2008 DDP discussion, questions, rants and vents

[Nancyg56]

DizWisher- I would think that what you plan to do is fine. If you are a little uneasy just explain to the hostess when you check into the restaurant. I would suggest that you consider some signature dining if you are also looking for some atmosphere. Disney is stellar when accommodating any food issues and I cannot imagine that there would be a problem if your companions ordered their meal and you had a little of theirs.

Please also head over to the DISabilities Forum for more solid advice on this and for any other concerns that you may have. The people there are far more knowledgeable that I and will be able to offer suggestions based on their own experience. I can speak to the food that I like ans the atmosphere but I am sadly ignorant to some of the obstacles that you may face while vacationing.

Whatever you decide to do, I know that Disney is magical and the CM's bent over backwards to accommodate my DGD's food allergies so I know that they will spread their magic over your family as well. Have a great time planning and make sure that you post often.

 

[DizWisher]

Thanks, Nancy. I appreciate the advice!
What foods is your DGD allergic to, if you don't mind? One of the best things about WDW (I had a Make A Wish trip when I was eight, 23 (!!!) years ago) is that they really try to accomodate disabilities. Any other park is just a bunch of rides that can't take wheelchairs. WDW rides frequently can, and they'll STOP rides if they have to so wheelchair people can transfer on. The only one I get out of my chair for will be...Soarin'! Another person on the Dis with MD like mine says that if we use the 5 point buckle and DH and CNA are on either side of me, it's safe and wonderful.
I hope your DGD got to have special, yummy vacation foods. All kids deserve treats at WDW.

DizWisher

 

[englishrose47]

Welcome to the Dis DizWisher!!

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks, Nancy. I appreciate the advice!
What foods is your DGD allergic to, if you don't mind? One of the best things about WDW (I had a Make A Wish trip when I was eight, 23 (!!!) years ago) is that they really try to accomodate disabilities. Any other park is just a bunch of rides that can't take wheelchairs. WDW rides frequently can, and they'll STOP rides if they have to so wheelchair people can transfer on. The only one I get out of my chair for will be...Soarin'! Another person on the Dis with MD like mine says that if we use the 5 point buckle and DH and CNA are on either side of me, it's safe and wonderful.
I hope your DGD got to have special, yummy vacation foods. All kids deserve treats at WDW.

DizWisher

Kady is allergic to dairy and eggs. We purchased the DDP planning to figure it out as we went along, packed peanut butter for "just in case" because we were not sure that the kids meals would have options for her. While it was not the Chef's responsibility to ensure that we were able to use the DDP to the fullest we were amazed that each one made a commitment to her that she would eat and that her options would be some that she enjoyed.

We are going to purchase the DxDDP this year because we all enjoy the atmosphere of a full meal and also because we know that in the Signature TS restaurants there will be steak on the menu and she enjoys it. If not I would share my meal with her or order her own. I really do not know that when we use it we are saving money in reality, but we have typically added on meals once we arrive because DH likes a meal at teh end of each day. (I do too)

For your family, because it is a first trip in years and because you may enjoy the Disney atmosphere, along with a "Disney type" respite, take a look at the DxDDP, check out the menus on

http://www.allearsnet.com/

to see what kind of food is offered and the atmosphere of each restaurant. You may find that while it seems like a lot of food for two people to share if you do 2 TS meals once a day and work the others out so that you get to enjoy a few restaurants for breakfast of an early nice lunch and there will not be the need to compromise. You will also see the prices and can make the determination which plan works best for your family.

 

[james'mommy]

Just wanted to woohoo. I secretly upgraded to the deluxe plan and I'm not telling DH. He'll probably kill me but it is our anniversary. Wippie off to plan more ADR's.

 

[surfboard]

yeah we are thinking about deluxe too.

