DDP v. DxDP: Our Schedule - Help/Advice/Comments Appreciated

[Sappermont]

Hey Everyone!!

You all have been so tremendously helpful in planning our WDW trip. THANK YOU. I haven't been to WDW in nearly a decade and have never been on dining plan before so it's a completely new beast for me.

Right now we are on DDP and have gone back and forth, back and forth SO many times. I've read so many wonderful dining reviews on both the DDP and DxDP plans. Ideally, I think TIW would be great for us but we are not AP holders and do not live in FL, so that might be something for down the road (APs!!!). So, I planned the schedule and ADRs for our ideal trip. Now it seems like it might be a benefit to upgrade so that there's no question that all our meals would be covered but since I haven't been in so long there are some X factors. For instance, we have planned to go to Captain Cook's for breakfast every morning (we get up at 5AM Mountain time), but because of the time difference maybe we won't make it to breakfast and will eat in the room. Then, it wouldn't make sense to do the DxDP - so basically - here's our planned schedule of meals & ADRs and I'd appreciate your help and advice. Based on this schedule would you go up to the DxDP? I have no problem not eating a dessert or appetizer at some meals. I obviously don't want to over pay but I'm not concerned with making certain that I get the most expensive meal each time. Thanks very much for your help.

Day One:
Dinner: Tutto Italia

Day Two:
Breakfast: Captain Cook's
Lunch: Yak & Yeti or CS @ AK
Dinner: LTT or CS @ MK

Day Three:
Breakfast: Captain Cook's
Lunch: Sci-Fi
Dinner: Garden Grille

Day Four:
Breakfast: Captain Cook's
Lunch: Saana or Mara
Dinner: San Angel Inn

Day Five:
Breakfast: Kona Cafe
Lunch: Garden View Tea Room (OOP - Disney Gift Card)
Dinner: California Grille

Day Six:
Breakfast: Tusker House
Lunch: T-Rex (Landry's Select Rewards Card - OOP)
Dinner: 'Ohana

Day Seven:
Breakfast: Captain Cooks
Lunch: Sunshine Season's Food Court

 

[hannahdrewmom]

Day One:
Dinner: Tutto Italia

Day Two:
Breakfast: Captain Cook's
Lunch: Yak & Yeti or CS @ AK
Dinner: LTT or CS @ MK

Day Three:
Breakfast: Captain Cook's
Lunch: Sci-Fi
Dinner: Garden Grille

Day Four:
Breakfast: Captain Cook's
Lunch: Saana or Mara
Dinner: San Angel Inn
Day Five:
Breakfast: Kona Cafe
Lunch: Garden View Tea Room (OOP - Disney Gift Card)
Dinner: California Grille for one person

Day Six:
Breakfast: Tusker House
Lunch: T-Rex (Landry's Select Rewards Card - OOP)
Dinner: 'Ohana

Day Seven:
Breakfast: Captain Cooks
Lunch: Sunshine Season's Food Court

So right now you have 12 ts if you eat at all of them. So you are breaking "even" so to speak with dxdp. However some of those meals are not a good price break.... Tusker House and Kona for breakfast, sci fi not bad for oop lunch.

I think worth it will depend on who is in your party (number of adults/children) and when you are traveling (this year or next). So if you are on the fence about the ts meals I'm not sure you should do dxdp. I'd probably go with the regular dining plan and pay the difference oop for the extra meals you want. I've highlighted the meals I'd pay for w/ dining plan.
(I've split paying ddp and oop for Cali Grill. in order to pay for an extra meal and to get a meal and a dessert there.)

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

How many people are in your group (adults and kids) and when are you going?

 

[Sappermont]

So right now you have 12 ts if you eat at all of them. So you are breaking "even" so to speak with dxdp. However some of those meals are not a good price break.... Tusker House and Kona for breakfast, sci fi not bad for oop lunch.

I think worth it will depend on who is in your party (number of adults/children) and when you are traveling (this year or next). So if you are on the fence about the ts meals I'm not sure you should do dxdp. I'd probably go with the regular dining plan and pay the difference oop for the extra meals you want. I've highlighted the meals I'd pay for w/ dining plan.
(I've split paying ddp and oop for Cali Grill. in order to pay for an extra meal and to get a meal and a dessert there.)

Wow, thanks so much for the help. That's one thing I was having trouble with - deciding which TS to pay for with the dining plan. I really appreciate the help. I'm curious about splitting the meal at the Cali Grille - how does this work? Thank you very much!!

 

[Sappermont]

How many people are in your group (adults and kids) and when are you going?

Oh, that would help! Sorry about that. Thank you.

It's just me and my husband and we are going in 3 weeks!!! We don't have free dining (room discount).

Thanks again for any input!!!

