Deluxe plan?

[JKMN]

During our first trip 4 years ago, we did the basic DDP (1 TS, 1 CS, and 1 snack each day). My mom is treating our family to a trip in January and mentioned that she signed up for the Deluxe DP. From the little I've seen on this site, it looks like that includes 3 meals and two snacks a day. Is this correct? Are the three meals TS or CS? TIA!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

The meals are TS or CS. As long as you use at least 2/3 of your credits at a TS you should come out ahead. I'd look at doing a few 2 TS meals.

 

[JKMN]

Wow, so all three meals can be either TS or CS?

 

[Cafeen]

Wow, so all three meals can be either TS or CS?

Yep.

However, it does not necessarily give you 3 "meals" per day, but rather 3 credits per night of stay. While this sounds like semantics, it's actually a pretty important thing to know.

For starters, since it's based on nights, if you're staying for 7days/6nights, you each will get 18 credits to spend throughout your stay. Depending on arrival and departure timing, it may not cover all the typical "meals" that you may want (assuming a normal person's (not me) 3 meals per day thing).

The other thing is, DxDDP takes a lot of time and planning to work out. If you're doing 3 meals per day, you can average about 90 minutes including travel time for each meal. This could easily eat up much of the day and make you feel like you're running from ADR to ADR. Also, with 3 courses at lunch and dinner, you may not even be hungry enough to eat when it's time.

All of this leads me into a few tips when planning for DxDDP:

• Don't be afraid to do the 2 credit places! Unlike DDP, 2 credit places on DxDDP do not hurt the bottom line nearly as much. This is due to two primary factors: 1 - The raw amount of TS available credits on DxDDP, and 2 - The fact that each credit on Dx has a much higher value to cost ratio (due to lower initial cost plus increased entitlements).
• Space the meals out a bit more than you normally may. An 8am/noon/6pm pattern may not work too well depending on how you eat. If going for 3 meals, 8am/2pm/8pm may work a bit better (in general). Myself, I typically do 11:30am/7pm for my 2 meals.
• Don't worry about burning all the credits. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but DxDDP will break even with about 3/4 of the credits used (most of those as TS) (note: this is with 2012 pricing, 2011 was closer to 2/3). So even if you have 3-4 credits left over (depending on length of stay) you're still likely to come out ahead.

I love using DxDDP as it fits the way I want to tour when I'm doing Disney. I do recognize that it's certainly not for everyone though as well as the increased planning that it takes to make it work.

 

[Bell30012]

My personal opinion is that the DDP is not enough meals and the DxDP is too many meals. That said, we generally do the DxDP on most of our trips. I like not having to worry about budgeting for the meals. I like not caring about the price of the meals while I'm at WDW.

Another not mentioned thus far advantage to the DxDP is that it includes the appetizer whereas the DDP doesn't.

 

[JKMN]

Thanks for the info! It does seem like the DDP is too little and the DxDP too much... If anyone has left over meals at the end of the trip, are they able to purchase "snacks" with them?

 

[3pletprincesses]

we usually use the DxDDP and ove it. We use do Character meals for breakfast and hen signature for dinenr and use our snacks during the day. also wit hthe DxDDP you get an appetizer with your meals which you don't with the DDP and you get the refillable mug. At the end of our trips, we had 40 snacks left and used them all at he Karamel shop in Norway on the last day. You can do what you want with your credits when you want. However keep in mind that DxDDP also meals more tips since you will be doing more TS meals but well worth it in our opinion and it gives better choices for children if you have any.

 

[Dean]

May I tack on a question about the Deluxe Plan. I'm not looking to abuse it, just understand the application of the rules and how the accounting works. We've done the basic DDP several times but have not done the Deluxe Plan. For our upcoming trip it's very possible that the Deluxe plan will be a good fit for us. We have one that fits as a child (3 y/o). I understand he is supposed to get the kids meals where they have them but that some CS locations don't have kids meals and some will allow kids to order from the adult menu.

My question is simple, I hope. How do they do the accounting for the Deluxe Plan between kids and adults in regards to QS meals? and does it create the same problems/confusion that it sometimes does with the basic DDP or QS plan?

