Too Much Food on DDP

[bkhibiscus]

Just got back Thurs eve on DDP. Way too much food, even having five nights dining for a six night stay (Thx SWA for allowing that option). Scrambled to spend down 17 snacks today (did so) and had to do an end run to Everything Pop (although not staying at POP) for sandwiches to take with to complete meals. Not shabby appetites here, but could have done without so much eating! Will elaborate later.

 

[bicker]

Yup, makes sense, even without all the appetizers like last year. Looking forward to your elaboration!

 

[Obb Mom]

Which dining plan were you on?

 

[sjaakie]

Just got back Thurs eve on DDP. Way too much food, even having five nights dining for a six night stay (Thx SWA for allowing that option). Scrambled to spend down 17 snacks today (did so) and had to do an end run to Everything Pop (although not staying at POP) for sandwiches to take with to complete meals. Not shabby appetites here, but could have done without so much eating! Will elaborate later.

How can a plan be to mutch food?
Is there a waiter standing next to your table with a gun and makes you eat everything ?

We eat as mutch as we like and if the plates keep half full so it be

 

[beroh2253]

Don't know the amount of food the last 2 years was fine for us. We may even get an app here or there this year, especially the Crab Cake at Capt. Jacks can't pass that up so will get that OOP.
Never have SC left to take anything home.

 

[christa112]

I agree with the snacks, we never seem to use all of our snacks.

The 1st time we used the DDP we had like 7 or 8 snacks left. On the last day we cashed them in for chips, oranges, cookes etc for the plane ride home.

The 2nd time around we became a bit wiser and instead of buying a bottle of water or a soda we used it as a snack. Which definately decreased the left over snacks at the end of the week

When we go in Sept we are going as a group of 7 so we will have snacks coming out of our ears.

 

[mefordis]

How can a plan be to mutch food?
Is there a waiter standing next to your table with a gun and makes you eat everything ?

We eat as mutch as we like and if the plates keep half full so it be

The OP may have meant that she paid for a lot of food she didn't want or need?

 

[sjaakie]

The OP may have meant that she paid for a lot of food she didn't want or need?

Lets wait and see.
But in my impression is to much food to much on your plate.
And lets be honest you get enough food on one plate to feed a family in my eyes.

 

[choirfarm]

Just got back Thurs eve on DDP. Way too much food, even having five nights dining for a six night stay (Thx SWA for allowing that option). Scrambled to spend down 17 snacks today (did so) and had to do an end run to Everything Pop (although not staying at POP) for sandwiches to take with to complete meals. Not shabby appetites here, but could have done without so much eating! Will elaborate later.

I would love for you to elaborate!!!
Christine

 

[mickey2000]

Just remember to do it for the Conveince

Now that the Disney stores are in Chapter 11 the parks need my money!


Also don't forget to pack all those extra snacks in a 2nd suitcase that will cost $25 to bring home !

 

[mefordis]

Just remember to do it for the Conveince

Now that the Disney stores are in Chapter 11 the parks need my money!


Also don't forget to pack all those extra snacks in a 2nd suitcase that will cost $25 to bring home !

Don't you have a picture of 18 rice krispy treats?

 

[bkhibiscus]

We were on the DxDDP. Even taking 5 days of dining for 6 day trip it made for scheduling everything around eating. We had two sig dining....Cal Grill and Brown Derby, mostly TS otw, except 1 CS at POR one day and Everything POP to take on plane. CS just seems like a waste with the plan. It felt like we were constantly eating, full, or leaving too much over. On top of that we each had one day of a stomach virus, and although tried to eat through it, it felt like it was a forced thing b/c of the $$ for DxDDP. The portions in most of the restaurants at WDW are huge, and so are the apps. Once you get to dessert, it just seems like you're ready to burst. We ate at:

Day 1:

Earl of Sandwich (OOP)- lunch- only ordered sandwiches, 1 soup to share, 1 cole slaw to share and sodas.
Goofy's Candy Co.-dipped pretzels for snacks
Ohana-Dinner

Day 2: (Easter (Eater) Sunday)

Crystal Palace- Bkfast
50's PT-Lunch
2 Mickey Bars & 1 Frozen Lemonade-snacks
Brown Derby (sig)-Dinner

Day 3:
Cape May Cafe Char. Buffet- Bkfast (only 2 of us, due to illness)
POR food court lunch (1 CS, 2 OOP, 1 snack used)
Cal Grill (sig)-Dinner

Day 4:
Sunshine Seasons-Lunch
2 Mickey Bars, 1 Frozen Banana-snacks
Chefs de France-Dinner

Day 5:
Boatrights (POR)- Breakfast
Crepes de Chefs de France-Snack
Tokyo Dining (walk-up)- Lunch
1900 Park Faire (1 ill, went, but ate <1 whole plate and strawberry soup)

Day 6:
Used 15 snack credits in 1 day
Tusker House (excellent) Character Buffet-Breakfast-Filling, wanted to go to Flame Tree for last WDW meal, but would have missed Nemo by the time we were ready to eat.
Everything POP-ran in and got CS sandwiches and snacks on way to airport to use up credits.