 

[DIS_MERI]

One thing that I would consider is how you may not feel like eating nearly as much as you expect to. We ended up skipping 2 of our ADRs because we just weren't hungry at the time (and I had planned to pay OOP for them, so I was very happy, lol). I found a TS, a CS and the snacks were plenty (actually, we had some pop tarts and granola bars we kept in the room for snacks, so we ended up taking home a bunch of Disney treats). We found that either a late breakfast and mid evening dinner were fine, or an early breakfast-big snack-late dinner worked well too. We frequently split CS meals (2 or 3 between the 4 of us), so sometimes 1 or 2 CS meals were our big snacks. Of course, we were on a 1 adult/3 kid schedule, so your may end up different

 

[Sappermont]

One thing that I would consider is how you may not feel like eating nearly as much as you expect to. We ended up skipping 2 of our ADRs because we just weren't hungry at the time (and I had planned to pay OOP for them, so I was very happy, lol). I found a TS, a CS and the snacks were plenty (actually, we had some pop tarts and granola bars we kept in the room for snacks, so we ended up taking home a bunch of Disney treats). We found that either a late breakfast and mid evening dinner were fine, or an early breakfast-big snack-late dinner worked well too. We frequently split CS meals (2 or 3 between the 4 of us), so sometimes 1 or 2 CS meals were our big snacks. Of course, we were on a 1 adult/3 kid schedule, so your may end up different

Thank you very much for your advice. I really appreciate the help!!!

 

[Dean]

Wow, thanks so much for the help. That's one thing I was having trouble with - deciding which TS to pay for with the dining plan. I really appreciate the help. I'm curious about splitting the meal at the Cali Grille - how does this work? Thank you very much!!

Splitting meals is not a big deal, no split plate charges that I can recall either. We often get a soup or salad each and split an entree. We don't normally order dessert unless we're on a dining plan.

You should run through the numbers from the menu's and decide what you would likely spend at those places. I agree with above that you may find you can't hit all of the options you have listed. I think you'll also find that you don't save any money based on what you've posted. If you're set on a DDP options, the basic plan is likely your best bet, but you'll likely have to adjust your options a little more to the CS options for some of your lessor choices to get good value, which I think you can do given your locations. The Dx plan probably only makes sense if you're set on appetizers AND you upgrade to more expensive restaurant options.

I assume you'll have a car with all the humping around you're doing. Also, it seems you're spending a lot of prime time in the middle of the day out of the parks on days you will be going to parks. You said you didn't have a pass so I assume you'll be using individual day tickets, ? MYW tickets. Your choice of course, just pointing out that it seems you'll be spinning your wheels a lot, even if you have a car. As a min I'd try to better group your AKV/AKL/AK park items more on the same day.

 

[cmesq61]

Youcan eat breakfast in the room and it's an extra TS credit. So if you had the DxDP you could use that benefit for in-room breakfast.

 

[Sappermont]

Splitting meals is not a big deal, no split plate charges that I can recall either. We often get a soup or salad each and split an entree. We don't normally order dessert unless we're on a dining plan.

You should run through the numbers from the menu's and decide what you would likely spend at those places. I agree with above that you may find you can't hit all of the options you have listed. I think you'll also find that you don't save any money based on what you've posted. If you're set on a DDP options, the basic plan is likely your best bet, but you'll likely have to adjust your options a little more to the CS options for some of your lessor choices to get good value, which I think you can do given your locations. The Dx plan probably only makes sense if you're set on appetizers AND you upgrade to more expensive restaurant options.

I assume you'll have a car with all the humping around you're doing. Also, it seems you're spending a lot of prime time in the middle of the day out of the parks on days you will be going to parks. You said you didn't have a pass so I assume you'll be using individual day tickets, ? MYW tickets. Your choice of course, just pointing out that it seems you'll be spinning your wheels a lot, even if you have a car. As a min I'd try to better group your AKV/AKL/AK park items more on the same day.

Thanks so much for all the info. and advice. We already have the DDP and 7 days passes. If we had an AP, I would definitely go for the TIW!! I hope to spend time in the pool/water parks in the middle of the day. It's hot where we live but there's 0% humidity so I think that the humidity might take us down!

Thanks again!! I appreciate it very much!!

 

[Sappermont]

Youcan eat breakfast in the room and it's an extra TS credit. So if you had the DxDP you could use that benefit for in-room breakfast.

I was totally thinking of this awhile back. Do you have any experience with in-room dining? Do you know how early it starts? Except for a pizza years ago I don't think I've had room service at WDW. Thanks SO much!! I really appreciate your help.

 

[Dean]

Thanks so much for all the info. and advice. We already have the DDP and 7 days passes. If we had an AP, I would definitely go for the TIW!! I hope to spend time in the pool/water parks in the middle of the day. It's hot where we live but there's 0% humidity so I think that the humidity might take us down!

