DDP vs. DDE...Need some expert help please!

[diznyfanatic]

I'm trying to crunch the numbers to see which way would be better for us and the way I'm figuring it, I think the AP with the DDE card will be the way to go.

I'm basing these calculations on two adults for 5 nights at a Moderate resort from 3/31-4/5 comparing the regular MYW with Dining package with the AP/DDE estimated costs.

If one of you Disney experts and math gurus would kindly help me out, I'd be very grateful.

We used the Dining Plan on our last visit, and while we loved it, we found it to be too much food from what we would normally eat. We enjoy a TS meal on average about 4 times during a 7 day stay. The rest of the time, we eat on the run and split meals. We normally also combine a late CS breakfast with lunch and then have dinner, usually sharing at least two of the meals.

AP holders can purchase the DDE for $50.00 right now, saving $25.00 off the regular price. With the great room discounts available with the AP right now, as well as receiving the 20% DDE discount at most of the restaurants we frequent, I think the AP/DDE is the best choice.

Am I missing anything major if I go with the AP/DDE rather than the standard MYW Plus Dining?

 

[crisi]

DDE isn't good at most counter service restaurants - some, particularly in the AK.

But it does cover alcohol - which can really add up.

 

[Tiger926]

DDE also is up to $60.00 for 2006 - you get 1 card. If you want a supplemental card, which someone posted can be shared with spouse/partner, friend or other relatives, then it's an additional $25.00. You have to factor this increase into your equation, plus the fact that an AP gives you a bunch of 10% discounts as well, so at those restaurants, your DDE discount is actually only 10% - hubby banker helped me realize this the other day!

Tiger

 

[diznyfanatic]

Thanks so much for the help. I'm experiencing information overload trying to get this all figured out!

So, is the information posted on the DIS wrong about the current DDE price?

DIS DDE Information

Scroll down to General Benefits under Disney Dining Experience.

Thanks again!

 

[Uncleromulus]

Of course you may not even need a second card --
We eat mostly at TS restaurants and always have alcohol. We saved several HUNDRED dollars (and that's after deducting the original cost of the DDE card). And the neat thing is we get to use it TWICE more before it expires.

 

[tinkerbela]

i think mousetips.com has a tally comparison on both plans. we used the DDE card and enjoyed having it. it saved us 20% on our meals, which was nice.

 

[Chuck S]

Unless you eat a LOT of food normally, for adults the DDE may be the way to go. I did a direct comparison from our last trip in a thread on the DVC board:

DDE to DDP

This was for two adults, for a 9 night stay.

If you normally have your "large meal" of the day at dinner time, the Dining Plan may be best.

It really depends on your normal dining habits.

 

[Allison]

I would get a room booked at the AP rate before I decided. You can always change the reservation if you want the dining plan instead. That could save you a lot or all the discounted rooms could be gone by the time you decide and you won't save anything.

 

[Allison]

DDE also is up to $60.00 for 2006 - you get 1 card. If you want a supplemental card, which someone posted can be shared with spouse/partner, friend or other relatives, then it's an additional $25.00. You have to factor this increase into your equation, plus the fact that an AP gives you a bunch of 10% discounts as well, so at those restaurants, your DDE discount is actually only 10% - hubby banker helped me realize this the other day!

Tiger

Some of your information is not correct.


The second card is only for spouses and partners as posted on Disney's website. It's not for friends or other relatives.

This is directly from their site:

The second membership card is for spouses and partners only, not other family members.

Also, keep in mind the 10% discount is only Monday-Friday during lunch hours, is only good for 4 guests and does not include alcoholic beverages. Only select restaurants participate.

The DDE card was a great deal for us.

 

[nbodyhome]

I'd go for the AP rate and the DDE card. If you come back within a year, your tickets are covered, you may get a room discount and you can still get 20% off on many meals!

The DDE card doesn't include all restaurants, but the nice thing about it - I don't feel I have to eat items that are "included". If I want to just get a bowl of soup at Beach's n Cream, I can (and not have to get the appetizer, entree and dessert). It's fun to feel like I can live it up on dining for a couple of days, but I personally can't do more than that.

If you don't think you'll come back within a year, than you may just want to see about getting a AAA room-only rate, and paying out of pocket for meals.

Denise

 

[Tinkerbelll]

This is my dining review for our trip with the DDE last March (Scroll down to the end for a quick summary if you don't want to read through the whole thing... it's long ).

My DDE Dining Review

This is my dining breakdown of out trip last October with the Dining Plan.

My DDP Review

In the end, we saved more with the Dining Plan in one trip, but probably would have saved more with the DDE on multiple trips. It all depends on your budget, how often you visit the world, and your eating style. Especially because with the DDE you only have to buy one card for yourself one time and it's good for your whole family for a whole year. With the dining plan, you must pay per person, per night. I have to say though; we had a lot of fun with the dining plan. We ate at restaurants we would never normally eat at and had a lot of fun ordering appetizers and desserts, something we don't normally do. And when we couldn't finish all the food on our plates, we didn't have to feel bad! Good luck making your decision and have a magical time!

