Think I am skipping the DDP this year!

[Boardwalk Tigger]

I am going to Disney next week but think I will skip the DDP this time. With the paid gratuity and appetizers taken out I don't think it is worth it. I also will probably have a few sitdown table lunches or breakfasts in addition to a TS dinner each night which I would have to pay OOP for. I really don't care about desserts with my meals with the DDP. If the appetizer was included then I would still buy in but I dont think I will come out ahead here. I am going to check out other discounts for dining.
Anyone else thinking of skipping out on 2008's DDP? What other discounts are out there? I think DVC has some dining discounts and then there is the other dining plan which I may consider buying into which takes 20% off many meals( name escapes me)

 

[msteddom]

I will not be signing up for the DDP again. It's a shame too, because the 2007 plan was so convenient!

Melissa

 

[srgibbs]

I think we will skip it the next time we go as well. No tips and Appetizers included doesn't make it that great of a deal anymore. We never are able to use all of our CS's anyway b/c we share as it is just way to much food per person. We will probably save a lot of time as well since we won't feel the need to do a TS meal every single day.

 

[kldmom2000]

We're not getting the DDP in 2008 either.... I love to start my dinner w/ a salad for an appetizer and now appetizers are not included.... I never order dessert, so it just doesn't make sense for us to do it.... not to mention that 1 sit down meal a day is actually too much for us believe it or not! We hate having to be somewhere soley to eat esp. when we may not be hungry.... For our 7 night trip in August, we'll probably do 4-5 sit down meals.

 

[keliblue]

Ditto, no dining for us loved the convenience but we are not dessert eaters and the 20% off with the DDE card makes more sense even with TS's every night.. the DDE also covers cocktails

 

[Bete]

I wouldn't give up on the dining plan I would just change how I do it, now.

If you stay with the basic dining plan, the buffet restaurants will offer appetizers automatically. You can get a salad that way. The difference is you have to self serve. Each park has a buffet restaurant that's on the plan and there are resorts, too with a buffet. Looking at dinner prices for those buffet places, you are money ahead on the plan. It's not quite the deal it was before, but you can still do well on it with the buffet TS. You can get more benefit by getting the most expensive items on your counter service meal each day. Furthermore, there are some good TS dinner places on the plan like Le Cellier and Coral Reef that you will make out just fine on even if you have to do an out of pocket cost on an appetizer. It's definately more complicated now to make out well on the plan, but it's doable.

If that doesn't suit you, you can step it up by going to the deluxe dining plan. It's not quite double the price as the basic plan, but it gives you more options. With this plan you can get 2 snacks per person per day and three table service meals and an appetizer is included with each meal. The big bonus on this plan is getting the refillable beverage mug from your resort. Now, you don't have to decide between a drink or a snack for your snack credit. For those who don't want to eat three meals a day, you can now try all those two credit signature restaurants that you never went to on the basic plan. You can downgrade a TS meal to CS if you want to do it, too. If you are a big eater or you want to try the fancier places on the plan this can be a good option.

Finally, if you really want an all inclusive plan you can get the deluxe option as stated above and all the recreation you wish to do including unlimited Disney park tours in a deal called Premiere.

All the packages offer a wine and dine feature, now as an additional option and cost. Tip is still not included on any of the new plans, but remember Disney didn't raise the prices for the basic plan in 2008, either.

Myself, I won't get the plan anymore; because, I've decided I like eating at the food courts and doing CS at the parks best. There's no tip needed there. You can get more out of your park hours by eating at the food courts before the parks open and after your day is done. It is a time commitment to do a table service meal in the park and I rather enjoy the park than eat there. Also, I like the idea of going to places that are not on the plan, now. If I go table service at all it will be for lunch when prices are cheaper. Everyone needs to make their own choices. It was a no brainer to be on the basic dining plan before, but now it's trickier to get your money's worth.

And no, I'm not a salesperson for Disney. I recently did some comparisons to decide myself if I wanted to be on the plan or not for a forthcoming trip in 2008.

 

[TDC Nala]

Anyone else thinking of skipping out on 2008's DDP? What other discounts are out there? I think DVC has some dining discounts and then there is the other dining plan which I may consider buying into which takes 20% off many meals( name escapes me)

Disney Dining Experience (DDE) is available only to annual passholders and Florida residents. Costs $65 for AP holders to join, and $85 for Florida residents (no idea why it's more, I guess they figure locals will use it more often). You can get a second card for another $25.

Most table service restaurants at WDW participate, but CS allows use of DDE only in resorts and parks where there is no table service restaurant. (Still waiting to find out if AK CS places will continue to take it).

I doubt I will be using the dining plan again in any of its forms.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

We won't be going in 2008 but I think we'll probably skip the ddp the next time we go. I think Disney taking the apps & gratuity out really changes things. Plus I don't think we'd want 8 TS meals in one vacation again - way too much for us. It really runs into the time factor - going to all the ADRs takes valuable time away from what the kids would rathar be doing - swimming or park time. I do think we'll schedule 3 or 4 just for the break during the day and the kids' favorite character meals. Happy planning!

 

[patsal]

I am skipping the DDP in 2008, I am not purchasing the DDE for 2008. I will take advantage of the discounts I am entitled to based on AP and DVC and I will be eating off site for a few meals as well. I did a dry run of this in Sept. 2007--DH had a conference and we could not add the DDP to it. We ate exactly what we wanted when we wanted it and didn't come close to the price the DDP would have cost us. With four of us, all considered adults and very little character dining on the list of things we want to do, paying OOP works best for us. The plan loses all of its convenience since I will have to pay for a few apps OOP, tip OOP and at least two of us will not want dessert--why be tied to something that isn't convienient anymore. As a result we will have more time in the parks, I will not be pushing snacks that kids don't even want and I will have less running to get to an ADR no one really wants anyway, and best of all no running around on the last day trying to use up all those CS and snack credits!
I know many say just put it on the KTTW but I never do that, I always use my charge card--the KTTW is just a way for Disney to only be charged one time by the CC company for one big transaction rather than each small one--it is not a courtesy to you but rather a money saving effort on their part. It is easier for me to dispute anything that is not correct directly with the CC company than it is for me to deal with the front desk on check out day and often I leave before my final bill comes anyway so that doesn't work either.