DDP Always worth it??

[whatsinausername]

Will be taking our 1st trip to (6 nights) Disney next month (2A 2K ages 7 & 9) We are not "Big" eaters, I would save average. I wouldn't normally order an appetizer AND a dessert in the same meal.
I'm finding it difficult to plan out all of these meals, where we will eat and what time. I am typically what one would call a planner, but I don't like feeling overscheduled. And that is how this vacation is starting to feel.
I've made reservations for Chef Mickey 10:30 breakfast, a 3:40 dinner at Hollywood Vine so we can get priority seating to Fantasmic. I also made 5:00 dinner reservations for Crytal Palace the night we arrive. But am now wondering if the kids would just prefer to get as much "play time" in that first day (flight lands at 11:30) and not try to schedule a big meal.
Are the counter meals just as good? Are there healthy offerings?
And advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Counter meals are no comparison (IMO) to a sit down -- even a buffet.
The counter service is going to be either as you would expect to better than expected in most cases. Counter services vary wildly from a hot dog or turkey leg to Moroccan fare.
I think a great first day on a trip for kids would be a character dinner at CP.

 

[GC&S]

For us, TS is a great way to unwind and relax. It gives us a chance to slow down and talk about what we did during the day. It makes us take a breather. Doing TS everyday is part of our vacation as we like the different themes and atmosphere. We do the dining plan because it's cost effective for us. While we don't normally eat an appet and dessert at home everyday, at WDW, it's a treat and part of our vacation. I don't find making ADR's ruling my vacation; it's just part of the whole vacation planning to us.

We've found very good CS but we're just not ones who want to do mainly CS during our vacation. We like the balance of CS/TS on the DP.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[beroh2253]

For us, TS is a great way to unwind and relax. It gives us a chance to slow down and talk about what we did during the day. It makes us take a breather. Doing TS everyday is part of our vacation as we like the different themes and atmosphere. We do the dining plan because it's cost effective for us. While we don't normally eat an appet and dessert at home everyday, at WDW, it's a treat and part of our vacation. I don't find making ADR's ruling my vacation; it's just part of the whole vacation planning to us.

We've found very good CS but we're just not ones who want to do mainly CS during our vacation. We like the balance of CS/TS on the DP.

Good luck with your decision!

I agree with every word. Love the DDP Me 54 and DW 52, but our DS 20 and DD19 are now away at college the the plan is great for us to just get away and just eat, (or pig out).
But I remember when My 2 were that age Our DD a very pick eater and also then when the time came when she was hungry we had to stop what we were doing and find a CS at once. Every now and then we did a TS Like Chef Mickey or one of the Epcot Countries but we did that walkup when again the moment DD was hungry. (I think walkup were easier to get 5-10 years ago).
So maybe you could just do mainly CS and save the money cause there is a ton of food on the DDp and I hate to see waste.
Check the menus lots of good CS and even breakfast at the Resort, Even Lunch if it gets hot ( again when our 2 were young) we would take an afternoon break and go back to the resort and eat and swim then head back to the parks at night.
Check the menues attached from Debs AllEars

http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

 

[Pumbaa_]

DDP to us is not worth it. Not how we normally eat, and felt stuck with our plans so we didn't waste any credits. I think everyone should try it (if they want of course) to see if it is for them. Lots feel like they were able to try things they never would have if they had to pay full price.

For your first day, I think a character buffet would be awesome! The kids may be a bit tired from the trip, traveling can wear you out. And dinner with pooh and friends could be just the ticket! (And a nice break before hitting the parks again!)

 

[pooch]

of course we are fortunate in that we have gotten it free both last year and this Sept. But even paying, I'd get it. We also use a daily TS as our break and look forward to a nice meal every day. We did not try to maximize the plan, ate what we wanted not everything we could get. We also learned quickly to share CS meals, didn't feel so full afterward. In the end we were left with 1 TS, 5 CS and 11 SC on our last day. We took some Mickey Rice Crispy bars home. Never felt hungry and, best for me, never had to look at the price of anything!!

Your experience may vary!

 

[LovingDVC]

When we went in October 2005 for a conference, it had been a while since we had been to WDW. The conference had been moved to a new city two weeks before the conference due to Hurricane Katrina, but they were able to offer AK as one of the hotels for the new city. Of course we chose to stay at AK. What we didn't know about was the DDP and if you didn't book ASRs, you'd only be able to eat at CS. That was the worst WDW trip I had ever been on in my life. We were only able to get into 1 TS that trip, and after a week of eating the same food, we were all sick of it.

So, when we went back in August 2006, we got the free dining plan with our package and I booked ASRs way in advance (we did a lot of character experiences and family-style, nicer restaurants). I didn't think I would like scheduling all of my meals/parks ahead of time either, but I did some research on the things I thought we would like and booked them. It was soooooooo much nicer being able to have "real" meals during the trip.

When we went in May 2007, I didn't get the DDP because I am on a special diet and decided to wing it with CS and a couple of TS meals that I booked well in advance. I couldn't get enough veggies and fruits doing the CS meals. We were also trying to make that trip a little cheaper because we weren't eating a lot and we are planning two more trips in the next year.

