DDP Dilema

[jcross74]

I really thought that this trip I should use the DDP. Last year we did OOP and we did save more and had a good room only discount. I looked at the plans and the regular does not give us enough table serve meals. I added up the cost for the deluxe versus prices on AllEars and I still can't make it worth it. Maybe I am missing something? I budgeted high for OOP and it still comes up less. These are the ADR we have (5 night-6 day trip)

Chef Mickeys-Dinner
Crystal Palace-Breakfast
'Ohana Dinner
Hollywood and Vine Breakfast-Buffet
Rainforest Cafe Breakfast
Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Tony's Town Square Dinner
Whispering Canyon Breakfast

Plus I think I need about 7 Quick Service in addition.

Can't decide what to do. I like the mental relief of the DDP but not if it is causing to cost more (about $200 I figured). I even added in snacks and mugs etc. Doesn't anyone else find this happens?

 

[sharonabe]

I really thought that this trip I should use the DDP. Last year we did OOP and we did save more and had a good room only discount. I looked at the plans and the regular does not give us enough table serve meals. I added up the cost for the deluxe versus prices on AllEars and I still can't make it worth it. Maybe I am missing something? I budgeted high for OOP and it still comes up less. These are the ADR we have (5 night-6 day trip)

Chef Mickeys-Dinner
Crystal Palace-Breakfast
'Ohana Dinner
Hollywood and Vine Breakfast-Buffet
Rainforest Cafe Breakfast
Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Tony's Town Square Dinner
Whispering Canyon Breakfast

Plus I think I need about 7 Quick Service in addition.

Can't decide what to do. I like the mental relief of the DDP but not if it is causing to cost more (about $200 I figured). I even added in snacks and mugs etc. Doesn't anyone else find this happens?

Many of us have indeed found this to happen.

Your problem is you have too many meals for regular DDP and most of them are breakfast. Breakfast (even character buffet) is never a good deal on the DDP unless you have a couple Disney-age kids to offset the adults.

And, as you found, you don't have enough meals for DxDDP to make sense either.

Even though paying OOP gives some people sticker shock, you know ahead of time that it is still cheaper than any dining plan, so go and enjoy!!

 

[bdklein]

I really thought that this trip I should use the DDP. Last year we did OOP and we did save more and had a good room only discount. I looked at the plans and the regular does not give us enough table serve meals. I added up the cost for the deluxe versus prices on AllEars and I still can't make it worth it. Maybe I am missing something? I budgeted high for OOP and it still comes up less. These are the ADR we have (5 night-6 day trip)

Chef Mickeys-Dinner
Crystal Palace-Breakfast
'Ohana Dinner
Hollywood and Vine Breakfast-Buffet
Rainforest Cafe Breakfast
Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Tony's Town Square Dinner
Whispering Canyon Breakfast

Plus I think I need about 7 Quick Service in addition.

Can't decide what to do. I like the mental relief of the DDP but not if it is causing to cost more (about $200 I figured). I even added in snacks and mugs etc. Doesn't anyone else find this happens?

Mental relief of the DDP?? It's causing you stress and aggravation, and spending more money. Ditch the plan, go OOP, and worry about something else. Have a great trip.

 

[havoc315]

I really thought that this trip I should use the DDP. Last year we did OOP and we did save more and had a good room only discount. I looked at the plans and the regular does not give us enough table serve meals. I added up the cost for the deluxe versus prices on AllEars and I still can't make it worth it. Maybe I am missing something? I budgeted high for OOP and it still comes up less. These are the ADR we have (5 night-6 day trip)

Chef Mickeys-Dinner
Crystal Palace-Breakfast
'Ohana Dinner
Hollywood and Vine Breakfast-Buffet
Rainforest Cafe Breakfast
Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Tony's Town Square Dinner
Whispering Canyon Breakfast

Plus I think I need about 7 Quick Service in addition.

Can't decide what to do. I like the mental relief of the DDP but not if it is causing to cost more (about $200 I figured). I even added in snacks and mugs etc. Doesn't anyone else find this happens?

I'd be surprised if you really end up with that many TS and QS meals. But yes, the dining plans have gotten so tight that they really ONLY save money if they are utilized perfectly. If every credit fits just right.
Partially, it also depends on whether you are traveling with kids 9 and under.

On the regular DDP --- For "adults" --For a credit to be "worthwhile" -- Each TS credit needs to get you about $37 in value. A 2-credit meal is a loser, if it doesn't cost about $74. That's about the break-even point. It's not even the savings point.

