Sigh...the age old question...DDP w/ a 10 year-old?

[nilseks]

Would love some input from people who have 'been there, done that'. When we go in December, oldest DS will be 10 going on 11. He is a picky eater so I cannot for the life of me imagine him eating $45.99/day worth of food. I'm guessing for most CS meals he will want to order off the kids menu--he's a simple cheeseburger or mac-n-cheese kind of kid. However, we like to do a lot of TS restaurants so no matter what he will be charged as an adult for buffets.

I've done the math and tried to guess what he would order in given scenarios--I'm coming up with OOP at about $100 cheaper than DDP. And that includes an allowance for paying for snacks OOP, even though we usually end up with half of them left at the end of our stay.

Do I just suck it up and pay for the DDP so I have the convenience of not worrying about it during the trip? I am the kind of person that's so cheap, I know I will order differently (cheaper!) if I'm paying OOP. I want to enjoy our trip but I feel like I'm throwing away $$$ paying $45.99/day for a 10 year-old who eats like a bird!

 

[KungFoomF]

I've been paying for the adult TS for my daughter since she was 9. I agree about saving money, but there are times where the kids meals just aren't going to cut it and you don't know when that is going to be. And it COULD be every single meal. That is what makes it difficult to do the math. And just for the record, since she has been able to order off the adult menu she has not eaten a single kid's meal since. Not even 1.

 

[robinb]

I've done the math and tried to guess what he would order in given scenarios--I'm coming up with OOP at about $100 cheaper than DDP. And that includes an allowance for paying for snacks OOP, even though we usually end up with half of them left at the end of our stay.

Do I just suck it up and pay for the DDP so I have the convenience of not worrying about it during the trip? I am the kind of person that's so cheap, I know I will order differently (cheaper!) if I'm paying OOP. I want to enjoy our trip but I feel like I'm throwing away $$$ paying $45.99/day for a 10 year-old who eats like a bird!

The "convenience" was not worth it for me. My DD is the same as your DS, except she's also vegetarian . I simply could not bring myself to spend $46 per day for her to eat cheese pizza and mac n cheese and fruit on the buffets! She'll be 12 on the next trip and her appetite is finally getting big enough that the kids meals are no longer enough for her, but I still don't think I'll pay for a buffet for her any time soon!

 

[GrumpyBelle]

Usually we order groceries and take most of our meals in the room. This year we have decided to try the DDP.

My DD is also 10. In addition I have other picky eaters that may also end up ordering children's menu items. We have decided to suck it up for the convenience. In addition, we have several buffets booked which all will be charged an adult price.

I am not sure how it will come out. The convenience of having everything prepaid will be nice, but DH plans on tracking to see whether the difference justifies the convenience.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

If you are doing buffets regardless then I'd probably suck it up. If there are some TS that he doesn't want adult meals at then pay oop for those meals and add an extra TS or a signature or show to use up the remainder of the credits. It's hard to imagine any kid eating $45 worth of food... but it's disney and it's not a "normal" situation. I'd do it for convinence and not think about it. IMO then it's a large chunk and I think less about it then when I get the actual bill at the table and see that I paid $35 at a buffet for my child to eat a couple pieces of fruit and a cup of mac and cheese!

 

[mickeynut1]

I would go with the DDP, especially if you are doing alot of buffets since he'll be charged the adult price anyway . We have a picky eater as well and when he was around your DS's age, he would order things off the kids menu but they would give him an adult sized portion .

 

[mb_uh]

I would do the plan, because prices at disney always end up being higher then posted menus and tax adds up a lot. Plus at any place except a buffet you could always pay for a kids meal and then an extra TS meal for you and DH or Signature

 

[dd50]

I paid for the DDP in 2009. I had a 11 and 14 year old. They really didn't eat that much except for the dessert. I really lost money and won't be doing the plan again. Last year we ate CS and I kept all my receipts and we saved money but not doing that plan also. I won't do the dining plan any more except if it is free and I am staying at a value or moderate.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would sit down and really run the numbers for how much you would spend if you were not on the dining plan. If you don't think it will save you anything, don't do it!

