when DDP is DEFINITELY worth it

[tinkerbell7737534]

Like OP, I do a spreadsheet of the cost. I was on the fence on getting the DDP just on the fact that I am a single mom of two boys 9 and 7. I'm an ex Floridan and ex cast member so I am not a newbie to Disney. Last year was the first time I have stayed at a WDW resort and didn't have the plan and ended up going over my food budget and I didn't like the feeling in my stomach seeing the bill. This year my mom is going with us and I have decided to go for broke because i figured this will be our last time for a good while doing a big Disney trip until a few projects get finish.

I'm getting the DxDP and doing dinner shows, almost all the characters meals, and few sit down meals. Some might say I'm crazy doing that many but both of my kids have special needs that makes it harder to stand in long lines to see characters. My thought is I been to Disney more times than I can count and my kids been 3 times before, we never done a character meal so the memories my boys make on this trip will out weight the cost.

 

[Minniesgal]

If you would eat 1 TS, 1QS and 1 snack then yes with a kid you would come out ahead.

For us we don't it's way too much food for us.

Alos i don't like that it isn't all inclusive. If we did the dining plan and everything was included Tip appetiser etc I'd be more interested but it makes me feel like I'm paying twice once for the plan and then again when I still have a bill at the restaurant anyway.

We find with Disney adults we spend about the same as the dining plan but we have more TS mainly Signatures and we don't eat QS at all. For me the DDP removes flexibility without adding true convenience.

 

[Jing]

Alos i don't like that it isn't all inclusive. If we did the dining plan and everything was included Tip appetiser etc I'd be more interested but it makes me feel like I'm paying twice once for the plan and then again when I still have a bill at the restaurant

I would love a real all-inclusive option like many Caribbean resorts offer. The alcohol option probably scares the #! $&% out of Disney though. Actually, it would be awesome if tip was included in the meal price for all yhe buffet/family style places as it is with CRT and the shows.

 

[Lisa F]

Like OP, I do a spreadsheet of the cost. I was on the fence on getting the DDP just on the fact that I am a single mom of two boys 9 and 7. I'm an ex Floridan and ex cast member so I am not a newbie to Disney. Last year was the first time I have stayed at a WDW resort and didn't have the plan and ended up going over my food budget and I didn't like the feeling in my stomach seeing the bill. This year my mom is going with us and I have decided to go for broke because i figured this will be our last time for a good while doing a big Disney trip until a few projects get finish.

I'm getting the DxDP and doing dinner shows, almost all the characters meals, and few sit down meals. Some might say I'm crazy doing that many but both of my kids have special needs that makes it harder to stand in long lines to see characters. My thought is I been to Disney more times than I can count and my kids been 3 times before, we never done a character meal so the memories my boys make on this trip will out weight the cost.

OP here... single mom of one not two and he also has special needs, lines for characters are tough (tougher than lines for rides where I have a bit more control of where I go with fastpasses and standby info as well as more interesting queues that move more quickly) and YES. I had originally planned to do the DDP for all 7 days, but now I am going to attempt to split my stay with 3 nights first of DxDDP... sit down character breakfast and then a sit down dinner (some 2TS, some good value 1TS). Sit down meals (even buffets) are so much easier with my kiddo than counter service. When I was thinking about the nightmare of finding a table, juggling the food (because I don't have another adult to help) and waiting in more lines for the food... I just decided to go for broke and do mostly TS meals. I feel great about my plan. Using the DxDDP first few nights will save me some money too and then will do bad value restaurants mostly second half.

 

[tinkerbell7737534]

OP here... single mom of one not two and he also has special needs, lines for characters are tough (tougher than lines for rides where I have a bit more control of where I go with fastpasses and standby info as well as more interesting queues that move more quickly) and YES. I had originally planned to do the DDP for all 7 days, but now I am going to attempt to split my stay with 3 nights first of DxDDP... sit down character breakfast and then a sit down dinner (some 2TS, some good value 1TS). Sit down meals (even buffets) are so much easier with my kiddo than counter service. When I was thinking about the nightmare of finding a table, juggling the food (because I don't have another adult to help) and waiting in more lines for the food... I just decided to go for broke and do mostly TS meals. I feel great about my plan. Using the DxDDP first few nights will save me some money too and then will do bad value restaurants mostly second half.

I totally understand your feeling on the counter service aspect! That how it was for me last summer at Cosmic Ray's, it was double hard for me because I have Cerebral Palsy but my oldest son, who has Asperger's, was a big help! I look at doing a split stay as well but the dates we are going it wouldn't work in my favor. I hope you two have a wonderful time!

