Please Talk Me Into (Or Out of) the DxDDP!

We have done DDP and DDXDP - for us it worked better with the DDXDP - this way for us everyone could order whatever they wanted and we were not worried about it. While it was more that enough food, we all enjoyed... For us dinning is part of the vacation experience, and when else are you going to have all your family sitting down, eating and sharing not worrying about after school activities, homework, work, and life in general for however many nights you will be visiting for... real life doesn't afford you that time, for most families.

So I would book it and see how it works for you family... then either way you will know.
 
We went in December 2017 and had the DxDDP, boy oh boy it was way to much food. My two boy and hubby(big eaters) were sick of food after the first two days. I planned breakfast and then a signature dinner each night. i thought with only two meals a day that we would be ok but no! They would still be full from the night before lol
 
So in case you haven't figured it out...this is a very individual decision lol

With kids in tow, especially if they are big on riding rides, I would venture to say that more than one TS per day is going to be a strain on your time. Also take a good look at the menus, make sure your 10 and 12 year old would be OK eating exclusively off the adult menu - at Disney if you are on the Dining plan, your ticket level (adult vs child) dictates the menu you are allowed to order from. We opted NOT to do the dining plan because after looking at the menus of restaurants we wanted to eat at, my 10 year old wouldn't touch anything with a 10 foot pole. He's all mac & cheese and chicken nuggets. Paying OOP meant we could ensure everyone got what they wanted.
 
We have done the deluxe plan and enjoyed it on a all adult trip. I would never do it with four children. That trip revolved around eating. I agree to plan meals first and see what you need. I would make ADRs immediately. Some of your choices likely won’t be available...think BOG in particular. On almost all our many trips with kids, we ate breakfast in the room most mornings. So much easier and faster. We did do an early morning character meal or two. We are always rope drop people and grabbing a cereal bar and banana in the room just works for us. Mostly a CS lunch and sit down dinner was our plan with kids your kids ages.
 


Ok DDP supporters, I tried really hard to make the regular dining plan work for our food and wine trip next September because I want to do a few of the more expensive restaurants but I just can't seem to make the numbers work. I tried to choose really good value restaurants with the exception of California grill.

I chose most of the options listed below because there are decent vegetarian options and a good DDP value.

I do understand that being a vegetarian hurts the value but do most of you eat steak or the most expensive items on every menu?

Besides the value just not being there, I just don't think we could eat this much food. Are most of you big eaters? Do you have a ton of credits left at the end of the week? I know we would use all of the table service credits and snack credits but I'm fairy confident we would have several quick service meals left at the end of the week. I'm cheap and I know I would feel like I had to get a qs meal when I wasn't hungry so it didn't go to waste.

Here is what I came up with, if I am missing something, please let me know.


(2 quick service) Bog breakfast if we both order Mimosa's $76 $68.00 after AP discount


(2 quick service) Bog lunch I chose the least expensive & most expensive things on the menu+ 2 $9 cocktails $48 $43 after AP discount



Table services

(2 table service) 1900 park fare $116 $104 after Ap discount


(2 table service) Crystal palace $107.00 $97 after AP


(2 table service credits) California grill Chose $46 meal, $14 dessert & a $9 cocktail.

will pay my meal OOP approx $40 (added $40 to the plan cost) 69.00 $62.00 after AP discount. (Really bad value, I know)


(2 table service credits) River light dinner package $117.00 $105 after AP discount


(2 table service credits) OHana dinner $110 $99 after ap discount


(2 table service credits) undecided, ball parking a random restaurant at $110 $99 after ap discount


$677.00 for all table service meals (not including tips) & 2 qs meals at bog



12 table service credits & 2 bog qs credits= $677.00


10 qs credits did an average of $17 each. Some will be less some will be more. $170


12 snack credits worth approximately $5 each $60

2 mugs- minimal to no value as we would use them.

Total numbers

Cost if dining plan for 6 nights + the $40 for my CG meal is $952.00

The value $907.00
 
if I am missing something, please let me know.