 

[Cafeen]

Hopefully someone who has used the DxDDP with kids will come along and confirm/correct, but I believe that the credits are not split up on the receipt, much like the QS ones for DDP.

I honestly have no idea if they are actually separate or not, I've heard they are not and that it's up to you to track, but I'd rather err on the side of caution and say they "might" be, but just not displayed that way.

As far as QS specific, the DxDDP is just "credits", there are no QS or TS credits, they are one in the same.

 

[Dean]

Hopefully someone who has used the DxDDP with kids will come along and confirm/correct, but I believe that the credits are not split up on the receipt, much like the QS ones for DDP.

I honestly have no idea if they are actually separate or not, I've heard they are not and that it's up to you to track, but I'd rather err on the side of caution and say they "might" be, but just not displayed that way.

As far as QS specific, the DxDDP is just "credits", there are no QS or TS credits, they are one in the same.

Thanks, that was my fear.

 

[havoc315]

Correct. All the credits are lumped together on the receipt.

 

[MSLRAC]

Thanks, that was my fear.

It's really not that hard since the credits are not broken down into child/adult and QS/TS. Like for us, we had 4 eating at every meal so I knew we had x credits going in and at the end, we should have x-4 (or x-8 if it was a signature meal). Now, if your family splits up and eats on different schedules, then yes, it could become a bit more complicated.

 

[MSLRAC]

Thanks for the info! It does seem like the DDP is too little and the DxDP too much... If anyone has left over meals at the end of the trip, are they able to purchase "snacks" with them?

There have been reports that meal credits can be exchanged for snack credits if you have leftover credits at the end of your trip. But that really is not the best use of your credits to say the least.

We loved the DxDP and found it to be a good amount of food but it worked perfectly for our family. We did a character meal before park opening so we were finishing up just in time for rope drop. We broke for lunch around 2 which was a nice break and allowed us to relax, refuel and recharge for the rest of our day. Then we'd have dinner around 7:30 or 8 which is usually right around park closing time (in most cases) during January and February.

I have read many people who have said that their kids don't really eat that much on vacation but mine do...they actually ate more than usually and really needed those 3 meals a day. In fact, they even got snacks in between meals here and there.

I have also read that you spend far too much time at meals but the only park time we lost was during lunch and that was just 60-90 minutes which was really no big deal especially since we were not having to break for naps for the kids. But I did make sure to plan all of our meals in and around the park we would be at for the day so we would no lose any time traveling between parks.

But I will say that we had a ton of snack credits leftover on our last day but we used most of those for sandwiches, snacks and bottled drinks for the ride home.

 

[dsnyrn]

We initially reserved our vacation without any dining plan, when free dining came up, we grabbed it!! We upgraded to deluxe. With the help of Caffeen, my calculated saving are $697.00!! We will only be paying an additional $13.00 per dining credit and $2 for snack credit!! for a 7day stay.

 

[Dean]

It's really not that hard since the credits are not broken down into child/adult and QS/TS. Like for us, we had 4 eating at every meal so I knew we had x credits going in and at the end, we should have x-4 (or x-8 if it was a signature meal). Now, if your family splits up and eats on different schedules, then yes, it could become a bit more complicated.

That's our problem, we would be split up much of the time as well as sharing meals at times and at least if we go with the basic plan, paying OOP for the lower value options along. Unfortunately there isn't an option that fits perfectly for this trip. The way it's looking is that either we get the Basic plan and don't have enough or we get the Deluxe and have too many as well as likely over paying. We very much prefer TS options and we love to get appetizers but don't generally care about desserts. The basic plan that included the appy was far better for us or if they gave you the either/or option for appy vs dessert. Even better would be a deluxe type option that was 2 credits per day instead of 3.

In the past I've postulated a somewhat different plan where a CS was 1 credit, TS 2 credits and signature 3 credits with separate credits aimed at snacks, deserts and appetizers where a snack was 1 and the others 2. It's their BBQ and given the changes for 2012, it looks like their trying to kill it like they did the Food n Fun years ago. Thanks for clearing up the one question I had and letting me bounce this around.