our next trip will be without the DDP and here's why...

[DisneyKidds]

Any comments or experiences similar to mine?

I guess my one comment would be......don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

Don't order as many appetizers, skip a CS meal so you aren't so full, forget about trying to squeeze every dollar out of the plan. After you do all that you might find you didn't consume $1,650 worth of food for your $1,100 meal plan.......but if you consume $1,200 worth of food eating in a manner that better suits your needs you still come out ahead. Oh, and you still have the opportunity to gorge yourself or eat in a restaurant you might not have if paying OOP if you feel the need .

The way I aways make my decision on going DDP or not is to figure out where I'd eat without the plan and how much I'd be likely to spend. If that is more than what the plan would cost I go with the plan. So, I save money over what I would have spent, and I generally eat better. Not a whole lot to dislike about that if you don't get so caught up in maximizing the savings.

 

[Princess Tink]

The way I aways make my decision on going DDP or not is to figure out where I'd eat without the plan and how much I'd be likely to spend. If that is more than what the plan would cost I go with the plan. So, I save money over what I would have spent, and I generally eat better. Not a whole lot to dislike about that if you don't get so caught up in maximizing the savings.

this is exactly what we did.....I looked over the menus b4 we left to see what we'd order at the TS/CS we had planned. We are 2A and 1C, so knowing we'd have to pay 88.97/night...I looked over the menus and figured up what I'd thought my family would order for those places....I put everything is a spreadsheet (yes, I have OCD) and calculated an average (because some days were much higher and some much lower), I came up with an average of $68/day for TS and $22/day for CS for a total of $90/day...which basically says that I would at least break-even, not counting the snack credit. Yep, I was on board.
I am the type that will typically look at the prices b4 I order, and try to order something a little less expensive...the frugal side of me. I really enjoyed sitting down and ordering based strictly off want rather than price. FFW, we're back and we had a blast....I kept all my receipts and I can tell you I saved big time. We paid $533.82 for DDP, adding together CS & TS (again didn't include the snacks in this figure) receipts came to a total of $825.08. Yep quite the savings, and NO we didn't order shakes and smoothies at every meal (although DS had a couple) DH & I either had soda, tea, water, or coffee....adn sometimes DH ordered the kids dessert, he's not a big dessert eater but the kids desserts are perfect for him....just a little something to finish the meal. Now, I can say the kids meals weren't too impressive at the CS....but, that's okay I'm a lite eater and DS would sometimes with me. For that matter, I have noticed the meals had gotten a whole lot smaller esp at the CS....so, sometimes DH would help me too....he's a pretty big eater, makes up for what I don't eat I guess.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

We went last year on the Free Dining and I came home vowing , "Never again"!

However we ARE going again this year. Must be like childbirth in that the good outweighs the bad.

We are giving up a $30 discount to get the Free Dining but that is pretty close to what many of our CS meals cost when we are eating OOP.

We will eat at many places that we might otherwise feel too risky to possibly 'waste' money on and even if we do not feel like eating a few meals along the way (24 days) I still think it is a bargain for us.

I would never order something just because it is the cheapest or most expensive thing on the menu. I choose what I feel like eating at that moment in time.

I made our plans around what park on what day and what part of the park we are most likely to be in and THEN picked the restaurant.

From our prior experience I have learned not to hoard snack points and to go ahead and get an iced tea if that is what I want even if I could get something more expenive.

I also learned that if my ADR's proved to look better on paper than in practice I could often move times around and such by calling the night before or even sometimes the day of. There are a few places that you are not likely do that with but we are flexible and will catch them next trip.

No, I would not BUY the DP though. I wish they have a more flexible plan(s) as not everyone has the same eating habits.

Slightly Goofy

 

[IcePrincess467]

When I first read your thread it got me thinking...ummm...would DH and I actually spend $1000 on food between the 2 of us for a 14 night/15 day trip...then I started to calculate our meals if we ate at just CS locations, twice a day with no snacks plus with the TS places that are a must have, I just picked 4 for this trip and it works out that for 26 CS places (avg price spent $23-2 meals, 2 drinks)=$598, TS meals...Le Cellier ($75 about that...no dessert or app), Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace Breakfasts($45 each= $90) and Sci Fi($55)....

So my grand total would be $818 and that's no snacks, no desserts, no starters and I KNOW that I will be having snacks..those Mickey ice creams are a must!! and I have to try me a dole swip..oh and school bread...lol ...So I think we WILL be doing the plan, just because we are going for 14 nights and are going to take our time and have this trip be a relaxed one...I always feel so rushed when we go for a week because there is so much to see and do! We will only be making one TS ADR per day and it will most likely be in the evening so we can go to a park in the morning/afternoon. Go back to the room for a swim/relax and get ready for our ADR and then stay at that park in the evening.

