Dining plan cost OUTRAGEOUS for 2012

[WillAustin]

The dxdp will save you money if you eat at a lot of signatures and have kids under 10. At a signature restaurant a kids meal will run between 25-35 dollars. I have 2 skinny as rails grade school boys that are great eaters. My dh and I are both runners with high metabolisms so we have pretty good appetites. . After a 6 mile run in the afternoon I have no problem downing the app, entree and dessert. I drop 5 pds everytime I go to wdw with dxdp so I really love it. I also hate fast food so it works for us. We have also been to wdw enough that we do not spend a lot of time in parks. I think you really have to evaluate your eating style to see if its worth it. It may not work for your family, but it works for mine, and I am sure their are others that it works for.

DxDP works for us as well, even at the new prices. We have 3 kids under 10 and 2 adults. Our typical day includes one character TS meal (breakfast or lunch) and a signature dinner or show. We don't like eating counter service meals at all. Crunching the numbers for each day showed that we certainly come out ahead on price.

Of course if you're on a Disney only trip and want to be inside Disney's bubble the whole time, then DDP is a solution. But it also gets you to miss out on a lot of what florida has to offer.

The bubble is part of the appeal for a lot of people, and we add extra days to the trip to do other things in Florida. Different styles for everyone. I personally can't imagine loading up the kids in our car and driving to a restaurant off-site during our resort stay, but some people would rather do that.

 

[havoc315]

The dxdp will save you money if you eat at a lot of signatures and have kids under 10. At a signature restaurant a kids meal will run between 25-35 dollars. I have 2 skinny as rails grade school boys that are great eaters. My dh and I are both runners with high metabolisms so we have pretty good appetites. . After a 6 mile run in the afternoon I have no problem downing the app, entree and dessert. I drop 5 pds everytime I go to wdw with dxdp so I really love it. I also hate fast food so it works for us. We have also been to wdw enough that we do not spend a lot of time in parks. I think you really have to evaluate your eating style to see if its worth it. It may not work for your family, but it works for mine, and I am sure their are others that it works for.

My math and my examples were for adults on the basic ddp -- where you need to eat steak or a character meal almost every night to get value.

Dxdp and children are very different computations. We did decide to use the dxdp ourselves for our next trip -- we have signature meals every day. We have 2 children. We anticipate saving a small amount -- 5-10%.

We don't burn enough calories at WDW to allow us to eat desserts and gorge a bit. We burn far more calories at home, working out every day. Don't have time and access to gym at WDW. We'll get a few desserts and apps, but not every day.

For my kids, signature kids meals are no where near $25.
California Grill -- DS gets the kids pizza and chocolate pudding - $12 total. DD prefers to eat a few pieces of maki off our plates. She doesn't like dessert. If she gets her own dish, Mac & Cheese -- $7

Narcoose's -- DS would want the pasta and s'mores -- total $13.
Dd would want chicken nuggets and fruit cup -- $10.

Brown Derby -- dd would want the kids chopped salad, meaty macaroni, and fruit cup- all 3 courses are $13.
DS would want grilled cheese and dessert -- $10.

The only reason we are saving money under the dxdp is because we are doing CRT, the luau, and lobster at Narcoose's. Without those 3 meals, the plan would be a loser for us.

 

[mjp12831]

In 2010, our DDs were 9 & 7 so the dining plan was a no-brainier. We loved the dining plan! When we return in 2012, we will have an 11 year old & I'm not certain she will eat $50+/day to make it worth it.

Here is my understanding, & please correct me if I'm wrong...If we are not on the dining plan, my DD11 could order off the children's menu if she wants at any counter service or table service with a menu. The only time she would not be able to do so would be at a buffett & she would obviously be an 'adult' at those meals.

So I'm thinking I need to decide where we want to eat, and if we are buffett-heavy in our ADRs, the dining plan may be advantageous. Convenience is also a huge factor for us.

Be aware that the portions on the kids menu are outrageously small at the table service places for older kids - we found that our 9yo (a very small girl) was still hungry. I'd be surprised if an 11yo would be ok with a children menu portion

DDP is no longer a huge bargain like it was a few years ago because of the rate increases, however as you mention it IS a huge convenience, and it also can still save you a bit of money if you're eating at the more expensive places.

