Pls help me maximize the rest of our DDP

[TeaPartyof5]

In reading some other threads about beverages, entree/dessert allotments... I realized I need a strategy to maximize our DDP$! We have a short 2 night stay (POR) this month, party of 5 Three teen boys - so big eaters, plus hubby and me.

Our table service meals are already planned:

Arrival Night TS Dinner: Boma 6:25 pm (hoping they will eat enough to carry them through the night!)
Departure Day TS Brunch: 1900 Park Fare 10:40

So need to plan our only park day -- our first visit to AK!

We are driving so it would be easy to bring food for a quick breakfast in our room. That leaves....

5 CS meals lunch
5 CS meals dinner
Plus 10 snack credits!

Because we will have plenty of soda available at POR with our refillable resort mugs and we will have bottled water with us, if we could exchange the beverage for food (or a shake), we might choose that option. I have browsed the snack credit thread and my head is filled with visions of yummy cupcakes (for me) and jalapeño pretzels (for my guys).

Question 1: Can you save unused portions of credits, or is it more like "if you don't use it, you lose it" type thing? Thinking it is the latter...

Question 2: If we are creative, could we save credits for food (snacks or a meal) for the ride home?

Please help me plan! I am thinking of Flame Tree BBQ or Harambe Market. But am open to other ideas...

Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

For hearty eaters, Flame Tree BBQ at AK is a good bet for them, and a solid value on DDP.

Question 1: Can you save unused portions of credits, or is it more like "if you don't use it, you lose it" type thing? Thinking it is the latter...

It is the latter. Credits are indivisible, they have to be used in a single transaction.

Question 2: If we are creative, could we save credits for food (snacks or a meal) for the ride home?

Certainly. For instance, at Flame Tree, even with hearty eaters, you can probably use fewer than 5 credits to feed everyone. Order the sampler as your entree, then swap your drink and dessert for the fries with pulled pork and cheese. Wash down with bottled water. Even with teen boys, that should feed 3 people right there!

 

[sharonabe]

jalapeño pretzels (for my guys).

Reports are these are no longer available. Just plain Mickey pretzels.

Restaurantasaurus might be another option for you. They have a fixings bar to plump up their burgers. Pizzafari has soup and garlic knots as snack items you could trade your drinks for to make this a heartier meal.

From what I've seen Harambe entrees are definitely not shareable and may not be enough to fill up your boys. There's also not anything to trade your drink/dessert entitlements for.

 

[TeaPartyof5]

For hearty eaters, Flame Tree BBQ at AK is a good bet for them, and a solid value on DDP.



It is the latter. Credits are indivisible, they have to be used in a single transaction.



Certainly. For instance, at Flame Tree, even with hearty eaters, you can probably use fewer than 5 credits to feed everyone. Order the sampler as your entree, then swap your drink and dessert for the fries with pulled pork and cheese. Wash down with bottled water. Even with teen boys, that should feed 3 people right there!

Thank you! Great idea!

 

[TeaPartyof5]

Reports are these are no longer available. Just plain Mickey pretzels.

Restaurantasaurus might be another option for you. They have a fixings bar to plump up their burgers. Pizzafari has soup and garlic knots as snack items you could trade your drinks for to make this a heartier meal.

From what I've seen Harambe entrees are definitely not shareable and may not be enough to fill up your boys. There's also not anything to trade your drink/dessert entitlements for.

Ah, good to know! Thanks! And I just read about the jalapeño pretzels as I continued to poke around snack threads. Bummer!

 

[pooch]

Just a question, your 3 teenage boys want to go to 1900 park fare?

 

[TeaPartyof5]

They wanted to go to an all you can eat breakfast buffet and this fit the bill! They could care less about the character visits.

 

[pooch]

They wanted to go to an all you can eat breakfast buffet and this fit the bill! They could care less about the character visits.

I might look around then. Don't think this is the only such breakfast on property. I'm thinking the Wave at the Contemporary, Trails End at Fort Wilderness. There are probably others that won't involve lots of kids running around to see princesses. Just a suggestion.

 

[TeaPartyof5]

Hmmm... might look into it. See if we can change our ADR. The characters are Pooh, Mary Poppins, Mad Hatter and maybe one or two others. Not terribly princess-y, but point taken about all the kiddos!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

With teen boys, I would totally recommend Trail's End. They can eat to their bellies' content there, and allegedly the men's bathroom is a hoot.

 

[tcufrog]

If they are big eaters I would ask for free cups of water while walking through the park or bring refillable bottles of water if you have them. That way you're not wasting snack credits on drinks. Use the snack credits for food. Among the packaged goods the trail mix is a good choice. It's usually expensive if you pay cash, it doesn't spoil and it's pretty filling since it's full of protein.

 

[TeaPartyof5]

Great tip about the trail mix... and I thought the same thing about carrying water. Thanks!

