For those who have had DDXP, was it worth it?

[archdandy]

My husband and I just came back from our disneymoon where we used the DDXP for our 6 day trip. We had thought about doing this anyways but then a CM on the phone told us we had a pin for free dining and that we could upgrade to the DDXP for way cheaper so we decided to go ahead and do it. We both like to eat and in no way are bird eaters. But we felt like this was too much food for us once we got there. It was too much to have an appetizer, entree and dessert for basically every meal. BUT I did like the option of being able to choose how we wanted to use our meal credits (either using them on CS or TS). So I'm wondering for our next trip what we will do. If we went with the DDXP but only had things like bagels for breakfast instead of a TS meal or a platter from the CS places in the resorts and we didnt get appetizers with every meal would the cost still be worth it for the DDXO or would we be better off just going with the free dining for the moderate resorts (which is the one TS and one CS meal + snack a day) and just paying for anything else we might want/need?

 

[Faldred]

Yes, it was for us, but I don't expect others to necessarily have the same subjective view.

The main reasons were:

* We have two autistic children -- keeping them to as close as possible to a "normal" schedule helps them cope with the change of scenery better. TS meals allowed us schedule meal times at roughly their normal hours, which kept them on better schedule.

* I'm generally not a fan of CS, and especially not when traveling with small children who are going to want to eat at peak times. Between standing in lines for food and finding a table and appropriate high chairs or booster seats, CS meals just aren't "relaxing" and take up enough time that the small amount of extra TS time is time well spent for us. I'm not sure I'd plan to do a single CS meal for our next trip.

* DW and I are moderately experienced "cruisers". We like the idea of the all-inclusive feel of DxDP, and let's face it, we can pack the food away when we're walking the 8-10 miles a day that we do at WDW. Still, every once in a while we passed on an appetizer or dessert -- more commonly, ordered just one of each for the two of us.

Okay, so from a dollars and cents standpoint, if you're going to do almost all TS meals, then you can probably forgo the occasional appetizer and/or dessert and still come out ahead. DxDP meal credits cost less per credit than DDP TS credits, after all.

Several folks will likely suggest doing only two meals a day, with one of them being a signature (dinner) or a dinner show. You can have two more full meals without bursting the wasitline or having to pass on entitlements. If you do get peckish inbetween, there's plenty of snack credits to use.

 

[angierae]

We had DxDP on our first trip (I believe it was an upgrade from free dining, but my MIL paid for that trip so I don't know details) and we really enjoyed it. We didn't eat three meals a day - we had mostly signature dinners and a lunch, and some of those lunches were CS (not all, though.)

I didn't always finish everything on my plate, so maybe it was a "waste" of food, but we liked having the flexibility and not having to worry about eating breakfast off snack credits or paying OOP.

This time around we were going to go with DDP but we too got free dining (just happened to be arriving the very last day of the current promo - March 31st) so after about a three minute discussion with DH, we decided to take the upgrade to DxDP.

Reasons we decided to do it:

1. It was only going to be about $34 a day, which was still cheaper than we'd planned on spending on DDP.
2. We'd already planned OOP breakfasts - Kona Cafe for DH and I, and 1900 Park Faire for DD and her guest. With this, we would be able to use DDP for breakfast without feeling like it was a "waste" of credits because we were only paying $34 per person for food.
3. We liked the ability to have signature dinners without having to "save" credits.
4. We're perfectly happy to get apps and desserts and share them to be able to experience more things.
5. With the free dining (upgraded) I wouldn't feel bad if we decided to do CS for lunch one or two days when we had TS breakfasts and dinners.

Now, I will say that I would NOT have spent the $90 for peak pricing for DxDP. But for $34 per day per person I jumped at the chance.

 

[havoc315]

On the DDP.... If you skip any entitlements, you may lose any potential savings.
But under the DxDP price structure, you can save money while still skipping *some* of your entitlements. So you can skip a couple desserts and a couple appetizers, and still save money.
Then again, it's also possible to have 2 nice TS meals per day, for cheaper OOP than the deluxe plan.