Every time one of these threads comes up someone will point out that you can eat cheaper than the cost of the DDP (agreed), however that requires a state of mind of saving money on vacation and watching what you spend which is alleviated with DDP.

 

[chmurf]

however that requires a state of mind of saving money on vacation and watching what you spend which is alleviated with DDP.

that's correct, and that's why DDP's cost is outrageous, and it's when the deal is no longer a good deal.

If you want to break even with DDP, your main concern will be to try and book ADRs for the most expensive places your meal credit will get you.
Often this planning is too troublesome, or may get in the way of coherent park planning.
But let's face it, if people consider that DDP gives them more peace of mind in their search for "food", chances are they also don't want to go through the trouble of maximizing their DDP's value. Trying to maximize the savings of DDP by planning according to the most expensive restaurants would require a state of mind even more bent on saving than going for the very well known restaurant chains offsite, which offer basically the same prices.

So while your statement is still valid, I think that if you go for DDP because it alleviates the trouble of calculating your budget, then you also end up paying more than required for the food you get, by inadvertentely going places where it's cheaper.
Actually, DDP's guidelines tell you that you may use your table service credit for a counter service. While this puts the customer at ease, it also shows that the only people who save (or make money) off that plan are Disney itself.

As always, the discounts are announced as "up to xx% savings", it's the "up to" part that matters, because it has the announcer covered.
The calculation is made so that a slight discount is granted to those who have the most expensive service. And the service is offered bearing in mind that the vast majority of guests will finally end up paying more for their meals than if they had not taken the DDP, even when eating on property ...

Of course, here is a very bad place to make a poll on how much the DDP has really saved us. Because if we are here, it's because we plan, we get informed, we exchange ideas and tips, and therefore we are the best prepared and willing to get the best off our DDPs
But even then, most of us will get ripped off if we really make the calculation. So figure what it's like for those who get DDP bundled to their vacations by travel agents ... geez, look at some forums, some guests actually believed they were not allowed to leave WDW property since it was all inclusive.
And that's why the cost is outrageous (as per the thread's title) because basically you are charged not depending on what you actually get. It's a bit as if every restaurant was on a all you can eat basis. The price would obviously be designed to cover for big eaters' food orgies, and would be outrageous to every other guest, wether on a diet or regular eater

Of course this permits to enjoy one's stay without having to care for planning meals and so on. But is the value that good ? I would say no, not anymore anyway, unless ... of course ... when it's free. (and you know, Disney is far from being a non profit organisation, so if they can get you free DDPs, it's also because they make some good money off regular DDPs)

 

[WillAustin]

Every time one of these threads comes up someone will point out that you can eat cheaper than the cost of the DDP (agreed), however that requires a state of mind of saving money on vacation and watching what you spend which is alleviated with DDP.

Yes. For a lot of people convenience trumps savings. The convenience can definitely be considered added value for us. Even if we didn't come out ahead in the numbers, we'd still be doing it for the convenience.

 

[distherapy]

The dxdp will save you money if you eat at a lot of signatures and have kids under 10. At a signature restaurant a kids meal will run between 25-35 dollars. I have 2 skinny as rails grade school boys that are great eaters. My dh and I are both runners with high metabolisms so we have pretty good appetites. . After a 6 mile run in the afternoon I have no problem downing the app, entree and dessert. I drop 5 pds everytime I go to wdw with dxdp so I really love it. I also hate fast food so it works for us. We have also been to wdw enough that we do not spend a lot of time in parks. I think you really have to evaluate your eating style to see if its worth it. It may not work for your family, but it works for mine, and I am sure their are others that it works for.

This is exactly our perspective, though I am not a runner (unless it's for a fastpass). The meals are also a big part of our vacation, especially for dh. The quiet break time is important for our family as well, and we especially enjoy the signature restaurants for dinner. This will be our fourth trip with the DxDP and DH has told me he won't go without it. That being said, I noticed the price increase after I made our ADRs. I did the math and was extremely conservative (no desserts, and what I truly thought we would want to eat - not the highest dollar value) and the DxDP comes out about $200 cheaper than OOP for us. Throw in the snacks and it's definitely a no brainer. I'm pleased that it still works for our family and am also happy to acknowledge that there are many others for whom it doesn't work and OOP is a better option. I'm thankful we all travel/eat/tour differently or lines would be worse and ADRs impossible.

