Deluxe Plan = Insane! :)

[Scornelius]

All of that said, if the food I didn't eat was going to a good cause, I would think twice about my eating style, but the fact is this food isn't going anywhere charitable - whether I eat it or not. It's not like they at the end of the night Disney is going to say "Gee we have 10 pieces of cheesecake left over, let's send it over to the homeless shelter" - no all of that food nobody ordered because they didn't want to waste it is going to end up right where it would have if you or I had only eaten a bite or two to try it.
Which makes for a complete waste because it ended up serving no purpose at all... not even the purpose of brining a little culinary joy.

Wow, I never thought of it like that! Awsome, now I have no guilt!

We've used the DDP for our last 2 trips, and this time we're going for the Deluxe plan. We're so excited! I'm thrilled to find other like-minded diners. So far all I'd heard was how excessive it is!
I've spent the last few weeks working on a chart to fit in all the credits. We're going to try a bunch of signature restaurants, so on most days we'll only be having 2 meals. I know a lot of people can't fathom how to plan that many meals, so here's what we've got scheduled, just to give you an idea:

Sunday: lunch at Mama Melrose, dinner at Yachtman's
Monday: lunch at coral reef, dinner at le cellier
Tuesday: breakfast at donald's breakfastosaurus, lunch at sci-fi, dinner at mama melrose's. (We LOVE mama melrose's!)
Wednsday: lunch with an imagineer (brown derby), late dinner at Jiko
Thursday: breakfast at 1900 park faire, lunch at earl of sandwich, dinner at planet hollywood
Friday: lunch at wolfgang puck cafe, dinner at california Grill
Saturday: breakfast at maya grill.

We're going in the middle of september, so taking time away from the parks is not a big deal. Last year we were able to go to each park at least twice, and do everything we wanted to do each time. We never waited more than 10 minutes!

ETA:I went through the menus on allears, and if we order what we really want from all the restaurants (not just the most expensive things) we'll get about $1100 worth of food, and the plan costs about $850, I think. If they offer free dining again, we'll probably have to pay about $380. Combine a bit of savings with the knowlege that you can eat absolutely whatever you want, and I'm quite happy!!

 

[caroline1851]

I can see it working for a shorter trip and if you use 2ts credits for nice dinner places. Or..if you simply eat 3 meals/day without gorging yourself and overeating everywhere. I eat 3 meals a day now, so i could obviously do it on vacation. But...i dont' eat like a pig on my 3 meals w/ desserts, etc. I can't imagine 10 days, but problay only because i don't like to go on vacation for that long.

 

[MarieA]

I would think that the DDE is usually the best way to go for those who can get it. We're looking at about a 20% savings with the deluxe plan, so we're getting about the same deal as we would with the DDE but without the added expense of an annual pass.

You're right. With the DDE it actually comes out to be about $60 cheaper for us ($460.00 vs. $517. for the DDP for 3 nights). We will probably spend even less then the $460 since I figured in appys, entrees and desserts for every 2TS meal and most times my DH doesn't order dessert. I eat 3 meals a day at home but I don't have a big breakfast (usually just half a bagel and tea), for lunch I have salad or something light and then I have a regular dinner. We've done 3 meals a day at WDW many times (deluxe dining many years ago) and for us it's too much food. Plus now you have to make ADRs 180 days out. I don't want to have to make 3 ADRs every day and plan each and every minute of our trip 6 months in advance.

We purchase the AP because we are DVC owners and usually get 3 trips out of the APs and DDE. If we were to buy park passes for every trip it would cost us $780 vs. the $370 for the AP, so for us the AP and DDE saves $$$.

