Anyone that has had the DxDP and loves it... I need some advice:)

[mommyof3princess27]

We are doing the DxDP in Nov for the first time and I am startig to wonder if I have too many ADR's We have the Candlelight processional and CRT but other than that we have all 1 credit meals. Generally we have a pre-RD ADR booked, late lunch like 2p, the a dinner at 7:30 or 8 after the park closes so no wasted park time there....

We are going for 8 days (21 credits) and Im wondering how u usually use up your credits or if I have too many ADR's booked.

I have:
Coral Reef
Whispering Canyon Cafe
H&V
Mama Melroses F! package
50's Prime Time Cafe
Tusker House breakfast
RFC
Grand Floridian Cafe
'Ohana breakfast
Garden Grill (candlelight processional)
Crystal Palace breakfast
CRT lunch
'Ohanas dinner
1900 PF breakfast
T-Rex
Sci-Fi
Akershus breakfast
Le Cellier
Cape May Cafe dinner
Chef Mickeys
maybe LTT

 

[Cafeen]

I typically only do 2 TS per day and that's more than enough for me. Due to the needs of my schedule (e.g. what I need to squeeze in there), I only do about 4-5 sigs over those 10 days. While this does leave me with a few extra credits (I also toss in a QS here and there) left over, I've already done the math and know that I'll come out ahead without those spent, so it's not a big deal (DxDDP breaks even at around 80% of credits spent at TS, obviously this does vary, but I typically break even around 70-75%, and I order steaks mostly as I'm picky).

Most commonly, you can find me eating at ~11:30am and ~5:30-7pm (depending on the schedule).

With your schedule, I think I'd peter out around day 4 personally. Even with my 2 TS per day, by the end of the trip I may skip a dessert or an app as I'm just not that hungry for stuff (of course, last year I was not feeling well either... so that didn't help).

As an example, here's my line up for my trip this year. You may also be able to see how I use the resort reservations while hopping between parks (it's not as obvious on here though, it also looks like I'm eating pretty early dinners this year overall, that's just how the other plans worked out).

• Thu 27 Sept (Travel/Mom Arrives/DtD)
  • B - TRAVEL
  • L - QS in Epcot
  • D - Raglan Rd* @ 7:15pm (DtD)
• Fri 28 Sept (DHS/Fantasmic!)
  • B - QS at Starring Rolls
  • L - Mama Melrose @ 12:10pm (DHS) (F! Package)
  • D - Flying Fish @ 6:00pm (Boardwalk)
• Sat 29 Sept (AK (AM EMH is tentative))
  • B - Boma* @ 10:45am (AKL) (This will be more of a "brunch")
  • L - N/A
  • D - Sanaa* @ 5:30pm (AKV)
• Sun 30 Sept (MK/MNSSHP (tentative) or Epcot Illuminations)
  • B - QS/Snack @ Main St. Bakery (MK)
  • L - Liberty Tree Tavern @ 11:35am (MK)
  • D - Grand Floridian Cafe* @ 5:30pm (GFR)
• Mon 01 Oct (EP/Mom Leaves/MK PM EMH)
  • B - Snack/Sunshine Seasons
  • L - San Angel Inn @ 11:30am (EP)
  • D - Les Chefs de France* @ 5:00pm (EP)
• Tue 02 Oct (MK/EP)
  • B - Snack/QS @ Main st. Bakery
  • L - The Plaza @ 11:20am (MK)
  • D - Hacienda de San Angel @ 6:30pm (EP)
• Wed 03 Oct (DHS/EP PM EMH)
  • B - Snack/QS @ Starring Rolls
  • L - Hollywood Brown Derby* @ 11:40am (DHS)
  • D - Yachstman @ 6:00pm (YC)
• Thu 04 Oct (EP/MNSSHP)
  • B - Snack
  • L - Via Napoli @ 11:30am (EP)
  • D - Kona Cafe @ 5:35pm (Poly)
• Fri 05 Oct (AK/MNSSHP(Tentative)/DHS(If no MNSSHP))
  • B - Snack or whatever
  • L - Rainforest Cafe* @ 11:30am (AK)
  • D - Jiko @ 5:30pm (AKL)
• Sat 06 Oct (EP/Travel Home)
  • B - Whatever
  • L - Coral Reef* @ 11:30am (EP)
  • D - Sabor-a-Mexico or Pizza Hut! (I'll be back home)

(Copied from the ADR post of my PTR, it was easier to copy and paste the whole thing than to just kinda describe it. My schedule timing may also be a bit different, since the first 5 days are just Mom and I, and the last 5 days are just me solo. I also don't particularly like breakfast... can you tell? )

 

[midwesternbelle]

Here is the deal, you have 20 ADRs booked, but you need to be carful. Some meals are more than one credit... for example CRT is two credits as well as the candlelight prosestional, that totals more than 21 credit... you need to cancel one meal (i think, again it must add to 21) or be prepared to pay out of pocket
Have a great trip!

