Can you choose a Deluxe DDP for certain days of your trip?

[TexasDisneyDad]

Sorry if this is a redundant question as I've never done a DDP before :

We are arriving late afternoon/early evening on Satruday Nov 14 at AoA resort and leaving early on Friday, Nov. 20. It is me, my wife, and our 2 year old who wouldn't even qualify for a DDP. We were thinking about doing the Deluxe Dining Plan for the wife and I, however, we don't want to start off in the hole because the first day (just an arrival day) we are getting in late and just planned on doing TRex for dinner. So we would only get to use one of our meal credits and maybe (but doubtful) a snack credit each. So we would start off behind.

So the question is: Is it possible to do a DDDP starting the next day (Day 2) instead? Or does it have to start on the first day of arrival? We plan on doing 2 TS meals a day, 1 QS and we will take advantage of the 2 snack credits per person too. Here is what our plan looks like:

Day 1 (Arrival): Dinner at TREX
Day 2: Crystal Palace for breakfast, QS for lunch, SCI-FI for dinner
Day 3: Tusker House for breakfast , QS for lunch, Akershus for dinner
Day 4: Quick grab n' go for breakfast, Edison for lunch at Disney Springs, Tony's for dinner
Day 5: Hollywood and Vine for breakfast, QS for lunch, Le Cellier for Dinner
Day 6: Ohana for Breakfast, QS for lunch, Yak and Yeti for dinner

So with all that said, would the DDDP make sense? Or should we just abandon the idea all together.

 

[sharonabe]

So the question is: Is it possible to do a DDDP starting the next day (Day 2) instead? Or does it have to start on the first day of arrival? We plan on doing 2 TS meals a day, 1 QS and we will take advantage of the 2 snack credits per person too. Here is what our plan looks like:

Day 1 (Arrival): Dinner at TREX
Day 2: Crystal Palace for breakfast, QS for lunch, SCI-FI for dinner
Day 3: Tusker House for breakfast , QS for lunch, Akershus for dinner
Day 4: Quick grab n' go for breakfast, Edison for lunch at Disney Springs, Tony's for dinner
Day 5: Hollywood and Vine for breakfast, QS for lunch, Le Cellier for Dinner
Day 6: Ohana for Breakfast, QS for lunch, Yak and Yeti for dinner

So with all that said, would the DDDP make sense? Or should we just abandon the idea all together.

First, no the dining plan can only be done for length of stay. Looks like you are staying 6 nights, so you have 6 nights worth of credits. With the DxDDP, that means you would each have 18 credits. With what you have above, it looks like you would only use 16 of those. Not sure how the math works out for this, but if you're drinking alcohol with your meals, even leaving 2 on the table (or getting snacks to take home) you're probably still saving some money.

Now, if there's a possibility you'll end up NOT eating at all of these, you'll start losing money pretty quickly with every credit not used.

You may want to look at the new DDP+. That plan gives you two meal credits per night, so all of your TS meals would be covered. You still get 2 snacks per night that could be used to keep you going between your breakfast and dinners. With all the buffets you have planned, you might not need that 3rd meal at all. This plan also includes alcohol, but does NOT include an appetizer.

 

[TexasDisneyDad]

First, no the dining plan can only be done for length of stay. Looks like you are staying 6 nights, so you have 6 nights worth of credits. With the DxDDP, that means you would each have 18 credits. With what you have above, it looks like you would only use 16 of those. Not sure how the math works out for this, but if you're drinking alcohol with your meals, even leaving 2 on the table (or getting snacks to take home) you're probably still saving some money.

Now, if there's a possibility you'll end up NOT eating at all of these, you'll start losing money pretty quickly with every credit not used.

You may want to look at the new DDP+. That plan gives you two meal credits per night, so all of your TS meals would be covered. You still get 2 snacks per night that could be used to keep you going between your breakfast and dinners. With all the buffets you have planned, you might not need that 3rd meal at all. This plan also includes alcohol, but does NOT include an appetizer.

