How does DDE work???

[psu4glory]

Can anyone help me understand how the DDE works for DVC members? Will be booking our first DVC trip soon and would like to know the 'ins & outs'....

 

[Chuck S]

Are you referring to the Disney Dining Experience (discount) card (DDE) or the Disney (pre-paid) Dining Plan? (DDP)

The DDE is a 20% discount card available to Fl residents and all Annual Passholders, it is not specific to DVC membership. If you are an AP holder, the DDE card is $60 for one year, and is valid at almost all full service restaurants, buffets, and bars/lounges operated by Disney World.

The DDP can be booked now by DVC members through Mem Svs for vacations at DVC resorts starting April 1st. It is virtually the same as the Dining Plan offered to onsite package guests, except no park ticket media purchase is required. It must be booked through MS, and can not be used if you are staying at a regular WDW resort, even on points.

For more info see this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=994635

 

[DeeDeeDis]

Thanks chuck

for the info on the dinning plan for dvc members, i didn't realize you didn't have to purchase a pass. this is great since we are passholders. now i'll have to go back and pay attention to what i am reading this time.

 

[psu4glory]

The DDE is a 20% discount card available to Fl residents and all Annual Passholders, it is not specific to DVC membership. If you are an AP holder, the DDE card is $60 for one year, and is valid at almost all full service restaurants, buffets, and bars/lounges operated by Disney World.

The DDP can be booked now by DVC members through Mem Svs for vacations at DVC resorts starting April 1st. It is virtually the same as the Dining Plan offered to onsite package guests, except no park ticket media purchase is required. It must be booked through MS, and can not be used if you are staying at a regular WDW resort, even on points.

Thanks, Chuck......two more quick questions :

1) you said that the 20% discount is available in most full service restaurants...does it not apply to the counter service / fast food restaurants throughout WDW?

2) regarding the DDP....my wife and i stayed at the WL this past november on a 'MYW' package, and we purchased the DDP....i understood that if you purchase the DDP, you MUST pay the daily fee per person for EACH NIGHT that you stay. we only stayed 6 nights in nov, so it was a pretty good deal - but are planning to come down in june for 2 weeks and would not want to pay the $38/day/person for the full 14 days....

is this disney's rule with respect to DDP? that you must buy the plan for each night you will be staying....or can you specify the number of days that you'd like to purchase???

 

[1000th happy haunt]

DDE is for full-service sit down restaurants only (buffets are included). So you can't use it at places like Columbia Harbor House. The current list of restaurants include:

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge – Boma - The Flavors of Africa, Jiko - The Cooking Place, Victoria Falls
Disney's Beach Club Resort – Beaches & Cream Soda Shop (excludes take-out shop), Cape May Cafe, Martha's Vineyard Lounge
Disney's BoardWalk – ESPN® Club, Flying Fish Cafe, Spoodles, Bellevue Lounge
Disney's Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge Golf Club – Sand Trap Bar & Grill
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort – Shutters at Old Port Royale
Disney's Contemporary Resort – California Grill, Chef Mickey's, Concourse Steakhouse, Outer Rim Lounge
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort – Maya Grill
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground – Crockett's Tavern, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (9:30 p.m. show only), Trail's End Restaurant
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – 1900 Park Fare, Citricos, Garden View Lounge, Grand Floridian Cafe, Mizner's Lounge, Narcoossee's, Victoria & Albert's (excludes Chef's Table)
Disney's Old Key West Resort – Olivia's Cafe
Disney's Polynesian Resort – Kona Cafe, 'Ohana, Tambu Lounge, Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (Late show only)
Disney's Pop Century Resort – Classic Concoctions
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter - Scat Cat's Club
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside - Boatwright's Dining Hall, River Roost
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort – The Turf Club
Disney's Wide World of Sports™ – Official All-Star Cafe
Disney's Wilderness Lodge – Artist Point, Territory Lounge, Whispering Canyon Cafe
Disney's Yacht Club Resort – Yacht Club Galley, Ale and Compass Lounge, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Crews Cup Lounge
DOWNTOWN DISNEY® – Marketplace - Cap'n Jack's Restaurant
DOWNTOWN DISNEY® – West Side - Wolfgang Puck® Cafe, Planet Hollywood®
Epcot® – L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Restaurant, Chefs de France, Nine Dragons Restaurant, San Angel Inn Restaurante, Bistro de Paris Restaurant, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Biergarten Restaurant, Restaurant Marrakesh, Restaurant Akershus, Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, The Garden Grill, Coral Reef Restaurant
Disney-MGM Studios – Hollywood & Vine, 50's Prime Time Cafe, Tune-In Lounge, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby
Magic Kingdom® Park – The Crystal Palace, Cinderella's Royal Table, Liberty Tree Tavern, The Plaza Restaurant, Tony's Town Square Restaurant
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park – Tusker House Restaurant, Pizzafari, Flame Tree Barbeque, Restaurantosaurus

Entertainment & Dancing

DOWNTOWN DISNEY® Pleasure Island*
Half-price admission for each Club Member, except for specially priced events.
Atlantic Dance Hall – Disney's BoardWalk
Admission is free for members and guest.