Out of more than a dozen trips to WDW we have only had the dining plan twice. And those times we did a character meal every day, so it made financial sense. Why spend more money than you have to on food. I don't know many people who can afford to throw away $100. To me, that would make a good case for not using the dining plan. And if you don't even use up all of your credits, that is just throwing money away!

If you haven't already, go check out the menus and figure out how much you would honestly pay out of pocket for food. If it is really over $100 skip the plan.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Would love some input from people who have 'been there, done that'. When we go in December, oldest DS will be 10 going on 11. He is a picky eater so I cannot for the life of me imagine him eating $45.99/day worth of food. I'm guessing for most CS meals he will want to order off the kids menu--he's a simple cheeseburger or mac-n-cheese kind of kid. However, we like to do a lot of TS restaurants so no matter what he will be charged as an adult for buffets.

I've done the math and tried to guess what he would order in given scenarios--I'm coming up with OOP at about $100 cheaper than DDP. And that includes an allowance for paying for snacks OOP, even though we usually end up with half of them left at the end of our stay.

Do I just suck it up and pay for the DDP so I have the convenience of not worrying about it during the trip? I am the kind of person that's so cheap, I know I will order differently (cheaper!) if I'm paying OOP. I want to enjoy our trip but I feel like I'm throwing away $$$ paying $45.99/day for a 10 year-old who eats like a bird!

The bolded part is what will make the DDP worthwhile for you. This kind of intangible doesn't fit into dollars and cents calculations. If you're able to order the same way with or without the DDP then I'd say you'd be crazy to pay for it when it doesn't fit the way your family eats. In your case, I'd say $100 is the cost of the freedom to order what you really want. Also, don't forget that even if your son orders kids' food at TS restaurants, since you'll be using adult credits the chef will most likely give him an adult portion of the kids' food and then he'll also get a regular dessert which is something he won't get if he orders a regular kids' meal.

 

[mcd2745]

My DS turns 9 in a few weeks. We will be using the DDP (and probably upgrading to deluxe) when we go in August. That will be the last time we use the DDP. Once he turns 10, there is no way we will pay adult prices for him. He just doesn't eat enough.

 

[nilseks]

Thank you so much for all the input! So after reading your comments and tossing it round and round in my mind, I sat down with DH today and we made a list of the EXACT restaurants we want to try to get ADRs at, then looked at each menu and did an educated guess of what we would order. We put together a ridiculously big spreadsheet and the result was...drumroll please...
DDP will save us a whopping $15.

We took EVERYTHING into account--tax, drinks, snacks, desserts--trying to make the 'playing field' totally equal. Now granted, if we were not on DDP we might not use all those snacks, we might not always get dessert or we might split one. But I like having the option and not constantly fretting about money. Although our kids are picky, DH and I are foodies, so dining really is an integral part of our vacation. We have decided to save ourselves that $15 and go with DDP. Now I just hope we get the restaurants we really want.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Thank you so much for all the input! So after reading your comments and tossing it round and round in my mind, I sat down with DH today and we made a list of the EXACT restaurants we want to try to get ADRs at, then looked at each menu and did an educated guess of what we would order. We put together a ridiculously big spreadsheet and the result was...drumroll please...
DDP will save us a whopping $15.

We took EVERYTHING into account--tax, drinks, snacks, desserts--trying to make the 'playing field' totally equal. Now granted, if we were not on DDP we might not use all those snacks, we might not always get dessert or we might split one. But I like having the option and not constantly fretting about money. Although our kids are picky, DH and I are foodies, so dining really is an integral part of our vacation. We have decided to save ourselves that $15 and go with DDP. Now I just hope we get the restaurants we really want.

