DDP for Various Needs/Preferences

[mmackeymouse]

So, in fall 2020, we have a Disney trip on the horizon. The party will be 5-6 adults and 2 young children. My parents, my sister her husband and their 2 kids, and me (and potentially a SO). This will be for 6 days/5 nights.

I've been crunching the numbers and doing the online calculators to see if DxDP would make sense for our family. The trouble is these calculators sort of run on the idea that everyone will be at every single meal, which for a large group, isn't usually the case. So, it's hard to get a fair assessment.

Also, we seem to be a tale of two vacations. Now, we will probably do 3 or 4 character meals, so this is where the value really comes through. And, I imagine my parents will do most of the character meals. Maybe not all. My sister and her family and myself...we will be in the parks a bit more than my parents, and we tend to like to try new restaurants and things like that. I am sure my sister and her husband will want to do a nice dinner together, and I have a few places in mind too. Now, for my folks, like I said, they will probably want to do some of the big ticket meals, for the grandkids of course. But, other than that, they are very much the Earl of Sandwich/Cookes of Dublin/D-Luxe Burger type of people, so not really getting their money's worth on the QS side of things.

For those of you who have travelled with big parties and/or varying degrees of food needs...did you think DxDP was worth it? Do you have any tricks or tips that you would suggest for maximizing value or coordinating credits?

 

[sharonabe]

For those of you who have travelled with big parties and/or varying degrees of food needs...did you think DxDP was worth it? Do you have any tricks or tips that you would suggest for maximizing value or coordinating credits?

The best way is to first plan your food. Decide where you know you want to eat regardless of how you're paying.

After that, you can determine which plan works well, if any. My guess is you will do best with the DxDDP in ONE room and share those credits among all of you for the character meals and maybe some of the other special TS plans. You would then pay OOP for any QS or meals that might not be covered with that plan.

 

[Dakota731]

My guess is you will do best with the DxDDP in ONE room and share those credits among all of you for the character meals and maybe some of the other special TS plans

We thought about doing that but isn’t it a nightmare to calculate all the costs and tips among everyone? I’d hate to be billing people at the end of the trip. We will probably just let everyone get the regular plan. You can still do most character meals and everyone can be in charge of their own finances.

 

[mmackeymouse]

The best way is to first plan your food. Decide where you know you want to eat regardless of how you're paying.

After that, you can determine which plan works well, if any. My guess is you will do best with the DxDDP in ONE room and share those credits among all of you for the character meals and maybe some of the other special TS plans. You would then pay OOP for any QS or meals that might not be covered with that plan.

I forgot to mention that we will all be on the same reservation, in a 2BR. Great idea, though.

I've twisted myself around so much at this point with all the different calculations and what not...a part of me just wants to say DxDDP and be done with that. Eat where you want to eat. Eat what you want to eat.

One of the meals on the short list is CRT, which with only 5 nights, that is 2/5 TS Credits. I don't like the idea of sitting here and parsing credits, and figuring out what restaurants to sacrifice because we want to do CRT.

 

[Nancyg56]

Okay, you have a larger party which makes the DxDDP a little more difficult to justify. I travel with larger parties and while it is not a lot of fun, I do the math. Stay away from the calculators. They are NOT updated to include the price increases or the alcoholic and specialty beverages. It really is worth it to take sime time to list your restaurants. DO not list thm as if you had already chosen any plan, just list them.

Look at the menus and determine what you think you all will choose. My DD will never choose beef but the rest of our crew usually does, so I look at the higher end of the costs for each restaurant. WE do not all want appetizers so I usually will add in the cost of two. We like dessert. I know tha is a given. We (meaning me) will order wine and alcohol at dinner and sometimes at lunch. I add that in. My family will snack, so I add in $10 per day per person.

Once you do that you have an idea which plan you need by counting the number of TS credits you have in your list. If you go over the number for the DDP you may find it is better to pay OOP for a meal or two rather tham bump up to DxDDP. If you have a lot more, you may be better off with ten DxDDP.
SOme folks find paying OOP is their best bet.

Remember that you can always pay for a meal OOP, you do nto need to go all or nothing.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Five nights times seven people times three credits = you will have a total of 105 meal credits. CRT will use 14 credits, leaving you with 91 credits for potentially 17* meals. Character meals will cost you seven per meal, times four, you're down to 63 credits for 13 meals.

*assumes morning arrival, late morning departure

 

[kiramay]

We’re going as a group of 11 (3 rooms) and decided the easiest thing to do was to just get the regular DP. I didn’t even bother doing the math. It’s for the convenience. We’re doing a lot of character meals too.

 

[Nancyg56]

We’re going as a group of 11 (3 rooms) and decided the easiest thing to do was to just get the regular DP. I didn’t even bother doing the math. It’s for the convenience. We’re doing a lot of character meals too.

There is a significant difference in price between the regular dining plan and DxDDP when you are calculating for 7 people. I would definitely do the math before booking that one.

 

[elaine amj]

I woukd do regular DDP and pay OOP for a meal or two. Maybe pay CRT OOP.

DXDDP for so many people becomes an insane amount of food. Also with a large group, snack credits seem to pile up very quickly. You wouldn't imagine it, but it does.