Family of 5; First Time DDP - At WDW Now!!! 4/1/09 to 4/10/09

[Dannyh]

DDP was a tough call for our family of 5 but decided to get some groceries delivered this time. Did DDP last time and had credits left over.

 

[Dannyh]

I should say that last time we found that the larger the group the better value for DDP ... and also was more valuable if you booked special dinners -- since they used up more of your sit-down meals. Then on light days, some of the kids shared a meal (2 meals split between 3 kids).

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Just wanted to say you have a lovely family. Ohana's looked YUMMY!! All your desserts looked amazing! I love food too much

 

[nicole0992]

I just found your thread tonight and read the entire thing. I cannot wait to hear the rest. I have to echo the others and agree that you have such a gorgeous family! Also, I am from Fallbrook so not far from Riverside.

Thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to do these reviews.

Nicole

 

[Tatania]

I'm looking forward to your final update and thanks again for sharing your holiday and beautiful family with us. I'm going to be on the Basic Dining Plan (along with a first-time visitor) and your reviews have convinced me to do Yak and Yeti instead of Flame Tree for our CS. Y & Y got terrible reviews when they first opened so I didn't try on my last visit, but the mango pie looks delicious and I definitely want to try that. Thanks for taking the picture because it clearly show that the pie is brought in from the outside bakery Kenny's - which I had wondered about.

What was most interesting was that I got the impression you did at least 1 CS meal per day and still managed to save money on the DDP. On the basic plan you get the CS as well, so I wondered if you would save even more money by going with the Basic as you rarely used your 2 TS credits. I had wanted to go with DDP, but my companion only eats 1 meal a day (on top of a yogurt or breakfast), so I guess it's not in the cards for me this time.

 

[5infam]

Ok, I wondered why you would be asking what was in the middle of a churro!

Y&Y CS looked really good. Do tell about that mango pie, though; I can't imagine what that would taste like??? Sorry that Teppan Edo wasn't a better experience.

I've really enjoyed all of your reviews and I'm glad you took the time to do them for all of us!

Hi all - We made it home safe late last night, and got home around midnight after picking up our dog from my sister's. As soon as I find my receipts I will finish my final reviews. Thanks for the well wishes from everyone, and I wish we didn't have to leave either - this was a great trip!!

The mango pie was basically a pie like the little key lime pies they have around the park - as far as consistency. Of course it did have a mango flavor too it - probably not something I would go out of my way to pick up, but would order again if I was there.

 

[5infam]

I pray you had a safe journey home! Thanks so much for the great reviews. It has really (truly it has) helped us in our planning and budgeting for Nov. You are a generous family for taking the time to share your vacation with us and we appreciate it! Looking forward to the final thoughts

Dawn

Thanks Dawn!!! I have learned a lot about the process and the places to eat from everyone's contributions here on the DIS that I had to try and give back a bit. I really don't know how some people do reviews and post pictures a few months after their trip - I forget what I ate yesterday so those folks that can post well after the fact are far better than me. It just made some sense to try and do it while I was there and fresh in my mind. Plus the whole family got to be involved, so it was just another fun thing from our trip to WDW

 

[5infam]

I too am going to miss your thread. I can't believe your trip went so fast. Ours always seem to go so fast but I didn't expect to feel that way about someone else's.

I hope you have a safe trip home and can't wait to read the end.

LOL

 

[5infam]

I'm looking forward to your final update and thanks again for sharing your holiday and beautiful family with us. I'm going to be on the Basic Dining Plan (along with a first-time visitor) and your reviews have convinced me to do Yak and Yeti instead of Flame Tree for our CS. Y & Y got terrible reviews when they first opened so I didn't try on my last visit, but the mango pie looks delicious and I definitely want to try that. Thanks for taking the picture because it clearly show that the pie is brought in from the outside bakery Kenny's - which I had wondered about.

