My brain hurts...need help with DDP

[dreamfinder]

We were playing around with the idea of rather than doing to DDP, getting a Disney gift card with $700 on it and use that like a dining plan. - Has anyone ever done something like that before?

That is an often suggested method to counter the "I like having all my dining pre-paid, even if I lose money" argument. There are also people that save all their receipts and do a post trip comparison to see how accurate their pre-trip maths were.

 

[belledream]

We were playing around with the idea of rather than doing to DDP, getting a Disney gift card with $700 on it and use that like a dining plan. - Has anyone ever done something like that before?

We keep a coin jar and deposit it in the bank before the trip. We also just keep mental notes of any big savings, like $100 off a purchase or something along those lines, to just keep in mind that it can go towards Disney. If you know you're going to be back at Disney in the near future, put it on a Disney Gift Card to make it fun. If you're not so sure, just keep it in the bank and use it as cushion on your trip. That way you don't have excess money left over on a card that can only be used at Disney, when it could be in the bank.

 

[Figaro928]

That is an often suggested method to counter the "I like having all my dining pre-paid, even if I lose money" argument. There are also people that save all their receipts and do a post trip comparison to see how accurate their pre-trip maths were.

Yeah... i think my math is mostly accurate - but it's hard to gage how much we - especially my kids- will eat. I think my "not on the DDP" are decent, but I'd hate to come to find out that we spent over what we would have paid for the DDP - especially while depriving ourselves of dessert with every meal

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

We never spend 18 for a quick service, and there are many meals that are big enough to share. My daughter and I share a lot of the time. Even at San Angel Inn, we get the most delicious chicken dish that comes with two chicken and enough rice to share and get full. At lunch, that dish has been around 19.00. She drinks water and I drink soda and it ends up with tip being less than 15.00 each for a really nice meal. We also share at several qs. We can share the baked chicken at Cosmic Rays and only cost us, with drink, around 7.00 each. Sometimes we get the child's portion at qs. That saves us tons. Plus, we have Tables in Wonderland. We also share the bountiful platters which really cuts down on the cost of breakfast. There are just so many meals moderate eaters can share. We also prefer to waste our dessert calories on really good desserts, not the qs type of desserts. We half an amazing sundae at Beaches and Cream. We also half cupcakes at Staring Rolls. They are big enough for two. By sharing, we get to get a much larger variety of desserts without as many calories. Staring Rolls also had huge sandwiches. They are more than enough for two.
Big eaters,who do dessert at every meal and character meals, might do well on the dining plan.

 

[dreamfinder]

We never spend 18 for a quick service, and there are many meals that are big enough to share.

Nor do we. (Only time I've ever had a CS dessert was when a CM gave one for free as we had to wait 10 minutes for our food at Cosmic Rays and he felt bad) But it you eat at BOG for lunch, get the Tuna Nicoise ($13.49), cupcake ($4.19) and fountain soda ($2.99). Which works out to $20.67 or so. Which is what many people who try to maximize their dining plan value will do. Even though they would rather have the veggie quiche @$9.49 and share a soda with their dining parter (1/2 $2.99) for a total of $11, they feel compelled to do it.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

But if I'm on the DDP, I'll be looking for the more expensive items and the most bang for my buck - plus the trip will be that much more decadent.

You have to make it work for you (or there's no point in even considering it). If there's only $3 between the cost of DDP and the cheapest menu items, then you need to plan your meals thoroughly.
We're fortunate as our 2015 trip come with free DP

 

[LAM378]

My husband nor I ever drink soda - only water, but he's a morning coffee drinker.

Most (all?) resorts have a coffee maker in the room, but if this isn't desirable for whatever reason and he's going to purchase coffee at the hotel each morning, buy your husband a refillable mug for $17.99. Individual cups of coffee are $2.89 a pop. As long as he buys 1 cup of coffee a day (and let's face it, 1 cup isn't enough), it pays for itself.

Sharing CS meals is the way to go. WDW food is expensive, but the portions are huge across the board. I have a big appetite-- especially for "vacation food"--but I can easily share WDW meals. Last month, traveling with my 5yo and another adult, we'd typically order like this at a CS: one combo meal with fries, another meal entree only (no fries), kids meal with 2 sides (typically the choices are applesauce/grapes/yogurt/cookie/fries). We'd all easily share the one pile of fries, and the kids meal sides would get saved for when my son got hungry and crabby later. And we still all had trouble cleaning our plates.

I'm all about bottled water at home but the free CS water tastes just fine to me, so keep that in mind as another cost-saving measure. Happy planning!

 

[Nemo14]

Most (all?) resorts have a coffee maker in the room, but if this isn't desirable for whatever reason and he's going to purchase coffee at the hotel each morning, buy your husband a refillable mug for $17.99. Individual cups of coffee are $2.89 a pop. As long as he buys 1 cup of coffee a day (and let's face it, 1 cup isn't enough), it pays for itself.

Sharing CS meals is the way to go. WDW food is expensive, but the portions are huge across the board. I have a big appetite-- especially for "vacation food"--but I can easily share WDW meals. Last month, traveling with my 5yo and another adult, we'd typically order like this at a CS: one combo meal with fries, another meal entree only (no fries), kids meal with 2 sides (typically the choices are applesauce/grapes/yogurt/cookie/fries). We'd all easily share the one pile of fries, and the kids meal sides would get saved for when my son got hungry and crabby later. And we still all had trouble cleaning our plates.

I'm all about bottled water at home but the free CS water tastes just fine to me, so keep that in mind as another cost-saving measure. Happy planning!

Just a correction - the value resorts do not have coffee pots- moderates and deluxe do.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

That is true except for the suites at AoA. They do have coffee pots.

 

[Figaro928]

SO.... after template after template, spread sheet after spread sheet, and basically figuring out whould my entire family would be eating 6 months from now, my husband say, "Honey, we are going to be on vacation... let's eat like pigs & not worry about the cost" He wants to, without even seeing all my numbers, go on the DDP! I'm dumbfounded - he is the most frugal money managing, coupon clipping, tight wad I've ever come across. PLus he's an engineer, so his brain works only in templates and spread sheets. WIth my husband nothing in our house is bought with out finding a better price online and reading every single review given. I'm the impulse buyer, the "throw it on a credit card and worry about it later" kind of attitude. (we joke that everytime i leave a store I look like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb And Dumber) He is always the ying to my yang - and now he out-yanged me!!! But we are DDPing it up in March!!!!


For reference - this is me....

 

[LT647226]

That is an often suggested method to counter the "I like having all my dining pre-paid, even if I lose money" argument. There are also people that save all their receipts and do a post trip comparison to see how accurate their pre-trip maths were.

A few years ago we went to WDW and paid $900 for the dining plan (just three people, 1 week).
The next year we went to WDW and paid cash for all meals, snacks, etc. We ate all the same places. I kept all the receipts.... total was only $770.

It is not only less money to pay cash, but it's easier - the dining plan forces restrictions and complications (meals vs snacks, not all restaurants accept the dining plan, etc).

We are going to WDW later this year... we will pay cash for food.