Going DxDP - coming out "ahead" without too much food

[Lovetherodent]

I've always longed to eat in the signatures (pretty much all of them). I recently booked 4 nights with DxDP and 5 days in the world. If I book 5 signature restaurants, I've got just two days with two sit down meals. Will use snack credits to much through F&G in Epcot two other nights. Looks like financially it makes sense. Sound like a reasonable plan that won't send me home with my pants buttons popping off?

 

[Christine]

The only thing I would say, and you experience and mileage may vary, is that everything I've read about the plan states that using 2TS credits at a signature restaurant "devalues" the credits. For that reason, I would probably not use the DxDP for signature dining because, personally, it is my *mission* to get the highest value I can per credit and when you split one meal using two credits, there are many meals that don't stack up. BUT...it depends where you're going and what you're eating. If I was better at math, I'd figure it out for you!!

The good part is that you are using your snacks at F&W. Those snacks are relatively expensive so what you gain in snack credits could make up for what you are losing by paying for one expensive meal up with 2 credits.

 

[Rich M]

Sounds like a good plan. We have a 3 night stay on DxDDP with an extra night at the end. We are doing 2 meals for the 3 days and then 3 meals on the last day. I think about doing signature meals but I can't see using 2 credits for one meal when I can have another meal with that credit. We like the DxDDP so we can try apps that we might not normally try because of the price.

 

[pangyal]

The only thing I would say, and you experience and mileage may vary, is that everything I've read about the plan states that using 2TS credits at a signature restaurant "devalues" the credits. For that reason, I would probably not use the DxDP for signature dining because, personally, it is my *mission* to get the highest value I can per credit and when you split one meal using two credits, there are many meals that don't stack up. BUT...it depends where you're going and what you're eating. If I was better at math, I'd figure it out for you!!

The good part is that you are using your snacks at F&W. Those snacks are relatively expensive so what you gain in snack credits could make up for what you are losing by paying for one expensive meal up with 2 credits.

I believe that the DxDP is an exception to the idea you are referencing. Since the credits on that tier are worth about $38 each, give or take, it is not hard to reach that $76 or so value at a signature once you add up the costs of an appetizer, entree, dessert, and glass of wine or bubbly or whatnot, with a value often as high as $20 for the drink alone.

I would venture to say that, with the current inclusion of alcohol to the dining plan, the regular DDP is not a poor use of credits at signatures either.

 

[jillt2ph]

I was going to say that there are some places where it definitely does not make sense to use 2 credits - I'm looking at you BOG! - but there are others that are a very good value for the 2 credits. I have no problem using 2 credits at California Grill because the cash price for my 3 course meal plus drink is close to $115. But I would not use 2 credits for any of the Epcot packages (Candlelight Processional, Eat to the Beat, etc) unless you are dining at the top of the tier ones. I put breakfast at the Castle in the poor value category but I would never pay the cash so I use Dlx credits there once in a blue moon.

 

[Lovetherodent]

The 5 signatures I was considering (today, anyway!) were California Grill (brunch), Narcoosses, Flying Fish, Tiffins, and Jiko. Two out of the three of us are seafood eaters, so scallops, lobster, crab, etc. Everyone is over 21, so alcohol is always an option. I was thinking, too, on deluxe, it was very easy to get to $76 at the signatures.

 

[sethschroeder]

If you did the math and it makes sense to you that is all that matters.

 

[Christine]

If you did the math and it makes sense to you that is all that matters.

Agree! If they worked out the math based on where they are going and what they are ordering and it works, then it's all good.

 

[epcotobsessed]

We are here now and have been doing a breakfast buffet and signature dinner every day and we have already more than paid for the plan and still have 20 credits and 16 snacks to go. We have been ordering steak and lobster everywhere so yes, we are ordering the most expensive things, but we also have wanted these items. DH and I also drink so the two alcoholic beverages per meal add value as well. We have tried FF (phenomenal), Narcoosee’s (bad experience), Yachtsman (fantastic), Jiko tonight. Not sure where we’ll go tomorrow (last day of credits) but we have gotten our money’s worth for sure.

 

[Rich M]

We are here now and have been doing a breakfast buffet and signature dinner every day and we have already more than paid for the plan and still have 20 credits and 16 snacks to go. We have been ordering steak and lobster everywhere so yes, we are ordering the most expensive things, but we also have wanted these items. DH and I also drink so the two alcoholic beverages per meal add value as well. We have tried FF (phenomenal), Narcoosee’s (bad experience), Yachtsman (fantastic), Jiko tonight. Not sure where we’ll go tomorrow (last day of credits) but we have gotten our money’s worth for sure.

Your last day and you had 20 credits left?

 

[Christine]

Your last day and you had 20 credits left?

They still had a signature dinner and one more dining day to go after that post.

 

[elsbit]

We are here now and have been doing a breakfast buffet and signature dinner every day and we have already more than paid for the plan and still have 20 credits and 16 snacks to go. We have been ordering steak and lobster everywhere so yes, we are ordering the most expensive things, but we also have wanted these items. DH and I also drink so the two alcoholic beverages per meal add value as well. We have tried FF (phenomenal), Narcoosee’s (bad experience), Yachtsman (fantastic), Jiko tonight. Not sure where we’ll go tomorrow (last day of credits) but we have gotten our money’s worth for sure.

*chants* "Dining report! Dining report!" Would love to read about your experiences!

 

[epcotobsessed]

Your last day and you had 20 credits left?

Didn't say that.

 

[epcotobsessed]

*chants* "Dining report! Dining report!" Would love to read about your experiences!