 

[Hillyz]

I absolutely agree. I am taking a trip with just myself and my DS5 in May, and after putting our plan together, we are going to save around $150 by getting the deluxe plan. The only QS we are doing is BOG, and we have three 2 credit meals planned along with other character meals. I find it stressful to try QS with just the two of us, so two TS meals and snacks tend to work best for us.

This is the plan I have. Can I ask what your dining schedule was?

 

[senadler]

This is the plan I have. Can I ask what your dining schedule was?

My plans have changed a bit, since we are having family join us for the last two nights, and I am using some credits for them. We are doing a split stay, so only the first 4 nights out of our 6 night stay are on the plan, giving us 24 credits between myself and DS5. Here is the current plan:

Day 1: Poly room service for dinner (only ordering for 1 - 2 TS)
Day 2: Garden Grill Breakfast (2 TS) Narcoossees Dinner (2 TS) - DS is going to the kids club
Day 3: CRT Breakfast (4 TS), BOG lunch (1 TS - DS OOP), SOA (4 TS)
Day 4: Brown Derby Lunch (2 TS - DS OOP), Mama Melrose Dinner (1 TS - DS OOP)
My daughter-in-law and her DS5 are joining us for Day 5: Ohana Breakfast (4 TS), Sanaa (2 TS - kids OOP)

Because of sharing and using more credits for adults, my calculations are now about a $300 savings using the dining plan.

 

[cheshirealliekat]

I am doing the DDP for the first time this May, and I think it is a good value. A.) We plan on spending a good amount of time at the hotel and are soda/coffee people so that refillable cup will be a great value in itself. B.) We will be doing 3 character/buffet lunches/dinners that we would not ordinarily do, but because we were able to pay for it over time it seems less painful. C.) We usually spend $50+ a visit on one quick service meal each, snacks, sodas, etc. over a 6-7 hour visit. My 4 year old seems to only be hungry at Disney, where she eats like a truck driver. So when I multiplied that by 3, it seemed worth it to do the DDP with an "upgrade" from our normal spending pattern of a table service/buffet, especially now that it seems the price for a QS meal has risen once again. Plus desserts are included, which we never try even though I always want atleast one. We will definitely break even, but we will get to try more than we would normally order OOP, if that makes sense. Do we need it all? Probably not. However vacation to me is a time to relax and try new foods, not to pack snacks and microwave oatmeal, etc.

 

[LovesTimone]

It works for us, and we have been using it a long time. We go the DDXDP route as we are empty nester, and when travel to WDW with adult children, their spouse, and grandchildren we find it works out a lot easier for everyone, and DH doesn't worry about who is ordering what, and we get to relax, and enjoy the meal.

 

[Lisa F]

My plans have changed a bit, since we are having family join us for the last two nights, and I am using some credits for them. We are doing a split stay, so only the first 4 nights out of our 6 night stay are on the plan, giving us 24 credits between myself and DS5. Here is the current plan:

Day 1: Poly room service for dinner (only ordering for 1 - 2 TS)
Day 2: Garden Grill Breakfast (2 TS) Narcoossees Dinner (2 TS) - DS is going to the kids club
Day 3: CRT Breakfast (4 TS), BOG lunch (1 TS - DS OOP), SOA (4 TS)
Day 4: Brown Derby Lunch (2 TS - DS OOP), Mama Melrose Dinner (1 TS - DS OOP)
My daughter-in-law and her DS5 are joining us for Day 5: Ohana Breakfast (4 TS), Sanaa (2 TS - kids OOP)

Because of sharing and using more credits for adults, my calculations are now about a $300 savings using the dining plan.

I'm right now trying to decide whether to go deluxe for first half or regular. There are a couple of QS that I want to do and some 2TS i was plannign to pay OOP but it might still be worth it to do the DxDDP.

 

[Jacoby 46]

I understand this.

At home my DD and I have water at restaurants and share meals 80% of the time. When we're on vacation I like to throw caution to the wind for a few days, enjoy soda or iced tea with a meal, order steak if I feel like it and sometimes dessert too. That is what makes it worth it to me to budget the price of the dining plan into our trip. I look at prices the other 350+ days of the year. When we're on vacation I enjoy the freedom of not thinking twice about what the price is and treating ourselves to some dining treats!

In the end do I pay more? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. But the stress of looking at prices is removed and that's what vacation time is for me.

It's not for everyone but works wonderfully for us.

I agree!! It is worth the extra money for me to not have to worry about anything while on vacation!!

 

[6loversofdisney]

The DDP for us 385.00 a day. I sit back and think that we can eat cheaper than that but then when I think about how we would miss all of the character meals we've come to love.