Do you find DDP worth it

[TDC Nala]

I never understand when I read that people don't see the value in the DDP.

I stopped using DDP in 2008. That was the year they branched off the dining plans and removed the appetizer and tip from the basic plan. Before that it was kind of silly not to get it. It was a fantastic deal.

Now, it would cost about the same whether I get a dining plan or not. If I don't get a dining plan, I get to go to the restaurants I feel like going to, including at the Swan/Dolphin. If I want to order two appetizers and no dessert, I can do that without wondering what will happen to the value of my dining credit - or even if I will be allowed to make a meal out of appetizers because I'm supposed to be ordering an entree. If I don't feel like eating a meal, I don't eat it. I can eat at a bar or lounge if I prefer. I can go to Tutto Gusto for lunch and get chips and cheese at La Cava without worrying about the fact that they aren't on the dining plan. Ah, freedom.

 

[franluvsbubba]

We always do the DP. It has def been tweaked throughout the years so that you end up saving less. But on the flip side, because my girls are homeschooled, we go during the slow times when the DP is free. BTW, wht is TIW?

 

[TDC Nala]

Tables In Wonderland is a dining discount program available to annual passholders, DVC members and Florida residents.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We always do the DP. It has def been tweaked throughout the years so that you end up saving less. But on the flip side, because my girls are homeschooled, we go during the slow times when the DP is free. BTW, wht is TIW?

Tables in Wonderland card. If you are a FL resident or DVC member, you buy it for $100. AP holders get it for $75. They last about thirteen months or a bit less. You get a 20% discount on most table service, including alcoholic beverages, a few counter services. 18% gratuity is tacked on to table service. You can use the card for up to 10 members of the party. The card holder is supposed to pay for the meal. A few holders have gotten the tab split up, but don't expect that all the time.

 

[Dean]

I never understand when I read that people don't see the value in the DDP. We have done Disney every way.No dining plan, regular, & deluxe. We save our receipts. Then we do the math. We spend $1000 for the DDP, we ate $4000. That is quite a difference. I don't understand how people don't see this.Disney s a vacation. We dine accordingly.

There is no plan option available where your cost is 25% of what you get, even if you use the price of what you actually get and use the most extreme choices possible. I believe the best you can do on paper is using the deluxe plan for the more expensive character buffet's, then doing the same at lunch Or for the highest cost single credit lunch like Le Cellier then again the same at dinner. There are a couple of signatures that offer a similar savings but not much. If you then put full price value on the mugs, get the $4 plus snacks and specialty drinks such as smoothies, and do that every day, you can get up to about double the cost but realistically this is not feasible because no one is going to eat like that for several days. In the past,information from Disney suggested that after about 3-4 days, people started to slow down on those options like specialty drinks and desserts and thus "spend less". Plus you've still got to pay tips on the higher costs. one can get a value but certainly not 400%, about the best you can do for the QS option is about a 20-30% savings, for the standard plan a little more, maybe 50% and for the Deluxe plan, a max of around 200%. realistically you're lucky to break even on the QS plan, save 20% on the Basic plan and save 30-40% on the Deluxe plan. Of course this assumes staying within the rules of the DP.

My family can eat as cheaply for two TS as the daily cost of the dp for one, obviously with less food and choices. I can also assure you that I am quite capable of finding every extreme and legal loophole if I so chose. I'd love to see even a one day example where the food on the DP cost 25% of what the OOP cost would be.

 

[lovin'fl]

I never understand when I read that people don't see the value in the DDP. We have done Disney every way.No dining plan, regular, & deluxe. We save our receipts. Then we do the math. We spend $1000 for the DDP, we ate $4000. That is quite a difference. I don't understand how people don't see this.Disney s a vacation. We dine accordingly.

No way! We too have done it (saved receipts and calculated) and we broke even on the DDP (summer of 2008, after the change where apps and tips weren't included) and saved money (Dec 2011) with the TIW card (saved, after cost of card, about $200 or so at 4 TS dinners for 5 of us...we do a lot of buffet/family style places). There's just no way you could eat quadruple the cost of DP.

 

[trampslady]

The only time we even consider the DDP any more is if we are there over a brief holiday period when our TIW card won't work anyway. For example, we are there over Christmas this year, and our reservation is actually divided. The five days that encompass Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we will most likely do the regular dining plan (never done that one as we generally opt for deluxe, but too much food) and plan our Ohana, Boma, etc. buffets for those days to offset the higher holiday pricing.

Otherwise, the TIW always works best for our relaxed touring plans.

 

[Dean]

I took a quick tour through the menus and about the best one can do price wise is $58 for QS, $91 for the basic plan and $152 for the deluxe plan plus taxes and the mug. the plan prices are roughly $35, $55 and $85. those prices assume a specialty drink and the most expensive options in each category at the most expensive places that match the category and $4 snacks. realistically one could never match these prices except for a very short stay, esp for QS portions.

