Matt's 18th Birthday trip - Now Live

[wayneg]

$51.54/night this year and $55.59/night next year

We will not pay for the DDP because although generally we will have one CS & one TS a day I can not find a value in it. We are happy to eat off site where we can get a whole TS meal for the 3 of us for less than one adult DDP! CS meals - we never have dessert and most times share a large drink between us as we just don't want anymore. I will quite often get an entree no side as well.

When you going at Easter? Might finally get to meet as we have 8 nights booked just after Easter.

Sounds like you eat just like us. I haven't had time to enter all the data into a spreadsheet yet for this years meals but last year we averaged $163/day value = $54pp that was ordering top value items because I could, desserts at TS when we really didn't need them, desserts at CS when we definitely didn't need them and 3 drinks when we only need 1.
I struggle to see how any family can get value from DDP by paying.

We were planning 31st Mar to 13th Apr but I have seen flight deals by adding an extra couple of days, I could have booked yesterday at £409pp with good flight times but they are not showing now, didn't want to book til Matt had his Uni place confirmed, Dates are good for Lancaster Uni but they didn't work with Leeds Uni.

 

[Debbyt28]

Those are brilliant results especially this year. That is the problem with the grade inflation we have seen over the last lot of years. One year was always going to suffer. Exceptional results considering - very well done indeed.

Congratulations to Matt I was reading his blog very early this morning. Well DD 2 got her results not as good as we hoped but still got her 1st choice Royal Hollaway Univeristy of London although she was in holding for quite some time however she did apply for clearance whilst waiting and was amazed to be given offers for other Universities that had higher requirements to start with so she hadn't bothered to apply as she didn't think she would get those grades

 

[paulh]

I struggle to see how any family can get value from DDP by paying.
.

We paid as were DVC and didnt have to buy tickets for parks.worked out we saved around $60 per day for a family of 4.basicaly you get a free counter service
Worked for us as didnt have to drive while on the DDP the 3 days we were at BLT ment i was ok to have a few drinks durring the day
On the result frount youngest DS got 3 As (maths/further maths+phiscs)and 1 B(computing) (1st year results at collage) there must be a proud milk man out there as i dont know where he gets it from
Paul

 

[gillybeaaan]

Just popping in to say a massive congratulations to Matt on those amazing results! (and a really late happy birthday cause I missed it!)

Need to catch up on your trip report but from what I've read it looks like you had an amazing time!

 

[Cyrano]

I congratulated Matt elsewhere but wanted to come on the DIS as well.
Well done Karen and Wayne for all the support and encouragement you have provided.

 

[wayneg]

We paid as were DVC and didnt have to buy tickets for parks.worked out we saved around $60 per day for a family of 4.basicaly you get a free counter service
Worked for us as didnt have to drive while on the DDP the 3 days we were at BLT ment i was ok to have a few drinks durring the day
On the result frount youngest DS got 3 As (maths/further maths+phiscs)and 1 B(computing) (1st year results at collage) there must be a proud milk man out there as i dont know where he gets it from
Paul

Sounds like he is doing well

I was having a think how you can make it work on DDP. My figures obviously include signatures etc where you use 2 credits, these are not the best use of credits as a signature doesn't cost that much more than some of the 1 credit meals. Akershus value was $153, CRT $185, not much difference in value yet double the credits.

Only way you can know if its worth buying is if you know where you want to eat and try compare.
Rather than doing an average over the whole holiday i just looked at our first day, Capt Cooks lunch value $46, Paridiso 37 dinner $109 Total $155, knock off a couple of drinks & 3 desserts at lunch we wouldn't buy OOP, 2 desserts we wouldn't buy in evening and we would be down to about $125 OOP. (we also wouldn't buy snacks in Disney OOP, we came back with 30 items in suitcase and wasted loads of bakery stuff in bin we never got to eat)
Great if you can get value from it though

 

[Tink2312]

Well done Matt Great results!

Just to add as well on the DDP issue, we've paid for both the DDP and the QSDP before (as well as having done free DDP twice). The times when we've paid for DDP it's been over a peak holiday period when surcharges are added to some of the TS locations and we feel the value increases then (as we're DVC members we don't pay the holiday surcharge on the DDP price either). Ideally we mix up both onsite and offsite restaurants but during peak holiday times, we hate having to wait more than 15 minutes or so for tables so find it more advantageous to eat onsite.

I think the QSDP is possibly the worst for value but I paid for it on my solo trip and although I was left with a few credits at the end (and brought home quite a bit of candy) I will do it on my next solo trip. I worked it out when I got home and I saved maybe $20 overall but it was great to pre-pay for my food and know I didn't have it to buy when I got there.

 

[Elise79]

Sounds like he is doing well

I was having a think how you can make it work on DDP. My figures obviously include signatures etc where you use 2 credits, these are not the best use of credits as a signature doesn't cost that much more than some of the 1 credit meals. Akershus value was $153, CRT $185, not much difference in value yet double the credits.