What was most interesting was that I got the impression you did at least 1 CS meal per day and still managed to save money on the DDP. On the basic plan you get the CS as well, so I wondered if you would save even more money by going with the Basic as you rarely used your 2 TS credits. I had wanted to go with DDP, but my companion only eats 1 meal a day (on top of a yogurt or breakfast), so I guess it's not in the cards for me this time.

First, hey there to all my CA neighbors - and I just realized that I missed saying hi to someone from the OC early on (sorry about that) - we are originally from the OC (DW from Orange and I grew up in Huntington Beach) and I still work down there most days a week.

In regards to the quote above, we were on the standard DDP, which allows each person 1 counter servive (or quick service, I believe they call it) meal, 1 snack and 1 table service meal per day. So at dinner each night, we used 5 TS credits, 3 adult TS credits and 2 child TS credits. We had lunch every day at a CS location, and snacks all over the place. There is also other DDP's that just do CS meals and you do not get to do TS meals, and others that allow for more TS choices etc.

Hope that helps clear it up for you, but if not - ask away - it is what we are here for - especially now that I am a DDP expertJK

 

[5infam]

OK - Pictures are uploaded, and now back to the food.

So for our last day on the DDP we got a late start at the parks, and just went over to EPCOT. As we were cruising around, DS18 decided he wanted a smoothie with his lunch, so we made a stop at Promenade Refreshments again for a banana smoothie. Earlier, someone asked where this was, as I stated it was located in Showcase Plaza. Showcase Plaza is the area between World Showcase and Future World. Another way to put it, if you are walking from the Mexico Pavilion to the Canada Pavilion, it is the area in between - which is also where the boats leave from to take you to the far end of World Showcase. There are 2 Promenade Refreshments, each offering the same things.

Anyway, we used 1 snack credit for the smoothie. If we paid cash, it would have cost $4.25.

On to lunch...I had a hankering for some more of that great Moroccan food, but DS18 was feeling like some fish and chips from the UK. I had always wanted to try them and never stopped to do so, so I was happy to make a stop there for him (this way, I get a bite). So we stopped in at the UK Fish and Chips. When we got there DS9 decided he wanted some fish also, but I did not see a kids meal on the menu. Actually, there was only 2 things on the menu - Fish and Chips, and Shortbread Cookies. I got up to order and told the CM that we were on the DDP, and asked her what they had for kids. She said at that location, they only offer one size of Fish and Chips, so for kids, we order what they have and we will be charged for 1 CS meal. Well after seeing what the boys got for lunch, DD decided she wanted fish too - so all 3 kids got Fish and Chips, Shortbread cookies and a drink. Here is a pic:

The fish was good - but a bit greasy for my taste. However, it is a classic so I won't even consider giving it a bad mark - all 3 kids ate everything and enjoyed it.

If we paid OOP for 3 Fish and Chips meals, it would have cost us $38.19. On the DDP, it ran us 3 CS credits. This is the only place I ran across that did not have a kids menu, so it was legal to order for the kids off of the standard menu. Good choice for kids and adults!!

Lunch Part Deux - So as I mentioned, I felt like some more of that wonderful food in Morocco. I thought I saw a CS location there, and sure enough, we came across Tangerine Cafe:

Here is a pic of the stand up menu they had out front:

And some of the actual menu board:

When we walked in, this place just felt like it was going to be good. As I mentioned before, I love the theming in this land, and the people are very nice here. DW and I saw they had the rotisserie meats going, Lamb and Chicken - here are some not so good pics that I tried to get of them carving:

Of course, I wanted to try it all, so I went with the Chicken and Lamb combo. It was lamb, chicken, some red onion, hummus, parsley salad, cous cous with raisins and super soft bread. I wanted to eat it all as I was really hungry, so here is a pic of the fantastic food, but after I took a bite of the bread, then tried to put it back on the plate so you could see how it comes. Your's will not come with a bite taken already, of course:

And DW wanted something she thought would be smaller, so she went with the Lamb Wrap. Big mistake - this was a large wrap (which is a good thing as far as I am concerned). It also came with lentil salad and cous cous:

For dessert, on the DDP, you automatically get the Baklava - which is what I wanted anyway (1 piece for each of us):

OK - I have to say that I LOVED THIS MEAL. The chicken and lamb were super tender. The bread was very soft and helped me soak up all of the hummus and sauce. The cous cous was great too, and those raisins were a nice touch. I was so delighted with my meal, that I went up to a manager and complimented him on how good the food was, especially the lamb. DW also loved her wrap - and the baklava was just the right end to the meal. I walked out of there (or should I say waddled out of there) a very full, and very happy person.

