Because eating at WDW makes us this excited!
As promised, we're taking a look this week at one of the most polarizing debates in the Disney fan community: to dining plan or not to dining plan. Thad is a DDP enthusiast, while I am not. Thad will get the chance to defend the DDP, but it's time for me to share some of the reasons why my family doesn't take advantage of it. The DDP has changed greatly over the past several years, but for the sake of this post, we will be looking at the basic plan. So, why don't we do the dining plan?
1) There's too much food!
Those of you who know me personally are picking yourselves up off of the floor right now. There's no doubt that you can save money by using the DDP, but you have to eat like a horse to do it! I could easily get my money's worth out of the DDP, but my wife can't. There are plenty of times that we go out to eat in WDW that she would be happy to have a salad and an appetizer for her meal. I've got three kids and the pricing isn't too bad right now. But what about when they turn 10? In Disney terms, they will be "adults" and I will pay an adult price for the plan. If I do that and my "adult" wants a $9 chicken tender plate from the kids' menu, I've gone into the hole!
I'm a man of large appetite, but after 6 or 7 consecutive days of eating a big table service meal (with dessert) and one full quick-service meal (with dessert) plus a snack, I have a hard time enjoying my vacation.
2)Inflexibility
OK, confession time: I'm really not all that crazy about the desserts at many of the table-service locations. I'd really rather have an appetizer and treat myself to a Mickey bar or bakery treat later on. When it comes to the quick-service locations, I'm also on the hook for a mediocre dessert. Unfortunately, on the DDP I don't have that option. If I want the appetizer, it has to be paid for out of pocket and I've wasted part of the meal that I've prepaid for.
Then I have to consider the restaurants that aren't on the DDP. It seems like every time my family visits WDW, the Rainforest Cafe beckons our party. While it's not a personal favorite, the kids have a blast. So, as a DDP participant, I now have to decide whether I will explain to my kids that we can't eat at the restaurant at the entrance to Animal Kingdom because it's not a participating restaurant or pay for it out of pocket. The same is true for T-Rex Cafe, House of Blues, and a few other restaurants.
Not only do you have to consider the restaurants not included in the DDP, you also have to factor in the restaurants that Disney designates as Signature experiences. My wife and I like to have one of those meals on every trip and we have had a wonderful time at great places like Jiko, California Grill, Artist's Point, and Citrico's. As a DDP participant, those meals will take 2 table service credits. So, if I choose to eat at one of those restaurants, either I will be paying for another table-service meal out of pocket or I will fill in with another quick service meal that I will also be paying for out of pocket. Also, I will probably not get enough value out of the meal to justify the use of two table-service credits!
Finally, to get the most out of the DDP, you had better plan ahead. If not, you could find yourself eating at a real stinker of a table-service restaurant just for the sake of getting the most out of your credits. WDW is filled with some excellent dining choices, but there are also a few stinkers. If forced to choose between a stinker and a counter service meal, I'm taking the counter service. I'd much prefer a trip to Casey's Corner or Pecos Bill's to Tony's Town Square. If I'm paying out of pocket, I've gotten the meal I wanted and saved somewhere in the neighborhood of $30. If I'd been on the DDP, I would have either gone to Tony's or failed to use the table-service credit I prepaid for.
Not only that, but once you have gone into your restaurant of choice, you may find that your preferred entree is not covered by the DDP. That snack that you'd really like? Not covered by the DDP.
3) It's Confusing
One of the things that I always hear from friends is that they love the ease of use that the DDP offers. I believe them, but I seldom see it in action. I've never been in line at a resort food court that I haven't heard a confused dad trying to understand exactly what he can or can't get his family for breakfast and not have to pay for it out of pocket because he's already paid for it on the DDP! That table-service meal? Is the steak that I'd really like covered by the DDP? I never have to ask those questions! I get what I want.
4) It's not More Convenient
I also hear from friends that they love that they don't have to worry about anything when they are on the DDP. "I've already paid for it, and I just swipe my card". When I check in at my resort, I place a credit card on file and make my in-park charges on my Key to the World card. As best as I can tell, I'm doing the same thing that the DDP participants are doing as I "pay" for my meal.
Even Free Isn't Free
The last argument that I usually hear is "well, they were offering free dining and I couldn't pass it up". In my experience, room only discounts often come out for the same periods that free dining is available (usually the Fall) and are comparable in savings to the free DDP. Depending on your situation and the resort that you plan to stay at, your "free" dining may cost you more than the savings you would have enjoyed with the room only discount.
OK, I know what you DDP enthusiasts are thinking right now. You're probably calling me unmentionable names and accusing me of not being magical. But, I'm here with an open mind. If you're a DDP devotee, convince me to try it out in the comments section below. If you're like me and you have any reasons to avoid the DDP that I've missed, add your thoughts as well!
