staying on property, not doing the DDP. Is this more hassle than it's worth?!

[CampbellScot]

Hey all!
My family will be staying at Beach Club Villas this summer, and I was thinking that as we will have a kitchen, I think it's a full kitchen, that we would save a ton of money just buying groceries for the week and eating most of our meals in the room. The cost of the dining plan seems insane to me, especially as my step kids are both "Disney Adults" now,(10 and 13) but they do NOT eat like adults. Not even close. My step son (10) is close but my step daughter needs all her food to be plain and bland and she tends to eat small meals throughout the day. We got a wonderful deal on the villas and I really want to try and maximize the savings and not destroy them with the DDP!!

I'm wondering if all y'all budget minded folks have stayed on property in a place that has a kitchen and have done the bulk of your eating in your room? I would love to hear about y'alls experiences!!

In the past we have always done the DDP. We tend to be commando park folks, out early and back home late. I do worry that not eating in the parks will be a big hassle for us and turn out to be more frustrating than relaxing. My husband tends to count every second of his vacation time in terms of "Are we having fun at whatever it is we are doing or are we annoyed and frustrated?" Annoyed and frustrated does not make for a happy hubs. I am really wanting this year to be more relaxed, which is partly why we are doing a 1 bedroom villa. Everyone gets some private space and room to breathe. Not having to plan our day around ADR's might be a nice change of pace!

thanks in advance for any advice!! Much appreciated.

 

[eliza61]

We stay on site all the time and haven't done the ddp in years. The DDP stop being a money saving deal when they got rid of tips and appertizers.

My first advice to you Camp is to think about how your family really eats. last august we saved way more without the ddp than on it and now that the price is a ridiculous 50+ for each adult, no way would I ever do it again.

So here is how we vacation at disney.

1) We don't really do character meals that much. Maybe 1 at best. DDP is a saver if you do the very expensive character meals or buffets. Crystal palace buffet is ~30 bucks per person. Are you kidding me?

2) We do make a few adr's but truthfully, I have never ever had a hard time getting late adr's. we go generally the last week in August and sorry I always hear these rumors about how if you don't do adr's you'll be stuck eating burgers. never happen to me in over 10 years going to the world. Caveat: I don't have any "favorite" wdw restaurant that is a must do.

3) We love having a full kitchen. Some times we wake up and have big breakfastes but we are not commmando tourist.
Not planning my day around ADR's was like entering into heaven. too many times we would force ourselves to eat not because we were hungry but because we had this adr we had to meet. in the past we would just not show up (yes I admit it) but now that they charge 10 pp for no shows, I'm doubling glad to give up the ddp.

4) also having a full kitchen, if we miss dinner we can pick up take out and take it back to the villa and have a full kitchen to eat in.

 

[Diegosmom]

I am in no way an expert here (with only 1 family trip under my belt)...

But a few questions that come to mind...

When are you going? Are you going when parks are open late and thus not getting back to the room untill really late? or in a slow time when parks close early and thus back to your room earlier?

You can easily do breakfast in your room? Something quick or even a big breakfast to tide you over.

You could pack a bag with a small cooler with sandwiches, chips and drinks if you didnt want to leave the park...

Will you be going at a time of year when the kids will want to go swimming? My fav day at Disney was when we got up early hit rope drop and DHS stayed until 1:30 came pack to resort and got lunch at the food court and hung around the pool for a few hours then went back to park till close (7) and then got dinner at food court and brought it back to our room to relax and eat. We were at a value so no cooking but we could have easily grabbed lunch to bring to the pool and then done something quick for dinner that day had we had a kitchen...

An option for you would be to do a big breakfast. Then do a sit down in the park for a late lunch (or a quick service even) and then do something light (like sandwiches) in the room when you get back...still alot cheaper then the dining plan.

 

[honeydiane1953]

You Will save a ton IF u eat a lot in your kitchen. However, if your kids r starving at lunch then they will whine to have to go back to room. I go when there is a room discount and don't do DP's. Too many times have to rush to rest. to me it is NOT worth it. Great idea take a crock pot if u can and slow cook supper.