If you don't want to or can not get into Marrakesh, then give this place a try - you won't be disappointed. If you do get into Marrakesh, then try Tangerine Cafe too - you can never get enough of a good thing.

So if we paid OOP, this meal would have cost us $36.11. On the DDP, we used 2 CS credits.

 

[5infam]

A short time later, DD7 wanted a snack. We saw a cart and she went straight for the Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich:

Notice she is sporting some DVC gear we got for free at the member meting.

OOP, the ice cream costs $2.75 - but we used 1 snack credit.

 

[jenbear123]

Hey there! Been reading (silently) up until now. Love your dining report and (as you have heard many times) you have a beautiful family. If you ever get the opportunity to be a model family, do it!

I am glad to see you explore your dining choices. Many people stick to the typical American fare. One thing I am particularly proud of is the Tangerine Cafe. Shawarma is a wonderful style of meat; always tender and delicious. I am so happy that you took the chance and tried this (and liked it too!). To be honest I didn't know Tangerine Cafe served Shawarma. On my upcoming trip I will definitely try and make a stop here. We'll be on the regular dining plan as well. The costing you have done has been very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Glad you made it home safely. I'm sure you miss it already!

 

[5infam]

On to our final dinner on the DDP. I remember that I was going to book the Show over at the Polynesian, which took 2 TS credits. After reading some bad reviews on the show, I decided to cancel it. Instead, we went with 2 places I had not considered before, but based on good reviews I read on the DIS, decided to try. Ohana (which you now know I loved) and Tutto Italia.

Just so I get this out there up front, I was unsure of trying this place. Not because I heard any thing negative (I had not), or not because I don't like Italian food (I do) - but because I am just not big on higher end Italian food places in general. Reason being is that the prices seem to go up, but the food is still about the same as a local neighborhood place. I feel the same way with Mexican food. With that said, I was not expecting much from this place. Plus, there is not much to do in the Italian Pavilion, so I didn't even remember where Tutto Italia was located. It is in the back of the pavilion, and here are a few shots of the outside, plus some of their outdoor seating:

When we arrived, I checked in and we waited about 5 minutes or so to be seated. The one and only negative I have about this restaurant is where we were seated - right in front of the kitchen area - too much server hustle and bustle, which made the experience not 100% of what it could have been. Now I could have asked to be moved, but it wasn't that huge of a deal - plus they were packed and I saw 2 groups of people asked to be moved. One of the groups was just walking in and one of the ladies in the group was very loud and said to the hostess "I do not sit in tables by the corner...this is unacceptable...we need to be moved now!!!" I am just not that uptight, and could see the staff was doing their best, so I decided to stay put. That officially puts an end to the only negative comments I have about Tutto Italia.

We were greeted by our server right away - a very nice gentleman, dressed in a white shirt and bow tie. He brought us some things to snack on and took our drink order:

Here are some menu shots - sorry about the flash, the lighting here was tough to shoot with:

And of course the kid selections:

Here is also a shot of the room from where I was seated:

All of the walls are painted with murals, chandeliers are a nice touch, and over all I really liked the feel of this dining room. Take this place outside of the park, and it qualifies as a very nice Italian restaurant.

