Is the DDP really worth it?

[hannaconda]

First of all, I am fishing for opinions. Do you fill that you spend less if you have the plan or not? In Oct I'm funding a trip for 4 adults & 1 child for seven nights. Cost is a little over $1200.00 for the DDP. Would it be better or not to have the DDP? Thanks in advance for your opinions and experience's

 

[delmar411]

I think with the way the plan is now it is more a matter of pre-paid convenience vs a cost savings.

Forget the cost of the 2 plans and just go through and plan how you'd probably do the parks and where you'd like to eat. Then go through and add up how much those meals (minus) tips would cost you. After doing that then you can compare the dining plan cost to see if it would be easier or if there would be a cost savings.

 

[Tricia1972]

I agree with the PP, and I wanted to direct you to this thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1723057

It's a thread for requesting a spreadsheet that compares the DDP to the DxDDP and OOP. As you go through the menus and enter what you think you'd like to eat, you can enter the prices in the spreadsheet and it'll do all of the math for you.

(If you PM your email address to me I can send mine out to you)

 

[Matt71]

We are staying 7 days with the DDP and will be saving about 13% (about $150)

Now, that includes a bunch of desserts we probably wouldn't have ordered, but excludes a bunch of appetizers that we would have ordered instead (and will probably still order oop).

You do save money, but not the 30% Disney says you do (unless you eat prime rib and lobster every day).

Ultimately you only save money if you try to maximize your meal costs and are willing to eat dessert at every meal.

 

[magiclover41]

I think with the way the plan is now it is more a matter of pre-paid convenience vs a cost savings.

Forget the cost of the 2 plans and just go through and plan how you'd probably do the parks and where you'd like to eat. Then go through and add up how much those meals (minus) tips would cost you. After doing that then you can compare the dining plan cost to see if it would be easier or if there would be a cost savings.

I agree. You really need to think about what is a priority to your group. In our previous visits, we did not use the DDP, as we wanted to focus on the parks and attractions and did not want to have dining commitments and take the time for a "sit down " meal.
On our upcoming trip my kids are now older and the parks are not so new to them. They have agreed that it might be nice to have more "sit down" meals this time. We did choose the DDP and the way I figure we will save a little money, not tons, but I'll take what I can get.
I did have the family pick where they would want to eat and used the online menus to compare cost....didn't know about the "calculator" mentioned above. Using it should definately help with your decision. Snacks add up too, don't forget to figure that in. I didn't think of that my first time down there and the kids were asking for lots.

 

[magiclover41]

I think with the way the plan is now it is more a matter of pre-paid convenience vs a cost savings.

Forget the cost of the 2 plans and just go through and plan how you'd probably do the parks and where you'd like to eat. Then go through and add up how much those meals (minus) tips would cost you. After doing that then you can compare the dining plan cost to see if it would be easier or if there would be a cost savings.

I agree. You really need to think about what is a priority to your group. In our previous visits, we did not use the DDP, as we wanted to focus on the parks and attractions and did not want to have dining commitments and take the time for a "sit down " meal.
On our upcoming trip my kids are now older and the parks are not so new to them. They have agreed that it might be nice to have more "sit down" meals this time. We did choose the DDP and the way I figure we will save a little money, not tons, but I'll take what I can get.
I did have the family pick where they would want to eat and used the online menus to compare cost....didn't know about the "calculator" mentioned above. Using it should definately help with your decision. Snacks add up too, don't forget to figure that in. I didn't think of that my first time down there and the kids were asking for lots.

 

[septbaby]

Do the basic DP and have the meals pre paid. You are funding a trip for Adults. Tell them this is your meal plan. If they want something else or go over they pay for the extras. I wouldn't leave the door open, you're being generous enough. The cost for that plan for your group is $1133.65

Your OOP costs would just be tips at the TS meals.

 

[Tricia1972]

We are staying 7 days with the DDP and will be saving about 13% (about $150)

Now, that includes a bunch of desserts we probably wouldn't have ordered, but excludes a bunch of appetizers that we would have ordered instead (and will probably still order oop).

You do save money, but not the 30% Disney says you do (unless you eat prime rib and lobster every day).

Ultimately you only save money if you try to maximize your meal costs and are willing to eat dessert at every meal.

I believe that the paragraph I highlighted has a large part in why the DDP does not work for us.

When I figured in the desserts we would order vs what the plan entitled us to, it's amazing the savings you experience not ordering and not paying for those desserts.

7 CS Desserts x $3.50 = $24.50 (per person)
7 TS Desserts x $7.00 = $49.00 (per person)

So figure approximately $73.50 per person spent on desserts for a 7 night stay. An amazing deal for people who love desserts on the DDP. If you're ordering them just because you can, then I believe that the value to you is diminished.

 

[agentpleakley]

I agree with the PP, and I wanted to direct you to this thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1723057

It's a thread for requesting a spreadsheet that compares the DDP to the DxDDP and OOP. As you go through the menus and enter what you think you'd like to eat, you can enter the prices in the spreadsheet and it'll do all of the math for you.

(If you PM your email address to me I can send mine out to you)

Would it be possible for me to get this spreadsheet as well? I've done my own but it is showing on $130 savings OOP and that is only with 2 TS meals -- that can't be right can it?

 

[sazcjg]

We chose to do it for this reason. With the plan we can order whatever we want regardless of price. Disney is so expensive that you tend to choke on the price of things as it is and that can be a bummer on a vacation. With the DP my 14 year old can order his BIG steak every night for dinner and I can just relax and smile rather than tell him that it is too much! DW loves desert but usally wont order due to the extra $ factor now she can go wild as well. Instead of counting dollars I can just enjoy the week. Overall the whole vacation experience is better for everyone.

 

[SnowWitch]

We felt like we ordered far more on the plan than we would have had we paid in cash. If we look at what we would actually order and eat and not walk away feeling stuffed then we spent more using the dining plan. Now I was in the camp that enjoyed everything prepaid with no aggravation. Now that Disney has chosen to do away with the app and the tip, I can't justify the cost because they removed the all inclusive feeling that the previous plan had. Had they given the customer a choice between the app or dessert I would at least entertain the plan but they didn't and we would never order a dessert for each of us. We tend to buy 1-2 max and share.

We may oppt for the deluxe paln during Dec trips but for warmer months when our appetites are small we will pay cash from here on out. I thank Disney for saving me $$$ and calories.

 

[TDC Nala]

You have to ask yourselves questions about your party - what do they order normally? You've got adults outnumbering children - do you have adults who like to order appetizers and skip dessert? Do they like to order expensive menu items (that is the way to get the most value out of the current dining plan) or do they like to order vegetarian dishes or mostly chicken? Does your party like buffets (the DDP can be a great deal for buffet fans)? Is the convenience factor more important to you and your party than savings?