 

[DizWisher]

I asked DH and the CNA (a long-time caregiver and friend, so he's....DC?) who plans to join us what they wanted to do with the DDP. We originally booked it thinking great, one less thing to remember. We thought it would be okay for two big, HUNGRY guys because I cannot eat, (due to muscular dystrophy and its complications, I am fed intravenously through a large-bore IV line perm. placed in my chest) so they can have their meals and split my meals too. At a TS, I sometimes chew food I like and spit it out (paper cups, discreetly, I promise!) just for the taste (I miss food), but a few bites is all I can handle, and most of the meal they can eat. They can just use my CS and snack however they want.
But we would still need to pay for breakfast and extra snacks. I added up the cost of the DDP plus breakfast and extras OOP, and deluxe is $400.00 cheaper. We thought we'd do a breakfast TS and then either a dinner show or a signature TS at dinner. They'd get to eat one and a half breakfasts, and then they'd have my snacks, so three snacks each, PLUS the big dinner. A dinner show will make it a little more fun for me while they eat. And this is silly, I know, but the signature restaurants will have foods I never get to taste. DH can never convince me to order a whole meal for a few bites, so I end up either not tasting stuff, or having things that are HIS taste, not mine. Our package came with meals for three, and the extra meals won't go to waste so we kept it like that. If we upgrade it, then during the trip there is a whole menu that I can order anything I want from and not think about the money or hassle, just what I like to eat. DH and DC thought that was great, since it's a special vacation. That will be an extra fun thing, going to restaurants, and choosing meals, even if I can't really "eat" them. And three courses PLUS my dinner to share, after a BIG late breakfast and snacks all day should feed even bottomless pits DH and DC.
Deluxe DDP is expensive, but it has been a long, long time since we went on a vacation. WDW was my Make-A-Wish, and I loved it; it is my dream trip to go back. Our life is sometimes very tedious and can be hard because of my disease. We want ten days that are just fun and escape. I don't want the guys to have to cook meals at the villa, and I don't want to run a tally in my head of the expenses. This way, we're all set when we get there.
I'm yapping on. Thanks for listening!
And thanks, Nancy.
Oh yeah-- now I can go to the breakfast character meals!

DizWisher
aka
Miri

 

[Nancyg56]

Miri-

The character meals are fun and if you do not need to think about the cost vs the "value" they are so worth it. For my family the characters are a part of Disney dining. Post on the restaurant forums for all kinds of opinions, the planning is part of the fun!

 

[englishrose47]

Miri You deserve to have fun! Go enjoy and taste what you want !! You will have a ball at Disney and a well deserved one !!

 

[eeyoresnr]

I know you can have pizza delivered to your rooom on the dining plan...but I have seen it say 2 Table service credits...and I have seen it say 2 Counter service credits...does anyone know which is correct? 2 table service credits seems a bit extreme

 

[bicker]

In-room pizza delivery is 2 adult Table Service credits (even if the pizza is just for children).

 

[TDC Nala]

It's apparently two counter service credits (adult credits) for a whole pizza if you pick it up from the food court yourself and don't have it delivered.

Delivery is two table service credits.

 

[micknpluto]

The other night on the local (ABC) news they did a small report on how to do WDW for less money. I knewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww they were going to mention FREE Dining!! GRRrrr. why am i so mad ? LOL why cant it be our little secret, just for us!!!??????

they're letting the world know.. lol

oh well.

 

[PrincessAli]

This is my husbands and my third year to WDW on the DP. I have read ( I think) every post on this thread and still haven't been able to fine the answer to my question. Last year we had so many snack credits left on our last day, that we stopped at GOOFY'S CANDY STORE on our way to MCO and used the leftover credits for pieces of fudge and candied apples. Does anyone know if this is still a possibility?

I have made all of my ADR's for September, but never thought to mention that we are celebrating our 45th Anniversary. Anyone know if I am able to call and ask them to add that info to our list?? I feel funny doing it on my own--for myself though.

Thanks--Ü

 

[SunShineGurl]

This is my husbands and my third year to WDW on the DP. I have read ( I think) every post on this thread and still haven't been able to fine the answer to my question. Last year we had so many snack credits left on our last day, that we stopped at GOOFY'S CANDY STORE on our way to MCO and used the leftover credits for pieces of fudge and candied apples. Does anyone know if this is still a possibility?