 

[ilovemk76]

Hey all!
My family will be staying at Beach Club Villas this summer, and I was thinking that as we will have a kitchen, I think it's a full kitchen, that we would save a ton of money just buying groceries for the week and eating most of our meals in the room. The cost of the dining plan seems insane to me, especially as my step kids are both "Disney Adults" now,(10 and 13) but they do NOT eat like adults. Not even close. My step son (10) is close but my step daughter needs all her food to be plain and bland and she tends to eat small meals throughout the day. We got a wonderful deal on the villas and I really want to try and maximize the savings and not destroy them with the DDP!!

I'm wondering if all y'all budget minded folks have stayed on property in a place that has a kitchen and have done the bulk of your eating in your room? I would love to hear about y'alls experiences!!

In the past we have always done the DDP. We tend to be commando park folks, out early and back home late. I do worry that not eating in the parks will be a big hassle for us and turn out to be more frustrating than relaxing. My husband tends to count every second of his vacation time in terms of "Are we having fun at whatever it is we are doing or are we annoyed and frustrated?" Annoyed and frustrated does not make for a happy hubs. I am really wanting this year to be more relaxed, which is partly why we are doing a 1 bedroom villa. Everyone gets some private space and room to breathe. Not having to plan our day around ADR's might be a nice change of pace!

thanks in advance for any advice!! Much appreciated.

There is a happy median between the DDP and eating all meals in your room. We never get the DDP and have found we spend less. We do eat sit downs but not every day. We do not get appetizers and/or dessert at every meal. Who needs a cake after each CS meal?

We get hamburgers without fries or we get one fry and split it.

I would do the breakfast in the room but to do lunch and dinner would require one to spend most of their vacation going to and from the parks.

 

[rentayenta]

The DDP is a total rip off. They hike the price of buffets, least cost for Disney, to gear DDP folks to them to get the most bank for their buck. The price is insane. I agree with the PP who said it was a good deal when the tip and app were included. It was also quite a bit cheaper.

We have found we waste less and spend less by doing a mix of cooking in our villa and doing a few TS (non buffet).

Do the math and see where you end up.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I've stayed I both villas with kitchen and the cabins with a kitchen. Breakfast in the room is easy. Cereal, toast, even cooking an egg are all quick and don't cause a bunch of dirty dishes. Lunch ,for me, is always harder to do in room. Most of the time I find it easier to just eat in the parks. Of course with a kitchen, you can easily make sandwiches to bring with you. I've done that when travelling with a family member who had children. It worked out well and a small cooler wasn't a big deal to carry in the parks.
If your family is the type who goes back to the room before going out for the night, you could cook a quick dinner. We usually do that a few nights when staying somewhere with a kitchen.
Someone else mentioned splitting meals. That's always worked out well for me also. I find most of the time when I get something on my own, it could have easily been split.

 

[bellarella]

I agree that you shouldn't think of it as choosing between two extremes.

I ran the numbers carefully and found that we would save money not doing the dining plan, but still eating completely at Disney restaurants. Since we did not want to do many character meals, we were better off just ordering what we wanted, where we wanted.

If you mix counter service, a few table service, and a few meals in your room, I'm guessing that you will hit the right balance of a relaxing vacation that doesn't cost as much as the dining plan and also doesn't have your activity dictate by either the need to follow ADRs all the time, or going back to your room.

 

[leadfootlevi]

If you're driving you could cook up some big dinners before your trip to freeze them. Voilà: Super fast, good meals in the villa. Not sure if you can check a cooler full of food and dry ice?

 

[disykat]

There is a happy median between the DDP and eating all meals in your room. We never get the DDP and have found we spend less. We do eat sit downs but not every day. We do not get appetizers and/or dessert at every meal. Who needs a cake after each CS meal?

We get hamburgers without fries or we get one fry and split it.

I would do the breakfast in the room but to do lunch and dinner would require one to spend most of their vacation going to and from the parks.

Exactly. Breakfast in the room. Other meals wherever you want - in the parks, downtown disney, off site, in your room. carried in a backpack picnic style, etc. I'd mix it up depending on your plans for the day.

Personally, I'd proabably shop for breakfasts and one or two very easy meals I could do for lunch or dinner. I'd also buy some fresh fruit and snack foods. The rest of the time I'd eat at the parks, using advice from this forum and/or some time researching the menus to find variety at a reasonable price.