Two things you're missing:

First, you only had 2 BoG QS credits in your final tally, but you said you were going for breakfast and lunch, so that would be 4 total for the 2 of you and bring your other QS credits down to 8 instead of 10.

Second, you don't have alcohol added to any of your buffet meals. With the DDP, you WILL get an alcoholic beverage at those meals too. Adding that in will up the value for you.

IF you're going to have an alcoholic drink at your buffet meals, I think you'll probably come out ahead even if you end up using some QS meals for snacks to take home.
 
Two things you're missing:

First, you only had 2 BoG QS credits in your final tally, but you said you were going for breakfast and lunch, so that would be 4 total for the 2 of you and bring your other QS credits down to 8 instead of 10.

Second, you don't have alcohol added to any of your buffet meals. With the DDP, you WILL get an alcoholic beverage at those meals too. Adding that in will up the value for you.

IF you're going to have an alcoholic drink at your buffet meals, I think you'll probably come out ahead even if you end up using some QS meals for snacks to take home.
Thanks you. You absolutely right!! My Mind was jumbled by the end of all the restaurant research and calculations. The value is even worse than I thought.
I didn't think of the alcohol at the buffets, that is a good point. we definitely do drink But not at every meal so at some meals I would be ordering a cocktail when I really want a Diet Coke. We tend to have a few after dinner cocktails at a bar or lounge verses 1 with dinner. To me, it's not saving money if I would have ordered it in the first place.
I was hoping I could get it to work for us because I really liked the idea of th all inclusive feel (especially for my BF who does eat meat and loves a good steak) The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that we will just charge everything to our room and pay with discounted gift cards.

I did choose a few of these restaurants because of their value and didn't pick a few I wanted because they were too cheap. That was probably a dumb thing to do.

I appreciate you taking the time to read & comment.
 


Thanks you. You absolutely right!! My Mind was jumbled by the end of all the restaurant research and calculations. The value is even worse than I thought.
I didn't think of the alcohol at the buffets, that is a good point. we definitely do drink But not at every meal so at some meals I would be ordering a cocktail when I really want a Diet Coke. We tend to have a few after dinner cocktails at a bar or lounge verses 1 with dinner. To me, it's not saving money if I would have ordered it in the first place.
I was hoping I could get it to work for us because I really liked the idea of th all inclusive feel (especially for my BF who does eat meat and loves a good steak) The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that we will just charge everything to our room and pay with discounted gift cards.

I did choose a few of these restaurants because of their value and didn't pick a few I wanted because they were too cheap. That was probably a dumb thing to do.

I appreciate you taking the time to read & comment.

I think you were working backwards. Start with the restaurants you want, adn lok at what you are inclined to order. If you would order appetizers, add them in. If not. Don't. if you liked dessert, add them. If you like wine, add one. Once you map out your dining, then look at the plan that matches the dining choices. If you choose the plan first, yuend up trying to make a plan work for you rather than lookig for a plan that matches you preference.
 
I did choose a few of these restaurants because of their value and didn't pick a few I wanted because they were too cheap. That was probably a dumb thing to do.

Completely understand. There's been a time or two I've tried to make it fit too, but the plans just don't fit the way my family eats. We're mostly QS people with a TS or two thrown in. Last trip, we had three TS and the rest QS for a 5-day trip. I never said no to ANY snack my boys wanted (even the $7 shake from 50s lounge and the $10 HUGE pretzel in Germany). We ate what we wanted and got coffee or soda when we wanted. We still ended up with an average of about $40 per person per night. Now, we don't drink alcohol and prefer water with our meals, but that's one of the reasons the dining plans just don't fit us.
 
