Ok, so I did the math...

[septbaby]

Yeah we have two rooms, but under one code (military 40%) since we are all under one code, I wonder if one of our rooms can use the dining at the other can go without it? I will have to call and ask about that and see, if not we will all have to sit down and see if we can work something out. Thanks for the info though, I didn't even think having one of our rooms on the DP and one off was an option.

As long as they are separate rooms it shouldn't be a problem. They are open today, call and put your mind at ease.

 

[tamclan]

How old is your niece? When we out (especially at Disney) my DGD(5) hardly eats. There is so much else going on that gets her attention.

My niece was 8 at the time. Clearly old enough to know better.

She basically drank her beverage milk/soda and was full. But that goes through you and thus hungry 1 - 2 hours after we left restaurant.

My sister let her get away with it and while I don't agree that doesn't mean I am right. So I bit my tongue.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

To the previous poster who asked how you do the math, this is what we do. We right down where we plan to eat. We pull up the menus and act as if we are there, and each place our order. Actually, my family loves to do this, it is one of the best parts of planning. We pretend if we were dining that day what would we order. Then we figure that for each of us, all meals. We get a very good idea of how much we would save that way. I suggest doing it over a couple of evenings or weekend. It really is fun. Even now that we go with the DDP without doing the math, we still sometimes do it just for fun.

We always use every single TS, I have them all figured months ahead of time so taht is not an issue. We do sometimes have a few CS left in the end, but we always get food to take with us, they never go unused.

 

[ofhs93]

I didn't catch exactly WHEN you were planning on going. This is what *we* ended up doing and it worked PERFECTLY. We went with the QSDP and used our $200 gift card to pay for 2 character meals. The "left over" CS credits were used for a hot breakfast on 3 or our days (we are not big bfast eaters normally) We used the many snack credits to eat bfast on the other days and STILL had a ton of snacks at the end that we pigged out on and brought some stuff home with us. BTW....this was WITH a 2.5 year old who we split food with...and he eats as much as the 4 year old does.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

I just "did the math" for our family on the DxDDP. We are coming out way ahead even after we deduct the tips will be paying.

We are going this May. It will be myself, my dd (7), and our cousin (12). If it were just my dd and I we would probably break even but adding in our cousin who is very much a grwoing boy and can eat a lot we are going to come out ahead.

 

[Melora]

SO I went back and was doing the math for upcoming trip.

I wrote down all the places we want to eat and I realized that we will want to eat at the new Trex cafe in DTD so that will mean we will either have to skip a credit someplace and try to use it up.

But the biggest thing I figured out is that our 9 year old will be have just turned 10 a week before the trip and that means I go from paying $11 a day for her to eat to $40. She is so tiny and eats so little that that nixes the plan right there. She rarely finishes her meal (thus my zeal for taking along ziploc baggies) so having to order her an adult meal is ridiculous.

 

[JoanneNC]

I will say the debate to DP or not is aways an internal frustration

We did the DxDDP on our 1st trip and loved not caring what we ordered and having so many signature meals and Character meals. It was all paid for and when all said and done - I don't know or care if there was or wasn't savings.

Then my next trip was spur of the moment - 4 days advance notice so we OOP everything and OUCH was it painful signing some of those receipts BUT it was nice to have the option to order what we wanted. DS loves seafood and sushi so not be on the plan allowed him, even at 6 to enjoy real food.

June trip is staying off site - I know, but its going to be OK..lol

December trip we are funding a Grand Gathering for DH's family and I am very torn with what to do. I originally wanted the DDXP so there was no worries and all prepaid. Well - under the military 40% room discount - they aren't allowing us to pay for DxDDP just the regular (ARGH!!!). So I am torn. His parents won't enjoy many CS meals at all and will prefer the relaxation of TS meals and we definitely wanted to do many of the nicer ones. So that would require a lot of OOP in addition to the DDP. DMIL is a very picky eater and I can see her wanting nothing more but chicken nuggets and a fancy desert. Well that's kinda challenging under any dining plan. I just didn't want to cringe every time the most expensive meal was ordered (if I was paying OOP). For some mental reason - prepaying for the DxDPP is easier to swallow then slow and gradual pains at every meal..lol

Heck - I even contemplated adding additional kids to the room reservations for additional meal credits - thinking that would be cheaper then paying OOP for all the extra TS.

Because there will be 10 of us and because we also like our adult drinks - I am actually leaning towards the purchase of an AP soley for the discount card. I figured I can use it during my summer off site trip and save on my meals and parking them and forgo the DDP in December and just take the 20% or basically free tip on those meals...

