DDP are you going to use it?

[TheGoofster]

Assuming that it's not free, are you going to be using the DDP on your next full trip to WDW?
We are not planning on using it (unless by some miracle they were to offer free dining next December).

 

[disneydisneydoo]

We use DDE.

 

[swillis]

I am sooo excited to use it. It was the deciding factor to us booking an on site reservation. My kids love to try new food, and always want to get dessert. With the plan they can try new things, and eat dessert without breaking my budget. We would eat more than $40 a day for sure, so it's worthwhile.

 

[mickeystoontown]

We have been to Walt Disney World eleven times over the last nine years. The first ten trips, we didn't purchase the Dining Plan. We decided to purchase it with our 2006 package. Oh my gosh.....I would never ever go to Disney World again and not purchase the dining plan! For three adults and one child, the plan was just over $800.00 for a ten day/nine night stay. I saved my meal and snack tickets just to see how much money we would have paid for our food. We would have spent more than $1,400.00!

The best part (besides saving the big bucks) was being able to eat in restaurants we wouldn't normally have eaten in and order items we normally wouldn't have ordered. It is nice to order a $9.00 appetizer, a $30.00 entree and a $10.00 dessert and not worry about paying for it. Yes, I know that we did pay for it but we book our vacation 9 months ahead of time and pay on it over the 9 month period so it doesn't feel like we were paying for it.

You can also "trade in" two of your table service meals and go to one of the "signature" meals. (Hoop Dee Doo, Luau, California Grill, etc.). We didn't use our table meal on our check-in night and used that meal along with another meal to see the Hoop Dee Doo. It was so worth it!

Check out the www.allearsnet.com website. Click on Dining. Scroll down to menus. They have a complete list of menus for every restaurant (counter service and table service) and snack shops. They also have prices. This would help you calculate how much money you think you would spend on the trip.

Would I go to WDW without the dining plan? NOOOOOOO! Would I recommend it to you? YESSSSSSS!

Hope this helps you out, Lisa

 

[tigerdragon]

We will absolutely use it. We had it free in October last year and loved it. We're going in March and paying for it this time. I don't think we would eat at as many TS if it weren't for the DDP.

 

[shafke]

I selected other... if they do free dining again then we will do it. Otherwise it does not pay for us. We would be stretching it to find enough sit downs to do for our next trip and prefer to eat our sit down meals during the lunch times. We also usually do not eat appetizers, meal AND desert. It is just too much food.

 

[TheGoofster]

We have been to Walt Disney World eleven times over the last nine years. The first ten trips, we didn't purchase the Dining Plan. We decided to purchase it with our 2006 package. Oh my gosh.....I would never ever go to Disney World again and not purchase the dining plan! For three adults and one child, the plan was just over $800.00 for a ten day/nine night stay. I saved my meal and snack tickets just to see how much money we would have paid for our food. We would have spent more than $1,400.00!

The best part (besides saving the big bucks) was being able to eat in restaurants we wouldn't normally have eaten in and order items we normally wouldn't have ordered. It is nice to order a $9.00 appetizer, a $30.00 entree and a $10.00 dessert and not worry about paying for it. Yes, I know that we did pay for it but we book our vacation 9 months ahead of time and pay on it over the 9 month period so it doesn't feel like we were paying for it.

You can also "trade in" two of your table service meals and go to one of the "signature" meals. (Hoop Dee Doo, Luau, California Grill, etc.). We didn't use our table meal on our check-in night and used that meal along with another meal to see the Hoop Dee Doo. It was so worth it!

Check out the www.allearsnet.com website. Click on Dining. Scroll down to menus. They have a complete list of menus for every restaurant (counter service and table service) and snack shops. They also have prices. This would help you calculate how much money you think you would spend on the trip.

Would I go to WDW without the dining plan? NOOOOOOO! Would I recommend it to you? YESSSSSSS!