It was really fun and was way too much food. I'm happy we had a split stay and didn't get the plan for the second part. I do think for first timers it's a fantastic way to try many different places and for people who otherwise wouldn't eat at a Signature it also can be great for them. I don't regret it but won't do it again for the foreseeable future. We ate at:
Signatures:
Flying Fish x2 - really wonderful, excellent food and service
Yachtsman x2 - our absolute favorite, always a fantastic experience
Narcoosee's - very good food, terrible service, will not return
Jiko - don't love it as much as FF or Yachtsman but it's quite good and we love going to the AKL

TS:
Ale and Compass for breakfast - really good and very reasonably priced - $23 for an entree, nice buffet, fresh squeezed OJ and coffee. Not the best use of a deluxe credit if you're trying to come out ahead, but we enjoyed it
Cape May Cafe for breakfast and dinner - had an excellent server this time, wish I could remember her name. Food was as always, good.
Beaches and Cream for lunch - I posted about this separately, they will give you unlimited food and drinks on the DXDP so definitely go here if you like their menu. Our server was great.
Garden Grill for breakfast - server was largely absent so we only got one cup of coffee but since they bring you a ton of food for each "course" we were fine on food. Decent character interaction, Goofy never made it to our table and we were there an hour
Akershus for breakfast - great server, don't really care about the princesses but it's tradition for us so we always go and have always had a good experience

Snacks - got at least 12 bagged Goofy Snacks to bring home, also used credits on Dole Whip, funnel cake, and a lot of Mickey bars. Definitely did not try to maximize these, could have done better.

We take advantage of the alcoholic beverage at each meal and it is a bummer that signatures don't give you two drinks for two credits.

 

[Rich M]

Didn't say that.

Sorry for misreading

 

[Moliphino]

We take advantage of the alcoholic beverage at each meal and it is a bummer that signatures don't give you two drinks for two credits.

They don't give you two meals or two desserts with a two credit meal, either. Why would you get two drinks?

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

The math people have mentioned is solid and makes a case for the DxDP being a way to enjoy Signature restaurants. I show people similar math for why I use the DDP as we are a family mad for character meals as important parts of how we define our Disney vacation, to prove that it's a "value" compared to OOP. But ultimately, Signature meals or character meals or any meal are a Good Use of your credits if they are what make you happy with your dining and vacation! We will do our first 2-credit meal, something I never thought I would do, because, after three sons, I have a DD, now age 5, who is dying to eat in the Castle at CRT (and a son who wants to as well). So even if the math doesn't make it a money-saving purchase, it's a good use for *us*.
I'm really enjoying these food reports from you guys trying the DxDP and/or Signature restaurants I've never been to and won't visit for quite a while, if ever. Keep 'em up!

 

[Rich M]

The math people have mentioned is solid and makes a case for the DxDP being a way to enjoy Signature restaurants. I show people similar math for why I use the DDP as we are a family mad for character meals as important parts of how we define our Disney vacation, to prove that it's a "value" compared to OOP. But ultimately, Signature meals or character meals or any meal are a Good Use of your credits if they are what make you happy with your dining and vacation! We will do our first 2-credit meal, something I never thought I would do, because, after three sons, I have a DD, now age 5, who is dying to eat in the Castle at CRT (and a son who wants to as well). So even if the math doesn't make it a money-saving purchase, it's a good use for *us*.
I'm really enjoying these food reports from you guys trying the DxDP and/or Signature restaurants I've never been to and won't visit for quite a while, if ever. Keep 'em up!

This is what a lot of people tend to forget. Dining plans work for some but not for all. Park Hoppers work for some but not for all. Its all about how you want to spend your vacation and your time. People say about getting your money's worth and time wasted and things but those are subjective for each family. We are a family who enjoy to sit down and have a meal. Its part of the reason we go to Disney World. We got to Disneyland and we don't even think about doing TS. We like to go from ride to ride. DW is total different for us. We like a slower pace vacation with breaks built in and don't care if we miss a ride. It works for us and makes us happy which is exactly what you say. Just remember that to each their own and remember to be HAPPY!!!

 

[Faldred]

From a "math" standpoint, the "optimal" use of DxDP is always going to be 3 sit-down meals a day, but there are very few people who actually want to eat that way. The typically recommended approach for DxDP is a regular sit-down meal and a signature meal (usually dinner, but not necessarily) with a pretty good bit of time between, and use the snack credits to fill in the corners around them.

Because, as noted above, DxDP meal credits are actually valued lower than DDP TS credits, this works fine. Not necessarily "optimal", but you will come out ahead if what you want to order fits that profile.

 

[Rich M]

From a "math" standpoint, the "optimal" use of DxDP is always going to be 3 sit-down meals a day, but there are very few people who actually want to eat that way. The typically recommended approach for DxDP is a regular sit-down meal and a signature meal (usually dinner, but not necessarily) with a pretty good bit of time between, and use the snack credits to fill in the corners around them.

Because, as noted above, DxDP meal credits are actually valued lower than DDP TS credits, this works fine. Not necessarily "optimal", but you will come out ahead if what you want to order fits that profile.

I agree with this but if you can also manage to stay till Midnight on the last day of usage then you can take away a couple of the 3 days if you want. Personally I find split stats as the perfect time to use the DxDDP or with stays with 2 rooms but one factor I think a lot of people don’t factor in to the DxDDP is how much the tips are when your ordering Apps, Entree, dessert, and alcohol beverages with every meal. I know you would tip anyway but if your going 15 to 20 percent of your total bill it will add up pretty quickly the more people you have. I always try to remind people to add that to there budget.