 

[WillAustin]

We never did more than 2 TS meals in a day. Most days, we'd grab something from the room to bring to rope drop, then have a 1 credit TS lunch and a 2 credit dinner. We loved the way the DxDP worked out for us.

 

[havoc315]

Your timing isn't bad, but I think 3 TS meals per day would be too much for most families.
We have used the DxDP to do 2 TS per day -- Lunch and dinner. Quite a few 2-credit meals. We'll use a few scattered credits to share some CS breakfast (and use snack credits for quick breakfasts as well).
3 full sitdown meals -- Becomes an issue of wayyyyyyy too much food. And also a massive time sink.
I see you have young children -- When do you expect them to actually sleep?
3 TS meals will easily eat up a minimum of 4 hours of your day (4-6 hours).
So let's assume you leave your hotel at 7:30 am, to make it to your pre-RD ADR. Then your 8pm dinner ends around 9:30-10pm. So getting back to your hotel around 10:30pm every night. Doesn't seem to leave a lot of time for little kids to sleep.

We've done early lunch at TS in the park -- around 11:30-12. Then a dinner around 6:30-7. Gets our kids into bed by 9pm. And don't need to be rushed in the morning to reach a pre-RD ADR. (Can get to the park at 8:30 am for 9am RD, instead of getting there at 7:30 for ADR).

 

[Patrickprincess]

Your timing isn't bad, but I think 3 TS meals per day would be too much for most families.
We have used the DxDP to do 2 TS per day -- Lunch and dinner. Quite a few 2-credit meals. We'll use a few scatters credits to share some CS breakfast (and use snack credits for quick breakfasts as well).
3 full sitdown meals -- Becomes an issue of wayyyyyyy too much food. And also a massive time sink.
I see you have young children -- When do you expect them to actually sleep?
3 TS meals will easily eat up a minimum of 4 hours of your day (4-6 hours).
So let's assume you leave your hotel at 7:30 am, to make it to your pre-RD ADR. Then your 8pm dinner ends around 9:30-10pm. So getting back to your hotel around 10:30pm every night. Doesn't seem to leave a lot of time for little kids to sleep.

We've done early lunch at TS in the park -- around 11:30-12. Then a dinner around 6:30-7. Gets our kids into bed by 9pm. And don't need to be rushed in the morning to reach a pre-RD ADR. (Can get to the park at 8:30 am for 9am RD, instead of getting there at 7:30 for ADR).

I like it. I have a dexlue dinning plan for my briff trip in september a two day trip before going on the disney fantasy cruise. I have a total of six meals. What i will be doing is yatchsman steakhouse for dinner a goofy breakfast and cinderella's for Friday night dinner and a resort breakfast in the morning. I might have trouble with the snacks. so i think you have sit down and price out what the meals would cost if you paid cash and decide if it's worth it to your family have a great time.

 

[deenbrad]

I think only you know if it's "too much." For us it wasn't. I don't know how old your daughters are but my son (9) does well taking the break. But he's not one to have to go on every ride either.

We ate three TS meals a day with few exceptions. We didn't eat everything put in front of us but we enjoyed tasting different things. We used all of our credits including snack credits (though we did take home some bottles of water with those - but we needed it for the car trip anyway!).

I like the convenience of everything being pre-paid so I think we're likely to do it each time we go.

 

[Three cats]

Every day we do a 1 credit table service for lunch and a signature meal for dinner. Works out great for us.

 

[mopee3]

I think only you know if it's "too much." For us it wasn't. I like the convenience of everything being pre-paid so I think we're likely to do it each time we go.

Yep what they said. We have used the DXDP for every trip we made(+10?), we have a sit down breakfast at either 8-9 am or 10:30 and then eat a 2 credit meal at 5:30-6 pm. When on DDP we gave eaten TS breakfast and counter service for dinner and visa versa and they both are fun.

We almost never make rope drop and spend a lot of time just walking around the parks & resorts, taking in a few rides, sort of like a horse or cow grazing through the pasture.

We love knowing where and what time we will eat and that it is almost all paid for before we sit down. We eat whatever we want off the menu and don't mind spending a little extra for adult beverage and appetizers.

However because the food is very rich and filling we have now gone to 3-4 days on DXDP, 3-4 days on DDP, then back to the DXDP. We don't stay in any one resort more than 4 days then on to the next. The same resort gets a little old after 4 days for us.

But we always use the dinning plan because of the stabitity it gives us.

We spent 5 days at DL this spring and missed the dinning plan alot.

