package and it really works for me.

I love the traditional DDP (1 TS + 1 CS ) as that most closely matches the quantity we could eat. I could not eat 3 sit-down meals a day. I would not eat 2 CS each day. CS are tough at WDW, there are so few good ones.... Wolfgang Puck Express being the main exception.

If I could design my own plan... it would probably be have a meal at a 2TS restaurant each day plus a snack. :rolleyes1

[Jetstar]

I would not leave home with out one. We did the Deluxe Dining Plan for our 9 night trip in Dec 2008. It was a lot of food, however we were able to eat in restaurants we had always wanted to eat in. Including signature reataurants and dinner shows. Also we found we saved alot of time meeting the caricatures at meals. I highly recommend caricature dinning. :love:

[DWFan4Life]

It's because sometimes doesn't fit our dining plan or eating style and also I do have kids to feed, so i want to give what they want. :)

[Nik's Mom]

We used the Dining plan when it first started. Back then, tip was included. It was a break even for us, but way too much food. We don't eat appetizers, entree and desserts in one sitting. Plus, the nightly table service took too much time away from our day. We would rather do a table service meal every other day. So, this trip we may do the quick service meal or maybe just pay out of pocket.

[the Fidge]

DH and DS love sit down meals. I liked the fact I did not have to factor budget issues. I am doing it next trip and not loving that the tip is not included the fact I had no math to do was a real plus!

I am a bit of a worrier so not recalculating my day was a vacation for me! Will see how I feel about the changes. Hopefully not too bothersome!

[alice99]

I enjoyed the Dining plan when I travelled with a friend in 2008. We used the snack credits to sample the foods around the "Food and Wine" at Epcot.

When traveling with our kids it just doesn't make sense.
They are both Disney "adults" (10 and 12 on our next trip) that prefer to eat chicken nuggets. To pay 160.00 per day for meals is excessive. It would be like throwing money away.

I think it's great if your kids are over 14, but between the ages of 10 and 14, paying adult prices does not make sense.

Though, if I travel alone with my husband I would definitely do it.

[Luvamouse]

As the OP, I want to thank everyone for all the votes and the great reasons why you do or don't do the DDP. I was happy to get all my ADRs yesterday. All 2 of them ;)-- Kona the night we arrive and the last night of the trip. For us, doing just a couple or 3 TS meals at WDW, we have found that we come in at nearly the same price as the dining plan no matter how I do the math. (I'm a big math person--it's part of the planning and fun for me!) As not big eaters, definitely not dessert eaters --on any regular basis-- and as a family that likes to simply stop when we're hungry (of course severely limiting the TS options), it isn't the best deal for us. No matter how I try to convince myself it might be!

All of the reasons you all have given are great. It is interesting to see how much we can differ on something that really is quite a nice offering from Disney. And it's nice to see how many people are enoying it as family/down time at such a busy place. Thanks for helping to keep this friendly (although how it could turn ugly is beyond me...:rolleyes1 ). For the record, this was never about the DDP not being good. I think it is a fantastic option. I just wanted some insight into how you all choose to take advantage of it or not.

[BigGreen73]

We will probably never use the DDP. Not matter how I add it up, the DDP doesn't save my DW and I anything. Maybe if we eat 30% more food than we normally would, it would save us money. :laughing:

We want to do 7 table meals next trip and with all the other meals, we still fall way short of what the DDP would cost us. Maybe if tips etc were still included it might be worth but.....:confused3

[Tink415]

No we don't do the DDP. Did it a few times when apps & tips were still included. We still ordered things out of pocket. The deluxe plan is more than we would spend getting whatever we wanted and paying out of pocket. I prefer to order whatever we want and not worry about saving money or wasting credits on vacation. ;)

[storybookmum]

This is our first time using it - we will be on the DDP - 3 adults (one of my kids is ten) and one child.

I think the DDP generally fits our style of eating. We eat breakfast hastily in the hotel room (I always get a fridge), and then hit the road. We usually get a counter-service lunch, a munchie somewhere in there, and eat sitting down somewhere every day as a welcome break, and a chance to try all the fun restaurants. So it fits.

What I always find is that I get anxious about the money at the restaurants, and always end up ordering something cheap instead of what I really want, and stewing over what the kids will actually eat out of what they order.

So I thought this would take that hassle out. I wish we had the choice of an appetizer or a dessert. I'm not sure that my ten-year-old and my seven-year-old won't occasionally swap meals. I'll have to re-evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the whole thing when we're done. But I think it's going to work for us.

[yeldarb]

I am on the fence about whether to go with a Dining Plan for our first trip (family of 4)... leaning toward No. We just are not volume eaters and I can't see us doing table service 7 nights in a row. Too much rich food. Perhaps the QuickService Plan, or none.

One thing I would say, I would be more tempted to do it if the DP still included appetizers and especially tips. I'm surprised Disney wanted to exclude tips, I would think the end result is that most waitstaff probably get short changed as a result (there are plenty of people who will resent tips not being included and therefore provide a low tip OOP). Maybe Disney feels that if tips are automatic then staff will not have as much of an incentive to do a good job, but that would be easily fixed by allowing Dining Plan users to specify a tip amount ranging from 5 to 15% or something like that (plus Disney could track those and have a great metric on Cast Members performance...)

Lastly, I would be MUCH more inclined to buy a Dining Plan if it included priority reservations. I find the whole "making reservations three months in advance" thing a bit daunting and limiting of the spontaneity of the moment.

[deedeetoo]

We have used it before and liked but are not sure about this trip.

The thing we like about it the most is that it forced us to do a TS meal every day. I know many find this a drawback, but if we didn't have things planned like this we tend to not eat right and not take a break, resulting in everyone getting grumpy. Doing the dining plan with a relaxing sit down dinner everynight was one of the highlights on our last trip.

So why aren't we jumping at it this time? First, we aren't happy with the elimination of appetizers and tips. We aren't big dessert eaters but we do like our appetizers. This changed the economics from being a clear win to more a wash.

Further affecting things is my now 10yo dd. Of course this raised the cost quite a bit. But, if we're going to the restaurants anyway (especially the buffets), it may make still make sense. Trying to figure out what she will eat is hard. Sometimes she eats nothing, sometimes she eats a lot. Sometimes she only wants chicken nuggets, other times she's stealing my shrimp. It makes analyzing the economics hard for me.

We won't have a car so eating offsite isn't an option. We either eat TS, QS or cook in the villa, which is a possibility but not one I really like.