What am I missing re DDP?

[Claire&TheBoys]

We like to get the DDP because we have 2 kids under 9 and the low daily cost for them is a lot less than paying for the character meals and snacks they like. For just my husband and me, we probably wouldn't get our money's worth, but having 2 kids pushes it to our favor.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

every meal is covered and paid for ahead of time. They eat whatever they want and don't think about it, like an all-inclusive.

I do really, really like knowing that every thing is paid for in advance and we can sit down, escape the crowds, and just enjoy not caring at all what the prices are. It's done and we can eat whatever we want with no record keeping or budgeting! It is like being at an all-inclusive resort! It is our big Disney vacation splurge!

This is a HUGE reason why I pick the DDP (the basic is enough food for my DD and I), I tend to SCRUTINIZE every single dollar we spend.... I dont want a reason to do this on vacation... nonetheless a DISNEY WORLD vacation!!! I know money is important, and I do the whole snack for breakfast, CS for lunch and TS for dinner, and since my DD is still young we are doing lot of character experiences which add up $$ as well.

But for me, being able to NOT look at prices on vacation, and literally eat WHATEVER I feel like eating, even if it's a $30something steak at le cellier (for example) just makes my trip so much more relaxed.... Its already paid for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hopefully]

I agree that the DDP is not for everyone. I think the OP has done a good job assessing the plan for their family.
For my family of 3 adults, it does work. We save a little bit each day - not a lot - but some. It fits how we eat, We always do a TS in the evening. We do a quick breakfast in the room, a CS lunch and a Sit Down dinner in the evening. We would do this with or without the DDP. Also, since we travel during F & W, we are able to use our snack credits at the F & W booths.
Last year the Unofficial Guide to WDW assessed the plan and stated that it saves the "average" guest about $7/day. Not a lot, but a savings none the less

 

[DVC_Kds]

We've tried the DDP and feel that it didn't work for us. We felt forced to eat all the meals where as normally we might combine a late breakfast/early lunch into one meal. We found that when we dined on our own, we were able to eat a late lunch at some spots (Primetime is a favorite for this), get the lunch prices and use it as an early supper - having a snack in the room later on.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

OP - The DDP doesn't work for everyone or every situation so you aren't alone!

I have done the regular DDP twice now and while it saved us money, I did not like eating at a TS restaurant EVERY day. So this time, I am planning only a few meals but I still ran the numbers for QDP and DDP and I was astounded that the DDP was going to save us money AND give us 'desserts' which we typically don't order. The reason is we wanted CRT and Hoop dee doo which are each 2 credits. At first glance, you would think using 2 credits is not going to save money but I ran the numbers - to the PENNY (with taxes, tips, etc.) and the DDP actually would work for us. And using the 2 credits means that's less sit down meals every day. So for our 6 night stay, I only have 4 sit down meals planned.

But the secret - I have two kids and kids on the DDP are a GREAT deal! Adults will vary depending on where you eat and what you order but for kids, you will always get a better deal with the DDP.

 

[solfan68]

The way we figure it, the cost of the plan is just about equal to the cost of a table service meal for us, so it's like we are getting a quick serve meal and snack almost for free!

...

I know the dining plan is not for everyone, but it works for us!

What she said. While there for the Marathon Weekend recently, DS8 and I had a snack for breakfast, typically a QS for lunch, and met up with the rest of our party for a TS dinner. And, essentially, what we would have paid for OOP at the TS was what the DDP cost for that day. So, free lunch and free quasi-breakfast.

Certainly not for everyone, and I wouldn't mind having an appetizer instead of dessert from time to time. But I didn't go home hungry, nor did I have to stress over what everything cost once we were on vacation.

 

[rubato]

The worst thing on the plan, every single time my husband wanted something, it wasn't on the plan. Every coffee cart said they didn't take the plan, so no espressos. Every time a snack item looked good to him, it wasn't on the plan. At lunch, he wanted clam chowder, not on the plan. He got so frustrated, because, in his opinion, he's paid huge money for this plan, why can't he use it? He, of course, wouldn't pay oop once he's paid for the plan, especially knowing we'll have extra desserts at the end.

