Why do the DDP??

[KingsGenie]

Okay, I'm totally confused. If the dining plan is $38.99 for adult and the average character dining is $20, leaving $14 for a counter service and $4 for a snack.... what am I missing? why is this such a great deal? I've been to Disney before but of course, am blanking on counter service costs.. but I'm thinking $14 is enough for a burger, fries and coke... no? Why lock yourself into the plan?

Everyone loves the plan.. I must be missing something.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[dcgrumpy]

Okay, I'm totally confused. If the dining plan is $38.99 for adult and the average character dining is $20, leaving $14 for a counter service and $4 for a snack.... what am I missing? why is this such a great deal? I've been to Disney before but of course, am blanking on counter service costs.. but I'm thinking $14 is enough for a burger, fries and coke... no? Why lock yourself into the plan?

Everyone loves the plan.. I must be missing something.

Thanks in advance!!

Dinner buffets are about $26-$30. Dinner at CM is $27.99 plus tax and tip, so that comes to about $35-$38.

 

[KingsGenie]

Maybe that's it.. we usually do breakfast out and grab something light for dinner.

We're a little backwards.

 

[Flagondry]

It's a good deal IF you plan to do TS and you will enjoy all the food.

I have an ADR at Le Cellier one night. What I listed below is what I would order. The food alone comes to 30.00 with no drink and that is pre-tax and tip, which are both included on DDP.



Vine-Ripened Tomato Stack - shiitake mushrooms, wilted spinach, balsamic reduction $7.99

Marinated Portobello Mushroom with seared basmati rice cakes, and onion-beet marmalade, finished with tomato jam $15.99

Maple Creme Brulee - caramelized maple sugar and housemade cookie $5.99

CS

This is what I would qualify for on DDP for lunch $12-14, pre-tax.

Grilled Vegetable Cuban Sandwich $7.59
Minute Maid Light Lemonade- Regular $2.19/Large $2.49
Hand Dipped Edy's Ice Cream (Single or Double) $2.99/4.25


Sanck-$4

This all comes to 46.00 before tax, and tips. With tax, tip and another drink I'd guess you'd be adding another 12-14.00. I am a veggie, so meat meal are just that much more. My dh's meal would easily be $10 more tha mine because of his choices. If you would feel you must eat it all, or if you don't care about TS, then it wouldn't be great for you. That being said, I am planning my trip during the possible free dining becaue I'd rather pay nothing.

 

[ballarinamom]

Before DDP, we averaged $150 per day for food. That is for myself, DH and DD who was 4 last year. We look forward to TS meals because we want a chance to sit down and take a little break. The cost of the plan is easily the cost of 1 TS meal. That akes the CS and snack a bonus! On DDP we will be paying just over $90 a day. That's a $60 savings for us.

 

[Katiebell]

Dinner at a buffet will run $25-$28 before tax and tip. Dinner at a typical TS restaurant could be a lot more.

50's PT
Caesar salad 5.49
Pork tenderloin 16.99
cobbler 5.49
soft drink 2.00
subtotal 29.97, tax 1.80, tip 5.70
total 37.47

San Angel
Ceviche 8.50
Mahi-mahi Veracruz 21.50
Flan 5.75
soft drink 2.00
subtotal 37.75, tax 2.25, tip 7.20
total 47.20

I purposely picked restaurants that are less in demand, and did not pick the most expensive items -- at San Angel, you could order beef tenderloin for 26.99 -- to show that pretty much any TS dinner alone is worth the cost of the plan, and doesn't even count the CS or snack credits.

 

[novdisneydreams]

Also - Its great to have everything paid for ahead of time We felt like royalty waving our little card around Also not having to figure out tips ... Its was more realxing - sort of like an all-inclusive.

 

[lynninpa]

It's a good deal IF you plan to do TS and you will enjoy all the food.

Flagondry made an excellent point. If you plan TS dinners, the DDP can be a great deal! And the tab just keeps goin' up if you are a steak lover!
Here is a "sample bill" from Le Cellier-for ONE person:

appetizer 9.99

entree 27.99

dessert 5.99

iced tea 3.00

tax 3.05

tip 9.00 (at 18%, which the DP includes)

A Total of 59.02. For one person for one meal. PLUS add a lunch and a snack. Hey, it's vacation!

