Call me crazy . . . . .

[debbiedoo]

No flames coming from here You do what's best for you, and sounds like you are the first to admit that your eating style isn't for everyone, but it's working for you and that's great. I guess in the same vein, remember that a snack, CS meal, and TS meal per day may be way too much food for you, but not necessarily for other people. There are a lot of people vacationing at WDW who are trying to feed growing kids. Or ravenous teenagers. Or may have blood sugar issues and couldn't go on just one meal a day. And some of us don't have the opportunity to visit very often, Disney is famous for good food, and we want to try it while we can! Doesn't mean we will all lick our plates clean. Last year when we went to DL, I wore a pedometer and one day we walked 17 miles, so I feel like I'm entitled to my desserts...

my spurlge is eating carbs while down there, since I limit my intake here at home and eating them early enough in the day, I can still have time to work them off

and yes I do have a family that does not eat my way, I just get the big 24oz water and drink about 6/7 a day, depends on my day. . . . .they have learned to somewhat deal with my way, now do not get me wrong, 1 day a week at home I do treat myself to ice cream can not live that strict all the time and once a month maybe go to my favorite pasta restaurant. . .for me it was changing my way of life. . .

 

[disney1990]

My DH and I spent years going to Disney and feeding us and our DD on $30 a person per day. $10 for Breakfast, $10 for Lunch and $20 for dinner. We basically ate counter service. Now that we have discovered the DDP, for just a few dollars more, we are able to take the time to sit down at a restaurant once a day and have a nice meal (something we seldom do at home). Vacation is a real treat now!

 

[disneymom2one]

My DH and I spent years going to Disney and feeding us and our DD on $30 a person per day. $10 for Breakfast, $10 for Lunch and $20 for dinner. We basically ate counter service. Now that we have discovered the DDP, for just a few dollars more, we are able to take the time to sit down at a restaurant once a day and have a nice meal (something we seldom do at home). Vacation is a real treat now!

This was us prior to the DDP. We spent between $100 and $120 per day on food. There are three of us. Kiddo is 11. The DDP costs right about with that for us. So I'm spending about the same. BUT I don't have to worry about prices anymore. It's paid for. We order what we want. I also disagree that it's too much food. Last December, a typical day for us was -

Breakfast - 2 CS split between us. Our favorite was the Main Street Bakery where those 2 CS bought us a milk, diet coke, 2 french toast loaves, and 2 croissants. Easily enough. Some days we ate bagels in the room, with the bagels bought with snack credits (a pack of bagels for one credit).

Lunch - 2 CS again split usually. Desserts saved for later.

Dinner - 2 or 3 TS credits used.

We rarely used our snack credits unless the kid saw something she really wanted - and then it was nice to be able to say yes. We also used a few credits to buy snacks for the room - like bagels. On our last day, we headed to Goofy's candy company and used most of our snacks to buy gifts for the people back home. We rocked out on the plan. We're DVC members but we go often enough to where we never get a 1 bedroom - just a studio -and don't cook much at all. And I loved not having to pack snacks for the room. I literally bought one case of water and that was it - for like nine days.

Interestingly enough, we're convinced Disney is headed down the "no sharing" path for TS. Even with this, we feel like we're still going to come out okay. There is a very good chance we'll be moving to Orlando and my biggest bummer will be not having the dining plan for many of our day trips to Disney!

 

[PaulaSB12]

The DDP has completely overtaken Disney dining now. Message boards, tips, obsessing how to get the most out of it...it's just ridiculous IMO. What ever happened to the FOOD??? Now all people are worried about is quantity and the feeling that they are getting some great deal, when they'd never order appetizers and desserts at every meal to begin with.

Even when I was staying at the Days Inn on International Drive I didn't rack up the dining bills that the DDP would cost my family.


Disney dining used to be great, and now it's horrible, because of the DDP and all the cost slashing it's entailed.

So all I can do is laugh, because the alternative is crying.

I don't go out to resteraunts very often 3 or 4 times a year BUT if I do then I will order an appetizer and desserts so when I go to a ts service resteraunt I am doing what I usually do, I can't share because I am going solo and as I said I can't get the DDE card as I don't have an annual pass and as I am not going to disney next year ( a chance to see the giant panda breeding centre in China is too good to miss, not to mention snorkellling with killer whales in January) then it is impracticle. As people have said the ddp is not for everyone but if it does suit me why laugh?

 

[clkelley]

We are DVC members, but prefer to eat out rather than prepare meals, except breakfast.

I also don't understand the "too much food". We will be on the dining plan for the first time this year. I see us using the plan this way: breakfast in our room (cereal, fruit, coffee); lunch at CS (salad or sandwich, beverage and probably share one dessert); dinner at TS (app/salad; entree and dessert for each of us). (This is the same approach we've always had at WDW.) Our snack credits will go for water. We're looking forward to our trip and the idea that our meals are prepaid.

I agree on it not being too much food. Here is how hubby and I plan on using it in September.

We're going to use our counter service for breakfast.

We are going to split a table service for lunch

We are going to split a table service for dinner.

(We will pay OOP for an extra appetizer and drink, and add extra to the tip to compensate the server).

We have been to WDW many many times and enjoying the ambience of the unique sit down restaurants are a big part of the experience for us.

We are also going to the Poly Luau this trip. I know it takes two TS per person, so on our last day when we have to leave early anyway, we'll use snack credits for breakfast and our last CS for a late lunch and head for the airport.

 

[constanze]

Although this will be our first time using the DP, it sounds like it was designed for my family. Whenever we vacation, we always splurge on the meals. We would have been booking ADR's for TS everyday anyway, (breakfasts and dinner's for us are like high holidays on vacation) so this plan was a no-brainer.

 

[HockeyDad]

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