Deluxe Dining-how do you do it?

[Colleen27]

For anyone who's done both the regular ddp and the dxddp, do you think it's worth it? Sometimes I feel like we'd never be able to plan all of that eating and actually get it done. Then again, there are many times when I've felt like we could've used a TS in the middle of the day (usually do the regular ddp & use the TS credits for dinner). Just wondering if you can tell me that you've been converted to a dxddp person....or if it just didn't work for you. Thanks a lot!

I'm absolutely a DxDDP convert! We had come to a point where we weren't sure we'd continue to do the standard plan, because we found ourselves eating CS we didn't want and skipping TS that we did want to use what the plan had to offer. After our Aug '07 trip, we decided to try our next trip without the DDP (and at the Swan/Dolphin to save some money on the room). Even if we hadn't, the removal of appetizers from the plan for '08 would have pushed us away from the standard plan because we never skip appetizers but often skip dessert. But when they first announced the deluxe plan, it sounded so good that I pushed our trip back a month, from Dec '07 to Jan '08, to be able to try it. Now I wouldn't want to plan a trip without it! Ever since our first DDP trip, I'd been saying that I wished there was a plan that offered the dining of the premium plan without the recreation; the DxDDP does just that, and we've found it to be absolutely perfect for the way we like to eat on vacation.

 

[cattrix]

We've been to Disney for free dining multiple times, last year was our first time with the Deluxe Dining.

Not knowing how it would all work we went with the 3 meals a day and found that our vacation pretty much ran around what meal was next and where we needed to be to eat next. Since Free Dining is so popular it's hard to get the restaurants you want at the times you want. One day we had breakfast at Crystal Palace then had to monorail to Epcot and had to be back at Rose and Crown to eat again, then we had another meal that night. We do love the Deluxe Plan though so we are trying it again but this year we're going for the Table Service lunch with a 2TS dinner most nights.

We like the freedom that the Deluxe Dining plan offers and think it's a great deal, we're just hoping that our eating schedule lightens up some this year

 

[eileen2664]

This is our first time on DxDP.

Dinner is around 8 every night. Why 8? Why not no, seriously because 7 was too early and 9 was to late no, really b/c almost all of our dinners are at resorts and I didn't want to leave the park, eat, then go back to the park (no hoppers at this point....maybe we'll add them, we'll see).

Breakfast and lunch vary, every day except 1, either b-fast or lunch is either CS or snacks. If breakfast is unplanned, then lunch is early (noon-ish). If lunch is "snacking" then b-fast is around 10. If lunch is CS then b-fast is around 8. It really depends on where we're headed that day.

Here's the actual plan:

Saturday May 30: Check-in Day MK hours: 9am-10pm
Tenative Arrival at 2:14pm
Artist Point for dinner approx. 5:40, MK after dinner

Sunday May 31: Hollywood Studios 9-9 Parade @ 3, Fantasmic @ 9
snack credits for breakfast
Mama Melrose, 12:05
Cape May Clam Bake at Beach club, dinner 8:10pm

Monday June 1: AK 9-5 (EMH until 8pm) Parade @ 3:45
snack credits for breakfast
Tusker House for lunch approx 11:45pm
Jiko @ AKL for Dinner approx 8:00pm

Tuesday June 2: MK, Day 2 8-9
Chef Mickey's for Breakfast @ 10:20
Counter service for lunch
California Grill for dinner approx 7:50pm

Wendesday June 3: Off day/ DTD
1900 Park Fair 8:05
Pirate Cruise at Grand Floridian @ 9:30 for Johnny
Yachtman's Steakhouse @ Yacht Club for dinner 7:50pm

Thursday June 4: Epcot, Day 2, Future World 9-7, EMH at World Showcase 9pm-midnight
Akershus for B-fast approx 8am
Coral Reef, lunch 11:45am
Le Celliar, dinner approx 7:45pm

Frirday June 5: MK, Day 1 9-10 (EMH until 1am), Parade @ 3, Wishes @ 9 or 10
Crystal Palace for Breakfast @ 8:05
Casey's Corner (CS) for lunch
Narcosssee's for dinner 7:40pm

Satday June 6: Epcot, Day 1, World Showcase 11-9, Illuminations @ 9
Ohana's for late b-fast 9:35am
Use snack credits to "snack around the world"
Teppan Edo 7:45pm