 

[3dog2kidmom]

Our family of 4 (3 "adults" and 1 child) is doing deluxe dining in January for 4 nights/5 days and I can't wait! Here is how we decided to use our credits:

Monday: Dinner at 'Ohana (1)
Tuesday: Lunch at Coral Reef (2); Dinner at Le Cellier (3)
Wednesday: Breakfast at 'Ohana (4); Dinner at Spirit of Aloha (5-6)
Thursday: Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (7); Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table (8-9)
Friday: Breakfast at Kona Cafe (10); Lunch at Mama Melrose's (11)

and we have 1 credit left which we'll either use at Downtown Disney on Monday or a CS dinner "to go" from Captain Cook's on Friday since we have a late flight. Or we may share meals and do both.

We really don't care to eat CS, so the deluxe plan is going to work great for our family!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Our family of 4 (3 "adults" and 1 child) is doing deluxe dining in January for 4 nights/5 days and I can't wait! Here is how we decided to use our credits:

Monday: Dinner at 'Ohana (1)
Tuesday: Lunch at Coral Reef (2); Dinner at Le Cellier (3)
Wednesday: Breakfast at 'Ohana (4); Dinner at Spirit of Aloha (5-6)
Thursday: Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (7); Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table (8-9)
Friday: Breakfast at Kona Cafe (10); Lunch at Mama Melrose's (11)

and we have 1 credit left which we'll either use at Downtown Disney on Monday or a CS dinner "to go" from Captain Cook's on Friday since we have a late flight. Or we may share meals and do both.

We really don't care to eat CS, so the deluxe plan is going to work great for our family!

It adds up fast, doesn't it? While I was planning our meals, I couldn't believe that I "ate" throught all the credits so quickly

The snacks are really gonna kill me. We'll probably have more than our share of Mickey Bars

 

[Colleen27]

You're right. With the DDE it actually comes out to be about $60 cheaper for us ($460.00 vs. $517. for the DDP for 3 nights). We will probably spend even less then the $460 since I figured in appys, entrees and desserts for every 2TS meal and most times my DH doesn't order dessert. I eat 3 meals a day at home but I don't have a big breakfast (usually just half a bagel and tea), for lunch I have salad or something light and then I have a regular dinner. We've done 3 meals a day at WDW many times (deluxe dining many years ago) and for us it's too much food and now because you have to make ADRs 180 days out too much planning. I don't want to have to make 3 ADRs every day and plan each and every minute of our trip 6 months in advance.

We purchase the AP because we are DVC owners and we usually get 3 trips out of the APs and DDE. If we were to buy park passes for every trip it would cost us $780 vs. the $370 for the AP, so for us the AP and DDE saves $$$ for 3 trips.

We'd save about $100 on meals with the DDE over the DxDDP plus maybe $50 on alcohol, but just buying one AP would be about $200 more (standard AP & paying OOP for waterparks/DisneyQuest vs 10 day MYW with hopper & water parks, no discounts) plus the cost of the DDE card. Since I don't know if we'll be going back within the year, it doesn't make sense to spend $265 to save $150, but for those who would get APs anyway the DDE would easily be the better deal.

 

[momto2girls]

Wow! How did I miss this? I'm so excited about the prospect of this plan. We just had free dining (for the second time) and I obviously love getting something for free, but we were talking about how much we hate eating at the CS places. We enjoy sitting down and eating TS much more. I was telling my husband that I wouldn't pay for the dining plan because of the CS. In fact, I told him that I wished that Disney would come out with a TS only plan and now I find out that they did!

We're thinking about making another trip in January/February. Where can I find the cost of the DDP?

 

[Colleen27]

We're thinking about making another trip in January/February. Where can I find the cost of the DDP?

The deluxe plan is $69.99/night for adults and 19.99/night for kids, and includes 3 meals, which can be used for either table or counter service, and 2 snacks per night, plus a refillable mug for each person in the party.

 

[momto2girls]

The deluxe plan is $69.99/night for adults and 19.99/night for kids, and includes 3 meals, which can be used for either table or counter service, and 2 snacks per night, plus a refillable mug for each person in the party.

Thanks!