Look at me I already have it planned and I still have another year to wait!!! I wish I was going sooner...oh well I am just happy that I get to go again!!!

 

[uratoon]

We just returned from a 16 night stay at Disney with the dining plan. This has been our 3rd time on the plan and it has snowballed downhill each time.

The service is awful once they find out you are on the plan and the food on the menu's is pretty much all the same!

Remember when you could actually get seafood at the Coral Reef? The dining plan has caused alot of the restaurants to scale down to about 5 or 6 entrees and that's it. And most of those entrees are the same at the other restaurants.

My husband and I both agreed that our vacation revolved around food and not so much on the fun.

We are going back to the GF in April and we have decided to NOT use the dining plan this time. We will enjoy our day and eat at CS when we get hungry and we will only book about 3-4 TS.

 

[Princess Tink]

We must have gotten lucky, we only had less than excellent service at one location (Alfredo's)....all others were awesome as ussual: Le Cellier, WCC, 50's PT, LTT, O'hanas.

 

[pooch]

of course I've only gotten it free but the DDP is the only thing DH actually likes about Disney. I don't look to maximize the plan. I plan where we'll be on any given day and make our ADR based on that. We love TS dinners and would have one every day anyway. Last year, DDP would have cost about $1350 and we ate about $1850. If we come close to even, it's worth it for us.

 

[shaycamp21]

We thought the dining plan was a lot of food the first time (we were planning to pay for it but got it free) and I do admit that the first year we tried to maxmize the plan. Last year we relaxed more and didn't worry about wasting food or credits (if we were too full for dessert sometimes we'd just skip it or even choose say grapes at a cs instead of the chocolate cake which was more bang for your buck).

I assumed when went back in March for a few days after our cruise that we didn't need the plan but in just one day after sharing 3cs breakfasts among four people and dinner at Boma we spent quite a bit more than if we'd had the plan. Then the next day we just had cs meals and snacks (again sharing) and once you'd added drinks we were pretty much at what we'd have paid for the plan (without a nice TS dinner). To meal the DP just makes more economical sense.

 

[IcePrincess467]

I think with the TS included in the DDp you end up gettingyour moneys worth there I'd say an average price you pay at a non buffett TS would be at least $75 (starter, drink, dessert and meal) and that 14 times is....$1050! This will be like a second honeymoon for DH & I with romantic meals included and all!!

 

[G8RFAN]

The only downside since we've been able to use the plan with DVC is that we don't go to some of our favorite restaurants at DTD that do not participate in it. As mentioned ADR's are a necessity now as even the "less popular" spots have no walk-ins at times. If you find yourself having too much fun or wanting a change of plans, just pick up your cell and call with a cancelation, and find another spot at a more convenient time or consider a TS lunch and diner one day and use two CS for your flex day. We also have skipped the appetizer and/or desert at times without making full use of the plan. It still works out ahead.

We go often without DVC and have to do it the normal way. We still make ADR's but we generally split an appetizer and desert. In the end we prefer having the DDP on our trips.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

It is easy to forget that we are also getting the benefit of having the tip (18%) and taxes (11% or more?) included on the TS and the taxes alone on CS and snacks.

That is an awesome benefit right there.

Slightly Goofy

 

[MS_mom_1965]

My family and I will be at DW Nov 17 - 23, and I have already made reservations including the Dining Plan. We will have 6 nights of TS on the DP. I have already made 3 or 4 ADR. I would like to have a little spontenaity (sp) and not book the remainder in advance so we could just eat where ever we were at the time, or what ever looked good to us. However, since that will be a pretty crowded time at DW, should I go ahead and book ADR's for all my TS meals? Is it likely we won't be able to find anywhere to eat otherwise?

 

[OneBadApple]

It is easy to forget that we are also getting the benefit of having the tip (18%) and taxes (11% or more?) included on the TS and the taxes alone on CS and snacks.

That is an awesome benefit right there.

Slightly Goofy

I didn't realize that the sales tax in Orlando was 11%. And I thought I had it bad in NY with 8.25%.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

We'll take the DDP if it's free, but wouldn't consider paying for it for some of the same reasons as you -- we would try to "maximize" the plan to be sure we are getting our $$$ worth, would have to cut park time short to make an ADR, etc.

This is exactly how I feel. We are going in August for free DDP, but would never pay for it as it's more food than our family would normally be comfortable eating. Also, my two kids have pretty simple tastes and they don't even like some of the selections at the restaurants I have ADR's at. Either one of them would prefer a cheeseburger over a steak. For us, counter service is very do-able and gives us much more park time. If free DDP wasn't offered again, we would probably select a more weather-friendly time of the year to go and just pay O.O.P. with maybe only one or two table service restaurants.

