Anyone else think the DDP is NOT too much food?

[disney1990]

Also, I could never understand the people having too many snack credits...I realize some of the plans have two snack credits per night as opposed to the DDP which only have one snack credit. However, two bottles of water a day or one bottle of water and an ice cream eat up your snack credits. Are you trying to tell me that you do not have a drink while walking around the park??

We always do the DDP. I use my snack credit for the milk/cereal for breakfast (around 7am), the CS for a light lunch in the parks (around 1PM), and then the TS for dinner (around 7pm). And, last year, I lost 4 pounds while at Disney!!!

This Fall I am actually thinking of the DxDP this trip around. I have this elaborate spreadsheet (thanks to Cafeen) and I haven't even put in our CS meals and based on what I estimate we will eat and where we will eat...it justifies the DxDP. We eat one TS meal a day...dinner. We are doing 3 TS that are two credits each (another reason for the DxDP).

Granted, everyone uses the dining plans in different ways...I just need someone to explain to me how they have too many credits left over...then maybe I would understand.

We always go with free ice water from counter service. Twenty years of going to Disney -- most often during summer weather - and we don't buy bottled water.

 

[grafxgirl]

We usually eat a light breakfast, a CS for lunch (we usually split these), and eat a TS for dinner when we go to Disney, so we are just about in-line with how we eat at home. I think it is perfect for our family.

 

[sydneysmom]

I agree .... I don't think it's too much. We actually chose the DxDpl for this trip (next month) because we knew we wanted a character meal each morning and a bunch of 2 TS. Well, those 2 meals are our 3 TS / day right there. And the 2 snack credits, we're going to use them for sure on water/ diet coke / whatever.... I'm not at all worried about using them up.

Years ago I did the regular dining plan and I wished I did the deluxe simply because I loved the character meals. On the reg. plan you only get 1 TS, so that was used up at breakfast. ( or whichever meal we did a character meal) that left only a CS.

I think it depends on your family and what works for you (meaning anyone). Everyone says deluxe is too much....here's my theory...no one's forcing you to order everything your entitled to nor do you have to eat everything. For the buffet character breakfasts, I plan on eating alot of fruit w / eggs and "trying" to stay away from sweet bread and bagels. ( good luck to me)

I'm SO excited we're doing Dxdpl so we can try some of the 2 TS !!

 

[pinkerbell]

cetianly NOT too much - In teh past we have eaten conservatively since the food is not as "lean" as at home and had a coupke meals left over (we go for over two weeks). I dont think that will happen this year as our kids are eating MUCH more and we will probably have a few OOP meals. not enough to justify DxDp though - I think disney has good choices for different needs.

 

[Wendybird55]

Just to add my 2 cents - or 3 meals. We prefer the DxDP. Yes, we need and enjoy 3 meals a day - they don't have to be huge meals, but we enjoy them.

I am a firm believer in a good breakfast - it's the best time to fuel your body for the day and it keeps you going and satisfied while in the park and keeps you away from the snacking which is where the weight gain can happen.

It's also nice to sit and relax with your family at a meal and talk about what you did or what you want to do next and recharge your batteries.

Though not always the healthiest choices, there are choices at most Disney reataurants and you can enjoy your 3 meals a day withouth stuffing yourself - even dessert. I know most people don't like to waste food, but don't feel obligated to eat everything on your plate if you can't. And as far as dessert...there are lighter options a most restaurants - sorbet or a fruit dessert. You don't have to go for the heavy cheese cake every night.

We usually do a sit down breakfast (DS enjoys the character meals and we all like breakfast) as CS lunch - and most of the time don't eat the desserts that come with it...and a TS dinner. We don't use all our snack credits and usually have alot left at the end so we use them for take home snacks like lollipops, boxes of cookies, etc. They come in handy for little souveniers and how nice is it for my son to get a Disney snack in his school lunch box. Plus you can use some for the plane trip home. I'm habing a birthday party for my son when we get back from Disney if there's enough snack credits I can get a nice big disney lollipop for each of his friends for their goddie bag - how neat would that be for them.