Thanks again!! I appreciate it very much!!

I'm not sure TIW would help you much by the time you paid the purchase price, even with an AP, unless there is much ETOH involved. The AP has some discounts built into it as well. It looks like you're spending an awful lot of time in EPCOT, is that by design that you'll be doing other things there as well? or mainly just for the dining options. I also get the impression your arriving mid afternoon and leaving the same after a 6 nights stay. I'm not sure if you're inside the window yet where you'd get charged for a change but you might want to consider either upgrading to an AP if you can get another visit in the future out of it or downgrading to maybe a 4 day ticket. It seems your stated goal of spending pool time is when you'll be elsewhere for lunch all but your GF tea day and your day of departure.

Again, it's absolutely your choice how you chose to do this, I'm just thinking out loud some of the pitfalls I see for some on how you have it set up. One thing I'd do with your other stated goals and information is to plan park days and non park, ? pool days. I'd be there when they opened in the AM on park days, spend a couple of hours of park time then do lunch in the AC. Then I'd plan park options that involve AC as much as possible for the afternoon and then go back and hit the pool and shower and do a leisurely dinner that was fairly convenient to get to. Then on non park days I'd do a more leisurely breakfast in the room OR out, hit the pool then do a later big lunch OR snack for lunch and do a larger dinner, non park ? signature.

Have a great trip.

 

[Sappermont]

I'm not sure TIW would help you much by the time you paid the purchase price, even with an AP, unless there is much ETOH involved. The AP has some discounts built into it as well. It looks like you're spending an awful lot of time in EPCOT, is that by design that you'll be doing other things there as well? or mainly just for the dining options. I also get the impression your arriving mid afternoon and leaving the same after a 6 nights stay. I'm not sure if you're inside the window yet where you'd get charged for a change but you might want to consider either upgrading to an AP if you can get another visit in the future out of it or downgrading to maybe a 4 day ticket. It seems your stated goal of spending pool time is when you'll be elsewhere for lunch all but your GF tea day and your day of departure.

Again, it's absolutely your choice how you chose to do this, I'm just thinking out loud some of the pitfalls I see for some on how you have it set up. One thing I'd do with your other stated goals and information is to plan park days and non park, ? pool days. I'd be there when they opened in the AM on park days, spend a couple of hours of park time then do lunch in the AC. Then I'd plan park options that involve AC as much as possible for the afternoon and then go back and hit the pool and shower and do a leisurely dinner that was fairly convenient to get to. Then on non park days I'd do a more leisurely breakfast in the room OR out, hit the pool then do a later big lunch OR snack for lunch and do a larger dinner, non park ? signature.

Have a great trip.

Thank you very much. I appreciate all the info. I've tried to divide the day - one park in the AM, swimming, different park at night. We're taking a detour one day to the AKL. We'll be at the AK in the AM, and then head to Saana for lunch. My husband really wants to see it and it looks like that is where we'll stay for WDW #2. On another day we'll be at AK in the AM, Swimming, then off to MK at night. So, that was my basic plan. I appreciate all the info. Is there a "not to miss" restaurant you'd recommend?

Thanks again!

 

[sharonabe]

Getting up at 5:00 mountain time is 7:00 Florida time, so if you are planning on early EMH on any of those mornings, you won't have time for Captain Cooks.

The way you have them listed right now, you also have an awful lot of traveling going one. You will be spending a good part of your day GETTING to a restaurant, eating, and getting back to a park....then you do it again for dinner. That will really limit the time you have to spend enjoying the attractions.

Day 6 would be way too much food for me, so I'd have to drop one of those. The other days seem to be a little better since you do have some CS in there, but then you won't get the value from the DxDDP and you will have paid more that you would OOP.

You say you're on a room discount. Did you do the math to see if free dining would be a better deal? With only two adults, I doubt it, but it's worth a quick math computation to see.

 

[Dean]

Thank you very much. I appreciate all the info. I've tried to divide the day - one park in the AM, swimming, different park at night. We're taking a detour one day to the AKL. We'll be at the AK in the AM, and then head to Saana for lunch. My husband really wants to see it and it looks like that is where we'll stay for WDW #2. On another day we'll be at AK in the AM, Swimming, then off to MK at night. So, that was my basic plan. I appreciate all the info. Is there a "not to miss" restaurant you'd recommend?

Thanks again!

I seem to enjoy the Disney restaurants more than most and unfortunately, really enjoy eating out though we try to do so responsibly. We enjoy different restaurants for different things. Our favorites are Le Cellier, Boatwrights, Whispering Canyon and Artist Pointe. Our favorite character meal is O'hana. I really like Sanaa but my wife doesn't as much. We generally don't do buffets or all you can eat, we make an exception for Character meals when applicable. My quest is to try them all and I only have a handful to go and unfortunately, they are the hard ones for us. If I had to pick a not to miss for us, it'd be Le Cellier, it's also likely the best value on the DDP for lunch but no longer for dinner because they changed it to 2 credits for dinner. I hope you have a great time.

