Am I making a mistake by getting DDP

[lebo]

Hello everyone, I'm starting to second guess myself about getting the Dining Plan for our upcoming trip. Does everyone in your party need to be on this Plan? Here's the issue I have..........I had Gastric Bypass about 2 years ago, and I barely eat anything. Some days more than others, but as far as what I can eat, I can't even finish an entire burger. What should I do? I have 2 other adults going with, can we share meals? About 5 months after my surgery, we went to Hoop-Dee-Doo and what a waste for the amount of money, when I hardly even ate!!!!!!!!!:confused:

[SBETigg]

Your whole travel party needs to be on the same package. You can't book it for just a few members of your party and not others. Do you have any big eaters in the group? The credits can be pooled. You can pay oop for you leaving the credits for the others in your group, which will only be handy if you plan some signature meals or more than one ts per day. It's very possible that the Dining Plan is not right for your travel party.

[disneykat]

Yes, everyone in your party needs to be on the plan if that's what you choose. If the other two would like to try the plan, I wouldn't hesitate. With food prices being what they are at WDW, you'll probably at least break even.

Try going to non-buffet type restaurants and sharing meals. My daughter and I routinely share meals seeing as neither of us eat a lot. We then use our additonal credits to try more new table service places at lunch. This frees up some of your CS credits for breakfast. As for places like Hoop de Doo. . .well I guess you could look at it as you are paying for the show.

It's fairly easy to spend $38/day on food in the world so I don't think you'll feel like you lost on the plan.

Have a great trip!

88 days to POP!! :mickey:
2006 CSR
2006 Off Property
2005 ASM
2003 Off Property
2001 DLR
1991 DLR
1985 DLR
1984 DLR

[Mickey91]

I still think you will come out on it.

[FriendsofMickey]

I think you made the right choice by going on the DDP. The way I look at it, try to pick TS that you will enjoy both for the food and atmosphere.
IMO being on the DDP just makes dinners more relaxing, you are not doing the math or second guessing what you really want to eat because "IT Cost WHAT?"... KWIM?

As already suggested, if you are going to non-buffet dinners and you do not feel like having a whole dinner, pay out of pocket for say a salad. Save the TS for another meal or a 2TS meal.
I suggest you go down with a plan, review all the menus and decide what you think you will want to do when.

[biodtl]

I agree with the others that it is still worth it. Pay OOP for small meals or use your snack credits for things like Spirit of Aloha where 2 TS credits are needed, but you'll have entertainment to enjoy instead of just food. When you use your CS credits, you can eat a small portion of your meal, share the rest with bigger eaters and take cetain things with you (like cookies/brownies/fruit) to be used later as snacks.

[vamaggie]

With food prices being what they are at WDW, you'll probably at least break even.

It's fairly easy to spend $38/day on food in the world so I don't think you'll feel like you lost on the plan.

Have a great trip!

88 days to POP!! :mickey:
2006 CSR
2006 Off Property
2005 ASM
2003 Off Property
2001 DLR
1991 DLR
1985 DLR
1984 DLR

And if I am correct, the $38 includes tax and tip so the actual food cost would be even less.

[emmingo]

I'm teeny and don't eat a lot (barely finish a burger, like you), and was worried about the same thing, but it came in REALLY handy--we were able to eat at some of the better restaurants (Le Cellier, Boma) for the same price as a counter meal would have normally cost us, and if you don't eat a ton, you can still use the DDP snack to buy a water or a popcorn, so it will go to waste a LOT less than you think it will. One thing I found, too, was that, having paid the flat $38/day, when the rest of my party wanted to go to a more expensive restaurant, I didn't feel quite as guilty about ordering something nice and not eating all of it. I pay the same if I eat a ton or if I eat a little. We did do a lot of pooled ordering--say, in LeCellier, we ordered a different appetizer each and a different desert and spooned off each other. I kind of made dining more of an event...

But its all up to how you think you'll do. :cool:

[MsMin]

My girls usually share a grilled chicken sandwich and a drink. On the ddp they got the filet b/c it wasn't filling. I felt like I still saved $$ or got more than my money's worth. It's easy to spend 40 for a CS for 4 and another 10 on snacks even if it's water or ice cream bars. When my kids shared a plate, 1 appetizer and 3 deserts at Alfredo's in 2003 my lunch bill there was 280 for 5 w/ tax and tip. That pays for more than the ddp for 7 for 1 day with just one partial meal...