Ap, MYW, room only, OH MY

[golfgal]

If one of us gets an AP and we book a room only reservation (hopefully getting a good AP discount), can the rest of our party get MYW passes with hopper/magic plus and dining option or do we all have to get the same thing? If we book a package, we all have to have the same tickets or if someone has an AP, do they have to get the package? This is all WAY too confusing.

 

[fam4jc]

HI. I just asked that question today while I was getting quotes. The short answer is you either have to use the ap rate code and purchase everything seperately or get a package for each guest. I've looked into the Dining experience card with AP holders can get for $50 instead of $75. this gives you a 20% discount on all dining except on holidays. (almost every restaurant and counter service in the world accepts it). This turns out to be as good a deal if you are staying multi nights or making a couple of trips. You would only need to purchase $250 worth of meals before the card's savings had paid for itself. I don't know about you but we could spend that much in two days - easy. I hope this helps.

 

[golfgal]

Are you sure that the DDE card is accepted at most rest's and counterservice? Somewhere there was a list posted and there were very few rest's on the list and almost no counter service. I was looking into the DDE card because I don't think we will eat $175/day in food and this would probably be a better option for us. Our kids will be 10, 10, and 12 and just don't eat that much. I thought if we got an AP, mainly for the room discount, and 4 of us got MYW with the dining option, that would be about the right amount of food for us. DH and I could each have a meal and the 3 kids could split 2 meals (and probably still have left overs). The other idea I considered was to go consierge level for about $100/day and eat breakfast and another "meal" there. If we ate a larger lunch in the park, the offerings in the lounge would be plenty for us.

 

[Gillian]

Here's a recent list I saw on the DVC board:
http://www.grandgetawaystravel.com/DDE.html

It looks like many restaurants are included, but no counter service at the parks except for AK. It's good at the food courts at the value & moderate resorts.

We'll have 4 adults in our party, and 2 like expensive alcohol, so I imagine we'd get a lot out of the DDE card.

 

[golfgal]

What are the chances of them adding more places to eat to DDE? There are only 5 places at MK to eat. I would think that those places would be very busy then. Also, Japan isn't listed in Epcot and that is one place we want to eat. Oh, well, I have until May to get all this figured out. I just wish there was a place that you could input what you want and how you want to do it and it will say 'get this...'. I suppose that is what a travel agent is for, right. I am waiting for things to calm down to chat with my travel agent about all this.

 

[VickiVM]

It's good at the food courts at the value & moderate resorts.

That's not entirely true. I'm disappointed to see that POR food court is not included, but POFQ is. Only the sit-down restaurant at Riverside - "Boatwrights" - is included. I was told in another post on the Restaurant Boards that it was because there is a restaurant at Riverside but a food court only at French Quarter.

I feel like the only way to see which dining 'plan' works best is to actually plan out each meal by day, look at costs of each meal vs. costs of the plan (MYW or DDE), then check to see which plan covers what. So much work!! I would blow it off if I didn't think I could potentially save a good chunk of money.

 

[hercamore]

I just want to add that anyone staying at Pop and using the food court quite a bit would indeed save money with DDE card.

DD just checked into Pop tonight and her and her friend bouught mugs and food and saved quite a bit already.

They will be eating l meal and probalby l snacky food a day. I can see the discount adding up for famliy of 4 or more.

herc.