Any former DDP users out there?

[MagicallyDelicious]

When we're on DDP, usually I'm sickly full after lunch (I hate the QS desserts but eat them anyway because they are "free") and never snack because of that. Once we were able to order whatever we wanted without feeling like we "had" to get dessert at lunch and each get a soda, we snacked a lot, which is what primarily tipped us over what DDP would have cost us. With DDP, we usually scramble to use our snack credits before leaving, but without it we were snacking multiple times a day.

I always end up with a ton of snack credits, and I almost always end up purchasing the person's meal standing behind me, to unload a CS credit on our last day.

We still ate meals in the typical DDP fashion, quick at lunch and table at dinner.

Try reversing it if you're willing to, and you'll save some money. Le Cellier for example, is horribly overpriced for dinner, but reasonable (by Disney standards) for lunch.

Paying OOP, we always do the sit down for lunch, and counter service in the evening. I usually end up splitting a breakfast sandwich with my oldest daughter, then we do our big meal at lunch, eat a CS dinner, then get something sweet to snack on later.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

Man I wish we had an AP so we could get a TiW card. I think that would make this decision so much easier!

Same here! We don't plan on returning for awhile, or I'd consider it.

 

[havoc315]

Paying OOP, we always do the sit down for lunch, and counter service in the evening. I usually end up splitting a breakfast sandwich with my oldest daughter, then we do our big meal at lunch, eat a CS dinner, then get something sweet to snack on later.

Depending on touring style, that can be very beneficial. Using a reservation for a nice air conditioned break in the middle of the day. Then a casual evening CS dinner at the resort. (as opposed to a long line-CS lunch at the parks).

 

[BlovesC]

We've only ever used the DDP twice, and now that we found TiW, will certainly never use it again.

The biggest issue I had with DDP was flexibility and waste. We NEVER order desserts at CS restaurants and always wound up having to take them back to our room. We also usually split one dessert at TS.

Also, I found myself inclined to try and "get the most of my money" on DDP. I like to order mostly poultry and vegetarian dishes, which are generally the cheapest, and I felt like I wasn't using my credits wisely on them, or if we went to a buffet.

TiW is a much better fit for us.

 

[Fantasia79]

We use DDP whenever possible, but it is best when you do a great deal of planning and strategy. It's clearly not for everyone, if you tend to go to table service restaurants, it does save you some money.

One of our strategies is to use the table services for lunch at two credit restaurants and split dinners at counter service (neither of us can finish two large Disney meals in one day). You'll also want to figure out which meals (restaurants) you're better off paying out of pocket and saving credits for different restaurants. Typically, we pick restaurants before we pick parks!

Best of luck making the decison.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

Depending on touring style, that can be very beneficial. Using a reservation for a nice air conditioned break in the middle of the day. Then a casual evening CS dinner at the resort. (as opposed to a long line-CS lunch at the parks).

You've also got more time to burn off the food. I find that I'm not even remotely hungry until around dinnertime, so needing to snack really isn't an issue for me. My husband needs more to keep him going, but he'll grab something like popcorn to tide himself over.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

We NEVER order desserts at CS restaurants and always wound up having to take them back to our room. We also usually split one dessert at TS.

I never order dessert, period. Unless it's creme brulee, then I'm tempted.

The last time we went and used the DDP, you got an appetizer and a dessert. You get that, 'I've paid for it, I'm eating it!' mentality, and I did some damage to all of it.

Back then, I was also using TGM, so I was doing enough running to hurt one of my knees, and my clothes still got tighter as the week went on. It was way too much food for me.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

While I love the pre-paid aspect of DDP and getting mugs would be nice, we are leaning toward paying OOP with TiW for our upcoming trip. DH and I love splitting an appetizer and dessert...or sometimes I'd like two appetizers as my meal instead of the entree, so it will be nice to order what I want without feeling like I'm going off the "plan." We'll keep all of our receipts to see how we come out vs if we had used the DDP, but even if we pay a little more, it might be worth it to get the food we really want and not to feel like I should eat the food I wouldn't order if not on the DDP (ie., counter service, soft drinks as I usually prefer water). I'm just excited to try something new!

 

[midwesternbelle]

We used the regular disney dining plan for the first time in 2011, and now i will never go without it. Firstly if you want to really stay on disney property and experience everything the parks/resorts have to offer you should try the wonderful restaurants on property. Now, with or without the dining plan it will not be cheap, but i find that we save some money with the DDP, and its totally worth it for the convenience.
For me, i hate seeing the number of money i am spending while i am sitting at dinner... it takes away from the experience... the DDP allows you to prepay which i find is the real value. You can ENJOY your time in disney knowing everything is payed for.
Don't get me wrong it will save you some money as well, but the convenience is the really important part for my family and I.

I know many will disagree, but this is my opinion and on MY vacations i really want to enjoy myself.

This year i will be trying the Deluxe plan for the first time this year so i am not sure if that one will be worth it, but the regular plan is certainly something i would HIGHLY recommend!
Ariel

 

[KimberlyE]

For us the DxDP works but the regular DDP doesn't. I don't like the fast food atmosphere and food that most (not all, there are some exceptions) CS offer. I like relaxing and soaking up some service at a TS meal; it's a great break to get energized for the next round of Disney fun. We eat 3 TS meals a day and I have never felt pressured to overeat or to order the most expensive meal. We use it as a time to explore new foods or old favorites prepared in a new way. We all order something different and share tastes.