Moe

 

[figment_jii]

As others have said, it really depends on your family and how those meals you have selected are schedule. My family usually did a 1 TS breakfast/lunch and then a 2 TS dinner, which was more than enough food for me. We tried a few 3 TS days, but the middle meal was the hardest (not yet hungry enough for a full lunch, but didn't want to wait to long because of dinner). I would try to schedule a big breakfast with a small lunch or vice-a-versa. I would also avoid having two buffets on the same day (or one after the other).

As one of the PPs said, your ADR will require 23 (or 24) credits. Two venues, the Candlelight Processional package and CRT lunch both require 2 credits per person. Le Cellier is 1 credit at lunch and 2 credits at dinner. If you are going for 8 nights, then you'll be fine, but if you're only going for 7 nights, then you'll be over by 2 or 3 credits. Note that DxDP credits are allotted by night of your stay. So a 7-night trip would have 21 credits, whereas an 8-night trip would have 24 credits per person.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

I have:
Coral Reef
Whispering Canyon Cafe
H&V
50's Prime Time Cafe
Sci-Fi
Tusker House breakfast
Grand Floridian Cafe
'Ohana breakfast
Garden Grill (candlelight processional)
Crystal Palace breakfast
CRT lunch
'Ohanas dinner
1900 PF breakfast
RFC
T-Rex
Akershus breakfast
Le Cellier
Cape May Cafe dinner
Chef Mickeys


We have 21 credits and now we have used 21 credits I edited it a bit and took out a meal on our AK day. We ahve a whole day devoted to DTD now and resorts hopping because of decorations I am not sure if itll work for us or not. BUT I know how we eat at home. We eat at 730-8ish then again at 1130 or 12 then snack at 3ish then dinner 530-6. So I scheduled meals based on that. I am not sure if we will use the snacks so we may be taking alot home BUT thats ok My mom(who is going) likes knowing where she is eating.

 

[havoc315]

We have 21 credits and now we have used 21 credits I edited it a bit and took out a meal on our AK day. We ahve a whole day devoted to DTD now and resorts hopping because of decorations I am not sure if itll work for us or not. BUT I know how we eat at home. We eat at 730-8ish then again at 1130 or 12 then snack at 3ish then dinner 530-6. So I scheduled meals based on that. I am not sure if we will use the snacks so we may be taking alot home BUT thats ok My mom(who is going) likes knowing where she is eating.

You can't compare it to how you eat at home.
When you eat at 7:30 a.m., do you have a bowl of cereal (equivalent of a snack credit), or do you eat a massive plate of eggs, bacon and pastries?
And then at 11:30-12, do you eat a sandwich, or do you eat a heavy 3-course meal that includes appetizer and a massive dessert?
And if you did eat a big plate of eggs, bacon and pastries for breakfast, and a heavy lunch with a massive dessert, then do you still eat another big dessert-ish snack at 3 (like a big ice cream sundae) or do you just have some fruit or crackers or a couple of little cookies?
And then at 5:30-6, after having a big plate of eggs, bacon, waffles, pastries, fruit for breakfast, and a big 3-course lunch with a heavy dessert, and a big heavy snack at 3 pm, do you then have yet another 3 course dinner with a full portion appetizer, restaurant sized-entree and heavy dessert?

Nothing wrong with eating differently on vacation than you might eat at home. But its pure fiction for most normal people to compare 3 DXDP meals per day, with how they eat at home.

Obviously, all people vary. So this isn't universal. But I think you will find that most Americans most commonly eat something along the lines of:
Snack credit equivalent breakfast -- bowl of cereal, maybe some yogurt and toast.
A sandwich for lunch --- Which is the equivalent of a QS meal or a small TS meal (like at the Plaza) without appetizer and without dessert.
Maybe a snack or 2 thrown into the day.
And a hot larger dinner, which may or may not include appetizer and/or dessert. (Still may be smaller than a restaurant TS portion).

3 full, 3-course restaurant-sized meals per day though? Not too common.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

You can't compare it to how you eat at home.
When you eat at 7:30 a.m., do you have a bowl of cereal (equivalent of a snack credit), or do you eat a massive plate of eggs, bacon and pastries?
And then at 11:30-12, do you eat a sandwich, or do you eat a heavy 3-course meal that includes appetizer and a massive dessert?
And if you did eat a big plate of eggs, bacon and pastries for breakfast, and a heavy lunch with a massive dessert, then do you still eat another big dessert-ish snack at 3 (like a big ice cream sundae) or do you just have some fruit or crackers or a couple of little cookies?
And then at 5:30-6, after having a big plate of eggs, bacon, waffles, pastries, fruit for breakfast, and a big 3-course lunch with a heavy dessert, and a big heavy snack at 3 pm, do you then have yet another 3 course dinner with a full portion appetizer, restaurant sized-entree and heavy dessert?