 

[Taja]

Not a big fan of DDP! We've used it only once--October 2006--and by the time we went home we were tired of eating! *LOL* At least, I was. My eating style is similar to your DSD--grazing throughout the day. Relatively bland food--not entirely, I have branched out a little!

Breakfast and some dinners/lunches in your villa would be eminently doable, particularly on EPCOT and DHS days. You could plan one or two ADRs at places everyone enjoys and add a bit of counter service for variety. Even I can find food I'll eat at WDW counter service! Not what I eat daily, but certainly a nice change from my much healthier diet!

Beyond that, it depends on whether you're willing to do some meal planning and cooking while on vacation to make meals in your villa happen. Breakfasts are easy, but the other meals require a bit more of an effort.

Are you the CampbellScot who wrote a terrific TR a few years ago when your DSS and DSD were younger? I thoroughly enjoy trip reports (have to live vicariously at times!), but yours grabbed my attention and held it throughout! I hope you'll share some of your upcoming WDW visit with us!

 

[clutter]

Exactly. Breakfast in the room. Other meals wherever you want - in the parks, downtown disney, off site, in your room. carried in a backpack picnic style, etc. I'd mix it up depending on your plans for the day.

Personally, I'd proabably shop for breakfasts and one or two very easy meals I could do for lunch or dinner. I'd also buy some fresh fruit and snack foods. The rest of the time I'd eat at the parks, using advice from this forum and/or some time researching the menus to find variety at a reasonable price.

I'd agree.

The problem isn't bland meals for you DSD. Disney can do bland at all of their restaruants. The problem is that she eats small amounts frequentsly. My dd, on the other hand eats one or two big meals and rarely snacks. DDP works for us, even though we usually leave with extra snack credits. For you it won't.

That said, eating in your room won't either. Do you really think you're going to be happy running back to the room multiple times during the day? Sounds like it's not your style. I've been to Disney in late August, and it's my favorite time of the year. But I do love a table service dinner to get out of the heat for a while.

You've gotten some great advice here. There are plenty of ways to accomodate your family without the DDP. I'd skip character buffets. Make breakfast in your room and carry portable snacks. Split counter service meals. Or if you don't, drink ice water for free and save some money (better for you, too). Or bring some Crystal light or iced tea to mix in. Do a couple of dinners. Buy off the children's menu for DSD. Maybe for DSS too. Split stuff. Eat appetizers as entrees. Have fun!!!!!

 

[disneysteve]

I can't answer for onsite but we do stay offsite in a villa and eat meals there. Typically, we eat all of our breakfasts there. Lunch is usually out either in the parks or wherever we happen to be. Dinner is a mixed bag. Sometimes it is in the parks. Sometimes we eat out offsite. Sometimes we do take out and bring it back to the house. And sometimes we cook in the house. All of the options are cheaper than the dining plan (which we aren't eligible for anyway). DDP is only good if you get it free. We never spend as much as it would cost us to pay for DDP even if we could get it.

 

[pumpkinmomma]

Exactly. Breakfast in the room. Other meals wherever you want - in the parks, downtown disney, off site, in your room. carried in a backpack picnic style, etc. I'd mix it up depending on your plans for the day.

Personally, I'd proabably shop for breakfasts and one or two very easy meals I could do for lunch or dinner. I'd also buy some fresh fruit and snack foods. The rest of the time I'd eat at the parks, using advice from this forum and/or some time researching the menus to find variety at a reasonable price.

This is pretty much what we did when staying at the cabins in 2010. It worked well and we were easily within our food budget (and under what ddp would have cost). We tended to plan our ts meals at lunch instead of dinner, then ate light dinners (sandwiches, etc) in the cabin.

 

[Muushka]

I think it's a full kitchen

That is the question. If it is a studio, it may not. Either way, I still wouldn't do the DDP!

 

[cluvsdisney]

We tend to do breakfast in the room and get some snacks, have lunch & dinner in restaurants (both TS & CS) and we still save money over using the dining plan (by a lot).

I don't think I'd be into cooking full meals unless we were planning for a quiet night at the resort or if it was raining hard one night. Maybe some pasta and sauce - something that can be prepared in one pot, foods to make sandwiches, some snacks and drinks.

But overall, I think the cost of getting all the right ingredients would add up and cancel most of the savings you get by cooking.