 

[Ms. WDW]

The only time I use the DDP is when I travel with my brother and his family. There are two children in the party and we definately do the character meals. This last trip we did Chef Mickey's, Disney Princess Breakfast, and the Crystal Palace. We also went to Biergarten and La Hacienada. But...when it's just DH and myself or even just me I do not get the DDP.

I think I need to check into this TIW card. Sounds like it's something DH and I would used.

 

[franluvsbubba]

That's awesome! No options if you have AAA for the TIW?

 

[patsal]

Sorry, I highly doubt anyone saved 75% on food using a DDP. The places to maximize any of the options are so fara nd few between unless the whole vacation was spent travelling to find the most expensive item to garner perceived value.

My last trip we didn't use a DDP, for 14 nights we spent and average
of $41 per person per night and and ate very well. I love the freedom to get exactly what I want whenever I want it and the prepaid thing just never made sense to me as I can put the money that the DDP would have cost into savings and pay my CC off in full when I get the statement. I don't use price to determine what I eat and I know for sure DH and DD don't!

 

[Wedgeh]

Without the dining plan, I probably would skip lunch or not order desert even if I really wanted it. So, yes, it is worth it to me.

Yeah this probably sums up my views, I like the DDP because it stops the first thing I look at on the menu being the prices. This probably means I (at best) break even, but ordering what I want makes it worth it. I also realise this makes me a special kinda crazy (I mean I'd be all about the value proposition if I was ordering on menu), but it sounds like I'm not the only one. I'm also quite partial to the CS chocolate cake dessert

 

[Deb & Bill]

That's awesome! No options if you have AAA for the TIW?

Nope, unless you are a FL resident or a DVC owner or an AP holder who also happens to have AAA.

 

[DoryDorito]

Nope, unless you are a FL resident or a DVC owner or an AP holder who also happens to have AAA.

Wait, do you get a TiW discount if you're AAA and DVC?

 

[jwtwbw2011]

You can purchase a discounted TIW if you are a DVC member but you don't get one automatically.

DDP was great for us but now we have been reevaluating it. As of right now, we will be getting it for our next trip in the fall. I think that TIW is a good deal and it could be beneficial for our situation. We have a 12 year old with a big appetite!

I think that you have to do your research. Look at your situation and figure out what is best for you. While the DDP is very convenient, you could take that money that you are using to pay for it and buy a disney gift card and use it to pay for your meals. Then you would be able to get a drink or appetizer if that is what is important to you. You could also just put that money in your debit account and attach the debit account to your key to the world and then use that for your meals.

My family loves having a sit down meal once a day. For us, right now, it's part of the vacation. We love to dine where we can see the fireworks and we still like to start our trip with Chef Mickeys. So we are currently at a place where we could go with the DDP or without. The DDP gets more expensive every year though and we will be taking this into consideration for our future trips.

I am also now of the opinion (thanks to a friend and not just because it is no longer an option for us) that free dining is not such a great deal because you end up paying for it via your room rates.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Wait, do you get a TiW discount if you're AAA and DVC?

AAA doesn't have anything to do with getting a TIW card. You have to be DCV member, FL resident or AP holder to purchase one.

 

[keaster]

We are a family of three (1 child age 9).

For the three of us for one week, the regular DDP would cost us $830.

We have APs and the TiW card, and spent a week last month at AKL in a 2 bedroom with another family. We didn't spend anywhere near $830 on food.

We had groceries delivered and ate breakfast every morning in our room, along with some lunches and some easy dinners. We did TS meals at Boma, Sanaa, Hollywood and Vine, T-REX, and character lunch at Tusker House. Took advantage of TiW and DVC/AP discounts where applicable.

The DDP would definitely have been too much food and too much money for our family.

 

[westjones]

I wish Disney would sell meal vouchers that you could just buy the number you want. Oh well....after reading through this thread, I don't think the dining plan is for us.

I think I will just give them a 'limit' of how much they can spend each day for food and we will have food in the villa so they can come back and get stuff when they want.

Wish it could be like on the cruise...food anytime you want at no extra cost I know...it wouldn't work in the parks. But that is one thing I love about the cruise!

 

[disneydreaming92701]

Yes food like on a cruise would be great. We considered the dining plan but i dont think it is for us now that DD1 is considered an adult by disney standards and i do enjoy an adult beverage with a meal instead of sodas every now and then.

 

[Dean]

I wish Disney would sell meal vouchers that you could just buy the number you want. Oh well....after reading through this thread, I don't think the dining plan is for us.

I think I will just give them a 'limit' of how much they can spend each day for food and we will have food in the villa so they can come back and get stuff when they want.

Wish it could be like on the cruise...food anytime you want at no extra cost I know...it wouldn't work in the parks. But that is one thing I love about the cruise!

Given Disney's track record, I doubt you'd be happy with the price. Some of the options over the years like the Disney Dining Plan, were more expensive than you could do on your own with easily available discounts. For us, an program in between the basic and deluxe plan would be ideal since we prefer sit down but often have trouble using enough credits to justify the higher plan.