Completely understand. There's been a time or two I've tried to make it fit too, but the plans just don't fit the way my family eats. We're mostly QS people with a TS or two thrown in. Last trip, we had three TS and the rest QS for a 5-day trip. I never said no to ANY snack my boys wanted (even the $7 shake from 50s lounge and the $10 HUGE pretzel in Germany). We ate what we wanted and got coffee or soda when we wanted. We still ended up with an average of about $40 per person per night. Now, we don't drink alcohol and prefer water with our meals, but that's one of the reasons the dining plans just don't fit us.

My nieces joined us and we are a family of 7. WE got free dining. The savings were substancial, and we have had credits for all our TS choices. OUr CS credits are probably more than we need, but we are enjoying all of our choices, and the snacks!!!! My daughter is tracking all of our spending, and will determine what our OOP would have been had we paid cash for our meals. The girls have used a few snack credits for gift mementos to bring back home. I am fine with this, becuase they are purchases rhe girls want to make, rather than making to get rid of credits.

There are a few more meals we probably would have shared, but did nto becuase we have plenty of credits to use, however I think with FD we are still way ahead. This villa with the FD is less Thant the two rooms I woud have booked with no plan.
 
I think you were working backwards. Start with the restaurants you want, adn lok at what you are inclined to order. If you would order appetizers, add them in. If not. Don't. if you liked dessert, add them. If you like wine, add one. Once you map out your dining, then look at the plan that matches the dining choices. If you choose the plan first, yuend up trying to make a plan work for you rather than lookig for a plan that matches you preference.
I am not very good at that. I may be in the minority but I have no clue what I will be in the mood to eat on September 1st of next year. If it's a cold day, I may want something warm. if it's hot, I may want a cold sandwich, I may me in the mood for a glass of wine, I might not be.
It hard enough planning the exact time & restaurant I want to eat at 180 days in advance. I'll just give my body a pep talk letting it know that it needs to be hungry when I tell it to be.
 
I am not very good at that. I may be in the minority but I have no clue what I will be in the mood to eat on September 1st of next year. If it's a cold day, I may want something warm. if it's hot, I may want a cold sandwich, I may me in the mood for a glass of wine, I might not be.
It hard enough planning the exact time & restaurant I want to eat at 180 days in advance. I'll just give my body a pep talk letting it know that it needs to be hungry when I tell it to be.

WHen I plan trips I also plan which restaurants my family will want. I also knwo what tiem they like to eat so I keep melas at that time or thereabouts. WHile I do not know exactly what any of will ultimately order, I do know that my daughter will not eat beef, my DGD loves steak if there is a filet, my husband likes steak if it is on the menu, as do I. I know that my nieces tend to order the healthiest option. I also know we like dessert. It's not exact, but I know how my family usualy dines. As to CS meals, I never worry about it. WHen I plan what dining plan I look at TS meals I have booked. If I have an over abundance of TS meals, and many are signature, I know that the regular DDP may not be practical.
 
I often find I am in the minority in this, but we do prefer the Deluxe Plan, 4 of us, me, husband, DS9 an DS14. Now yes, I do totally agree that it can be too much food. However, we like the freedom and having it covered and eating sit down or quick service, and having THREE meals per day covered instead of TWO. We do Disney differently than some, we stay longer and don't rush around to do as much as we can each day. We take mid day breaks even though no young children, so the downtime to eat isn't a minus for us. Also you are free to try Signature restaurants and not worry as much about paying something else out of pocket or running out of points.
 
I may have missed it, but is this your first trip?

Someone about 10 posts ago, mentioned the time involved not just eating, but getting to TS, waiting to be called, etc. It might be a two hour block away from rides.

When you speak of your kids need to eat three times a day plus snacks. Well, we do too, but our three meals at home are nothing like disney meals. If you look at CS, I bet your kids would be just as happy there and I'm not talking just chicken nuggets every meal.

Rereading your first post again......what do the kids eat at home for breakfast? Could you do cereal and a muffin in the room, then with the regular dining plan you have a TS and CS and snack to use during the day. You would still have the chance to sit for a while with the TS and be able to run into a CS whenever the kids got hungry.
 
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