 

[TeacherDL]

My family of four comes out a little better on the ddp, but the thing I like the most is that everything is paid for up front. I don't have to worry about taking a lot of extra money with me. I know what my vacation costs, and it's worry free for me to just have it all done.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

I am one of those people who like to analyze everything. Once upon a time the regular Disney Dining Plan was a great deal for our family. For our Table Service meals we got an appatizer, main course, and dessert plus our gratuity was covered.

Now, with my soup and salad taken away and an 18%-20% tip calculated from ridiculously inflated disney prices, it no longer makes any financial sense for our family. Now, when free dining is offered, it still makes sense to us, from a dollar and cents perspective, but simply paying for the plan is no longer reasonable.

For our next trip we are getting the Counter Service Disney Dining Plan. We always get mugs, so that cost will be covered, which was alway an OOP purchase under the standard dining plan. We are planning on three table service meals for the entire family and I will take our girls for tea at the Grand Floridian. Of the table service meals, one of them will be at Hoop Dee Doo, which would have used two table service credits, and as such was a horrible deal under the dining plan.

Because of the those three meals we will have twelve counter service meals to use for additional meals for our bottomless pit of a teenaged son. The two snacks mean we can use the mug and one snack credit to put together a decent breakfast and still have a snack later in the day. I see egg rolls from Yak and Yeti counter service in my future. Can you say Popcorn anyone!

We have run the numbers out for us, and using the Counter Service Dining Plan this way works, but we tend to order the most expensive counter service items. If our family were big fans of chicken strips or hot dogs, then paying totally out of pocket would have been the cheapest route.

My son loves to get the chicken and ribs plate at Cosmic Rays, a carrot cake, and an iced coffee drink. With tax, that comes in at over $22. Add in two snacks, such as his beloved dole float and a cream cheese pretzel and that adds another $8.85. If he does dinner at Columbia Harbor House and gets a shrimp basket, apple crips, and orange juice, the bill comes to over $17

On a Magic Kingdom day, he can easily rack up a bill of $47, while the DDP only costs $35 per day, plus he gets a refillable mug, which he will refill many many many times.

Even though my snacks and meals don't tend to totally max out the allowable costs, it still works out being a cost savinsg for our family.

The only way to order DDP, if you are looking for a financial deal, and not just the ease of prepaying, is to really look at how your family orders and eats and then getting the right plan for your family.

Even the ease is gone from the plan. In the past, it was totally paid for, so no need to plan on extra funds. Now that the grauity is no longer included, you have to budget extra funds and have that money available on the trip. So, in many ways, that change really took away a lot of the ease of the plan.

 

[Lori S.]

I was like you last time. I calculated and recalculated to see if we would save money. We were going to be there 9 days and I just couldn't see us eating a TS 9 times with a 2 year old. If we spent the max at each meal, it would have saved us around $100, so I opted not to purchase it. We ended up changing plans and if we'd been on the ddp we would have lost major money. The flexibility meant a lot to us. I hated getting our bill when our traveling partners weren't and throughout the trip I was wondering if I'd made the right choice, until we cancelled 3 of our TS ressies, then I knew!!

We have free dining for our trip this week, and I'm very excited about not having many expenses while we are there, but I totally agree that you have to determine if it's right for your family.

I found that if you are doing character buffets, you will just about break even, while if ordering off a menu, it will often be a good deal.

 

[OklahomaTourist]

Just thought I'd drop a quick "thank you" to all here who posted their thoughts and experiences with the DDP!

I think the posts here have reiterated for me the conclusions I've drawn - the more you eat on Disney property, the more likely the plan is going to work for you. For us, our off-site excursions plus knowing how we'll eat in the parks tells me I've made the right choice in opting against the DDP.

Again, many thanks! I continue to enjoy the discussion, so please continue to comment...