Dining Plan or DDE card?

[Eyore4Ever149]

We are AP/DVC and have the disney dining card- which allows 20% off many table service restaurants.

We are also DVC members- which offers a large variety of discounts off eateries- most table service and shops.

We are returning for a quick trip 4 nights at the end of May to BWV.
Which is the best way to go?
Use the DDE card we already have
or use the card and purchase the meal plan?

i hear the plan no longer includes tax and tip? Is that correct?

Party consists of 2 adults and 1 2yr old.

 

[Dannielle_1]

I'm currently debating the same thing. (Although I'm not a DVC member.)

I created a sort of spread sheet with my current ADRs. Using the menus off of allearsnet, I listed what I guessed I would order and figured out the cost for would be w/ the DDE discount. I made sure not to select the most expensive items unless I absolutely knew that would be what I'd actually order. I also made sure to only deduct the 20% from the actual places that accept DDE. I also included sample snacks for each day. Anyway, over 9 days/8 nights, I would currently save $110 for one person using the DDE. However, I only have 16 of 24 meal credits accounted for. We aren't really breakfast eaters so don't want to account for that right now.

Also, all of our meals are currently TS and I'm not sure if we will want to do 15 sit downs with a 2 year old (several are buffets so that will help, but still). I'm afraid if we get the DxDP we'll feel locked in to our current plans to make sure we get the full value. I don't know I keep going back and forth.

I'm sure I haven't help you with your question, but I'm in the same boat more or less. If you send me a PM with your address, I'll forward you the excel sheet I made if that will help you decide. You can change the values to meet your needs. (This spreadsheet is not nearly as indepth as others I've seen posted, but I thought I would offer).

Oh, to answer one of your questions definatively, tax is included in the Dining Plans, tip is not.

 

[ADP]

We are AP/DVC and have the disney dining card- which allows 20% off many table service restaurants.

We are also DVC members- which offers a large variety of discounts off eateries- most table service and shops.

We are returning for a quick trip 4 nights at the end of May to BWV.
Which is the best way to go?
Use the DDE card we already have
or use the card and purchase the meal plan?

i hear the plan no longer includes tax and tip? Is that correct?

Party consists of 2 adults and 1 2yr old.

The 2 year old will eat free.

I'm in the same boat. We are going with the Dining Plan during our upcoming trip first week of April. The reason I chose the DDP over the DDE was because of the restaurants we will be dining at. They are pricier than normal so using DDP credits gets us more value.

We will only be eating breakfast at 1 TS restaurants during our trip. Breakfasts at TS restaurants are much cheaper than dinner.

 

[lovesdumbo]

I would look at menus and figure out what you might eat. I did that before booking DDP for my May trip with 1 adult and 1 child. I decided to go with the DDP. I used $10 for a CS estimate and $2.50 for a snack credit and was going to save a small amount with DDP over DDE. We are doing 3 breakfast ADRs, 1 dinner and one 2 point meal and it works for me BUT I am only paying for 1 adult.

Don't forget DDE now add mandatory 18% tip when you use it.

 

[Sophie's Mom]

We too are DVC/AP members that have a DDE card. There are nine of us going in June. Four adults (well older adults , two 18 year olds, one 17 year old and two 13 year olds. I have already made our ADR's. So we printed out the menus from Deb's site and got everyone together and asked them to "order". It was definately cheaper for us to use the DDE card and not the DDP. We are not dessert eaters so I think this helped. For the 9 of us we save close to $800 using the DDE for 8 days. Also we have 5 teenage girls who are big salad/chicken eaters. So I think it depends on your eating habits and tastes IMO.

 

[hannaconda]

What is the DDE card?

 

[Sophie's Mom]

What is the DDE card?

The Disney Dining Experience. It's a dining discount card that gives you a 20% discount at many sit down restaurants at Disney. This year Disney instituted a mandatory 18% gratuity when using the card. Didn't affect us though, since we tip 20% anyway. The DDE is available to Annual Passholders and Florida residents. There is an annual fee for the card.