DDP is a go...do we need hoppers? And food "sharing" question.

[KKB]

We have decided that DDP is worth it for us. Just researching where we want to eat and plan ADR, as I can do that Sat.

We will be at WDW for 7 days, (actually 8...) and felt that w/ that many days there that we don't need to spend the extra $250 to make our passes hoppers. Looking at park hours I was going to plan our week, make park restaurants ADRs early in week, resorts later in week. WILL I REGRET NOT GETTING HOPPERS?

SECOND...We have 3 kids, but one is 12, so "adult". Once we all order at TS, no one is going to say anything to us if we share appetizers/entrees/desserts among us, are they? Actually, DD9 is a far more adventurous eater than DS12, so he will likely eat her kids meal & she may enjoy adult entree. (hey, she tried & LIKED escargots--yes, snails--on DCL!)

ALSO...are most dessert choices chocolate? DS12 doesn't like chocolate...he'd rather have a cookie or ice cream.
(yes, he is a kids meal poster child..problem is that he can eat TWO now...of course, DS7 can to! We call him the human garbage disposal...and SO skinny! SO wrong!)

 

[pooch]

I always get park hoppers. Do you HAVE to have them? No, but I like the flexibility it gives me to roam. We had 8 day PH's last trip and 'hopped' probably 4 of the 8 days, mostly for the night EMH's.

DDP - there'e no problem with everyone sampling each other's food at a TS or sharing a TS between 2 (or more) people. The only caviat to that is buffets and all-you-care-to-eat places where you must all use a TS. But if you go to a regular sit down restaurant, you can split one TS if you wish. And your adventurous eater can eat what the older child will not and the older child can eat the younger child's kids meal. You just can't use a child's credit to order an adult meal. This is getting confusing. Let me try again.

Younger child orders kids meal - older child orders adults meal - upon arrival, they switch food - no problem. And I remember every restaurant having a non-chocolate dessert choice, shouldn't be a problem.


Hope this helps!

 

[KKB]

No problem switching ordered food...got it.


BUT they will allow us to only use 1 TS credit, say if Mom & I shared the appetizer/entree/dessert (which we SO could), and one of us drank water?
So this would be nice if we wanted to use some TS restaurants that take 2 credits...then we could just share 1 TS on other nights? REALLY? I'm shocked but pleased if this is true!

 

[pooch]

at least it wasn't last year during free dining. Make sure your server knows you are splitting an adult TS. There have been lots of discussions about this but I found the servers to be most accomodating when asked an honest question with a friendly attitude. Of course we always left an extra tip over and above the DDP tip when a server was helpful. Actually did this almost everywhere because our servers were, except for LTT, all wonderful!!

I think the only real NO-NO is trying to order an adult meal with a child's credit.

 

[illiniowl]

WILL I REGRET NOT GETTING HOPPERS?

You probably know this, but your decision not to get them in advance is not set in stone. You can add parkhopping on to your MYWs for $45/ea + tax at any time during your stay if you find that you want to hop.

FWIW, I tend to think that the LONGER your stay is, the MORE you might find the ability to hop useful, rather than less. There's more opportunities to use the MMH and EMHs, and then also especially as you get into the latter part of your stay, you'll know what attractions you want to go back to, but you might only want to do a few in this park and a few in that park and just hit the highlights.

 

[annaaidan99]

Going without parkhopping is not an option for us, especially on 10 day trips. I like to spend my evenings at Epcot, for starters, so for at least five days of the trip we are hopping to Epcot. Also, on our first trip, we wound up leaving the park we intended to be at that day due to crowds, and going somewhere else.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

We don't park hop and I have never had an issue with using the DDP (and it not fitting in with the way we enjoy the parks).

Why pay up front for something you are not sure you going to use?

 

[seven dwarfs]

We love to park hop. It is a lot of $$ for us since my family is big but can't live without it. We love going to Epcot at night. It a park is just to busy we can hop somewhere else. We like to spend a half a day at AK and then go to Epcot. It is just nice to have. I am sure it can be done without it. We are just spoiled by it.