HELP! DDP or DxDP???

[Jetta8300]

I don't know whether to add the deluxe dining plan to my reservation, or stick with the regular DDP! I've never been to WDW, so I don't really know how much CS food costs, and that's mostly my problem figuring it out...

It's myself and my husband, just the 2 of us. We're huge foodies, love trying different things. I would love to eat at a signature restaurant every night and be able to get an appetizer, but eat LIGHT during the day! Just counter service for lunch, and a very small breakfast (snack sized). We don't want to waste any time eating TS in the parks during the day.

There doesn't seem to be a perfect plan for us! It would also be hard going to a signature restaurant and not being able to try the appetizers on the regular DDP! What do you suggest???

 

[Nadjalu]

What I did is this, look at the menu's see what places you would want to eat at, then add the prices up. (the prices are listed on the menus on allears and this website)
See which is cheaper.

IF appys are a must for you (remember this is your vacation do what you want not what others would do, as I don't do appys but to each his own) then the deluxe plan would make most sense.

YES it is a lot of food, but then again if you are doing many 2TS dinners it could be worth it.

When we go it is just DH and myself, we get the DDP and it is perfect for us. For 7 days we only buy a couple CS breakfasts OOP and a few extra snacks.

Remember doing your vacation your way is the way to go. If you eat 2-3 meals a day any plan is pretty good.

Good luck and have fun!!

 

[Cafeen]

At $72 per person per night, the DxDDP is a commitment in both time and money.

Let's see your basic plan so far, if you've made the dining reservations, include thoose. If you haven't, well you should probably get crackin' as the window has been open for about 2 months already (though, other than CG, the signatures don't fill up super quick like certain in-park restaurants do).

Right now, my gut is thinking either DDP, paying OOP for the cheaper meals to double up TS credits (as well as apps) or DxDDP. Knowing the plans could push it over the edge. (I'm thinking a Sig + 1QS per night would be slightly below the $72 mark.. but not far enough to outright say it won't work).

 

[scanne]

This will be the 2nd year we're doing the DxDP. I chose this plan for a couple of reasons.

1. I do not want to think about "how I'm going to pay for all of our meals" while we're in WDW. The DxDP gives us the freedom to eat up to three meals a day with no worry. We aren't eating 3x a day except for one day. I mainly have a breakfast or lunch and a 2 credit dinner most nights. I've calculated my ressies and I have 23 out of 24 credits used for our 8 nights/9 days.

2. We were already planning on three signature meals, which we love! We all enjoy hitting the parks early, then coming back to the hotel in the late afternoon to unwind and relax then get cleaned up and head out to a nice dinner. It's a relaxing way to end each day.

3. Flexiblity. We love that we can do TS or CS with our credits. With the regular DP, it feels limited to me. I just like having options.

4. Snacks - as a family of four, we will have 64 snack credits - I plan on using most of those for bottled water/powerade/smart water, fresh fruit for breakfast and a few ice cream novelties or popcorns.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[Jetta8300]

Well here is what my reservations look like now, just on the DDP:

1st night: no reservations (plan on eating counter service dinner to save up a credit)
2nd night: Cali Grille
3rd night: Tutto Italia
4th night: Jiko
5th Night: The Wave

If we did the deuxe dining, we would like to try Brown Derby the first night at DHS, and substitute Tutto Italia for the Flying Fish cafe the 3rd night. and maybe Nacrossees on the 5th night. hmmmm....comfusing!

 

[Cafeen]

Well here is what my reservations look like now, just on the DDP:

1st night: no reservations (plan on eating counter service dinner to save up a credit)
2nd night: Cali Grille
3rd night: Tutto Italia
4th night: Jiko
5th Night: The Wave

If we did the deuxe dining, we would like to try Brown Derby the first night at DHS, and substitute Tutto Italia for the Flying Fish cafe the 3rd night. and maybe Nacrossees on the 5th night. hmmmm....comfusing!

Well, that gives us a starting point . Let's do some math (I swear that the dining plans are turning me into a mathematician!)

First off, base costs:
OOP: $0.00
DDP: $42/night x 5 nights x 2 people = $420
DxDDP: $72/night x 5 x 2 = $720

Givens:
Base QS meal = $11
Avg QS Dessert = $3
Avg Snack = $3
"Base" Meal/Dessert/App

Now, your current plans (Plan A):
1: QS1: $11/3, QS2: $11/3
2: QS1: $11/3, CG: $32/$12/$14
3: QS1: $11/3, Tutto: $25/$9/$14
4: QS1: $11/3, Jiko: $34/$8/$11
5: QS1: $11/3, Wave: $22/$8/$12

Alternate Plans (Plan B):
1: QS1: $11/3, BD: $30/$8/$11
2: QS1: $11/3, CG: $32/$12/$14
3: QS1: $11/3, FF: $36/$8/$16
4: QS1: $11/3, Jiko: $34/$8/$11
5: QS1: $11/3, Narc: $33($58 for lobster)/$8/$14

So, now we add up all the dining locations:
PlanA (all): QS: $66/18, TS: $113/37/51
PlanA (minus OOP credits, 1QS and The Wave): QS: $55/15, TS: $91/29/39
PlanA (Just 1 QS and The Wave): QS: $11/3, TS: $22/8/12

PlanB: QS: $55/15, TS: $165(190)/44/66
PlanB (minus BD & Jiko): QS: $55/15, TS: $101(126)/28/44
PlanB (only BD & Jiko): $64/16/22

So, using full allotments for each dining plan. (For OOP we'll keep TS meals in pieces and assume no QS desserts)

PlanA:
OOP: $179/$37/$51 x 2 people = $358/74/102 + Tax (6.5%, all values rounded up, unless under 10 cents) = $382/$79/$55
DDP (Paying OOP @ The Wave): $190 x 2 people = $380 + 66/16/24 (OOP Meals x 2) = $446/16/24 + Tax (for the OOP meals) = $380 + $71/$17/$26
DxDDP: $285 x 2 people = $690

PlanB:
OOP: $220(245)/44/66 x 2 people = $440(490)/88/132 + Tax = $469($522)/94/141
DDP (OOP @ BD and Jiko): $199(224) x 2 people = $398(448) + $128/32/44 + Tax = $398(448) + $137/$34/$47
DxDDP: $345(370) x 2 = $690(740)

These numbers become the Value of each dining plan for each of your plans. It looks a bit messy, but the next part should clear that up . Now, we'll compare the above with the costs of the dining plans and see what we come up with.

PlanA:
OOP: $382/$79/$55 | Using DDP allotments (plus $32 snacks): $444/$17/$26 | Using DxDDP Allotments (plus $64 snacks): $580
DDP: $420 + $71/$17/$26 = $491/$17/$26 | Using DxDDP Allotments (plus $32 snacks) = $595
DxDDP: $720

PlanB:
OOP: $469($522)/94/141 | Using DDP allotments (plus $32 snacks): $535($560)/60/47 | Using DxDDP Allotments (plus $64 snacks): $768(818)
DDP: $420 + $137/$34/$47 = $557/$34/47 | Using DxDDP allotments (plus $32 snacks) = $764
DxDDP: $720

So, the answer to "Which Plan is right?" would hinge upon how much extra you order. If you go for the "full boat" (that is, everything that would be entitled to you on DxDDP), then For Plan A OOP wins by a little bit. It could be closed even further if you tend to order the more pricey options on the menu. It's mathematically a wash.

However, this all changes if you go with PlanB. On PlanB, you're better served going for the DxDDP. You can also add an additional $28 to the savings as you each will get a refillable mug as well. Not that I usually take that into consideration, but it's just adding to the 40someodd dollar difference.

Now, as a note: The difference is relatively low due to the use of CS and 2TS locations. 2TS locations are not worth 2 x 1TS location as far as value per credit. This is what makes them unattractive on the DDP. Now, normally on the DxDDP they aren't that big of a deal, since most people pair them with a heaping of 1TS locations as well. Since this isn't the case here, the savings does get reduced further. However, you'll still come out ahead with PlanB on the DxDDP (and again, especially if ordering the pricier menu options, I picked an average or the middle price for all estimates).

