I didn't listen and you were right...

[TJA]

Sorry OP, I know what it's like doing a dining plan and feeling just like you did. Our very first experience was the regular DDP and we thought it was way too much food and time.

So the weird thing is we tried the Deluxe plan a couple years later and we LOVED it! I think the difference was that we could do a 2-credit signature meal or 2-credit show each night (Poly Luau and FW Hoop de doo) which I really wanted to experience as a family. We have some of our best memories from that trip. For the 1-credit meal, we mostly did character meals since my kids were at the perfect age, either a late breakfast or early lunch. We had a ton of free time each afternoon/early evening to use snack credits, but unfortunately I didn't do enough research on snacks and had a ton leftover so we bought take-home snacks before leaving (which was fine but not really desirable).

At the end of this month, we are going back in time and trying just the regular DDP again and I have the TS and QS booked/thought out with no problem, but this time I know to use snacks on lots of daily slushies/smoothies which my kids love and probably a daily stop at Starbucks too. Also, we'll use snack credits in the mornings at the Marketplace at BC for breakfast items such as Yoplait, side dish of scrambled eggs, etc. So in reality, I'm wondering if we'll have enough snack credits this time around - Lol.

 

[Christine]

Sorry OP, I know what it's like doing a dining plan and feeling just like you did. Our very first experience was the regular DDP and we thought it was way too much food and time.

So the weird thing is we tried the Deluxe plan a couple years later and we LOVED it! I think the difference was that we could do a 2-credit signature meal or 2-credit show each night (Poly Luau and FW Hoop de doo) which I really wanted to experience as a family. We have some of our best memories from that trip. For the 1-credit meal, we mostly did character meals since my kids were at the perfect age, either a late breakfast or early lunch. We had a ton of free time each afternoon/early evening to use snack credits, but unfortunately I didn't do enough research on snacks and had a ton leftover so we bought take-home snacks before leaving (which was fine but not really desirable).

At the end of this month, we are going back in time and trying just the regular DDP again and I have the TS and QS booked/thought out with no problem, but this time I know to use snacks on lots of daily slushies/smoothies which my kids love and probably a daily stop at Starbucks too. Also, we'll use snack credits in the mornings at the Marketplace at BC for breakfast items such as Yoplait, side dish of scrambled eggs, etc. So in reality, I'm wondering if we'll have enough snack credits this time around - Lol.

I just did the DDP and also was left with too many snack credits. The heat was one factor. Just not hungry. I could have gotten things like smoothies or drinks; however, most of them ended up being way to sweet for us to do with any regularity. My DH enjoyed the Frozen Lemonade at AK but even that got too syrupy sweet for me. My biggest issue, though, was that I am one of those people that really feels like they have to "maximize" the plan. There was no way I was getting a bottle of water with my snack credit. If I wasn't getting a $5+ "snack" I felt like I was ripping myself off!! It's all psychological I know. Then, when I did find expensive snacks I was just too full from my counter service or the dinner I had the night before. We ended up using 8 snack credits when we left at the Contempo Cafe on some HUGE danishes and some of their wonderful cupcakes. The cupcakes I popped in the cooler and have enjoyed over the past two days. The danishes and muffins we ate on the 12 hour drive home. I'm not a danish/muffin person so this was a real treat for me and, I have to say, they were really high quality.

 

[Nancyg56]

I just did the DDP and also was left with too many snack credits. The heat was one factor. Just not hungry. I could have gotten things like smoothies or drinks; however, most of them ended up being way to sweet for us to do with any regularity. My DH enjoyed the Frozen Lemonade at AK but even that got too syrupy sweet for me. My biggest issue, though, was that I am one of those people that really feels like they have to "maximize" the plan. There was no way I was getting a bottle of water with my snack credit. If I wasn't getting a $5+ "snack" I felt like I was ripping myself off!! It's all psychological I know. Then, when I did find expensive snacks I was just too full from my counter service or the dinner I had the night before. We ended up using 8 snack credits when we left at the Contempo Cafe on some HUGE danishes and some of their wonderful cupcakes. The cupcakes I popped in the cooler and have enjoyed over the past two days. The danishes and muffins we ate on the 12 hour drive home. I'm not a danish/muffin person so this was a real treat for me and, I have to say, they were really high quality.

We like to take some treats home too. Cupcakes woudl be great if we were driving!!!

I plan to get a few of those baggies trail mix things if we ahve any left. My nieces have a long flight back through Montreal, so snacks will be a cheaper than in the airport. I would enjoy them as well waiting for our flight.

