Dining Questions ... DDE vs DP

[MJGirl]

Need some great DIS advice here. We are going to purchase our first annual pass this year, as our planned trips in 08/09 will make it worthwhile. I'm not eligible for the free dining in September, if it is offered, as I will be staying on DVC points. For meals, we tend to go to buffets or family style meals, versus sit down meals. My questions are:

• Would I be better for off using the dining plan for $37.99 a night or taking advantage of the Disney Dining experience for $60 and getting the 20% off?
• If you purchase the DDE, do you get 20% off the dining plan?
• Are any restaurants excluded from the DDE?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You do not get a discount on the DDP when you hold DDE.

To the best of my knowledge the only sit-down restaurants which do not accept DDE are RainForest Cafe, the two in Japan and all the non-Disney-owned at DTD. I am not sure about Y&Y, but they may not be on DDP either.

It can be used at the food courts at all the Values plus POFQ. The real value (for some people) is it can be used at all the Resort Lounges and may be used for alcoholic beverages.

 

[Pakey]

Yak & Yeti TS does accept the DDE. You cannot use it at their counter service though.

To OP, I think it depends on your eating style. For us, the DDP makes no sense because of how we eat. So we use the DDE. I think that if you want to adapt your eating style to fit into the format of the DDP, that is still the better value.

However, if you plan to drink alcohol with meals, including bottles of wine with dinner, the DDE pays for itself very quickly. And yes, that can be used in conjuction with the DDP. So if you had both, your entree and dessert would be taken care of with the DDP credits but then if you had appetizers and alcohol, you could get the 20% discount on those items. Keep in mind that anything you use the DDE card for will be assessed the automatic 18% gratuity.

 

[MJGirl]

Thanks for the info pakey... I don't drink, so that is not a concern. My daughter and I tend to do buffets and love our snacks. From the info I'm getting, the dining plan sounds better. From what I am hearing, the 20% I'm saving is basically covering the tip!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

For my family, the Dining Plan is the much better way to go. We are two adults and two small children...4 and 7.

For every trip, past and future, we figure out if we eat at 4 places...we each picked our favorites, and we ate all the rest counter service, I added in NO desserts and NO snacks. We looked over the menus, picked what we would likely order, added it up, added tax and tip, subtracted DDE, blah blah blah.

It was LESS for us to have the Dining Plan, and we would eat out 7 Table Service, less Counter Service, plus had desserts and snacks...and it was a couple hundred less for us.

I think why this must work out for us over and over, is we have two small kids at the $9.99 per day. But so far, not once has it even come close to make sense for us not to get the Dining Plan.

 

[TDC Nala]

Unless something's been changed, Yak & Yeti doesn't accept DDE at either TS or CS.

They do accept DDP though.

None of the Swan/Dolphin restaurants accept DDE. At DTD, the vast majority don't. Raglan Road and Planet Hollywood take it and they're not Disney owned. Early this year, DDE was also accepted by the counter service restaurants at AK with the exception of Anandupur Food Cafes (Yak & Yeti).

and even on DDP you have to pay the tip.

 

[libertycdamac]

I just got back for Disney and Yak and Yeti are NOT taking DDE cards.