New to DVC but wondering about maximizing DDP when it comes back

[🍀TwinsMom]

My understanding is we have to pay for the DDP since we wouldn't qualify for room deals if/when it comes back. Our kids are turning 8 and 9 this fall, so thinking if it comes back, the DDP could be our last shot to have the kids qualify for kid rates (-10) and character meals that are pricey.

Has anyone done the analysis if the DDP makes sense for trying to do Tusker House breakfast/lunch, Topolinos breakfast, BOG lunch/dinner, Garden Grill (lunch), CRT lunch/dinner? Thinking of maybe doing a blowout trip of as many of those kind of meals the last year they count as kid rates.

IF you thought it made sense for the 2-credit character meals, any tips or recommendations? Any tier to pick? My husband and son are happy with a big, late breakfast and then snacking most of the rest of the day. My daughter and I like to eat more frequently but smaller meals. My husband and I do enjoy one or two cocktails/beer with lunch and/or dinner, but not more than that.

We do drink coffee, and I could maximize the snack credits for Starbucks in the morning for us.

Unfortunately, our kids are kind of annoying with eating the typical kid crap; Mac and cheese, pizza, nuggets, grilled cheese. There's no food allergies to deal with.

They DO eat a good variety/quantity at breakfast, but I lose my mind paying for lunch and dinner with them, hence usually buying groceries at DVC stays and just feeding them their typical stuff in the room. I hate to waste the money, but if we're going to do character meals anyway, I'd rather pay the $40ish range as a child price versus $60ish for an adult meal.

 

[starry_solo]

Tip is to book split stays but this would require you to change rooms.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Tip is to book split stays but this would require you to change rooms.

I am okay with that, but my husband would kick up a fuss I think. One big reason he/we bought into DVC is checking into our second "home" and relaxing with everything laid out at the resort and set it and forget it, rotisserie style, LOL.

 

[sethschroeder]

IMO you are 95% positive to pay more by having the DDP. You can try doing the math once they release the costs but unless you eat a ton of food very often and the most expensive things on the menu it just won't come out really in your favor. The DDP for many is either a) included in their room or b) a mindset of not worrying about prices of food.

My understanding is we have to pay for the DDP since we wouldn't qualify for room deals if/when it comes back.

Correct you have to pay for Dining Plan.

character meals that are pricey

Will you even do character meals if you can't meet the characters and they are at a distance? This is a personal choice so maybe its not worth the extra cost right now?

I could maximize the snack credits for Starbucks

To maximize snack credits you really need to use them at the festivals at Epcot which is a good benefit of owning at Riviera.

In the end don't try to maximize the dining plan. Plan out what you likely will eat for the week, do the math (include tips), and then come to conclusion. A big thing to remember as well is that with having a full kitchen you can easily get things for breakfast and eating before or on your way to the park.

Also remember unlike someone visiting once you can get $2k/$3k/$4k of Disney Gift Cards at a discount from like Target (5% off) and if you don't use them on your trip then you simply use them for your MFs, next tickets, or next time food. What you can do is charge everything to the room and then so often just go to the front desk and pay it off with Gift Cards.

Tip is to book split stays but this would require you to change rooms.

Another thought is if you split stay but in the same room category you possibly could go to the front desk to request to just stay in the same soom? Has anyone done that before and do they then try to tack on the dining plan the rest of the nights?

 

[Faldred]

If you really want to do the math, go to this old thread of mine to figure out how to "value" each credit once the 2022 (or whenever) prices are available. If the entitlements change, the principles remain the same, just muck around with the equations:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...17-edition-now-with-spreadsheet-link.3550393/

I'm sure I'll post an update once details, including prices, are released, as long as someone lets me know to do it. But just as important as the math itself (in my humble opinion) is the analysis on how to interpret the results, so please read through the whole thing.

Short version: for QSDP and DDP, probably only worth it if you take advantage of the alcohol or have multiple children under 10. DxDP is pretty easy to come out ahead, but that only applies if that much dining fits with what you'd really want to eat on vacation.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

IMO you are 95% positive to pay more by having the DDP

Good advice. But people won't believe it because they say "It is so convenient".