If you prefer TS over most CS... but you think you can do it for cheaper than the DxDP -- then I would simply skip doing any meal plan. I could easily do a moderate TS lunch and moderate signature dinner for $60-$70 per adult -- significantly less than the price of the deluxe, and not a whole lot more than the basic DDP.

Personally, I find that I can use the DxDP to increase food quality, instead of quantity. By doing a lot of 2-credit meals.... I'm getting the same number of meals under the DxDP as under the DDP. The only quanity difference, is a few appetizers and extra snacks.

Look at it this way -- If you are going to do a $10 breakfast, $25 lunch, and $35 dinner and $5 worth of snacks -- Then the 2012 DxDP would not be worthwhile.
But if you are doing a $5 lunch (snack credits) plus $30 lunch (regular TS with app and/or dessert) plus $50 2-credit dinner -- then you are about breaking even.
Up it to a $6 breakfast (2 snack credits), plus $35 lunch, plus $70 signature dinner -- Then you are saving quite a bit of money under the DxDP.
Can you do a $70 signature dinner with skipping appetizers?
Very easily, if you get the lobster at Narcoose's.
At someplace like California Grill --- If you got the $44 filet, plus $2.50 beverage, plus $12 dessert, plus tip -- It's about $62.
If you skipped dessert,but got a $20 sushi appetizer -- Then you would be at $70ish.
On the other side of the coin -- If you went to California Grill, drank tap water, skipped dessert, and simply had the Pork Tenderloin, then your whole signature meal would only cost about $35. You could have 2 similar signature meals, for less than the price of the DxDP!!

So it really depends, how many DxDP entitlements you anticipate skipping... How many of the TS credits you plan to use for CS, and whether you are going to order the pricier or cheaper entrees.

 

[havoc315]

Several folks will likely suggest doing only two meals a day, with one of them being a signature (dinner) or a dinner show. You can have two more full meals without bursting the wasitline or having to pass on entitlements. If you do get peckish inbetween, there's plenty of snack credits to use.

Especially with the 2 snacks -- It's easy to make a 3rd meal -- particularly breakfast -- out of snack credits. Cereal and milk. Fruit cup. Coffee and pastry.

 

[Colleen27]

The DxDDP works out beautifully for our family, even though we never eat 3 TS meals in a day, frequently skip or share desserts, and sometimes use snack credits for low-value items like water or fruit. We plan two meals per day, usually a TS lunch and a signature dinner, and order what we want. We are appetizer and seafood people so that does tend to trend towards the higher-priced options, but we don't order something specifically because it is a good value either.

When doing the math, we've found that using the basic DDP plus paying for extras like appetizers and extra TS meals would bring us to the same price as the DxDDP for less - fewer snacks, fewer mugs (for 2011; we only buy 3 for our family of 5 if we're paying), fewer appetizers. Plus that locks us into eating more counter service than we'd like rather than leaving those credits unused.

 

[catra121]

I definitely though that the deluxe dining plan was worth it...I don't want to go without it now...lol!

The convenience of the dining plan is my main reason for wanting it when I vacation to Disney. Everything is paid for ahead of time and I don't have to carry extra cash/credit cards around with me all the time. No big surprise after the trip when I open my credit card bill. I also like that I don't have to worry about prices and can just order what I want.

The flexibility of the deluxe plan makes it my favorite of all the plans. I found that when on the deluxe plan, I paid NO money OOP for any food (not even for sodas or water). I got to order appetizers, which I greatly prefer over desserts. I got to try a lot of restaurants and food that were different (and didn't feel guilty if I was adventurous and tried something but didn't like it). The deluxe plan also made it possible to use credits on the arrival AND departure days so that those days the food was covered too.

