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

[Lila95]

When we were trying to decide if the DDP was right for us, we looked at the menues for places we wanted to eat and saw that the DDP would cost less than if we paid OOP. DD9 is not always happy with a kids menu, so we booked mostly family style and buffets so that she would have more options. It will be our first trip using the DDP and I think it will work out to be a great deal.

 

[jeepgirl30]

You may want to look at some of the buffets. While many people will argue you don't get your $$ worth I felt it was a great option because the kids can eat as much as they want.

Chef Mickey's was one of our favorites. The character interaction was wonderful and the food was not bad for a buffet.

My DD6 and I just returned and felt the DDP was great for us. I booked while it was included so it was "free" but would have been just as happy had I paid. The only extras we paid OOP were our first lunch at DTD and CRT breakfast. There was more than enough food for us.

 

[DEBDENBD]

Thanks everybody for the input! Yesterday we added DDP to our package!! Now all we have to do is figure our itinerary and make some dining reservations.

Thanks again for the help!!

 

[Hound 109]

Thanks everybody for the input! Yesterday we added DDP to our package!! Now all we have to do is figure our itinerary and make some dining reservations.

Thanks again for the help!!

Good for you!! And you are doing it correctly (imo).

Look at the hours of the Parks from the Disney web site. (Including EMH)

Decide where you might want to be each morning. (& try to take a mid day break at least every other day - we take on every day)

Decide where you might want to be each evening.

Make your table service reservations based on the above.

(Tip - if with kiddos we like to eat dinner before 5:30 - less crowded & avoids meltdowns).

Have a great time.

hound

 

[It's A Happy Day]

IMHO I think you made the right decision to get the DDP. We went last October with 2 adults/2 kids 3 & 4 and happened to get DDP in our package with a promotion they were running. We had actually planned on paying OOP and I had been looking on Allears.net at menus and costs to get an idea of what to budget for food - EXPENSIVE. I really didn't know about or understand DDP prior to this offer. Well it was INCREDIBLE!!!
You get:
1 counter service (CS) per night of your reservation - think value meal at
MCD with dessert
1 table service (TS) per night - think sit down meal with waiter/waitress
1 snack per night - popcorn, rice crispie treat, water, some frozen novelties,
soda, and more
I too thought it would be confusing as to how many do I have, how do I use them, etc. but it was VERY EASY. Almost all restaurants are included in the DDP - you get a list of all participating restaurants with your packet information. Some restaurants are called signature restaurants (very few) and they take 2 credits for 1 seating. You are given a total amount of credits and are able to use them however you want over the course of your stay - example 2 Counter Service in 1 day and no Table service - 1 snack at a time or 10 in 1 shot - it is however you want to "spend" them. All credits expire at midnight of the day you check out - so if you check out at 10AM you have till midnight to use credits to say go to DTD for lunch. When you "purchase" a meal your receipt states remaining counter service/table service/etc on it so you can keep track. You can also ask for a print out at your hotel should you lose track at any time.
The benefits we saw were:
- able to sit down and enjoy a meal instead of being on the run the whole time.
- Ate "real" food - salads, vegetables, chicken, steak, and actually got desserts instead of saying no because we were trying to save costs.
- If we had paid OOP we would have had maybe 2 or 3 sit down meals and they probably would have been buffets. Instead we had 13 sit down meals - some of which would have been inexcess of $150 for 2A/2C to eat!!!
- Didn't have to bring extra cash for food as it was already paid for. We only paid MAYBE $30.00 over nearly 2 weeks and that was only because the snack we picked wasn't on the plan. The only extra money we spent was on souveniers.

You also mentioned a concern over reservations. I recommend checking out Allears.net and looking at menus so that you can see which restaurants are a definite NO instead of wasting time trying to find a place to eat only to discover the closest place has nothing you'd like. If you find a place that you absolutely must try, those are the places that I feel you MUST make a reservation at. Then you don't have to be worried about being turned away...Le Cellier is generally very busy and turns people away for instance. My general rule of thumb is make a tentative plan - Monday MK, Tuesday Epcot, etc. and set up a reservation in that park - it can be cancelled if you decide not to eat there or at that time but at least you have a place should you need it. Try not to hop park to park just to eat as you will waste alot of time. With DDP don't forget to look at the other hotel restaurants. Had we not had the DDP we would have missed out on Whispering Canyon Cafe (my DH favorite meal) because we wouldn't have eaten outside of the parks or our hotel. Try breakfast in MK - like Crystal Palace - you can get a reservation before the rest of the park opens and get a different perspective of WDW than the typical crowded main street, fight your way through the pack atmosphere - this is also a great photo op of your kids in front of the castle w/o alot of people around!

And lastly ENJOY!!!!! There is unbelievable food to be had and many memories to make