What is DDE?

[bray]

What is the DDE? We have premium annual passes and usually eat breakfast in the room (yogurt, cereal etc). We like to eat at sit down restaurants for dinner (Liberty Tree, Plaza at MK, Tony's Italian at MK, Brown Derby at MGM, etc.).

Lunch is usually just a snack.

Any suggestions on food plans? Our family is my husband, 9 year old daughter, and myself.
Thanks

 

[DebbieB]

Disney Dining Experience. With 3 people, I think you would benefit from it. To break even, you need to spend more than $250 on food in a year.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm

 

[Laurajean1014]

DDE is Disney Dining Experience that costs $75, however, DVC members get it for $50. It gives you 20% on most counter, sit down and character breakfasts. I think it's a great program. AFter spending $250 on food, it's worth it.

We tend to go to CA Grill, Jiko, WPuck Upstairs, etc., so the DDE is attractive to us.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

DDE is Disney Dining Experience that costs $75, however, DVC members get it for $50. It gives you 20% on most counter, sit down and character breakfasts. I think it's a great program. AFter spending $250 on food, it's worth it.

Actually, it has nothing to do with DVC. Previously, it was ONLY available to FL Residents. Their cost is still $75 per year.

Beginning in 2005, the DDE was also made available to AP/PAP holders at the rate of $50 per year (actually the card is good for 13 months).

While it has nothing to do with DVC members, it is a wonderful value and should be considered by anyone who has an AP or PAP. (DVC members do get a discount on those passes- $100 on an AP and $125 for the PAP).

 

[JimMIA]

Everything you need to know is on the link Debbie's already given you, but I'll add a couple of quick points.

1 - The DDE, unlike any other discount dining plan available, provides the discount not only on food, but also on alcoholic beverages. If you like a bottle of wine with dinner, or even if you want to grab a beer somewhere, that can add up.

2 - You get two cards, and the cards will apply the discount to up to 10 people, provided they are all on the same check and you present the card when ordering. That little benefit can provide huge savings if you travel in a herd.

We are taking 4 adults and DD3goingon23 in December and I expect to get our $50 back the first day. And, as Doc said, the card is good for 13 months, so everything after that first day is gravy.

 

[bray]

Is it $50 for each member of the family or $50 for the card with the card covering the three of us?

 

[WebmasterDoc]

The cost is $50 for two cards and the discount will apply for groups of eight.

All three would be covered at the same meal.

Enjoy!

 

[bray]

If all three would be coved on the same card, why do I need to purchase two cards? I'm a bit confused...Sorry...I've been online trying to book ariline reservations for quite a while.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

The $50 charge will get you two cards. If you only want one card- the cost is still $50- that's certainly up to you. My DW and I each have a card- only because they gave us 2.

 

[byoung]

We saved over $600 first week in May with family of 10.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I think this is going to be the best meal perk we have ever seen at WDW for US. WE usualy eat at sit downs, and I figure one good meal for the 5 of us at Artist Point in January will cover the cost of the card, and everything after that will be savings!

 

[LisaS]

If all three would be coved on the same card, why do I need to purchase two cards? I'm a bit confused...Sorry...I've been online trying to book ariline reservations for quite a while.

The cost of signing up for DDE (as an AP holder) is $50. That entitles you to a card in your name and a second card bearing the name of your spouse/partner. That way you each have your own card in your own name. Be sure to request this, however, because by default you will get just one card in your name only.

Hope that clears up the confusion!

 

[JimMIA]

I tried to post this as a separate thread, but I had some sort of posting glitch, so I'll ask it here.

Does anyone know what the CURRENT lead time is to actually receive the DDE cards? I know we can get a confirmation at Epcot on arrival, but not on a Sunday when we are arriving.

I know at the inception of the program, the cards were pretty slow in being received. Does anyone have any RECENT experience with the lead time involved?

Thanks.

 

[LisaS]

Does anyone know what the CURRENT lead time is to actually receive the DDE cards? I know we can get a confirmation at Epcot on arrival, but not on a Sunday when we are arriving.

I've seen some recent postings where people have stated that they received their cards in about 2 weeks. Here is a recent thread on the Restaurants board where someone has posted this: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=905819

The folks in the DDE office usually have a good handle on how long it is currently taking for the cards to arrive so you might want to just give them a call and ask them. Also, keep in mind that if the card doesn't arrive in time you can ask them to leave a temporary card for you to pick up at Epcot. As you state, the DDE office is not open on the weekend, so you would have to request this no later than the Friday morning before you leave for WDW. Then you could stop by Epcot on Sunday to pick it up. Not terribly convenient, but better than not getting the card at all. Hopefully there is still time for you to order and receive the cards before you leave. Good luck!

 

[JimMIA]

Thanks Lisa!

 

[LisaS]

I found a few other recent DDE-related threads on the Restaurants board. I looked back at posts made over the past month or so and the time between ordering the DDE card and receiving it has varied from as short as 2 weeks to as long as 26 days. Probably best to call the DDE office about 4 weeks prior to your trip to get the latest delivery estimate and then order accordingly!

There is also some discussion about expiration dates. Seems that if you order in the first few days of a month, your expiration date will be at the end of that month plus one year. If you order a week or later into the month, your expiration date will be at the end of the following month plus one year. Again, when you call the DDE office they will tell you what your expiration date will be and can advise you if waiting just a few days to order will push your expiration date out a month.

 

[JimMIA]

Thanks Lisa. That last answer actually goes beyond what I asked to what I really wanted to know. We're going in December, and I'm sure we'll go again in the Spring/Summer and then again in either October or December, and I'm trying to time it so I get two Decembers.

Thanks again.

 

[dianeschlicht]

That's what we are trying to do too, Jim. We want to have it for our trip that starts Dec. 31 and want to get in our early December one next year too.

 

[JimMIA]

That's what we are trying to do too, Jim. We want to have it for our trip that starts Dec. 31 and want to get in our early December one next year too.

You should be fine Diane. We're trying it the other way around. Our trip is 12/4-12/8, and we're trying to maximize the 13 months so we can also use it in December next year.

It's actually not that big of a deal -- the card is only $50, but with all this expertise available here it's easy to fixate on squeezing every penny out of benefits like this!

 

[CarolMN]

I'm hoping to use the DDE discount for two Decembertrips as well - one trip this coming December (12/2 -12/10) and one during December, 2006.

IMHO, there is a simple solution, and that is to ask DDE for the temporary card. I'm going to order our DDE cards sometime the week of November 28 before we leave. I don't mind picking the temporary card up at EPCOT and using it during this first trip. Seems a small inconvenience in return for being able to use it for our December 2006 trip, too.

Best wishes-