Disney Dining Plan vs. Deluxe Disney Dining Plan

[Antonia]

We are going in 2011. We are DVC members on our first trip home!! What is the difference between the disney dining plan and the DELUXE dining plan?

We are 4 adults and one 2 year old and a 7 month old baby. At least that is what we will be by the time of our trip!!!!

 

[Faldred]

(Basic) DDP: 1 TS, 1 CS, 1 snack per person per night

DxDP: 3 "meal credits" (each can be used for TS or CS), 2 snacks per person per night. TS "menu service" meals include an appetizer at lunch or dinner.

Price difference is about $35/adult/night for 2011. You will only need to get it for the adults, as the children are all under 3.

 

[havoc315]

Realistically, the Deluxe plan gives you as much table service dining as you can handle. While the DDP includes 1 table-restaurant meal per day, and 1 counter-service meal per day, the deluxe gives you 3 meals per day, that you can use for table or conterservice.

Additionally, the deluxe plan gives you more snacks (2 versus 1), the refillable soda mug, plus an appetizer with lunch and dinner. (Except for some prix fixe menus, you do not get appetiziers on the basic plan).

The upgrade cost is about $30-$35 per day. (If you are upgrading during peak season, I believe it is about $30 per day).

If you want and actually get all the "extra" food you are entitled to -- appetizers with every meal, all your snacks, 3 sit-down meals per day, then it easily pays for itself.

But I would think that is way too much food for most people. Still, it will likely pay for itself if you like to do a lot of signature dining (2 ts credits), and if you prefer table-service restaurants to counter service, and you want to use at least some of the appetizers and snacks.

For example, during peak season in 2011, the DDP is $48, and the DxDP is about 78.

Let's say a "typical" DDP ran like this:
Cereal & Milk snack credit breakfast (worth about $3). Juice/coffee out of pocket ($2 out of pocket).
CS lunch -- Approximate $14 value.
TS dinner -- middle priced entree, dessert, beverage, no appetizer -- Value about $35
So cost was $48 for DDP during peak season, plus $2 for morning beverage, or about $50 in cost, to get $52 "worth" of food.

For me, a typical deluxe day may go like this:
Counterservice breakfast -- Value, about $8
Table service lunch -- soup or salad appetizer, middle priced entree, skip dessert -- Value about $25
Mid-day snack plus mid-day beverage (use of 2 snack credits) -- value about $6
Dinner-- including appetizer, middle priced entree and dessert -- About $43
Value-- About $82, at a cost of $78 -- And that was without "maximizing" use of the credits. With more expensive entrees and appetizers, without skipping dessert, and especially if had done TS breakfast instead of CS, could easily have been $100+ in value.

 

[DWisher]

I upgraded to Deluxe plan which will allow us to do a Character Breakfast (TS credit) nearly every morning, as well as an evening dinner (TS). We will also be able to do two signature dinning meals (CRT, and Candlelight Processional dinner) and still have full meals everyday. I think it is worth the cost, if you take advantage of the TS credits, instead of using them as QS.

 

[VAN]

My DH and I are just back from 8 nights free DDP at WDW. I ended up gaining 5+ pounds on the trip. Even with the regular dining plan, it was just TOO MUCH food for us! My DH and I were able to split most of our CS meals and still be full.

The next-to-last day my DH was complaining that he wasn't hungry and why were we going out to a TS meal? He wanted to just blow it off, but the next (final) day was F&W festival where we would have CS and snack credits (used at kiosks) to use ...

He finally agreed to go and split a TS with me, but ended up getting a light (shrimp) entree.

It seemed like we were eating all the time! We would have to leave the pool after a couple of hours to go eat lunch so we would be able to eat our TS dinner! Our trip seemed to revolve around our meals!!

I can't even imagine what it would be like on the deluxe plan!

But that's just me.

 

[havoc315]

It seemed like we were eating all the time! We would have to leave the pool after a couple of hours to go eat lunch so we would be able to eat our TS dinner! Our trip seemed to revolve around our meals!!

I can't even imagine what it would be like on the deluxe plan!

But that's just me.

That's the problem with paying for the regular DDP. If you "waste" any of your TS credits, you probably end up losing money.

The deluxe plan has enough savings built into it, that you can be a bit more flexible. It also allows you to increase the quality of the food, while not necessarily increasing the quantity to get value.
Look at it this way -- You convert your DDP counter-service meal, into a table service meal -- same quantity of food, but generally a higher quality.
Meanwhile, transform your evening TS dinner, into a signature dinner -- Again, same quantity of food, but higher quality.
And instead of getting desserts with every meal, get salads, appetizers, soups instead.

So while the DxDP certainly lets you increase the quantity of the food, you can also obtain value simply by increasing the quality.

 

[jlhill4444]

That's the problem with paying for the regular DDP. If you "waste" any of your TS credits, you probably end up losing money.

The deluxe plan has enough savings built into it, that you can be a bit more flexible. It also allows you to increase the quality of the food, while not necessarily increasing the quantity to get value.
Look at it this way -- You convert your DDP counter-service meal, into a table service meal -- same quantity of food, but generally a higher quality.
Meanwhile, transform your evening TS dinner, into a signature dinner -- Again, same quantity of food, but higher quality.
And instead of getting desserts with every meal, get salads, appetizers, soups instead.

So while the DxDP certainly lets you increase the quantity of the food, you can also obtain value simply by increasing the quality.

This is the main reason we chose Deluxe. We don't really eat much more in terms of the amount of food, it is just higher quality and allows us to enjoy some special things like dinner shows, more character meals and signature dinning. We always do HDDR and to pay OOP for this it is almost $200. By upgrading to deluxe for only an additional $220 it actually saves us some money in the long run because we don't have to pay OOP for anything and can enjoy the dinner shows and signature dinning while having plenty of credits left for another meal each day. We do 2 meals a day both on deluxe and regular dinning, so for us we are not eating more, just different.

 

[tallen429]

I think it can also make a difference when you go. We often go in the hot summer months that are slightly more crowded. We just don't eat as much when it's hot nor do we want to take the time for as much "sit down" so we like the regular plan. We have talked about only doing quick service but we enjoy some table service and paying oop doesn't make much sense. Now I'm going in early December (between Pop Warner and the holiday rush) with my Mom and my middle son so since it will be cooler and much less crowded we are doing the DxDp. Due to our arrival and departure times, we will actually get excellent value out of it.

 

[Quacker1964]

This is why i am glad we are trying the QSDP counter service only - in my eyes it has cost nothing as was free with the booking.

The DDP or Deluxe would be too much for me/us. CS suits us as not tied into anything, don't have to be at a certain restaurant or park at a given day or time. This becomes regimental and restrictive in my opinion.

That's why i don't do ADR's or character meals.

All this food could lead to weight gain, but I guess it is all about balance and correct choices. Hence my quest for QSDP locations with options other than fries & burgers.