Sunday June 7: Check Out Day
Tenative Departure at 2:49
Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Café @ WL 8:45am

 

[Bree]

Here's our plan starting on the 16th that is ever changing LOL

Arrival - Day 1:
D - Cali Grill

Day 2:
B - Chef Mickey's 7:30
L - Counter service
D - Whispering Canyon 6:00

Day 3:
B - Crystal Palace 8:05
L - Counter Service
D - Mickey's Backyard BBQ 6:30

Day 4:
B - Donald Safari Breakfast 8:05
L - Counter service
D - Artist Point 6:00

Day 5:
B - Whispering Canyon 8:30
L - Snack Credits
D - T-Rex Cafe (OOP)

Day 6:
B - Princess Storybook
L - Snack Credits
D - Tutto Italia 6:45pm

Day 7:
B - Whispering Canyon 8:00
L - Counter Service
D - Narcoosee's 6:05

Departure:
B - Whispering Canyon 8:00

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Our 3 night DxDP plan:

9/22 Non-park day unless we go to MNSSHP
Chef Mickey's for breakfast- anytime after 9AM. Or if lunch is offered again during FD, we could go then... we don't care.
The Wave dinner- earliest dinner seating because if we miss MNSSHP on a prior date, we can still go on this date.

9/23 Mom's birthday
Kona Cafe breakfast- time doesn't matter
Citricos dinner- if MK closes at 9, dinner will be at 7 and if MK closes at 8, dinner will be at 8

9/24 International Food & Wine Festival soft opening, we will be snacking all day
Whispering Canyon Cafe dinner

9/25
Crystal Palace breakfast
California Grill dinner- during Hallowishes

 

[scanne]

You know I have been thinking of upgrading to the Dx plan. But what I'd love to be able to do is go from a water view room at the BC to a standard and then upgrade our regular DP to the DxDp. I would probably use the extra credits for HDDR and a couple of signature places. But I probably won't in the end...but next year, I think I'll go DxDp from the get go.

 

[flipflopmom]

We are planning ALL buffet breakfasts, all character except Boma. We all love breakfast! Feel like we'll be stuffed for a while on that! Our girls will need swim/nap time in the middle of the day, and don't want to be tied down to a time to quit, so we aren't scheduling any lunches. Think we can stretch breakfast at 8am to dinner at 7pm? Should we try for 6pm? 2 of our dinners are 2 credits, plus CRT on checkout day and Ohana on check in day. Not scheduling any lunch leaves us with 3 credits we can use for CS..... Thinking we'll get those at POP when we go back, or just get 3-4 snacks to split....

What'cha think?

 

[scanne]

You know I have been thinking of upgrading to the Dx plan. But what I'd love to be able to do is go from a water view room at the BC to a standard and then upgrade our regular DP to the DxDp. I would probably use the extra credits for HDDR and a couple of signature places. But I probably won't in the end...but next year, I think I'll go DxDp from the get go.

Well, I am about to contradict myself. LOL! I upgraded to the DXDP and was able to get the HDDR!!! I've been updating our dining plan since this morning and have called WDW several times today. I need to talk to my DH about letting go of Coral Reef in exchange for Flying Fish or Narcoosee's. I'm worried about Coral Reef....bad reviews of late. Plus, I would rather do a character breakfast and a signature dinner instead of three TS meals each day.

Also, the CM I spoke to said that you can exchange one dining credit for three snacks. So this will be good for my son! He loves cookies and chocolate milk - he'd rather eat that for breakfast than anything else. So I won't mind allowing this on vacation. So I'm still tweaking my itinerary. I'll post it soon for your experts to observe and comment on...

 

[hill6]

Adding my list of reservations too:

Arrival Day:

Lunch: Grand Floridian Cafe
Dinner: Yachtman' Steakhouse (2 TS) - Mother's Day Dinner which is perfect since we are going with my Mom.