So as you can see, even with 1 less day of DP than LOS, we had a lot to eat!!! Walked around constantly full, even with left-overs, but on the plus, still lost weight.

 

[trivial]

The Deluxe Dining Plan I can definitely see being way too much food. My wife and I went using the Basic Dining Plan when the appetizer was still included, and we comfortably ate most of what we were served (we're not abnormally big eaters or anything). We also had no problem burning through our snack credits in the parks, using them to grab an ice cream or milkshake here and there.

 

[choirfarm]

nt

 

[tkmmc]

I just thought I should interject my standard response to questions about Dining Plans. There is a difference between "wasting meals" by not eating them all and "wasting money" meaning you ate less food than the dollar value you spent per day. The deluxe dining plan is 69.99 per adult per day and 29.99 (pretty sure) for children. You will be hard pressed to eat for cheaper than that each day unless you are eating bagels, burgers, and nuggets at each meal. You can easily end up with left over meals/snacks on your plan but I think it would be very difficult to end up actually eating cheaper than 69.99 per day for all meals and snacks. They say the meals on the plan are 30% less than if you paid OOP. We tried paying OOP once and spent just as much as my sister's family on the dining plan but they had many more options and we ate a lot of fries. Our character meals cost 30% more than theirs. We've even calculated just doing the basic dining but what we would spend OOP for the "missing" meals will cost the same as getting the deluxe which leaves more dining options. WHEW!!! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE MAKING THIS DECISION. There are so many folks on these boards who have done the math with receipts and the plans just really seem to work if you can get past leaving a few meals or snacks on your card.

 

[trivial]

I recently did a DDE vs. basic DDP comparison, and just wanted to add that my results also show that the basic DDP saves around 30% compared to paying out-of-pocket. I was really surprised by that, as I thought savings with the basic DDP would've been much lower given the disappointing 2008 changes.

Also, I think that if meal/snack credits are going unused, that's a failure to plan rather than a failing of the DDP, and that can't be used in a fair analysis of the value of the DDP.

 

[angelmav]

I recently did a DDE vs. basic DDP comparison, and just wanted to add that my results also show that the basic DDP saves around 30% compared to paying out-of-pocket. I was really surprised by that, as I thought savings with the basic DDP would've been much lower given the disappointing 2008 changes.

Also, I think that if meal/snack credits are going unused, that's a failure to plan rather than a failing of the DDP, and that can't be used in a fair analysis of the value of the DDP.

The savings % really depends on the demographics of the users, as kids under 10 will be a savings, those over and it goes the other way pretty fast. Again its only a savings if your using the plan the way you would have eaten without it. If disney gets you to do something you normally wouldnt, they can claim it 'saved you money' but in most cases, youll have spent money on something you wouldnt have gotten originally, thus, not a real savings.

 

[patsal]

The savings % really depends on the demographics of the users, as kids under 10 will be a savings, those over and it goes the other way pretty fast. Again its only a savings if your using the plan the way you would have eaten without it. If disney gets you to do something you normally wouldnt, they can claim it 'saved you money' but in most cases, youll have spent money on something you wouldnt have gotten originally, thus, not a real savings.

Precisely, the DDP only saves significantly if you use all snack credits, use all CS and really are a person who orders the whole combo meal/drink dessert for everyone in the party every time you eat, and order an entree, beverage and dessert for every TS you have as well. Once you begin to order desserts only because it is included you begin to fall into the trap of false savings. I mean, sure you saved money over what it would have cost you, but if you were paying OOP would you have gotten it?

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Here we go with the whining and complaining. Did nobody learn from last year when the "powers that be" changed the DP and now so many are upset about the changes (gratuity removed, appetizer removed) but still so many can't resist saying "It is too much food!" Last year there were so many posters who wanted to pay their own tips. Yes, there were actual posters who wanted Disney to remove the tip so they could decide what amount to leave. They got their wish!!

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. If so many whine and complain that the DP is "way too much food" the rest of us may not have a dining plan to enjoy in the future. If it is too much food for your family, don't purchase the DP, but please don't spoil it for the rest of us. There are a lot of people who actually enjoy the DP just the way it is. As a former poster wrote, there is nobody holding a gun to your head forcing you to eat more than you want to eat.

 

[mickey2000]