Why DDP is such a steal for buffets/character dining

MomOTwins

The Mommy Fairy
Joined
Mar 5, 2018
I am a bit of a cheerleader for how if your family likes to do character meals and buffets, and your kids are still under the age cutoff or kids, the DDP is an incredible deal. I did the math on our upcoming trip and wanted to share, because I so often see the opposite themed post about how it's impossible to save money on the DDP.

We are staying 5 nights, regular DDP, 2 adults, 3 kids, for a total DDP cost of $1,174.60

We are eating dinners at the following 5 table service restaurants, with the following after tax prices, not including alcohol or specialty drinks. For the record, we booked this vacation last Thursday and are arriving next week, and still got rezzies at the times we like to eat (between 5:30 and 6:30pm) at all of these locations, so it is not as though we had to plan our vacation 180 days ahead to do this.

Storybook/Artist Point: $58.75 adult; $35.15
Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic: $61.77 adult; $37.28 kid
Biergarten: $43.67 adult; $23.43 kid
Akershus: $62.84 adult; $37.28 kid
Tusker House: $50.06; $29.82 kid

Total Price for TS meals: $1,043.05

So the DDP cost is only $131.55 more than the table service meals alone. My husband and I do enjoy wine or cocktails, and we do let the kids get the specialty kids drinks a few times over the course of the trip as a special treat at Disney World, which will basically (if not more than) cover that difference. Which means we are essentially getting all of our counter service meals, plus ten snacks a day, for free. :D

The real factor here is, as you might notice, all but one of the kid meal prices above is more than the full day cost of the kids dining plan ($27.98 per day). So this does not work nearly as well if your kids are considered disney adults. But for our family with small kids who LOVE character meals (yes, I know biergarten isn't one, but there is still a fun show the kids like), I was actually surprised how much we saved.
 
For the record, we booked this vacation last Thursday and are arriving next week, and still got rezzies at the times we like to eat (between 5:30 and 6:30pm) at all of these locations, so it is not as though we had to plan our vacation 180 days ahead to do this.
Weeeeelllll..there's reason...

No, just kidding. I usually navigate the char buffets just fine, and find plenty to eat that's not bad, but the premium is for the character interactions/experience, not the food. Most of the "Is the DP worth..." threads usually have a few posts about the 9 and under set with character meals being a great value. Way to illustrate it - nicely done. Everyone should do their math to see if a DP makes sense for what they'd like to do. Not sure I could control myself with that many buffets. I'd maybe need to buy the airplane seat next to me to fit for the ride home!
 
I am a bit of a cheerleader for how if your family likes to do character meals and buffets, and your kids are still under the age cutoff or kids, the DDP is an incredible deal. I did the math on our upcoming trip and wanted to share, because I so often see the opposite themed post about how it's impossible to save money on the DDP.

We are staying 5 nights, regular DDP, 2 adults, 3 kids, for a total DDP cost of $1,174.60

We are eating dinners at the following 5 table service restaurants, with the following after tax prices, not including alcohol or specialty drinks. For the record, we booked this vacation last Thursday and are arriving next week, and still got rezzies at the times we like to eat (between 5:30 and 6:30pm) at all of these locations, so it is not as though we had to plan our vacation 180 days ahead to do this.

Storybook/Artist Point: $58.75 adult; $35.15
Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic: $61.77 adult; $37.28 kid
Biergarten: $43.67 adult; $23.43 kid
Akershus: $62.84 adult; $37.28 kid
Tusker House: $50.06; $29.82 kid

Total Price for TS meals: $1,043.05

So the DDP cost is only $131.55 more than the table service meals alone. My husband and I do enjoy wine or cocktails, and we do let the kids get the specialty kids drinks a few times over the course of the trip as a special treat at Disney World, which will basically (if not more than) cover that difference. Which means we are essentially getting all of our counter service meals, plus ten snacks a day, for free. :D

The real factor here is, as you might notice, all but one of the kid meal prices above is more than the full day cost of the kids dining plan ($27.98 per day). So this does not work nearly as well if your kids are considered disney adults. But for our family with small kids who LOVE character meals (yes, I know biergarten isn't one, but there is still a fun show the kids like), I was actually surprised how much we saved.

I'm trying to figure this out too with our choices - can you tell me how you got those exact numbers of cost of meals? I just see a "range" when I look online?

Thanks!
 


MOMOTWINS, you have an awesome itinerary!!! I want to go with you!!!
Can you share your counter service or other meals (I know they don't have to be counter service, so why would they be, unless it's the time factor involved).
 
I've been working hard on the "math" for our trip as well. We've gone with the deluxe dining plan. I've been scanning online menus and guessing what items DH and I are likely to order, same for DS (age 9) and estimating meal cost that way. This also helps me estimate how much to budget for tips.

So far we are coming out about even - depending on what ADRs I'm actually able to GET that may fluctuate - still waiting on ADR window to open. :)

Last time I checked we were actually ahead on the plan by a couple hundred - and that was with 6 unused snack credits. I'm trying to hit buffets, character meals and SRs as much as possible. We're going during Food & Wine and plan to use a lot of our snack credits that way.
 


We do signature meals as opposed to character meals with our Disney dining plan "adult" as well as the Disney child. Opens up a whole new world for them food wise. As well it's much more cost effective since they are past the point of subsisting on a piece of bread, mac + cheese, and chicken nuggets.
We are not big eaters of snacks so our first trip we wound up not using them. Thereafter we used them for Continental type breakfasts and candy to bring home at Karamel Kuche. We at least break even on the DDxDP now and sometimes come out ahead.
 