 

[havoc315]

Every time one of these threads comes up someone will point out that you can eat cheaper than the cost of the DDP (agreed), however that requires a state of mind of saving money on vacation and watching what you spend which is alleviated with DDP.

In regards to adults, I believe most adults can spend less than the dining plan, without watching their budgets.
Unless you are eating dessert at every meal, and for dinner every night -- steak or character meal-- then oop is cheaper.
For example, if I have 3 days like this:
1. Lunch - Plaza, no dessert. Afternoon dessert at Main Street Bakery. Dinner at Contempo Cafe.
2. Breakfast at Kona Cafe. Lunch -- egg roll at Animal Kingdom. Dinner- Qs.
3. Lunch, pizza at Via Napoli, no dessert. Pastry at French bakery. Dinner Qs anywhere.

I don't have to watch my budget. With those 3 ts meals and 3 cs meals, I can order anything I want, and it will be MUCH cheaper than the ddp. I'd save around $15 per day, per adult, compared to the ddp. No budget watching necessary, just the knowledge that I'm not eating steak/character meal/dessert EVERY night.
I could even add in a steak and more desserts, and it would be cheaper oop.

 

[wiseguyslovethemouse]

We've always done the dining plan, UNTIL last June when we were at the BC for a week. I felt like I choked every time we got a bill at the end of a sit down meal, and swore I'd never not choose the dining plan again. The main reason I decided to pass in the first place, was the fact that we were staying Club and I figured that we could skimp on "outside eating" since we were splurging on that.

Bottom line? We still ate out as much as we always have...my bad....

I guess I have a lot of adding to do between now and October. Maybe they'll offer free dining? Otherwise this is going to be a nightmare for me; math never was my strong suit....

 

[mickeyluv'r]

nearest restaurants to Epcot are on the DTD area, some 4 or 5 miles away. And every other restaurants chains may be found in a 8 miles radius.
So unless you chose to drive at rush hours times, it don't see how you'd end up spending 90 minutes each way to restaurants.

Since I've been quoted several times....I didn't say the 'drive' was 60 minutes/90 minutes. I said 'the time it takes to get from inside Epcot or MK' may easily be that long. Standing at the front door of ColumbiaHarborhouse or WS Italy vs. leaving for anything but Crossroads -that's what I mean. Crossroads is the very fringe of 'offsite'. Go a few miles beyond Crossroads and the time adds up quickly. (see below)

I've timed the drive from CR to DTD multiple times. It takes 20+ minutes. (Mapquest estimates 20min) There's quite a few traffic lights, and it's common to get stuck behind a slow moving bus. There's also frequent speed traps. Getting to just past Crossroads - the area by the outlet mall- easily adds another 10-15 min. (Even mid-day it gets backed up.)

Much of the timing I meant is the time it takes to get to the park exit, to the tram, to your car, getting the car loaded, getting past the parking lot back up. The timing on all of that is highly variable. If you are parked in the front row at AK, adults only, it's going to be quite a bit different than being on the far end of a MK row in a far off lot on say - New Year's, with two toddlers and a double stroller to pack. On a truly peak day - even my estimates could be quite a bit low. I've spent over half an hour just waiting to board the MK monorail to leave the park.

I've also timed how long it takes to walk Epcot. If you are on the far side of the WS -it takes a while to get to the front gate. Even at a brisk pace, it is 15 minutes to get from Italy to Mexico, plus the distance of FW. To use your example; if you were near SE- and your friends had dinner in WS Japan - then you were perhaps much closer to your car than Teppan Edo.

I freely say offsite dinner and maybe breakfast can make sense, especially if you are staying offsite. Offsite, I love places like Hampton Inns, where a decent breakfast is super quick and included in the room rates! Getting from an onsite resort to certain dining locations via WDW transport can take LOTS of time.

