I LOVE the Disney Dining Plan!!

[Colleen27]

I love the all-inclusive aspect of the DDP. I only wish there was something in between the DDP and the premium plan, because we eat more TS and not as much CS as the DDP allows for. We're skipping it for our next trip because we have 14 TS credits worth of meals, plus 2 dinners at non-participating restaurants, on an 11 night trip!

I also love the fact that the DDP opened my eyes to how much planning can go into a Disney vacation! If not for the free dining plan in '05, I never would have learned about ADRs and allearsnet.com and the DIS.

 

[wolverine2010]

Well you all allready know i hate it....

 

[mrsltg]

I've used it three times with the fourth coming up in September. I love it!

 

[lordhavemercy]

...we ADORE DDP....we've paid for it 2x's before...and then it was still a sweet deal....but, now...this september we're getting it for FREE !!!!!!!!
*1 we will try different foods, that we normally wouldn't try.....
*2 We will eat appetizers...when we normally wouldn't...
*3 We Will eat desserts ...when we normally wouldn't....
*4 We Will try restaurants that we normally wouldn't.....
*5 We're able to plan out our day much more efficiently....our time is utilized better.....
*6 We enjoy PLANNING and researching what restaurants we'd like to try on each trip.....it's part of the fun....!!!!! Each of us have our fav's....and then we try some new ones....
....THAT'S why we DDP....!!!!!

 

[DiznyDi]

Count us as those who also love DDP. Flexibility, variety and certainly plenty enough to eat. Am currently planning our ADR's for our Dec. trip.....

 

[byoung]

A great deal.

 

[Stan's MaggieMouse]

We have not used the DDP yet but we will be in WDW in September for free dining and I fully expect to love it! First of all, how can you not love free food? But beyond that, my husband and I like food, we like to eat, with or without the DDP be want to be eating at Rose and Crown, Les Chef de France, Le Cellier, Brown Derby. This will be our first trip to WDW in almost 5 years <way to long in my opinion!> and if it weren't for free DDP we'd be looking at a whole different vacation this year.

Maggie

 

[ellyn2000]

Another vote for "LOVE IT". We've decided to never go withoug the DDP because it's so convenient and easy.

 

[MomofCKJ]

I haven't read the other posts yet but I LOVE the DDP (we used it in December and will again in March) because:

1. I am a born planner. Deciding what I want to eat 6 months from now, perusing menus a year in advance, all right up my alley.

2. I like having almost all of our food completely paid for before we go on vacation. It is just one less thing to worry about.

3. Table service dining is important to us, even our kids like to go out to eat to nice places. We love trying new appetizers and always get dessert. This plan was made for us!

4. Most of all on our last trip the plan was great for my non Disney loving, el cheapo DH. He didn't have to pull out the wallet each meal so that was worth the DDP and then some. The perception that dining wasn't costing us anything at the time was awesome for keeping him from getting too grumpy.

Allyson

 

[toocooltobeMom]

We love the DDP. Can't imagine going to Disney without the DDP, free or not.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Well, since we're not really eating any differently than we normally would, I'll have to say I love the value, especially since it will be FREE in September!!!

 

[txmomto1]

We are fans here!

We went as a family for the first time in January and purchased it, and thought it was great!!! Then, when I heard about free dining in September, it was the reason I booked the trip. We won't go again without it.

 

[tynesntx]

a vote here for LOVE IT!

 

[NJDISMOM]

Love this thread !

We will be using DDP in August (3 days free and I finally talked my DH into paying the first 5 days! ). We've been going to WDW since 1999 and typically either eat CS meals or go offsite. I'm really looking forward to the vacation this time for the following reasons:

1. With DME and DDP, we don't have to have a car, we can be in the parks more time!!! No breaks to go out to Olive Garden or TGIF to get a cheaper meal offsite!

2. As the kids have gotten older, we tend to eat more sit down meals now and less fast food. Even DS13 gets tired of burgers and wants a salad sometimes!

3. We aren't on a strict budget, but wouldn't typically order appetizer and deserts, etc. Now, DS13 can order anything he wants without us having to argue about the extra cost. This will make for a much less stressful vacation !

4. As I think some of the PP said, we're going to try restaurants that we would never have thought of if we were paying OOP. We've always had an awesome time at WDW before, but I think this trip will really be over the top!

I can't wait until our trip on Aug 21st

 

[girli565]

I love it because this last vacation was my first time to actually eat at several TS restaurant. I've been to Disney over 100 times and I think we've eaten at one TS. The DDP allows us to just throw out the budget, I love not having to worry about how much something costs when I order. It's a beautiful thing! And, also adding up your savings later, that's super fun!

I was just there in April and will be leaving again in 9 days to Pop on the DDP again!!

 

[tringer2000]

I love the dining plan because I don't have to worry about what we are spending on each meal. I love to plan, and we have our ADR's and have even looked at the menu to see what we might get at each place! My DS, 15, asked if he could have steak (his favorite) every night, and I was happy to say "of course, and you get dessert too!! I'm basically a penn-pincher, and without the dining plan, I would likely let everyone else order what they wanted and eat off their plates, or just order the cheapest thing on the menu. The dining plan frees us all to eat exactly what we want and really makes our vacation more enjoyable.

 

[mickey2000]

 

[Gerweniel]

We love the DDP and have used it our past 2 trips and will be using it for our next trip in November. For us, we enjoy planning in advance, researching the menus and looking forward to eating at table service restaurants we've never tried. We like dressing up a bit for nicer places and each of us gets to pick a TS restaurant that's a favorite. My sons have found new cuisines that they love and it adds to the entire Disney magical experience.
For my budget, I like having a majority of the food paid for in advance. My sons are 12 and 14 and huge eaters, so we utilizie every credit. When we go out to dinner at home, I NEVER order appetizers and desserts, so it is a special treat for the 3 of us. If we see we have snack credits available, we get bottled water and keep it in our hotel room.
I usually have to pay for a few meals OOP, but we plan sensibly to get the most benefit out of the plan.
Dining at WDW is a huge part of our vacation experience, so we really like the DDP. For my food dollar, it is the only way to go.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

well i have to say ive never tryed it but buying it for my trip coming up, i was getting alot ppl saying they didnt like it and i almost was ready to cancel it.. but reading your post makes it sound even better.. what are some of your fav ts and cs places..

 

[peggyjean123]

The reasons for on DDP
1- prepaid meals
2-no tips are necessay, but often given
3- kids got to see characters with no wait
4-makes you plan
5-BUDGETING not necessary, i can order what ever I want and not worry about breaking the bank!
6- husband is frugal,and this helps
7- kids love the buffets
8- mama melrose delicous try the sangria, not on DDP but worth every cent
9- you get your money's worth and then some
10- no need to carry a lot of cash
you have to decide for yourslef, but I love it! It helps my family really enjoy theri vacation without worries!