Would you eat at a restaurant that didn't participate in DDP/DDE?

[kathyg]

I know for myself that I would be hesitant to go to a WDW restaurant that does not participate in either the DDP or DDE programs. If I had either of these plans, I don't know if I would want to pay OOP for something I've already paid for (or could get a discount on).

Just wondering how everyone else felt. Do you think restaurants like those at Swan/Dolphin or Downtown Disney or Rainforest Cafe at AK are losing money/customers because of these plans? Would you go to a non-participating restaurant even if you are on the plan or would you not even consider it?

 

[MHopkins2]

I'll still go whereever I like, but then I'm a DDP weirdo since I almost always do two TS per day (lunch and dinner). In other words, it won't be a big deal to go to dinner at Palio, since I'll probably use my DDP TS credit that day for lunch at an Epcot WS restaurant.

 

[jmdisney]

My husband really wants to go to Shula's, so we are. After all, it is vacation.

 

[KarenAylwood]

Call my mom and I cheapos but we're trying the dining plan for the first time in September (free) and we're only looking at restaurants on the plan. We used to go to Rainforest Cafe every single time we visited, but on the plan, I don't see why we'd waste the money. It's SO much food to begin with, I don't think I'd want to spend the extra $$ anyway.

Also the RC is the only place I can think of that we go often and isn't on the DP. I can skip it this once- esp since they changed their menu and took off the ONE THING I used to order every single time we went (of course you could call my not going out of bitterness too ).

Disney has so many great restaurants that we've never been to before- I look at this as an opportunity to try them.

But when we go back and if it's not on the free DP, we'll be paying OOP for everything and most likely still be going to the Rainforest Cafe.

 

[crisi]

We plan where we want to eat and then figure out if the DDE/DDP is worth it, not the other way around.

We have a DDE this year, but enjoy Teppanyaki, so we go. The DDE saves us enough at other restaurants to more than pay for itself.

We also enjoy signature dining, so I think we'd have a few double credits used if we ever did the DDP. That would leave us with a night or two to pay OOP, where we'd be free to dine anywhere.

If we were going to do a lot of counter service/eat in the room, we wouldn't do a plan at all.

 

[Alice Sr.]

I have the DDE card but we always eat at Fulton's and Teppanyaki.

 

[Forever42]

We very, very rarely go anywhere that doesn't take DDE, mostly because since we live here and go so often, DDE brings the prices down to reasonable. The restaurant has to be really good for us to pass up the discount, and the only one I've found so far that doesn't have an equivalent is Big River Grill. I still insist on us going there, but we do it on the cheap.

 

[Chuck S]

If there were a place I really wanted to dine that didn't take the DDE, I would dine there. But, so far, every place we've wanted to eat does accept the DDE, except Earl of Sandwich, and their prices are reasonable anyway.

 

[Quasi123]

We have the DDE card and only eat at the participating restaurants.

 

[byoung]

Need the discounts.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I will still do Teppenyaki and V&A/CT even though they don't accept DDE. I will also go on some holidays when both DDE and CM Discounts are blocked out.

 

[MinnieNurse]

We went to Rainforest and paid OOP last year and have ADR's again for this year. Since you get the DDP per night and we stay 6 nights and 7 days we usually have to pay OOP for some meals anyway.

 

[D&R love Disney]

We've got the DDE and eat at Shula's on many of our trips. We eat where we want and not let discounts dictate where we eat.