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View Full Version : DDE vs. DDP



Goofy Pluto
04-09-2007, 12:14 PM
Hi everyone.

OK, so my wife and I are planning our trip and we are considering a lot of options right now, including the possibility of getting APs and going twice in the next year.

One of the questions I had was the DDE vs the DDP. Is the DDE a better deal? It would seem like it would be. 20% off every meal would be better than the total for the DDP, I think. Am I wrong? Anyone have any knowledge or experience to let me know which is a better deal? Thanks.

DizneyRox
04-09-2007, 12:43 PM
It's not 20% off every meal, it's 20% most table service restaurants. I haven't been to a place that doesn't take the DDE, but I hear there are a few.

That's a huge difference if you eat mostly at counter service establishments.

The 20% does include your total bill though, including drinks.

KylesMom
04-09-2007, 12:48 PM
It is important to note that the 20% applies to participating table service locations. The 20% discount also applies to various resort food courts where they do not have a table service location. One other place which deviates is Animal Kingdom, where they do not have a table service restaurant at this time.

We have found the DDE to be extremely valuable since we eat at participating restaurants at least once per day, and we also appreciate a few adult beverages with our meals.

Which plan is better - the DDP or the DDE? It depends upon the time of year you are going, and what promotions are running. For instance, you may get free dining but have to pay rack rates for the room. On the flip side, you may get a substantial A/P discount for the room which would easily pay for your DDE card plus daily meal charges. It really depends upon your eating habits and the times you are planning to go. In other words, no easy answer to this one!

tyandskyesmom
04-09-2007, 01:25 PM
Just to add...

It also depends upon how you eat? Do each of the people in your party usually (or would they enjoy for a change) order an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert? In our family we don't so if we were talking money wise, the DDE has been a better deal in the past for us. And, do you want to take the time out for all those TS meals. ON a normal trip, we do not eat at many TS places so for us to stop and many an "appointment" for 2 hours of our day would be out of the norm. We wold normally grab a $30.00 CS dinner rather than a $100.00 TS dinner. So with the DDE, you get the discount on your bill but only have to get what you want....they really are very different.

Just something to think about.

Goofy Pluto
04-09-2007, 01:33 PM
Oh! So the DDE does not include CS? Hmm... we really are probably more CS people than TS, although we'll usually do some TS meals, as well. So would the DDE not be worth it for us? Can you still do the DDP with an AP? This is getting confusing!

tyandskyesmom
04-09-2007, 01:47 PM
Ok, when in the fall are you going? If you fall into free dining...take the DDP and rack rates.

If not, and you are staying at Pop (as you signature says) you may want to consider the AP and DDE. Basically, DDE is 20% off your whole bill for up to 10 people including alcoholic drinks not including tip. It is good for most TS places. It is also good at all of the value hotel food courts (because they have no TS places), and some of the moderate food courts (like POFQ because it has not TS place but when we were at POR in November it was good at their food court too even though they have Boatwright's and I am not sue about the other moderates because we have not stayed there). It is good at the inside bars in the deluxes and moderates. It is good at all the CS places in AK because of the lack of TS places (don't know it that will change with the new TS in Asia or not though).

So if you eat at your hotel at all (we were big breakfast before the parks and late night after the parks people) you'll be doing good.

We found the DDE and AP to save us much more money than the DDP would have. We were able to get room discountss and DDE fit
the way we eat better.

And no, you cannot do the DDP with AP at this time unless you also purchase at least a 1 day pass and take your room at rack rates.

Hope that was a little more clear...