DxDP versus TIW, does my math seem right?

[Masonmj84]

Former DxDP user who will be switching to TIW when DS turns 10 next year.

Our group will consist of me, DW, DS10, and DD4. As of today, the planned trip is for 12 nights (4 way split stay with 3 nights at each of WL-Poly-AKL-BC) with the following ADRs:

Breakfasts:
WCC
Chef Mickey's
CRT
Crystal Palace
Kona
Tusker House
Boma
Cape May

Lunches:
Teppan Edo
Chefs de France
50's PT
Via Napoli

Dinners:
HDDR
Narcoosee's
Artist Point
'Ohana
Citricos
Cali Grill
Sanaa
Boma
Jiko
Biergarten
Yachtsman
Flying Fish

Basically, we'd have 8 days where we do a TS breakfast and TS dinner, and 4 days where we do a TS lunch and TS dinner. Overall, it's 24 table service meals (2 per day), which is the same number we'd do under the DxDP.

- On days where we do a TS breakfast, we'll either do snacks or CS (with the adults sharing an entree) for lunch. On days where we do a TS lunch, we'll grab a few quick breakfast items at the resort CS/marketplace.

- At order-off-the menu TS places, DS10 will order off the kids' menu.

Based on these assumptions, when I ran the numbers, I estimated OOP with TIW to be almost $1200 cheaper than the DxDP (this factors in the $100 cost of the TIW card).

Given the number of set price/buffet/family style places on our itenerary (where DS10 will be charged as an adult), I was surprised the difference was so large.

On the other hand, there are some significant factors that appear to account for a lot of the difference:

1. The TIW discount
2. DS10 ordering off the kids' menu
3. Our TS restaurant choices requiring less than the full use of dining credits otherwise allowed under the DxDP. The above list of restaurants would require 33 TS credits per person, whereas the DxDP would allow 36 per person.
4. Some of the TS meals being relatively less expensive (e.g., WCC breakfast, Kona breakfast).

All that being said, I'm still questioning whether my projected savings of nearly $1200 is in the right ball park and, along those lines, wondering if I'm underestimating the cost of OOP with TIW.

 

[detarica]

I am a TIW believer. I think the biggest savings that we have seen over the course of the five trips that we have made with TIW is that you get the discount on the things that you want and you are not getting things that you would normally not order. Most meals, we don't get an appetizer, entree, and dessert. We just don't want that much food at each meal (like what comes with the dining plan). So, you buy the things you would like and you get the discount on them.

Just be careful to check the discount list for the places you plan to eat. Several places give passholder discounts as well, so those wouldn't require TIW. And you don't want to base your plan on places that don't take the card. We have saved huge amounts of money with this card and would not consider buying a dining plan.

 

[Masonmj84]

Yeah. I factored in that Teppan Edo does not take TIW (only the 10% passholder discount).

Also factored in that the discount isn't the full 20% at HDDR or CRT (and that HDDR only typically has one seating time avaiable for the TIW discount).

In addition, the trip will include Mother's Day (which is a TIW blackout date).

Even factoring all that in, I'm showing nearly $1200 in savings.

 

[brertoad]

Just doing some quick estimates, it seems I came up with a general estimate of $3700 for using the TiW card (not including the price of the card), based on general prices and with the TiW discount for everything except for Teppan Edo. I expect the DxDP would cost you about $4344 for 3 adults and 1 child, not including tips another $781.

Seems like your $1200 savings estimate would be pretty close.

I guess with the DxDP you'd have 96 snack credits?? and 4 mugs. Even with a snack credit worth $5 max, that's only $480. The mugs are pricey if bought seperately, but still they are about $18-19 with tax, so for about $80 OOP you get sodas, tea, coffee, etc.

We have a TiW card that we use all the time, it's saved us a lot of money.

 

[loveswdw]

I guess with the DxDP you'd have 96 snack credits?? and 4 mugs. Even with a snack credit worth $5 max, that's only $480. The mugs are pricey if bought seperately, but still they are about $18-19 with tax, so for about $80 OOP you get sodas, tea, coffee, etc.

OP said they are doing a 4 resort stay. Wouldn't they get a new mug for each resort? Thus, 16 mugs! Is that right?!

 

[havoc315]

It is probably accurate. The dining plans contain a lot of fluff --- Often making them significantly more expensive than your ideal dining experience. The TiW is giving you savings on what you want to eat. The DxDP is forcing you to pay for things that you might not want to eat or order. (Forcing you to buy appetizers and deserts that you might not want... forcing your 10 year old to buy adult meals, though he might eat kids meals, forcing you to buy more meal credits than meals you will actually use).

I don't qualify for the TiW card. But on my last trip, we ate "deluxe style" while paying OOP --- We mostly did table service, we did several signature restaurants... We always ordered exactly what we wanted, didn't skimp on anything. And it was about $400 cheaper than the DxDP would have been. (on the flip side, we didn't do any character meals at all).

 

[GaBelle]

OP said they are doing a 4 resort stay. Wouldn't they get a new mug for each resort? Thus, 16 mugs! Is that right?!

Not unless the new RFID enabled resort mugs are a bust.

 

[brertoad]

OP said they are doing a 4 resort stay. Wouldn't they get a new mug for each resort? Thus, 16 mugs! Is that right?!

Yes, it they book multiple resort stays and book the dining plan at each resort, they would receive mugs at each resort when they check in.