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

I read a blog that suggested getting the DxDP for a 2 night stay for 2 adults, spreading the meals out over 3 days (you can use credits until midnight on your checkout day) and doing 2 signature and 2 TS. If you spread it over 3 days, the time factor and massive amount of food become less of an issue. Apparently you can save a lot of $ this way, depending on where you go and what you order.

The other time I considered getting DxDP it was for when we go with my 2.5 year old son who is a big eater. He is too young to get on the meal plan, so the DxDP would be 9 meal credits per day for my family of 4. We usually order him his own meals so assuming we went to TS restaurants that aren't buffets, over 5 days we could do 2 TS restaurants per day and 1 TS the day we leave and would use all the credits.

But in the end I thought about how huge I would feel after eating my way though 9 sit down meals in 5 days. @gillep that pufferfish pic is spot on! We actually decided to go the other way and pay out of pocket. Now we won't be eating extra just for the sake of "value", we'll be saving $ by eating lightly. The scale and my wallet will both be happier this way!

 

[Inga]

We won’t be using the DDP but have heard for those liking everything pre paid before you trip, a worry free vacation with everything predictably paid for, it works.

 

[Haygar2]

It's funny because I'm kicking around the DxDDP. Actually it's what I have booked. I plan on breakfast and then snack for lunch and signature for dinner. And then the wheels started turning in my little brain. We have 2 rooms booked. One with my name and the other with my daughter since she is 19 (will be 20 when we go). Anyway...I currently have the Deluxe plan for both rooms. I'm thinking of changing the other room to the regular dining plan. We enjoy appetizers, but I think that 4 appetizers for the table is too many. 2 for the 4 of us would be perfect. There are a couple of QS (Captain Cooks for one..I need my pulled pork nachos) so I think the other room have the QS options will work. We can use those for a couple of days.

 

[goofy4prez]

Since they have now added alcohol to the DDP I highly doubt I will use it again unless I book during a free dining promotion. I don't drink alcohol and don't care to drink fancy non alcoholic foo foo drinks in it's place. With that said, when I used to use the DDP, I always went with the DxDP and found it to work out very well for us. We would always do a signature restaurant for dinner and either a late breakfast or an early lunch. We enjoy the fine dining and never felt like out vacation revolved around restaurants.

 

[GillianP1301]

I've loved the DxDP the 3 times we've done it. Each time it's on free dining and I only pay the upgrade. Plus, my son was under 10 and ordering off the adult menu the majority of the time, so it was very easy to get our money's worth. I never had too much of a problem with it being too much food, but I'm not a clean your plate type eater. I did feel like it cut into some good snacking though and that would probably be my only real negative about it. This year, I am trying a combination of regular DDP + OOP, since my son is now 10 and going to see how that works out for us.

There is no right or wrong answer to whether the deluxe plan or regular plan or no plan is the right thing to do, it's very situational for each family. For the OP, at least now you know for next time that the deluxe plan isn't for you.

 

[kniquy]

the DxDP is waaaaaayyyyy too much food.

It certainly is and even the one time we did the regular dining plan we thought it was too much and it was difficult keeping track of credits. One time the deluxe plan can make sense is if you are traveling with others in a separate room and one room gets the plan and you share the credits. otherwise Just between the amount of food and time spent in restaurants the deluxe plan doesn't make sense.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

We eat 3 meals a day at home and on vacation, but I think the DxDDP becomes too much because each person is getting appetizers and desserts. When we eat out normally, we would order one app, at most, for the table, and we are likely to share dessert as well, if we happen to want to splurge.

 

[Christine]

One thing I've heard and I didn't analyze it out was that you should not use DDP table service credits at signature restaurants. Apparently a horrible use of credits. Can't find it now but each credit is valued at a certain amount (unofficially of course) and when you double them up to use at signature, you're really worsening their value. Since one room has DxDP, I'm assuming you will dining at signature?

 

[Nancyg56]

One thing I've heard and I didn't analyze it out was that you should not use DDP table service credits at signature restaurants. Apparently a horrible use of credits. Can't find it now but each credit is valued at a certain amount (unofficially of course) and when you double them up to use at signature, you're really worsening their value. Since one room has DxDP, I'm assuming you will dining at signature?