So let's look at some of your meals:

Chef Mickeys-Dinner $42 or so -- so it is good on the DDP
Crystal Palace-Breakfast -- $25 -- A major loser.
'Ohana Dinner -- $36.20 for adult -- so about break even.
Hollywood and Vine Breakfast-Buffet -- $27 -- major loser.
Rainforest Cafe Breakfast -- Can't find a breakfast menu, but I assume it is a major loser.
Hoop Dee Doo Revue -- About $63 -- major loser.
Tony's Town Square Dinner -- Depends what you order, but dinner should run between $30 and $42. So could be a loser or a slight saver.
Whispering Canyon Breakfast -- Under $20 --- major loser of a TS credit.

As you can see, almost all your meals lose money on the dining plan.
The dining plan really only saves you money when you do a dinner buffet, or order a steak dinner.
Breakfast is almost always a loser, except for a couple of the more expensive breakfast buffets.
The 2-credit meals are almost always losers.
And even regular dinners like Tony's Town Square can be a loser.

You could get the DDP and use it to pay for your 5 most expensive meals, and pay OOP for the rest. But I suspect it will be cheaper for you to just pay for everything OOP. If the refillable mugs are critical for you, then the DDP may also save you a bit more.

Over the years, the changes to the price of the DDP, has basically led me to the point where I wouldn't even consider it for my family, and would not recommend it to 95% of people.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

Also keep in mind that there are restrictions on the Hoop De Doo when using the dining plan. Pay OOP, order what you like, and keep telling yourself, "I'm saving money...I'm saving money..."

 

[figment_jii]

As others have said, the DDP is tough to make worth while. If you doing a lot of character dinners, then you have a better chance, but breakfast is rarely a good value for the dining credit.

For the DxDP, it works best (normally) if you plan on doing a lot of Signature or 2 TS credit meals. With the addition of the appetizer, it actually can help make it easier to utilize the credits efficiently (at lunch and dinner).

Given you meal plan, it's probably best to pay OOP.

One option is to "pretend" your going to be on the DDP. Put that amount of money aside and then when you're at WDW, use it to purchase your meals. That way, you can think of it as if you're on the plan and you won't have to worry about costs. Then if you have money left over, you'll know you saved paying OOP!

 

[jcross74]

Thanks so much - I am loving these boards for advice!!! Yes, I think I totally agree and I am going OOP. I guess I just keep thinking the DDP should be a better deal since I am bundling it all together, etc. Guess it doesn't work that way! I will hope for a good room only discount (like we had last year). I can also then do tickets from Undercover Tourist at a reduced cost too. I like the suggestion of putting the money aside and then pretending I have my own "dining plan" sometimes the mental games help me! We will probably still do the mugs since we drink lots of coffee and my DD (6) likes them as a souvenir. Thanks again!

 

[frannn]

Maybe you could book room only with a good AP discount. You could get regular tickets with one of you upgrading to an AP upon arrival. You could then purchase a TIW card for 20% off of most TS meals, and some resort CS meals. You could check the history of discounts to see if this would save you the most money, plus you could use one of the dining spreadsheets on these boards to see which option would save you the most $ based on your plans. If we didn't have free dining, TIW would have yielded a better discount than the DP.

 

[jlk806]

Which is why we have decided to ditch the plan for most of our trip this year. We like to eat 2 TS meals per day, and thats it (a late breakfast/early lunch, and a dinner. We dont like QS really. And the DDxp is wayyy too much.

But here is how we are making it work:
4 nights WLV - DDxp - during that time, we are doing CRT and Mickeys Backyard BBQ, and since on the 5th day we are just moving to another resort, not going home we have that entire day to use the credits also. It works perfectly for us out to 2 meals/day.

Then 7 nights BCV, no dining plan using TIW card instead. I never order dessert, rarely even take a dessert at a buffet, and as I said we like 2 meals per day, both TS so the DP doesnt make sense for us.

It doesnt make sense for a lot of people, you have to figure out how you will eat, and whether or not it holds value for you.

 

[holula]

We worked out the dining plan doesn't save us money at all. Instead what we do is go and buy Disney gift cards for the same amount and use them to pay for food, and budget a certain amount per day. Then it doesn't feel like you're spending money at the parks.

Whatever is leftover at the end is bonus souvenir money!