To maximize snack credits you really need to use them at the festivals at Epcot which is a good benefit of owning at Riviera.

Actually Starbucks $7 and up drinks can be purchased with a snack credit, which is pretty darn good!

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Okay. Thanks, everyone, for your help and info! I don't know if it's confirmation bias or not, but I was thinking we were better off skipping the DDP, but those character meals were killing me to anticipate paying $45 a kid to eat a couple waffles and sausage with Goofy. It's an easier pill to swallow as one or two "credits" versus $100 for my kids to waste food.

 

[igrsod]

The only way we have made the plan work is if we split stay, or have two rooms one with the dining plan, one without.
If I were you, I would take what you would have spent on the dining plan, and put it on a Disney Gift Card and use that to pay for meals. You will find it is cheaper to pay out of pocket.
That being said, we have paid for the dining plan as a splurge a few times, as the kids liked ordering whatever they wanted... no guilt. Dessert with every meal... yes please. I know when we pay out of pocket, we don't eat that way. The dining plan forces me to eat all the good stuff.
I'm hoping it comes back before our fall vacation.

 

[sethschroeder]

Good advice. But people won't believe it because they say "It is so convenient".

Actually Starbucks $7 and up drinks can be purchased with a snack credit, which is pretty darn good!

Ya I am not sure as I just checked Main Street Starbucks and their menu was around $3/$4/$5. When looking at F+W going on right now the items are $4/$5 (maybe just use cash) but $6/$7/$8 up to $13 in Italy.

So if you are able to save $7 that would possibly help the DDP math.

 

[sethschroeder]

Okay. Thanks, everyone, for your help and info! I don't know if it's confirmation bias or not, but I was thinking we were better off skipping the DDP, but those character meals were killing me to anticipate paying $45 a kid to eat a couple waffles and sausage with Goofy. It's an easier pill to swallow as one or two "credits" versus $100 for my kids to waste food.

So a couple things:

• You understand how Character meals are done right now correct?
• You don't have to have all adults go to the meal (you could do you one day your spouse another day)
• You could look to hard ticket events if they return, get better rides, and see possibly unique characters
• You are DVC so do you want to do all the character meals on one trip or spread it out as a treat each trip?
• Lots of character meals account for like 4% of that 5% that save money. They add up quickly and could make the math work out so just do the math once prices release.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Ya I am not sure as I just checked Main Street Starbucks and their menu was around $3/$4/$5. When looking at F+W going on right now the items are $4/$5 (maybe just use cash) but $6/$7/$8 up to $13 in Italy.

So if you are able to save $7 that would possibly help the DDP math.

Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating for using DDP. I would love for it to be gone forever. It ruined the restaurants and dining at WDW. I completely agree with you that in most cases people would save money not using it. And people who say they save money on the plan, I sincerely question if they are really eating the way they want to eat, or eating to fit the plan (and maximize it.)
And people who say it is so convenient, how is it more convenient that using Disney gift cards? Others admit they prefer it so they delude themselves about how much they are spending by not looking at prices on menus, but they do.

 

[sethschroeder]

Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating for using DDP. I would love for it to be gone forever. It ruined the restaurants and dining at WDW. I completely agree with you that in most cases people would save money not using it. And people who say they save money on the plan, I sincerely question if they are really eating the way they want to eat, or eating to fit the plan (and maximize it.)
And people who say it is so convenient, how is it more convenient that using Disney gift cards? Others admit they prefer it so they delude themselves about how much they are spending by not looking at prices on menus, but they do.

It's convenient since it's a singular cost and done. No fuss or muss while on vacation. You don't need to worry about gift cards or anything like that. You just eat and keep track of credits.

Gift cards are a little pain since you have to make sure you get to the desk to pay before they charge you in the middle of the trip, there are thoughts of needing to compare food prices for some, and a sense you need to check your bill to not go over your food budget which can be daunting on a 7/8/9/10 day trip.