Based on what you have said I think that for you the extra money for the DDP whether it be $15 or the $100 that you originially thought it would be is worth it for you....and you being the adults. You said you might not order what you really wanted to eat based on cost so that extra money divided up over several meals is really not a lot to have the meal that you really want and will enjoy.

Have a fabulour trip

 

[chocolateMinnie]

easier for us really as there is 4 years between dd and ds. When DS hit 10 we found that half of our meals were buffets and the other half the kids took it in turns to have the kids choice or adults. To be honest they both like a plain steak or chicken and all WDW restaurants are happy to do this and also they both get fed up with the ever present pizza/macaroni cheese/chicken nuggets. We are anticipating more of a problem this trip as my picky DD won't want the kids rubbish anymore. Imagine we will pay for some meals oop even though we have free ddp so that she can have some freedom of choice.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Have a fabulous trip! I've said it many times on here that for us DDP is about ordering whatever we want and truly enjoying our vacation. Now this trip we are only doing one plated meal for dinner and the rest buffets/family style, and we are definately saving some money but that's mostly because our DSs will be 5 and 2 and you make out way ahead when it comes to the kids and buffets. I've often wondered what we will do when our oldest turns 10 because he is very picky and eats very little but it has occurred to me that by then I'm sure our very unpicky and hefty eating 2 yo will probably be happy to swap his kid's meal for the older DS's adult meal LOL

 

[happytexasmom]

My DD can eat a lot and her taste have changed....she wouldnt want to eat chicken nuggets every meal....so try to figure what she would order and then see if its worth it for you

I have also read on these threads that you can buy her a kids meal OOP and save her TS credits and then Ya'll could eat at more TS meals

 

[pdxJolene]

The main draw of the dp for me was not having to worry about what anything costs while we're there. DBF and I are naturally savers- its a blessing most of the time! While on vacation though, I don't want to think about money while eating because I know it would cause us to not eat what we really want, even if the money was put onto a gift card or something. If that means a lot to you, I would go with the dp. And saving some of your "kid adult" credits for an extra meal or signature is a great idea!

 

[Wendy5055]

As my DD9 absolutely hates eating off the kids menus. I really like the PPs suggestion of paying OOP for the kids meals at some places and then book an experience like the Hoop De Doo Review (my DD loves this one!) with the extra adult credits.

My DD9 is more adventurous and prefers adult foods over kids foods...so our struggle is that she cannot eat a full adult plate. That always makes me encourage her to use the kids menu in places that offer smaller dishes of adult fare to kids...or the buffets are GREAT!!!

She began eating calamari and muscles at the age of 7...I swear she is part mermaid!!!!

 

[Microcell]

easier for us really as there is 4 years between dd and ds. When DS hit 10 we found that half of our meals were buffets and the other half the kids took it in turns to have the kids choice or adults. To be honest they both like a plain steak or chicken and all WDW restaurants are happy to do this and also they both get fed up with the ever present pizza/macaroni cheese/chicken nuggets. We are anticipating more of a problem this trip as my picky DD won't want the kids rubbish anymore. Imagine we will pay for some meals oop even though we have free ddp so that she can have some freedom of choice.

Same here.. though I think I heard it is like $150 dollars more to upgrade them to 10 years old in the system for a week stay.. we might just do that. The kids portions are not only small but limited in variety.. DS 9 (in two days!) is becoming more sophisticated about what he wants.. and the adult portions are too big but he doesn't want the mac&cheese and pizza he would otherwise have to choose from!

 

[mom2randj]

We are in the same boat (have a newly turned 10 year old skinny daughter) and we opted FOR the DDP b/c of all the comments previously mentioned. Also, the first day of our arrival we do not have the DDP (had to split our reservations b/c I received a PIN) and I noticed that when I was looking over the menus of where to eat that first day...I was gravitating towards the cheaper venues and least expensive items. Knowing that I naturally do that and not wanting to do that the rest of my vacation, we chose the DDP so we could feel free to order what we wanted without worrying about prices and knowing that it was already paid for. Good luck with your decision and have a great vacation!