DVC members..Will you be using the 2008 DDP

[patsal]

The old DDP just came out even for us (DH - veggie and DD 11) so the new plan would only be worse. That is when comparing what we would choose to eat vs. the cost of DDP. I like the freedom to choose what, when and where I eat.

Exactly the same for me and with some of the DVC and AP food discounts it isn't really worth the DDE either for us. I did the math fo r DDP and DXDDP and I think i'll end up well under the DDP price just paying for things OOP.

 

[epicureangirl]

I'll be getting the plan for our short pre-cruise stay, but not post-cruise. I think we'll be burnt out by all the food. Our TS meals will be at Epcot and some of the pricier places, so the plan will still give us a good deal. Apparently, on day 4 and beyond on a dining plan, people start to eat less (no kidding, too much food to handle!) so for a long stay it's probably not worth it. And it quite frankly takes some work to make all your reservations... I couldn't handle that on a long trip.

 

[BUDDYBEAR]

NO WE WILL NOT BE USEING DDP

 

[3DisneyKids]

We have used the DDP on our last 5 trips and it always worked out well for us until our most recent trip...we just we tired of always scheduling things around food. And at both BWV and OKW, we found the CS offerings too limiting.

For us, one of the biggest strengths of the plan was feeling comfortable to visit restaurants that always gave us sticker shock before.

For our next trip, we are going to try something different...not quite sure what that is yet, but I am coming up with some ideas that will likely work for us.

 

[JimC]

We use DDE, which works much better for us. Living here we make many day trips in addition to our DVC stays.

We are also in the group who believes DDP has hurt the food quality and offerings at the restaurants.

 

[wisbucky]

For $35.00 per person per day and if DH and I stay 7 days that is a total of $490 for us. We spend $60-$80 for food in our room to cook. Then maybe another $120 eating out. We never eat three full meals a day. This is way to costly for us plus way to much food.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Can I vote "yes" and "no"? DH and I have a very short trip planned in Feb. to attend the Daytona 500...so we decided to buy the DDP since it's just the two of us and only three nights. However, there is no way I would pay for the plan if the entire family was going for an extended period. We have used it twice via the free dining promo when booking thru CRO, and would do so again if offered...but that's the only circumstances in which we'd utilize it.

 

[SINYMom]

We used the DPP when it first came out, twice actually, and enjoyed the ability to eat out without being hit for everything.

My husband and I just started planning our next trip for this August, so how best to do that, get out our receipts from our trip last August. We are a family of five, 2 adults and 3 three boys (14, 11, 11).

Last year was our first time as DVC owners and we stayed 9 nights at SSR. We rented a car so that we could go shopping for food allowing us some freedom and what we thought would be a less expensive vacation.

Well the numbers are in and, with the rental car, gas, and a couple of trips to Goodings and Publix, some counter service lunches, and table service dinners, the numbers are about even at approximately $1,800.

We enjoy having a few good dinners at our favorite WDW restuarants and don't want to give that up as that's part of a vacation IMHO. My husband cooks at home (thank God) and he looks forward to having a break and not have to cook on vacation. I look forward to not having to clean up after him.

What I think we will do this year is DPP and, get a few things from one of the grocery delivery services. Things like cereal, milk, fruit, water, juice, snacks, these are the things that add up so, we'll do most breakfasts in. Buying water also allows us to use our snack credits on real snacks like, ice cream and Dole Whips.

So, it's back to DPP for us, even with the changes, I think we will come out ahead. Of course, we won't know that until we get back and look at our receipts again.

 

[drag n' fly]

Dh and I will be using our DDDP for our trip in April because we will not have the kids with us. We are doing sig restaurants and really are going to enjoy ourselves. As for the trip in December no. The kids will be with us and we will pay OOP for flexibility. It will be mostly character meals, buffets and CS!

 

[danielle782001]

I did the math this morning for our upcoming trip.... I went on the dining portion of this website for the prices of all the places are going to dine. Even with two character breakfasts (breakfast usually cheap) we still came out way ahead. It was almost $150.00 in savings to have the dining plan. I added the table meals, the average counter meal at $10.00 (in most cases it is more for the combo meal, drink and dessert), and $3.00 (thought it was a good average amount) snack for each day and each person. It was a total for the vacation not per day. Some days we were losing but other days gaining big.... AND the kids meals is where the big savings were found. Kids are $9.99 per day and every table service was at least 12.99 for where we are eating and average counter meal is $7.00. I think the big savings came from the kids end of the plan. We have two kids, so it is worth it to us. $150.00 worth it to us

 

[rkdahl]

We calculated it out for our family and DDP is not of value to us with the 2008 'improvements'. We had used it on every trip prior to now the last several years.