 

[Pumbaa_]

It is now and will always be a math exercise. Set up a spreadsheet and do the work. Only you know how your family likes to eat. It doesn’t work for us. We don’t drink, I want an app but rarely want dessert. But I know how we prefer to dine and have done the math. It’s the only way to know.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

There is no guarantee that the dining plan will even work the same way when it comes back, so I wouldn’t plan your trip around it.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Haven't really researched it in years, but the general consensus used to be that signature (2 credit) meals were always a poor use of the dining plan...only one dessert for 2 dining credits, plus most 2 credit meals amount to about the equivalent of 1.5 the monetary value of a credit. Breakfasts were always a poor use as well, because you forfeit the dessert portion of the dining credit.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

There is no guarantee that the dining plan will even work the same way when it comes back, so I wouldn’t plan your trip around it.

Good point.

 

[Mrriddle]

We usually get the sit down in Cinderellas castle due to my obsession with setting reservations the second they are available. So it works out for us very well.

 

[StarCruzer]

It's convenient since it's a singular cost and done. No fuss or muss while on vacation. You don't need to worry about gift cards or anything like that. You just eat and keep track of credits.

Gift cards are a little pain since you have to make sure you get to the desk to pay before they charge you in the middle of the trip, there are thoughts of needing to compare food prices for some, and a sense you need to check your bill to not go over your food budget which can be daunting on a 7/8/9/10 day trip.

1. You can use a gift card right in the restaurant OR charge to room and pay every few days. We did the former, keeping an "empty" gift card on one of us in case we misplaced the full one (you can transfer GC balances between cards online).

2. If you don't want to worry about budgeting, take the amount you would have spent on a Dining Plan and put it on a gift card. Unless every member of your party is ordering the most expensive item on the menu for every meal, you will have money left on the gift card at the end of your vacation (which you can use for souvenirs, at shopDisney, planning your next trip, etc.)

No judgement on those who like the Dining plan--do what makes you happiest! Our experience was that, two years in a row, we found ourselves desperately trying to use the last of our QS and snack credits during the last two days of our trips. I think for most people, it's just not a very good deal.

 

[sethschroeder]

No judgement on those who like the Dining plan--do what makes you happiest! Our experience was that, two years in a row, we found ourselves desperately trying to use the last of our QS and snack credits during the last two days of our trips. I think for most people, it's just not a very good deal.

I am not even that big of a fan of dining plans really. I have only done it because it removed the idea of "price" from my parents minds. Its also helpful if you are there during a Epcot Festival since we pretty much only stay at Boardwalk or now Riviera for easy access.

1. You can use a gift card right in the restaurant OR charge to room and pay every few days. We did the former, keeping an "empty" gift card on one of us in case we misplaced the full one (you can transfer GC balances between cards online).

Thats what I mean though. There is some thought about needing to check in to clear out the balance.

2. If you don't want to worry about budgeting, take the amount you would have spent on a Dining Plan and put it on a gift card. Unless every member of your party is ordering the most expensive item on the menu for every meal, you will have money left on the gift card at the end of your vacation (which you can use for souvenirs, at shopDisney, planning your next trip, etc.)

I think you are right for 95% of people maybe even 99% of people. That being said if you are going through the extra steps to deal with gift cards I would just buy them from Target.com as I need them that way no money is really left over.

I know people do say they get their moneys worth if the adults are drinking alcohol and you are going to character meals. That was our plan in 2022 if the dining plan returned. Kids are 4 and 3 and while they might not remember it they haven't been to the parks since they were 2 and 6 months so we planned on hitting up all the Character meals now and then doing it again when they were closer to that 7-10 age range.

Who knows what it will look like but we should hear something very very soon. We are already within 60 days of January.

 

[StarCruzer]

*shrug* Just saying we didn't find it at all a hassle to carry around a gift card for our trip and pay for meals with that instead of a MB. The spare card was simply DH being vigilant. Ended up saving us plenty of money.

One thing that sometimes gets left out is you can't use any dining discounts if you use the DDP. No military, DVC, Disney cardholder, etc. Obviously not a factor for everyone though!