Originally Posted By DVCPrincess I'm a DVC member since 1996 and have never used the Disney Dining Plan. My husband & I are planning a family trip for us and our 5 kids (ages 18-29). His kids have never been to WDW, but mine have. We'd like to have the kids enjoy some of the dining experiences but don't want to go broke in the process. Is the DDP worth doing?
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb I would go to allears.net and check out the menus and prices and crunch the numbers. On the occasions I stay on property, I look at meals we'd likely order at places we'd like to go and see if the numbers come out for or against, for us it's usually against, but other families find they save money because of the way they dine. <a href="http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm" target="_blank">http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm</a>
Originally Posted By RoadTrip You may want to consider the "Tables in Wonderland" program. I like it because it allows greater flexibility than the DDP... I am not locked in to a certain number of counter service or table service meals each day and still have the option of eating off-site without losing the value of the DDP meal. The Tables in Wonderland card costs $100 and is good for up to 10 people in your party. It provides a 20% discount on both food AND alcohol purchases. Since Ann and I combined easily spend at least $150 per day between food and beverages, having the TIW card saves us at least $110 during a one-week stay even after deducting the cost of the card. The card is good for one year, so if you make more than one trip a year it can be VERY valuable. Almost all table service restaurants are in the program, including the "Signature Dining" restaurants and Victoria and Albert's. Counter service restaurants are generally NOT included, except for the Food Courts at the Value Resorts. If you like to eat at the more expensive restaurants and spend on alcohol the program can provide significant savings. Alcohol is not only covered during meals... if you want to have a couple of drinks at your hotel lounge in the evening that is eligible for the discount too. If your tastes are simpler and you don't buy much alcohol, the DDP plan might be better for you. Also, remember that just being a DVC member gets you a discount of 10% or 20% (usually 10%) at a fair number of WDW table service restaurants. There are a good number of participating restaurants at Epcot, the Boardwalk and Downtown Disney, but few at the other parks or resort hotels. There are NONE in the Magic Kingdom. Hopefully this information is perhaps of some help and didn't just make things MORE confusing!!