I did the math when I got back from Disney and we came out ahead with the deluxe dining plan...but that was really only a secondary benefit for me. The freedom I got with the deluxe plan really would have made it worthwhile for me even if we hadn't had any savings (even if we had "lost" money). But I guess a part of the reason that it worked so well for me is that it suits the way that I like to eat (lots of TS, couple of sodas a day, like ordering steak and high prices entrees, LOVE appetizers, etc). With the regular plan I felt so constrained and ended up eating a lot of meals that I didn't enjoy (not a fan of most counter service meals) and while the deluxe plan may be more food than I need in a day the regular plan always leave me VERY hungry unless I get a lot of stuff OOP...in which case why not just pay for the deluxe plan?

 

[Cafeen]

For me, just like pretty much everyone above, it's worth it.

• I prefer TS to CS, so the ability to plan mostly TS meals is a big plus
• I prefer apps to desserts (though I won't shy away from desserts too ), so the ability for them to be included is also a plus
• I like the signatures, the ability to spend 2 credits at a meal without bursting the bottom line is a huge plus
• I suck at saving money... hence the pre-paid nature is a plus.
• I tour solo, in low season, so the increased meal time is a non-issue
• I tour solo, so getting everyone to agree on locations ahead of time is a non-issue
• I plan far ahead (and am pretty quick about it), so the added time getting ADRs is a non-issue
• I like numbers, so in determining which plan for me, I calculated that DxDDP gave me the best cost to experience ratio. I may be paying $300 more than I would if I were going OOP, but I was gaining ~$500 worth of food for that $300.
• I like taking pictures of the food and making others back at work jealous.... um, this has nothing to do with the plan, other than I'd probably not get those fancy desserts otherwise

So, pretty much all the reasons that I give for others to consider when choosing a plan, I did for myself and found it works.

 

[Mikey'swife]

We like dxdp. It is expensive but the cheapest way to do lots of character meals and the best way to enjoy signature restaurants since they have such nice and expensive apps.

I think 4-5 days on dxdp is enough for us though.

It gives you enough credits that you can actually do shows and CRT which take up so many credits on ddp.

It seems to be a really good deal if you have kids and want to eat at least one character meal a day since they are so high.

 

[Mom of 2 Wife of 1]

On the other side of the coin -- If you went to California Grill, drank tap water, skipped dessert, and simply had the Pork Tenderloin, then your whole signature meal would only cost about $35. You could have 2 similar signature meals, for less than the price of the DxDP!!

Maybe this is why you don't like the Dining Plan -- because you don't know how to use it?

Drink tap water, skip dessert, order an entree, and that makes it worth going to a signature restaurant at all? You're missing the whole point of the DxDP. It allows you to have a full dining experience that most people paying OOP would either be too cheap to try or skip altogether out of ignorance.

Drink tap water? Really? At California Grill? Thanks for the

 

[havoc315]

Maybe this is why you don't like the Dining Plan -- because you don't know how to use it?

Drink tap water, skip dessert, order an entree, and that makes it worth going to a signature restaurant at all? You're missing the whole point of the DxDP. It allows you to have a full dining experience that most people paying OOP would either be too cheap to try or skip altogether out of ignorance.

Drink tap water? Really? At California Grill? Thanks for the

If you actually read my whole post, you would have seen that I like the dxdp, but pointed out that it depends how you eat, and you can eat at a signature level for far less than the cost of the dxdp.

Not sure why you think it is so funny to drink tap water at California Grill?

I eat at fine dining establishments about 10-15 times per year - far superior to California Grill. And if I'm not drinking wine (which isn't covered by the dxdp), then I always drink water. It's not only healthier than a soda, it tastes better and matches every food. Drinking diet coke is a gourmet treat for you?

And I certainly don't have any desire fir rich desserts on a daily basis.

Having 1 delicious entree is quite often mire than enough for me. Just the other night, I had a wonderful Coq a vin, with a glass of Chardonnay. I did have a simple gazpacho as an appetizer. It was an amazing meal, I didn't need a soda and big chocolate dessert to complete the meal.

And for those reasons -- I do find some value in the deluxe plan. I can skip some desserts, skip sodas, and still save some money.

On the regular dining plan, if I skip sodas and a few desserts, there are no savings. Savings on the regular ddp comes from stuffing yourself with questionable dining choices.

