Hi everyone,
We are coming in October and staying for 5 days at BC CL. First time on property so super excited!
My question is how many of you have the DP while staying CL vs OOP. This whole time I have been thinking about the possibility of FD for my dates and now I am wondering if RO dsct would be a better option for us. (assuming they offer it)
We aren't big sit down eaters and know we will take advantage of the CL offerings. I have the Hoop de Doo, Prime Time Cafe (Lunch) and Tusker house (lunch) planned.
Thanks for your opionions!
Staying at BC is a super choice! It's among my favorite resorts! The pool are is tons of fun.
The short answer is that you are better off with OOP over
DDP. Further, at deluxe resorts the RO discount is almost always the better deal (over FD). Run the math for yourself. You might be an exception. Figuring WDW discounts is always a bit tricky, as there are going to be different answers depending on dates, room rates, who is in your family, personal eating habits, etc.
The other opinion I'll interject- is that if this is your first visit to WDW, you might want to skip CL - see below.
In the past, paying for DDP was a good way to get a food discount. Over the last few years, they've jacked up the price, and changed the details. Simply put, it's just not worth buying anymore. It's almost a sure fire way to lose money. DDP is also always a bit of a hassle.
If you are on CL, you get access to a mini-buffet 7am-10pm, but it's just snack foods and drinks. Most of the food is relatively plain. It's not nearly as exciting as the snack foods offered in the parks. You'll be turning down Mickey-shaped wild confections in favor of cheese cubes and whole Sunkist oranges.
A second downside of CL, is that you have to be at the lounge to get the food. WDW is HUGE! Going back to you resort just for cookies doesn't make sense. (Via WDW transport- it often takes an hour + to go one-way from the park back to your resort. ) Most guests are FAR better off buying cookies in the park, and utilizing Fast pass. Fast pass is a very important perk at WDW. I enjoy CL, but I am thoroughly a WDW veteran.
A few years ago, CL would not have been a good choice for us. We ate eggs for breakfast, and would have skipped the appetizers/desserts nearly every day. We dramatically changed how we toured when we started staying CL. I had let go of the idea of hitting every ride, and being on the go all day.
It may be a great fit for your family, I just mean to point out that it's far from a great fit for everyone. One thing to know about WDW- they are great about offering all kinds of services to fit the needs of all kinds of families. IF you want to cheap and low: groceries/packed lunches, basic style resorts- Disney has that. If you want super deluxe suites, full security detail, custom everything, personal guides five-star dining (think folks like Oprah) - Disney can provide that too! The challenge is how complicated it can be to choose the best option!
