Is it worth it for me to get the DDP for my 19 month old?

traveladdiction

Mouseketeer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
She does eat, so I will have to purchase meals for her on the days we don't go to an all-you-can-eat place. We are going for 14 nights... at $11 a day, the dining plan would be $154 for her for the entire stay. We are going to 7 buffets and would have to purchase meals for her at 7 places at $7.49 a pop. That comes out to $53.00 roughly. What is tax? Do they automatically add on tip for one kids meal?

I'm guessing here that with tax and tip it would come out to $65.00. So, $154 - $65 is $89. So, really I'm paying $89 for 14 snacks and 14 counter service kids meals. Do you think that's worth it?

ETA that the Disney Dining Cast member told me that they can sell me the dining plan for her even though she's under 3... they would just have to put on the paperwork that she is 3.
 
You won't have to pay for her for the buffets. If the child is under 3, they eat free at the buffets. Even her drink will be free.

Also consider that if you say she is 3 to get the DDP, you will also have to purchase her the same ticket that everyone else in the party is getting. One of the rules on packages is that everyone in the room gets the same ticket and the dining plan if chosen. If everyone else in your party is getting 10 day passes, you have to get one for her, too. You can pay for a lot of c/s and t/s meals for the price of the ticket!

Have a great trip!
 
Sorry, I mis-read your post. You weren't planning to pay for her buffets. Tax is about 6.5%. I still think the rest of my post applies, though, that you would have to purchase her a ticket to fulfill the package rules, and that will likely cost more than buying the c/s and t/s meals. Also, I imagine that you could use some of your t/s appetizers as her meals - chicken fingers, etc. When we take our toddler next week, we're planning to do a lot of sharing with him.

Ideas include: order a double-burger meal for one of the adults in your party, plus an extra bun, and make 2 regular burgers out of one. Drinks are huge - take sippy cups or paper cups and share with your DD. At Cosmic Ray's there are larger meals of chicken and ribs, which are easily split-able.

I really think you will have plenty of food without having to fudge your child's age (which could come back to bite you on a later trip when they think your 8-yr-old is 10 and charge you the adult price for her ticket).

Have fun!
 
we are staying with DVC and we have annual passes, so we can purchase the dining plan w/out the ticket for her. We are there 14 days and 7 are buffets where she is free. The other 7 is where I'd have to pay $7.50 each, or close to $70 with tax and tip. I was just wondering if it was worth it to pay $80 more and get the dining plan for her which would mean 14 snacks and 14 counter service kids meals?
 


A child under 3 normally gets free admission, but they also have to charge you for a child's theme park ticket for her to get the DDP. Unless you are DVC everyone on the package has to buy a theme park ticket too. Did you figure that cost in?

You really can't just share with her? Its a lot of food. What are the 7 places you are eating at, perhaps we could steer you in the right direction.
 
What are the 7 places you are eating at, perhaps we could steer you in the right direction.
These are the 7 places I'd have to buy her dinner... sharing with us most of the time isn't an options as she doesn't really like steak or lobster (DH usually gets) or seafood (which I usually get). She's a chicken fingers/mac n cheese kind of girl!

All for dinner:
1) LeCellier
2) Turf Club
3) Coral Reef
4) Whispering Canyon
5) LeCellier (again)
6) Cap'n Jacks
7) Narcoosees

And yes, we are DVC, so we aren't purchasing any tickets.
 


Oh ok so if its DVC then you don't have to buy her a ticket. Most kids CS meals are $4 and snacks are a max of $4 for 14 days that comes to $112...if you buy all $4 snacks (most things like drinks or ice cream bars are like $2.50)

So it probably comes out about the same or better. You know her and her eating styles best, so if you feel it will make things easier, buy the plan. You may have lots of snacks left at the end. Just don't be stingy with them, go ahead get a bottle of water, you'll have plenty of credits:thumbsup2
 
Ah, OK, knowing you are DVC and not buying tickets makes a difference!

I still probably would not buy it for my child (same age as yours). I would never use all those snack credits, and probably not even all the c/s credits. Also, knowing that all the family information is stored on the Disney computers, I wouldn't want to go back later and explain why my child's age is wrong. I'm just not comfortable with lying about my kids' ages. Not flaming, it's just me.

Hope you have a good trip with lots of great food!
 
I wouldn't want to go back later and explain why my child's age is wrong. I'm just not comfortable with lying about my kids' ages. Not flaming, it's just me.

No, no flaming... we told the DVC cast member that our daughter is 19 months - so she definitely knew. She just mentioned that the only way the paperwork for the dining plan goes through is to insert a birthday that is 3 years or older... and that it is done all the time just so that the paperwork goes through. If you can buy a meal for any age in WDW, makes sense that you should be able to buy the dining plan for one. The only kink is that if you tell them they are under 3, they fall all over themselves telling you that your child eats completely free... why buy the dining plan?? Unfortunately, that's not entirely true, right?!
 
Spending the extra $89 to get the 14 cs meals and 14 snacks is a great deal...........only if you will end up using them. Otherwise it is a waste of money. Assuming your 19 month old eats more than once a day you'll use some of those 14 cs credits for her. Using the snack credits for snacks, or just drinks or water, for someone in your party you'll probably get your money's worth out of that $89.
 
She does eat, so I will have to purchase meals for her on the days we don't go to an all-you-can-eat place. We are going for 14 nights... at $11 a day, the dining plan would be $154 for her for the entire stay. We are going to 7 buffets and would have to purchase meals for her at 7 places at $7.49 a pop. That comes out to $53.00 roughly. What is tax? Do they automatically add on tip for one kids meal?

I'm guessing here that with tax and tip it would come out to $65.00. So, $154 - $65 is $89. So, really I'm paying $89 for 14 snacks and 14 counter service kids meals. Do you think that's worth it?

ETA that the Disney Dining Cast member told me that they can sell me the dining plan for her even though she's under 3... they would just have to put on the paperwork that she is 3.

Your 19 month old can eat off of your plate...you do not need to ALWAYS get a meal for her! My 25 month old son will be eating several meals off of my plate, especially CS...maybe at dinner, if I want something that I do not think he will like, I will get him his own! Ity is okay to do that!:yay:
 
You will have 7 kids TS credits left over, since she is still free at the buffets. I was able to use my 2 leftover kids TS credits towards 2 kids CS at Pop. Assuming that all the CS do this you would have 7 credits to use for 7CS.. Hope that made sense.
 
You will have 7 kids TS credits left over, since she is still free at the buffets. I was able to use my 2 leftover kids TS credits towards 2 kids CS at Pop. Assuming that all the CS do this you would have 7 credits to use for 7CS.. Hope that made sense.

oh yeah I didn't even think of that, they stll may not charge for her at the buffets giving you extra TS crdits.
 

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