Then again, I've seen hour plus waits at the Crossroads plaza Waffle house. The Waffle House! Try going on a Sunday morning! We also waited 45min for a table at a restaurant in downtown Celebration on a weeknight in the last year.

Derogatory comments aren't necessary. I've been to WDW LOTS of times, thanks - and have been 'outside the bubble' many times. In the last two years we spent five nights staying offsite. I don't always time our drives, but I have timed many of them.

Pop is indeed located on the edge of WDW -so getting offsite from there to one of the McD's is indeed quite a bit shorter than many of the other resorts.

I'm not going to say WDW pizza is the best, but I also don't think Denny's and McDonalds are on par with Teppan Edo, Ohana, and Flying fish. By all means, I agree that dinner ofsite is feasible, a potential money saver, and you can easily make it work into your day plan, if that is what you wish to do.
What I questioned was the value of leaving MK for lunch- especially - as your original comments suggested - pairing an offsite lunch with a refillable mug. to make that work, you'd have to go fom MK to Pop to McDonalds - which would easily eat up quite a bit of time.

According to Mapquest: the DRIVE time from Pop to Crossroads plaza is 10minutes (5miles). From Cr it's 20minutes. (aboput 11miles depending on route) Drive time from the SWAN toCrossroads is 16minutes (8miles).

If I am going to diner, then hitting rush hour is a distinct possibilty.

A family of two adutls two kids under 9 - paying oop - could have burgers and drinks at Cosmic Ray's for about $18.50. The new pizza at Via Napoli is also quite a bit better than the tomato cookie they served at Pizza Planet just a few years ago. you might just want to try a slice next time you are there.

 

[DjdBrit]

DJdBrit - I hear that - I have gone back and forth as we have ALWAYS gotten the DP - dh is so not sure I'm sane for not getting it this time!!

I went and planned places that didnt take the DP (at the time) Bistro de Paris, Big River Grille, and Beaches and Cream are on our list. Then I started buying gift cards - so our trip is in a few days, and I have my fingers crossed it all works out for us!

Well I did it! I just sat down with a pad of paper and the allears menu info.... A calculator and a little bit of excitment! Guess what I discovered...

Hmmm well no one seems to have a firm $ on DP cost so my figure are based on this... Adults $54 and kids $20, since our family according to WDW is 3Ad and 2 kids I have $202 a day to pay for the DP, x9 =$1,818

I then went in and averaged what we actually want to eat at CS around $400 for 9 days giving me just under $45 a meal.

Then I looked at TS and I looked at what our family usually gets on the DP, and to be even sneakier I added in 3 signature meals (we usually do 1)

Using these places... Breakfast at Cape May and Norway, Dinners at Le Cellier, Chef Mickeys, Big River, O'hana's, ESPN, Brown Derby, Garden Grill and Jilko.... which is actually 10, This came to $1,448 add the CS to this it gave me $1,848.....

I didn't add drinks to the dinners as I know we will drink yummy drinkie drinks which are not on the dining plan anyway.....

So for a tiny bit more $$ I can eat exactly what I want and enjoy more Signature Meals or take them away and actually save.....

Certainly something to think about when making your decision. Untill very recently I have advocated for the DP, I think it will be hard for me to do taht anymore.

 

[padawans]

This is exactly our perspective, though I am not a runner (unless it's for a fastpass). The meals are also a big part of our vacation, especially for dh. The quiet break time is important for our family as well, and we especially enjoy the signature restaurants for dinner. This will be our fourth trip with the DxDP and DH has told me he won't go without it. That being said, I noticed the price increase after I made our ADRs. I did the math and was extremely conservative (no desserts, and what I truly thought we would want to eat - not the highest dollar value) and the DxDP comes out about $200 cheaper than OOP for us. Throw in the snacks and it's definitely a no brainer. I'm pleased that it still works for our family and am also happy to acknowledge that there are many others for whom it doesn't work and OOP is a better option. I'm thankful we all travel/eat/tour differently or lines would be worse and ADRs impossible.

