ok so i did it out on paper and not sure if the DDP is for us or not-your thoughts?

newholidayx2

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I have budgeted 85, 65, 80, 75, 50, 70, 70, 80 for food - this is doing CS brkfst & dinner, AR lunch and a snack. However what we dont use I put towards the next day.
The DDP for 2 ppl would be $80. Im up to that amt anyways. We tried the DDP 3nights last Aug and know its too much food! I know the snacks can be used for brkfst, brought home, etc.
WWYD?
I also have the option of just doing the DDP for our 5nights at VWL and not the 2nights at Riverside.
 
Did you remember to include tax and tip in your figures? If you did, and you think the DDP is too much food, just pay out of pocket. If you forgot those things, you're talking at least another 20% added to your table service meals. In that case, I'd go with DDP.
 
Well, we liked the DP not only for cost...but convenience. So nice to just hand over your card instead of dealing with cash/change etc. We also never thought about it, it was nice to go for 10 days never thinking about cost or tipping...and believe me...dh *would have by about day 3! Just getting him to relax and enjoy without constant money outflow was worth the cost of DP to me. Plus, he didn't care at all when Dd15 ordered the $26 steak after the $12 appetizer and then topped that off with the $12 dessert! :rotfl: Priceless!
 
Even if it is a breakeven then it is worth it and so what if you do not eat all the food? We do not order all we are entitled to all of the time and I still find that it saves me $$. One thing I tried last year with my DVC stays is that we usually check out from a 1bR and move to a studio on weekend. (this is similiar to what you are doing with 5 days DVC and then 2 at Riverside). I only purchase the DDP for the first 5 days then off for the weekend, then purchase for the last 5 days and off again for the second weekend. Credits do not expire until midnight of the day of checkout form your first reservation so they are good for that whole last day. With that stretch you may find increased value from the plan. This means your "first day at Riverside" you still have valid dining credits. Factoring this plus the tax and tip situation mentioned earlier and you may find you're still saving money by using the DDP.
 

We never felt like we had to eat all that food just to get our monies worth....it just felt nice to know we *could if we wanted to! For us, it's more about the less stress and more go with flow and enjoy the vacation than it was about the amount of food.
 
For the first time....but, I enjoy my TS meals and will probably share a meal or two with my DD14 and save those extra credits for our sign. 2TS meals. We will most likely also share most CS meals and use extra credits for a CS in morning to share. I know it will be plenty of food...from reading these boards. If not, we have those SC to use. I figured our chepest TS at the end of our week. If we still have credits, great! If not, I will pay this one OOP. Of course, as others have said in the past, if you don;t plan on eating a TS each day, it may not pay off in the end.
 
Funny, I just posted this in another thread :laughing: Google "Disney Dining Plan Estimator Spreadsheet". It will calculate, based on # of adults and children in your party, # of nights you are staying, the average cost of meals at the restaurants you have chosen (for TS, CS, and snack), and what you typically pay for food per person each day of your vacation (make sure to add tax and tip to what you typically pay, because all of that is included) -- and it will tell you if the DDP is a good value or not. For DH and I, I figured $4 for snack, $6 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $35 for dinner, per person. And I think that's fairly conservative, given the prices at WDW. The estimator told me not only that I would save about 37% on the DDP, but also that if we were paying OOP at those restaurants, it would cost me more than the $55/day I had budgeted.
 
could if we wanted to! For us, it's more about the less stress and more go with flow and enjoy the vacation than it was about the amount of food.

I agree with this. Not having to worry about travelers checks, etc...is so much less stressful. I think a person could save money without the DDP, but the flexibility is worth the extra cash. We weren't going with it initially, but I did a little spreadsheet and it just didn't seem worth it not to do it.
 
It really comes down to whether you want to count your pennies each and every time your order food. If you are a doing at least 1 ts per day, it is definitley worth the $$ to do the plan. You only have to eat until you are full...
 
I don't know that there is any real cost savings on the plan since many people don't order appetizer, dinner and dessert at every meal ... but for me, being able to budget and pay for food in advance makes the DDP worth every penny. You just don't feel like you are wasting your dollars on more-expensive-than-normal food which is a huge stress-reducer for me.
 
The first thing that came to my mind after considering the DDP plan for our up coming May trip .....was the fact that my DW is a penny pinching miser that will order the cheapest item on the menu, even if she doesn't like it....just cause it cost less.

I don't want her to be stressing over the cost of the food.....and this way maybe she can enjoy some of the foods that she rarely enjoys because of cost.

I like the idea all the way around....don't get me wrong ....I love my wife....she balances me perfectly, but she can just cut loose this way and get steak, sea food or whatever and never have to consider the cost.

FWIW...
 
I think the plan allows you the freedom to do things you really won't do if you paid for it at the table. I know people say we would never order an appetizer well if you go to a buffet you don't get one but the value is still there. I love 1900 Fare at the GF evening buffet with Cinderella. That being said there is no way I would go in without the plan because it cost $90 last month when we went and next year my 9 year old will be 10 so it will be even more.
 
The first thing that came to my mind after considering the DDP plan for our up coming May trip .....was the fact that my DW is a penny pinching miser that will order the cheapest item on the menu, even if she doesn't like it....just cause it cost less.

I don't want her to be stressing over the cost of the food.....and this way maybe she can enjoy some of the foods that she rarely enjoys because of cost.

I like the idea all the way around....don't get me wrong ....I love my wife....she balances me perfectly, but she can just cut loose this way and get steak, sea food or whatever and never have to consider the cost.

FWIW...
This was my thought having 2 teenage sons. I never know how much it will cost me with them. I also thought it would be a nice treat for them. Getting to eat at nice restaurants. I tossed it around too, but decided it would be better for us.
 







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