DW ordered the Farfalle, which she enjoyed very much. Pics are before and after Parmesan was added:

I ordered the lamb chops. The chops were well cooked and tender:

DS18 ordered the Linguine al Neri - which is black squid linguine, with shrimp and a spicy tomato sauce (not very spicy at all). DS really liked this meal, plus I always wanted to try pasta made from squid ink, so I got my chance here:

Now I thought that DS9 and DD both wanted the spaghetti - but DS9 really wanted the Farfalle for kids (my mistake). Here is a shot of DD's food - the meatballs were very good by the way:

Now if I have not mentioned it yet, the service here is fabulous. Very attentive waiters and helping staff. I saw my waiter checking on us, and other tables in his area frequently. He gave the feeling like he was your personal waiter though - again, very attentive. I said that I ordered the wrong item for my son; which was my fault. DS9 was not happy, so I poked my head up from my meal to look for our waiter. I did not see him, but a manger saw me looking like I needed something (I was looking for literally 3 seconds). The manager asked if he could help; which I explained that I ordered the wrong item, fully expecting to pay for the replacement. He immediately asked DS9 what he wanted, grabbed the wrong order and took it back to the kitchen. He came out 3 minutes later with DS9's new order - with no extra charge.

I routinely saw this floor manager, and one other, helping the bus staff clear tables and help turn them over. They were also making sure all the guests were happy and had everything they needed - and they did it with a smile. It was clear that everyone in here was a professional, and it showed. This type of service is what I expect to see at a high end restaurant, and was pleasantly surprised to see it here at Tutto Italia.

On to dessert - here is the menu:

DD went with vanilla and DS9 went with Zabaglione. Both served with 2 small biscotti:

DS18 and DW both ordered the Profiterolles. These were served with vanilla bean gelato (instead of cream), and chocolate poured over the top:

I had the Coppetta Sottobosco - which was simply zabaglione gelato with berries. This is one of those desserts that does not make sense price wise. My DS9 got the same gelato for $5.00 and mine was $14, and the difference was a couple of berries. Irregardless of the price, it was very good:

So all in all, we really liked Tutto Italia and would definitely return here again. The food was very good, and the service was excellent - the best of our trip with out a doubt (even better then Le Cellier). This place really had a high end feel - but I get to go in shorts and a polo, so that is always a plus for me

So if we paid OOP, dinner would have run us $166.62 which included a cappuccino DW ordered that we had to pay OOP for. On the DDP, we used 3 adult TS credits, plus 2 child TS credits, plus we paid $5.27 for the cappuccino.

 

[5infam]

Hey there! Been reading (silently) up until now. Love your dining report and (as you have heard many times) you have a beautiful family. If you ever get the opportunity to be a model family, do it!

I am glad to see you explore your dining choices. Many people stick to the typical American fare. One thing I am particularly proud of is the Tangerine Cafe. Shawarma is a wonderful style of meat; always tender and delicious. I am so happy that you took the chance and tried this (and liked it too!). To be honest I didn't know Tangerine Cafe served Shawarma. On my upcoming trip I will definitely try and make a stop here. We'll be on the regular dining plan as well. The costing you have done has been very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Glad you made it home safely. I'm sure you miss it already!

Actually, Disney Vacation Club asked us to be a model family several years back. I considered it, but it would have taken away time from the parks, and back then, we were only there for a week and had limited park time, so I declined the offer. I really kick myself for not doing it, as it would have been a fun thing to do, plus the print marketing materials would have been a fun souvenier.

Thank you also for pointing out the proper term for the meat, Shawarma. I didn't even ask, I just ate and enjoyed - oh, I wish I had a plate right now!!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I just had a few minutes in between todays activities with the kids and I said I just have to pop on hear and catch up. Now I am HUNGRY!

Can't wait for the last of them, but I will have to till tonight when I get back home! Loving them all...

 

[5infam]

So believe it or not, the food is not over for the day. After doing a lot of walking around World Showcase, I didn't want to leave without popping into Les Chefs de Francs Patisseries. Always a long line - but always good stuff. Here is a pic of the outside menu:

I ordered a Napoleon and something else I can't remember (long French name) - maybe someone can help me out. Here is a pic:

The OOP cost of these 2 creamy items would have been $7.89. On the DDP, it was 2 snack credits.

