How would u eat w/o DDP?

[havoc315]

Almost always a salad or app per person, an entree per person, and a dessert to split among two or three people. The dining plan offers about the same amount of food, with a few extra snack thrown in, which we tend not to want or use. The DxDP is way more food than we would normally eat so it is not for us.

That's the problem with the DDP... It offers the same amount of food, but not the way that your family would eat it. If you have 3 people in your party, you say you like to eat 3 apps, 3 entrees, and 1 dessert.
But the DDP would give you 3 entrees and 3 desserts. So you would be "wasting" 2 desserts, and would have to pay OOP for the salads/apps that you want.

So while the amount of food is the same, it's not actually the food that you would want.
That's why I find that the DDP really only works for a group of people who eat a very specific way. (Granted, there are lots of people in that group).

The DxDP could be for you, if you did a lot of signature restaurants, or changed you CS lunches to TS lunches. But yes, as you describe it, the DxDP would be overkill for you, and your most efficient $$$ is simply OOP.

 

[havoc315]

Do we eat desserts anyways? No, we may share a few. But in calculating "if the DDP is worth it", I don't calculate desserts they are bonuses. We have 4 kids (one under 3) and just the cost of character meals alone makes the DDP worth it. In fact, I'm considering upgrading one of our weeks on our 2 week trip in September to Deluxe and making sure we do a signature, CRT and HDDR during that week. The 2nd week I'm not sure if we'll do the regular DDP or no DDP. We will be spending one day at Universal that week.

To me, there is a very different calculation to the kid's prices, compared to the adult. For purely adults, you don't get a significant savings from the DDP without including desserts.
But the kids prices are set to the point, where a few character meals is indeed a big savings. Once your kids are all over 10, you may find a very different conclusion.

 

[ReneeA]

We've done the regular DDP 5x since 2005 (long trips - 8-10 nights). It works for our family now, and saves us money - I still crunch the numbers every single time. Talk to me in 2 years when my oldest becomes a disney "adult". Then the value may change for us.

Now we use the plan by snacking in our room for breakfast, eating an early CS meal, and eating fairly early TS meals every day. We don't always order a meal for everyone at the CS restaurants - sometimes I share mine with DD. Then we'll use extra credits for breakfast platters at the food court toward the end of our trip. Technically, we only get 2 "real" desserts at CS since they kid's meals don't come with them, so we share the 2 desserts with the kids - or just lose them to the kids altogether.

If not on the plan, we'd still eat breakfast in the room in the am and probably share a couple adult combos for lunch. We'd still buy snacks 1 a day per person) and would probably eat a TS meal almost every night. However, I would probably eat off the appetizer menu, and get ice water to drink (cause I'm cheap that way). Possibly an appetizer or dessert to share per meal.

We would definitely rethink staying on site if not for the DDP. The cost saving promos are what draw us to stay on site every year. As the kids get older, there are off site locations that are becoming much more tempting - not only attractions but also condos with separate bedrooms for the kids.

 

[MickeyNicki]

DH and I never do a dining plan but we do have TIW so we save a bit there.

For breakfast at a CS place we usually share a bounty platter and get a danish or cinnamon roll and fruit to share

For CS lunch we each get something but never get dessert...same for CS dinner

For TS lunch sometimes we share a appie and share a dessert but only if we really want something on the menu...if nothing is wowing us we skip it

For TS dinner we always get 2 appies, one is always a salad and one could be soup, calamari or another salad. We will get 2 desserts if there is amazing choices, 1 dessert if we are too full and sometimes no dessert if the choices are less than stellar.

There really isnt any rhyme or reason on how we do it, we do not feel like we have to order a dessert every time...it is nice to pick up a treat from a bakery or another CS place like Norway or France or especially the Caramel Shop in Germany!

 

[cluvsdisney]

Lots of talk about eating with free dining on these boards. If you did not have the DDP, do you still eat desserts? Do you still have TS meals?

We don't get the DP. It doesn't suit our eating preferences so we don't save money. It doesn't save time so there is no convenience factor.

We eat how we normally would on any other vacation.

We'll have some sit down meals, some grab and go or quick service type meals. Sometimes we have dessert. Sometimes we have appetizers. We are DVC so we have some snacks and sometimes breakfast foods in the room. We also rent a car so we can take most of our meals off site.

 

[2010_Bride]

Last time DH and I went we used the DDP. It worked out great because I planned many meals ahead of time, espically those that involved 2 credits so we'd get our money's worth from the plan. We also wanted to see a dinner show, and a character meal which required 2 credits. This way we didn't feel like we were forced to eat all the time, but we were using up our credits.

