DDP+ It’s official!

[Heather07438]

I'm still seeing all the same prices as before ($55, $78.01, $119) when I add the different versions to a "dummy" reservation. So it doesn't appear that any have increased at this point.

Oh thank you! I hope it stays that way.

We're planning a split stay and were going to add DxDDP to 3 nights. I was going to pass if it cost us $200 more, whoa.

We're adding DDP to a Jan 2021 DVC stay. If we pay for DDP now, would that lock in the pricing in case there are increases?

 

[frannn]

I called to see if I could upgrade my free dining to the DP+ and was told no, since it was an expired offer (booked last year). Anybody else try to upgrade free dining?

 

[Heather07438]

DDP+ is pretty perfect for my family. We like to do a character breakfast around 10am, snack during the day and have a TS for dinner. We don't really dont do signature meals so it would be perfect for us.

There are many others with similar needs. I'm happy WDW added this option.

 

[William Ades]

you cannot. all dining plans are attached to the room reservation. Hence you get it for each night of your stay. There is no ability to have one plan condensed over multiple resort reservations

Yeah, I was pretty sure that was the case. Confirmation doesn't make me feel any better about it. Ugh...the split stay concept is turning into a major pain. I already had to accept the fact that I restricted my FP+ window to 60+4, wait 4 days and then get 60+3 when I could have just had 60+7. Hey, there are far bigger problems in the world right?!! Wash your hands everyone!!

 

[mathhouse88]

Oh thank you! I hope it stays that way.

We're planning a split stay and were going to add DxDDP to 3 nights. I was going to pass if it cost us $200 more, whoa.

We're adding DDP to a Jan 2021 DVC stay. If we pay for DDP now, would that lock in the pricing in case there are increases?

I believe so, but I'm not very familiar with any DVC differences. I know that once you book a normal package (and add dining a particular price), your package total can't increase unless you make major changes later on (after a price increase).

 

[Heather07438]

Yeah, I was pretty sure that was the case. Confirmation doesn't make me feel any better about it. Ugh...the split stay concept is turning into a major pain. I already had to accept the fact that I restricted my FP+ window to 60+4, wait 4 days and then get 60+3 when I could have just had 60+7. Hey, there are far bigger problems in the world right?!! Wash your hands everyone!!

hmmm, I was under the impression that as long as your split stay includes check-in/check-out on the same day (no gap day), you would get your full FP window

ETA- yes you get full FP window
https://www.disboards.com/threads/split-stay-fp-question.3790615/

 

[act1980]

Is paying OOP still better value though? I think unless you're having 2 character TS a day that it still doesn't work out great value for money. Plus if you're DVC and you're paying OOP you get the 10% discount which you don't get when buying the plan.

 

[elsbit]

I think the 1st post should reflect that the deluxe plan comes with appetizers and desserts.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Is paying OOP still better value though? I think unless you're having 2 character TS a day that it still doesn't work out great value for money. Plus if you're DVC and you're paying OOP you get the 10% discount which you don't get when buying the plan.

I think you are right. I think those of us with AP’s and DVC are better off using our 10% discount or investing in a TIW card depending on how many trips we have planned.

if the plan had included an Appetizer at this price, I would have considered it but the numbers just aren’t adding up for me.

We travel with 2 adults, I know everyone will put different worth on different things but this is the way I see them.

Refillable mug- next to a zero value as you can’t use them in the parks and I’m not going to carry them around the parks all day.

snacks- $5 each for a total value of $10 pp per day

By my calculations, each meal would have to be roughy $42.00 just to break even.
If we were to ever do this plan, we would ( and I would assume most would) use 1 credit for breakfast and 1 credit for dinner. Unless we were to do a character breakfast every day, breakfast would be well under that $42 mark which would have to be made up at dinner just to break even.

The only way I see this as any kind of savings is if you have children under 10 in your party and are going to do a lot of character meals.

 

[lionkingzimba]

Is paying OOP still better value though? I think unless you're having 2 character TS a day that it still doesn't work out great value for money. Plus if you're DVC and you're paying OOP you get the 10% discount which you don't get when buying the plan.

For me, I am struggling between the DDP+ and DxDDP now. I am doing quite some Signature for dinner during my trip with a character late breakfast, using snacks to sub a meal in the afternoon. With some of the meals needed to be paid OOP as the dining plans are not accepted, the deal-breaker here will be the intro of the Space220 restaurant. If it will be in operation during my trip to WDW, the DDP+ suits me the most, and the other way round if it is not. The frustrating thing is that I can only upgrade the dining plan but not downgrade it. I am currently on the DDP and eyes on the DDP+ the most, but as told before, I can't do this upgrade back here in the UK with my UK booking.

With some quite complicated Disney calculations, if I use the DxDDP I will save a mere 7 dollars from where I am now using a DDP, while the DDP+ will need me to pay extra 15 dollars. With the SPACE220 open, the DxDDP with cost me a whopping 95 dollars more vs now, while the DDP+ will cost me 50 dollars more. Should I just stay put for now until around a week before my trip to finalise which dining plan should I use?

 

[mathhouse88]

I think you are right. I think those of us with AP’s and DVC are better off using our 10% discount or investing in a TIW card depending on how many trips we have planned.

if the plan had included an Appetizer at this price, I would have considered it but the numbers just aren’t adding up for me.

We travel with 2 adults, I know everyone will put different worth on different things but this is the way I see them.