Only way you can know if its worth buying is if you know where you want to eat and try compare.
Rather than doing an average over the whole holiday i just looked at our first day, Capt Cooks lunch value $46, Paridiso 37 dinner $109 Total $155, knock off a couple of drinks & 3 desserts at lunch we wouldn't buy OOP, 2 desserts we wouldn't buy in evening and we would be down to about $125 OOP. (we also wouldn't buy snacks in Disney OOP, we came back with 30 items in suitcase and wasted loads of bakery stuff in bin we never got to eat)
Great if you can get value from it though

I could make it seem like a value but I always compare to what I would actually order if I hadn't paid for the DDP. We also do not eat the snacks just never hungry!

Plus I feel like the DP makes me eat when I otherwise wouldn't and as I battle with my weight anyway I find less temptation if I don't feel I have to eat to get my money's worth! That's not to say I diet or watch what I eat - I just try to only eat if I am hungry!

 

[zippy99]

Massive congrats to Matt xx (and special acknowledgments to Wayne and Karen aka proud parents!)

 

[chmurf]

I could make it seem like a value but I always compare to what I would actually order if I hadn't paid for the DDP.

same here.
We often feel satiated with the Entrée. Sometimes we treat ourselves with a little dessert, but only to satisfy our sweet tooth, we usually end up regretting it on the way out (stuffed)

There is no way the DDP will work for us, unless we get it free (and still, time wasted everyday at restaurants might render it worthless for us)

when eating OOP, with the same choice of restaurants we eat for half the price of the DDP (we don't take appetizers, rarely have dessert, we don't drink alcohol)
TBH we eat off property, and make sandwiches. All in all the total cost of our dining during our holidays is rarely twice what we would spend on tips alone if we were on the DDP

DDP's good because it's all prepaid and (almost) all inclusive. Guests might find value in that feature, 'cause it's peace of mind.
But to maximize your experience (and break even) you need too much planning, up to a point that the stress of planning nullifies the benefit of having all prepaid.

Ok, some will find value in it, some will even spend less doing the DDP.
But they are the lucky ones. For the vast majority of guests the DDP does not come cheaper at all (rather the other way around)

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

A fantastic trip report Wayne with an extra fantastic homecoming to results like that. I think Matt deserves a special holiday to somewhere like Disney World!!

 

[scottishgirl1]

congratulations Matt. you must all be very pleased and relieved. Also, enjoyed meeting you all on the 5th.

 

[Linda67]

Wow, just spotted Matt's results

Huge congratulations

 

[cliveywolves]

Well done MATT ... Top Man !!!!

 

[wayneg]

A fantastic trip report Wayne with an extra fantastic homecoming to results like that. I think Matt deserves a special holiday to somewhere like Disney World!!

Thats our reward, a trip to WDW in Oct/Nov without him
Looking for flights for Easter, he will be able to go with us on that one.

He has updated his Achievements page now, it's growing http://mathewgillings.wordpress.com/achievements-and-experience/

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thats our reward, a trip to WDW in Oct/Nov without him
Looking for flights for Easter, he will be able to go with us on that one.

He has updated his Achievements page now, it's growing http://mathewgillings.wordpress.com/achievements-and-experience/

His page is impressive

 

[happyj]

Have been follwing matts progress. Congratulations to all of you

 

[Nubbedy]

Congratulations to Matt - what excellent results!

 

[beth01dog]

Just got back this morning - well done Matt no prob getting the place you wanted.
Thanks for organising dismeet - nice to chat to people and put faces to names.
Had a brill hol but DDP has allowed me to over indulge and now need to seriously diet!
Madeleine says well done Matt (and then added 'that is the one who was playing catch with me in the pool isn't it?)
Thanks for all your comments and postings over the last year - it really helped us make the absolute most out of our hol from the indirect flights to the dining to OKW which we loved.

 

[wayneg]

Just got back this morning - well done Matt no prob getting the place you wanted.
Thanks for organising dismeet - nice to chat to people and put faces to names.
Had a brill hol but DDP has allowed me to over indulge and now need to seriously diet!
Madeleine says well done Matt (and then added 'that is the one who was playing catch with me in the pool isn't it?)
Thanks for all your comments and postings over the last year - it really helped us make the absolute most out of our hol from the indirect flights to the dining to OKW which we loved.

Welcome home.
Just read the post to Matt.
Glad our help with your planning worked so well.

Matt has decided to have his Psychology unit 4 paper remarked. Units 1,2 & 3 he gained an A grade in each, unit 4 has give him an overall grade of B but only 2 marks away from an A overall. Doesn't make a great deal of difference to him but he was expecting an A, even with all the others being A*, A's and Distinction the B is bothering him when he knows he should have got A in that subject.