Not Sure I'm Doing the DDP again.

[B9erSteve]

We just returned from WDW and 8 days on the DDP. I saved about $300 on the plan which was good until I really started to think about what was actually saved. Here are my thoughts.

1. Had I thought of it I would not have gotten the refillable mugs while on the plan. We didn't use them much outside of meals and the DDP covered our drinks! And what's up with 2 drinks at breakfast? We stayed at PO:R and instead of a "dessert" we were offered 2 drinks. I would rather a peice of fruit to sub for the dessert than the drinks that we couldn't use.

2. Desserts. We're really not much into desserts, so we felt overstuffed even at the counter service meals. We even noticed others looking to give away their desserts because they had too much. I thought that a good portion of the DDP savings could have been saved anyway by not buying desserts.

3. I started out trying to stick to the childrens menus for my kids. But my son(7) began to tire of the predictable fare everywhere.

4. I LOVE the TS experiences at WDW, but I'm not really sure that we need to do that many of them. If I was out of pocket we would have hit only those that we really liked and saved even more money.

5. Some of the TS meals were just plain overpriced for the quality of the food. That may have been just the places I picked, but I thought there we're a few of those meals that weren't worth half their price.

I really don't mean to sound so negative on the plan and I think that some of my dissappointment was due to the fact that we did DDP in 2006 and saved a bundle whereas after the changes the savings weren't as impressive. I may consider the CS dining plan next time or just see how much I save vs. spend just going out of pocket all week.

DDP cost for 2 adults and 2 children for 8 nights was $767.68

Stated value for the meals purchased with DDP was $1075.25

Total Savings $307.57

Total Out of Pocket meals $239.83

Total Tips $100.32 (I usually tipped 18% except on two occasions when the Planet Hollywood waiter was really not ready to work but his personality won him a 14% and the Tony's Italian Restaurant waiter who was EXCEPTIONAL and I grossly over tipped him.) I included this amount because the DDP used to cover this expense and now no longer does.

 

[loralie]

I agree that it used to be a much better bargain to do the DDP than it is now. I will always do the DDP and it is basically for the reason that I like to have all my meals paid for before I go. To me...if I have to look at prices on my vacation, it takes all the fun out of it and I know I would be looking at how much things cost and wind up choosing the least expensive item instead of what I really want. My 2 boys are 13 and 11 years old so they are both "adults" on the plan. M 13 year old is a growing boy with a big appetite so this is good for him. I can let him order a steak every night and not worry about the cost. My 11 year old is not as good of an eater but he is alright. For us the DDP is more about freedom.

Loralie

 

[kelleigh1]

You make some valid points and I can understand where you are coming from.

We liked the DDP (haven't done the new one) and really think we'll do it again on future trips. But, we are just 2 adults, no kids in tow.

We often took dessert back to the room to have for breakfast the next morning, or even just a snack. We didn't really do breakfast on the plan other than the one character breakfast, so the 2 drinks thing wasn't an issue - but I know we would have been getting bottles of something to have in the room as our second drink.

We do like the refillable mugs because we look at them as a souvenir and we felt we used them more than enough to justify the cost. We filled them every morning and put them in the fridge to have after we got back from the park and usually every night so we'd have a pre-bed drink and something to drink first thing in the morning before the fill-up.

I think the DDP works really well for some and not so well for others. And I don't think your post was bashing the plan at all. You explained why it doesn't work for you, clearly and concisely. I think it will be helpful for many people in planning their trips. It won't necessarily change our plans for the next trip, but I think it will make me think about the value as we work our way through the plan.

 

[serene56]

DDP cost for 2 adults and 2 children for 8 nights was $767.68

Stated value for the meals purchased with DDP was $1075.25

Total Savings $307.57

Total Out of Pocket meals $239.83.

Since the dining plan is all new to me in my planning stages-- i am curious to why youhad OOP meals totaling 239.00?

Trying to decide between the reg and delux

 

[Allboysandme]

I'm trying to convince my dh to drop the plan for our trip in June. I don't really want to have a TS meal every night. The TS meals we will have are going to be in casual places, like Mama Melrose's, because our three small kids aren't ready for Le Cellier. Those are the kind of places you need to go to get your money's worth out of the plan. I've also noticed people commenting on how big some of the CS portion sizes are. We could easily split some meals. We never order dessert so that isn't a plus for us either.

 

[Justsyd2]

WDW has a new Quick Service Dining Plan that is very affordable ($29.99/Adults - $8.99/Children) that gives you 2 CS meals and 2 Snacks per day, and a refillable mug, for those of you who want to watch your costs, and don't enjoy eating TS every night.

