I need convincing

[mnasmom3]

I'm just not sure I want to mess w/the dining plan. I don't want to make reservations and have to work around them and I don't want my reservations to dictate where I go on any given day. I won't be able to change my mind on parks once reservations are made unless I'm willing to park hop to eat at a table service restaurant. I haven't seen a prediction calendar for September yet so I don't know what days I want to go to which parks and that means I can't make reservations yet. (is there one for Sept yet? I don't know where to find one if there is. I only see the current months calendar.) Am I making a big deal out of nothing?

 

[ptrbryant]

From what I understand, because of the popularity of the DP, most of the good TS restaurants get booked quickly. If you don't want to eat only Counter Service meals, you'll need to make reservations whether you're on the DP or not.

We're trying the DP for the first time this year. We're renting DVC points for 5 nts., then going to Pop Century for the next 3 nights. So, we've got the DP for the first 5 days of our trip and I've planned our TS dinners for those days. I'm eager to see what we think of the DP after reading so much about it all this time on the disboards!

Karla B.

 

[Aimros]

I was skeptical at first, but then I realized I probably wouldn't be eating in as many great places if I didn't purchase the DDP. The only thing thats worrying me now is having free dining offered and I already booked it!

After getting kind of upset that I was booking my days and dictating exactly where I would be going, it all worked out into my schedule just fine. We're eating at a couple resorts, so that doesn't even have to decide which park you go to on a given day. Its worth looking into and planning out before you just say no to it.

 

[GC&S]

If you plan on eating any TS, you'll still need ADR's whether you're on the DP or not. If you plan on only do CS, then the DP is not for you.

Pros: meals are already paid for, it includes the tip, and you get to try out some really great restaurants.

Cons: It can be a lot of food. We usually tend to eat early meals (dd is 4) so we end up walking off what we eat. And we usually don't eat the CS dessert anyways.

For us, it's great and we'll do it as long as they have it. We always park hop so we never feel tied to a particular park if we have ADR's somewhere else.

 

[kribit]

We were on the DDP last September and didn't make one ADR. We ate at some of the more popular restaurants including Chef Mickeys. Perhaps we were just lucky, but we're not making reservations next trip either.

We are also a family that refuses to work our schedule around eating. Plus it's really hard to make our little ones wait until 6:45 to eat dinner at LeCellier.

 

[sassyredhead]

Since I love to eat at one sit-down restaurant per day while on vacation, the DDP was a no-brainer for my family. If you don't anticipate eating very many TS meals, then it may be better for you to dine OOP . . .

Advantages:
-Prepaid, so the spouse and I don't squabble about money. Priceless!
-Since we love to eat at one TS per day, we end up saving money by the end of the trip.
-No one is EVER hungry, thus preventing that "I'm so hungry so I'll start screaming in the middle of the Hall of Presidents" scenario!
-Piece of mind that my vacation is paid for before it even starts.

Disadvantages:
I honestly can't think of any for us!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Nala2007]

Park hours for September are available on the disneyworld website. I'm looking at them right now. You have to select the appropriate month in the selection bar and hit Go.

If you haven't been to WDW before, you might want to have atleast some strategy. I have always been a fly by the seat of my pants type of gal, but we atleast plan the days we want to go where and our ADRs. It has truly helped us get the most out of our days...just something to think about...

 

[Katiebell]

I read on a thread...here, or possibly elsewhere...that someone noticed the poster in the elevator at AKL advertising Jiko and Boma no longer says "Reservations Suggested" -- it now says "Reservations Required". If anyone has seen this, or is visiting soon and can look for it to confirm, it would be good information to know.

Basically, even if you choose not to do the DDP and you don't want a TS every single day, it's best to make ADR's for at least a couple of places that you don't want to miss. You can always cancel them if you end up not wanting to eat there that day.

 

[gcoxua]

For my family the DDP really saves money. I really enjoy it because it is one less thing to worry about. My vacation takes on a more free form feel knowing that the money I spend at the parks is spent on things that I can take home instead of on the meals themselves.

This is the way I look at it financially. If you have dinner at the Crystal Palace. For an adult that is $28.00 minus tip. Then you have counter service and a snack. By the time you do the math you end up saving money the more days you are there. IMHO. Hope this helps your decision.

 

[Brian Noble]

It's pretty simple: if you plan to eat one TS per day, on average, or more, then DDP is almost certain to save you money. If you plan to eat less than one TS per day, on average, then it's probably better to pay as you go.

There are exceptions to this simple rule, but they are pretty rare, and in any event won't be "wrong" by too much.

 

[klinlin]

Last year, early on a rainy afternoon, we saw people trying to get ADRs for dinner that night at Sci Fi, and were getting turned away in bunches. That being said, we did make changes once we were there, but I would not go without ADRs

 

[TravelinGal]

Cons: It can be a lot of food. We usually tend to eat early meals (dd is 4) so we end up walking off what we eat. And we usually don't eat the CS dessert anyways.

Per a suggestion I read, we often ordered an extra drink (bottled water) with our c/s meal instead of the dessert. Never had a CM tell us no or charge us for the bottled water.

One table service meal can EASILY match the cost of the plan for the day - thereby making the snack and c/s meal free! Worth it to me! But then, I'm not one to eat a sandwich for every meal - I guess if that's what you like to do, you might save a couple of dollars a day scrimping and pinching pennies eating c/s only.

 

[ehrn]

I am not one to plan either--but the last time we were there I wished I had booked more ADR's even if I cancelled once I was down there because we did decide we'd like to try certain popular places but didn't want to wait until 9:30pm for dinner!! This time we are getting DDP--free or not because it's my Dad's very first vacation EVER--and Disney to boot!! and I don't want him freaking out about money and the cost of food. I want us all to order what we want and ENJOY being together, life is short!!! I'm so excited to go on our first real family vacation EVER at the age of 36!!!!