A Tale of Two Dads: 1 on a frugal budget and 1 on the DDP**COMPLETE 12/18/10**

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Thanks for the report! Very informative (and entertaining)!!

 

[DadwhoLOVESDisney]

Thanks for the report! Very informative (and entertaining)!!

Thank you!

Loved your dining report. Especially the mathmatical analysis. I keep our receipts and do this every trip and then present my findings to the rest of the family, much to their chagrin.

Also being frugally turned, I have decided the DDP is not for us after 2 attempts. We like the flexibility of ordering what we really want to eat and in the end it saves us money.

As you can see from my trip report, there are definitely advantages of feeling like I can order anything from the menu, but I agree that I'm not sure that I really saved money (because I got food I didn't need).

Great report. Thank you for sharing. We have decided next summer to simply take the cost of the plans and put them on a Disney GC and go from there. We also find that the DDP forces us to eat more than we would as we feel obligated to get things since they are covered.

Next summer, our hope is to simply eat the way we want, the snacks we want and go from there. We already decided that we won't be frugal and allow everyone to have the equivalent of what they would be allowed on the plan to really see how we compare.

Worst case, we spend a little more. Best case, we don't. Since we are also DVC and have been able to do both QSDP and DDP on our past trips due to split stays, we are taking that approach again.

We will see how things play out come August and will sure to post a report!

Look forward to hearing about it! If you remember, please send me a note. I'll be curious

Thanks for the report. I think we are making the right choice for us this trip , and trying it without the dining plan. Since I also tend to be on the "frugal " side, and also really watch my diet/calorie intake, I hate the way I feel when we have the dining plan (regular), I am never really hungry. I know how you feel about "you don't have to eat it, you don't hava a gun to your head" but I also hate wasting credits.

Why is it that I feel obligated to eat all the food they give me. I know it's crazy...but I can't seem to help it!

Hi there Frugal!

I have enjoyed reading your report and was much taken, just before I left, with the post that your dd got soup at Puck's for a snack credit. As Butternut Squash Soup is my favorite there I thought I would give it a try but to no avail.

I have gotten the soup in place of an entree when eating there and am wondering if that is what happened to you or you just lucked out. Happens sometimes.

Slightly Goofy

My wife ordered the soup as a snack. Not sure how that happened. Maybe they felt sorry since she was "trying" to hold on to our 2 year old at the time!

You're welcome - I've been waiting for this!

Going to scroll back up to read it now....


Edited because now I have - fabulous report!

I'm pretty darn sure the dining plan isn't for me - I just have me to consider though; no spouse or kids. For me, well - I'd have to agree with your disadvantages. It takes up a lot of planning time, a lot of park time, and I eat way too much on the plan.

Thank you so much for your report - you gave great information and your writing style is terrific!

Thanks for the encouragement to finish -- AND the nice compliments at the end. It was a fair amount of work -- but enjoyable way to remember the trip -- and all the food!

 

[DadwhoLOVESDisney]

Yikes, I didn't know it went up another $4 in 2011.

Anyways, GREAT review I love your comparison. For us, I don't think the plan would work for us. I just noticed that you have a 10 year old so, did the 10 year old eat all adult type meals. I didn't even notice throughout the review. My issue when we go my 10 year old who just turned 10 probably would not always order off the adult menu. It just depends on the day. She likes steak and fish so, she would order those if they are an option but she doesn't like fancy sauces, etc.. So, I don't think it would be a good value for her. Plus, the last time we did DDP it included an appetizer and tip & tax. I can't get over how they took those away. We always got appetizers and different ones so, that the kids could try new things. Once we got crab cakes and my kids loved them and now I make them at home all the time. So, how do you think your 10 year old did with the plan? I also don't like you get a dessert with lunch. Most of the time we threw it away because there is another snack we want like dole whips, etc...

Also, the other thing I liked about getting an appetizer was that you got some vegetables in. Sometimes a salad would be the only vegetable you would get in for the day. I know it is vacation but I like to eat somewhat healthy for some meals.

Yes, our 10 year old (and 12 year old) ate from the adult menu. They liked it because after the first 3 days where they ate from the kids menu (my 12 year old is a light eater), they felt so grown up after getting to choose from the whole menu. More expensive -- but they definitely liked it.

And yes, I wish there were more veggies on the menu...would have liked the appetizer option -- but the deluxe plan is way too expensive for us.

That's a great breakdown and report! I think to truly compare the costs you may have to go through the days on DDP and figure out what the costs would have been OOP if you had been "middle of the road" dad. A dad and family who still went to all the same table service restaurants and would have ordered perhaps the same entrees but skimped on maybe the extra drinks and desserts.

From the total costs though it definitely seems that doing any TS is a pretty pricey option. I was especially surprised by the $140 bill for Teppan Edo, but then I guess I am pretty frugal when it comes to what I consider overpriced food.

I did find the photo of the stroller packed with food quite amusing!

I bet that I would have broken even if I had been "middle of the road dad." I wouldn't have been as cheap as frugal dad -- but would have eaten less desserts (and selected desserts I really wanted). But it's an interesting question. Maybe I can convince the wife that we need to go back again soon to check out the "middle of the road dad" theory. Good idea!

Loved your reviews! Thanks for sharing!!

I'm definitely frugal as well (and I think my DH is worse actually), so I agree that with the DDP we definitely eat better and don't stress as much about cost (since it's already paid for). Although we are getting the DDP again for our upcoming trip in January I do agree that it has become very expensive (but since Disney is raising prices it does make the dining plan look appearingly more affordable).

Last trip we definitey came out ahead with the DDP, so we'll see with this one if that's the case again. I still have my receipts from 2 years ago, so it'll be interesting to see the price changes at places we'll be eating at again.

Will be curious to hear about your findings! Send me a PM if you decide to write a review : )

I totally agree with your conclusion. I just recently went in mid Dec using DDP for the first time.

It was not our first trip to Disney, so we enjoyed our table service meals and rode the rides we wanted to ride. We didn't do any character meals (no kids this time), so Idk how families manage to do the meals and keep the family sane . We were also disappointed in the dessert and snack department. There were not a lot of choices. It seem that all the QS only had cheesecake, carrot cake, choc cake, and/or brownie to offer. I would of been happy to have an option to not use the dessert and swap for another snack credit.

Would we do DDP again? I think with the Free DDP offer, we would definitely try it again. But to pay it OOP, I rather pack some water and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in our bag. We always rent a car, so getting to a grocery store is easy.

Thanks for your analysis. It was a great report.

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[princess aleya]

Great report .

 

[travelmel]

subbing!