Hope this helps you out, Lisa

Actually, the reason we are not doing it is because I did look at every menu in every restaurant that we plan to eat at, and believe it or not, it is a whole lot cheaper for us to pay out of pocket. But I should mention that besides me no one in my family is a big eater. My wife prefers to pick off of my plate, and my kids can barely eat a full meal between them. If we order an apetizer, I either eat the whole thing (I can't believe I ate the whole thing), or more than half of it goes to waste. I couldn't even begin to imagine just how much food we would waste on the dining plan if each of us got an apetizer, full meal, plus dessert. About the only thing we do splurge on is dessert, but even then it is more of a sharing event than a each-do-your-own thing event. After figuring out the prices, and the food we are interested in eating (including eating at 7 or 8 of the nicer restaurants), I figure we will save close to 300.00 by not doing the DDP.
The one thing about the DDP that I do like, is the ability to eat at a deluxe place (like HDDR). I will admit that by not using the DDP, we won't be doing any of the shows because of the price. But since this will be our first full WDW family vacation, I think there will be more than enough other things to keep us smiling each and every day.

 

[pperfectmom]

We're planning to go the last of September and if free dining is offered again, we'll be staying at CBR. If not, it will be ASMo for us and we will purchase the DDP. We're big eaters and love the idea of having a sit down meal for the kids to unwind(and for mommy and daddy to have a nice meal and an adult beverage ).

 

[MainStMandy]

We are using it on our next trip in February. While I see how it's possible to eat for less than $38 per day, it doesn't make sense for us not to. Now granted we will be 6 adults, no kids. But for only $38 per day we will have two awesome meals. I think it's great! I have used it before and the amount and quality of food is fantastic!

 

[DVC Grammy]

We'll use it when we have our family with us. For just DH and me, we found it to be too much food..............we needed our "human garbage pails"! (When our kids all lived at home, they had no idea what "leftovers" were. )

 

[OurDogCisco]

Yes, but we have two kids in the 3 to 9 range. My 9 year old will probably share with me and order off the kids menu. It took me a long time to come to this decision. Also, we tend to eat one TS per day anyways. Normally, we don't eat very many CS so that's the part that is going to be a challenge for us. But either way I thought it was a good deal for us. Now, when we go back and my oldest is in the adult category then, I might have to re-think it. I figured she might like half of the things on the kids menu and I'll share when she gets sick of the kids menu choices.

 

[Muushka]

We just returned from WDW and got the DDP for the first time (as a couple-I had it for free 3 months prior).

While we did enjoy the plan, I don't think we will do it again. When not on DDP, we never ordered appetizers or dessert when having a TS. We never ordered a dessert or a side when doing a CS, and I usually drink tap water. We rarely buy snacks while at the parks. Plus, at certain restaurants, sometimes I will just have the appetizer and share some of my husband's meal.

We also have DVC so it is very easy to eat and cook in the room.

Now don't get me wrong. We had a ball with the DDP. We loved not having to look at any prices. We loved the variety of food. We loved having something sweet when we finished a meal. That's the problem!!! We loved it too much! My willpower is in not buying something. Once I buy it, game over, it's down my throat!

But I can understand why people love it so much.

I had to edit this post because of hypocrisy! We booked the free dining for next Sept because it was, well, free!
When it is free I find it much easier to leave food on my plate!

 

[vascubaguy]

I'm going for NYE and I have the DDE, but I can't use the DDE discount on NYE or NYDay so I decided to book the DDP. I'll use that for the meals and then I'll supplement it with using the DDE for alcoholic drinks, etc...

 

[pigletforever]

I am one that can't imagine NOT using it. I couldn't feed us on 38.00 a day each if I tried. We really enjoy the TS meals. and that alone pays for the plan.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Yes I am doing the dining plan next year. Twenty one day holiday with free disney dining couldn't resist!!!

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, but I suspect a question like this ON THE DDP BOARD is rather preaching to the choir!

 

[azgal81]

Yes I probably will use it. It's a great deal for us!

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

There is NO WAY I would go to Disney WITHOUT it.

It is SO MUCH cheaper to do it.

I suppose many may think that the TS's are too expensive --- but if you don't eat at these types of restaurants, then that means CS type meals for your entire stay. YUCK!

DDP is approx. $38 per day per person

If you tally how much your are spending on CS's everyday, it can't be THAT much less than $38 per person.

DDP is SO worth it!! Being able to go to the nicer restaurants with the characters is part of the magic of the trip.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Don't forget the ddp is distroying disney, causing global warming and is probably why bin laden hates us all (bet he cant get it where he is hiding!)