So now the math for the day. If we paid OOP for lunch, dinner and all those snacks, it would have cost us $255.81. On the DDP, it was our standard $141.95 plus $5.27 for the cappuccino, for a day's total of $147.22. I may be mistaken, but this is probably our biggest savings for any single day.

2 snack credits left - what did we decide to get??? - Stay tuned...

 

[5infam]

Well I am very sad, but here is the final new food related post - You now all know what big pigs my family was on vacation, and how we stuffed ourselves until we were sick. Funny thing is, when I got home, I figured i would weigh myself and see how much weight I had gained. Fortunately for me, all that walking paid off and I didn't gain anything. Now I can get back to my regular diet and exercise routine - but it will be tough.

We carried over 2 snack credits into our last day. DW put dibs on one of them, she wanted a Rice Cream over in Norway. Unfortunately, I packed the camera away and was with out it. If we paid OOP, it would have cost $2.44. On the DDP it was 1 snack credit. DW said it was very good, but we had to rush out of the park to catch the Magical Express so she didn't get to take her time with it.

On the way out, I discovered a new snack item (I say that like I am Christopher Columbus or something). In the Showcase Plaza area in EPCOT, right after I passed by Mexico, I saw this little cart that was selling Cinnamon flavored almonds and pecans. The nuts were in a cone shaped paper, so I could not see what they looked like, but it sounded good. Well both items had the snack credit icon next to them, so I grabbed some almonds and stowed them away for the plane ride home.

During the flight, I remembered I had them and pulled them from my bag. I kept wondering, what the heck would cinnamon sprinkled on almonds taste like? Well I opened it and got the surprise. They were not sprinkled with cinnamon, but were candy covered with cinnamon and sugar, that was hardened over the nuts. This was a great snack, and one that could easily be shared (or not). How could I have missed this snack item - I must have walked by it 100 times and never even noticed it. This is the thing I love about WDW...every time we go, there is something new to discover.

So, if we paid OOP, the nuts would have been about $4.00 (I lost the receipt, but I think they were $3.75 plus tax). On the DDP, we used our last and final snack credit.

So for the final day, OOP costs would have been $6.44, but on the DDP it cost us 2 snack credits.

Now I have to run to get groceries for the house and something for Easter dinner tomorrow. I will total everything up and give my final thoughts later on today (hopefully).

 

[disneyfan61]

Thank you so much for the review of Tutto. Cannot wait to try it next month. Thanks so much for doing these reviews live!! I really enjoyed it & am also sorry your trip had to come to an end You did such a great job!!

 

[5infam]

Here are the final totals:

On the DDP, for 8 days of CS Lunch, plus snacks, plus a TS dinner, for 3 adults and 2 children - plus any extra alcohol or drinks, plus extra appetizers or snacks, including all taxes - the grand total I paid was $1,181.17. The only thing this does not include is gratuity at our TS meals because you pay that whether you are on the DDP or not. Looking at an average, I tipped between $25 and $30 per TS meal, so if you are a hard core budget person (like me) that may give you some guidance.

OK - What if I paid OOP - the total cost for all of the above (excluding gratuities of course) would have cost me $1,844.19 That is a savings of $663.02 - I love you DDP!!!!

Now here are some final thoughts:

1. I love saving money, and at WDW, we all know a trip like this can be the same as the annual GDP of a small country - so on that basis alone, I have to give the DDP a thumbs up!

2. The Food Positives - If you haven't noticed, we really did eat a variety of different foods, and ate at different types of places. In the trips I have taken to WDW in the past, by day 3 I was really sick of eating out, and it felt like the same old thing over and over and I was longing for my DW's home cooking. This trip was way different. The mix of foods and atmospheres made it enjoyable, and each day was exciting for us to try a new place with new tastes. We never got bored, and if we wanted to switch something up we did so. All in all, this was a huge positive

3. List of Favorites - I would have to say that Boma is my new favorite buffet, and would love to go there again (we couldn't get in for breakfast on our last day). Marrakesh and Tutto Italia were welcome surprises - so check those out if you get a chance. And of course, the Bread Pudding at Ohana will go down as my all time favorite dessert at WDW.

