Never Been to Disney, pls help us decide on DDP!

[DEBDENBD]

We have just booked our 1st Disney vacation for Jan.2007. Staying at All Star Movie resort. Nobody in our family has ever been to Disney before. We are contemplating DDP and having a hard time deciding whether it is a "good" option for us. Based on what we've read we are still undecided, so I'm going to post some of my random thoughts & am hoping somebody more experienced can sway us one way or the other on a decision or at least give us more to think about.

Our party will consist of 2 adults/2 children. For the most part we are not picky eaters (prefer healthy or "real" food vs. fast food) and the kids, age 6/8 have BIG appetites. One of the kids has a food allergy to fish/shellfish & can't eat anything cross-fried (we generally avoid fried food altogether)

At their age it says they're required to order from a kid's menu. Will a kid's meal be enough for hungry kids w/big appetites, if not can they order an adult meal? (We get MANY comments at how much/well our kids eat & surprisingly they are very SMALL for their age!) At a place like Friendly's or Perkins, the children's menu does not satisfy their hunger--it's just not enough food. Can anybody compare to Disney meals for me? Will DDP even allow me to order from an adult menu for the children?

We are staying 6 days/5 nights. We aren't anticipating doing any character meals. I think we'd prefer not to have to commit to dining reservations, because we're worried about being on one side of the park & having to run to the other to make it in time. When vacationing, we have never really been reservation people. I think sometimes we miss out on great dining options but we like the flexibility and not having to clock-watch to decide when it's time to eat.

But then we've been told by travel agent that in January (11-16th to be exact) it's not as crowded and reservations would likely NOT be needed? But all the Disney info says, "reservations strongly recommended" Any thoughts? I would love to walk into TS restaurant and be seated in <30 minutes at any time of day, is that realistic?

For those on DDP, how much additional did you pay OOP during your visit for extra food, meals?

Did the DDP cover most of what you wanted to eat?
Was it confusing/cumbersome to use at any time?

Overall, we like the idea of DDP because it's prepaid and we can budget a certain amount and know our meals will fall within that budget (that is, if won't be paying much OOP for additional foods)

But then we don't like the idea of DDP because of hearing reservations and keeping track of the points and all the "rules" (very confusing !)

I'm really hoping somebody more experienced can bring it into focus for us! Thanks in advance!!

 

[bicker]

Will a kid's meal be enough for hungry kids w/big appetites, if not can they order an adult meal?

Sorry, but child meal entitlements cannot be used for adult meals.

Our DN1.5 ended up downing almost two full child meals at every meal... while her brother DN6 barely finished his one... different kids are different.

You may be best off focusing on buffets, for your TS meals, since there the kids can have as much as they want.

 

[CathrynRose]

Alright...

Start here: www.wdwig.com

Check out : Dining --> Menu's / decide where you wanna go, and what they have for your family and their appetite.

If you plan on making 'eating' any large part - or even medium part - of your trip, I think it's worth it. We were able to eat at places we never would be able to budget for.

And - Im a cheapskate - I stay at a value, but the dining plan, IMO is completely and totally worth it. Counter service all day ALONE will add up to the price you'll pay for the plan.

But again - check out that site.

 

[fws]

First of all, you will love Disney. I'd really recommend getting the DDP and doing the character meals if you've never been to WDW. A really big part of Disney for children your age is getting autographs from the characters and the character meals make that so easy. Plus the buffets are really good, giving everyone a wide selection of food (the Hollywood & Vine is also great because it cuts down the waiting time for the must-see Fantasmic). The cost of snacks and drinks does add up - you'd get far better value on the DDP. Booking a restaurant to eat in also gives you the chance to relax - the parks do get tiring. If you make a plan of which park you're going to visit on which day, you'll find getting to the restaurant is not particularly stressful. We found trying to decide which child liked which menu (and all the extra walking and discussion involved) was much more of a problem.

 

[*Susan*]

We will be there around the same time (12-20th of Jan 07) as you

We have gone in Jan before and yes it isn't THAT crowded, but you are going during the MLK holiday weekend so that (IMO) may increase the crowds vs a 'regular' weekend in Jan.

Personally if you are going to get the DDP I would definetely make ADR's. If, like you say, you are across the park or don't feel like eating at your reserved time, etc. you can call ahead (the day of or before) and see if you can switch things up. I think this is a better scenario than not having any ADRs and then getting stuck if yes, there is a long wait, etc.

I don't know how much of a type A planner you are, but considering the park hours are limited since it's slow season, we have planned our days to take advantage of the EMH's at each park. For instance, on 1/14 (Sunday) it is an EMH night at MK. So we are having dinner at O'Hanas that night and will just take the monorail over to the Poly to eat, then return to the MK. If you too are going to take advantage of the longer hours at MK that day, I would recommend makig an ADR for somewhere at the MK or at one of the neighboring hotel restaurants.

