14 days on the DDP?

[klynn]

Do you think we'll get tired of being on the dining plan for 14 days? We have two one-week reservations. I was thinking maybe just doing the plan for the first week and the second week just paying OOP and making a few meals in our kitchen. My kids really want to do the plan the whole 2 weeks. Have any of you done it that long?

 

[pezpam]

This reallyreallyreally depends on your personal vacation and dining style. DD and I did the DDP for 10 days and loved it. You can always break things up by doing TS meals other than dinner or using 2 TS credits for a signature meal and paying OOP for a CS somewhere. I schedule meals so I don't feel controlled by them, but if you're the type who does feel controlled by ADRs (not a negative, some do, some don't....) then I can see where it might bug you if you really want to just wander. Of course, if you do just wander at a very crowded time, you may not get many of the TS's you want without ADRs anyway...... If you like a TS meal each day, then you should be fine.

Either way, have a great trip!

 

[cakesnjammom]

There are a lot of restaurants to choose from...I can think of 14 different table service meals I would like to try! I think it will be fine! Remember your Downtown Disney choices too!

 

[minniemomof3]

We did the dining plan for 1 week and found we got really tired of being tied to adr's by the end of the week and feeling so full all the time. It really is a lot of food!

If I were in your place, I would do it for one week and skip the second week, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Maddie2]

We are going down for 10 days and I've made 2 hotel reservations so that we don't have to do the DDP the entire time. We are on-property for the first 4 days with the DDP and off-property for 6 -- so we can be more casual about meals and can go elsewhere. We love Disney, but all Disney all the time can get exhausting. Our kids are getting a little older and want to see Universal, etc as well. With 4 days of the DDP, we'll get our share of special meals.

I'd rather stay at one hotel the entire time; I wish Disney would allow a partial DDP plan during a stay, but unfortunately it's an all or nothing deal. We are going in April and the weather is just starting to get hot -- and in hot weather we are not big eaters. I think our plan will work best for us.

That being said, sure there are tons of great places to eat ... it's just that I don't think we are going on vacation to spend so much time concentrating on food.

Good luck deciding!

 

[thunderbird1]

We did 10 days last year, and we're hoping for 14 this year. It was a lot of food, but it was so relaxing to have everything paid off ahead of time. It was also very indulgent to be able to order whatever we wanted, and to always get dessert. Usually, I plan on having dessert but end up skipping it because I'm too full/cheap.

I did get a little tired of having an ADR for dinner every single night, but I'll resolve that next time around by booking a few lunches. A breakfast or two would also help, but I can't quite bring myself to use a credit at breakfast yet. I thought my dh got sick of all the ADR's, too, but he's insisting that I make an ADR for every night, as well as a few lunches, just to cover all our bases.

I personally would find it a little difficult to go from a week on the DDP to a week of no DDP. Kinda like staying at a 4 star hotel, then moving down to a 2 star. If I were to do one on/one off, I'd probably schedule the "off" week first, and plan on commando-ing the parks during that first week, then kicking back and relaxing more the second week. I realize that messes you up ticket-wise, but there just isn't a perfect solution.

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

We are doing the same as you almost, one week at CBR then one week at AKL, we are on the 14 nightDDP and although I can't speak form experience, I think it sounds great!
I love to sit down in a nice restaurant, and to have it all payed for in advance is brilliant, our honeymoon is costing enough as it is without having to worry about all our food bills. I know if we weren't on the DDP we would not be eating in half of the restaurants I have picked. I have researched this to death, and I have worked out how much per restaurant I would pay OOP or on the DDP and I save money everytime. Its great to know that you can order anything on the menu and not worry about cost. There are loads of restaurants onsite to choose from, so I don't think you need to worry about getting tired of it. As for the amount of food, we have spaced out our ADR's quite well I think and have scheduled a few 2TS restaurants to give us a break.

 

[pezpam]

Maddie2 - You don't actually have to switch hotels. You could make a package reservation and also make a room-only reservation at the same place. Your DDP credits would have to be used during the package portion of your trip, but if they know you have a follow-on reservation, the hotel will do their best to keep you in the same room for both parts of the trip......

Not a big deal, just a thought. I really dislike switching hotels, too.

 

[minniemomof3]

Maddie2 - You don't actually have to switch hotels. You could make a package reservation and also make a room-only reservation at the same place. Your DDP credits would have to be used during the package portion of your trip, but if they know you have a follow-on reservation, the hotel will do their best to keep you in the same room for both parts of the trip......

Not a big deal, just a thought. I really dislike switching hotels, too.

I had two seperate reservations for Saratoga Springs. One with Meal plan and the other without. When I asked them to link my reservations so I didn't have to change rooms, I had to have the meal plan the entire stay. This was a DVC reserveration, so I'm not sure if the same rules apply when you book through CRO.

 

[ReneeA]

I would love it. We went for 9 nights last year, and another 5 would have been great!

 

[PaulaSB12]

I had the free dining plan for 15 days in September, thanks to it being offered in the UK this year I have it again for 21 days. It wasn't too much last year and if its not too much for 21 days you are ok.