However, this coming March when we return, we will not use the plan. We didn't feel we would get our money's worth, and didn't want to make as many ADR's this time. We just want to go with the flow and not feel that pressure to use up all of our credits or to always be eating at certain times

 

[Colleen27]

LOL. where are you eating off site? Sorry but there is 1000X better spaghetti than what they serve at Tony's town square.
Really, you would pay for pizza planet pizza at home? Maybe it's because I'm a NY'er and we take our pizza seriously but Pizza planet is boy scount fundraising pizza at best. Right outside of DTD is a Giordanos that serves decent Chicago style pizza for 1/2 the price of Via Napolis in Epcot.

I think that's part of the problem when it comes to talking about eating offsite - you have to know the area to know where to go for better food. Otherwise (and I'm speaking from experience) you end up at the places that are easiest to find, most of them the same chain restaurants you would find in any suburban area, which may be cheaper than eating on property but is hardly a step up food-wise.

 

[MIGrandma]

DH and I aren't using the dining plan for our visit next month. We prefer counter service and the resort (POR) food court. Those are fine for us, as we prefer to eat quickly and get back to the rides and attractions in the parks. Our last trip we ate at Akershush and really enjoyed the buffet, and ate at the Prime Time 50's Cafe and enjoyed that too but table service dining is just not that much of a priority for us. Plus we don't enjoy making reservations weeks/months ahead and having to stick to a schedule as far as eating is concerned. We'd rather just grab something quick when we're hungry, even if it's just a turkey leg or a Mickey ice cream bar.

 

[OurDogCisco]

I think that's part of the problem when it comes to talking about eating offsite - you have to know the area to know where to go for better food. Otherwise (and I'm speaking from experience) you end up at the places that are easiest to find, most of them the same chain restaurants you would find in any suburban area, which may be cheaper than eating on property but is hardly a step up food-wise.

Another problem with eating off site is the fact we would need to rent a car. Car rentals are very expensive in Florida. Not sure why. In fact it is cheaper to rent a car in Hawaii than Florida. I'm not going to pay $400 plus for car rental so I can eat off site. One time we stayed off site and getting in and out of MK took a lot of time. It wasn't worth it in our opinion to leave the park once you got there. It took too much time to go back and forth. We stayed at Grand Visita Marriott. To me the food may be over priced at WDW but it isn't the worst food ever. So, I totally agree unless you really know where to eat you aren't going to spend time looking for place to eat lunch or dinner after spending time in the park.

 

[walkdmc]

After two trips where we did the DxDP, we recently took a trip where we bought TIW and ate 1 TS meal/day. For that meal, we usually stuck to just a meal but occasionally we also bought an appetizer. There was not one place where DH and I got dessert. The kids meals came with dessert. I much prefer to get an snack/dessert while roaming the park. I also enjoyed eating snacks for breakfast.

 

[eliza61]

I think that's part of the problem when it comes to talking about eating offsite - you have to know the area to know where to go for better food. Otherwise (and I'm speaking from experience) you end up at the places that are easiest to find, most of them the same chain restaurants you would find in any suburban area, which may be cheaper than eating on property but is hardly a step up food-wise.

True but now it's as easy as making toast. You learn the same way you learned about the ins and outs of disney. The Internet. I research the restaurants in Orlando exactly like I use allears to check out the menus at the world. and then I google maps and mapquest. I've never once gotten lost and there are a ton of great restaurants with 20 mins of the world.

Like I said, I simply hate going on vacation and having 10 days of mediocre food. and is it me or does anyone really get frustrated after having the first 2 disappointing meals, it's sort of like the next day you really want to have a great meal?
To me the cost of a car rental more than makes up for leaving a disney restaurant and when asked how was the food, I say "just ok" or "nothing special" or worse "we would have done just as good at Olive Garden". All of which I've been saying a lot during the last two trips and maybe my expectations are high but sorry when I go to disney I expect better than applebees or Olive Garden. I absolutely hate having a meal and feeling like I could have made it better in my villa.



I actually look forward to eating out when on vacation partly because I don't do it a lot at home, so IMO there is nothing worse than going out to dinner, then feeling like you should have just stuck with a cs.

 

[eliza61]

Another problem with eating off site is the fact we would need to rent a car. Car rentals are very expensive in Florida. Not sure why. In fact it is cheaper to rent a car in Hawaii than Florida. I'm not going to pay $400 plus for car rental so I can eat off site. One time we stayed off site and getting in and out of MK took a lot of time. It wasn't worth it in our opinion to leave the park once you got there. It took too much time to go back and forth. We stayed at Grand Visita Marriott. To me the food may be over priced at WDW but it isn't the worst food ever. So, I totally agree unless you really know where to eat you aren't going to spend time looking for place to eat lunch or dinner after spending time in the park.