That being said, if you aren't going on the DDP then (unless there is somewhere you really want to eat) I wouldn't worry about making ADR's. Just be ok with the fact you may have to forgo somewhere you wanted to eat if the wait is too long - there is always counter service too.

 

[Cookie Princess]

I agree with CathrynRose. Research where you want to eat ahead of time and do the math. We like the dining plan because almost all of your food is paid for ahead of time and it is very convenient. There are people that go to WDW and don't spend any extra OOP. We would order an "adult" drink sometimes with dinner, but didn't spend a great deal OOP.I think that the kid's meals are good sized. DS was always full when he ate them.

The only downside for some families with kids is that people feel they lose some park riding time having a sit down meal every day. Every family is different, but DDP works for us.

 

[The Sweetness]

Here's my two cents. As far as I know, by looking at the menus for CS, alot of them are mostly typical theme park food (such as burgers, pizza, fried chicken and french fries) there are SOME other ops, but the items I mentioned look like the rule, not the exception. I also doubt your big eaters would be satisfied with an entree salad.

In addition to that, as the DP stands, you have an ethical problem concerning portion size. You and DH *could* each order 2 half-chicken meals at Cosmic Rays for example, for lunch or dinner. Those are *NOT* kids meals. Right now, the credits are pooled, as opposed to being seperated as how many adult meals and how many kids meals you have used from your plan so far. Also, on the plan with your big eaters, ALL of your TS meals would have to be family style or buffet.

Personally, I dont think I would go there, but it is your choice

 

[Donald - my hero]

Here is GREAT news! Any of the restaurants are more than prepared to deal with food allergies! When you call to make your ressies be SURE to mention that you have severe allergies to deal with. When you check in remind them and your server will be able to help you find appropriate things on the menu. IF not, rest assured that the chef will come out and discuss exactly what / how you need your food prepared. If you are at a buffet he/she will take you around and tell you about each and every dish. If it turns out that nothing is "perfect" a completely NEW meal will be made for you

 

[writersblock42]

I can only give how we did it without the ddp because we have not done the DDP (my next trip might be the first). Let me first say that we did not spend $40 a person per meals off the DDP. However, we did have a car. If you want to really save money-you must go off site. So if you have a car and you are willing to leave Disney to go offsite for meals then you can really save money. There are tons of resturants in Orlando that will cater to whatever you want. I personally like Jungle Jims and Unos. Do not order the pizza to your room as there are hidden charges. What we did was pack stuff for breakfast like cereal and stuff (you may want to get a fridge) and then we ate offsite for dinner and got a big lunch (lunch prices are cheaper) and then CS for dinner or sandwiches or just went offsite again. I have only done one character meal and liked it-it was a lot of fun. However, the good thing about DDP is that you can order whatever you want and not feel guilty about the expense of a certain food. Also remember on the DDP you can order an appetizer, a meal and a dessert. That is more than a normal kids meal. Does that help?

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

When my husband and I go on vacatipn we feel like eating out is part of that. It is part of the reason we chose WDW over DL. THE FOOD. So for us the DDP is great. We can go to restaurants and not feel bad ordering more expensive meals because we paid for it with the DDP. Plus we get appetizers on DDP and so by the time the kids meals come they will have already ate a little so the smaller meal size won't matter so much. I also like not having to worry about how much we are spending every time we buy food. Having it prepaid, I think, will make me feel a little more free.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Also, on the Dis... where you are asking this question, we have much information on dining etc..

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm

for menus, click here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm

If you have any further questions, please feel to ask on the Restaurant Board. If you have specific questions about restaurants, ask on the main board...for the dining plan, of course here.

We are here to help.

 

[aviva5675]

I think its worth it. For kids its about 12/day. Not sure how you can beat that. Even if you end up paying for some extras out of pocket (OOP), you might still save money. I would make ADRs for any restaurant you REALLY want to try, not worth the anticipation and then getting turned away. Even if you decide against DDP, Id make at least some ADRs. I think it's probably not as confusing with keeping track as it seems. All that said, we are trying it for first time in 2 weeks, so, all this Ive gotten from reading these boards and definitely the menus at allears.nt. (net)

 

[ronandannette]

We (DH, self and DS - 9) were in DWD for the first time in late August. We got the Free Dining Plan (4 day package) and made ADR's for all of our dinners. Over the length of our stay we ate at Cosmic Ray's (MK), Sunshine Seasons (Epcot) and Mara (AKL) for counter service and Boma (AKL), Harvest Festival Garden Grill - Character Dinner (Epcot), Sci-Fi Dine Inn (MGM) and Ohana (PR) for dinner. We also used all of our snack credits, mostly on bottled water but we did get a few of those Mickey Ice Creams too! Had we paid OOP for all that we ordered it would have been close to $200.00 per day for food and drink. Now granted, I'm SURE meals could be had for much less off site. However, if you plan to eat at Disney non-stop, the dining plan is the most economical way to do it. We didn't realize until afterwards just how good a deal the free dining was. Additionally, for the OP, besides buffets, the "family style" options are a very pleasant way to ensure everyone gets enough to eat.

