Character meals, buffets, and DDP

[Gorechick]

Do you end up getting good value for a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 children under 10, when using the DDP for character meals, buffets, and table service meals?

 

[sharonabe]

With 2 children, you're probably going to come out ahead, but it still varies a lot for the adults.

If you do mostly breakfast buffets, the adults will almost certainly "lose" money since most of these are under $30 and that means you need to "spend" more than $20 on your QS and snack.

The same will hold true at a regular TS place as well. The entree, dessert, and drink the adults choose need to be around $35 to break even for the day.

But with two children, the cost of the buffet is usually the same or more than their cost for the DDP for the whole day, so their QS and snack are "free" (roughly a $9 total value for the two).

At regular TS, the kids' meals are around $10 (some are a little more, some a little less) and most QS are $5.50, so their snack would be "free" on those days.

 

[havoc315]

As Sharon explained...
All character meals are very good values for kids. Dinner character meals are good ddp value for adults.
Character breakfasts, and some lunches --- are losers for adults.
Sticking to regular TS -- they are marginal values for adults and kids. For adults, regular TS can easily be a loser, but really depends on which restaurant and what you order. You must want dessert, and must order a $27+ entree (steak typically). Of course, there are whole restaurants without any entrees over $25.

 

[Gorechick]

Sounds like choosing buffets for lunch or dinner are generally a good value with more choices for the entire family.