Is this really the standard we accept now. It's not the worst food ever? seriously, that's all we expect from Disney?
As long as it's not the absolute worse food, that's cool? I think that just killed my christmas spirit.

 

[TDC Nala]

This is how I did non-DDP dining on the last weekend trip:

La Cava del Tequila. Great margaritas & bar appetizers as usual. My favorite is the shrimp ceviche and the guacamole is quite good. Not on DDP, they don’t take TIW.

California Grill. 2 glasses of pinot noir, Surf & Turf sushi roll, a scoop of eggnog ice cream ($5, they ring it up as a kids’ ice cream order) and some sipping rum. They also provided a basket of sourdough bread and some butter with sea salt. One of the best meals I ate all weekend. Economical except for the booze. Probably would not have even tried to order this way on DDP. Used TIW for 20% off.

Yak & Yeti. Tamarind chicken and a cocktail. No dessert. They’re on DDP but I wasn’t using it. 20% cast member discount (on the food only) thanks to a friend.

Bluezoo. Chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings, $103 after 20% TIW discount. Not on DDP

Columbia Harbor House. Biggest disappointment. I used to go here and get a chicken/fish combo and leave stuffed. Now, it’s two small sticks of fish (cut into sticks, not the larger, irregularly shaped fish pieces like they used to be) about four chicken nuggets, and a few fries. Tasted okay though. Also, now there is apparently no access to barbecue sauce or mustard sauce for the nuggets and fries. They may have had them somewhere other than the condiment station I used. No dessert, water as a beverage. Using DDP there might have been a dessert to help fill up but I don’t know if the desserts are any good.

La Hacienda. Food was good, plus an excellent margarita. Taco appetizers were on the cold side. Split the seafood grill with someone. I thought it was quite good. Service was very erratic this time. Didn’t get a dessert, no room for it anyway. 20% off with TIW.

Brown Derby. Oyster brie soup and cobb salad as an entrée, plus a martini. Would not have been a good use of DDP credits to order this way but it was perfect for lunch. 20% off with TIW.

Picabu. 12’ jalapeno pizza and a half bottle of wine. Not on DDP, 20% off on the food only – DVC discount. The big expense was the wine. Took half the pizza home.

Turf Club – 2 beers and a buffalo chicken “nacho.” Got them in the lounge so would not have been able to use DDP this way. 20% off with TIW.

 

[Colleen27]

True but now it's as easy as making toast. You learn the same way you learned about the ins and outs of disney. The Internet. I research the restaurants in Orlando exactly like I use allears to check out the menus at the world. and then I google maps and mapquest. I've never once gotten lost and there are a ton of great restaurants with 20 mins of the world.

Like I said, I simply hate going on vacation and having 10 days of mediocre food. and is it me or does anyone really get frustrated after having the first 2 disappointing meals, it's sort of like the next day you really want to have a great meal?
To me the cost of a car rental more than makes up for leaving a disney restaurant and when asked how was the food, I say "just ok" or "nothing special" or worse "we would have done just as good at Olive Garden". All of which I've been saying a lot during the last two trips and maybe my expectations are high but sorry when I go to disney I expect better than applebees or Olive Garden. I absolutely hate having a meal and feeling like I could have made it better in my villa.

I actually look forward to eating out when on vacation partly because I don't do it a lot at home, so IMO there is nothing worse than going out to dinner, then feeling like you should have just stuck with a cs.

I know a lot of the transportation stuff is personal preference. I've spent so many years living in a small town that I'm fairly uncomfortable driving in city traffic, particularly in an unfamiliar place, so nothing sounds less appealing than going to a destination where I never have to get behind the wheel and then choosing to do so! I'm sure I could find my way around, and I'm sure there are forums and blogs that would point me at the restaurants with good local reputations (which is how I plan dining when we travel elsewhere), but the not having to do so is part of what I look forward to about Disney. And letting them do the driving means not having to decide which one of us has to skip the drink with dinner in order to drive back.

We haven't had the bad experiences with Disney dining that you have, though. There have been a few misses but I can't think of a time when we've had a couple in a row, and the restaurants I'd describe as mediocre are the ones we'd probably do regardless of our dining plan/payment method - things like Chef Mickey and Akershus, where the characters keep people (us included) coming in despite the food. But I also don't have the history with Disney dining that a lot of posters here do, since we've only been going for the past 5 years.