Monday:

Lunch: Tony's Town Square
Dinner: Planet Hollywood

Tuesday:

Backstage Magic Tour (lncludes Lunch)
Dinner: Teppan Edo

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Room Service or Grand Floridian Cafe
Sea World
Dinner: The Wave

Thursday:

Lunch: Yak and Yeti
Dinner: Spirit of Aloha (2 TS)

Friday:

Lunch: 50s Prime Time Cafe
Dinner: Narcossee's (2 TS)

Saturday:

Lunch: Coral Reef
Dinner: Kona Cafe

We have breakfast open most days because it will vary between room service and GF Cafe or Gasparillas

 

[frannn]

Guess it escapes him that someone has to plan out all 30 of those TS credits, LOL! Its a good thing that planning is one of my favorite parts of the trip, as well as eating. We normally eat 3x/day, so we also do so on vacation. We are doing a bunch of 2 credit meals (HDD, BD, CRT, Narcoosees, MBBQ), so on those days, we will use snack credits for breakfast or lunch. We space out our meals as best possible, trying to keep two consecutive meals in the same park or area. We also try to take advantage of EMH, by planning our meals around them. For example, the day AK opens early, we may do Tusker House bkfast & Yak&Yeti lunch. Or, if AK is open late, we may do Y&Y lunch, and Boma dinner, scheduled 1/2 into the extra hours. Gives us more time to stretch things out and still get back to the room at a decent hour.

 

[joecatz]

LAst trip was a three day, two night, deluxe dining. Six credits plus snacks for the two of us...

DAY one:

Checked in around 1 PM. Ate lunch before hand.

Dinner at Narcoose (7PM) 2 credits each.

Day two:

snack for Breakfast.

Lunch at Chef Mickeys (1 credit)

Dinner at California Grill (2 credits each)

DAY three

Snack for breakfast.

Lunch at the italian restaurant at Epcot (1 credit)

Went to the bakery at Downtown disney and got cookies, rice crispey treats, etc.. for the ride home with the rest of our snack credits.

This trip planned:

Day one:

Check in around 2 pm.

Dinner at jiko (2 credits each)

Day two:

Late Character breakfast (1 credit each)

Pay for lunch at quick service, if hungry

Dinner at Flying Fish (2 credits each)

Day three:

Use our last meal at Lunch, somewhere undetermined in the park, etc...

Go back to the bakery and get the rest of our snacks.

 

[scanne]

Here is our plan for the DxDP. This is the first time we're doing the deluxe plan. I still have a few credits left that I haven't scheduled. I'm planning on using those for CS meals.

June 23, 2009 - Arrival Day. Heading to MK first then hopping to Epcot.
Lunch - Casey’s Corner (1DC)
Dinner - Teppan Edo (1DC)

June 24, 2009 – Wednesday
Lunch - Beaches and Cream (1DC)
Dinner - Chefs de France (1DC)

June 25, 2009 (Today is our 9th Anniversary!)
Breakfast - Chef Mickey’s (1DC)
Dinner at Citricos (2DC) - this is for me and DH only.
Dinner for everyone else at Kona Café (1DC)

June 26, 2009
Undecided Counter Service for lunch.
Dinner at Tusker House (1DC)

June 27, 2009
Breakfast - Cape May Café (1DC).
Tea at the Garden View Lounge at 2pm for DD’s 5th birthday!
The boys in our party will go fishing at 1:30pm.
Dinner - Hoop De Doo Revue (2DC)

June 28, 2009
Breakfast - 1900 Park Faire (1DC)
Dinner - 'Ohana (1DC)

June 29, 2009
Lunch - Wolfgang Puck’s (1DC)
Dinner - Crystal Palace (1DC)

June 30, 2009 -
Lunch - Pizzafari/Safari Nuggets. (1DC).
Dinner - Cape May Café (1DC)

July 1, 2009
Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern (1DC)

We will have 24 credits per person on our trip. There are 8 of us. That makes a staggering 192 credits! LOL! I have not planned every single one - I think I'm up to 18 used for me and DH and 17 for everyone else. But like I said, I want to leave some open for counter service meals and I don't want to plan those. My DS has taken a strong liking to HS but I hate their food places, so we will most likely hop to Epcot for counter service in WS. Places I'd like to get to include:

Yorkshire Fish N Chips
Tangierine Cafe
Seasons
Yakitori House

And of course, the good old cheeseburger at Pecos Bills in the MK!!!

I am thoroughly looking forward to our trip and being on the DxDP!!!