I am glad you have done the math and it works out. On our next vacation I am doing a room only the last three days. This way I can stretch our 7 days of DXdp into 8 days and our snacks into 10 days. I think we will get a really good value of it this way. I'll just pay oop the last two days. We always fly out early in the morning with 8-12 credits left. With the price increases I'd like to get every penny out of it.

 

[angelmav]

Since I've been quoted several times....I didn't say the 'drive' was 60 minutes/90 minutes. I said 'the time it takes to get from inside Epcot or MK' may easily be that long. Standing at the front door of ColumbiaHarborhouse or WS Italy vs. leaving for anything but Crossroads -that's what I mean. Crossroads is the very fringe of 'offsite'. Go a few miles beyond Crossroads and the time adds up quickly. (see below)

I've timed the drive from CR to DTD multiple times. It takes 20+ minutes. (Mapquest estimates 20min) There's quite a few traffic lights, and it's common to get stuck behind a slow moving bus. There's also frequent speed traps. Getting to just past Crossroads - the area by the outlet mall- easily adds another 10-15 min. (Even mid-day it gets backed up.)

Much of the timing I meant is the time it takes to get to the park exit, to the tram, to your car, getting the car loaded, getting past the parking lot back up. The timing on all of that is highly variable. If you are parked in the front row at AK, adults only, it's going to be quite a bit different than being on the far end of a MK row in a far off lot on say - New Year's, with two toddlers and a double stroller to pack. On a truly peak day - even my estimates could be quite a bit low. I've spent over half an hour just waiting to board the MK monorail to leave the park.

I've also timed how long it takes to walk Epcot. If you are on the far side of the WS -it takes a while to get to the front gate. Even at a brisk pace, it is 15 minutes to get from Italy to Mexico, plus the distance of FW. To use your example; if you were near SE- and your friends had dinner in WS Japan - then you were perhaps much closer to your car than Teppan Edo.

I freely say offsite dinner and maybe breakfast can make sense, especially if you are staying offsite. Offsite, I love places like Hampton Inns, where a decent breakfast is super quick and included in the room rates! Getting from an onsite resort to certain dining locations via WDW transport can take LOTS of time.

Then again, I've seen hour plus waits at the Crossroads plaza Waffle house. The Waffle House! Try going on a Sunday morning! We also waited 45min for a table at a restaurant in downtown Celebration on a weeknight in the last year.

Derogatory comments aren't necessary. I've been to WDW LOTS of times, thanks - and have been 'outside the bubble' many times. In the last two years we spent five nights staying offsite. I don't always time our drives, but I have timed many of them.

Pop is indeed located on the edge of WDW -so getting offsite from there to one of the McD's is indeed quite a bit shorter than many of the other resorts.

I'm not going to say WDW pizza is the best, but I also don't think Denny's and McDonalds are on par with Teppan Edo, Ohana, and Flying fish. By all means, I agree that dinner ofsite is feasible, a potential money saver, and you can easily make it work into your day plan, if that is what you wish to do.
What I questioned was the value of leaving MK for lunch- especially - as your original comments suggested - pairing an offsite lunch with a refillable mug. to make that work, you'd have to go fom MK to Pop to McDonalds - which would easily eat up quite a bit of time.

According to Mapquest: the DRIVE time from Pop to Crossroads plaza is 10minutes (5miles). From Cr it's 20minutes. (aboput 11miles depending on route) Drive time from the SWAN toCrossroads is 16minutes (8miles).

If I am going to diner, then hitting rush hour is a distinct possibilty.

A family of two adutls two kids under 9 - paying oop - could have burgers and drinks at Cosmic Ray's for about $18.50. The new pizza at Via Napoli is also quite a bit better than the tomato cookie they served at Pizza Planet just a few years ago. you might just want to try a slice next time you are there.

Backtrack or fearmonger much?

15 minutes to go from Italy to Mexico? You cant be serious! Packed wall to wall people it will take less than that to go from the back of the park to your car. I cant believe you post such things! Speedtraps on property are now your big buggaboo?

Just the burger at Cosmic Ray's is about 10 bucks without a drink. Don't mislead people with such bad information. That meal you speak of at Cosmic Ray's will DOUBLE your listed price unless they are sharing 1 burger and 1 kids meal. The individual pizza at Via Napoli which you conveniently don't list a price for is $16. You will spend $40 on a large pizza to share (that same mythical family), before adding in drinks or tip.

