First time with DP will be the last

[Arielle71]

MM fantasmic package is a great use of your dining credit, you will each get appetizer, entree AND dessert.....plus the convenience of the resevered tickets...we have done it 4 times and think it's really worth it !

[DakotaRose]

My next trip will be the first on DDP (free, too). I don't understand people referring to the "convenience" of the plan. Paying out of pocket involved handing someone a plastic card. Isn't it the same on DDP?? If pre-payment is the convenience, then wouldn't gift cards do -- and be more flexible? What am I missing?

[Martyap]

Originally Posted by DakotaRose

My next trip will be the first on DDP (free, too). I don't understand people referring to the "convenience" of the plan. Paying out of pocket involved handing someone a plastic card. Isn't it the same on DDP?? If pre-payment is the convenience, then wouldn't gift cards do -- and be more flexible? What am I missing?

Convenience might not be the correct word. With 10 people it just seems easier to explain what the DDP includes, what it does not and just let everyone order within those parameters. Would OOP be less $$....it might. Do I eat that many desserts....no. The plan itself would certainly be more appealing if it was more flexible but it is what it is.
I do not expect to save tons of $$ using the DDP.....breaking even would be OK. The kids know they get one snack per day (we'll pick up some extra stuff at Walmart); they know how the refillable cup works only at the home resort (we'll p/u a case of water at Walmart). This is my first experience so I do appreciate all your help and guidance....Thanks

[Chuck S]

Originally Posted by Martyap

Convenience might not be the correct word. With 10 people it just seems easier to explain what the DDP includes, what it does not and just let everyone order within those parameters. Would OOP be less $$....it might. Do I eat that many desserts....no. The plan itself would certainly be more appealing if it was more flexible but it is what it is.
I do not expect to save tons of $$ using the DDP.....breaking even would be OK. The kids know they get one snack per day (we'll pick up some extra stuff at Walmart); they know how the refillable cup works only at the home resort (we'll p/u a case of water at Walmart). This is my first experience so I do appreciate all your help and guidance....Thanks

I think convenience is a good word to describe the DDP. While I don't use it, I look at it as the same as pre-paying for my luggage if I fly an airline with a charge so I don't have to worry about it at the airport. Just like may people prefer the all-inclusive vacations like some destinations offer. Most don't save any money, often they are more expensive than paying OOP, but it is pre-paid.

[Srbright]

Originally Posted by DakotaRose

My next trip will be the first on DDP (free, too). I don't understand people referring to the "convenience" of the plan. Paying out of pocket involved handing someone a plastic card. Isn't it the same on DDP?? If pre-payment is the convenience, then wouldn't gift cards do -- and be more flexible? What am I missing?

I agree with the others. I don't think that "convenience" is the correct word. By pre-paying I don't have to worry about coming up with the money (and keeping it from being spent on something else), I can pay months in advance - that is the convenience part for me.

But even more importatnt than the convenience is that with it being prepaid (we are on the DxDDP, so we get app and dessert if we want) is that I don't have to worry about forking over cash which is harder for me. A buffet or prix fixe isn't bad, but if I go to CG or Fultons, having to fork over the cash is a different thing. I would end up with the ravoli that I don't like and wouldn't eat vs paying the extra $17 for the steak which I would love (yes, I have had therapy ) This way I can have what ever I think I would like without putting out cash.

Stacy

[danceintherain]

Originally Posted by Martyap

I need advice, please.
First trip is next July for 6 days.
Ten people........6 adults, 3 kids, one 10 year old who I put down as an adult.

Right now I booked with the DDP and have already made our ADR's. Since I'm paying for the plan for all 10, I made it clear to the group what is included and what is not included. I figured overall it would be easier in the long run. I agree that the plan is not flexible........I also agree that the cost savings, if any, will not be astronomical........but won't the convenience be worth it?

Appreciate any suggestions?

I can definitely see how it would be helpful in that situation. Everyone gets a certain number of credits on your dime, and anything else will be their responsibility.

Originally Posted by Martyap

Thanks......I made ADR's at Akershus, 'Ohana, BOG, Tusker House (breakfast),
Mama Melrose/Fantasmic and Hoop Dee Doo Dinner/Show......Does the DDP make sense for those? We have 6 TS credits each so will have to either swap one for a CS or pay OOP for one........can I pay OOP for either BOG or MM?

It's really up to you. BoG or TH would probably be the better ones to pay for OOP. For my trip with the Dining Plan, I scheduled one ADR too many, and ended up canceling it the night before, because we had leftover snacks and CS credits, so we didn't need another sit down meal. It was the least expensive for us, so paying OOP wouldn't have been bad, but we didn't need it.

As per the convenience discussion, I think it's a matter of perception. It's a similar idea as someone only being able to handle a budget if they pay for everything in cash. If they have the cash in hand, they know exactly how much money they have to spend, and they can't spend more. If it's a piece of plastic, it's harder to attach the value to it.
If you're only spending credits, then you don't have to worry about the actual cost of things. DH loves the dining plan for that reason.

I'm the opposite way though. When on the dining plan, I wanted to "maximize" it, so I would lean towards the more expensive things on the menu, so I wasn't getting what I wanted anyways.

The way I deal with it is look at the menus and guess what we'll order. Sometimes I'll just average out all the entrees. I also expect that we'll probably order flavored drinks or dessert sometimes, but not every time. Maybe we'll split an appetizer. I try to estimate on the high side, then I budget that amount for the trip. For us, seeing that the amount of money is set aside allows us to be comfortable in our ordering, and not even really worry about the exact amount we're spending.
I also figure out what we'd spend if we did go by the dining plan. It pretty much always comes out as breaking even, but it would leave us with a whole lot of desserts and drinks that we have no intention of consuming, so we end up losing 10-20%.

I definitely see the appeal. I really enjoyed being on the dining plan, but I also enjoy the flexibility of being able to cancel our hotel at the last minute with a room-only stay.