Now I will say that we do a character meal every morning before rope drop so that in itself tips the scales for DxDP being a better bargain for us than OOP. We also go during free dining in September, stay in a value resort and upgrade to DxDP so that means it's cheaper for us budget wise than OOP.

We schedule our ADR's for the parks we are visiting that day and since we are there during low season, we have never experienced a loss of park time or felt like we were "running to ADR's" that others experience. So I think it depends on how you plan on eating, your touring style, and the time of year you go.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Family of four here.
We have always used the Dining Plan on all our previous trips (sometimes free, sometimes paid).
We are now the proud owner of a Disney *Adult* kiddo - (DD10) & DS8.
Despite my convincing arguments to DH an AP was not an option for us (so no TIW card).
No Free Dining for our dates - and we wanted to stay at a Deluxe (ouch on the rack rate anyway).

So this past May/June, after running the numbers a gazillions times, I decided we would stay at AKL and skip the Dining Plan.
My thoughts:

We missed the Dining Plan..a LOT. Why?
1. Despite having been many times, and despite my over obsessive planning...our food costs started to add up quickly! The *sharing of meals* thing sounded good on paper - but when you have 2 kids walking a gazillion miles in the Parks, they get hungry! No way was sharing working for us.

2. Snacking - we love to snack our way around the Parks...with 4 hungry people, those snacks can add up fast ( in addition to the meals).

3. Because we were not on the Dining Plan, I found myself spending waaaaay too much time worrying about what I ordered...there were several times I skipped what I wanted to eat just to be sure we stayed in the safe zone on our food budget.

4. To offset some of the food costs we ate offsite a few times. We had a car so it wasn't a huge deal...but I wasn't a fan. We did save some $$$, but with the exception of Sweet Tomatoes, all our offsite meals definately had a *we are saving money* feel to them.

5. We missed the break of a daily TS meal. For a family of 4 it is just too expensive to do one every day. And forget about character meals! Yikes! No way was I going to spend $150+ for breakfast...but we missed our Tusker House breakfast (a family favorite when on the Dining Plan).

We are currently in the planning stages for our 2013 -still hoping for a deal on our room - but DH and I both agreed - we are definately getting the Dining Plan. Yes - we can eat for less - but having our meals pre-paid and not have to worry about what and where we eat...as they say...priceless.

 

[hokie98]

I too am on the fence. We (DH, me, DD(7), DS(1)) are headed to WDW in Nov. Right now I have booked the room only (b/c our trip falls during the FD blackout). The last trip (Jan '09) we loved the DDP. Then it advertised that you would save 40%, and that was about right. But the plan was cheaper then and included an app & dessert at TS, plus tip. This time I am not so sure about it saving us $$. Well, I say I loved it, but at the same time, I felt as if we were slaves to our ADR. We may have otherwise left the park for a nap, etc, but were held to our ADRs. However, twice I remember showing up early for dinner reservations and being seated. So it all worked out ultimately. With a toddler, I am thinking of doing one or 2 character meals for the sake of DD, then winging the rest. These days we are more inclined to go out to eat for lunch, so if we are going to have a TS meal, I see that happening during the (cheaper) lunch hours, then having a quick/light dinner since our toddler will likely be tired and grumpy!

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

We have always had the regular dining plan till out last trip. We paid OOP and we did NOT have TIW. Unless we have free dining, I will NEVER purchase the dining plan again.

I LOVED just ordering what I wanted. The kids could order what they wanted off the adult menu. I found $$ wise, it came to close to the same. We saved about $50. But that's $50 in my pocket and not Disney's! We made all the ADR's we wanted to, and knew going in it would probably work out to be similar price. The other thing was I wasn't stuffed the whole trip with eating all these "free" desserts I really didn't want! It was awesome! I know some people like it because it is "pre-paid" but I hate the ordering restrictions. I like appetizers. I also love desserts, but not at every meal!

 

[robinb]

Despite my convincing arguments to DH an AP was not an option for us (so no TIW card).

Really? You went in the end of May and you're going again around the same time and you couldn't fit both trips in a 12-month window? An AP would have been about the same as 2 7-day non park hoppers and you would have had all the AP discounts, plus park hopping, plus the TIW card would have been valid for BOTH trips.

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

I am trying to figure out if I should tell my mom to buy the premium or whatever APs are that is the AP that allows you to go to WDW & DLR, and get the TiW card or if doing the Deluxe Dining Plan again. We had 4 credits left over, but that was mostly due to the fact that I couldn't get into the super fancy restaurants cause they were booked.

The thing is my mom and I really enjoyed eating at 3 TS meals, we'd have a character breakfast, and then lunch and dinner. I didn't really like eating at the QS places (I only ate at two QS places when I was there though the Pizzafari wasn't that bad, didn't like the Cosmic Rays one or whatever it was.) So I am trying to figure out if the Dining Plan is worth it if we eat at 3 TS meals, or if I should go a whole different route. I think my Mom would be really confused if we did something else and the last thing I want is to feel super stressed.