Yet Another Thread if We Should do DXDP or DDP

[wed100105]

DH approved another trip to Disney!

We're staying at Beach Club Villas (through RCI exchange) July 21-28 and at Hilton Grand Vacation Clubs July 27-August 1 (another RCI exchange).

This will be DD and my third trip in three years thanks to our timeshare and cheap military tickets. We've never stayed onsite before. We were definitely going to book the dining plan. We love to eat and think it will be a good value for us since A) I nickel and dime everything and don't order what I like, but instead what is cheap; B) we enjoy dining at places where we wouldn't shell out the money otherwise and C) DD is a very good eater.

DH (35), ME (turning 30 on the trip!), DD4, and DS (turning 1 on the trip) are traveling. We're getting the military $138 four days of park hopping tickets. We're trying to have a park day then off day schedule. If Sea World has free military salute tickets, one day at the end of the trip will be spent at Sea World.

So far, I have penciled in the following ADRs:

La Cellier lunch (because it's 1 TS credit)
Tuttu Italia supper (My bday)
Ohana supper
Chef Mickeys supper (DS Cody's bday)
WCC supper
Beirgarten supper
Cinderella's Breakfast (paying OOP)

I'd also love to try:
Liberty Tree Tavern lunch
CP before park opening breakfast (I love this and did this on the other 2 trips.)
Beaches and Cream
Garden Grill

ETA: I also have done the dessert party the last two years and would plan on that again, unless we did DXDP (too many desserts!). Also, I would pay with gift cards from Sams, so the $500 upgrade would really be like $500 + $50 in free Disneystore.com money! LOL

I'm trying to figure out if we're better off doing the DXDP so we can have TS all 8 days (which we'd prefer) and then not pay Cinderella's Breakfast OOP. (IF someone could tell me where I could get the chocolate croissants just like at the castle somewhere else, then we'd do dinner at the castle, which would open up touring time for us.) We could use some of the snack credits on the last day to stock up on some treats for the four days at HGVC.

We eat out regularly, but never in fancy places. We won't have a car the first 1/2 of the trip.

Thanks in advance!

 

[61disneyfan]

I've done the Dining Plans on our last three trips with girlfriend and daughter (18), and the last two have been Deluxe. For us the Deluxe was great for two reasons - we didn't have to worry about anything except alcohol for the entire trip - and our favorite restaurant is the Flying Fish (HIGHLY recommended) which is Signature and take 2 credits. And since we almost never ate breakfast AND lunch on any one day, our TS credits were always enough to cover Signature dinners.

We also learned a lesson - restraint. Since on DX each diner gets an appetizer, entree and dessert, the first few meals (where we ate everything) left us painfully full (food baby twins according to my daughter.) So we learned to take only a bit of each appetizer, leaving room for the rest.

For some this might seem wasteful, and I suppose it was. But I LOVED not having to worry about how much money to bring to cover food. Everything's paid up front (except for alcohol), which makes things less stressful for us.

Expensive to be sure, but well worth it to us.

Either way, make sure you try Flying Fish! The Potato Wrapped Snapper is phenomenal!

Enjoy!

 

[wezee]

I would not do DXDP with the res. you have. We have done the DXDP twice but used it to enjoy all the sig. rest. once and some 2or3 times. To eat 3 meals a day is way to much food for us.

 

[sharonabe]

With all the restaurants you have listed, you only have 12 TS credits used and with 7 nights, you will have 21 TS credits to use. Can you find time for 9 more TS credits in those 8 days?

You already have 6 dinners listed, so you could fit in two sig restaurant dinners and use up 4 more OR change a few of those like Chef Mickey's could be a breakfast and Biergarten a lunch.

With DxDDP, you have a lot more planning to do as well as thinking since all of those meals will take away park time.

 

[havoc315]

So far, I have penciled in the following ADRs:

La Cellier lunch (because it's 1 TS credit)
Tuttu Italia supper (My bday)
Ohana supper
Chef Mickeys supper (DS Cody's bday)
WCC supper
Beirgarten supper
Cinderella's Breakfast (paying OOP)

I'd also love to try:
Liberty Tree Tavern lunch
CP before park opening breakfast (I love this and did this on the other 2 trips.)
Beaches and Cream
Garden Grill

(IF someone could tell me where I could get the chocolate croissants just like at the castle somewhere else, then we'd do dinner at the castle, which would open up touring time for us.)

I don't know if they are the exact same chocolate croissants, but you can get them at many of the resort QS, as well as the French bakery in Epcot, and I believe Main Street Bakery.

Now, getting to your reservations --
1 warning. Tutto Italia may not exist next July. It is closing for a 3 month renovation early next year. It will certainly still be an Italian restaurant went it re-opens, but it may have a different name, may have a very different menu. No specifics are known yet.

Getting to DxDP versus DDP--
You said the upgrade cost would be about $500.
With the extra reservations you have listed, it doesn't look like it adds up to quite $500. Throw in a few more reservations, more signature meals, and it becomes a pretty good deal. But with what you have so far, probably would not be worth it.

You'd have 21 credits per person. Very roughly, to break even, you would need to use at least 15 of those credits for TS meals, and get some value out of the other credits and snacks.
If you use all 21 of your meal credits, use most of your snacks, and use at least 15 of the credits for TS, then it can start to become a rather significant savings. (Depending on whether you use all the desserts and appetizers, where you use the credits, etc).

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

Just don't forget about the extra in tips!!

I'm a big fan of the deluxe plan because I like apps with my meals and we just eat the way the plan is laid out. However you have to factor in all the extra costs and that includes tips. For an 8 night trip doing signatures it ran us about $500 for tips.