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Phew, I just renewed and thought I did it wrong. I paid the $60 and expected a card for my husband and myself, then I read above.

Thanks for the clarification Allison, I thought OMG I read it wrong and they are going to send it back. I thought it meant you and your spouse, any other family members could be added for the extra money... Phew again.

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks Allison for letting me know about my post. Didn't realize I posted as my DD climbed on my lap and I was editing some stuff (meant to mention that I had read about DDE supplemental card for friends, but didn't have time to check accuracy of this info as DD was on my lap!), but I absolutely knew it was good for spouse or partner. Another added expense for some families who split up and need 2 cards!

In regards to AP discount being mostly for lunch, I didn't mention it because there are some Downtown Disney restaurants that accept it for lunch or dinner as well. Regardless, for those of us with multiple discounts, we do have overlap with meals, especially at lunchtime, so indeed as my hubby explained for our small family of 3, the discount is actually only 10% and not 20% as we would have been entitled to this discount without needing our DDE card.

Hope this clarifies things, Tiger

 

[Allison]

Thanks Allison for letting me know about my post. Didn't realize I posted as my DD climbed on my lap and I was editing some stuff (meant to mention that I had read about DDE supplemental card for friends, but didn't have time to check accuracy of this info as DD was on my lap!), but I absolutely knew it was good for spouse or partner. Another added expense for some families who split up and need 2 cards!

In regards to AP discount being mostly for lunch, I didn't mention it because there are some Downtown Disney restaurants that accept it for lunch or dinner as well. Regardless, for those of us with multiple discounts, we do have overlap with meals, especially at lunchtime, so indeed as my hubby explained for our small family of 3, the discount is actually only 10% and not 20% as we would have been entitled to this discount without needing our DDE card.

Hope this clarifies things, Tiger

The size of the family definitely makes a difference. We have a family of 5 and 2 of my kids are considered adults as far as Disney meals go. Discounts can really add up for our group even at 10%. It would take your family a lot longer to recoup the cost of the DDE card than it would take mine. It helped that my husband and I took a short trip in December and were able to use it then. We will be there for 9 days in June so I'm curious to see how much more we save.

 

[Tiger926]

Allison - Excellent points for sure! My hubby and I are always in awe of large families who eat onsite each and everyday, since we know how much it costs our little family to eat and we aren't big eaters at all!

We are really looking forward to trying the DP - as DVC members we are always looking for new and exciting ways to make our trips more enjoyable!

Happy vacationing and eating to you and your family, Tiger

 

[Allison]

Allison - Excellent points for sure! My hubby and I are always in awe of large families who eat onsite each and everyday, since we know how much it costs our little family to eat and we aren't big eaters at all!

We are really looking forward to trying the DP - as DVC members we are always looking for new and exciting ways to make our trips more enjoyable!

Happy vacationing and eating to you and your family, Tiger

We are staying DVC by renting points at BWV in June. I'm so excited to try it. If I only I could talk by husband into DVC. What is your home resort?

 

[Tiger926]

Our home resort is Saratoga Springs - we absolutely love it! We love Downtown Disney, so this resort was made for us! We have also stayed at Wildnerness Lodge, and we liked that as well.

Have fun at BWV - my hubby actually proposed DVC as a surprise to me, so hopefully your hubby will come around eventually.

Happy vacationing, Tiger

 

[goofy4tink]

We have a DDE card that expires the end of May. We must have saved about $300 on it so far this year. When the DDP became available to DVC I was in a quandry. I'm traveling to WDW in Oct with another mom and our two dd's, both of whom will be turning 13 the week we're in WDW. So....all adults. Well, I had HDDR booked for our trip..booked it in Nov '04. But when I called them last spring, to find out if I could get a credit because of the different discounts open to me, I was told no, they couldn't apply any discounts for '06 yet since they didn't know what the discounts were going to be for that year. That actually made sense to me. So, I called them last week to see what the story is...they have credited me with $40 for the 4 reservations. They did tell me to be sure to bring my new card to show or they would add the $40 back on. So, yes, I'll be paying $60 but I've already saved $40!!!
Now, as to which plan we're using. Both. I'm using DDP for most of our meals. We do eat one table service meal a day...usually dinner. So, if we eat breakfast at say, Spoodles, I can use my DDE card for the 20% off. Then we'll use it for any alcoholic beverages, and with this other mom and me, that could be a lot of wine being imbibed!!. But, my dd is a picky eater. So, a lot of times, I think she will just order off the menu and I'll pay OOP and save her TS credits and use them for other meals. Since they are all adult priced I don't see an issue with this.
I did sit and do the math both ways...I came out about $50 apart, with DDE being a bit more because of the $60 fee. But, that may be different now that I have the HDDR credit applied.
I guess the best way to handle it is to go through sample menus...figure out what best case scenario would be for your party at each meal. Then, figure out the totals and apply the different meal plans to it.

 

[diznyfanatic]

Wow! Thank you all so very much for taking the time to help me! Lots of excellent information here that will definitely be put to good use in figuring out which way is best for us.

So, for those of you who have the AP & DDE but are also using the Dining Plan, did you just bite the bullet and get the one day MYW ticket in order to get a package?