Need help evaluating cost POFQ DDP vs OOP Dolphin

[Liltx]

We have a res. at POFQ with DDP but are thinking about switching to the dolphin. The cost of the room is the same as well as the tickets so the real question comes down to food.
We will be 2 adults, 2 kids for 6 nights.

We plan to eat at:
Primetime dinner
Coral Reef lunch
Princess Storybook lunch
Crystal Palace dinner
Cape May dinner
Ohana dinner

We would utilize all snacks (for water and kid treats) but none of the desserts are needed. We would eat one counter service per day and just snack from grocery stop (FL tours) for breakfast. We would probably switch from Ohana to Mulino's and put the kids in the 2 free hours kids club if we switch. They also feed them for free if you arrive before 6:00. ME just doesn't appeal to us very much esp. since we are flying SW.

If someone could help me figure this out that would be great!

TIA so much!

Monica

 

[septbaby]

Cost for the Basic DP for your family for 6 nights is: $576 ($96 per day).

$96 - $12 for snacks for 4 - $28 for CS meals = $56 for TS meals. If you can eat those TS meals as a family for less than an average of $56 the DP isn't a financial match for you.

You say "none of the desserts are needed". Those desserts in the CS meals are pretty much "snacks".
- Ice cream sandwich from Main Street Bakery is either a snack or your dessert to go along with a sandwich CS meal there. That same meal could include a bottled drink too, saving another snack credit.
- If you eat CS breakfast you can get two bottled drinks if you want. One for bfast and the other we took to the park.
- At Peco Bill's we got yogurt as dessert which we saved for breakfast.
- We really saved our snack credits for snacks (popcorn, dole whips, extra item with a CS meal, etc.)

The character meals really can't be replicated outside of WDW so that expense won't change if you keep those ADRs. Coral Reef lunch was one of our best meals, but not inexpensive we would not have enjoyed as much if we had paid OOP.

Primetime dinner
Coral Reef lunch
Princess Storybook lunch -
Crystal Palace dinner
Cape May dinner
Ohana dinner

Not sure of the connection between ME not appealing and Southwest, but that's another topic. Personally I loved being picked up and not having to drag my luggage around, but to each his own. The early pick up wasn't an issue for me either. I live away from my Mom and nephew, so as long as I was spending that extra time with them it didn't matter if it was at the airport or at WDW.

Now that I've done Disney on site and with DP I'd be pressed to do it another way. It was just way too much fun and so easy; just what I want on vacation. My mother had done WDW numerous times on and off site, this was her first DP experience and she loved it. She kind of took control of our snack credits and had a grand time. She's mom what could I do .

 

[Liltx]

Well, I guess teachnically the Dolphin isn't onsite but you can walk to HS and Epcot from it and really the hotel is MUCH nicer than the moderates.

I get what you are saying about the dessert used as snacks but I just can't see us eating that many treats per day. We would probably sample them all but only a few bites. My kids would wants lollipops, cotton candy, and popcorn which would be a snack not a dessert right?

I think I have an estimate that we would spend $712 not including tips. We are saving money on the hotel as 6 nights are just $1006 at the dolphin including tax. But spending some of that difference on a towncar. So the difference is a little less than $130 to stay at the dolphin without dessert. We will purchase water and breakfast items during our grocery stop which is also part of our OOP total. I didn't include alcohol since that is OOP anyway. I think the hotel and proximity to the parks might be worth it?

 

[Liltx]

Also we would have to drag our luggage around as they don't deliver with SW. We could also shave off an hour with the town car both ways and stop for water and toiletries on the way.

 

[septbaby]

...I get what you are saying about the dessert used as snacks but I just can't see us eating that many treats per day. We would probably sample them all but only a few bites. My kids would wants lollipops, cotton candy, and popcorn which would be a snack not a dessert right?
QUOTE]

Yup, those things are definitely on the snack list and are easily shared among the family. Those were exactly the kinds of things we used our snack credits for too. We also got a few bottled drinks.

We were able to get a Mickey bar and Itzakadoozie for dessert when we ate at our resort CS for lunch. We grabbed pizza and just indicated that we'd get our ice cream when we were done. We did just that and the CM was fine with that.

A couple of times my nephew also got a cup of apple slices (might be a whole apple) served with caramel dip on the side. He also go this as his appetizer at Coral Reef. At Coral Reef it came with brown sugar and he said "No thank you" to the extra sugar.

We stayed at CBR and the bakery items (cookies, cup cakes, etc) were HUGE. We never selected those, however at Main Street Bakery my mother and I shared the Basil Mozzerella sandwich (yum), a bottled drink and slice of carrot cake for one CS credit. We both love carrot cake and were not shy about eating at WDW. We took leftover cake back to the room. We also saw people with the ice cream sandwiches there: ice cream trapped between two huge chocolate chip cookies. My nephew was in heaven with his PB&J sandwich and milk; I can't recall what he picked for dessert, it may have been a banana.

Seems to me you've made up your mind though: you don't want ME you want a town car: you think the Dolphin is nicer, you don't really want the Moderate; You have your eye on some non Disney restaurants, so you don't want the DP...numbers are't pervasive in your post, so it's not really about the numbers for you; don't end up at Disney kicking yourself, go with your gut and enjoy it!

I would chose the Disney resort: I loved ME, a Mod and the DP; it not the package for everyone so don't feel like you need to go that way