Advice on DDP please

[Button17]

We are hoping to book for Jan '18 when free dining (hopefully) comes out in April. The resort we're planning is OKW which obviously does DDP. However if finances don't allow then we'll be at POR, so QSDP.

My question is, would it be worth upgrading to DDP (£600? ) if this happened? We've had QSDP previously and loved the flexibility of it, not being tied down. I'm worried we'll be chasing our tails the whole holiday.

I've highlighted 12 tables meals we'd like but really if we were just on QSDP we'd really want to do 1900 Park Ave Dinner and CRT Dinner.

Therefore would it be best just to pay OOP? Also concerned re: cost of tips so this is another consideration. 2a dd10 and Dd7.

[loves2plan]

We've had both plans and like them both for different reasons. We do find qsdp easier in the respect that we don't have to be certain places and set times (often when we weren't actually hungry), but it's nice having the TS meals and not worrying about the prices. This year, due to budget we're staying at CBR with the qsdp and paying OOP for the 4 meals that we want to do (2 with Landry's card and 1 offsite). Upgrading just didn't make sense to us.

If you decide you just really want ther 2 meals, then it's better to pay OOP, but if that list starts getting bigger over time, then you may find the upgrade to ddp makes more sense. You don't have to upgrade at the time of booking, so can make that decision later.

With regards to tips, we spent $260 on tips for 2 weeks in 2014 and that was based on 4 adults as our children were over 10. The tip is included at CRT, so that helps too.

One thing you might also find is that the cost of OKW with ddp is the same or similar to the cost of POR with upgraded ddp - that's certainly been the case the past few years but will depend on the offer that Disney bring out in April.

[Guest]

Personally, having done the QS and full DDP, I prefer the QS.

We like the flexibility it offers, and we did find that as 4 adults, our tips could often be substantial.

If you book on the offer early enough, you should (if it mirrors previous years) get a $200 gift card and this will allow you to do the 2 TS meals you want to do and have them "paid for" effectively.

[Gill H]

Only you can answer that one! We don't have kids and we are foodies, so spending relaxed evenings in quiet restaurants enjoying superb food is a favourite way to end the day. We would always do full DDP. Others find QDSP works better for them.

We found that a studio in SSR with free DDP was actually cheaper than POR upgrading to DDP. It would have been the same in OKW.

[Jeff456]

It depends what you want, I actually prefer the QSDP but I would happily spend all day in the parks and find potentially having to go back to the hotel to get changed to be somewhere at a certain time removes any spontaneity. We are doing DDP this time but that's because it was pretty much the same price from memory to stay at a 2 bed villa at OKW with free DDP instead of say POFQ with two rooms and free QSDP. For that reason we are on the DDP. The meals are nice and I would prefer the DDP if advanced reservations didn't mean you were locking yourself 180 days out to a restaurant and time.

[mandco]

if your not really bothered about ts meals other than the 2 must do's then I'd save the money and stick with qsdp if they offer the gift card you could use that to pay towards the 2 you want to do too.
I do enjoy having ddp and being able to eat at ts restaurants I wouldn't pay oop for but I do find it can sometimes feel they do take up an awful lot of time that we could be spending in the parks. Qs is also a lot more flexible you just eat when your hungry.
For some people the food is a big part of the holiday and they really enjoy the whole Ts experience in which case ddp is the better option but if like us there are a few you'd want to do but otherwise your happy to grab & go qsdp is ideal.

Like said sometime there is not much difference cost wise between staying at okw/ssr with ddp than staying at a mod and upgrading the dining plan but obviously you won't know until its released.

[grinner82]

It can be very binding, but it depends what you want. We upgraded the QSDP but it was only around £230 each to do this, this was quite reasonable really. We wanted Character meals and some other places we had not eaten. The down side is that I will be booking each ADR with a set time which in turn dictates where we will be every day. Below is a work in progress but it gives you an idea how restrictive it ca be.

Table service - Quick Service

Friday 6th – Magic Kingdom (1). Breakfast Chef Mickeys (08:00) , Lunch Pinocchio Hause . Dinner Resort. Riverside Mill

Saturday 7th – Hollywood Studios (1). Breakfast in room, Lunch Hollywood and vine (12:00). Dinner Resort. Riverside Mill

Sunday 8th – Seaworld ( 09:00- 17:00). Breakfast in Room. Dinner Disney Springs - Splitville ( 18:00)

Monday 9th – Typhoon Lagoon(1). Breakfast Riverside Mill. lunch Typhoon Tillies . Shopping. Dinner Riverside Mill

Tuesday – 10th Epcot (1). Park at HS, boat to Breakfast Cape May (08:30). Dinner Garden Grill ( 17:30).

Wednesday - 11th. Universal IOA(1). Breakfast in Room. Lunch IOA. Dinner Riverside Mill

Thursday – 12th Aquatica. Breakfast Riverside Mill . Dinner Hollywood and Vine ( 19:00) – Fantasmic Dining Package.

Friday – 13th Busch Gardens. Breakfast Riverside Mill . Dinner DS – (19:00) Trex

Saturday – 14th Magic Kingdom(2) – Breakfast Ohanas (08:30) . BOG Dinner 17:00

Sunday – 15th Animal Kingdom(1). Breakfast room, Dinner Yak and Yeti ( 17:30)

Monday - 16th Blizzard Beach. Breakfast Riverside Mill , Lunch BB. Dinner Crystal Palace ( 19:00) – Wishes to follow.

Tuesday – 17th Universal(1). Breakfast in Room. Lunch US. Dinner Riverside Mill

Wednesday – 18th Epcot(2). Breakfast room. Beaches and Cream lunch (12:00) . Via Napilo Dinner ( 18:00)

Thursday 19th - HS (2). Breakfast room. Lunch Mama Melrose (12:00). Dinner DS Wolf Gang Puck (18:30)

Friday 20th – Volcano Bay. Breakfast Riverside Mill. Evening Reflections. (Epcot) Dinner Rose and Crown ( 20:00)

Saturday 21st – Universal IOA(2). Breakfast Room. Dinner Riverside mill

Sunday 22nd – Animal Kingdom(2). Tuskar House Breakfast. Rainforest Café lunch/dinner

Monday 23rd – Magic Kingdom(3) – BOG Breakfast ( 08:30) . Lunch Tonys Town Square ( FOF dining)

Tuesday 24th – Universal(2) Breakfast Riverside Mill . Dinner Resort Riverside Mill

Wednesday 25th – Breakfast Riverside Mill . Disney Springs / Shopping. MNSSHP.

Thursday 26th - Breakfast Riverside Mill. Flight PM

19 quick service
19 Table