 

[Tricia1972]

Our family of 4 (3 "adults" and 1 child) is doing deluxe dining in January for 4 nights/5 days and I can't wait! Here is how we decided to use our credits:

Monday: Dinner at 'Ohana (1)
Tuesday: Lunch at Coral Reef (2); Dinner at Le Cellier (3)
Wednesday: Breakfast at 'Ohana (4); Dinner at Spirit of Aloha (5-6)
Thursday: Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (7); Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table (8-9)
Friday: Breakfast at Kona Cafe (10); Lunch at Mama Melrose's (11)

and we have 1 credit left which we'll either use at Downtown Disney on Monday or a CS dinner "to go" from Captain Cook's on Friday since we have a late flight. Or we may share meals and do both.

We really don't care to eat CS, so the deluxe plan is going to work great for our family!

I've been reading about the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan with interest, trying to see if it's more of a money savings vs not.

I don't have any real numbers of my own, so used your dining plans as an example. I hope you don't mind.

Eating at your choices, and ordering the most expensive items on the menu (Save Kona, where I'd figure at least two adults would order Tonga Toast)

OOP Cost for Menu Items (most expensive items in all cases except as Noted) Not including ANY snacks or mugs - $944.42
Deluxe Dinsey Dining Plan cost is $919.84 for 4 nights

For us we wouldn't experience as much savings as this, as we don't always order the most expensive items. Thanks for letting me use you as an example to help figure out what would (and would not) work for us.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I've been reading about the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan with interest, trying to see if it's more of a money savings vs not.

I don't have any real numbers of my own, so used your dining plans as an example. I hope you don't mind.

Eating at your choices, and ordering the most expensive items on the menu (Save Kona, where I'd figure at least two adults would order Tonga Toast)

OOP Cost for Menu Items (most expensive items in all cases except as Noted) Not including ANY snacks or mugs - $944.42
Deluxe Dinsey Dining Plan cost is $919.84 for 4 nights

For us we wouldn't experience as much savings as this, as we don't always order the most expensive items. Thanks for letting me use you as an example to help figure out what would (and would not) work for us.

BUT snack and the mugs are a considerable savings too. The refillable mug to use is priceless as we are really resort people vs. the comando park hoppers. So I would be that I refill my mug, 3 coffees a day and COUNTLESS ice tea, DH probably gets 5-6 Cokes a day, and the kids, who know. We will let them go get their own refills this year as we will be at SAB so right there we are realizing a savings.

The snacks are plentiful you figure $4 a snack time 2 - so $8 a day per person for the snack.

In the past DDP has worked perfectly for us. This will be the 1st time using DDDP, so I'm unsure how it will work, - we just really enjoy making our trip as "all inclusive" as possible. This way, all the money we bring to WDW is strickly for souveniers.

 

[Tricia1972]

BUT snack and the mugs are a considerable savings too. The refillable mug to use is priceless as we are really resort people vs. the comando park hoppers. So I would be that I refill my mug, 3 coffees a day and COUNTLESS ice tea, DH probably gets 5-6 Cokes a day, and the kids, who know. We will let them go get their own refills this year as we will be at SAB so right there we are realizing a savings.

The snacks are plentiful you figure $4 a snack time 2 - so $8 a day per person for the snack.

In the past DDP has worked perfectly for us. This will be the 1st time using DDDP, so I'm unsure how it will work, - we just really enjoy making our trip as "all inclusive" as possible. This way, all the money we bring to WDW is strickly for souveniers.

I can definitely see where it would work for quite a few people. That's a pretty substantial savings.

For us we tend to graze more to begin with, so we'd be using quite a few CS's. The example I quoted used only TS and I used only the most expensive items on the menu, so I don't think it'll work for us. I am just grateful to have a real example to calculate on (without having to think of it all on my own).

Have a fantastic trip!

