DDP or OOP?

[buy24me]

I am contemplating whether I should or should not get the DDP. If I did, I would go the counter service route. I think that includes one snack and 2 CS's per day. Or would it be less expensive to pay OOP?? We are a family of 4. My DH, DD 10 and my DS 7. We haven't been in a few years and I know prices have gone up. I was just shocked by how much. I know some of the portions for the CS's are pretty big that we could share. I would need some CS suggestions as well on those. And we have previously shared when we last went. But my kids were also much younger than too. Now that they are older, I am not sure if that would be enough food for all of us if we did share. But my kids are not really big eaters normally although with all that walking they will be doing for at least 4 days, they may eat more...We also have done the DP with TS and that was a bit too much food although we loved all the TS reservations we had. We only plan on doing one night for the fantasmic pkg at Mama Melrose this time around and the rest will just be CS's. Trying to spend as little on food as possible. I think I rather spend my $$ elsewhere. Please let me know from your experience and thoughts. TIA

 

[lsulindy]

It's harder to make it work in your favor for CS.

This site has a good analysis:
http://www.easywdw.com/worth-2/figu...isney-dining-plans-make-sense-for-your-group/

For our trips, I've added up our food costs and for our food including 3 TS meals for the week, we came out much cheaper than than QS plan. Now, we got less food than we would have, but it was enough for us. We weren't going hungry. A lot of days we got a snack, then a late lunch or early dinner, and then maybe another snack. Some of the snacks we shared.

 

[dworldlovers]

You'll be reading many pros and cons between DDP and OOP! For my wife, daughter, and myself, we love the DDP. We have gotten it free and have paid for it. We like not having to reach into our pockets at every meal. It's easy to spend $60 for 3 CS meals!! As to portion sizes, CS can be very ample. We love the burgers at the America pavilion at EPCOT-we never miss going there!! We also go to Pizzafari at AK every trip! Most every restaurant you go to for a CS meal, they offer several options- we had huge sandwiches at Hollywood Studios. Good luck with your planning and enjoy your trip!!!!

 

[cluvsdisney]

I would check menus and do a price comparison for how you think you'll eat vs what you would pay for the QS dining plan. And also consider if the QS dining plan will suit you.

DH & I went in January and paid OOP for our meals. We had 4 TS lunches, 1 TS dinner and 2 CS dinners which cost us over $100 less than purchasing the regular dining plan and this includes 2 appetizers which would not have been covered by the dining plan. We each only had one dessert and bought a total 3 bottles of water in the park but no snacks.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think there is enough usually to share. The last time, our family had the DDP, and my parents didn't, and we never paid any money OOP, and shared with them, and it was enough food.

 

[buy24me]

.Thank you all for your suggestions and opinions. Wow, I was thinking CS's were more like $10 per person. $20 is double what I was anticipating per person.

 

[lsulindy]

A cheeseburger with fries and a drink at Pecos Bills is $11. A kids meal with sandwich, side and drink is $5.50.

A 1/2 chicken and ribs with 2 sides is $14 at Cosmic Rays plus drinks, but can easily be split.

We did not eat any CS meals that were ever close to $20 per person.

You can check out menu prices here: http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm

 

[ccgirl]

I am contemplating whether I should or should not get the DDP. If I did, I would go the counter service route. I think that includes one snack and 2 CS's per day. Or would it be less expensive to pay OOP?? We are a family of 4. My DH, DD 10 and my DS 7. We haven't been in a few years and I know prices have gone up. I was just shocked by how much. I know some of the portions for the CS's are pretty big that we could share. I would need some CS suggestions as well on those. And we have previously shared when we last went. But my kids were also much younger than too. Now that they are older, I am not sure if that would be enough food for all of us if we did share. But my kids are not really big eaters normally although with all that walking they will be doing for at least 4 days, they may eat more...We also have done the DP with TS and that was a bit too much food although we loved all the TS reservations we had. We only plan on doing one night for the fantasmic pkg at Mama Melrose this time around and the rest will just be CS's. Trying to spend as little on food as possible. I think I rather spend my $$ elsewhere. Please let me know from your experience and thoughts. TIA

Based on what you have written, I would pay OOP. Your DD10 is actually considered a Disney "adult" so you would have to pay the adult price for her. Honestly, we save more $$ paying OOP. We would not "typically" eat dessert with every meal. We like being able to split. My DS4 and myself split the chicken/ribs combo at Cosmic Rays at MK, for example.

Also, I don't like to be limited. If I decide to just to a restaurant and get a some appetizers I want to be able to.