This trip no one in my traveling party has DxDDP. I look at the cost of the food in total, not just at individual credits value. So for instance, this trip I know that there are 7 of us, and with the exception of my DGD all of us can have an alcoholic beverage at meals. We most likely will, and though my DD will likely skip hers at lunch, as will probably my DH, we will take them if they are in cans, or if DSIL and I or my nieces want a second. (We will) We plan to use all of our snack credits, and since this is the trip of the "snacks that got away" they will have a decent value and will replace breakfast for most of us, and will be fillers between lunch and dinner. The average of the snacks DD and DSIL have chosen for their elusive snacks will amount to $12 per day per person. (Who knew that funnel cakes and waffles with topping, or mac and cheese with BBQ stuff was a snack?) We also use all our CS meals, and we do enjoy beverages with them. Again that adds a value to each meal, especially now that I can have a glass of wine or some special drink where offered. YUM!

THe TS credits as well, add up for us, and we use them all. In fact we always are over because of signature dining choices. I will look at overall choices at or meals and try to make the best decision as to OOP meals. I had thought we would share at a few, however I was informed yesterday that my bottomless pit of a DSIL and my hungry DGD eat all their dinner. Okay.

Anyway, of the meals we book, I will choose the least expensive as our OOP. Right now I am waffling at the CP at Coral Reef. I think it is the one to pay OOP however I will decide what we pay once we are there. If anyone orders a turkey sandwich or an inexpensive pasta dish, the credit will not be used, and we pay for that one. All in all, I refuse to get too invested in what my family orders once we get there, becuase as I said, I look at DIning the same way I look at WDW package prices. I break it down initiallly, but after that it is the total cost of the trip I accept. The DDP will break even at least for us, no matter we use the credits at signature or not, because of the rest of the choices we make.

 

[Pyxie]

We're first timers (unless you count my trip with a dance troupe in college) we're going with the middle dining plan. Not to save money necessarily, but to prepay as much as possible for convenience. I have some big eaters in my family too. Sharing meals and such to save money just isn't something we'd do. I'm also used to cruising where most of your food is included and I like being able to try different things.

 

[Nancyg56]

We're first timers (unless you count my trip with a dance troupe in college) we're going with the middle dining plan. Not to save money necessarily, but to prepay as much as possible for convenience. I have some big eaters in my family too. Sharing meals and such to save money just isn't something we'd do. I'm also used to cruising where most of your food is included and I like being able to try different things.

We often share becuase I cannot stand to throw food out, however I was informed that this trip there is no one to share dinners with. I guess my DSIL will just finish any leftovers! LOL!!!

 

[angierae]

The one time we did DXDP we did signatures every night for dinner, but it was five adults and a 15 year old.

 

[Bekahcc]

the DxDP is waaaaaayyyyy too much food. And I say that as a big eater/food lover who eats even more on vacations. We struggled to use all of the credits, not to mention the snacks (lots of bottles of water, which I know are a terrible value) and to get value from what you pay you need to mostly eat TS, which takes way too much time out of your day (as you also told me, and I didn't listen). I am not new to Disney but that was our first dining plan in nearly 10 years and we will not be getting one again!
I will say - if all you want is character meals/buffets, the dining plan probably is right for you. We did the Fantasmic package at Hollywood and Vine one day - the food was absolutely awful and the bill, without the dining plan, would have been $250. For four people. I just laughed when I saw the bill - absolute robbery. Akershus was much better but again, $200 for breakfast if we hadn't had the dining plan.

Thanks for sharing tour experience... this was helpful to read!

 

[mster425]

the one time we (prekids DH &I) did DxDP we also got a magical free upgrade to concierge level. Of course we also felt we had to go to the lounge for apps and breakfast in addition to our other meals. I really like eating but we were always. eating. everything. Never again.

 

[cruiser21]

We used to get the dxdp every trip. We ate signatures everynight. This was back when it was the reasonably priced It cost us 200 dollars total for 2 adult and two kids. We also would get the wine package for 30 dollars a night. It made for a nice trip. I would never buy it at today’s prices.

 

[bumbershoot]

This guy!!! This is how I saw myself by day 3.

That’s awesome.

Also, how I feel even without a dining plan when on a trip. I tend to do one table and one quick service meal a day, and maybe A drink, and maybe an ice cream bar back at the room, but that plus all the water I drink I just feel awful a few days in. Vacation-eating is hard for me.

 

[Sparkly]

We had the standard DDP in September, and my goodness, it felt like we were ALWAYS eating!! I was groaning at the thought of any more meals by the end and ended up taking home tons of bags of sweets and trail mix.

I also hated ADRs and hated how our plans in the evening revolved around them so I couldn't take a break in the afternoon. I can't wait to do the QSDP in February and eat when we want to eat!!