But if you somehow believe that a good dining experience requires a soda...

 

[sharonabe]

My husband and I just came back from our disneymoon where we used the DDXP for our 6 day trip. We had thought about doing this anyways but then a CM on the phone told us we had a pin for free dining and that we could upgrade to the DDXP for way cheaper so we decided to go ahead and do it. We both like to eat and in no way are bird eaters. But we felt like this was too much food for us once we got there. It was too much to have an appetizer, entree and dessert for basically every meal. BUT I did like the option of being able to choose how we wanted to use our meal credits (either using them on CS or TS). So I'm wondering for our next trip what we will do. If we went with the DDXP but only had things like bagels for breakfast instead of a TS meal or a platter from the CS places in the resorts and we didnt get appetizers with every meal would the cost still be worth it for the DDXO or would we be better off just going with the free dining for the moderate resorts (which is the one TS and one CS meal + snack a day) and just paying for anything else we might want/need?

If your next trip coincides with free dining, your cost for the upgrade to DxDDP is only $34/per night. You could easily eat 3 QS meals a day for more than that, so eating a QS breakfast or snack breakfast, a QS or TS lunch and then a TS dinner with some signatures thrown in to make it special will definitely cover that $34. You wouldn't have to order app and dessert at every meal; you wouldn't even have to order an entree at every meal. You could just enjoy apps, dessert, and coffee.

So upgrading FREE dining would give you the flexibility you want with where you eat and insure you eat as much as you want to without overeating to cover the "cost."

NOW, if you're talking about PAYING full price for DxDDP, then you'll have to do a lot more eating to make it worth the cost.

 

[Linleedo]

We really enjoyed the deluxe dining plan. We enjoyed early lunches & signature dining places for dinner ,The food was fantastic. The cost of the fine dining experiences far exceeded the cost of the daily deluxe dining plan. To be honest, we never were hungry & didn't use our snacks except a few tastes at the Food & Wine festival. We shopped for tons of snacks our last day & took them home in our carry-on bag. It was a great value & we are doing it again this year! Can't wait. The table service lunch meals are also a nice retreat from the Florida sun. Enjoy!

 

[abc999]

We love the DxDP and have had it for the last 3 trips we stayed at a Disney Resort. We have 2 kids, currently ages 5.5 and 7.5.

1 - Someone is bringing me food to my table, DH and I don't have to split up
trying to find a table and ordering food and dragging 2 kids around.
2 - We get to sit and relax a bit with the kids, this was really good when they were younger and needed a break, but didn't really nap anymore.
3- We usually get appetizers when we eat out, so it just seems natural to get them at Disney.
4 - We have more options Table service or Counter service.
5 - we like the extra snack
6- we can do more character meals and not have to stand on line to meet characters out in the heat.

 

[vinotinto]

Have you thought about a TS breakfast/brunch/early lunch and a Signature dinner with snacks in-between?

 

[persimmondeb]

I'm sorry, but that "tap water, no app, no dessert" really does sound kind of grim to me too. Not really a fine dining experience in my book.

I don't drink much soda either, especially with meals, but the DDP (and DxDP) does cover bottled water, which I would much rather see than Disney's tap water. Add in an appetizer, which doesn't need to be ginormous, and keep in mind that most fine dining desserts (and I haven't eaten at CG, but my experience of upscale Disney desserts would bear this out), are fairly dainty, and meant to be consumed by one human in a couple of bites.

You can easily come out ahead, without consuming a ridiculous amount of food for an active adult who has been walking around all day. It sounds to me that havoc does understand how to use the plan, but doesn't really understand why someone would want to.