For our trip in December, we booked the DDP. The prices for TS are higher during the holiday season and during our trip in May we ended up paying more for the food eating mostly CS and a couple of TS and got much less food. The DDP will save us money this trip.

So, with all of that said (sorry for the long post), yes DDP is worth it for us.

 

[TxRabbit]

I'm finding it difficult to plan out all of these meals, where we will eat and what time. I am typically what one would call a planner, but I don't like feeling overscheduled. And that is how this vacation is starting to feel.
I've made reservations for Chef Mickey 10:30 breakfast, a 3:40 dinner at Hollywood Vine so we can get priority seating to Fantasmic. I also made 5:00 dinner reservations for Crytal Palace the night we arrive. But am now wondering if the kids would just prefer to get as much "play time" in that first day (flight lands at 11:30) and not try to schedule a big meal.
Are the counter meals just as good? Are there healthy offerings?
And advice would be greatly appreciated.

Even if you weren't on the DDP, you would still need to make ADRs if you wanted to enjoy and TS restaurants. I think the plannning starts to feel overwhelming as you do have to commit to being somewhere at a certain time, but generally you will only have one TS a day once you get the plannning all done, and IMO that's not an overplanned day.

There are healthy offerings at CS restaurants, but they are few and far between. And especially for the kids, the choices are extremely limited. You will really appreciate breaking up your eating pattern with the TSs.

A character meal will be like play time. What a great first day! CP is a pretty restaurant. It has a nice buffet. The character interaction is fun. Especially if this is your kids first visit, I think they would have a lot of fun getting to meet the characters. The meal will be another play time event. A buffet on a travel is always a good idea IMO because travel eating is generally difficult and when you arrive, you really do want to "play" first, eat later. The buffet will be just the thing in the early evening.

One other thought on the DDP. You may not eat all that food in the normal course of events, but your kids are older and they might appreciate your extras. Some appetizers look to be meals in and of themselves to me, and since your kids will be restricted to the kids menu, the extra food may be useful in satisfying the kids. You can get pretty creative in how you use the DDP, because it really is a good value if you want to do character meals, etc. Also, for CS restaurants, you can get creative with substitutions and who eats what when you are allowed to order more items. I hear many times that fruit can be subbed for dessert, if available, etc. Think of the DDP feeding your family, not just each person getting this or that. That's how we use the DDP. The DDP is a good value, if you eat TS, the DDP will easily pay for itself in that if you find that you spend more here and there, you still save money from using the DDP. Hope you have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide.

 

[Bete]

We find ourselves being able to extend the day at the parks without a break back at the resort with having a table service meal. It's restful at table service and we like talking about our day while we relax for our main meal of the day. I like not wasting time going out of the Disney proper to eat, as well. It's much more convenient to do meals at the parks or resorts.

More importantly, this plan affords me the opportunity to try new dishes and be a little adventure some with my eating without worrying about every penny being spent for it. We always save money with the dining plan compared to paying out of pocket. Now, I will admit we probably would do less eating without the plan; so, it makes it hard to compare the true savings with the plan.

What I like best about the plan is you don't pay for sales tax or tip. We do have a tendency to add to the tip at table service, but it's a small factor overall. I think this is the best feature of the plan. There are rumors that in 2008 the gratuity may not be included in the plan; so, I would feel thrilled to do it still in 2007.

No one says you have to stick with your reservations, etc.; so, you still have freedom in your plans. If you change your mind then you are still free to do whatever. I would try to cancel my ressies, but I'm sure Disney gets a lot on no shows for table service anyway. You are not locked in which is the whole point, here. I don't see the big deal about allocating one time period during the day to do a table service meal. I really don't understand how anyone feels restricted by the plan with time constraints; it's once a day. I'm sure everyone at work has a structured lunch period, etc.

Also, you can eat less by doing the 2 credit places for table service if this is a concern. In essence, you would be doing every other day for a table service meal that way.

I'm a great fan of the plan, AS IS. It's especially a good deal for those without a car at Disney.

 

[AnninIowa]

We are two adults (my dad, 76, and me, 33); our first trip we did the Dining Plan, but then this last trip in February we did not. We are light eaters and we able to come in at the same price we would have paid for the plan. However, on our next trip I think we will do the plan if they still have it as it's nice not having to fork over the actualy cash every time you eat; makes the vacation feel all-inclusive. Plus, I think my dad would enjoy more traditional meals, whereas I was fine with Earl of Sandwich every night, LOL! My advice is to do it but not feel you have you eat everything; I was obsessed with using all the credits to their full advantage the first time, which took time away from doing other things. Next time we'll just get what we want and not worry about wasting the credits. I also plan to do at least a couple of Signature Restaurants by using the credits.

 

[LindyN]

I don't do the DDP, am a passholder. The DDP has way too much food for me and I'd hate to have it on the table and throw it away, or waste credits by not ordering.

