Help! with dining plan...

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

Everytime I think about adding the DDP, I come up with more questions and confusion. Now I just realized that it is tied to length of stay. Why not let people decide how many days to do it for. We arrive at 7:30 pm on the first day! I don't want two meals plus a snack that day for goodness sake. We'll probably go right to bed. This is how they get you!! Please tell me I'm wrong, but I don't think I am. We are there for 6 nights, we miss the FREE DDP by 7 days. Help because this decision is driving me crazy.:confused:

[Seasonscraps]

You get dining credits for each night you are staying, not each day so to speak. So if your stay is 7days/6nights you are getting 6 TS, 6 CS and 6 snacks which can be used at any time during your stay. You don't have to have one of each on each day.

[Strmchsr]

If you are there for 6 nights then you get 6 TS, 6 CS, and 6 snacks. Of course, you don't have to use 1 per day. If you're there 6 nights I'm assuming you'll be there 7 days so that first day when you arrive late won't be wasted. You can split those credits any way you want.

That said, it may not be worth it for your family. Sometimes folks jump on package stuff and think it has to be a fantastic deal (as I read on this board all the time) when in reality it may not be. The DDP isn't a good deal for my family because a.) we don't normally eat appetizer and dessert with every meal and b.) we don't like to eat a TS every single day. If you do those things, however, it's likely a good deal for you.

[Bruegge]

And don't forget that a few of the Fine Dining restaurants are 2TS credits.... Thus if you don't eat a TS on that first nite you can use it toward a meal at the California Grill and impress the whole family..

Scott

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

I had thought of that about the restaurants that are 2TS credits, but I still wish they would let you customize it for the amount you want. We also leave early on the 7 day (8:55am). We would have to eat 2 sit down meals in one day. Which would be alot for us. Otherwise I think it would save us alot. O.K. here's the $25,000 question. We made our ressies with Karen at MJ. I know it would be a pain in the butt, but do you think the ressie could be reconfigured to two separate ones (ie: one night and then 5 nights with the DDP package.) I want your honest opinions on whether you think I would be asking to much of her. I don't want to be a collossal pain but I don't want to pay for food I won't eat either.
Still obsessing here:confused:

[sleepingbooty]

I don't think it'd be a pain for her to change your reservation - thats what travel agents do, day in and day out. But I question whether it'd be a pain for you. In all likelyhood, you'd have to switch rooms. They'll try to keep you in your same room but it won't be guaranteed. What about using you extra credits for a buffet breakfast on a couple days, then your extra CS credits could be used for a CS breakfast on a couple other days. I agree, it is a problem when your arrival and departure times do not make the most of your trip. If you arrive late and leave early, you are paying for 6 nights hotel (and dining) but only getting a 5 day vacation. If you were instead to arrive early and leave late, you 'd be paying the same amount but essentially getting a 7 day vacation. But thats another topic altogether, I guess.

[GreenBeetle]

Depending on your eating habits, those credits get used up quicker than you think sometimes. If you enjoy a sit-down meal each day to relax and refuel, then choosing a few 2-credit meals would be a good option. If you are more an eat-on-the go type person, then the dining plan may not be for you.

A good place to start is by looking over the menus here on Intercot to see if some of the many table service restaurants appeal to you. You are not obligated to eat your dining credits in any particular order.

Good luck with your decision.

[MsMin]

honestly, I love the ddp but in your case I would suggest separate ressies. In Dec. 05, our first time using it we had a separate ressie for our first night b/c the whole party wasn't present. They even offered to let us keep the same room. With 7 days of ddp you will be stuffed. Only problem with separate ressies is that the ddp ends @ midnight on your checkout so I would recommend just having a room only on your arrival night and switching in the a.m. to your regular room. At least it would cut one day of ddp out of it; but you can't get your ddp in advance if you have a separate ressie say 3 days before, or if you get it for 4 days then stay longer the ddp will expire.
The 2 TS meals are great for helping to reduce the amount of food.

[HockeyKat]

I would recommend having the first night of your trip be a room only reservation. That way you are not paying for DDP or ticket for that day that you likely won't use anyhow. The resort will most likely link your reservation, and I believe you can have MJ request as such so that you don't have to move.

We did this last Sept... had a room only the first night and a room only the last night, and ate offsite for the first and a buffet (not really worth it on the DDP) on the last. We used all our snack credits to cobble together a lunch on that last day as well, since they don't expire until midnight. We were in the same room the entire time, although I guess there are no guarantees on that front.

[disneygirlie11]

I see people saying that the ddp ends at midnight on the night you checkout. When I went last year, I'm almost certain that you had 14 days to use them up. Am I wrong, or did they recently change this?

[Seasonscraps]

I see people saying that the ddp ends at midnight on the night you checkout. When I went last year, I'm almost certain that you had 14 days to use them up. Am I wrong, or did they recently change this?


The DDP plan ends at midnight on your day of check out. Park tickets without the no-expiration option are valid 14 days after first use.

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

You guys have given me some hope that maybe we can make it work for us. I'd like to do it. This could be my mom's last trip, hopefully not but you never know. I'd like her to get to do some really great restaurants. I have to talk to DH and see what he thinks. I just hope if I and MJ's go to all this trouble someone doesn't screw up and our rooms get lost or something. That would just my luck. Keep your fingers crossed for me that all comes out right. Thanks guys! Your the best. :thumbsup: