How do you decide DDE or DDP?

[tchrrx]

We will be going for 10 days this summer and 10 days next summer with an AP. I had assumed that we'd be on DDP both times. Now, I'm wondering if DDE is a better choice. I've tried doing sample orders of what we'd order to run the numbers. DDE is coming out about $200 lower at this point. I feel like I'm forgetting something though & the numbers shouldn't be that great. What do you think?


ETA: That includes 3 signature restaurants this time. (DSis is only staying for 5 days, so we'll be using her extra credits from the other 5.)

 

[daisyduck123]

We always do both....we go for 8 or 9 day trips & use the DP.
We use DDE for DH's beer/drinks & any extra TS meals we have.

 

[leahjade]

How do you get dde?

 

[goofy4tink]

How do you get dde?

The Disney Dining Experience card is available to AP holders for $65.
I have had a DDE card for several years now..and just renewed it for this coming year. I have used the DDP two or three times as well.
When I have to decide which one to go with, I sit down with the menus for the meals I will be having. I add up how much the meals will cost. If I'm going with just the DDE card, it's what it is. (If it were not for the DDE, I would have to add on the 18% tip..with the card, I figure the discount is the same as the tip, so it's a wash).
Then, I add up how much the DDP will cost me for the stay. If it comes out to be less than the original total, I go with that. There was one time that the DDP was about $60 more than the DDE 'plan', but I went with it anyway just for the sake of convenience.
With the changes to the DDP in '08 I don't think I'll be using it again. Sure, they dropped the price by a dollar, but they took away the gratuity and the appetizer.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Last year, DH and I tried the DDP and found it to be too much food for us. The DDE suits our eating (and drinking ) style better, especially since we go multiple times a year.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I've never had the DDE so I can't comment on that but we have had the DDP for the past two years and have purchased it for 2008 as well.

When I heard about the 2008 DDP changes, I didn't know if it would still be a good deal for us or not. So, I took a single subject notebook and made a page for each day we would be at Disney (10). Each day had it's own notebook page.

On each page, I put the date and where we would be that day. Then, I headed over to www.allearsnet.com and clicked on Menus.

For each day, I listed where we would be eating and what we would order. I made sure to put down prices. For snacks, I used a total of $12.00 (3 people x $4).

When my ten days were complete, I totaled each day and then added all the days.

When all was said and done, the DDP still worked out to our advantage.

 

[Happydinks]

We too are doing both this year - first time for DDP though. We've used DDE before and found it to be a great savings (esp last year when there were 10 of us at WDW for a week!). Since we're going for 9 days this year and 9 days next year - and we do enjoy having drinks in the lounges and with dinners - we combine the two plans to maximize our discounts. Don't know if we'll do the DDP next year - we'll have to see how it works this year and then decide if we want to add it or not.