We are not snackers. I much prefer my 3 meals and very little snacking in between (usually just drinking water). Sometimes the snacks come in handy back at the room at night when you want a little late night munch before bed.

But everyone has their own preferences and should do what is best for their family. Bon Apetit!

 

[tony67]

Everyone is different. I try to only eat two meals a day.
A good breakfast and a good supper around 4 or 5.

I may have a snack or lunch on occasion.

It was too much food the first year IMO, when everyone got an appetizer.
Also most people really don't want a dessert with the CS meal IMO.
I wish they gave you two snacks instead.

I think in the end it is just right for the largest amount of people.
Disney has done the research and knows what they are doing.

People who need more will buy more.
Those who don't let CS and TS meals go unused.
Oh and they were smart enough to say you are not allowed to use credit for others.
During the first year people did use the credits for others instead of letting them expire unused.

Anyway it's a win win for Disney.

 

[Laurin612]

I don't think the regular dining plan is too much food, (although I think the DxDDP just might be!) We actually stop at a grocery store to stock up on milk, juice, cereal, sweet rolls, granola bars, fresh fruit, etc. for breakfast in our room since we usually use the CS credit for lunch and the TS for dinner.

 

[Brooknwdw]

The regular dining plan is always perfect for us. We do sometimes end up with two or three QS left over at the end of the trip.
We like to eat a good breakfast, snack around mid-day or share a couple CS meals between us for lunch, and then have a relaxing & good table service meal for dinner. Its not too much food and now that my boys are teens, they can eat & eat!
I don't think we'd like the QS-only plan, and the Deluxe plan probably would be too much.

 

[rentayenta]

I think it's way too much food for our entire 10 day vacations. I don't need dessert daily let alone twice a day and neither do my children. I also think the portions are huge. This country is obese for a reason. My family is not overweight at all, just the opposite, and we are healthy eaters. Healthy eating includes portion control and I think Disney fails with regard to portion control. I know, I know, everyone wants their money's worth. Never mind the money people spend on obesity related illnesses and fad diets.

In 2007 we did the DDP and ended up with almost 30 snack credits left including the leftover CS we converted into snack credits. My children's friends were elated with the bags of Chip n Dale pretzels we brought back.

For my family, the DDP works for a few days only and even then we end up with leftovers. Thank goodness for DVC with their full sized fridges and awesome kitchens. I did find out you can substitute a small side salad for dessert which is a plus at some CS. It never hurts to ask.

 

[CajunMomof3]

We did the DDP on our first few trips. Last time we did the DxDP. While there is a whole lot of food on the plan, we decided to go with the DxDP again. We love the appetizers and like OPs said since we are on vacation why not splurge and have dessert. We have always had snack credits left over (even with the F&W) but that just means free gifts for family and friends. Since we are doing low-carb, we do a full breakfast every day which makes the deluxe a better deal for us. And it allows us to do more of the 2TS options.

We eat alot on the plan, but I have to weigh in on the it is not too much food side...

 

[Dis703]

I haven't used it yet, but it seems like an awful lot of food to me. I'm good with a simple bowl of cereal for breakfast so I'll be buying that sort of thing and maybe some extra snacks to keep on hand, but the idea of entree and dessert at both lunch and dinner every day seems like an awful lot to me. We don't generally get apps or desserts when we eat out so this is more than we would usually eat. But I did normally like to hit the snack stands during the day. I'm thinking if I'll be eating a lot of dessert we'll probably skip those extra snacks.

Heather

 

[havoc315]

I haven't used it yet, but it seems like an awful lot of food to me. I'm good with a simple bowl of cereal for breakfast so I'll be buying that sort of thing and maybe some extra snacks to keep on hand, but the idea of entree and dessert at both lunch and dinner every day seems like an awful lot to me. We don't generally get apps or desserts when we eat out so this is more than we would usually eat. But I did normally like to hit the snack stands during the day. I'm thinking if I'll be eating a lot of dessert we'll probably skip those extra snacks.

Heather

It's my understanding that you can use those snack credits to get that simple bowl of cereal..