Refillable mug- next to a zero value as you can’t use them in the parks and I’m not going to carry them around the parks all day.

snacks- $5 each for a total value of $10 pp per day

By my calculations, each meal would have to be roughy $42.00 just to break even.
If we were to ever do this plan, we would ( and I would assume most would) use 1 credit for breakfast and 1 credit for dinner. Unless we were to do a character breakfast every day, breakfast would be well under that $42 mark which would have to be made up at dinner just to break even.

The only way I see this as any kind of savings is if you have children under 10 in your party and are going to do a lot of character meals.

This is a good and helpful breakdown. I agree that it takes the addition of at least a few character meals to make the plan worth it. The only part I disagree about is that the refillable mugs have no value. Of course their value will vary by family/usage/trip length. But I think a large percentage of people with young children end up back at their resorts for either the afternoon or evening, giving them plenty of time to make the mug worth the investment (I can't count the number of Sprite/fruit punch refills we made on our last trip).

 

[roctavia]

Like always with the dining plan, it's going to be the math exercise to see how your family would use the credits.

For us, the regular dining plan still would probably be the best, family of 4 with 2 disney kids, though we usually end up paying OOP for one table service, since we use dining on arrival and often departure day, but if we had a trip where we wanted to do BOG or Cinderella... or traveling with family not on the DP and we could treat them to dinner one night etc, then it might be worth it.

But it would really depend on the particular trip/family. Two table service meals every day just seems like it would waste a lot of park/fun time... But we don't always use up all of our quick service meals, since it's easy to share those when we've had a huge breakfast or other snacks throughout the day. It's nice to have more flexibility for different vacation styles.

 

[SarahC97]

So I have an AP and tried to change from DDP to the new plan for my April trip. They said right now it's not being offered to AP holders as a part of a ticketless package. That makes me irrationally irritated.

 

[skippytx]

The only way I see this as any kind of savings is if you have children under 10 in your party and are going to do a lot of character meals.

I'm of the opinion the dining plan has never been about saving money, it's a convenience thing. Some (seems like many?) people just prefer to enter the WDW bubble knowing everything is already paid for (sorta :/). While there are quite a few people here on the boards that borderline obsess about maximizing the value of the dining plans, those folks are the definite minority.

 

[sharonabe]

Just want to add ONE more thing to consider when trying to decide on a DDP.

THE TIP.

With 2 TS meals per night of stay, please figure in the amount your family will pay in tips. If you always do 2 TS anyway, then it's not that different, but if this changes the way you normally do Disney, you need to put this into your budget.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Good point

 

[Heather07438]

Just want to add ONE more thing to consider when trying to decide on a DDP.

THE TIP.

With 2 TS meals per night of stay, please figure in the amount your family will pay in tips. If you always do 2 TS anyway, then it's not that different, but if this changes the way you normally do Disney, you need to put this into your budget.

^Great point! Changing from 1QS/1TS to 2 TS will add approx $8+ tip each daily. 4ppl x 6 nights will be another $200+ in tips on top of the cost increase from DDP to DDP+.

In addition, DDP+ offers a good value especially when including buffets, expensive entrees/deserts and alcohol. Maybe out-of pocket we wouldn't go all out like that but on the plan we'll maximize the offerings.

Those tips for costly DDP choices add up. The difference between expensive entrees/deserts and alcohol in one meal (say $12 tip each) or maybe your cheaper out of pocket menu choices ($7 tip each). $5 tip difference for 6 nights 4ppl 2 meals/day is $240 more in tips. Not a huge percent tacked to total trip cost but definitely worth considering during a number crunch,

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

We buy the DxDP all the time and get a great value since we do lots of Character meals, signatures, are a family of appetizer eaters, and like alcohol The DDP+ is a no go for me since it doesn't include appetizers and we don't usually eat dessert.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

This is a good and helpful breakdown. I agree that it takes the addition of at least a few character meals to make the plan worth it. The only part I disagree about is that the refillable mugs have no value. Of course their value will vary by family/usage/trip length. But I think a large percentage of people with young children end up back at their resorts for either the afternoon or evening, giving them plenty of time to make the mug worth the investment (I can't count the number of Sprite/fruit punch refills we made on our last trip).

I don’t disagree. Every family has to do their own calculations to put a dollar value on each portion of the plan. My numbers will be very different from others. Even without kids we usually head back to the resort in the afternoon to relax for a bit and freshen up before dinner. I would rather spend the $40 that would have been spent of 2 refillable mugs on an amazon now order that contains a case of water & a few cases of soda that can be brought into the parks. I’m certainly not saying I am right, it’s just makes more sense to me.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

I'm of the opinion the dining plan has never been about saving money, it's a convenience thing. Some (seems like many?) people just prefer to enter the WDW bubble knowing everything is already paid for (sorta :/). While there are quite a few people here on the boards that borderline obsess about maximizing the value of the dining plans, those folks are the definite minority.

I get that to an extent. I do love it when we go to an all inclusive and we know walking in what our cost is going to be at the end of a trip. The part I can’t wrap my head around is if the numbers show the plan is more expensive than it would cost you to pay oop, why wouldn't you just put the money you would have spent aside or on a Disney gift card?

we have only ever done the deluxe dining plan when we have added an extra night onto the beginning of our stay. The numbers made total sense when you are talking about 3 meals per person including an app. That works out to $36 per meal when you count each snack credit as $5. the only reason this only works when doing a 1 night stay is because we can spread those credits over 2 days. We could never handle 3 full sit down meals a day, it just way too much food for us