Is it just me?

[mykidsrock76]

We have gone back and forth and then back and forth again about the DxDP. And I think we're going to just go with the regular DP. We were trying to figure out how to use all the credits, where to eat and when, and it was driving me nuts. If it is that hard and stressful just planning meals.. how crazy is it trying to make it to all those ADRs. Not to mention I got zero help from my DH about where to eat, except when he complained about my choices.

We're not into signature beacuse we have 3 kids, so we were looking at a couple shows, a bunch of breakfasts, dinner every night and a lunch here and there. But it looked like we would be eating all the time or running around trying to make it to our next meal.

Anyone else feel like this when planning? I think we are sticking to the basic and just paying for 2 meals OOP. We did this last year and did not starve. Plus we are going to WDW to be in the parks, on the rides- not to eat our way around the world.

Anway, that is just my rant about it. Thanks for listening.

 

[Booknut]

I know how you feel!

Before we had Matilda the DDP was great for us and we would probably even be doing the DxDP but no way its going to work for us now. She'll be 14 months when we go and I don't think she'll want to sit through too many dinners in a restaurant! I'm even debating not doing the DDP at all and just playing things by ear (with a few reservations of course!)

And my husband is a bit like that too, he says 'oh just book whatever you think is good' but of course he reserves the right to not be happy about my selections

In your situation i'd probably pay for a show and a couple of breakfast OOP if you don't have the credits left. Whatever you decide have a great time!

 

[mdoc]

I hear you. There is NO way my family (me, DH and DDs 14, 11 and 8) could use all the credits on the Deluxe DP. We would struggle to use the credits on the basic plan, since we stay at Fort Wilderness. There are no CS options there (other than maybe the pool snack bar that isn't always open and isn't convenient to get to), not to mention that they have the least expensive buffet TS option at WDW, so you're not getting much bang for your buck if you eat at FW on days you're not going to the parks. We used to happily eat all CS, but the last couple trips I've made ADRs for TS meals, and we end up cancelling half of them because it ends up not working with our then-current plans, regardless of how well I tried to plan in advance. We'd have to be a lot more inflexible and disciplined to make the DP work for us, and since our main goal is visiting attractions, not eating, I don't think that's going to happen. All that said, we are considering the basic DP for our T'giving trip because it becomes a better deal with the holiday buffet pricing. Ultimately I don't think we'll do it, though.

 

[mykidsrock76]

I don't have a problem with dinner ADRs. We just plan those for the park we will be in for the evening... but lunches cannot be planned. It just doesn't allow for a change of plans. We don't eat too much at the hotel since we are in the parks, but I was going nuts just thinking about it. The DDP works well for us. My kids are really good in restaurants, but it just seemed like we would be shuffling from one meal to another w/o much time for rides and attractions. Rather save the $$$ and be more relaxed. Even with paying for 2-3 meals OOP above and beyond the credits, we are still saving about $600!

 

[NMW]

I think it depends on how your family normally eats at WDW. Our family always eats a TS/character breakfast early in the AM. It does not in any way disrupt our park touring. In fact, we always book early ADR's at places like CRystal palace and then we are in the parks before they even open. Plus, it keeps my kids going strong. On mornings we have tried pasteries/doughnuts, my kids are starving by 11 AM. THAT disrupts park touring for us-NOT the early TS breakfast!

We always do late-ish TS dinners. We enjoy that a great deal. It does not interfer with park touring in any way.

We are not fond of the majority of CS lunches, okay really all of them. At the hotter times of the year around 12:30, it can easlity take 1 & 1/2 hours to stand in a CS line or lines, get the food, go to a fixins bar, find a table, and eat. My family would much rather spend an hour and a half eating in a cool air conditioned restaurant. It's much more relaxing for all of us to just sit down and order. That's why we really didn't like the basic dining plan with all those CS credits.

The deluxe plan is perfect for our family. We like sigantures-we are doing 4 next month on our 8 day trip. We have some of our fav lunch places booked too. When I walk past people in the long CS lines eating out in the heat of May, I'm going to be happy it's not me. I love the Deluxe Dining Plan!!

 

[dbelmo]

I have a 4 year old and 7 year old and we just returned from the world and had the Deluxe Plan-- Why it worked for us.... The one night I did not plan and decided to just eat at the food court in our resort took me 45 minutes to get the kids meal, another 30 to get DH and my meal... all in all to long for CS This meal the kids were the most cranky in our 8 day stay. However the longest TS -including apps, entree, desert, etc was 55 minutes from start to finish (and I didn't have to work!!!)

just my two cents

dbelmo

 

[septbaby]

I have a 4 year old and 7 year old and we just returned from the world and had the Deluxe Plan-- Why it worked for us.... The one night I did not plan and decided to just eat at the food court in our resort took me 45 minutes to get the kids meal, another 30 to get DH and my meal... all in all to long for CS This meal the kids were the most cranky in our 8 day stay. However the longest TS -including apps, entree, desert, etc was 55 minutes from start to finish (and I didn't have to work!!!)

just my two cents

dbelmo

I know this could happen anywhere, but wher did you stay and have this long CS meal?