 

[eliza61]

I'm always amazed at the number of people who think the DDP is sooo much food...really?!? I don't know about most people...but my family eats three, solid meals each day and snacks. Yes, I know there are some good snacks out there that can substitute breakfast maybe, but I found I had to order about $70 worth of food from garden grocer for our upcoming trip. Just my thoughts!...

*oh..and just in case you were wondering we are not an overweight family...just the opposite!

This and the "you can split meals" always has me confused. Maybe it's because I have 3 big as in all over 6 ft tall men (young boys) in my family but even as kids, I could never split a meal.

And I gotta tell you, we fall on the floor laughing every time we read that business about buying an extra bun and splitting a burger. Where?

 

[goodeats]

You can definitely have too much food on either dining plan if you wanted to. I mean imagine going to 50's prime time and having a shake as your drink plus getting one of the rich desserts to yourself. I mean that's just gross!

For our family we need a breakfast, and not just a muffin. On some days we do a light granola bar type thing and then do a late character breakfast at like 10:30 or so, and I'm a cranky mess by then. I also prefer the signature restaurants, and in general the portions are smaller at them which suits me perfectly. I think the deluxe dining plan is perfect for me, although I would have to do the math to see if it worked out. I would prefer to split desserts and order salads as appetizers.

 

[worm761]

This and the "you can split meals" always has me confused. Maybe it's because I have 3 big as in all over 6 ft tall men (young boys) in my family but even as kids, I could never split a meal.

And I gotta tell you, we fall on the floor laughing every time we read that business about buying an extra bun and splitting a burger. Where?

I completely agree. We are not a family that shares meals. I will share with DD but she will only be 18 months when we go next. I think the portions are HUGE but I don't feel the need to eat until you have to roll me out the door just because it is in front of me. I will skip dessert sometimes and other times get it and eat it all or just a few bites. There are some desserts I am dying to try that I didn't get to last time since I was pregnant and they contained alcohol.

I understand how it is a lot of food IF a family shares. We don't all necessarily like/want the same things. I will not make my son eat something just so we can share it. That is sort of mean in my book (no offense meant to those that do). I understand some people do and that is fine for them. It just isn't for my family.

 

[TheRatPack]

The DDP has always been great for us. This year we're actually on the QSDP and we're paying OOP for a few TS meals too...LOL We eat 3 meals here at home with snacks once or twice a day. Sometimes we may not finish every single bite when we get something at Disney, we're hungry when we get it...and eat it till we're full so it's not like we're just ordering food because it's on our plan and then throwing it away.

 

[padawans]

No its not to much food. We did the deluxe ddp. You don't have to use all your credits or eat dessert with each meal to save money using the plan especially if your eating at signatures. The snack credits are great for waters and diet cokes. Nobody holds a gun to your head and makes you finish your plate. We are an active family (not gluttons) 2 growing boys and my dh and I are runners. We like to eat good food and have healthier choices Were just not into fast food. So it works for us

 

[mtrice]

We are a three meal a day family as well, three solid meals not snacky meals.

However, when we go out and eat we never order an appetizer nor dessert so in that aspect it will be more food. We were thinking that this is a treat for the kids so we will let them splurge a little and try some new things. At least it's not on our dime so to speak.

We are going to have to figure out something for breakfast most mornings though.

 

[rentayenta]

We are huge sharers by choice, kids included. My kids prefer adult type meals but couldn't finish an adult entree so sharing is perfect. My family of 5 will typically order 2 appetizers, an entree for DH, DD and I will share an entree, our 2 other children will share and adult entree, and then maybe a dessert to share. I guess the DDP has too much of the wrong foods for my family. The thought of 5 desserts still grosses me out. I cannot imagine how huge my butt would be if I ate dessert every day let alone twice a day.

 

[padawans]

I think if people looked at cost and not credits they would see that the dining plan will save you money. Just because desserts are included doesn't mean you have to order it to get your money out of the plan nor do you have to clean your plate if the portions are too big. If you you like to eat upscale food and not fast food its a good deal. If you lack self control with your eating maybe not a good idea.