OOP and thoughts

[Colleen27]

For me it very much depends on the trip.

I tend not to like the basic DDP because I don't care for counter service, but it worked well when traveling with extended family because it allowed for more flexibility and meeting up just once a day for dinner together.

When I am solo, I prefer not to have any dining plan at all. I'm an appetizer & dessert gal all the way, and enjoy eating in the lounges and other non-ADR choices which don't always accept any of the plans.

With my daughters, all of the dining plans are out. The 12yo doesn't eat adult portions and the 5yo doesn't want kids' menu foods every day. I am far better off paying out of pocket and letting them share one adult entrée or a couple of appetizers.

When my son and/or my husband are along, though, the balance changes completely. DS16 is a bottomless pit with expensive tastes and he will happily finish anything the girls and I find to be too generous a portion. And DH just can't relax when we're paying OOP... Disney pricing is so far outside of his comfort zone that he has a hard time enjoying a meal because he's so preoccupied by the cost. So when one or both of them is traveling with me I'm a HUGE fan of the DxDDP. They don't do Disney as often as my girls and I, though, so that's only one trip out of every four or so.

I'm working on a plan for my first DxDDP trip since 2011 and honestly I'm having a hard time with it. I don't want the headaches of a ton of ADRs with the new CC policy, but DH specifically and emphatically said he wants the DxDDP for this trip (an adults-only, belated anniversary trip) so I'm trying to work out how to balance flexibility with his preference for the all-inclusive feel.

 

[stitchaholic]

For me it very much depends on the trip.

I tend not to like the basic DDP because I don't care for counter service, but it worked well when traveling with extended family because it allowed for more flexibility and meeting up just once a day for dinner together.

When I am solo, I prefer not to have any dining plan at all. I'm an appetizer & dessert gal all the way, and enjoy eating in the lounges and other non-ADR choices which don't always accept any of the plans.

With my daughters, all of the dining plans are out. The 12yo doesn't eat adult portions and the 5yo doesn't want kids' menu foods every day. I am far better off paying out of pocket and letting them share one adult entrée or a couple of appetizers.

When my son and/or my husband are along, though, the balance changes completely. DS16 is a bottomless pit with expensive tastes and he will happily finish anything the girls and I find to be too generous a portion. And DH just can't relax when we're paying OOP... Disney pricing is so far outside of his comfort zone that he has a hard time enjoying a meal because he's so preoccupied by the cost. So when one or both of them is traveling with me I'm a HUGE fan of the DxDDP. They don't do Disney as often as my girls and I, though, so that's only one trip out of every four or so.

I'm working on a plan for my first DxDDP trip since 2011 and honestly I'm having a hard time with it. I don't want the headaches of a ton of ADRs with the new CC policy, but DH specifically and emphatically said he wants the DxDDP for this trip (an adults-only, belated anniversary trip) so I'm trying to work out how to balance flexibility with his preference for the all-inclusive feel.

Can you convince him to save the money you would normally put down on the DDxP and just put the cash down on your account , or buy disney gift cards ? that way it is still payed for and you can get that all inclusive feel without having to be a slave to the plan ?
that is my plan this trip , I am buying flexibility !

 

[Colleen27]

Can you convince him to save the money you would normally put down on the DDxP and just put the cash down on your account , or buy disney gift cards ? that way it is still payed for and you can get that all inclusive feel without having to be a slave to the plan ?
that is my plan this trip , I am buying flexibility !

I doubt it. I tried that approach with our recent trip to Washington DC - our food budget was more than hotel & air combined! - but he still had a hard time with $200+ dinners (for the family, not just two of us). It doesn't matter that we have money in the bank and an ample dining budget for our trips, and it doesn't matter that he enjoys those nice, ethnic, and creative dining options that we don't have at home just as much as the rest of us. He grew up poor and has lived his whole life in a low cost of living area, and thinking about the menu prices is such an ingrained habit that he can't set it aside even when he wants to.

ETA: The saving grace is that it will just be the two of us. We both love ethnic cuisine, don't mind odd dining times (actually prefer them in some cases, because we're night owls so dinner after the parks close suits us), and without the kids we're not doing any character meals or high-demand locations like Ohana. Most of the restaurants on our must-do list are easy enough to get last-minute.