 

[Lisa F]

if you go to Trail's End for breakfast, is it still worth using the DDP? Trails end for breakfast is only $18+tax but he value of a DDP TS credit is more like $38 with tax. ANY breakfast is not going to be a great use of a credit but a non character one especially. Unless you are on free dining I would rethink the ddp all together in your case and have the freedom to order how and what you want. the character breakfasts are $30+tax so a slightly better value and if you are vaguely interested in seeing characters, Cape May Cafe has a "beach" themed breakfast with minnie, goofy and I think donald? that is often overlooked if 1900 PF is a bit too girlie themed for you... but honestly I think a lot of people love the mad hatter from there and it is considered one of the better character interactions on property.

Also Harambe market portions look teeny and like they would not fill me up, let alone a hungry teenage boy. it's like, a small skewer of meat and some small veggie side. I would look into pizzafari as the second to Flame Tree bbq.

 

[Aliceacc]

OK, with 3 teenage boys, I would shift things around: have that all you can eat breakfast at Tusker House in AK, freeing up things a bit.

ETA-- or, if you want a non-park breakfast buffet for departure day, take a look at Cape May.

 

[TeaPartyof5]

Hmmm... decisions, decisions! Need to go back and review my options. It's making me hungry!

 

[Baklava]

Hmmm... might look into it. See if we can change our ADR. The characters are Pooh, Mary Poppins, Mad Hatter and maybe one or two others. Not terribly princess-y, but point taken about all the kiddos!

My 18 year old boy liked the buffet at Cape May and the one at Crystal Palace better than the one at 1900. Although he liked Alice an awful lot at 1900... Cape May was probably the best food buffet we did (and we did a LOT!) and it was very uncrowded the morning we went. I didn't actually attend CP, I was at CRT with my daughter, but the guys liked it.

 

[TeaPartyof5]

i have looked at all the menus and still like what 1900 has to offer. It's my bday weekend, so the guys may just have to grin and bear it!

 

[Figmentmommy]

i have looked at all the menus and still like what 1900 has to offer. It's my bday weekend, so the guys may just have to grin and bear it!

You might also consider 'Ohana breakfast. While not a buffet - it is all you care to enjoy. The character interaction is not so hectic and you get to relax at your table while your food is brought to you. (My favorite part!) My teenage son - and one preteen son too - as well as DH & I love this one!

 

[TeaPartyof5]

Update if anyone gets this far down-thread to read it....

DDP - I think we broke even (barely) and while I enjoyed it for this trip, I would not choose it again for our family.

We most enjoyed the buffets, keeping the reservations we had for Boma dinner and 1900 Park Fare brunch. This is where we got back our money, I think.

Boma dishes were delish! Unusual, flavorful and all around a favorite. We ended up checking in earlier and they were able to seat us, no problem. Lines were getting longer by the time we left so I am glad it worked out.

For brunch, we went around 10:30 so it was not super busy, still plenty of food ... no screaming kiddos, didn't feel rushed at all... the teens ate, ate and ate... and they were not too old for Mickey waffles and gummy bears! The characters were fun for me and my guys obliged to a picture with Pooh. So I was happy.

At AK, we used our CS at Harambe market due to where we were and the fact the LK was next on our list. Service was SLOW, but the food was great. We all ordered gyros. Here's where we could've done something different. Each plate had 2 huge gyro halves! Plus a cole slaw and veggie side. And a dessert. And a drink. It was TONS of food. We could have shared.

Dinner CS was Yak and Yeti... no one was super hungry, but it was raining and we found a seat under an umbrella. Rides were shut down due to lightning, so we decided to go ahead and eat. Used 5 CS meals and didn't finish everything we had.

My biggest regret is using one of my SC for a ice cream cookie sandwich instead of a Dole Whip. I was too focused on getting the biggest bang for the buck. It wasn't a frozen sandwich. It was ice cream between 2 cookies - hard to eat, and again something that could've been shared between 2 people. My kids got Dole Whips and loved them!

ON the day we left we were just looking for something to spend the last SN on... went to Goofy's at DS and bought giant take-home Mickey sugar cookies.

HTH somebody!

 

[Nancyg56]

I think the biggest mistake people make is trying to max the plan. It is no fun eating something that is moe money just to get the biggest bang you can.

Personally I like the ice cream sandwiches or sundaes for my snacks, and since Starbucks came, I tend to spend my credits on the venti ice coffees. I love them at home, and so I enjoy them in the parks.

I do nto think the plan makes good sense if you send the credits on breakfast buffet, mostly. Akershus is an exception. We did learn that for us, splitting CS meals makes sense. THey cedits get stretched and there is no waste. We can easily add a few extra meals doing this, and no one rolls back to the resort for a nap.


I think the next time, go over the menus with an eye for what your family likes to eat, and cost it out. SOmetimes the plan works, and other times not.