Anyone NOT on the DDP?

[dreamsofdisney]

Anyone NOT doing DDP? Of course, we'd probably be taking advantage of the DDP if we were going during the free dining time period (although the AP discounts for the deluxe resorts actually were nearly as good!) but we're going in July and are NOT on the DDP. It seems like most people are.

I did the math and we'll probably spend a little more without the DDP, and won't be getting desserts and apps with each meal, but my DS is a picky eater and my DH didn't want to be tied to a certain amount of credits that he felt we needed to use. He was afraid that we would end up paying for a lot out of pocket for breakfasts, snakcs, etc. in the end. Personally, I thought I could make the DDP work for us, but DH thought we might surprise ourselves and not feel like eating a lot in the July heat.

We're staying for 8 nights with two adults and DS13 (adult in Disney's eyes!) We're planning on having a good breakfast at the hotel for 6 mornings, 2 TS breakfasts, snacking through lunch time and have dinner ADRs for 6 nights, although we may cancel one. During previous visits, we found that eating three meals a day is just too much food for us. We're fine with grabbing a snack or splitting a CS meal during the mid-day, and eating a TS dinner. Some days we have a light CS lunch and grab a quick snack at the resort at the end of the night.

Anyone else find that the DDP wasn't cost effective for their family? TIA

 

[ukwildcat]

We're with you on this one. We're deluxe resort snobs , so the AP rate is a definite for us. Also, we really can't eat that much food (on the DDP).

I've crunched the numbers more time than I care to count, and just can't make it work out as a savings for us.

We do have the DDE card, so we get a savings on TS restaurants that way.

Someday, however, I'm sure I'll try the DDP just to say I did it.

 

[Aimeedyan]

It's not a good value for us if we have to pay for it. But we have a family member who's a CM so we get free admission, discount on rooms, and discount on meals when we dine with them.

However, the FREE dining was a good value for us. We did the math =) But regular dining, not a good value.

 

[minnie mouse 45]

We are with you also, we are going in July and I also crunched numbers and figured that not being on the plan was best for us. We will probably have a big breakfast. A small snack for lunch as we are not big lunch eaters and then a good dinner. I just couldn't see the need for it this time.

 

[denecarter]

We'll be there in July. Needed to use my DDE before it expires in November, so we decided not to do DDP. Besides, DD18 didn't think we'd need that much food.

 

[shellybaxter]

We much prefer the 20% off DDE card we can purchase as AP holders. That way we can eat wherever we want (we like signature restaurants and usually do two sit downs per day and no CS) and still get a discount. We usually order a drink or a glass of wine and that's covered by DDE as well. With the DDP we would have two separate bills for each meal. It just doesn't work for us

Shelly

 

[mathgeek]

We will be there in August (the week BEFORE free dining - go figure!), and decided that DDP would not work for us. I also crunched the #'s and found that we might break even but would probably pay more OOP on the dining plan. We're just going to do our best to save what we can between DVC and AP discounts. We wanted more flexibility than the plan offered us, and we're picky eaters. I like to eat smaller meals and snack during the day, and DH doesn't really do dessert other than soft serve ice cream, so the desserts on the dining plan would be a waste.

Now if we were able to go a week later we would find a way to make the dining plan work!

 

[sleepydog25]

We aren't picky eaters but the amount of food you "have" to eat to claim you made a good deal was just too much for us. We usually breakfast in the room (gotta love the full kitchens!), take a sandwich in the park for lunch along with grapes, apples, etc., then do a nice dinner at night--often as not a 2TS. We love wine and have it with most dinners, and though we don't have huge appetites, we often like to try an appetizer, salad, entree, AND dessert. In the end, after crunching the numbers, the total cost to pay OOP was nearly the same as the DDP, and we didn't have to worry over which credit was used where, what was covered and what was not, and whether or not we should eat more to "get our money's worth." I know it's a great deal for some people, but it's just not a good fit for us.

