Is the DDP worth it for us?

[Kricketnp]

I am trying to figure out if the DDP is worth it for my upcoming trip in August. As of right now, we definitely are planning to eat at Ohana and Cape May for dinner. We are also considering Via Napoli, Paradiso 37, breakfast at the Wave and maybe WCC...Is it worth it for us to get the DDP? Or should we just pay for everything OOP?

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

I would check to make sure you can get reservations at those places first. My family has had a lot of trouble walking up to restaurants (especially for dinner) and getting a table because ADRs fill everything up pretty quickly.

If you can get in to the places you want, then you need to think about your family and how you eat. Depending on where you're staying, one snack credit can make for a light breakfast for the entire family. I don't know if this is still true, but the last time I was at Pop Century a full box of Entenmann's donuts was one snack credit. With three of us that was more than enough for breakfast.

 

[Kricketnp]

We actually already have some reservations so that shouldn't be a problem...we're just trying to figure if it's more worth it to pay OOP for every meal or if the DDP is cheaper in the long run.

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

I just returned from a Disney Training Program and I can tell you it's DEFINITELY worth it! The food is very expensive, but if you purchase the dining plan, it doesn't matter what you order, it's all just credits.

Definitely get the plan.

 

[Cafeen]

If you're planning to eat as the plan is designed, then it is a possibility that it can save some money. At that point, you'd want to run the numbers though, as not everyone realizes savings on the plan.

If you're not planning to eat as the plan is designed (not 1 TS per night of stay, sharing, skipping desserts, mostly apps, etc), then chances are you'd end up spending more on the plan than you would otherwise, and would not be a very good deal at all.

 

[Reddy]

how many "adults" & kids under 10 are going??
if you have kids under $10 then it is usually really great

 

[ncc1701]

Unless there has been a change to the plan recently you are going to have to pay OOP at Paradiso 37 since it doesn't take the DDP.
Another question is does your party always want desserts with every meal(except breakfast)?
DH & I had free DDP in 2009.We ordered what we wanted, not the most expensive thing.We also didn't always get dessert or we would just split one.
I figured we would have broken even at best if we had to pay for the plan

 

[Alesia]

You really have to sit down and think about how your family eats and do the math. Some people do better with the DDP, but over 9 days we spend $700 less by paying out of pocket than we would have with the DDP. We had the freedom to eat what we wanted, when we wanted and still saved money.

 

[Kricketnp]

Thanks for all the tips everyone...The group going is actually 3 adults (friends), so no kids. I am going to sit down and really try to figure out which way would be the most economical for us.

 

[whacked]

What you need to do is actually look at the menus and price what you think each member of your party will order. You will then need to compare what you come up with to what the plan provides.

If you don't use all of the features and credits of the plan such as wanting a desert with every meal, and snacks that are on the plan, it may not make sense financially.

Some people use it for convenience. We generally find the plan a great deal when offered "free".

We don't get the DP unless it's free if it's just our immediate family. We find it limits our choices somewhat and provides more food than we really need. As an example, I would not normally order dessert with lunch, particularly when I have additional snack credits that can be used for dessert items during the day.

It may have a convenience factor that makes it attractive when traveling with a party of disparate people that will require check splitting. When traveling with my parents and in laws, it's nice not to have to worry about picking food (restaurants) based on price or dividing the check at the end of the meal.

 

[Kricketnp]

Whacked, thanks for all of the tips. I definitely think it was the convenience factor that made the DDP convenient for us. Everything would be paid ahead of time and we wouldn't have to worry, since like you said, we would be splitting checks and such. However, after weighing the options and our probable dinner plans, it just doesn't seem worth it for us.