Annette

p.s. I'm not sure how confident I would be about just winging it for my table service meals. The worst case scenario with the DP is not getting the full value because you can't get in anywhere. Late August is also reported as a "not so busy" time but every place was packed when we were there. Apparently you can use a table service credit at a counter service place, but I personally wouldn't have been very happy having to do more counter service. It was hard enough to pick something that looked good as it was with only 4 to use.

p.p.s. We decided last minute to try for a spot at Donald's Breakfastosaurus on our last day (Character Dining). We did get a reasonable one (called before we left the hotel at 7:30, reservation was for 9:50). We paid OOP as this wasn't part of our original plan but I'm glad we did. It was a nice experience for all of us and the only hot breakfast we had the entire time. A.

 

[LizinSTL]

We have just booked our 1st Disney vacation for Jan.2007. Staying at All Star Movie resort. Nobody in our family has ever been to Disney before. We are contemplating DDP and having a hard time deciding whether it is a "good" option for us. Based on what we've read we are still undecided, so I'm going to post some of my random thoughts & am hoping somebody more experienced can sway us one way or the other on a decision or at least give us more to think about.

Our party will consist of 2 adults/2 children. For the most part we are not picky eaters (prefer healthy or "real" food vs. fast food) and the kids, age 6/8 have BIG appetites. One of the kids has a food allergy to fish/shellfish & can't eat anything cross-fried (we generally avoid fried food altogether)

At their age it says they're required to order from a kid's menu. Will a kid's meal be enough for hungry kids w/big appetites, if not can they order an adult meal? (We get MANY comments at how much/well our kids eat & surprisingly they are very SMALL for their age!) At a place like Friendly's or Perkins, the children's menu does not satisfy their hunger--it's just not enough food. Can anybody compare to Disney meals for me? Will DDP even allow me to order from an adult menu for the children?

We are staying 6 days/5 nights. We aren't anticipating doing any character meals. I think we'd prefer not to have to commit to dining reservations, because we're worried about being on one side of the park & having to run to the other to make it in time. When vacationing, we have never really been reservation people. I think sometimes we miss out on great dining options but we like the flexibility and not having to clock-watch to decide when it's time to eat.

But then we've been told by travel agent that in January (11-16th to be exact) it's not as crowded and reservations would likely NOT be needed? But all the Disney info says, "reservations strongly recommended" Any thoughts? I would love to walk into TS restaurant and be seated in <30 minutes at any time of day, is that realistic?

For those on DDP, how much additional did you pay OOP during your visit for extra food, meals?

Did the DDP cover most of what you wanted to eat?
Was it confusing/cumbersome to use at any time?

Overall, we like the idea of DDP because it's prepaid and we can budget a certain amount and know our meals will fall within that budget (that is, if won't be paying much OOP for additional foods)

But then we don't like the idea of DDP because of hearing reservations and keeping track of the points and all the "rules" (very confusing !)

I'm really hoping somebody more experienced can bring it into focus for us! Thanks in advance!!

The disney dining plan is incredibly easy to use. It's a terrific value for families with kids under 10 who enjoy at least one table service meal per night of their trip. We like to sit down and have a meal about once a day when we are on vacation and our kids were 5 and 9 when we went in June. It was WELL worth the money we paid for the dining plan. We spent approximately $100 oop over 8 days/7 nights, that includes extra tips, wine with dinner, snacks not covered on the plan like mini donuts at the water parks, and pizza delivery to the room one night.

Our kids had breakfast in the food court each morning (CS credits) and then we all shared 2 adult meals for another CS meal each day. We never felt like we left a meal hungry.

Unless you have access to a car and plan to eat lots of meals off site- do quick breakfasts in your room- or don't like sit down meals, then the dining plan can't really cost you more than eating all your meals on site at Disney (even if you don't do any TS meals!)

I highly recommend a couple character meals- it's great to have the characters come to you so you can bypass those character greetings in the parks! Also, making reservations allows you to specify the allergies for your party and you can be assured that the chef will meet with you before you order so you know food is safe. My dh is allergic to shellfish and they offered to walk the buffet w/ him.

 

[DEBDENBD]

Thanks for all the insight & info! I am leaning more & more toward getting the DDP--I bought a Birnbaum book over the weekend and it even has itinerary "plans" in there so you don't miss things and some recommended restaurants (which is very helpful, we are finding the sheer amount of Disney info out there to be quite overwhelming!) I really didn't realize that Disney involved so much advance thinking... our usual vacation is a week at the beach and our days are spent going to the beach, eating, going for ice cream, and swimming. The biggest decision involves what filling will go into the sandwiches. Obviously not much thought involved there and we've been doing it for so long we could pack in our sleep!

