Meal plan vs TIW

[Cboyfanjoe]

Just wondering if the TWI is worth it or are we better off going with the regular meal plan? We have 2 adults 2 children and a baby under 2. We've done the meal plan before and it seemed to save us money based on our receipts. We always use our table service meals for dinners and enjoy the character buffets.

We have 2 WDW trips left this year (already went Easter break BLT) July 17-24 AKV Jambo SV and my annual convention Sept 17-24 at yacht and beach club. Two older kids will not be coming for convention because of school (staying w grandpa). I'm wondering which will save me more money in the long run? Paying for meal plan both times or TIW? Right now leaning toward TIW because I feel the real savings w meal plan is on the kids, one buffet is $20+ per child and meal plan is less the $20 per day for child, and older kids will not be on sept trip. Anyone try both and figure out which saved you more? Thanks for the help!

 

[supersnoop]

You are correct. Without children, the dining plan does not make financial sense. You don't even need to compare it to TiW tiW only makes sense if you're spending over $500 on eligible meals, or more if you have access to other applicable discounts.

 

[Dean]

Just wondering if the TWI is worth it or are we better off going with the regular meal plan? We have 2 adults 2 children and a baby under 2. We've done the meal plan before and it seemed to save us money based on our receipts. We always use our table service meals for dinners and enjoy the character buffets.

We have 2 WDW trips left this year (already went Easter break BLT) July 17-24 AKV Jambo SV and my annual convention Sept 17-24 at yacht and beach club. Two older kids will not be coming for convention because of school (staying w grandpa). I'm wondering which will save me more money in the long run? Paying for meal plan both times or TIW? Right now leaning toward TIW because I feel the real savings w meal plan is on the kids, one buffet is $20+ per child and meal plan is less the $20 per day for child, and older kids will not be on sept trip. Anyone try both and figure out which saved you more? Thanks for the help!

IMO there are 3 options, the third being neither and paying cash or using other available discounts (DVC, Disney CC, AP). If you're doing several buffet's, characters, it's likely the DP will save you money due to the fact that 50% of your group falls into the kids 3-9. I'd suggest you take the menu's and compare. I know there's an online comparison tool but I don't have the link right now as we're on vacation (sitting here in my 2 BR presidential in Savannah looking out over the historic district). Still, given your trip parameters, check out the TIW to make sure. If you could get any trips out of it next year, that could add to it's value. Rarely does the basic plan provide value for adults (it can but usually doesn't). The deluxe plan has the most potential value but that's a lot of credits for a full week depending on your dining style. IMO one needs a savings or added value of around 20% due to the use or lose situation. TIW also provides a discount on ETOH where the others do not.

You are correct. Without children, the dining plan does not make financial sense. You don't even need to compare it to TiW tiW only makes sense if you're spending over $500 on eligible meals, or more if you have access to other applicable discounts.

With other discounts one likely needs to get up to $600-650 before one breaks even but it depends on how the TS choices match up with the other discounts.

 

[DizDaD7]

I say TiW...We've done this for a total of 16 nights...So well worth it...Also 3 years ago it was only $75 for DVC so much less to spen to get your breakeven point..Plus the fact that you can save on alcohol too helps... 1 more thing that I forgot to add was this: We used our Freedom card which every 1/4 has 2 or 3 things that you get 5% cash back..Both times when we used are card @ Disney it happened to be for restaurants,so that was basically an extra savings.

 

[disneynutz]

Only you can know if it's worth it. Make a list of what you want to eat, compare the prices OOP, with TIW and with the DDP.

Bill

 

[bumbershoot]

http://allears.net/pl/disc_dining.pdf That compares the discounts out there, but not the dining plan.

If you have xcel (or however it's spelled), http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon has a dining plan calculator.

 

[luckyman_apd]

Only you can know if it's worth it. Make a list of what you want to eat, compare the prices OOP, with TIW and with the DDP.

Bill

.
Exactly. Everyone eats differently and tour length of stay can change your costs greatly. We are currently on a 10 day stay... And it's the 3rd trip using our AP. Bought TIW last summer. We don't do table service everyday. In fact we've done them far more on this trip than prior trips. My kids are picky and I don't always want them eating the children's menu items. They are perfectly happy with pb&j made in the morning and brought with us.... And they can usually split a meal at dinner or get some of ours. Our TIW card paid for itself at Victoria and Albert's last summer for our 10 year wedding anniversary. So it's all gravy right now. But when it was just the 3 of us (prior to my son) the dining plan was perfect.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Weren't they implementing changes to the TIW card beginning this summer? Blackout dates and other limitations?

We bought it several times and the last time we bought it, the card cost $75. I'm not sure it's worth it for just the two of us at $100, not much alcohol at all and only a few table service meals. We will probably get three trips out of our AP that we bought a few years ago but haven't activated yet.

