Dining plan, tables in Wonderland card, both, or on your own? discuss

Do you plan on spending more than $500 at Table Service restaurants, and will be drinking alcohol with meals?
If so, TiW is probably your best bet for discount value.

That's actually a good rule of thumb but it's probably more than $500 since you get 5 or 10 percent discounts in some places with a DVC card, AP, or a Chase Visa. And they add an 18% gratuity no matter how abysmal the service.

I don't do DDP or TIW. I chooses to eat what I want, where I want when I want and pay for it. Makes decisions much easier.

LOL! That's actually why I love the Deluxe Dining Plan so much. I eat what I want, where I want when I want... only I've pre-paid for it.

The problem here is that you must know what you normally do, and how you normally spend money on dining. Each one of us here have different desires and different patterns. So there often is no single one rule.

If you know that you will be spending practically all of your time at the parks, and you will be dining/eating with WDW throughout your entire stay, and you don't mind planning ahead a bit, then certainly DDP sounds like a good idea. On the other hand, if you are doing all that, but you don't like it to be too structured (i.e. you like to decide on the spot what to do), then I'd say TIW might be a better deal, especially if you make multiple long trips to WDW within 12 months.

I have many friends who have TIW, so we tend to live off them, but we ourselves don't have it. We had done DDP when we were on short trips and knew that we won't be going anywhere off site. But during other trips, especially when we are by ourselves, we tend to go off site and explore restaurants in the vicinity (if you like South Indian cuisine, try this restaurant called Dakshin in the Crossroad shopping Mall. It is quite good, even if the service is sometime a bit slow). So not having DDP or TIW kinda made us less inclined to want to always have meals on site. Besides, we tend to hunt for places that give Passholder/DVC discounts for meals.

Zz.

Even though I am not happy with the $25 increase, I will continue to purchase TIW, as our favorite restaurants are at the Swan/Dolphin, and they aren't on DDP. Majority of AP/DVC dining discounts are for breakfast or lunch, and do not include alcohol. I would normally give a 20% tip anyways, so including the tip automatically is not an issue.

TIW is good for 13 months, and not difficult to meet the breakeven of $470 for $100 card(tax is calculated on discounted total, so a tax savings as well), if we are using it for 2-3 trips.

Yeah but I would wind up paying for food I don't want and eating in places not participating. Been there and done that. Not for me. When I had a party of 10 a couple of years ago I should have don TIW . Now with party of two or three doesn't really matter.

According to the Disney Food Blog TiW is not accepted at either restaurant at Shades of Green.

I've used both and I love them. I've only done deluxe once and it was way too much food. I'd only go deluxe if I had several signature restaurants planned. I love the CA Grill and would do that twice

We did TiW this past trip and I wasnt a fan of it. We dont drink (And if we did... it still wouldnt be enough to get a good use out of it), and I love having the meals taken care of prior to the visit. It makes things more relaxed. I know this past trip its not like money was an issue... but we were having to watch where we ate at during the day though. So even though ill probably pay more on the DDP... I will pay the extra for the convenience of it all.

I also believe it really depends on how you eat. We have tried both. I spent a whole lot of time doing the math and have decided that when comparing TIW to the Deluxe dining plan that you actually come out a bit better using the dining plan. My figures were based on how we eat. We usually eat two TS meals per day. One being breakfast and one being a signature meal at dinner time. For lunch we usually eat just a snack or split a counter service meal. I do admit that with my figures the dining plan came out just a few dollars cheaper. So after trying both, we will probably stick to using the dining plan in the future because it is prepaid.
It also would depend on whether or not you feel as though you have to get the most out of using one of the dining plans. We do not feel that way so we will and do skip desert if we do not want it. I will also admit that we have had meals left over on more than one trip but again this does not bother us.

This is HUGE for me personally. If I'm paying cash, the entire time I'm reading the menu or someone is ordering I'm adding it all up in my head. On the dinning plan I get some relief from that worry so that I can simply enjoy the meal.

Also Kristen... I found that to be for me with TiW... I'm checking the prices in my head and such and im actually choosing cheaper things too because I feel bad if I order something thats like $35 and everyone else is getting a salad at like $15. So on the DDP... I feel like a KING ordering the higher stuff because its covered on the plan. I almost feel entitled to do my service of purchasing the highest priced menu item.... lol

I think the DDP gave my kids freedom too. That became super important when they "out grew" kids meals. My teenage boy never leaves a meal still hungry when we're on the DDP. That's saying a lot for a teenage boy.

Regularly the kids might not even ask for dessert because at home we either don't get dessert, or we get one and share, but when we have the DDP they know that they can have whatever they want. No one thinks twice about if it's healthy or not. The one who doesn't like chocolate is free to get as much vanilla ice cream as she can eat.

On the DDP, the kids rarely have to ask "permission" to order anything because everything's already been paid for. I think perhaps it's even allowed them to become more adventurous eaters.

I will be using the DDP this trip and I like the fact that my meals are already paid for and I don't have to worry about how much money I have for meals. I like the freedom. I know alot of people say that you really aren't saving money but I still like the convenience.

I agree with you both. I've become a more adventurous eater with the dining plan. We are drinkers so TiW paid for itself at the $75 mark. I don't think I'll be renewing at the $100 mark. We don't drink THAT much. I love the idea that I don't have to care what things cost vs paying OOP and scrimping at the end of vacation. Anything I can prepay for works for me.

TOTALLY agree with watching the prices all day long. Without the DDP (haver never done deluxe) we eat a lot of cheeseburgers and snacks, and that is expensive enough. I have also been debating TiW because we tend to go at least 2 full weeks in any given 12 Month period. DH says no, he is the one adding it all up in his head. So, for his blood pressure( ) and ensuring that we order what we want to eat, we will stick to the DDP.

I pulled up that spreadsheet from SeeYaReelSoon for the Disney Dining Plan Calculator to plug in numbers and he told me to not bother. He is happy with prepaying, even if it does not save us money, it saves him headache and grief. I am fine with that.

I asked this question a while ago on here and I got some really great advice from everyone. The Disney Dining plan is great because it is pre-paid and takes the stress out of making sure you have enough money til the end of the trip. On all our previous trips we had the dining plan and ate whatever we wanted and wherever we wanted. We were always full and the food is fantastic. We recently bought in to the vacation club and I had heard a lot people do TIWL or eat in their rooms but really I want the freedom of being somewhere and saying well what quick service do you want to eat and not having to go back to my room to do so. Yes you will have to make advance dining reservations but it is wonderful to know gee we are going to Ohana tonight and not worrying whether we will get in or not. Plus did I mention it is all paid for!!!! I am on vacation I shouldn't be stressed about anything!!

The food at SoG isn't really all that great, so I wouldn't limit yourself to just eating there. Nor all that expensive, and I don't believe you pay tax (as I recall, I know the gift shop is not taxed, just as if you were buying on post). It's been almost 2 years since I stayed there, so may be different! It is however a very easy walk to the Polynesian and O'Hana's is my fave for breakfast!