Thanks for all the info! That helps a lot. I guess I need to do some math to figure out the exact numbers, but I'll definitely look at the new DDP+ option and see if that makes more sense.

 

[TEM1234]

Also, character meals are very expensive ($50+ sometimes) so you may be ok if you are the type to get alcohol with meals and eat larger snacks ( funnel cakes for example are now $7+ each). Plus if your toddler is like mine was they wanted Disney snacks too and you could use a left over meal for some snacks.

 

[TexasDisneyDad]

Also, character meals are very expensive ($50+ sometimes) so you may be ok if you are the type to get alcohol with meals and eat larger snacks ( funnel cakes for example are now $7+ each). Plus if your toddler is like mine was they wanted Disney snacks too and you could use a left over meal for some snacks.

Yeah that's a great point! Those character meals can rack up pretty quickly. We entertained the idea too that our toddler could use some of our snack credits, which will probably end up happening. Another thing that I didn't even think of is I think Le Cellier takes 2 credits, and since we will have a couple each left over from the first night we can factor that in for that meal.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Whioe dining plan credits are allotted per night of your package, you are notresricted as to the number of credits you use each night/day. With 18 credits each, if you wanted you could eat at a Signature restaurant for your first day, three different Signatures your second day, two other Signatures your tgird day - a d hen have no credits remaining for the third meal tat day or the rest of your stay.

 

[TexasDisneyDad]

Whioe dining plan credits are allotted per night of your package, you are notresricted as to the number of credits you use each night/day. With 18 credits each, if you wanted you could eat at a Signature restaurant for your first day, three different Signatures your second day, two other Signatures your tgird day - a d hen have no credits remaining for the third meal tat day or the rest of your stay.

Thanks for the advice! And get that keyboard fixed!!

 

[serene56]

Character breakfast are cheap. Like 34.00. A ts credit worth a min of 50 so you leave money on the tables with those breakfast

 

[TEM1234]

I think those prices may be outdated. I know Akershus is 45 for breakfast and 63 dollars for dinner right now. If you add in a $10 drink, I would consider that a good use of a credit for one meal. Also with deluxe plan (I think I paid $119 a day last time) a TS credit is more like $40 because you get 3. Breakfast is definitely cheaper than lunch or dinner meals for sure though. That calculation also doesn’t count any value for mug or for snacks.

 

[sharonabe]

Character breakfast are cheap. Like 34.00. A ts credit worth a min of 50 so you leave money on the tables with those breakfast

Must have been awhile since you've done a character breakfast. They are all $42 per adult now. TS meal value on regular DDP is around $45, so it's right there at the break even point. Add in a mimosa and you're saving money.

 

[serene56]

Yikes. It was only last May

 

[serene56]

Yikes. That was only last May. Many people said get the dining plan if you are doing character meals. Most of our table services were breakfast. And neither of us drinks. We left a lot of money in Disney hands with that trip Last year I calculated 50 for table service. 18 for qs and 5.00 each snack

 

[serene56]

Just wow. Went and checked prices. That Norway breakfast is 54 Crystal palace and ohana is 42. What happened that Norway is so expensive.

 

[TEM1234]

Yikes. That was only last May. Many people said get the dining plan if you are doing character meals. Most of our table services were breakfast. And neither of us drinks. We left a lot of money in Disney hands with that trip Last year I calculated 50 for table service. 18 for qs and 5.00 each snack

Prices have changed a lot in a short time. We like to do Mickey ice creams and funnels cakes for some of our snacks. Last time we went I believe Mickey ice creams were 7.25 and funnel cakes were 7.99! It’s crazy expensive (especially when I have to buy 6 ice creams because no one will share anymore) but using snack credits takes the sting out some. I wonder if Akershus breakfast is more because of the PPO benefit. We love to go to prepark open Garden Grill breakfast because we can ride soarin before rope drop crowd and then use a FP for test track.