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rsumrall
04-24-2007, 01:34 AM
I'm wondering if anyone has thoroughly crunched the numbers on a DVC member and annual pass holder's options on dining. Assuming two trips in a 12 month period (8 days and 7 days) and two adults and two kids, is it more cost effective to go with the DDP or DDE? Also, we tend to prefer signature restaurants at least twice on a trip. Any input will be helpful. Thanks.

vizsla
04-24-2007, 05:22 AM
We have just recently crunched the numbers once again for a trip later this year and are going with the DDE again. We do eat at a few signature restauarnts on our trips and then the rest on what we spend doesn't add up to the cost per night for 2 adults and 1 child for the DDP. We saved all of our dining, and snack receipts from last trip to help do the comparison and DDE is the way to go for us and we will get 2 trips out of it.

mrsgaribaldi
04-24-2007, 06:52 AM
We got the card too and not the dining plan. We only eat at a good sit down place maybe twice a trip. I always like an alcoholic drink and that it included. Plus a discount at PI. The card paid for itself after a few meals:thumbsup: If we had the dining plan I know I would feel pressured to eat all that stuff. We hardly ever get dessert and an appetizer, we are to full:blush:

wendy*darling
04-24-2007, 08:55 AM
We do a TS restaurant usually twice a day.
Not too many signature places.

On our last trip we did both- and plan to do that again in August. We believe we spent less for the DDP that we would have for the food it covered, but we still had a decent number of OOP meals that DDE helped with. Plus the glasses of wine or steins of beer- DDE is great there too. :beer:
We also have a 9 day trip with our Boy Scouts this June where we can't do the DDP- that will be DDE all the way.

Maleficent's Dad
04-24-2007, 09:16 PM
We have just recently crunched the numbers once again for a trip later this year and are going with the DDE again. We do eat at a few signature restauarnts on our trips and then the rest on what we spend doesn't add up to the cost per night for 2 adults and 1 child for the DDP. We saved all of our dining, and snack receipts from last trip to help do the comparison and DDE is the way to go for us and we will get 2 trips out of it.
Great post Vince! :thumbsup: I could have written it myself.

The DDE, for us at least, gives us flexibility that you won't find in the DDP. We usually do one or two character b'fasts with our kids. We do at least one sit-down meal every day. Being in DVC, we do often have b'fast in the room (when not with the characters!), so one large meal out with 20% off works well for us.

Plus - Where else can you get a discount at the R&C pub on a nice pint?!?! :beer: ;)

lockedoutlogic
04-25-2007, 07:10 AM
We are going to use both in a few weeks......

The DDP can be used for a great value...but there are several traps involved in using it effectively:

The first are the character meals. In order to "save" using the DDP...you cannot use character meals as your table service choices...especially the breakfasts. It breaks down simply economically

Crystal Palace - 17.99 or even 21.99
Buger meal at Pecos Bills - roughly 12.00
Snack - 4.00
Total - 34.00 or 38.00
DDP cost per night - 39.00

So you can see how easy it is to lose on the DDP depending on where you eat

The signatures would be the second scenario. You would be hard pressed to get the value of the DDP if you eat at one locations such as Citricos or Jiko...you would basically eliminate 2 days worth of value from the DDP...you might actually still save....but by eliminating your table service for 2 days, you are basically limiting your dining choices heavily for two days...which can be a pretty significant sacrifice.

The other key to using DDP effectively is choosing sitdowns that are the most value for the money: Concourse, Coral Reef, Le Cellier, Maya Grill, Wolfgang Pucks
The downside of this is that you have alot of restuarants that don't provide a good return on the value...such as Boatright's, Olivia's, the Turf Club, Grand Floridan Cafe and others in the resorts specifically...along with alot of restaurants in Epcot and the other parks that basically get you to a break even scenario.

We are using the DDP for the first time in MAy...and have mapped it out to try to get maximum value...but have also scheduled Flying Fish Cafe and a breakfast at Ohana that we will use our DDE on and pay out of pocket.

We'll see how it goes....

locodemickey
04-25-2007, 09:10 AM
[QUOTE=lockedoutlogic;1268136]

Crystal Palace - 17.99 or even 21.99
Buger meal at Pecos Bills - roughly 12.00
Snack - 4.00
Total - 34.00 or 38.00
DDP cost per night - 39.00

QUOTE]

One important thing to remember is that the DDP includes tax and tip. This adds several dollars per person per day at the sit down meals if you are not using the DDP!

Fortgoofy97
04-25-2007, 09:20 AM
For us the DDE is the way to go! No need to crunch numbers - my 2 DD's would need to get Adult DDP. Neither one is a big eater and they usually end up sharing a meal. The DW would probably eat the appetizer and take the meal back. So you need to look at the cost and really would you use all the food you can get with the DDP. Don't get me wrong, I would love to get the DDP and go and eat at the different places but I would end up with 20lbs extra by the end of the trip because I would not want to let the others leave so great food behind!!:cool:

lockedoutlogic
04-25-2007, 10:11 AM
[QUOTE=lockedoutlogic;1268136]

Crystal Palace - 17.99 or even 21.99
Buger meal at Pecos Bills - roughly 12.00
Snack - 4.00
Total - 34.00 or 38.00
DDP cost per night - 39.00

QUOTE]

One important thing to remember is that the DDP includes tax and tip. This adds several dollars per person per day at the sit down meals if you are not using the DDP!

good point....but even with tax and tip....the benefit would be negligible from a value standpoint....and the simple fact is that the character meals are the biggest racket that they have going.....
Walk by Chef Mickey's and simply count the number of people and mutliply that by 12 or 18 dollars......
...that pays for alot of sausage huh?
and characters cost next to nothing to have...it's not like they are paid more.

LebelJD
04-25-2007, 09:01 PM
We just did the numbers for our trip coming up in May. We've already got the DDE card (we renewed in December for the second year in a row) and with the 20% off including drinks we think it's a better deal. We usually like to do one signature meal per day, and then don't eat much else at all for the day. We felt like the DDP would be way too much food for us, and would not cover some of the up-scale places we like. Of course; Your mileage may vary...

btuskan
04-27-2007, 05:21 PM
My family is sticking with DDE mainly for two reasons. One...We like to eat at a couple of signature restaurants and order a bottle of wine. Two...I could never eat the amount of food that you get with DDP. I watched a family at the ESPN club eat dinner using DDP. By the time their entree arrived, they asked for it to be boxed because they were stuffed from the appetizers...then they had to order dessert.

Volksjager
05-09-2007, 11:44 AM
We did DDE for the first time this past January and I was very pleased, 20% seems to add up much quicker than I expected.

What we did is bought an annual pass and DDE so we went in January with family and are going back in December by ourselves. That way both our park passes and our DDE are good for both trips!

For some reason I think DDP is too much if you get a whole group going (you'll never eat all the food) but with DDE the more that go that more you save. I know it is an odd view but for some reason makes more sense to me.