Upgrade from Regular to Deluxe DDP

[Abharmagic]

Hello,
Just a little planning ahead here. Hoping for Free Dining for our next trip. Trying to long term plan to save enough $$$$. Have Boardwalk reserved. If free dining happens thinking about upgrading to the Deluxe (the one with 2 TS and 1 QS and 2 Snacks). How much does it cost to upgrade from "free" regular sit down DDP (1 TS 1 QS and 1 Snack) to the Deluxe. What is the cost per day extra for adults and kids for 2012- anyone know? Help!

 

[Abharmagic]

Oh wait- just saw this---

Non Peak
Adult $33.98/night
Child $8.77/night

Hmmmmmm..............may not be worth it. We are staying 8 nights. That's another $684.00 might just make sense to upgrade to a villa and eat cereal each AM in the villa and eat 2 meals in the parks. I think it would cost less than the dining upgrade.

Anyone ever upgrade during Free Dining and think it was worth it?

 

[havoc315]

It's not 2 TS and 1 QS --- The deluxe is 3 meal credits per day, which are good for TS or CS. You can use all the credits for TS.

It is absolutely not worthwhile, if you're just concerned with adding breakfast. You can very very cheaply eat breakfast at the foodcourt OOP, even using snack credits to pay for your breakfast.

The upgrade is worthwhile -- If you want appetizers with all your meals, AND you want 3 TS credits worth of food per day --- That could be a sit down breakfast, lunch AND dinner...
Or.... A signature dinner, along with a TS lunch/or breakfast.

 

[purple figment]

Hello,
the Deluxe (the one with 2 TS and 1 QS and 2 Snacks).

Just one correction: on the Deluxe plan you have 3 dining credits per night that can be used for either TS or QS . You can use all of them for TS or QS or whatever combination you like. We usually do a TS breakfast or lunch and a Signature dinner. We did very few QS. It is only the regular dining plan that specifies 1 TS credit and 1 QS credit.

 

[Abharmagic]

Ooooh thanks for the clarification- now it makes it more interesting 3 credits... hmmmmmm.................

I have never done the dining plan and am a bit of a newbie to it- now I can talk touring plans and Fastpasses all day with the best of them- on the subjest of the dining plan I am green.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Abharmagic]

Another question- we get in on Sat and check out 9 days (8 nights) later on Sun. How do I calculate the extra Deluxe DDP cost by 8 nights or 9 days?

 

[Faldred]

It's always the number of nights of your resort reservation. So you'd get 8x credits.

Being good at park touring plans, fastpass, etc., is a major asset if you're going DxDP -- you'll know how to plan your park days around the fixed meal times, and you know the parks well enough to tailor your touring so you don't have to run halfway across a park to make a meal. (Or after one.)

 

[figment_jii]

Just to note, the DDP or DxDP credits expire at midnight on the day you check-out. So let's say you check out on Saturday, then the credits expire at approximately 11:59 pm Saturday night. (I used 11:59 pm because some folks think of midnight as 00:00 while others use 24:00, so to avoid confusion I went with something pretty clear.) In other words, the credits are still good for your entire check-out day.

 

[Bettie]

We did DxDP last year and loved it, so we upgraded for our upcoming trip, too. Our family loves to eat out and dining is a big part of any vacation we take! We debated not doing deluxe for this trip, but then we decided it just really makes sense for us anyway PLUS for this trip our plane arrives at 9am on the first day and departs at 8:45pm on the last day, so both arrival and departure days will involve 2 meals on property and more snack opportunities. If you think you will do a lot of TS and ESP if you have kids under 10, I think the deluxe plan is a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[jen42002]

We upgraded from the regular DDP to Deluxe. It was 2 adults and we planned a signature restaurant each night. We also got an appetizer per person (not sure if it is the same for 2012). We were STUFFED! While it was fun to try new places, it was just too much food. Next trip it will definitely be just the DDP with some OOP costs if needed.

 

[Bete]

if you want a dining plan. It seems to be the only plan you can still make out on, now. It's getting pretty close to break even on the other plans with OOP.

This plan allows for so much flexibility and you can do signature meals or even have 3 TS meals a day.

I feel it allows you more freedom with TS to try so many places.

With all that said I can see how it may be too much food. It is a pricey plan; so, you end up having meals dictate your vacation if you are going to make it worth it. You give up a lot of park time to make this plan worth it.

If you do too many QS meals you end up wasting the value of the plan.

 

[Bete]

I really would like the new restaurants included in the plans to see menus and have 2012 current pricing on the menus.

I figure if the prices of the plans have increased then it's likely the restaurants are raising their prices, too.

There really is not a way to compare OOP with the plans if the pricing is not accurate right now.

Does anyone know if the 2011 pricing on the menus are still accurate?

 

[Abharmagic]

Thanks again everyone. My DH is an eater- needs 3 square meals a day. Me and the kids are snackers. My kids are big breakfast eaters- really can put some food away in the AM and are pretty picky about foods other than breakfast foods-lol. Also, I like having a TS in the AM before a park opens so we can get in the gate before rope drop. That said, I don't want to use up all my TS on breakfast... which is why I am contemplating the Deluxe.

Pros:
1. DH can have 3 TS a day some days
2. We can have early TS ADRs in the Parks in the mornings- my favorite- and not use up our only TS credit of the day.
3. We can try some signature restaurants that we'd have to use up 2 credits or pay OOP on
4. More choices in general- if we are having a low key day and want 3 CS we can do that too... even though it's a waste of DDP credits

Cons:
1. TS meals are PAINFULLY slow- do I really need to do 2 a day
2. Being tied down to parks for 2 ADRs a day
4. The cost vs. do we really need it

I am now strongly leaning towards upgrading to Deluxe b/c this is our blow out trip and what's another $600+ dollars when you are already spending $6,000 I've got time to save $$$.