People spend more time park hopping or waiting for ADR's than it takes to get to an offsite restaurant. Doesnt mean its the right choice or most desireable for everyone, but people should be able to decide that for themselves without being misled.

My how the mighty dining plan has fallen. People that still tout it now sell it on it's convenience factor while admitting it 'may' end up costing more than just paying as you go. It will be curious to see how well the plan does this year or if the fact they dont seperate the price anymore keeps people hooked.

 

[lilpig]

Well, I haven't been to Disney in 16 years so i'm super excited! This will be the first for all three of my children. We have the free ddp, I am glad because they sure can eat and with the free plan I feel that helps

I have been reading a lot of really helpful information here, I am thankful for the others who have the knowledge to share. I try to think over whatever everyone says, and see how it applies for my family.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Well I did it! I just sat down with a pad of paper and the allears menu info.... A calculator and a little bit of excitment! Guess what I discovered...

Hmmm well no one seems to have a firm $ on DP cost so my figure are based on this... Adults $54 and kids $20, since our family according to WDW is 3Ad and 2 kids I have $202 a day to pay for the DP, x9 =$1,818

I then went in and averaged what we actually want to eat at CS around $400 for 9 days giving me just under $45 a meal.

Then I looked at TS and I looked at what our family usually gets on the DP, and to be even sneakier I added in 3 signature meals (we usually do 1)

Using these places... Breakfast at Cape May and Norway, Dinners at Le Cellier, Chef Mickeys, Big River, O'hana's, ESPN, Brown Derby, Garden Grill and Jilko.... which is actually 10, This came to $1,448 add the CS to this it gave me $1,848.....

I didn't add drinks to the dinners as I know we will drink yummy drinkie drinks which are not on the dining plan anyway.....

So for a tiny bit more $$ I can eat exactly what I want and enjoy more Signature Meals or take them away and actually save.....

Certainly something to think about when making your decision. Untill very recently I have advocated for the DP, I think it will be hard for me to do taht anymore.

Well done, however there is also the value of the refillable mug as well as 5 snacks a day to take into account.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

My bad on the math in my last post...I meant to double the $18.50. Otherwise, I think this has been a good thread with a helpful discussion. Chmurf and others have raised some good discussion points.

[The menu for CosmicRay's/Peco Bills had burgers at $9.19, fountain drinks at I think $2.89, kids meals about $5, add 6.5% tax. So 2 adults/2 kids - plus drinks oop - is about $37. Feel free to verify. Chmura mentioned Denny's, so I was going to compare Denny's $ for lunch, but Denny's doesn't list prices online. To be fair, Denny's includes table service - so a better compare might be Denny's to the Plaza on Main St... Does anyone have prices for Denny's?]

If there's a place I haven't seen that's quick to MK with decent food, I'm open to suggestions. Some of my first DIS posts were on a 2004 thread called "Best off-site Restaurant's Thread". It is - or was - a great little thread about offsite places that have good food and good prices. I've been looking for good offsite suggestions for some time. (though I haven't looked at that particular thread in a while.)

Truly I'm baffled. So again, I say:

I freely say offsite dinner and maybe breakfast can make sense, especially if you are staying offsite. Offsite, I love places like Hampton Inns, where a decent breakfast is super quick and included in the room rates! Getting from an onsite resort to certain dining locations via WDW transport can take LOTS of time..

This is a little like those threads that ask what's the best time of year to go....there is no one answer: Any answer is subjective, and a matter of what details you value. Further diffferent resorts/dates/airfare (or other transportation to WDW)/weather/family make up - are all HUGE variables.
How you value your food choices is another big variable.

The variety of options, I think, is one of the things that has made WDW such a great place to visit!

I agree convenience is the biggest advantage of DDP - if it ends up being convenient.

But all of this, imo - is also tempered by the new cancelation policy. It's all a gamble in my mind. If you buy DDP - you were always gambiling that you'd use all your credits. Under the new rules, you are FURTHER gambling that you'll make it to all ADR's. Miss a TS reservation due to unforseen day-of event- i.e someone gets sick - and you not only lose DDP - you also get stuck for $10 per person. Ouch!

