DDE vs DDP?

[IcePrincess467]

Which one would you do??? I need some pros/cons of both!! Thanks!

 

[Mickiethepooh]

First are you an AP holder? or a DVC member? those are the ones who can get the DDE

 

[Pumbaa_]

We have done both and will stick to DDE in the future.

The biggest issue for us was the obsession about ADR's and where we had to be while on the DDP. We were credit obsessed and it really impacted our vacationing style.

We tend to be semi laid back while on vacation. I like to schedule a couple ADR's in advance, and play the rest by ear. Sometimes we don't feel like a TS and make different plans. Sometimes we don't feel like eating at a specific time. Or we get the urge to head somewhere else, or take a nap, or....you get the picture.

With DDE, we get 20% off the meal. It is accepted where we like to eat and I can make a last minute ADR or plan ahead. (Taking into consideration the high profile restaurants need to be booked ahead).

We also do not tend to have an appy, entree and dessert each during a meal. And I have no self-control. If it is included, I am ordering . So not a good thing.

So for this family, we are sticking to DDE. It is a better match to our vacationing style.

 

[BCV23]

For DDE you must be an AP holder or Florida Resident. DVC owners can not purchase it unless they meet one of those requirements like everyone else.

The DDE is a good fit for those who enjoy tables service meals more than counter servie as most CS places don't honor it. But you will realize absolutely no savings until you recoup the cost of the card.

DDP can save more than DDE depending on your family. It fits families who enjoy a mix of TS and Quick Service. There is no initial outlay that needs to be recouped.

 

[JeffreyY]

We tested this out this summer. We stayed 5 days using DDE and then did free DP for 3 days. We are 4 adults by Disney standards (DS15, DD11). We would have spent about $160 per day on the DDP. With DDE we spent about $115-$135 per day (except one day when we ate two TS meals). So for us we spent less with DDE.
However thre was more food with DDP (almost too much food ).
With the new DDP it would cost more because of paying for the tip and no app (we like app. more then dessert) so for us it will be no contest we will use DDE on our next trip.

 

[JimMIA]

We've used both and enjoyed both, but I think you really just have to get the facts on both options and do your own math to see which is better for you.

I think it is important to do your financial calculations in a realistic manner, rather than comparing the cost of DDP to the menu prices, for example.

Your true cost for DDP is any premium you have to pay on your room rate (might be none, might be significant, depending) + the cost of any tickets you are forced to purchase which you don't really need + the cost of the DDP.

I would compare the full price of the DDP to the actual food budget you would anticipate if you were paying cash -- not the inflated menu prices of stuff you would never order if you weren't on DDP.

The true cost of the DDE (assuming you are not a Florida resident) would be the difference between the price of the AP and the ticket you would normally purchase + the price of the DDE Card. [ETA: Keep in mind you only need one AP to be eligible to buy DDE.]

There are several huge differences between the DDP and DDE card.

The DDE card is good for about 13 months from the time you order it (the CM will be able to tell you exactly) vs. DDP being only for the length of your stay. So, depending on your visitation pattern, you might be able to use it for more than one trip. We used our DDE for three trips in a 13 month period.

One DDP person's credits are obviously only for that person, but the DDE card can be applied to up to ten people dining on the same check. That makes DDE very handy if you are dining with other people, especially if they are not on DDP.

The DDE card gives you a 20% discount, not only on food, but also on beverages...including alcoholic beverages. DDE is the only discount plan that applies to alcohol.

DDP obviously can be used for any meal and many snacks; DDE is mostly used at TS locations, as noted above.

 

[eliza61]

We use the dde card. We tried the ddp the first time it was offered and didn't care for it. Probably more my fault then the plans.

1) For some reason, I became obsessed with making sure we were at whatever ADR we had scheduled because if I cancel it felt like I was wasting money. By the end of the trip, my family wanted to shoot me with a tranquilezer gun, AKA marlon perkins from wild kingdom.
2) We drink adult beverages (beer, wine)
3) We hate making ADR's

We probably could have saved money on the ddp, but since we're not big budget vacationers I figured my sanity was worth the extra couple of hundred bucks.

 

[jgallant]

also have done both, I like the DDP b/c your whole vaca cost is basically taken care of....but as a couple of OP's have pointed out....we become "credit obsessed" we were once charged double at a restaurant and it can get a bit confusing to keep track of....and...we too are not much for dessert...we like appetizers more...some places and appetizers could be a meal for us actually! With the DDP you really do eat more than you normally would....
as for the DDE you REALLY save money with that card I love it! We have eaten at some really fancy ( signature) restaurants for what I would call " "very little" $ ...
this year when we used our free DDP we planned on eating at upscale restaurants every other night to free up the other days so we didn't feel like we were on a "feeding" schedule....lol....but we STILL ate a lot of food that we normally would not have....
so as much as I enjoy the convenience for paying OOP up front for my meals I think this December we will choose a couple of our favourites , use our DDE card and see how we fair with that.
You can get general idea of the price of meals at allearsnet.com ( not that everyone here doesn't already know this.....)
I just got done printing mine off a few minutes ago to try to budget our Christmas trip.....we shall seeeeeeeeeeee.............................

 

[leahjade]

What is DDE?

 

[Pakey]

What is DDE?

It's Disney Dining Experience. If you are a Florida resident or an annual passholder, you can purchase this for an annual fee and it then gives you 20% discounts on Disney's table service restuarants, including alcoholic beverages.

We prefer DDE over the DDP. We want one TS meal in the evening, usually with wine, and that's it. Maybe a snack while in the parks during the day. So for us the DDP had too much counter service which we don't use. Also, we like the signature places which require 2 TS credits so we never had enough TS credits.