Is DxDP worth OOP cost?

[melissafox18]

We're going in April and looking for the eating experience over the busy park experience (only planning on one rope drop day).

Is the DxDP work the cost OOP? I'm hoping for FD pin around the time we go, but if the stars don't align, thoughts?

 

[aaarcher86]

We're going in April and looking for the eating experience over the busy park experience (only planning on one rope drop day).

Is the DxDP work the cost OOP? I'm hoping for FD pin around the time we go, but if the stars don't align, thoughts?

There's no one answer fits all with any of the dining plans. You have to do the math and compare.

Plan out where you think you'll be eating, gather some pricing info from allears.net, and compare it to the cost of the DXDP (for this year since we don't have next year rates out yet). There's a DDP cost calculator link floating around, but it was pretty inaccurate for me. I prefer the pen and paper method.

We do the DXDP. We save tremendously with a dining discount (FD or SPD this year) and OOP I think it was break even. We get a bunch more on the DXDP than we normally would order for cost reasons so we would end up doing it even if it was a bit more than OOP.

Do the math and take a look.

 

[melissafox18]

I did a tentative menu for the amount of days we would be there and we definitely come out a few hundred dollars ahead of the game, but if we would go to all those places and pay OOP, there's no way we'd each order an appetizer and each order dessert as well. That's where I think I'm mentally stuck.

Or I just have too much time on my hands while my newborn is sleeping and I'm overthinking things

 

[jpessa]

I did a tentative menu for the amount of days we would be there and we definitely come out a few hundred dollars ahead of the game, but if we would go to all those places and pay OOP, there's no way we'd each order an appetizer and each order dessert as well. That's where I think I'm mentally stuck.

Or I just have too much time on my hands while my newborn is sleeping and I'm overthinking things

I'm the same way. I know that if OOP we get one app to share, and if we're even still hungry (rare) one dessert to share. Which invariably means you are never really getting exactly what you want (maybe sometimes). On the plan, since it's "free" you get your own... and you know what? Even if you only have 2 bites of something you never feel guilty. I always do the math but give the DP a $100 "credit" to peace of mind, convenience and guiltless dining. Then I compare.

 

[aaarcher86]

I did a tentative menu for the amount of days we would be there and we definitely come out a few hundred dollars ahead of the game, but if we would go to all those places and pay OOP, there's no way we'd each order an appetizer and each order dessert as well. That's where I think I'm mentally stuck.

Or I just have too much time on my hands while my newborn is sleeping and I'm overthinking things

That's kind of where we were honestly. We love apps but wouldn't ordinarily order one per person because of cost and we rarely order dessert. For me breaking even OOP (using what I actually would order, not what I'd have to order with the DXDP) and the DXDP I figured I'd be paying roughly the same amount but able to get my own app and dessert and lots of snacks. For me it was more "here's what I'd pay OOP getting this vs here's what I'd pay for the DXDP getting this." Costs were pretty close and I was getting a ton more on the DXDP.

I did my calculations excluding snacks so we were also gaining the benefit of those being paid for. We also aren't 'must clean our plate' people so being able to try a dessert that I wouldn't normally order was nice. My husband has a very different palate so we benefited from the separate apps lots of times.

 

[abdgeek]

I did a tentative menu for the amount of days we would be there and we definitely come out a few hundred dollars ahead of the game, but if we would go to all those places and pay OOP, there's no way we'd each order an appetizer and each order dessert as well. That's where I think I'm mentally stuck.

Or I just have too much time on my hands while my newborn is sleeping and I'm overthinking things

The good thing about being on the DxDP is that you can try new things and you don't have to clean your plate. When I started getting dining plans, I first started with the regular dining plan. It was ok, but wasn't doing it for me. When I did the DxDP, I knew I had a winner. Like you, I don't order appetizers or dessert when I eat at a restaurant at home. However, when I'm at WDW, I find that I need all of that to fill me up from the activities of the day.

When I do the DxDP, I only eat two meals--breakfast & dinner. I do a character breakfast(something I wouldn't pay OOP for) and dinner at a signature restaurant. The snack is enough to stave off the hunger before dinner. I've never left a restaurant where I've left much food, if any, on my plate. As the PP said, it's liberating to know that you don't have to eat every single bite.

I've also done WDW without a dining plan. The one time I did(a long weekend), I found that I was hungry all the time, didn't eat very nutritiously(I was trying not to spend money) and wasn't pleased with my CS options. I'm going to WDW this summer and will use the TIW card and buy only what I think I want to eat. It will be interesting to see if I still want everything I would have gotten with the DxDP.

 

[melissafox18]

The good thing about being on the DxDP is that you can try new things and you don't have to clean your plate. When I started getting dining plans, I first started with the regular dining plan. It was ok, but wasn't doing it for me. When I did the DxDP, I knew I had a winner. Like you, I don't order appetizers or dessert when I eat at a restaurant at home. However, when I'm at WDW, I find that I need all of that to fill me up from the activities of the day.

When I do the DxDP, I only eat two meals--breakfast & dinner. I do a character breakfast(something I wouldn't pay OOP for) and dinner at a signature restaurant. The snack is enough to stave off the hunger before dinner. I've never left a restaurant where I've left much food, if any, on my plate. As the PP said, it's liberating to know that you don't have to eat every single bite.

I've also done WDW without a dining plan. The one time I did(a long weekend), I found that I was hungry all the time, didn't eat very nutritiously(I was trying not to spend money) and wasn't pleased with my CS options. I'm going to WDW this summer and will use the TIW card and buy only what I think I want to eat. It will be interesting to see if I still want everything I would have gotten with the DxDP.

Thank you for this! I was thinking about going between eating a breakfast and a signature dinner or an early 1 credit lunch as early as we can make it and then a late-ish signature dinner and using a snack credit or two for breakfast on the day we want to do rope drop. I suppose once the 2014 prices come out, it will give me a better idea of what we are going to do. I think I'm sold to try it once. Last trip without a kiddo, we're not going to be able to try it again in our lives. Of course, that all could change in 6 months!