 

[catra121]

I would say the Deluxe plan based on the fact that you said you would prefer to do more TS meals. If you like your TS meals then it is totally worth it. It will give you the freedom to try a bunch of new things and especially if you are planning on doing park day, rest day, you will be able to check out some signatures at the different resorts (if you want). I think you'll love it!

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I wouldn't do deluxe. We love it but with what you have planned it doesn't make sense. I would keep the meals you have and pay oop for the other meals on the days that you are off property. I'm counting 7 nights on property... so seven meals. You have 6 meals right now. So move Garden Grill into that ranking.

Then pay oop for CRT, LTT, CP, and Beaches and Creme. Those meals will not come close to $500. Plus then you can spread the meals out over a longer period.

 

[wed100105]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's not that I wouldn't want to try signatures; it's just that I would never consider them because they were 2 TS (back when planning DDP).

We will have a full 8 days. (The first day would be lunch and dinner, the rest are all three). Plus I was thinking that we could take the leftovers with us to HGVC. We won't have to store our food anywhere for a period of time since our check-in/out dates overlap.

I also know that I won't go pay oop while we're there for so many other places. We'll end up getting groceries and I'll cook in the unit. Hmm...it's such a decision!

 

[havoc315]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's not that I wouldn't want to try signatures; it's just that I would never consider them because they were 2 TS (back when planning DDP).

We will have a full 8 days. (The first day would be lunch and dinner, the rest are all three). Plus I was thinking that we could take the leftovers with us to HGVC. We won't have to store our food anywhere for a period of time since our check-in/out dates overlap.

I also know that I won't go pay oop while we're there for so many other places. We'll end up getting groceries and I'll cook in the unit. Hmm...it's such a decision!

I wouldn't count on traveling with left-overs. While you can definitely pack a "doggy bag" for later the same day or the next day, it's really not the type of food you would want to pack and carry for several days.

Anyway.. It sounds like you know if you went with the DxDP, you would add reservations, including signatures, and "get your money's worth."
But you also know, you can order some groceries, and spend less than the DxDP.

So it really comes down to a subjective question, different for every person... is the enhanced dining experience worth the enhanced cost?

That said.. You aren't getting free dining. So it's not just a question of the upgrade. Don't want to make your head spin, but you can also go back to the drawing board and consider skipping any dining plan.

The reason I say that is.... With the DDP, you are going to pay over $50 per night, per person, plus have additional OOP.
With the DxDP, over $80 per night, per person, but not much OOP (just tips and such).

I don't know your eating habits. I don't know if you like have soda with every meal, if you would get a lot of use out of the mugs, if you each want a dessert with every meal, if you tend to order the expensive entrees.

But you might find, if you look closely... It is possible that you will find you can get your most ideal dining combinations for somewhere in between $50 and $80, without any dining plan. (It's quite easy to do 2 TS meals per day, for $50-$70 per day, supplemented with a tiny bit of groceries).

Not saying the DDP won't work for you. It still might be the best option. But when someone doesn't fit exactly into it, sometimes going OOP is far better.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

You & I are so alike! I do the same when it comes to paying OOP - I skimp on the $, even when I don't have to do so - weird!

So, your problem is simple - just decide on your objective -
1. you want to save money, or
2. you are willing to pay more via DDP/Deluxe in order to eat the way you want without skimping.

Bingo - decision made!

There is another option to save you - get a Disney gift card & start adding money to it now & continue to do so until you have paid the price for the DDP or Deluxe. Then while in WDW, you'll simply whip out the magic card & feel it is all free, just like DDP.

Re: leftovers - DH & I always do that & we also take the leftovers from WDW resort to our offsite hotel. However, don't plan on saving much because that tiny fridge + 4 people will not hold much.

Another issue with leftovers is leaving a park to take them to the fridge - will you want to do that?

Another issue with Deluxe DDP is are you willing to restrict your daily schedule to dining reservations? Getting 2 young ones like yours to adapt to a dining schedule may not work out too well.

Have a great time on your trip &, for me, please thank your husband for his service to us all! So glad he & his family are getting some paybacks.

 

[wed100105]

I wouldn't count on traveling with left-overs. While you can definitely pack a "doggy bag" for later the same day or the next day, it's really not the type of food you would want to pack and carry for several days.

Anyway.. It sounds like you know if you went with the DxDP, you would add reservations, including signatures, and "get your money's worth."
But you also know, you can order some groceries, and spend less than the DxDP.

So it really comes down to a subjective question, different for every person... is the enhanced dining experience worth the enhanced cost?

That said.. You aren't getting free dining. So it's not just a question of the upgrade. Don't want to make your head spin, but you can also go back to the drawing board and consider skipping any dining plan.

The reason I say that is.... With the DDP, you are going to pay over $50 per night, per person, plus have additional OOP.
With the DxDP, over $80 per night, per person, but not much OOP (just tips and such).

I don't know your eating habits. I don't know if you like have soda with every meal, if you would get a lot of use out of the mugs, if you each want a dessert with every meal, if you tend to order the expensive entrees.

But you might find, if you look closely... It is possible that you will find you can get your most ideal dining combinations for somewhere in between $50 and $80, without any dining plan. (It's quite easy to do 2 TS meals per day, for $50-$70 per day, supplemented with a tiny bit of groceries).

Not saying the DDP won't work for you. It still might be the best option. But when someone doesn't fit exactly into it, sometimes going OOP is far better.

You. Hit. The Nail. On. The Head.