In that case, TiW and no ADR's might be the way to go.....(or just a few at places that don't charge).

******

to chmurf: Pizza slices are available in Italy's WS at the walk up window for about $5. They aren't cooked in the wood fired oven like the ones inside, but they are quite good and run about $5. It's still not Italy, but ten years ago pretty much all WDW pizza was the same horrible stuff. I don't know how long it's been since you tried WDW pizza, but if we were at WDW together, I'd gladly hand you five $ just to try it. You might find it worth five $ for the update. (since I'm gusssing you won't be on DDP. ) It occurs to me that there are no Denny's in Europe. The Denny's near my home is not nearly as nice as the one in Orlando, so for me - going to Denny's when I go to Orlando is not that special, but I can understand how someone whoe doesn't have Dennys back home would appricaiet it more than me. Indeed, part of the challenge for me in Orlando is that I have nearly all the Orlando chain restaurants locally. Part of going offsite for us, is finding a place that we don't have here at home.

 

[chmurf]

Part of going offsite for us, is finding a place that we don't have here at home.

precisely.
To be honest, I have to wander a bit off topic and explain.
I live in France and have DLRP virtually in my backyard. We're on AP and we basically only do table service with our 20% discount. So offsite dining while in WDW is something we don't do at home. lol
The other thing wich might sound insane to americans, is that we basically have little choice when it comes to rather "speedy" restauration.
We have McD's, KFCs, Domino's, Pizza Hut, and a fast food chain called "Quick" (where I get consistentely sick each time I eat there, and they actually managed to kill a teenage boy with food poisoning last year ... 'nuff said) and very recentely we had Subway coming to France.

When I get to the USA, I want to reconnect with some of my childhood memories (which I spent part of in the US). So I more than gladly go back to BK (which used to exist in France but was soon closed down), Denny's, Taco Bell, IHOP and so on.

As a matter of fact, we're going, on a regular basis, to restaurants that are by far superior to what we'd get in WDW, and often for pretty much less money and superior food.

So you may understand why I will settle for restaurants that I don't have back at home, even though the food might be considered junk food. Because I don't see the point in paying more for a lower quality than what I'm accustomed to.

And I guess for a few european travellers, this is something that needs to be considered.

DDP takes the worries off your hands when it comes to dining. And that's really an added value. But the price over value ratio no longer makes DDP attractive.

And many people who criticise DDP are people, like me, who think that DDP is overpriced, and it is overpriced because Disney's restaurants are awfully overpriced.

Actually it's not a matter to know if DDP is convinient to use. It's about how outrageously high the prices are.
And, as you pointed out, dining OOP can seem too complicated or time consuming, DDP will remain overpriced and the price will even soar, because it is known that guests will choose DDP no matter what, because it makes things easy.
This doesn't change the fact that it is overexpensive.

One last thing, I've been to Ohana's a while back. It used to be my favorite.
At some points the skewers were coming in so fast that the table was full, we never got the time to tell the waiter to stop them coming before a full platter fell to the ground. Is that what we're paying for at table service ? Is that the conception of quality dining ? Some restaurants will actually rush you and go for quantity over quality. Stuff you as fast as possible so you clear the table for the next guest in line.
So maybe it brings peace of mind to have DDP, but the benefit is quickly eclipsed by the downside of WDW's restauration system. And the same system goes for all Disney parks for that matter ... not mentionning rats and mice at the blue lagoon in DLRP, or cockroaches at the rainforest café (on occasions) ... but that's another story ... but definitely, it makes me want to eat offsite. Maybe not that it's better or cleaner, but at least it's cheap, and I'd rather put my money on attractions rather than on food when I can (and will) have better back home

 

[bledsoedoc]

Just a few points after reading this energetic thread. We do ddp for each of our two week stays. We have done the math after adding up our receipts. We at least break even and if we use all of our credits for meals AND snacks, we saved.' And that is not including ourvrefillable mugs which my hubby takes every am to get coffee and hot chocolate for the family. But even more important, it keeps us in the park. Going from America in the world showcase to a car parked far enough away you need a tram, takes at least 30 minutes. Then travel time to where you want to eat. Time there. Time back to the parking lot. Travel time back into the park. It adds up to loss of precious time with my family in the parks, which in the end is why we pay the big bucks for our annual track to Orlando.
So in the end I save money and I save precious time.