On the CS side, Tangierine Cafe is on top, followed by Yak & Yeti. For that burger fix at MK, Pecos Bill's is a winner (love that hot mushrooms and onions on that double bacon cheeseburger).

Favorite Snacks - On a hot day, those smoothies can't be beat. The school bread, rice creme and Dole Whips are right there too. For something different, I really liked the egg roll and the cinnamon almonds.

4. Dislikes - There were a few times that I wanted to swap things around (Teppen Edo for example) and I couldn't do it. Also, why can I order a smoothie at Le Cellier, but I couldn't at any other TS?

Reservations - I know this is a must, and it needs to be done in advance - and I spoke to so many other people that could not get a seat at any TS during their vacation. However, if I wanted to change something around on my TS schedule, I really couldn't. A lot of this has to do with the time of year we went, but it is still an issue to consider.

5. Now on to the most difficult and "personal issue for each family to consider" - Is the DDP right for you or not??? Well the one thing to consider is how much food do you really eat? For us, we really would not have ordered 3 desserts at lunch every day - we probably would have ordered no dessert at all, and would have saved that for dinner. We also would not have ordered drinks for everyone at lunch, as I always carry a small cooler with bottled water, which we usually have for our drink at lunch. So this would have trimmed down the OOP costs, by maybe $20 per day. Even so, we still would of had a large cost savings.

As a reminder, we ate breakfast in our room using our full kitchen. So by the time lunch rolled around, some days we were hungry, some days not so much - but we had to stop to eat lunch by a certain time so we had enough time to get hungry for our TS ADR. The #1 thing I would change if I were to do this again is to make my ADR's later. All of my ADR's were at 6:00, except for a few that were at 5:30, or 5:45. We should have made ADR's for 7:00pm or maybe 7:30pm. We would have been more hungry for dinner and this would have flowed better with our day.

Also, some days we really didn't feel like a full dinner, because lunch was so good - we could have just had something small. We could have done a few character breakfasts to mix things up a bit, and maybe that would have been a better option so we had some nights where we just had our CS for dinner and snack around lunch, with breakfast as a brunch.

Finally - Would we do the DDP again? I would have to say that given everything above, we would do it again. Instead of looking to save money on the plan, or to maximize the whole thing, I would look to just be happy with a break even and make better choices with my ADR's - like a character breakfast, or maybe a TS lunch. I sort of looked at this first try with the DDP as I do with a cruise. When I get in front of all that cruise food, I get the sense that I HAVE to get my monies worth in the food (since it is prepaid) and I end up over doing it. Instead, it was nice to not have a big fat bill at the end of every meal, and have that concern - am I over budget?under budget? - how much more can I spend? - etc. All of that goes away with the prepaid DDP, and I can just enjoy the meal. In the end, that alone was worth it to me - and to my family. My kids are great, and with out my prompting, they tend to look for the lower priced menu items when we go out to eat (DS18 is very thoughtful in this way). It took them a couple of days to get used to the fact that they could order anything, irregardless of price - so it was fun for them too.

So that is all I have to share for now - unless you have any questions for me. I had a great time doing this, and I was excited to hear your comments that I may have helped you out in any way -even if it was small. I really appreciate the first folks that posted comments the first few days, as I was going to scrap the whole thing because of the technology issues - but you all kept me going (thanks DISers). Finally, thank you to everyone who was complimentary to me and especially my family. I had reservations about "posting their pictures on the internet" - but you all made it ok - so again, thank you for your kind words.

We probably won't go back to WDW for 2 or 3 years, so I will be living vicariously through all of your threads and posts, so keep em coming. Thanks for sharing our vacation with us!!!

And have a Happy Easter!!

 

[TigerKat]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your excellent reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute!!!