 

[itradehilton]

When trying to decide if we should go DDP or DXDDP I looked at the menus of the signatures places because that is where we really wanted to eat at night. Then went to the menus on the Dinning tab on disboards to see how much it would cost OOP for the meals my family would want to eat. For my family meals at the signatures OOP would run us between $60 - $95 for each person. So for us (seafood and steak lovers) the DxDDP works the best. Some days we may break even and other days we come out ahead. For us it is about enjoying our vacation.

 

[Jetta8300]

Well, that gives us a starting point . Let's do some math (I swear that the dining plans are turning me into a mathematician!)

First off, base costs:
OOP: $0.00
DDP: $42/night x 5 nights x 2 people = $420
DxDDP: $72/night x 5 x 2 = $720

Givens:
Base QS meal = $11
Avg QS Dessert = $3
Avg Snack = $3
"Base" Meal/Dessert/App

Now, your current plans (Plan A):
1: QS1: $11/3, QS2: $11/3
2: QS1: $11/3, CG: $32/$12/$14
3: QS1: $11/3, Tutto: $25/$9/$14
4: QS1: $11/3, Jiko: $34/$8/$11
5: QS1: $11/3, Wave: $22/$8/$12

Alternate Plans (Plan B):
1: QS1: $11/3, BD: $30/$8/$11
2: QS1: $11/3, CG: $32/$12/$14
3: QS1: $11/3, FF: $36/$8/$16
4: QS1: $11/3, Jiko: $34/$8/$11
5: QS1: $11/3, Narc: $33($58 for lobster)/$8/$14

So, now we add up all the dining locations:
PlanA (all): QS: $66/18, TS: $113/37/51
PlanA (minus OOP credits, 1QS and The Wave): QS: $55/15, TS: $91/29/39
PlanA (Just 1 QS and The Wave): QS: $11/3, TS: $22/8/12

PlanB: QS: $55/15, TS: $165(190)/44/66
PlanB (minus BD & Jiko): QS: $55/15, TS: $101(126)/28/44
PlanB (only BD & Jiko): $64/16/22

So, using full allotments for each dining plan. (For OOP we'll keep TS meals in pieces and assume no QS desserts)

PlanA:
OOP: $179/$37/$51 x 2 people = $358/74/102 + Tax (6.5%, all values rounded up, unless under 10 cents) = $382/$79/$55
DDP (Paying OOP @ The Wave): $190 x 2 people = $380 + 66/16/24 (OOP Meals x 2) = $446/16/24 + Tax (for the OOP meals) = $380 + $71/$17/$26
DxDDP: $285 x 2 people = $690

PlanB:
OOP: $220(245)/44/66 x 2 people = $440(490)/88/132 + Tax = $469($522)/94/141
DDP (OOP @ BD and Jiko): $199(224) x 2 people = $398(448) + $128/32/44 + Tax = $398(448) + $137/$34/$47
DxDDP: $345(370) x 2 = $690(740)

These numbers become the Value of each dining plan for each of your plans. It looks a bit messy, but the next part should clear that up . Now, we'll compare the above with the costs of the dining plans and see what we come up with.

PlanA:
OOP: $382/$79/$55 | Using DDP allotments (plus $32 snacks): $444/$17/$26 | Using DxDDP Allotments (plus $64 snacks): $580
DDP: $420 + $71/$17/$26 = $491/$17/$26 | Using DxDDP Allotments (plus $32 snacks) = $595
DxDDP: $720

PlanB:
OOP: $469($522)/94/141 | Using DDP allotments (plus $32 snacks): $535($560)/60/47 | Using DxDDP Allotments (plus $64 snacks): $768(818)
DDP: $420 + $137/$34/$47 = $557/$34/47 | Using DxDDP allotments (plus $32 snacks) = $764
DxDDP: $720

So, the answer to "Which Plan is right?" would hinge upon how much extra you order. If you go for the "full boat" (that is, everything that would be entitled to you on DxDDP), then For Plan A OOP wins by a little bit. It could be closed even further if you tend to order the more pricey options on the menu. It's mathematically a wash.

However, this all changes if you go with PlanB. On PlanB, you're better served going for the DxDDP. You can also add an additional $28 to the savings as you each will get a refillable mug as well. Not that I usually take that into consideration, but it's just adding to the 40someodd dollar difference.