Hope someone recognizes that at Disney.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

Us too, danielle. It works out to be a decent savings for us. But we eat out every day anyway. I think that's where it loses alot of its value for people. If you normally cook in the villa, or grab a crumb cake at the bakery for breakfast, a CS for lunch and a CS for dinner, then it would not be a deal at all.

We are doing the basic for May, with the kids, we will save quite a bit total.

For our anniversary trip, we will do the deluxe, using it for Signature dining (will save us a little bit, but we also like the convenience).

For Oct, we will probably go with it again if we choose to eat at all our favorite restaurants again. We may be inclined to do more CS that trip (coming off a gut-busting 3 night wonder cruise). If so, we won't add it for that one.

If the math says we will break even or a little better, we add it. So far, that has always been the case.

It really depends on your family's habits though. We would do a sit-down once a day regardless, but many people don't work that way.

 

[dunbarfamily]

We are going to use the basic DDP. I'm not sure that it will save us any money. We might even end up losing a buck or two. I like being able to prepay all our meals and order whatever we want off the menu without having to calculate pennies like I do when I'm not in the motherland. Having the flexibility, even though it might mean losing a bit, is woth it to us. I don't want to cook in my room. Takes too long, and I'm on vacation, for Pete's sake! Like DBorges said, I too like living like a king while in WDW!

 

[Anal Annie]

It was not a good deal for us last year either. Our DS is 10 and I refuse to pay the adult price for him until he's eating like an adult! As long as he still chooses Mac & Cheese 1/2 the time forget it! We would do it for DH and myself if the plan had the flexibility to do that....but so oh well....

I've figured it so that we can eat (for 3) for as little as $60 day on most days if we do breakfast in the room (I pack / take a variety box of doughnuts, Little Debbie Honey Buns, cereals and muffins so we don't have to pay the overpriced prices onsite) and then we eat a C.S. lunch in the parks (probably $25 avg.) and dinner split between more C.S. and a couple of sit-downs here & there. Mostly C.S. (We have found the bus transfers slow and that they waste a lot of time so we don't go back to the unit to eat.) The DDP would cost us approx. $115 / day. We'll just keep the $55 difference thank you!

 

[FLYNZ4]

I wish that they would give you the option of having either an appetizer or dessert since we seldom eat dessert.

I suspect that the change in policy has less to do with "saving food"... as it does with "increasing table turns". By removing the appetizer... people will spend less time eating, and they can turn the tables faster. If they gave everyone a choice of appetizer OR dessert... then most families would choose some of each... and they would not get the operational benefit.

Just my hunch.

/Jim

 

[lisareniff]

I suspect that the change in policy has less to do with "saving food"... as it does with "increasing table turns". By removing the appetizer... people will spend less time eating, and they can turn the tables faster. If they gave everyone a choice of appetizer OR dessert... then most families would choose some of each... and they would not get the operational benefit.

That and eliminating an appetizer would discourage sharing a TS credit or splitting a meal. Previously you would hear of people splitting the meal using one credit. One would eat the entree the other the appetizer, etc. This would cut down on the misuse of the system.

 

[RLRDA]

We voted "yes" to use it for our May trip. Even though the value isn't as great as 2007, it's still worth it for us. We don't have an AP so we don't have access to the DDE (isn't that the only way to get it?). The only time we "cook" in the room is for breakfast. I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible while we are on vacation. Preparing a meal here and there is OK but we eat the majority of meals in WDW. We never rent a car so eating offsite isn't an option. At this point if we wanted to eat offsite to "save" a few $$ the cost of renting a car would offset the savings. It all depends on each couples/families habits, wants & needs, etc. Unless they change it again, we'll continue to use it.

 

[TAKitty]

I love the DDP and wanted to use it but I save 100.00 by not using it! It is just too much food for us. We are the type of family who wouldn't always get an app or dessert and tend to eat what we want not what costs the most.

The new DDP just isn't worth it for us.

 

[Donald is #1]

We don't have an AP so we don't have access to the DDE (isn't that the only way to get it?).

Yes, you are correct. You need to either have an AP or be a Florida resident.

You bring up a good point. If I wasn't going to have an AP this year, then my answer on the DDP would probably be different.

 

[drakethib]

Going to try it this time.

I dont think it will save us as much as the 2007 plan, but I think we will do a little better then break even.

We don't really do a whole bunch of cooking other then breakfast in our room.