 

[bledsoedoc]

And you annual pass holders out there get tons of discounts. For my two weeks in october I received a sit down, a quick serve and one snack daily for each of us in my family of three for only $70 per day total.
Another option is the tables in wonderland program for 20% off at certain sit down meals but not all.
And if you are like us, spending a minimum of 2 weeks there each year, by the time you buy your tickets, your Disney hotel and the ddp, using the pass holder discounts, we actually save way more than the cost of our annual pass. Plus we get 10% all of our merchandice and tour purchases. Our annual pass saves us tons of money, with one word of warning, you have to be diligent and patient to watch for the discounts to appear. I book our annual December trip in march. Set up all of reservations 190 days out. Then watch weekly for the dis ounts, switch the hotel reservation at that point to get my 35% off and add my dining plan at a much cheaper rate. Takes time but saves tons of money. Hope this helps.

 

[bledsoedoc]

However, for our upcoming Feb trip my husband and I will be taking our 3 y/o GS down there for his very first trip (parents are not fans of WDW). Even though we go frequently, we are so excited about this trip and want to give him the perfect WDW experience. We decided to book every character meal that we could, plus a few of our favorites that we think he might enjoy.


You say you want to have a PERFECT week for a 3 year old... the 3 year olds I know (and I have 2 kids- ages 5 and 8...) are scared of the costumed characters, are bored silly at sit down restaurants and could care less about having the perfect time...

They would be happy with a burger and fries and a sippy cup of juice, all from the comfort of their stroller... I hope you have very low expectations for this trip, as I would.

Good luck...

My son, who is 5, has been to Disney 7 times and has never been afraid of the characters. It is all in how you prepare them and making sure they sleep, eat, and have some unstructued playtime daily. The less overwhelmed the child is and the less sensory overload the child has, the more they will enjoy the entire experience including the characters. Each child is different. Respect what makes your grandchild special and his/her own distinct needs and everything will be wonderful.

 

[chmurf]

You say you want to have a PERFECT week for a 3 year old... the 3 year olds I know (and I have 2 kids- ages 5 and 8...) are scared of the costumed characters, are bored silly at sit down restaurants and could care less about having the perfect time...

They would be happy with a burger and fries and a sippy cup of juice, all from the comfort of their stroller...

I mostly agree.
Not on the character part though. For instance, my son is only afraid by the queen of hearts, but really enjoys the other characters (he's 4 and goes to Disney's since is 1 1/2)

But I do agree on the sit down restaurants being quite boring for kids under the age of 6 or 7 (and even almost into their early teens)
Of course your kid might be very well behaved, and will sit down quietly and patiently to please you. But inside the kid will be boiling.
Fact is that a kid is not "designed" to last more than 20 minutes at any table or meal. It's all about physiology. 20 minutes after beginning a meal, our body begins sending messages to our brain basically saying that you are satiated. And if adults are used to make meals last, kids do need their routine.

So if you want things to be perfect, try not to hold the kid in a restaurant more than 20 minutes, and you may realise that this timeframe woudln't even get you through your entrée, let alone dessert.

Spending time enjoying lunch/dinner in a restaurant is grown-ups' stuff. The kids need to get things moving and cannot focus for long periods of time, they're kids, let them be kids, especially at Disney's.
They may try to please you by staying calm and focused, they may even lie outright by saying that they enjoyed it. But do not get fooled. It's only your conception of perfect, from your grown up point of view. But from a kid's point of view, sitting down at a table is time wasted, and you know that when you realise that restaurants do have play areas for kids. There wouldn't be if kids enjoyed staying at the table while the adults have THEIR very own perfect time.

Grab the kid a burger or a couple of chicken nuggets and some fries, and off you go to the perfect things like Dumbo, Tea Cups, It's a small world and stuff like that

my own 2 cents anyway