 

[B9erSteve]

I agree that it used to be a much better bargain to do the DDP than it is now. I will always do the DDP and it is basically for the reason that I like to have all my meals paid for before I go. To me...if I have to look at prices on my vacation, it takes all the fun out of it and I know I would be looking at how much things cost and wind up choosing the least expensive item instead of what I really want. Loralie

I absolutely agree with you Loralie. We have a basic rule about vacations, we don't go unless it is paid off and we never spend more than I have set aside to spend. So, in that regard the DDP does help. I've noticed that as long as I have the money budgeted and saved for an expendature, I don't have as much problem spending it. While I may do as you do and look for the cheapest meal on the menu when I'm OOP, I think that if I have the money set aside, I would be equally willing to get the meal that I want regardless of the cost.

We often took dessert back to the room to have for breakfast the next morning, or even just a snack. We didn't really do breakfast on the plan other than the one character breakfast, so the 2 drinks thing wasn't an issue - but I know we would have been getting bottles of something to have in the room as our second drink.

Yep, we got kinda creative as well with the extra drink. But toward the end of the trip, the juices were stacking up in the fridge! The desserts were saved as well for use as a snack later. So much so, that I needed to splurge on a few days just to spend the remaining snack credits!

Since the dining plan is all new to me in my planning stages-- i am curious to why youhad OOP meals totaling 239.00?

Trying to decide between the reg and delux

As I mentioned earlier, we are breakfast eaters. Three meals a day meant that one had to be paid for. Broken down that comes to just slightly under $30 per day for 8 days. But, to be honest, that total includes our traveling days food expendatures (Since I live in CA, we spend two days just travelling!) So really I was OOP on about 10 to 11 meals over the course of the vacation, that brings the per meal cost to about $20-23 which is reasonable.

Here's my $0.02 on the reg vs deluxe meal plans. If you are planning a lot of TS or Signature TS (2TS meals) then this will work well. From what I understand you can use a TS credit on CS but that's a bit of a waste. But I can see it really paying for itself if you use it well. You'll still need to budget for the tips. Which will be more because you are doing more TS. I think for our family of four the Deluxe would be way overkill. We'd be rolling onto the plane going home.

20/20 hindsight tells me that I should have been much smarter with my CS use and I would have probably cut down on my OOP. Here's how. Since WDW doesn't monitor the CS use closely I should have ordered three adult meals every time we sat down and split the one to feed both kids. That way I would have saved a CS for later use and had one less dessert to consume. Doing that I would have an extra CS family meal every three days. So, over the course of the vacation I would have had a little less than three less meals to purchase, a savings of about $100.

I'm trying to convince my dh to drop the plan for our trip in June. I don't really want to have a TS meal every night. The TS meals we will have are going to be in casual places, like Mama Melrose's, because our three small kids aren't ready for Le Cellier. Those are the kind of places you need to go to get your money's worth out of the plan. I've also noticed people commenting on how big some of the CS portion sizes are. We could easily split some meals. We never order dessert so that isn't a plus for us either.

As Above, You can easily split the CS meals. In some places, I could have given some of mine away. Depending on how many TS meals you want you may want to go with the CS dining plan and go OOP on a couple of TS meals.

WDW has a new Quick Service Dining Plan that is very affordable ($29.99/Adults - $8.99/Children) that gives you 2 CS meals and 2 Snacks per day, and a refillable mug, for those of you who want to watch your costs, and don't enjoy eating TS every night.

Something that I may consider next time. Especially when my son becomes "adult" in the eyes of the meal plan.

 

[serene56]

I Here's how. Since WDW doesn't monitor the CS use closely I should have ordered three adult meals every time we sat down and split the one to feed both kids. That way I would have saved a CS for later use and had one less dessert to consume. Doing that I would have an extra CS family meal every three days. So, over the course of the vacation I would have had a little less than three less meals to purchase, a savings of about $100..

interesting- we have 6 adults and one child-- if we all share our counter service with her we can have 6 extra counter services by the end of our stay.
Could we really do that??

I am seeing doing the regular dining and oop for 3 meals only at a costs difference of 60 bucks plus tax and gratituity. where adding the delux plan will cost 224.00 extra. (but it will pay for those 3 meals-- give us ALL an appitizer plus an added dessert (each) I thought that doing the TS will kinda force us to sit back and relax then the hurry up and eat so we can do rides would be the way for us to go.
Im glad my vacation is quite a few months away-- gives me time to really see others prospective of dining plans.

when doing the dining plan- and using a counter service for a double cheeseburger-- can you still buy the extra bun?

 

[B9erSteve]

One thing to remember, the DDP does not include appetizers anymore.