Dining is a big part of our vacations because, like you, we don't eat out a whole lot at home, but overall I haven't felt like we have any higher percentage of bad/disappointing/mediocre experiences with Disney dining than we do with real world dining. If that changes, I might be motivated enough to go off site, or at least to the third party restaurants at DTD.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Is this really the standard we accept now. It's not the worst food ever? seriously, that's all we expect from Disney?
As long as it's not the absolute worse food, that's cool? I think that just killed my christmas spirit.

Wow... actually I don't have problems with Disney food I was just trying to sympathize with you as you seem to think it is the WORST food you ever ate. So, I was just being nice.

I can't believe that statement would run your Christmas spirit. That's just plain rude. You need to accept other people's opinions and move on. Sorry but I'm confused on how this would ruin your Christmas spirit

 

[dsneygirl]

Last trip we did a light breakfast in the room, our main TS meal was at lunch and the we often split a counter service meal at dinner. We also did breakfast at CP one morning and were so stuffed we just grazed later on in the day. We also have the TIW and just used it on our 5th trip so it's paid for itself many times over. We tried the Counter Service plan in Sept and even that was too much food.

 

[eliza61]

Wow... actually I don't have problems with Disney food I was just trying to sympathize with you as you seem to think it is the WORST food you ever ate. So, I was just being nice.

I can't believe that statement would run your Christmas spirit. That's just plain rude. You need to accept other people's opinions and move on. Sorry but I'm confused on how this would ruin your Christmas spirit

My apologize. I was being facetious (not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.) Sort of like when people say "I waited forever standing in line for Soarin" The person doesn't literally mean they waited forever. I honestly didn't think some one would believe my christmas would actually be ruin due to restaurants a couple of states away.

Thanks for the sympathy though. not necessary as I have very few meals on site nowadays.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Wow... actually I don't have problems with Disney food I was just trying to sympathize with you as you seem to think it is the WORST food you ever ate. So, I was just being nice.

I can't believe that statement would run your Christmas spirit. That's just plain rude. You need to accept other people's opinions and move on. Sorry but I'm confused on how this would ruin your Christmas spirit

I love Disney food. Oh, I've found a few exceptions. (putting on flame-retardant suit) Like Boma. Not my cup of tea, but when people start praising it, I just go to the next post.
On eating off-site: The most valuable commodity in all of Florida to me is park time. Going off-site means loss of park time. I always make time to eat at at least 1 resort, but usually on AK day or near the park we're at that day. But as much as I love NY Pizza in Kissimmee, I'll make do with the decent large pizzas at POP.

 

[TEK224]

I've had trips both with and w/o the dp.
Will be there in Jan. and getting the deluxe plan. I also have a TIW card.

I'm a big eater, so I make good use of the plan. Eating at the buffet or a reg. TS usually costs me approx. $30-35 per meal. Even if I did 2 TS a day and a cs, I'd break even. If I don't want to eat the dessert at lunch, I'll get something that i can take back to the room for later.

However, lately with the DxDP I've been eating an early TS lunch and then a sig. dinner. The meal at Narcoossees usually covers the cost of the DP for the day.

When I'm on vacation, it's all about convenience for me. Plus, I don't like to cook, so even though I'm DVC, I usually just use the microwave or may make some eggs in the morning.

I use the TIW for anything not covered on the dp and also for alcoholic beverages.

 

[Sorsha]

Given the prices of Disney food, if we were unable to use the DDp, we pretty much would not eat in Disney parks. Yup, we are cheap, yup, we live in the middle of nowhere, but we are just not used to paying more than about $20 a plate, even in the nicest of restaurants, where we come from. Therefore, if we had to pay OOP, just about every single TS restaurant would be out of our price range.

Given that, if we no longer could use the Dining plan, and had to look elsewhere for our TS food, we probably would no longer stay on property. We would probably move to a condo or vacation home off property, rent a car instead of using the buses, have breakfasts in the condo from groceries we had purchased at a grocery store, eat lunch in the parks at a CS location, then leave the parks at dinner time each night. We would eat dinner somewhere off property, like a Golden Corral or a steakhouse of some sort, then return to WDW for the evening parades and fireworks. We would probably pick just one on-property TS - a family favorite - for one special family dinner during the trip.

Since I would be going to the grocery store anyway, to pick up breakfast foods, I would also probably buy snack foods and bottles of soda and water etc to bring into the parks with me.

Therefore, if Disney ever did away with the DDP, they would lose a lot of MY family's money on each trip. I hope that never happens.