 

[dreamsofdisney]

Thanks for all of your replies! I guess we're not alone after all! I'm a little bummed because this is the first year we're going NOT as AP holders...I let them expire after there wasn't a discount code available for our resorts (WL and AKL) during our travel dates. Unfortunately, this will be our last trip for a few years, so it wasn't worth it to renew. Kind of wishing I renewed one just for the DDE discount!

 

[mydogisbo]

Here too--not a savings for us. I've crunched the numbers for two different trips & we just don't eat that much. I added up the cost of all the meals we wanted, or even thought might be nice, added tax & tip & the DDP was still twice as much as that. We just don't eat appetizers or desserts, and a lot of times we eat snacks instead of CS type meals.

 

[christinou]

We stay at the campgound and have breakfast and most of our lunches in the motorhome, so for us it really did not make sense, we also then can get a AAA discount. We also generaly have AP and of course you cannot get the DP but DDE works better for us anyway.

 

[bobcat]

We are another family where the DDP just doean't work. Now that my kids are considered adults it would cost us almost $100 a day for the three of us. My kids are simple eaters and most of the time order kids meals. Besides in the summer I just couldn't fathom eating that much. The family we traveled with last year had the DDP and they struggled to use all their credits. In fact they treated us a couple of times. If it was free we would definitely take advanatage of it but it's not worth the cost to us.

mathgeek we too had to vacation a week before free dining started. Band camp takes precedence. LOL

 

[Laura]

No, you're not alone. I don't like to eat all that much when it's hot, either. Plus, I'm a vegetarian and my meals are usually cheaper anyway. I crunched the numbers after our last trip in April/May and we paid as much for our food as the DDP would have cost us. We had a discount on our room (AAA), so overall we saved money by not doing it.

 

[Micca]

It's not for us either.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family & I are not on the DDP because it's for us & since we also like to eat at various restaurants in Orlando, that is another reason we are not on the DDP. One of my friends who is using it for her trip in August & she said we should be on it, but I had to tell her over & over why it's not for my family & I.

 

[Mamu]

Although I've never used this plan am thinking about it next trip. We have been staying concierge our last few visits and have enjoyed this style of Disney Vacation. I find it to be relaxing. Not sure if the dining plan is for us. Booking 6 months out is not for me Too much planning. While I love to visit many of Disneys restaurants especially the signature ones, I'm not sure I want to be running around from park to park just to eat. I do not visit Disney for the food. While some of the restaurant are good, there nothing I can't get where I live.

A Disney vacation is just that A Vacation. I enjoy relaxing and doing things because I feel like doing them, not because I have a ADR and have to be there at that time. Some schedules are good, but a 7 day schedule on when and where I have to eat doesn't seem like a vacation to me. I have too many schedules in my life don't need one on my vacation too.

 

[Antonia]

I'm thinking about cancelling DDP. We are staying DVC so it is not free to us. It is just DH and me and we'll probably do breakfast in room. We also like to eat at the Red Lobster just outside WDW and a few other restaurants outside the back gate. I've been crunching the numbers and I bet we'd just break even for what we'd normally order. I know we would never normally order apps and desserts. We're usually too full. So I'm still deciding, but leaning towards not doing DDP.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

"We're with you on this one. We're deluxe resort snobs , so the AP rate is a definite for us. Also, we really can't eat that much food (on the DDP)." Could not have said it better.

Us too, we prefer to stay in certain resorts and eat light or not, but we want to make those decisions....it is a vacation for us and I do not want to have to worry about credits ts, cs.....I want to relax and enjoy.

 

[golden1]

We are not doing the dining plan. I have made several ADRs, mostly character meals, but we are traveling with young children and want to remain flexible so we will be eating mostly CS. The dining plan just doesn't work for the way we eat. When dh and I go out to eat, we generally get an appetizereach, split an entree and split a dessert. Simply put, the dining plan would be too much food. Now, if instead of TS and CS credits, they had it divided up into CS-entree, CS-dessert, TS-appetizer, TS-entree, TS-dessert credits, we would be all over that, but I'm sure that would be too complicated.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

It's WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much food for us and it's cheaper for us to dine without it.