That is the question. If it is a studio, it may not. Either way, I still wouldn't do the DDP!

The OP states it's a one bedroom villa so she will have a full kitchen.

 

[CampbellScot]

Are you the CampbellScot who wrote a terrific TR a few years ago when your DSS and DSD were younger? I thoroughly enjoy trip reports (have to live vicariously at times!), but yours grabbed my attention and held it throughout! I hope you'll share some of your upcoming WDW visit with us!

yes ma'am that's me!! thanks for the kind words and even remembering!! We still go to Disney every summer but the kiddos aren't babies any more. I enjoyed writing trip reports but life got super busy! I might just write up this trip! I'm finishing up my doctoral degree and I am hoping to have a little bit more time when I'm done!!!

As for all the comments and advice...THANKS Y'ALL!!! I feel much better now about no DDP. I was SHOCKED when I saw how much the DDP is per person per day now!! When the hubs and I went to DisneyWorld on our honeymoon it included appetizers and desserts and tips. It was awesome!!! The DDP has gone downhill since then and the price now is WAY more than we would ever spend on food per day. I think we will make a few ADR's for our favorites and space them out. My husband and I always share food anyway. We have to keep snacks on had as it is b/c of my step son and his propensity to pass out if his blood sugar gets too low. (Last year he passed out one day and threw up on my foot another. EW!) I don't know what I was worried about. Honestly, on the DDP we all felt kind of forced to eat even if we weren't hungry. When the kiddies were little the character meals were worth it b/c they were so delighted by the entire experience. Now I'm the one who is getting the most out of it. My step daughter has perfected the teenaged eye roll. *SIGH*

I'm looking forward to a 1 bedroom at Beach Club...which is actually budget friendly without the DDP! Determined to RELAX!!

Thanks everybody! The budget board ROCKS!!!

 

[disneysteve]

Maybe some pasta and sauce - something that can be prepared in one pot, foods to make sandwiches, some snacks and drinks.

But overall, I think the cost of getting all the right ingredients would add up and cancel most of the savings you get by cooking.

You do need to stick to fairly simple meals and possibly use more prepared/processed items than you might normally use at home, but it is VERY simple to spend less than you would spend eating in the parks or by paying for the dining plan.

 

[kvnchapman]

Hey all!
My family will be staying at Beach Club Villas this summer, and I was thinking that as we will have a kitchen, I think it's a full kitchen, that we would save a ton of money just buying groceries for the week and eating most of our meals in the room. The cost of the dining plan seems insane to me, especially as my step kids are both "Disney Adults" now,(10 and 13) but they do NOT eat like adults. Not even close. My step son (10) is close but my step daughter needs all her food to be plain and bland and she tends to eat small meals throughout the day. We got a wonderful deal on the villas and I really want to try and maximize the savings and not destroy them with the DDP!!

I'm wondering if all y'all budget minded folks have stayed on property in a place that has a kitchen and have done the bulk of your eating in your room? I would love to hear about y'alls experiences!!

In the past we have always done the DDP. We tend to be commando park folks, out early and back home late. I do worry that not eating in the parks will be a big hassle for us and turn out to be more frustrating than relaxing. My husband tends to count every second of his vacation time in terms of "Are we having fun at whatever it is we are doing or are we annoyed and frustrated?" Annoyed and frustrated does not make for a happy hubs. I am really wanting this year to be more relaxed, which is partly why we are doing a 1 bedroom villa. Everyone gets some private space and room to breathe. Not having to plan our day around ADR's might be a nice change of pace!

thanks in advance for any advice!! Much appreciated.

CampbellScott - always love reading your TRs! Here are my 2 cents...
When we stay at WBC (next to Caribbean Beach) we aren't eligible for the DDP, so we make great use of our kitchen. You can def save much moolah by eating in the room, packing snacks, refillable water bottles and sandwhiches for lunch, etc.
And a great benefit is ore riding and resort time because you aren't spendign time waiting for and sitting through ADRs.
We like to plan 2-3 special dining experiences in a week. I love CP for a buffet breakfast.
So go for it - do your ensuite dining and enjoy your BV bargain. Have fun!!!

 

[Planogirl]

I would eat my big meals at lunch time and count on counter service at night. You can get way more than burgers at counter service places.

I would definitely bring snacks and breakfast items though. Those are great to have!