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I have a 4 year old and 7 year old and we just returned from the world and had the Deluxe Plan-- Why it worked for us.... The one night I did not plan and decided to just eat at the food court in our resort took me 45 minutes to get the kids meal, another 30 to get DH and my meal... all in all to long for CS This meal the kids were the most cranky in our 8 day stay. However the longest TS -including apps, entree, desert, etc was 55 minutes from start to finish (and I didn't have to work!!!)

just my two cents

dbelmo

OMG I've dealt with that before too! Last Summer we just did the regular DDP and we had to wait a really long time for counter service!!! The worst was Pizza Planet! (Took 30 minutes to order and get to the table) Columbia Harbor House and Pizzafari also just as bad! We ate at the (ABC?) place in DS and after we waited 25 or so miuntes for our food we had to wait another 10 minutes for a table! So yes, I am much happier with the Dlx!!! In the hot humid Florida weather we are happy to sit down and relax every few hours in a nice air conditioned restaurant! Sad thing was...I went during Disney's off season and was not there during free dining. It was just packed at the CS places and not enough seats. I'd hate to see what it's like when they're busy! This is how I planned our 8 days.

Character Breakfast each morning...
Crystal Palace, Tusker House, Cape May Cafe, Princess Storybook, Hollywood and Vine, O'Hana, 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickey's

Lunch
Garden Grill , Crystal Palace, Tony's Town Square, Sci Fi, The Plaza, Le Cellier,

Dinner or Dinner Show
Chef Mickeys, 50's Prime Time, 1900 Park Fare, Polynesian Luau, O'Hana, Liberty Tree Tavern, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, Teppan Edo

We have three little kids so we did a lot of character meals since they love them so much. We eat a character Breakfast each morning before the parks open. What a magical way to start off every morning! No matter what you decide you'll have FUN!!!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I think it depends on how your family normally eats at WDW. Our family always eats a TS/character breakfast early in the AM. It does not in any way disrupt our park touring. In fact, we always book early ADR's at places like CRystal palace and then we are in the parks before they even open. Plus, it keeps my kids going strong. On mornings we have tried pasteries/doughnuts, my kids are starving by 11 AM. THAT disrupts park touring for us-NOT the early TS breakfast!

We always do late-ish TS dinners. We enjoy that a great deal. It does not interfer with park touring in any way.

We are not fond of the majority of CS lunches, okay really all of them. At the hotter times of the year around 12:30, it can easlity take 1 & 1/2 hours to stand in a CS line or lines, get the food, go to a fixins bar, find a table, and eat. My family would much rather spend an hour and a half eating in a cool air conditioned restaurant. It's much more relaxing for all of us to just sit down and order. That's why we really didn't like the basic dining plan with all those CS credits.

The deluxe plan is perfect for our family. We like sigantures-we are doing 4 next month on our 8 day trip. We have some of our fav lunch places booked too. When I walk past people in the long CS lines eating out in the heat of May, I'm going to be happy it's not me. I love the Deluxe Dining Plan!!

This describes us perfectly. We really don't have the patience for most CS lines, etc so being able to sit down in a TS restaurant for lunch works for us. We are staying 10 nights and spreading our credits over 11 days plus eating at a few signatures so we really only have a few days with 3 planned sit down meals. Days that we plan to sleep in, we will eat an early lunch rather than breakfast. I was so happy to see the Deluxe option this year. Plus we are going during free dining so we only paid for the upgrade.

I know it will be a lot of food and we may end up cancelling a few ADRs but overall, I think we will have a much more relaxing trip not dealing with the CS.

 

[JLKennedy]

You know, we booked the deluxe and I was content with TS for b'fast & dinner, but then I got to thinking about those awful CS lunch lines, so just yesterday, I called and made TS ADR's for lunch, not to say we have to keep them, I can cancel, but at least I won't be in "those lines" waiting. I was able to get everything I wanted at 1pm except for Yak & Yeti, I had to "take" a 12:30 or 1:30, so I took the later.

 

[disneyfan55]

We have gone back and forth and then back and forth again about the DxDP. And I think we're going to just go with the regular DP. We were trying to figure out how to use all the credits, where to eat and when, and it was driving me nuts. If it is that hard and stressful just planning meals.. how crazy is it trying to make it to all those ADRs. Not to mention I got zero help from my DH about where to eat, except when he complained about my choices.

We're not into signature beacuse we have 3 kids, so we were looking at a couple shows, a bunch of breakfasts, dinner every night and a lunch here and there. But it looked like we would be eating all the time or running around trying to make it to our next meal.

Anyone else feel like this when planning? I think we are sticking to the basic and just paying for 2 meals OOP. We did this last year and did not starve. Plus we are going to WDW to be in the parks, on the rides- not to eat our way around the world.

Anway, that is just my rant about it. Thanks for listening.

To be honest, I felt that way about just DDP alone! I never planned for so long, trying to get times and restaurants etc. Even at the parks, we basically wasted our money with the hopper since it seemed we were always having to make sure we had time to get to the dinner! It was a nice time and good food, don't get me wrong but a very different WDW trip for us!

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

I have a 4 year old and 7 year old and we just returned from the world and had the Deluxe Plan-- Why it worked for us.... The one night I did not plan and decided to just eat at the food court in our resort took me 45 minutes to get the kids meal, another 30 to get DH and my meal... all in all to long for CS This meal the kids were the most cranky in our 8 day stay. However the longest TS -including apps, entree, desert, etc was 55 minutes from start to finish (and I didn't have to work!!!)

just my two cents

dbelmo

I hear ya!! We did delux 3 weeks ago and had the same experience with our food court meal. Our food court meal lasted 2 hours from start to finish!!! We loved going to 3 meals a day (we would have gone to CS meals if we did not do TS). Some days we did the sig meals, so that was a 2 meal day. We loved the deluxe - can't say enough good things about it.