dining plan suggestion

[mickey12810]

We just got back from BLT for 10days. This was our first visit as DVC members. So not knowing the ins and outs of owning we got the dining plan. I only wanted it for 8 days and of course MS said I had to have it for the whole time. I think this is totally unfair to DVC members as we have the facilities to cook our own meals if we so desire. I sent an email to MS saying that it would be nice if we could pick however many days we want the dining plan. Why is it so difficult for them to just give us say 4 days of meals on your KTTW and once they are gone they are gone. I feel that they have overpriced the meals to the point that it is crazy expensive to bring a family of four out to dinner for a nice meal. There is only 2 of us but I feel bad for larger families. Sorry to rant. Any other thoughts?

 

[Chuck S]

The DDP is what it is, and not controlled by DVC, but by Disney Resorts. It was never designed to be used as a partial stay add-on. I doubt we'll ever see the ability to pick and choose days again, unless the computer system is completely revamped. The current system handles the DDP poorly, unless booked for the entire stay, and there is little incentive for Disney to offer it for partial stays.

My thoughts would be to eat at a few of your favorite onsite venues, supplemented by off-site restaurants and in-villa meals, assuming you have a car for those off-site restaurants.

I also travel with only adults, usually. We never found the DDP to be of any value.

 

[auntsue]

You may find the TIW card to be a better fit for you. It does cost $75 so you have to spend $375 just to break even. We go several times a year and prefer the Signature restaurants so it works for us.

We only get the deluxe plan for a few days at the start of our trip when we do a split-stay. It's just not worth it to us anymore.

I totally agree with you about the families, but at least they are not as strict as they once were. There was a time when you couldn't bring in any food or drink. We usually bring in a bottle of water and a snack-size baggie of some kind of healthy snack. $2.50 for a bottle of water is pretty steep, if you ask me.

 

[Sandisw]

While the DDP touts savings and there are ways to maximize it if you really want to try, as mentioned, it was never designed for that main purpose but rather as a way to allow guests to prepay everything and thus have the convenience of not worrying about it.

Prior to DVC, we used it several times and found that even though we may not have saved that much, it was just easier getting that $7 dessert and taking only a few bites, then having to pull out the cash to pay for it.

So, while having the dining plans for only part of the trip is nice (took advantage of it this summer), I doubt you will see this come back as it just doesn't fit in terms of Disney's purpose.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You may find the TIW card to be a better fit for you. It does cost $75 so you have to spend $375 just to break even. We go several times a year and prefer the Signature restaurants so it works for us.....

Plus you have to either be a Florida resident or have an Annual Pass to be able to purchase the TIW card.

But if you are a DVC member going every year, you can plan your second trip for just inside a 12 month time frame and get two trips a year with an AP. And you get the DVC member discount on the AP.

 

[DMKEDM]

A former huge DP fan here...we'd used it for every trip up til a year or so ago...at that point, we wanted more flexibility--we like appetizers & they weren't on the plan; we still ran up significant bills picking up tips & "extras"...

For our traditional T-giving trip this year, I decided to actually look at costs rather than "going w/my gut"...so I looked at the menus for all our ADRs (allears.net/dining) ... I just guessed, of course, at what we'd feel like eating--but I have a pretty good idea of what we like (steaks, 2 or even 3 times in a week, but not every day, for example)...I added up the costs of the entree, soft drink and dessert, and compared it to the cost of the DDP--then I guesstimated $15/day for our second (counter service) meal, and another $10/day for snacks and those days we feel like eating b'fast (we actually only rarely eat 3 meals in a day)...

I was totally shocked to discover that the DDP (just the regular DDP), used on most expensive to mid-range meal choices, actually cost us $250 more than paying out of pocket--before factoring in our TIW discounts...

I didn't "count" appetizers or cocktails--we'd pay out of pocket for those whether or not we were on the DDP, so I was just comparing DDP vs non-DDP costs.

So, we're now former DDP fans...

 

[leanne2255]

I never factored in the actual savings. What I do like about the DDP is not having to worry about my meals and what I'm spending on them. For me, the DDP is about peace of mind; knowing that I can go out with DH for that $150 meal, having paid for it in advance.

I do think, sometimes, it's too much food, but if you plan correctly and space out lunches and dinners, it works perfectly.

To each his own...

 

[disfanforlife]

I never factored in the actual savings. What I do like about the DDP is not having to worry about my meals and what I'm spending on them. For me, the DDP is about peace of mind; knowing that I can go out with DH for that $150 meal, having paid for it in advance.

I do think, sometimes, it's too much food, but if you plan correctly and space out lunches and dinners, it works perfectly.

To each his own...

I feel exactly the same as you. We look forward to our annual trip but are never sure if we can plan it to work out to be able to use an AP. So, I never really considered the TIW card. For us it is easier to not have to think about how much items are on the menu and just relax knowing it is already paid for. And we are a family of 5.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I never factored in the actual savings. What I do like about the DDP is not having to worry about my meals and what I'm spending on them. For me, the DDP is about peace of mind; knowing that I can go out with DH for that $150 meal, having paid for it in advance.

I do think, sometimes, it's too much food, but if you plan correctly and space out lunches and dinners, it works perfectly.

To each his own...

And some people feel exactly the same way as you. For me the convenience isn't worth a few hundred dollars more, but I can see why people with young children find it to be convenient.