For us it is never a value BUT that is because we don't have a lot of TS (especially buffets), we frequently split QS meals, we don't snack a lot, breakfast is usually in the room and so on. We just aren't customers who get the mileage out of it.

It's nice to see the math work the other way for someone. Those are great ADR's! I'm especially happy to see that you made them well after the 180 day mark. I think it's easy to forget that people's plans change and ADR's open up and the choices aren't "be the first one in line at 180 days or starve".
 
We're the same as the OP. Meals like 'Ohana and character meals with our two young kids make up a lot of our TS ADRs, and especially if you use TS credits for dinner/Fantasmic type packages during high season like Christmas, you can really get good value out of your credits. Once my older DS is 10 I don't know that we will have as much interest in Character Meals and the value certainly will be harder to make up, so we'll probably skip the DDP.
 
It isn't that the DDP is a steal for these meals, it is that these meals are overpriced to begin with for the amount of food and character interaction you get.

Seriously, let's look at this:
First off, we should all be able to agree that the amount most people can eat at any all you care to eat venue should cost no more than $15, there will be those that eat more and those that eat less, but this is what most will eat and all you care to eat establishments bank on this fact.

Now, let's look at a character meal at Disneyland Resort: Plaza Inn Breakfast - $34 per adult, $19 per child before any discounts and there are discounts for: AP, CMs, DVC, Disney Visa card holders among others. There is usually a minimum of:
  • Minnie
  • Pluto
  • Chip
  • Dale
  • And at least 4-5 additional characters (usually at least two are rare)
My record for number of characters at this venue was 14 characters in a single meal because the park was dead and the roaming characters were coming in because they had no one to interact with outside. This is a buffet and all you care to eat, so value of food about $15, paying around $19 for around 9 characters who will usually interact with each table more than once per character.

Now, let's take a look at the listed meals:

  • Storybook/Artist Point: $58.75 adult; $35.15
    • You get Dopey, Snow White, Grumpy and the Queen and you get each one once and once only.
    • Overall the food should run about $20 per person here, so you are better off than a buffet
    • So, about $20 for food and about $38.75 for four characters
  • Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic: $61.77 adult; $37.28 kid
    • Last I checked, you get 4-5 characters
    • So, $15 for food, leaves $46.77 for 405 characters
  • Biergarten: $43.67 adult; $23.43 kid
    • Again, most people are going to eat about $15 worth of food, no characters, sometimes there might be entertainment, which you are paying $28.67 for
  • Akershus: $62.84 adult; $37.28 kid
    • You usually get 5 princesses
    • Here food would probably be closer to the $20 range due to the type of food served, so you are looking at $42.84 per adult for 5 characters
  • Tusker House: $50.06; $29.82 kid
    • You get about 5 characters here
    • Again, $15 worth of food, so $35.06 for about 5 characters
So, again it isn't that the DDP is a good deal for these meals, it is that these meals are overpriced for what they are, I mean if Disneyland, which is in California and has higher labor costs, can offer more characters and a higher quality of food for substantially less money, it is pretty obvious the meals are overpriced.

Now would I do said meals on the dining plan? Yes, but I am not looking at it as a good deal, rather as that is what meal I want to go to and living near Disneyland, I admit that I have a little different perspective on it.
 
Yeah in this case I agree. We were planning on not doing the plan this year but then my kids started talking about all the characters they wanted to see. After running the numbers it's definitely the best bet for us even though we really don't like buffets. I wish there were other options for character meals besides buffets.
 
I have to agree that if you are doing a lot of character meals the DDP may be a value. We decided to get the DDP as every day we have planned a character meal and was planning on QS for the other meals. Also, since we will be going to F&W, the snack credits will come in handy. We do have a TiW card that when we did the math, DDP came out ahead (not by much). We will use the TiW card for additional drinks or if we would like apps to go with the meals. Just remember to do the math.
 
The reasons buffets work well for me is that I try to eat healthy but get too hungry with the portions of salads at most WDW places. I loved being able to load up plate after plate of salad and then take small tastes of some of the less healthy but yummy options. I left those meals much more satisfied. The last trip I took I actually lost weight!
 
My family and I are the textbook example of people who don't need the dining plan. Earl of Sandwich and D-Luxe Burger and Blaze Pizza are great. We only need one big meal a day. A light breakfast and snacks in the room will do us just fine throughout the day. Our typical fare sails far under the amount that would be worth it.

BUT...

We are planning a pretty big family vacation for next year. 5 or 6 adults and 2 kids, with the kids being 5 and 4 at the time of the trip. So, there are at least 2 or 3 pretty big meals on the docket (and that's just so far) So, if you can imagine the cost of the character meals times 7-8... times 2 or 3 or 4....phew, that will add up, quick. The question is, will the rest of the other meals make up the difference on it being worth it or not.
 
Only one problem with this post-

You have to eat buffets every meal.

The kids are already at Disney World and think you’re the best parents ever. Why punish your taste buds to appease them even further? ;)
 
@MomOTwins, if you would be eating at all those character buffets even without the DDP, have littles that pay child's prices, then yes, IMO that is the only time you would come out ahead. Most people would not spend that much OOP for that many character meals in one trip - so yes, this would be maximizing your credits.

We never eat that many huge meals (and, for us hard to eat 'light' when you're paying that much for a buffet). We'd rather not face the temptation as we enjoy food as much as anyone, but we'd rather limit our TS meals and eat lighter otherwise.
As others have said, to really compare apples to apples, you must add in those large tips for those high priced meals. They really add up.
 

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