Problem would be solved if Disney would just allow us to buy the DxDDP plan.
Oh another positive plug for the DP's in general - HOLIDAY surcharges

Sorry to be so long winded - as you can see I am not sure what I want to do...Feel free to share opinions or advice as I am turning into MUSH

 

[JoanneNC]

SO I went back and was doing the math for upcoming trip.

I wrote down all the places we want to eat and I realized that we will want to eat at the new Trex cafe in DTD so that will mean we will either have to skip a credit someplace and try to use it up.

But the biggest thing I figured out is that our 9 year old will be have just turned 10 a week before the trip and that means I go from paying $11 a day for her to eat to $40. She is so tiny and eats so little that that nixes the plan right there. She rarely finishes her meal (thus my zeal for taking along ziploc baggies) so having to order her an adult meal is ridiculous.

Many would say that she was still 9 years old....It's so hard when the difference is days...

 

[Melora]

Many would say that she was still 9 years old....It's so hard when the difference is days...

If I could I would say she was 9. Since she eats so little and would never eat an adult meal and I think its ridiculous for Disney to charge a 10 year to eat like an adult. Maybe starting at 13 but 10 is pushing it. BUT we have gone to WDW many times and they have all our information. SO when I set up the trip they simply transfered all of our information to the new reservation and it says she is going to be 10.

 

[dogodisney]

My niece was 8 at the time. Clearly old enough to know better.

She basically drank her beverage milk/soda and was full. But that goes through you and thus hungry 1 - 2 hours after we left restaurant.

My sister let her get away with it and while I don't agree that doesn't mean I am right. So I bit my tongue.

I agree with you that she's old enough to sit down and eat.

Sometimes it is better to bite your tongue then make waves since parents can be very protective of their children.

 

[brandylouwho]

Yeah I thought about the QS plan, but after much consideration my group would rather do 1 TS than several CS meals. It seems like if we do on TS meal as our big meal, and have a snack (either something we buy at Disney or things we bring along to have in the room) we'd be okay and that's pretty much what we are used to anyway.

I think the biggest problem for me is that some of our party (we have 6 people) want the DP and some don't. I am still trying to crunch the numbers and see what I can come up with.

If anyone has a family of people who are not big eaters throughout the day can you tell me if you found the DP to be way to much food or did you adapt to it fairly well?

Well, I can only comment on our family experience, but we didn't really like the DDPfor our situation. It was too much food and even though we don't go commando style. A TS every day + a full CS meal was too much food. It was also too much planning, too much time away from the parks or swimming or whatever. We normally are big eaters at home, but the hot summer in FL was a great appetite suppresant I guess.

This year we are going with another family & doing a split stay between resorts & we are considering the DDP for 1/2 the trip. When I crunch the numbers of what we'd normally eat...we seem to save some, so may just give it a try again. (BTW Hubby and I often think a long weekend at WDW on the DDP would be a fun adults only trip--so we aren't DDP haters, but I am cynical, Disney makes money from this or they wouldn't offer it/push it. I wonder how many credits are left unused, especially by the non-Disser crowd--you know, the ones who haven't researched everything to death).

But, as soon as we have an over tired kid or someone gets sick and we have to miss a TS meal, that value plummets. This did happen to us this year (but thankfully we were not on the DDP).

I also think some people are better at making plans & sticking to them, my family is more go with the flow...and like the ability to change our minds (numerous times).

 

[sarahk0204]

What a strange statement.... I feel like the kids get the better savings.

I do too. It seems to me that kid TS meals alone are often more than $9.99 or $10.99 or whatever the daily cost is.

 

[DisneyBabies]

We are taking DS4 for his birthday (and FIRST trip) in 10 days ! We are getting the DxDDP, but I really don't think we will be too stuffed with food or wasting time eating instead of doing the parks. We have an early breakfast (7:30-8 am) scheuled each morning and a mid to late dinner (6:30-8 pm) each evening. Both of my kids are early risers, so I don't expect any trouble getting DS out the door each morning (although DH is another matter entirely ). And nearly all of our breakfasts are scheduled for before park opening. We usually eat dinner around 5 pm, so I figure DS may need a quick lunch on some days; otherwise we will use our snack credits to get junk food which we don't get much of at home. I am not sure how some people eat three TS meals a day, but there is no way I could do it. And we are the type of family that we will eat the same things on the DDP or off.