This may be helpful:

The CS Dining plan would be $35x3 and $12x1 for each night of your stay ($117)

My family's typical day at MK would be:

Breakfast:
Main St Bakery

Chocolate croissant $2.30
Cinnamon Roll $4
Muffin $2.60
Egg, Ham, Croissant $6
Tap water to drink

Total: approx $15

Lunch:
Columbia Harbour House
2 anchors aweigh sandwich for $9 each
2 kids meals for $5.50 each
tap water again

Total: approx $29

Dinner:
Cosmic Rays
1/2 chicken and ribs combo $14
1/2 chicken $10
kids chicken nuggets $5.50

3 drinks $7.50

Total: approx $37

3 snacks $12

Day total: $93 which is $24 under the cost of the plan. I did not get the cheapest thing on the menus either.

 

[LeahA]

We have done both. We spent less money OOP. The DDP we felt was way too much food. We went from menu to menu and priced out what we were going to probably eat. Even the kids did this! We priced it all adding tax and tip and compared to the DDP and tip and we came in less OOP.

It was fun to try out, the kids loving getting dessert with everything but, we ate way too much!

 

[Marionnette]

For us, paying OOP makes more sense than doing the dining plans. It's just way too much dessert for us. There is no way that we could eat dessert with each meal plus 2 snacks. I know that you can sometimes substitute fresh fruit for the dessert but it's actually cheaper to just buy the fresh fruit and an entree than it is to go with a counter-service platter, dessert and beverage.

Something that a lot of people don't know is that you can actually order any platter item by itself and save a few bucks. We do it a lot because we neither want nor need all the side items that are included in a platter.

 

[ValpoCory]

Unless you choose the Deluxe Dining Plan, it is hard to breakeven with a Disney Dining Plan. I always go OOP now.

 

[North of Mouse]

.Thank you all for your suggestions and opinions. Wow, I was thinking CS's were more like $10 per person. $20 is double what I was anticipating per person.

I'd like to know where they were buying their CS meals. We go three times a year and have never paid - even at the highest places - that much. Most of them run about $10 or less with Flame Tree BBQ a few dollars more, but you get enough there to share. So actually, you are about right in your estimation. But you can check the menu and prices (approx.) at allears.net and get a good idea. I know we do better than getting any dining plan and eat exactly what and when we want. We like to get snacks around the world, so don't want the desserts at dinner, so it's a waste. Good luck with your trip, but don't be scared, the prices have risen some, but NOT $20 per person CS.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

If you'd like to pre pay for your meals I suggest the Disney Gift Card - you can add $ to a card by calling DelivEARS ~800-362-4533 *you give the CM your credit/debit card info and they mail you the receipt. Last time I did this *a couple months ago* the $$ was on the GC the next day. I'd rather have 1 card than several, I make sure I email my card # and PIN so if the card is lost I can have it replaced.

You can use your DGC for purchases other than meals too.

 

[Marionnette]

I'd like to know where they were buying their CS meals. We go three times a year and have never paid - even at the highest places - that much. Most of them run about $10 or less with Flame Tree BBQ a few dollars more, but you get enough there to share. So actually, you are about right in your estimation. But you can check the menu and prices (approx.) at allears.net and get a good idea. I know we do better than getting any dining plan and eat exactly what and when we want. We like to get snacks around the world, so don't want the desserts at dinner, so it's a waste. Good luck with your trip, but don't be scared, the prices have risen some, but NOT $20 per person CS.

Just looking at one randomly chosen CS restaurant:

Pinocchio Village Haus:

Meatball Sub Sandwich with apples or fries $8.99
Bottled water $2.50
Gelato $3.29
Subtotal = $14.78
Tax (6.5%) = $0.96
Total = $15.74​

That's pretty representative of counter service menu prices. Not exactly $20 per person but certainly much higher than the $10 that some posters are claiming. Of course, if you bring your own beverage and skip the dessert, then your OOP cost is under $10. But then we would not be comparing apples to apples (dining plan vs. OOP).

The dining plan gives you 2 such meals ($15.74 x 2 = $31.48) plus 2 snacks (approx. $3.70 each after tax). Plus you get a refillable mug which is valued at $13.99 + tax, but for consistency I won't factor it in since the length of your stay affects the per-night value of the plan. So for two counter service meals and 2 snacks, you're walking away with almost $39 worth of food. The adult plan costs $35 per night. It's almost a wash, or you could consider it a free snack per night and a free refillable mug.