One of OP's has a nice point about planning to relax... you know we hadn't considered it might actually be nice to SIT down all week We always sit-down and eat as a family at home and I can't believe that hadn't crossed our minds.

We will not be having a rental car--we are flying in from out of state and planning to use the free Disney transportation. BUT--that reminds me of another question I wanted to ask-- is there any (free/cheap) way to get OUT of Disney to eat off-site? From any of the Disney trans. sites, can we walk and/or & pick up Orlando public trans??

Thanks again!!!

 

[fws]

Glad I was able to help with the idea that you may want to sit down and relax together. I can't help you with off-site transportation, but I'd like to bet that you won't go off-site much and certainly not just to eat. We're flying out on Wednesday for 10 days and apart from a quick shop at a mall (prices are much cheaper than in the UK) we'll be on-site non-stop. Last time when the kids were 11 and 9, I bought 14 day passes with the idea that we could come and go and not feel obliged to spend all day every day in the parks (had a reluctant husband in tow). We actually managed one morning at the hotel pool and one day in DD, but felt that we were missing out even then. You won't want to go elsewhere, I'll bet.

 

[thelittlehousekids]

Is this list the available restaurant list for the Disney Dining Plan? If so, YAY! Please let me know if you have a chance so that I can print it off and share it with the family to begin the reservation "process". Much appreciated, Shannon

 

[Donald - my hero]

Is this list the available restaurant list for the Disney Dining Plan? If so, YAY! Please let me know if you have a chance so that I can print it off and share it with the family to begin the reservation "process". Much appreciated, Shannon

Here is the link for the WHOLE explaination of the plan including restaurants included http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...agespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/07Dining.pdf


This link will take you to a site that lets you check out the actual MENUS
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/menus/default.asp

Have fun deciding where & what to eat

 

[clutter]

Given the quantity that you say that your kids eat, I'd either make as many reservations for buffets or I'd see about counting your oldest child as an adult. It would cost an extra $25/day, but then you could order a third adult meal and split it between the two kids, with the kids meal on the side.

My dd 9 and I used the DDP once, and really liked it. We did many of our TS credits as late lunches or early dinners. If we'd had counter service, we'd have used the CS credits for breakfast. (We were at BCV, and my dd likes pancakes, waffles and bacon for breakfast. Available at any food court, not available as CS at BC.) Because of that, after 8 days, we left with about 3 CS credits each and maybe 5 snack credits each. We'd eat breakfast in the room and didn't need a third meal most days, so our CS went to waste.

I had to laugh at your description of beach v. disney. We've always been 'go-with-the-flow' people, especially at disney. On our ddp trip, the hardest thing to do was to make sure we made our ADRs. But my dd actually enjoyed sitting down to eat and she looked forward to our meals. Me too.

If you're not hopping, pick a park each day and plan your TS meal around that. It's not so hard to get from one side of the park to the other for a meal. If you're hopping, pick from whatever looks good!

 

[chipndales]

We are staying 6 days/5 nights. We aren't anticipating doing any character meals. I think we'd prefer not to have to commit to dining reservations, because we're worried about being on one side of the park & having to run to the other to make it in time.

We didn't anticipate them either! My daughter is 9 and proclaimed as we planned she was too old for that. Two character meals later ... Anyway, planning is worth it in my opinion. It is difficult to stick with it, but it's even worse being stuck at the park not being able to eat anywhere because it's all booked up. There's nothing worse than hungry children on your hands, as you know, and tired adults who need the rest.

I would love to walk into TS restaurant and be seated in <30 minutes at any time of day, is that realistic?

We had reservations and went the last week and a half of September, and still had to wait up to 45 minutes to get in.

Did the DDP cover most of what you wanted to eat?
Was it confusing/cumbersome to use at any time?

Day one was miserable trying to figure it out, but by day 2 we were pro's at the way it worked and had no real trouble with it. It covered more than enough for myself, and my daughter was unable to eat as much as they gave her. The portions are smallish if you have a big eater, but I'd rate my 9 year old average. I couldn't eat all the food they gave me, filling up on water all day long to keep hydrated, so if she didn't care for what she had, she'd nibble off my plate. It worked well for us.

But then we don't like the idea of DDP because of hearing reservations and keeping track of the points and all the "rules" (very confusing !)

It seems very confusing until you're there using it. You get a little card and reciept and it deducts everytime you use it. We stayed at ASMo and had the food court nearby. They teach you quickly what's included in the counter service. Table service, the waitresses/waiters will help you out there.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!