 

[sweetdana]

Weren't they implementing changes to the TIW card beginning this summer? Blackout dates and other limitations? We bought it several times and the last time we bought it, the card cost $75. I'm not sure it's worth it for just the two of us at $100, not much alcohol at all and only a few table service meals. We will probably get three trips out of our AP that we bought a few years ago but haven't activated yet.

Please tell if this is true I have a dec trip tiw planned, but will likely do dp if it is blacked out!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Please tell if this is true I have a dec trip tiw planned, but will likely do dp if it is blacked out!

Validity Dates:

**Victoria& Albert’s will honor Tables in Wonderland discount through July 31st, 2014. As of August 1st, 2014 the restaurant will no longer participate in Tables in Wonderland.

*Beginning August 1st 2014, 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickey’s, ‘Ohana (Dinner Only), Cinderella’s Royal Table, LeChefs de France, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, and Le Cellier Steakhouse will be subject to the additional blockout weeks of: November 23-29, 2014; December 21-27, 2014; March 8-April 4, 2015; May 31-June 20, 2015.

Blockout dates for Tables in Wonderland are Mother’s Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Tables in Wonderland is valid for one year from date of purchase.

http://tablesinwonderland.com/

 

[wildforgoofy]

*Beginning August 1st 2014, 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickey’s, ‘Ohana (Dinner Only), Cinderella’s Royal Table, LeChefs de France, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, and Le Cellier Steakhouse will be subject to the additional blockout weeks of: November 23-29, 2014; December 21-27, 2014; March 8-April 4, 2015; May 31-June 20, 2015. http://tablesinwonderland.com/

What's special about May 31-June 20th? The other weeks make sense being they're holiday weeks but beginning of June? That's when we always go, and I love Ohana. That stinks!

 

[Msmithmd]

What's special about May 31-June 20th? The other weeks make sense being they're holiday weeks but beginning of June? That's when we always go, and I love Ohana. That stinks!

It's right when school gets out, and Disney presumably has decided they can completely fill these restaurants with people who don't get a discount.

Painful, I agree.

 

[wildforgoofy]

It's right when school gets out, and Disney presumably has decided they can completely fill these restaurants with people who don't get a discount. Painful, I agree.

Bummer! But makes sense since I'm always booked for the very first day after school gets out. Having kids in HS is such a cramp in our WDW trips.

 

[wdwfan1]

That really stinks!!!!

 

[Cboyfanjoe]

Decided to go w the meal plan and kept track of price of meals and we had $1413 worth of food for $1085. Now, if we didn't do the meal plan I figured we would have spent around $1000 to $1200 on nessasary meals anyway so basically we got to indulge in treats we probably wouldn't have had normally. My kids obviously loved that and my wife and I enjoyed Starbucks fraps and coffee drinks which in Epcot and MK EVERYTHING on the menu is considered a snack, so there is real value there! All in all the meal plan was a good choice for a family of 5.

 

[Dean]

Decided to go w the meal plan and kept track of price of meals and we had $1413 worth of food for $1085. Now, if we didn't do the meal plan I figured we would have spent around $1000 to $1200 on nessasary meals anyway so basically we got to indulge in treats we probably wouldn't have had normally. My kids obviously loved that and my wife and I enjoyed Starbucks fraps and coffee drinks which in Epcot and MK EVERYTHING on the menu is considered a snack, so there is real value there! All in all the meal plan was a good choice for a family of 5.

It depends on specifics (buffet's, usual practices, etc) but for many this would over estimate savings for several reasons. The additional tips are often not included in one's calculations, most wouldn't get an apply & dessert at TS locations, usually such calculations ignore other potential savings and often many would order a less expensive meal.
I'm glad it worked out well for you.

 

[Cboyfanjoe]

We only did one sit down table service in France and that happened to be the 2nd most expensive dinner. The rest were dinner buffets (no breakfast) mostly character because of my little one. I didn't include the tips in the calculations just the price on the receipts given. This worked out well because we were able to split our QS meals between breakfast and lunch, 2 QS for each meal because you get enough food and we could always throw in a snack if needed. So in the end my family of 5 had 3 meals plus snacks for 7 days for $150 a day ($30 per person per day, $10 a meal). Not too bad

 

[Dean]

We only did one sit down table service in France and that happened to be the 2nd most expensive dinner. The rest were dinner buffets (no breakfast) mostly character because of my little one. I didn't include the tips in the calculations just the price on the receipts given. This worked out well because we were able to split our QS meals between breakfast and lunch, 2 QS for each meal because you get enough food and we could always throw in a snack if needed. So in the end my family of 5 had 3 meals plus snacks for 7 days for $150 a day ($30 per person per day, $10 a meal). Not too bad

In that situation the tip difference would only apply to the non buffet meal. Did you use the QS credits in such a way that you used child credits for adult meals?

 

[Cboyfanjoe]

Yes that's exactly what we did, used child credits for adult QS meals which was more then enough food.

 

[Dean]

Yes that's exactly what we did, used child credits for adult QS meals which was more then enough food.

That and the buffet's for the kids are where you created the savings. This option is technically against the rules as I understand it.