(but it will pay for those 3 meals-- give us ALL an appitizer plus an added dessert (each) I thought that doing the TS will kinda force us to sit back and relax then the hurry up and eat so we can do rides would be the way for us to go.
Im glad my vacation is quite a few months away-- gives me time to really see others prospective of dining plans.

when doing the dining plan- and using a counter service for a double cheeseburger-- can you still buy the extra bun?

 

[tiggerunner]

My daughter and I are staying away from the meal plans. We are not huge eaters and the whole desert thing after every meal doesn't do much for us.

We also like to have an alcoholic drink with some of our meals, so extra money there. I think we may break even and we will have what we want without overstuffing ourselves or feeling we have wasted food.

 

[noahdove]

I am doing the DDP again this August. Once we figured out about the extra drinks, it was a breeze. The kids always took the water in the morning and we took it with us to the parks. I took my refillable mug, got ice water at a CS and the kids would fill their water up from my cup and they were good until dinner. We used our snack credit for ice cream or whatever they wanted. At dinner they took a brownie or cookie for their dessert and after they drank the bev. they got with dinner, they used their refillable mug for after the parks....and the way they ate...I saved big time...I know I will this August too, as the child I am taking loves food and no she is not heavy just a great eater...so I will once again make out well for the DDP..I will make ressies for at least 1 TS everyday, be it dinner or breakfast...

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I'm trying to convince my dh to drop the plan for our trip in June. I don't really want to have a TS meal every night. The TS meals we will have are going to be in casual places, like Mama Melrose's, because our three small kids aren't ready for Le Cellier. Those are the kind of places you need to go to get your money's worth out of the plan. I've also noticed people commenting on how big some of the CS portion sizes are. We could easily split some meals. We never order dessert so that isn't a plus for us either.

Just keep in mind the surcharges this June for the so called "holiday" that doesn't even fall in June. If you are thinking of any buffets or character meals then add at least another $3 to each meal...I just read that on another website, it starts on May 24th and runs until after July 4th...We are visiting the world June 22 so that put us over the edge towards purchasing the DDP.

 

[serene56]

One thing to remember, the DDP does not include appetizers anymore.

right-- the regular dining plan does not-- but the delux does include the appetizer.- for each person--which there are 7 of us

 

[B9erSteve]

Oops, I forgot that you were considering the Deluxe.

 

[serene56]

Oops, I forgot that you were considering the Deluxe.

The more I read though the more I think it is not the way we should go.

 

[LPNmom]

My grand gathering group was on DDP Oct 2006, we loved it!! I am a big planner and like to pay everything before we get there, because if I don't then I will be eating cheap and not enjoying my family and atmospher. My dad also likes to pay for all family meals, and I didn't want fighting over checks when we got there! My dad was so funny he kept waiting for a final bill at check out for all the meals, he keeps asking me if we are doing the dinning plan next trip.

 

[dzneelvr]

Our family of now 4 adults (DS is 21 and DD 19) happily settled in with the DDE plan for the past several trips. We get a straight 20% off of most everywhere we eat and we can eat what we want. Plus there is no fooling around figuring credits and such. I don't want to have to do think that much on vacation! and the waitstaff LOVES us. When they find out what we're on and not one of the DDPs, we always get a huge smile and you can just see them relax Too many people have meltdowns over what they can and cannot have on the plans. I've waited behind individuals at the resort's food court who are frazzled, argumentative, and walk away grumbling...I hand them my card with a smile and get one back

 

[jenseib]

I think we may get some breakfasts and share, as well as lunches then. I just know she gets sick of the basics every day. She doesn't even like PB&J, so thats out right away, and I think another offerering last year was a salad, and she used to like salad, but now says it's gross. LOL! She also does not eat any kind of hamburgers. So a week of chicken nuggets and hotdogs, gets old fast. I know at our foodcourt we can get a variety of stuff that she will like.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I think the OP really has some valid points. I have sort of a love hate relationship with the DDP. Now that the tip is not included and the appetizer is gone, its hard to not sit there and remember the good old days! But I love the simplicity of pre paying for all my meals and since my trip falls during holiday pricing (which would add $24 total to all our dinner buffets) the DDP is the way to go for us.

For us, we saved more with the DDE, however we don't have AP's anymore so that's not an option.

 

[B9erSteve]

I think the OP really has some valid points. I have sort of a love hate relationship with the DDP. Now that the tip is not included and the appetizer is gone, its hard to not sit there and remember the good old days! But I love the simplicity of pre paying for all my meals and since my trip falls during holiday pricing (which would add $24 total to all our dinner buffets) the DDP is the way to go for us.

For us, we saved more with the DDE, however we don't have AP's anymore so that's not an option.

What is the DDE? I've heard a few mention it. I'm assumming that you have to have AP's to use it?