 

[npullen]

For us there is also the added convenience of having another portion of the trip paid for before arrival. With the dining plan I don't have to try to figure out how much we need to budget for eating, it is already set.
Plus, it helps us feel more comfortable eating at more TS places we would have skipped before, due to the cost.

 

[darkcyber]

We have never tried the DDP either. This April WDW trip will be our first to try it. Thanks for sharing the tips in here...it helps. But I want to see 'real world' when we get there how it actually works for us.

Note: Booking our dining reservations and the Brown Derby is 2 TS per person...WOW!

 

[lynninpa]

For us there is also the added convenience of having another portion of the trip paid for before arrival. With the dining plan I don't have to try to figure out how much we need to budget for eating, it is already set...

Another excellent point!

 

[Flagondry]

Yup, add us to the group that likes that it is pre-paid. I am a big cheap-o. If we were not on the DDP I would be giving dh the hairy eyeball if he was looking at a $30.00 steak. If he added an app and dessert to that steak he knows it would stress me out. Even if we stay within budget I still watch all the pennies. This way we can both relax and just order what sounds good. I/m sure it is a nice break for my dh

 

[Scornelius]

Also - Its great to have everything paid for ahead of time We felt like royalty waving our little card around Also not having to figure out tips ... Its was more realxing - sort of like an all-inclusive.

We loved the 'all inclusive' feeling. Never having to even think about the cost of the food was terrific! Hey, I don't read my menu 'right to left', (price first, then see what it is!) but surf 'n turn dinners aren't exactly standard for this newly-wed, newly-mortgaged couple. . It was so great to be able to order (pretty much) anything we wanted!! And appetizers and desserts to boot! We kept a few 5 and 10 dollar bills with us for extra tipping, and that was it. Soooo easy.

You can certainly eat at WDW more cheaply than on the DDP. But we see it as a way to make the vacation even more care free and decadent. And I admit, I loved getting the receipt at the end of the meal and seeing how much our little exercise in gluttony would have cost.

 

[KingsGenie]

You guys are a wealth of information!

I think hubby and I are gonna opt out. It seems like it is for people who really enjoy thier food. With a 3 year old and a 1 year old, we tend to do more eating on the run. We do a few character meals for the experience, but I doubt our 1 yr old would sit while we order an app, entree AND desert. Knowing that I paid for it and got rushed out would drive me crazy.

It sounds great for when the kids are older and we can appreciate our food more.

Thank you so much for your input!!

 

[Colleen27]

Okay, I'm totally confused. If the dining plan is $38.99 for adult and the average character dining is $20, leaving $14 for a counter service and $4 for a snack.... what am I missing? why is this such a great deal? I've been to Disney before but of course, am blanking on counter service costs.. but I'm thinking $14 is enough for a burger, fries and coke... no? Why lock yourself into the plan?

Everyone loves the plan.. I must be missing something.

Thanks in advance!!

I love the dining plan for us, but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. We felt it was well worth the money, but we don't do many buffets or character meals. For restaurants like Le Cellier, Teppanyaki, Coral Reef, etc., you can easily spend $39 per person for dinner alone, and those are the kinds of places we like to eat when on vacation. But we only use our table service creidts for dinner, and like I said, we're not that into buffets and only do one character meal per trip.

If you prefer not to take the time for a sit down meal, or prefer to have breakfast be your sit-down meal for the day, or have small kids and will be doing mostly the less expensive buffets and character meals, it might not be worth it for you. Check out the menus and prices at Allearsnet.com and do the math for yourself. You might find you'd rather skip the dining plan, or maybe you'll be surprised to find it does make sense.

 

[Colleen27]

For us there is also the added convenience of having another portion of the trip paid for before arrival. With the dining plan I don't have to try to figure out how much we need to budget for eating, it is already set.
Plus, it helps us feel more comfortable eating at more TS places we would have skipped before, due to the cost.

That's what sold us on it too. I don't know that we'd ever have tried Le Cellier, for example, if not for the dining plan and knowing that we had the dining costs covered up front. And anything that simplifies the budgeting process is a great thing for me. I like knowing exactly what the trip will cost, and with the dining plan, spending money is the only variable left.