 

[hansel1]

My family and I will be at DW Nov 17 - 23, and I have already made reservations including the Dining Plan. We will have 6 nights of TS on the DP. I have already made 3 or 4 ADR. I would like to have a little spontenaity (sp) and not book the remainder in advance so we could just eat where ever we were at the time, or what ever looked good to us. However, since that will be a pretty crowded time at DW, should I go ahead and book ADR's for all my TS meals? Is it likely we won't be able to find anywhere to eat otherwise?

You should book 6 nights worth of ADRs, that way if the spontaneity thing doesn't work out, you will still have a place to eat. Even in the down season it is hard to just walk up to a TS restaurant and get seated at a normal time.

 

[Tissa]

I didn't realize that the sales tax in Orlando was 11%. And I thought I had it bad in NY with 8.25%.

I have the tax as 6.5% from a few years ago.

I did the dining plan once when it first came out and it was only our second trip. I thought it was great because I got to try a bunch of restaurants. Now that we have been a few times and have got to try out all the restaurants that appealed to us we do not to the dining plan. Seriously I'm served mediocre food with a high price tag and I'm supposed to be excited?

Now it's one or two ts at most and the rest of the time we head offsite for dinner. Plus it isn't worth giving up my AP discount on the room and I'm not tied to a package.

 

[jmpellet]

I think it depends on the length of your trip and whether you have kids in tow. Anything less than a 6 day trip you might want to spend more time at the parks and less time dining, especially with kids. If you think about dining as part of the vacation and enjoy that break away from the hustle and bustle I believe, without a doubt, the dining plan is a good deal. Even with kids a longer trip along with a number of character dining experiences makes for a special vacation. For us, we get to try things we might not otherwise get to try. Also, you never have to look over to the right column to see the price! We went during free dining last year, paid for it in January, and will go for free dining again this year.

If the gratuities are removed next year, I think many people will opt not to purchase the plan as the simplicity of simply throwing down your card goes away. I agree that some servers treat you differently once they learn that you're on the plan (and I experienced this big time at Coral Reef) but I have also heard of people telling the restaurant manager to remove the 18% tip and this year I think I will be a bit more proactive in complaining if I receive poor service. What would be nice is if they would allow you to select a range for the tip not to exceed whatever percentage.

 

[psummrs]

I think that the DDP is really a choice of preference. I have personally have been to WDW about 6 times and have never been on DDP but am planning to this next year for our trip in March.

You really have to look at your style of 'park-going'. If you enjoy moving at your own pace and don't really care about TS restaurants and would rather sit down at a CS, then the DDP is not cost effective and not for you. Also, if you like to go to TS restaurants not only for dinner but for lunch also, like I often do, then it will likely seem limiting to you to get the DDP.

DDP is an undeniably good value, but are you willing to get that value and risk sacrificing the experience at Disney that you enjoy? I guess everybody really has to look at the cost/benefit of DDP for themselves and look for advice here, but choose themselves. For me, I think that it is a good value and generally works out except for I usually go to some TS for lunch, i.e. 50s Primetime, Liberty Tree Tavern, & Sci-Fi, and if they are going to take gratuity out of it next year I personally think that's the nail in the coffin for me and I'm going OOP so I can enjoy it the way I like to.

 

[Bama mom to 3]

we are going in Novemeber 08. Right now we are planning on getting the DDP, but we are really waiting to say for sure because we want to see if there are many changes to it and ald see if its wise for us to. We are planning on doing several character meals (I've told each of the kids they get to pick one) and then we are hoping to throw a couple extras in if we are on the plan. If we decide not to get the plan, then we will do mostly CS plus our character meals. Right now, it really is looking like we will be getting it because so far its looking like a great deal for us compared to what we would pay OOP. But like I said, we are waiting to see the changes made for next year.
Another advantage is I love having it all paid for in advance. thats one less thing I would have to worry about needing money for while I'm there.

 

[Mickey28]

We did the dining plan once and probably won't do it again. It was really too much food and now that out DD is at the age for paying, 3years, we would have to pay for her on the DDP also. She is not a big eater and might eat one good meal a day. Most of the time when we go out to a resaurant she just eats off of our plate. She just doesn't eat much.
However, what we like to do is a table service for breakfast or breakfast at our resort food court, then a lite snack in the middle of the day to hold us over for dinner at a TS restaurant. This seems to work for us without spending to much touring time for eating, it's cheaper for us and we get to do the TS resaturants we like without overeating or wasting food. The lite snack in the middle of the day also allows us to eat dinner earlier, say for the last sitting for the lunch menu, which is cheaper than at dinner time with a lot of the same menu items. This is how we stretch our food dollar.