 

[Sappermont]

Getting up at 5:00 mountain time is 7:00 Florida time, so if you are planning on early EMH on any of those mornings, you won't have time for Captain Cooks.

The way you have them listed right now, you also have an awful lot of traveling going one. You will be spending a good part of your day GETTING to a restaurant, eating, and getting back to a park....then you do it again for dinner. That will really limit the time you have to spend enjoying the attractions.

Day 6 would be way too much food for me, so I'd have to drop one of those. The other days seem to be a little better since you do have some CS in there, but then you won't get the value from the DxDDP and you will have paid more that you would OOP.

You say you're on a room discount. Did you do the math to see if free dining would be a better deal? With only two adults, I doubt it, but it's worth a quick math computation to see.

Thanks Sharonabe! I appreciate the help. Yeah, I'm trying to switch the Tea House and T-Rex but am waiting for a T-Rex ADR to open up on day 5. We're hoping to be able to get up 5AM Eastern Time, just not sure it will happen the first day or so. And, thanks - the room discount works out much better. We're planning on park hopping a lot so I tried to pick restaurants that will be at the park we plan to be visiting, or near our hotel. For instance we'll already be at our hotel or the MK when we have to be at California Grille, etc. I'm totally flexible so if things have to change, I will. I appreciate the help. Thanks very much!!

 

[Sappermont]

I seem to enjoy the Disney restaurants more than most and unfortunately, really enjoy eating out though we try to do so responsibly. We enjoy different restaurants for different things. Our favorites are Le Cellier, Boatwrights, Whispering Canyon and Artist Pointe. Our favorite character meal is O'hana. I really like Sanaa but my wife doesn't as much. We generally don't do buffets or all you can eat, we make an exception for Character meals when applicable. My quest is to try them all and I only have a handful to go and unfortunately, they are the hard ones for us. If I had to pick a not to miss for us, it'd be Le Cellier, it's also likely the best value on the DDP for lunch but no longer for dinner because they changed it to 2 credits for dinner. I hope you have a great time.

I'm trying every day to find a lunch at Le Cellier!!! (The other one I keep trying for is Wishes!). Where is Boatwrights? I haven't heard of that one.

Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it!!!

 

[Sappermont]

Getting up at 5:00 mountain time is 7:00 Florida time, so if you are planning on early EMH on any of those mornings, you won't have time for Captain Cooks.

The way you have them listed right now, you also have an awful lot of traveling going one. You will be spending a good part of your day GETTING to a restaurant, eating, and getting back to a park....then you do it again for dinner. That will really limit the time you have to spend enjoying the attractions.

Day 6 would be way too much food for me, so I'd have to drop one of those. The other days seem to be a little better since you do have some CS in there, but then you won't get the value from the DxDDP and you will have paid more that you would OOP.

You say you're on a room discount. Did you do the math to see if free dining would be a better deal? With only two adults, I doubt it, but it's worth a quick math computation to see.

I know that most people suggest going to the park for RD and then going swimming and back to the park. This is the technique I used throughout the trip - except day 5 - barely any travel there (Kona Cafe, GF Tea Room, and California Grille) This will be an MK day and we are at the Poly so I don't see much travel there. Is there a particular day that seems to fall out of that mode - park AM, pool, park PM?

Thanks again!!

 

[Dean]

I'm trying every day to find a lunch at Le Cellier!!! (The other one I keep trying for is Wishes!). Where is Boatwrights? I haven't heard of that one.

Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it!!!

Keep trying, I just got one for our trip for a specific day I was looking for coming up. What time frame are yo looking for? Boatwrights is at Port Orleans-Riverside.

 

[sharonabe]

I know that most people suggest going to the park for RD and then going swimming and back to the park. This is the technique I used throughout the trip - except day 5 - barely any travel there (Kona Cafe, GF Tea Room, and California Grille) This will be an MK day and we are at the Poly so I don't see much travel there. Is there a particular day that seems to fall out of that mode - park AM, pool, park PM?

Thanks again!!

I think what stood out to me was you are planning on being at two different parks almost every day. While we do park hop, we don't hop every day. Since you have planned to go back to the resort every day anyway, I guess your travel time isn't as much of a factor.

Having said that, we also don't go back to our resort for a rest/pool time. I didn't see what time of year your trip is. Unless it is during the hottest and most humid part of the year, you may not need that "break" every day. We often use our "hopping" travel as our only rest time. After all, we're in an air-conditioned bus or monorail and away from the crowds. When we get to the next park, we're psyched and ready for more.