Am I crazy?? Please help!

[abctate]

We're going in January with 9 people. 6 adults and 3 kids (14,7,7). I'm really confused anbout this DDP. I realize we don't know what 2009 will be but with 2008 DDP rates I'm not sure it is worth for us. Our planned meals are:
Counter service at AS for breakfast everyday and a counterservce wherever we land for lunch)

Sunday: House of Blues (dinner)
Monday: None planned bcause of the late Wishes (pizza in room)
Tuesday: 50's Prime Time (12:45) Whispering Canyon (7:20)
Wednesday: Biergarten (7:30ish)
Thursday: Le Cellier (7:30ish)
Friday: Planet Holleywood or Capt Jacks

ok... What I've seen on menus we are looking at about $25 plate for entrees at most of these place and I'm estimating $10 a piece for lunch and Breakfast is on our own anyway. This equals about the same price as the dining plan. The 50's Prime would be cheaper than $25. We will be ordering apps and drinks so there will be a bill anyway. (we aren't real dessert people, although looking at the food porn we may have to try a few) Many meals hubby and I share at home anyway.

What am I missing? Where is the savings? The concensus of our group is to pay out of our pocket so we don't feel restricted by anything.

thanks!

 

[pumba]

How about one of you getting an AP ......and then that person could get an AP rate on that ONE room and when you arrive at Disney get the DDE card ......twenty percent off your cs if you are in All Star Resorts, Pop Century Resort, and Port Orlean French Quarter. You could basically pay for your groups breakfasts each morning, lunches or dinners, snacks there ......twenty percent off restaurants that are listed on this thread
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm

also here are other benefits of the AP ....rates for January dont usually come out until later on this year...but it is an option..

http://www.wdwinfo.com/discounts/discounts-ap.htm#Current

 

[patsal]

We're going in January with 9 people. 6 adults and 3 kids (14,7,7). I'm really confused anbout this DDP. I realize we don't know what 2009 will be but with 2008 DDP rates I'm not sure it is worth for us. Our planned meals are:
Counter service at AS for breakfast everyday and a counterservce wherever we land for lunch)

Sunday: House of Blues (dinner)
Monday: None planned bcause of the late Wishes (pizza in room)
Tuesday: 50's Prime Time (12:45) Whispering Canyon (7:20)
Wednesday: Biergarten (7:30ish)
Thursday: Le Cellier (7:30ish)
Friday: Planet Holleywood or Capt Jacks

ok... What I've seen on menus we are looking at about $25 plate for entrees at most of these place and I'm estimating $10 a piece for lunch and Breakfast is on our own anyway. This equals about the same price as the dining plan. The 50's Prime would be cheaper than $25. We will be ordering apps and drinks so there will be a bill anyway. (we aren't real dessert people, although looking at the food porn we may have to try a few) Many meals hubby and I share at home anyway.

What am I missing? Where is the savings? The concensus of our group is to pay out of our pocket so we don't feel restricted by anything.

thanks!

Because of your dining choices, currently HOB is not on the DDP so that would be OOP, and your other choices are by no means on the high end, I'd say for you the current DDP is not a bargain. I'm thining if the rumored CS plan comes out that might be for you as most CS when you add a dessert--which allows you to choose a bottle of water or any other bottled drink they serve as dessert and will be in the $12 range, may work out better for you and give you some savings as well.
Now if your diing choices were different and you had all character buffets for dinner you'd see the savings. The DDP does pay for entree, NA beverage Dessert and tax--if that is not how you eat it will not be a bargain. FWIW I don't even think the DDE would be a good deal for your dining choices as you have to pay for it and to break even you need to spend $325 on food--and some of your choices don't participate in the DDE.
I think your plan to pay as you go will end up being your biggest savings. We did this last year in September when DH was at a convention--you cannot add DDP to a convention rate. It was far less money even with alcohol and we ate what we wanted when we wanted with no restrictions.

 

[Tricia1972]

No huge shock to me that I agree with Pastal. I immediately thought of the CS plan for you if it comes out as rumored. It's rumored that it would be $18-$20/night and cover 2 CS meals and one snack.

With sharing meals, etc - I don't see the DDP, as it stands right now, as a great deal for you.

 

[abctate]

Thanks! Glad I'm not carzy or missing something.

Ok... maybe I'm a little crazy...

The people that are taking my ADR's each day (since we are waiting for the rates to make room reservations) are loving the fact my name is Micky!

 

[abctate]

ok... we are making final package reservations and my TA is highly recomending the Basic plan. I just don't know ... no one in our party is very convinced. We feel we it just would not save us a ton and we would feel like we had to really watch what we order. We don't want to do that.

Anybody have a change of heart with the new plans?

 

[Tricia1972]

I have no change of heart for you with the announcement of the new plans. With sharing, etc there is no way the new CS plan at $29.99 will save you much money. You may well end up pre-paying for food that you don't want to eat.

If you are feeling that uncomfortable with not doing it, then I wouldn't do it. The DDP works great for many people and just doesn't work for others. You sound like you're in the group that it doesn't work well for.

 

[abctate]

thanks Tricia! I don't know why I feel so confused about this!

 

[Kevenswife2]

It's rumored that it would be $18-$20/night and cover 2 CS meals and one snack.

I heard $29 a night for 2 CS and 2 snacks.

 

[TDC Nala]

I heard $29 a night for 2 CS and 2 snacks.

$29.99 per night per adult, 2 CS, 2 snacks per night plus a refillable resort mug.

 

[snykymom]

My d and I are also doing OOP in January. We have a number of ADRs that are "2 credits", but when I look at what we'd order, they don't feel like they should be 2 credits. And at some of them, I prefer appetizer to dessert, which isn't allowed on DDP, and we can't eat both appetizer and dessert, which would be "required" to make the DxDP a bargain. (Yes, I know; you don't have to eat both, but if you don't, there's no savings.)

We're going to eat what we want, when we want. I'll keep track (at least a bit) of what we spend on stuff that would otherwise be on both plans, and see how we do, without censoring ourselves. I'm budgeting $100/pp/day (more than the plans cost), to allow the splurge; I'm pretending it's prepaid because I already have the cash available; and we'll see how we do!

 

[Tricia1972]

I heard $29 a night for 2 CS and 2 snacks.

You are correct. My post on the rumored price was accurate as of the date I posted - 7/10/08, but since then the program has obviously been launched and we have much more accurate data then from early July.