DDP must be purchased for each person staying in the room for the entire length of stay. You can't pick and choose dates.

 

[Chuck S]

There are also reports in some threads that Dining CMs have stated that the DDE is valid at POP & All Stars food courts, as it was in 2005. I haven't seen any trip reports that this is actualy the case, though...so take that with a grain of salt. Personally, we like the POP food court for a quick/light dinner when we aren't in a park, so I hope it is true.

It is valid at the couner service areas in Animal Kingdom (as Happy Haunt indicates.)

 

[psu4glory]

thanks for the DDE list and info, Happy Haunt.....based on this, i think that DDE will be a much more appealing option for a 14-day trip than DDP....especially if i want to avoid gaining 20 pounds during those 2 weeks!

one more question.....if i pay the $60 for the DDE card, will my wife and i both receive the 20% discount - or do i have to pay $60 for each of us per year?

 

[Plutofan]

We purchased the DDE card last year. The cost for AP was $50 last year and my wife and I both received the cards. The DDE was great since we mostly did sit down restaurants. The DDE card goes for one year so we are able to get two years of WDW trips out of one card. We went in late June in 2005 and we are planning on going early June 2006 before it expires. It is good for up to 10 people in your party as long as the rules have not changed from last year.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...2) regarding the DDP....my wife and i stayed at the WL this past november on a 'MYW' package, and we purchased the DDP....i understood that if you purchase the DDP, you MUST pay the daily fee per person for EACH NIGHT that you stay. we only stayed 6 nights in nov, so it was a pretty good deal - but are planning to come down in june for 2 weeks and would not want to pay the $38/day/person for the full 14 days....

is this disney's rule with respect to DDP? that you must buy the plan for each night you will be staying....or can you specify the number of days that you'd like to purchase???

You would have to break your reservation up into two separate reservations in order to not pay for the entire 14 day vacation. Do the dining plan for one phase and not the other. But you would only have the DDP credits to use during that one phase and they would not be available during the other.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

one more question.....if i pay the $60 for the DDE card, will my wife and i both receive the 20% discount - or do i have to pay $60 for each of us per year?

Starting this year, when accompanied by a DDE card holder, up to six people get the discount (as long as only one bill is prepared for the whole group). Last year it was 10 people. One additional card can be purchased for a family member for $25 (last year it was a free card).

If you already have your annual pass, or have an exchange certificate, you can sign into the WDW passholders site and get more details about the program.

 

[Chuck S]

thanks for the DDE list and info, Happy Haunt.....based on this, i think that DDE will be a much more appealing option for a 14-day trip than DDP....especially if i want to avoid gaining 20 pounds during those 2 weeks!

one more question.....if i pay the $60 for the DDE card, will my wife and i both receive the 20% discount - or do i have to pay $60 for each of us per year?

If you wish a card for your wife, it is $25 extra (it was free last year). But unless you think you'll not be eating together there is no reason to have the 2nd card. One card is good for the discount on up to 10 people, as long as they are on the same check.

At least the passholder site says "up to 10 guests".

 

[Jimbo]

One nice advantage for drinkers is that the DDE gives you 20% off on alcoholic beverages. And it isn't limited to beverages with meals, either. DW and I each had a glass of wine at the cocktail lounge at AKL. I assumed that our DDE card wouldn't help, but I asked anyway. To my surprise our server cheerfully deducted 20% from the check. This happened to us in the lounge at WL too.

 

[mickeyluv]

How about the DDE card for drinks by poolside? Do you get the discount there also?

 

[jodifla]

Starting this year, when accompanied by a DDE card holder, up to six people get the discount (as long as only one bill is prepared for the whole group). Last year it was 10 people. One additional card can be purchased for a family member for $25 (last year it was a free card).

If you already have your annual pass, or have an exchange certificate, you can sign into the WDW passholders site and get more details about the program.

Does the DDE holder have to pay the bill then?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Does the DDE holder have to pay the bill then?

If you are using a room charge or a credit card, yes. If you are using cash, everyone could pool their cash for the dinner and the card holder could present it with the card.