We don't normally eat appetizers and desserts with each TS meal, although we do sit down once a day. Sometimes I'll eat two appetizer items for lunch. We are also pretty healthy eaters, and find CS selections to be decent in Epcot and the food courts at the Values and Mods. I asked the chefs in PC to prepare me a modified version of a flatbread on the menu and they had no problem doing this for me.

DDP is a great value, but its also a great deal of food. I'm normal size and sometimes want a kids meal or PBJ for lunch. Don't really eat burgers and fries either. So we're off to Epcot or on the quest for rotisserie chicken. Our family usually ends up in Epcot every night for food because of the diversity and ability to get relatively healthy items.

The DDP adds to your trip though. Dining is a lot of fun at Disney. Restaurants are themed, and its a good place to see characters and get photos and have a rest.

 

[scrapperjill]

We LOVE the DDP....As I read though all the posts of those who also liked it...I had to agree with just about everything they had to say. It's great haveing the meals in the DDP already paid for. The ease of not having to 'budget' in food costs per day or paying for each meal on it's own is by far one of the best things of the DDP.

Also had to agree about he counter service meals being NO comparison to sit down/table service meals. And yes....although you need to make ADR for your table service meals, you'd need to do that for just about ALL TS meals you wanted to do.

The sitdown meals onces a day is a perfect way to wind down or wrap up your day....or even a nice mid-day/late afternoon break.

We are also not ones who would normally order an appitizer, entree and dessert at one meal....But having tastes of various things at a meal is a nice change....and after all you are at Disney and on vacation so a little endulgence is to be expected. No one said that you had to clean your plates with each course you recieved....and most of the time sharing a meal is A-okay. Someone else had a very good point about with your kids ages and the limited kids menus you may find the kids wanting to share or nibble on your items in additions to their PB&J or grilled chicken.

However...even though I think the DDP is wonderful....I don't think it's for everyone. If your not intrested in experiencing many of the table service meals and your set on eating mostly counter service then you may be better off just paying out of pocket. If it were me...I think I'd look into seeing what the cost of the three TS places you have already booked would be....then see how much diffrence you'd be looking at for the DDP. Weigh the out come and go from there. You may be suprised to find the cost of just those three meals could be close to what your DDP may be.

Okay...I did a little adding on your ADR and the DDP and from what it looks like....your DDP would cost your family $100 a day...so $600 for the 6 nights your there. The ADR that you picked are all at set prices and added up to be $214 after you add in tax and tip your looking at around $250-260 on the cheeper side. If you take that away from the inital cost of the DDP your looking at $350 diffrence..... Now keep in mind that those figures are just for those three meals for those few days you already made ADR...it not adding in what you'd spend on a counter service or snack any of those days. I'd guess to say you'd be looking at, at least $30 per CS meal for a family of four for an entree and drink (2A and 2K dishes).... Anywho..... I'd just take the time and look at the menus, prices and see what's more within your budget.

One of our table service meals the last time we were at WDW added up to be $180. Which was WAY more than what we paid for our DDP for that day. I might add...we also had 2 adults and 2 kids....and that's not even including what we got for snack credits that day or the CS meal we had that day. We were on a short trip...and I think that ONE day alone more than covered our whole cost for the DDP for our WHOLE trip.

 

[whatsinausername]

As a complete Disney novice the advice I've received has been extremely helpful, esp. Scapperjill for actually doing the analysis!
I think we will try DDP & make reservations knowing that if we want to cancel because we are busy or at a different park than planned, that we can.
I liked the tips of the kids eating my appetizer or dessert, plus dining downtown disney instead of the parks.
Plus I plan on bringing apples, bananas, energy bars etc, so we still have healthy snacks or small meals available to us in case anyone gets hungry.
Thanks again, I'm sure I'll be posting more questions soon.

 

[blue_eyes5212]

For us, TS is a great way to unwind and relax. It gives us a chance to slow down and talk about what we did during the day. It makes us take a breather. Doing TS everyday is part of our vacation as we like the different themes and atmosphere. We do the dining plan because it's cost effective for us. While we don't normally eat an appet and dessert at home everyday, at WDW, it's a treat and part of our vacation. I don't find making ADR's ruling my vacation; it's just part of the whole vacation planning to us.

We've found very good CS but we're just not ones who want to do mainly CS during our vacation. We like the balance of CS/TS on the DP.

Good luck with your decision!

I couldn't have said it better myself! I love ordering from a menu and ordering what I really want to eat instead of what is cheapest. The DDP is another way to make me feel like I am truly on vacation!!

 

[beroh2253]

I couldn't have said it better myself! I love ordering from a menu and ordering what I really want to eat instead of what is cheapest. The DDP is another way to make me feel like I am truly on vacation!!

WOW can't wait till Sept 21

 

[scrapperjill]

Don't forget to look into all the GREAT dinning options at the resorts. Some of those are the best....and there are some great ones for kids. Like Whispering Canyon Cafe...where they do stick horse races and all sorts of fun gags....and Ohana's where they do hula hoop contests and coconut races