My feelings, as I stated previously, is that it doesn't work for us because we don't eat that much dessert. But for people who would take advantage of it and like to prepay for their meals, it's not as bad as some people might make it out to be.

 

[ccgirl]

This always gets me. I get prepaying meals if you are, indeed, going to eat dessert with lunch/dinner and have two snacks a day.

However, if you would not normally eat that way you are giving your money away. I hear people say, it is just more convenient for me, that way I don't look at prices. Would you go buy something at the store that only cost $10 and give them $20 and tell them to keep the change?

Again, if you would normally eat that way, it *can* be a better deal depending on what you order off the menu.

 

[disneysteve]

It's easy to spend $60 for 3 CS meals!!

Wow, I was thinking CS's were more like $10 per person. $20 is double what I was anticipating per person.

A cheeseburger with fries and a drink at Pecos Bills is $11. A kids meal with sandwich, side and drink is $5.50.

A 1/2 chicken and ribs with 2 sides is $14 at Cosmic Rays plus drinks, but can easily be split.

We did not eat any CS meals that were ever close to $20 per person.

I think the answer is it really depends on how your family eats. I can't imagine ever spending $20 on a CS meal (at current prices). I track our food spending to the penny and we consistently average right around $20/person/day total for everything. That includes eating breakfast in our room, carrying in some snacks, mostly drinking water, sharing some meals and eating some meals offsite. DDP would never make sense for us if we stayed onsite (and we aren't eligible when we stay offsite).

So think about how you eat. Does every family member get their own full meal or do you share? Do you buy a drink with every meal or do you drink water? Do you bring in your own snacks? Do you go offsite at all?

 

[3pletprincesses]

I would go OOP in your situation. It's really ahrd to get ahead of the game with the plan. If you skip dessert sometimes, you"ve lost the value of the plan.

 

[North of Mouse]

Just looking at one randomly chosen CS restaurant:

Pinocchio Village Haus:

Meatball Sub Sandwich with apples or fries $8.99
Bottled water $2.50
Gelato $3.29
Subtotal = $14.78
Tax (6.5%) = $0.96
Total = $15.74​

That's pretty representative of counter service menu prices. Not exactly $20 per person but certainly much higher than the $10 that some posters are claiming. Of course, if you bring your own beverage and skip the dessert, then your OOP cost is under $10. But then we would not be comparing apples to apples (dining plan vs. OOP).

The dining plan gives you 2 such meals ($15.74 x 2 = $31.48) plus 2 snacks (approx. $3.70 each after tax). Plus you get a refillable mug which is valued at $13.99 + tax, but for consistency I won't factor it in since the length of your stay affects the per-night value of the plan. So for two counter service meals and 2 snacks, you're walking away with almost $39 worth of food. The adult plan costs $35 per night. It's almost a wash, or you could consider it a free snack per night and a free refillable mug.

My feelings, as I stated previously, is that it doesn't work for us because we don't eat that much dessert. But for people who would take advantage of it and like to prepay for their meals, it's not as bad as some people might make it out to be.

That's exactly what I meant. The OP was wondering which was the best way to go. We don't drink sodas, bottled water, or the measley cs desserts (as maybe the OP doesn't either) so our CS meals are exactly about $10 per person. Water is free and I wouldn't want their desserts, so it's much cheaper to pay OOP. "Comparing" what the OP wanted in CS meals is what she stated - don't think she really said if she wanted the extras ea. meal that you have to purchase with the QSDP. Just reread the OP's post and she said "would like to spend as little on food as possible" - to me that means she can well spend about $10 per person and be well ahead of the price of the QSDP. The desserts are usually awful and why pay $2.50 for water when you can get it free. JMO

 

[lovesdumbo]

The dining plan gives you 2 such meals ($15.74 x 2 = $31.48) plus 2 snacks (approx. $3.70 each after tax). Plus you get a refillable mug which is valued at $13.99 + tax, but for consistency I won't factor it in since the length of your stay affects the per-night value of the plan. So for two counter service meals and 2 snacks, you're walking away with almost $39 worth of food. The adult plan costs $35 per night. It's almost a wash, or you could consider it a free snack per night and a free refillable mug.

In 2012 the QSDDP only gives you 1 snack per day.

 

[CourtneyL]

If you are not big eaters or don't want dessert with every meal, I believe it is cheaper to pay OOP. When we were on the DDP we found it to be too much food. A huge soda and dessert just wasn't necessary for us. When we paid OOP we could split a soda and/or a meal and only got dessert when we really wanted it.
For us, it was less stressful paying OOP. We didn't have to worry if we were "getting our money's worth".