 

[MissMichelle]

I look at it as "all inclusive" though you DEFINITELY pay for it. The price may be pretty high and that is a lot of food, but I'll do it for the simple fact that I can eat at many places I wouldn't have without it, and also not worry about spending ANY extra $$ on food where the regular DDP I paid OOP for breakfast daily and at least a bottled water etc...MUCH less stress on the Deluxe Plan. Though I'd NEVER eat all that food---I'd probably waste creditss

 

[ddstratton]

For us, the Deluxe Dining sounds like a perfect plan. As far as money -- I did a check using the menus at All-Ears. It is a fairly close thing, with the DDDP coming out savings us a few bucks. However, I love the fact that it will be paid for -- no budgeting our money for meals each day. And it kind of forces us to slow down and rest several times a day. Since we will have our nine-year-old daughter and my seventy-five-year-old MIL with us, resting during the day is very important.

I really just like not having to worry about $$ for food/meals once we are there. The deluxe plan covers all three meals a day -- and we are 3-meal-a-day people. I doubt we'll order everything we're "entitled" to (appetizers/deserts at each meal). But if we WANTED to, we could without worrying about the cost. I think that will make this vacation just that much more magical

 

[Sammie]

This always confuses me, because I wonder if people think eating 3 meals per day is insane, how do you normally eat at home? We eat the same at home, as we do while on vacation due to blood sugar issues, allergies, etc. We eat healthy food - no pop, fast food, hardly any sweets, etc. My 4 year old daughter is a grilled chicken, rice and water kind of gal, so we are so looking forward to the Deluxe Plan as it allows us to eat the same way that we normally do - we have great self discipline and portion control, so we only order what we can eat. If we aren't able to eat desert, we don't order it, plain and simple.

A lot of people on here seem to forget that one doesn't have to order everything that is offered, as well as the fact that one needs not gorge at every meal that one sits at.

Tiger

Very well said. I never understand the "too much food" comments. I mean people on these forums love the buffets, but surely they don't eat everything. Just because a meal is plated you don't have to stuff yourself.

 

[Motomiker]

Hi there, this isn't a reply to your question but a hardy hope to see you there! We will be staying at the Poly for our honeymoon at what seems to be the same time you are in the World. We will also be eating at the Kona, so if you see a couple having breakfast and wonder... It might be us!

 

[3dog2kidmom]

Hi there, this isn't a reply to your question but a hardy hope to see you there! We will be staying at the Poly for our honeymoon at what seems to be the same time you are in the World. We will also be eating at the Kona, so if you see a couple having breakfast and wonder... It might be us!

Congrats to you, Motomiker! I would have loved to spend my honemoon at the Poly.. what a fabulous place it is!!! We're looking forward to breakfast at Kona -- we didnt' get to eat there last time we went.

OOP Cost for Menu Items (most expensive items in all cases except as Noted) Not including ANY snacks or mugs - $944.42
Deluxe Dinsey Dining Plan cost is $919.84 for 4 nights

Tricia, that was pretty much what I did to see if it would be a good deal for us and while the savings were minimal I liked the convenience. We admittedly will spend more than if we would just order OOP and really try to economize and share a few meals, but we just don't eat that way on vacation. This way there won't be any surprises. I have to budget VERY carefully to be able to stay at the Poly, and knowing months ahead what our dining bill will be and saving up for it makes it easier for me to stick to that budget.

 

[OKW Mom]

of our rooms and the DDP for the other room.

DVC members have to buy for the length of the reservation, so when we have the Studio for 4 nights and the 1BR for 7 nights we can mix it up and really enjoy the places we tried in May and Sept. on my birthday blowout in March.

Narcoosie's was great-and I'll be able to enjoy the cheese plate as a dessert. I could spend between now and March to plan a ritual of gastronomic delights.

Of course I'll carry my own defribrillator and wheelbarrel to carry my gut. Truthfully, we ate pretty wisely in May and Sept. We did miss some meals because of doing the 2cr. restaurants a couple of nights.

I just hope they will begin to individualize the dining now the price is up. It would be nice to drive business to specific locations for signature dishes.