character meals and DDP worth it with kids? - The DIS Discussion Forums

nwbearcat · 01-12-2013, 05:42 PM

I have been doing a great deal of reading, and am not sure which way to go. We have gone to disneyworld for the last three years and done the plus dining option. Our girls 8 and 6 like the character meals. We usually eat our stuff, but like many who post, we could live without the snacks, desserts, drinks, etc.

Our plan
CRT- Dinner, I would be thrown out of the house otherwise.
Crystal Palace- Breakfast, My DW's favorite meal
O'hana- Dinner My favorite meal ...non character
Be Our Guest- Dinner its new and fits my princess minded girls
Dinner at Epcot - not sure which... went to Napoli last year and liked it.
Buffett somewhere- Dinner could be chef mickey could be cape may, could be whispering canyon.
One night eat qs at our resort (CRT is 2 credits)

at times my wife and I would rather not eat lunch but have a protein bar or something instead, but on ddp we do.

Can we save money going oop? Or is the value of having kids with all the character meals worth the ddp. Any thoughts would be welcome.

sharonabe · 01-12-2013, 07:48 PM

With all the buffets you have planned and your TWO girls, yes it's probably worth it. The cost for the kids' DDP for one night is roughly the same as the buffet price, so their QS and snack are basically free. Since you're doing mostly dinners, the adults will at least break even most days and probably save a little.

TDC Nala · 01-12-2013, 07:51 PM

One of the categories that pretty much still automatically saves on DDP is a family with kids under 10 who intend to do multiple buffets, family style or character meals. This is assuming you don't leave the majority of your CS credits unused.

Be Our Guest isn't a character meal. Right now you can get a photo with the Beast after dinner, but he doesn't visit tables.

Srbright · 01-12-2013, 08:07 PM

We are the people that makes the dining plan a bad deal for Disney World and a great one for us.

Two adults and two children under 10 ( 9 & 7). We are doing Crystal Palace, Tusker House, Akershus, CRT (breakfast as we've done dinner twice). Add that to Fultons and Cali Grill and even without a discount we will save $200. If we actually order dessert, which we didn't at all last time, we would save even more.

Stacy

nwbearcat · 01-12-2013, 10:26 PM

Thanks for the replies. My math was telling me we should at least break even, but so many people have voiced concerns about the dining plan rates after the price change, I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

6disneykids · 01-12-2013, 10:36 PM

Our kids are the reason we are doing the dining plan, there is no way we could go to as many character meals if we were paying OOP. The price of the kid's plan is equal to the kids price for most character meals

01-12-2013, 05:42 PM	#1
nwbearcat Earning My Ears Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 47	character meals and DDP worth it with kids? I have been doing a great deal of reading, and am not sure which way to go. We have gone to disneyworld for the last three years and done the plus dining option. Our girls 8 and 6 like the character meals. We usually eat our stuff, but like many who post, we could live without the snacks, desserts, drinks, etc. Our plan CRT- Dinner, I would be thrown out of the house otherwise. Crystal Palace- Breakfast, My DW's favorite meal O'hana- Dinner My favorite meal ...non character Be Our Guest- Dinner its new and fits my princess minded girls Dinner at Epcot - not sure which... went to Napoli last year and liked it. Buffett somewhere- Dinner could be chef mickey could be cape may, could be whispering canyon. One night eat qs at our resort (CRT is 2 credits) at times my wife and I would rather not eat lunch but have a protein bar or something instead, but on ddp we do. Can we save money going oop? Or is the value of having kids with all the character meals worth the ddp. Any thoughts would be welcome.

01-12-2013, 07:51 PM	#3
TDC Nala 1937, what a year that was Diet Coke on Ice or Else I apparently don't do anything they want to stimulate Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Not far enough outside the Beltway Posts: 54,802	One of the categories that pretty much still automatically saves on DDP is a family with kids under 10 who intend to do multiple buffets, family style or character meals. This is assuming you don't leave the majority of your CS credits unused. Be Our Guest isn't a character meal. Right now you can get a photo with the Beast after dinner, but he doesn't visit tables. __________________

01-12-2013, 08:07 PM	#4
Srbright Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 244	We are the people that makes the dining plan a bad deal for Disney World and a great one for us. Two adults and two children under 10 ( 9 & 7). We are doing Crystal Palace, Tusker House, Akershus, CRT (breakfast as we've done dinner twice). Add that to Fultons and Cali Grill and even without a discount we will save $200. If we actually order dessert, which we didn't at all last time, we would save even more. Stacy __________________ September 2013 - POR (9N/10D) September 2012 - POR (6N/7D) Feb 2008 - ASMo (3N/4D)

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01-12-2013, 07:48 PM	#2
sharonabe DIS Veteran Join Date: May 2009 Location: North Carolina Posts: 2,993	With all the buffets you have planned and your TWO girls, yes it's probably worth it. The cost for the kids' DDP for one night is roughly the same as the buffet price, so their QS and snack are basically free. Since you're doing mostly dinners, the adults will at least break even most days and probably save a little.

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01-12-2013, 10:26 PM	#5
nwbearcat Earning My Ears Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 47	Thanks for the replies. My math was telling me we should at least break even, but so many people have voiced concerns about the dining plan rates after the price change, I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

01-12-2013, 10:36 PM	#6
6disneykids Mouseketeer Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 267	Our kids are the reason we are doing the dining plan, there is no way we could go to as many character meals if we were paying OOP. The price of the kid's plan is equal to the kids price for most character meals