I have made all of my ADR's for September, but never thought to mention that we are celebrating our 45th Anniversary. Anyone know if I am able to call and ask them to add that info to our list?? I feel funny doing it on my own--for myself though.

Thanks--Ü

we stayed the first week of January this year and the new "updated" list came out the day we were at Goofy's doing the exact same thing you did. This list was pages and pages long and boiled down to snack credits are applied (for the most part) to individual serving sizes. We were able to get three decorated pretzel sticks for one credit, as well as a small package of gold chocolate Mickey "coins", as well as many other small single serving sizes of cookies and potato chips, crackers were included. The cm who waited on us commented that the sizes of allowable items were smaller than in 2007. We were putting alot of things back that had been listed in previous postings and just settled for bottles of soda and water for the trip, along with our decorated pretzel sticks (yummy).

 

[Tricia1972]

Regarding Mickey's Gold Coins, we got two packages from Studios and they are labeled fun to share, which anything labeled as such is no longer a snack credit. Not sure if it's the same with the coins at Goofy's. I'd imagine it is just because they use the same distributor for all of their coins.

 

[dgagnon519]

I would love to hear more review from people who have used the deluxe. We used the basic dining plan last year and it was not enough for my family.
I am interested in knowing what restaurants you did and how you scheduled them. Did you have to cancel some while on vacation? If you had kids how did they do with the deluxe? Another question that I guess anyone can answer would be when doing an early breakfast were you able to finish in time for opening?

 

[porknbeans]

I had the deluxe plan during our 7 day stay this last Spring. 2 adults and 2 kids (age 11 and 8). Way more food than we could eat and my family loves to eat...a lot. We ended up with extra snack credits and an extra meal credit. The great thing is that the plan gave us the flexibility to eat whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. We had meals at Cinderellas Royal Table, Mama Melrose, Maya Grill (twice), Biergarten, Tusker House, Sci-Fi Dine in Theater and Liberty Tree Tavern to name the ones that I can remember.

There are pluses and minuses to the plan. If you can afford it and want the flexibility that it can offer, go for it. If you are looking to watch your pennies a little more and still have a level of food that might have to be supplemented, then go with the basic plan. I hope that helps.

 

[racefanof88]

OK just my .02. We returned home 2 weeks ago and this was our first time on the DDP. We had the basic plan and believe me I loved all but one of the TS restaurants for which we had ADRs. Planet Hollywood was a BIG disappointment. Now, that being said. I won't do the dining plan again. This was my family's 11th trip since 1999 and it was by far my least favorite. I felt so tied to these ADRs that all I did was watch my watch. You are told to be at your ADRs 20 minutes early, plus you have to count in travel time, then you have to wait to be seated, then wait for the service, then the food, then the dessert, then the check. I tried very hard to plan my ADRs so I could be in the right place at the right time but, it never seemed to work out. I probably should not have tried the ddp due to the fact that I have such picky eaters but, you live and you learn. Next year it will be eat at some of the same good restaurants but, only if they have openings at the time I am in that park and ready to eat.

The cost of the regular plan is not bad, not bad at all but honestly it was still too much food for my family of, what I thought, BIG eaters.

Maybe I didn't plan well enough but, I planned for months. We didn't even get to go to HS this year and missed way too much. We are more of a park family than a restaurant family. We are perfectly happy with counter service food.

 

[Nancyg56]

Maybe I didn't plan well enough but, I planned for months. We didn't even get to go to HS this year and missed way too much. We are more of a park family than a restaurant family. We are perfectly happy with counter service food.

Your plans were probably fine, it was the plan that did not work for you.
For my family the dining is part of the fun, and we also enjoy the travel time. Yep, we are that family most DIS'ers feel badly for because we never get the most bang for our passes .

If you and ADR"s are not friends and you don't enjoy what goes into getting to the restaurant , it really is best to pass on what savings there is to using teh plan and enjoy your vacation your way.