Now, as a note: The difference is relatively low due to the use of CS and 2TS locations. 2TS locations are not worth 2 x 1TS location as far as value per credit. This is what makes them unattractive on the DDP. Now, normally on the DxDDP they aren't that big of a deal, since most people pair them with a heaping of 1TS locations as well. Since this isn't the case here, the savings does get reduced further. However, you'll still come out ahead with PlanB on the DxDDP (and again, especially if ordering the pricier menu options, I picked an average or the middle price for all estimates).

Wow!!! Thank you so much for all your help! The difference really is very low! It looks like the DxDDP comes out ahead in my opinion. Because even though the cost would probably be similar, we would get to substitute more 1 credit places for 2 credit places!!! Thanks again!

 

[makelab]

Well here is what my reservations look like now, just on the DDP:

1st night: no reservations (plan on eating counter service dinner to save up a credit)
2nd night: Cali Grille
3rd night: Tutto Italia
4th night: Jiko
5th Night: The Wave

If we did the deuxe dining, we would like to try Brown Derby the first night at DHS, and substitute Tutto Italia for the Flying Fish cafe the 3rd night. and maybe Nacrossees on the 5th night. hmmmm....comfusing!

That's some real analysis cafeen, but i think it is simple: if you are going to do signature every night, and one counter service per day, i think you will be getting your money's worth. too many people worry about maximizing the use of their credits, where i believe you should just get your money's worth, no matter what you end up trying. with the two meals (CS + sig) per day, your snacks are a bonus, and they come in handy when you just need a bottle of water or want to grab a mickey bar. and if you spend time at the resort - refillable mug. the only down side is more $$ in gratuities, but probably wash with the out of pocket costs for other meals you might incur.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

we saved $678 on the DxDDP. we only paid out of pocket for a few beers he had with a couple dinners. it was nice not to stop and pay for a few snacks a day or any meals. i recommend it.

 

[Tara]

For us, the DDP isn't such a good idea. We eat mainly at signature restaurants for dinner and virtually no quick service. So those credits don't really go far and the QS credits go to waste. I never really considered the DxDP because we bought into DVC and we do eat some meals in our room (more breakfasts and lunches) and we use Tables in Wonderland. But next week DS8 and I are going for 6 days at a moderate, so no in-room meals. DS is a breakfast buffet hound - that's really the best way for me to get protein in him in the morning. And we have a signature dinner each night (his favorite restaurants are almost all signatures, go figure!) With DxDP we'll use all our credits for TS meals so the value works out to be just as good as TIW - better when I factor in all the snacks. (We'll be eating a lot of fruit and frozen lemonades to stay cool.)

I have a pretty extensive spreadsheet to do the comparison between OOP, DxDP and TIW for this trip. It works out as:

OOP: $715
TIW: $588
DDP: $554

That's including tips. The nice thing is that I paid $81 OOP for breakfast at CRT before I added the DxDP, so I'll be getting that money back. (If I did TIW I'd get about $16 back, roughly.)

 

[Cafeen]

That's some real analysis cafeen, but i think it is simple: if you are going to do signature every night, and one counter service per day, i think you will be getting your money's worth. too many people worry about maximizing the use of their credits, where i believe you should just get your money's worth, no matter what you end up trying. with the two meals (CS + sig) per day, your snacks are a bonus, and they come in handy when you just need a bottle of water or want to grab a mickey bar. and if you spend time at the resort - refillable mug. the only down side is more $$ in gratuities, but probably wash with the out of pocket costs for other meals you might incur.

Maximizing and making sure you're breaking even are two different things. You are right in that the DxDDP is much easier to break even with so long as you're spending most of your credits. It's not always that simple though. I'm not about getting the maximum value per credit, but making sure that you aren't paying more by being on a plan. Which, you can see an example in the PlanA on DDP vs OOP comparison, she would have paid more to be on the DDP than paying OOP, even ordering the same food and including snacks. She would have broken even on DDP, that's true, but why spend the extra money just to be on a plan?

All the math stuff I include is just me "showing my work" as I work through the different scenarios. I did the same thing for myself, and I simply give my ability to work through the problem to others to benefit from. Plus, I like the math and enjoy solving the problems (I never claimed I was normal).