Based on the latest menu on All Ears, you could have, for example-
Summer Peach Firecracker Salad-$14
Wild Pacific Ivory Salmon-$40
Lemon Trio-$12
and whatever they charge for a small bottle of Pellegrino-say $3

You're at $69, quite nicely, without being gluttonous, and even paying full pop for the DxDP, you only have to use another $21 dollars worth of credits to break even. Even a character breakfast and a couple of bottles of juice or water would get you there plus some.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

My husband and I just came back from our disneymoon where we used the DDXP for our 6 day trip. We had thought about doing this anyways but then a CM on the phone told us we had a pin for free dining and that we could upgrade to the DDXP for way cheaper so we decided to go ahead and do it. We both like to eat and in no way are bird eaters. But we felt like this was too much food for us once we got there. It was too much to have an appetizer, entree and dessert for basically every meal. BUT I did like the option of being able to choose how we wanted to use our meal credits (either using them on CS or TS). So I'm wondering for our next trip what we will do. If we went with the DDXP but only had things like bagels for breakfast instead of a TS meal or a platter from the CS places in the resorts and we didnt get appetizers with every meal would the cost still be worth it for the DDXO or would we be better off just going with the free dining for the moderate resorts (which is the one TS and one CS meal + snack a day) and just paying for anything else we might want/need?

We have done the Basic DDP many times and did the Deluxe plan one time a couple of years ago - NEVER again. We found it to be a huge waste of time and money.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

We paid in full for dxdp last year when we could have had free qsdp but under the UK offer couldn't upgrade to DXDP from that.

We mainly did it because we wanted to do HDDR and Spirit of Aloha plus lunch and dinner at CRT. The dxdp actually worked out the same for us as these four meals which meant all our other food was technically free for the week. I did do a cost analysis as a dining plan and we really worked out in profit but this year we don't want any shows and onlly Le Cellier as signature plus we did find an appetizer and dessert too much at every meal so we have just gone for staying at a deluxe with free ddp. Would definitely do it again though depending on where we wanted to make our adrs.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

This is the link to my review with cost comparisons - not sure if it helps :
The DIS Discussion Forums - DISboards.com > Disney Trip Planning Forums > Disney Restaurants > Disney Dining Reviews
A last farewell to characters with a bit of help from DXDP - sorry no pics

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I'm sorry, but that "tap water, no app, no dessert" really does sound kind of grim to me too. Not really a fine dining experience in my book.

I don't drink much soda either, especially with meals, but the DDP (and DxDP) does cover bottled water, which I would much rather see than Disney's tap water. Add in an appetizer, which doesn't need to be ginormous, and keep in mind that most fine dining desserts (and I haven't eaten at CG, but my experience of upscale Disney desserts would bear this out), are fairly dainty, and meant to be consumed by one human in a couple of bites.

You can easily come out ahead, without consuming a ridiculous amount of food for an active adult who has been walking around all day. It sounds to me that havoc does understand how to use the plan, but doesn't really understand why someone would want to.

Based on the latest menu on All Ears, you could have, for example-
Summer Peach Firecracker Salad-$14
Wild Pacific Ivory Salmon-$40
Lemon Trio-$12
and whatever they charge for a small bottle of Pellegrino-say $3

You're at $69, quite nicely, without being gluttonous, and even paying full pop for the DxDP, you only have to use another $21 dollars worth of credits to break even. Even a character breakfast and a couple of bottles of juice or water would get you there plus some.

This is great... except if there are 4 or 5 of you that is ALOT of food... that means there are 4/5 appetizers, 4/5 meals, and 4/5 desserts. It ends up being ALOT. Their portions are very generous. And even with that said it might be ok for a couple nights but eventually the portions seem LARGE when you are eating them. In the real world when you go out to eat do you always order all 3 courses for EVERYONE? IF you do this plan is great... but don't question people who don't. It also works that sometimes I'd rather an app and a salad and I'm more than done.

We like the dxdp but I don't think it is the best value right now at least in the upcoming year where it is $90 a person. It depends on how your family eats. We'd rather order 2 apps for the 4 of us and 2 desserts and then our meals. We also drink tap water. No shame in it. We drink it at home or in restaurants. Most bottled water is just tap water in bottles anyways. But if we do ohana ($24) and then even with your example a sig at $69 we have to get good value out of our snacks to get ahead.