The reason we love the DDP so much isn't because we save money using it (although we do save money or at least break even), we love it because it is all paid in advance and, as some of the pp's stated, I don't have to freak out about the price of an entree because it is already paid for no matter what I order. I do plan on keeping track of how much our meals are so I can see if we saved any money when we get back, but that isn't the main attraction for us.

To everyone who can use the DDP: Have a great time and enjoy your meals . For those the DDP doesn't work out for: Have a great time and enjoy your meals .

 

[MainStMandy]

I agree with those that say it's also about convienence. Sometimes it's NOT just the money you save. This will be my dbf's first trip since he was a child. The ddp was important to us because he wants to try everything. It's important to me because he is cheap, lol. Seriously it is going to be so nice to not have to think about how much everything is because it's all "paid" for. Even if I break even, so what? I use the ddp EVERY trip and I love it, even without gratuties and apps.

 

[septbaby]

What a strange statement.... I feel like the kids get the better savings.

I do too. It seems to me that kid TS meals alone are often more than $9.99 or $10.99 or whatever the daily cost is.

No FAMILIES are getting the break. Most restaurants, offer a low priced, even low profit kids meal in hopes that it drives the parents in. That is the whole premise of Happy Meals as well as the link to the movie gadgets. How many of us have been pushed to the Drive thru or to "kids night" at our local fast food joint for the "gotta have toy", remember Pokeman night at Burger King?

 

[summermac]

If I could I would say she was 9. Since she eats so little and would never eat an adult meal and I think its ridiculous for Disney to charge a 10 year to eat like an adult. Maybe starting at 13 but 10 is pushing it. BUT we have gone to WDW many times and they have all our information. SO when I set up the trip they simply transfered all of our information to the new reservation and it says she is going to be 10.

They have her birthdate?
And I agree - age 10 being classified as an adult on the DDP is definitely pushing it.

 

[smiths02]

8 % seems like a good savings for me. I clip coupons to save 50 cents on a box of cereal, so it is worth it to me to save a little.

We have 4 adults going (and a 2 year old....so the extra desserts and snacks may come in handy to feed him rather than having to buy extra meals). Anyhow, I calculated ordering an AVERAGE priced meal and drink at every restaurant (counter and table) that we wanted to go to even if there were no DDP (mostly character buffets), and even before adding desserts and snacks (which we might not use all if we were paying OOP), we are at the break even point. So if I order a more expensive meal or would want a snack or want to use a snack to make my meal big enough to share with my 2 year old, then I have saved a few dollars a day.

HOWEVER, I must admit that we could eat much less expensively at WDW. I think it comes down to style. I don't vacation to eat filet and lobster everyday, but I also don't vacation once every 3 years to eat a Slim-Fast bar for breakfast and share a hamburger and fries between 4 people and then eat at Golden Corral 10 miles away for dinner.

I also see how if you had children of a certain age, a sit down meal can be a hassle. But I am not walking around a park for 10 hours with a 2 year old in June anyhow, and he is at the age to enjoy the character stuff.

 

[Suellen]

I am so surprised that people think a sit down meal with a small child is a hassle. I am actually quite confused by that.

I find it a hassle to try and find a place to sit, have one adult stand in line and try to carry everything to the table and find the family, even worse is Cosmic Rays (which we love btw) that has three different Pods for food... so the adult that stays may have to wait in up to three lines.

Sitting at a table as a family and having someone else do the running around is WAY better IMO!

 

[sandym718]

I am so surprised that people think a sit down meal with a small child is a hassle. I am actually quite confused by that.

I find it a hassle to try and find a place to sit, have one adult stand in line and try to carry everything to the table and find the family, even worse is Cosmic Rays (which we love btw) that has three different Pods for food... so the adult that stays may have to wait in up to three lines.

Sitting at a table as a family and having someone else do the running around is WAY better IMO!

LOL, I agree! I just want to sit and not do the work - that's vacation!! 2-3x/day would be too much for me, too much time away from the rides, but once a day - perfect!

 

[disney4us2002]

I am so surprised that people think a sit down meal with a small child is a hassle. I am actually quite confused by that.

I get what you're saying and I actually agree but I'm sure you know those families where the parents never tell their kids "no" and don't expect their children to be able to sit still and be quiet for 45+ minutes, much less actually eat at a table. I wish I didn't know families like that as it drives me batty to be around them and one is a family member. I'm very fine with those families choosing not to have a TS meal a day and really hope that we're in the restaurant they're avoiding, lol.