Nothing wrong with eating differently on vacation than you might eat at home. But its pure fiction for most normal people to compare 3 DXDP meals per day, with how they eat at home.

Obviously, all people vary. So this isn't universal. But I think you will find that most Americans most commonly eat something along the lines of:
Snack credit equivalent breakfast -- bowl of cereal, maybe some yogurt and toast.
A sandwich for lunch --- Which is the equivalent of a QS meal or a small TS meal (like at the Plaza) without appetizer and without dessert.
Maybe a snack or 2 thrown into the day.
And a hot larger dinner, which may or may not include appetizer and/or dessert. (Still may be smaller than a restaurant TS portion).

3 full, 3-course restaurant-sized meals per day though? Not too common.

ok wow that put it more into perspective for me it doesnt mean we have to clear our plate but I understand what you are saying

 

[mopee3]

3 full, 3-course restaurant-sized meals per day though? Not too common.

Did that, but only a few times, couldn't even walk afterwards.

Moe

 

[havoc315]

ok wow that put it more into perspective for me it doesnt mean we have to clear our plate but I understand what you are saying

That's why you will commonly see DxDP guests do 2 full meals per day. They still may eat a 3rd meal, but snack credits or a shared qs credit easily makes a regular home sized meal. I enjoyed doing the DxDP as a snack credit breakfast, TS lunch and signature dinner -- but even with just 2 full meals per day, I was filling quite stuffed by the 2nd or 3rd day. And other than breakfast, we practically didn't touch the snack credits. (shared a couple snacks, a couple afternoons, but mostly too stuffed to snack)

 

[mommyof3princess27]

That's why you will commonly see DxDP guests do 2 full meals per day. They still may eat a 3rd meal, but snack credits or a shared qs credit easily makes a regular home sized meal. I enjoyed doing the DxDP as a snack credit breakfast, TS lunch and signature dinner -- but even with just 2 full meals per day, I was filling quite stuffed by the 2nd or 3rd day. And other than breakfast, we practically didn't touch the snack credits. (shared a couple snacks, a couple afternoons, but mostly too stuffed to snack)

I have been editing our list of must do meals they are going away slowly.... I have only 2 TS on 7 of the 8 days only because I wont let go of Le Cellier

 

[WillAustin]

I have been editing our list of must do meals they are going away slowly.... I have only 2 TS on 7 of the 8 days only because I wont let go of Le Cellier

I wouldn't let go of it either. We absolutely loved Le Cellier.

We didn't eat like we do at home, but we still came out way ahead because we would have splurged on vacation anyway.

I know we were still very comfortable if we didn't eat everything, or if someone left most of their dessert on the table. If I was worried about wasting food or maximizing our value I probably wouldn't have done a dining plan at all.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We love the deluxe dining plan.

The first time we did the deluxe plan I booked quite a few breakfasts. It wasn't but a few days & I started canceling them. First we aren't big breakfast eaters...but the main reason was we were too tired to get up & get to the early morning meal.

So I learned..& now on our first day..I always book 3 meals. We are fresh & ready to go so it is easy that day. Midweek I book another breakfast. Other than that I book TS early lunch & TS late supper. We usually never dine before 7:30. Just not hungry for another big meal before then.

We rarely get snacks & used most of our snacks on candy to bring home to the grandkiddos.

We go in Dec & are staying 6 nights so we have 18 credits each. We are getting in early enough to eat supper on our arrival night...so that works good for us. I really have 19 at this time..am waiting to see if I can get Be My Guest to replace a Signature

Sun: Fulton's DTD
Mon : Crystal Palace / Grand Floridian Cafe / Narcoossee's
Tues: Coral Reef / Calif. Grill
Wed: Rainforest Cafe AK / Citricos
Thur: LeCellier / Flying Fish
Fri: Chef Mickey's / Portabella's / Ohana
Sat: San Angel Inn

3 meals a day for us take too much time. We stay at CSR & getting to a early morning breakfast at a resort using Disney transportation is not fast. We went to Cape May breakfast last time & loved it...but next time we'll go by taxi.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

Good! Thanks everyone... you dont make me feel so alone! I thought I was the only one that didnt do signatures EVERY night

 

[cajunprincess]

I love food, so I love the DDP. I am the type of person who eats every meal and has a snack in between. But I know there is no way we could do 3 TS meals a day. If I do a bkfast TS and dinner TS, I'm pushing it. I think you'll definitely get to enjoy bringing some snacks home (which to me extends the fun!). As much as I love to eat on vacation, I think I'd be making myself miserable trying to do 3 TS credits a day. I think partially because I would be enjoying the food and not want to stop at just a few bites, especially when it comes to dessert!!!

I think I would rather try a few more 2 TS credits places. Just my opinion.