problemchild718 said:
We are going for a week. We usually eat a couple character meals per trip, a sit down meal every night and a counter service lunch or snack during the day. Since becoming
DVC'rs, we will have all but 2 breakfasts in the room and a big meal in the eve. (hopefully at least one at the California Grille!!) What do I do?
Well figure it is about a $75 per person difference between the Park Hopper and the Annual Pass. Add another $50, to this for the DDE... So you are talking a $125 fee for the DDE (since you only need to buy 1 annual pass).
Your eating habits fall inline with the Dining plan. SO it is an option as well.
Basically look at the following:
1) Will you order a lot of alcohol? If so, then the discount of the DDE will help you defray the cost. If not, the DP is probably better.
2) What do you eat at a TS meal? Since DAK is the only park where the DDE can be used on CS, TS is where the big difference comes in. If you typically order appetizers and Dessert (which is included with the DP) then the DDE will probably not be worth it, unless ordering the cheapest thing on the menu. I actually compare Le Cellier in another post with the most expensive combo and the cheapest using DDE and the DP. If you order all the same food normally with either discount, the DP is the better choice. If you JUST get entrees, then the DDE might be better. You need to do the math a bit.
3) If you are goign to deviate from the above plan and instead do 2 TS a day, then the DDE is the better choice.
My picks for using DDE over DP:
If you order large amounts of alcohol at Dinner.
If you DO NOT usually order individual appetizers and Desserts, and only do an entree.
If you DO NOT dine at CS, and instead dine 2 or more times a day at TS.
If you like Atlantic City Dance Hall (free admission)
You want to eat at V/A and have a decent size party.
My Picks for using the DP over DDE:
If you like lots of food.
If you do not drink a lot of alcohol at meals.
If you don't mind staying to a 1 CS and 1 TS per day schedule (yes it can be modified, but you can't do 2 TS every day)
If you compare equal amounts of food w/o alcohol, the DP blows DDE out of the water. A Shrimp cocktail, A filet mignon, an ice tea, and a cheesecake slice are cheaper through the Dining Plan than the DDE. However, some people DO NOT get all this food and order a lot of alcohol, so the DDE becomes a better deal.
V/A is the biggest reason I can see if you are like me and eat a lot of food at meals. With the Wine pairings, you are saving $28 a person. My wife and I are getting an annual pass for our Jan 2007 trip because we are going again Dec 2007. We are planning to go to V/A with 4 other people, so the DDE (in addition to the dining plan) is an easy purchase, given the discount applied (basically save a little money because the TAX is cheaper (about $20), the 20% covers the tip). But since we like to eat and will finish all the various aspects included on the DP, we are doing both.
I would look at menus and get an idea and see what people order. Figure an average of $10 for the CS meals per person if paying OOP. So look at your TS ordering habits and see if the cost per person with a 20% is less than 25.00 per day (the 37.99 cost minus the $10 CS and 2.99 for snack). Remember though, you are adding an additional $17.85 per day (total) to pay for the cost of the DDE so when doing the comparison, factor that in.
