DDP or TiW

[Mommy2TwoMickeys]

Which do you use?? And Why?? Thanks!

 

[DVCismyhappyplace]

We tend to use both! DH likes to prepay for everything so we do the Dining Plan - however we use the TiW for discounts on adult beverages and apps...... and since we like eating at signature restaurants, we always end up a few meal credits short

 

[disneynutz]

DDP has lost it's value for us with our eating habits. We love WDW for more than just eating, I can eat at home.

TIW gives you a discount if you use it enough and you are free to eat without running to the next ADR to make sure that you use all of your credits.

Bill

 

[MrBean]

Depends for us, we've done both at different times. If we want to do alot of signature meals one vacation, it was easy to get the value from the Deluxe DDP. Although with the huge increase for 2013, we probably won't get it again.

TiW is nice because it gives you choices and includes adult beverages, although without also including counter service locations, and the huge price increase this year, it's going to be hard to justify the cost, especially since AP and DVC members already get 10% and sometimes 20% off at many dining locations.

Lots of math now to see if either is really worth it now

 

[Kidanifan08]

We use TIW. We did the DDP a couple of times when it was "free" with a stay at ASM, but the price has gone up so much that we generally can't "beat" Disney anymore. Plus, it is just too much food for us. TIW allows us to get an appetizer when we want and we can choose whether or not we want dessert. We almost always have adult beverages at out TS meals, and we like that TIW covers that, as well.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

For the longest time, we have been doing a split stay so we can get the DxDDP for part of the trip and use it on the first part of our trip and on our first check-out day. I had gotten to the point where I wasn't enjoying the split stay though. Then on our last trip, we figured out that we like a CS lunch and a signature dinner. Guess what? There's not a dining plan for that. That's kind of what we were doing on the first part of the trip though, but we missed the signatures on the last part. So I think I have decided to go with TIW next time WITHOUT a split stay. If I ever do DxDDP again, it will be because I want to eat at Narcoosees and get the lobster or the lobster tail/filet. I don't want to pay for that entree even with the 20% off!

 

[davedmaine]

Which do you use?? And Why?? Thanks!

TiW without question is the better option. Why be a slave to the dining plan, feeling you always have to get the most expensive thing on the menu to maximize value, stressing out over left over snack credits, making ADRs, etc?

 

[DebbieB]

Neither, not worth it for 2 people who don't eat alot of table service.

 

[CarolynMink]

Our family's eating habits have out grown the DDP. When my kids were young we ate at a lot of buffets. The DDP really provided a savings.

Now, that they are teens we explore more grown up choices! TIW lets us enjoy in a whole new way. I no longer have to feel guilty for having a glass of wine with dinner.

 

[2binak]

We used DDP a couple of years ago when we knew we would be eating at alot of the more expensive buffets & TS places. We ended up saving over $200 from what we would have normally eaten at those locations so it was a big savings for us but we don't like being tied to ADR's and don't eat at those locations every trip so we won't be using DDP again.

This year we'll be using TIW but only because we will have some additional family members with us and we'll be going twice in one year. If it was just the 3 of us and only 1 trip per year, we wouldn't even make our $100 invesment back.

 

[LisaS]

DH and I order appetizers and entrees and rarely order dessert so the DDP doesn't work for us. The TIW card covers whatever we order including alcohol so we have been using it for a few years now. However, with the price increase from $75 to $100 I will have to run the numbers to see if it will still be worth it for us. I wish they offered a "TIW for Two" card, good for up to two people for a lower price.

 

[gdrj]

We used DDP only once 3 years ago. Worked out fine, we had our daughter and her friend with us and got the DDP so they could go do their own thing. Worked out fine. We have not used since because the cost doesn't seem to be worth it for us, I don't need dessert with every meal. Also want to be flexible with dining.

We are using TiW for first time next week. Looking forward to using 9 days for just two of us and we plan on visiting at Christmas with 4+ people so should work well for us. We are planning our own lounge tour to take advantage of alcohol savings.

 

[tazhughes]

We are debating the same thing right now. We have eight of us going in May and we have ADRs every day so we would get our money's worth either way, just not sure which is more convenient.

 

[CarolynMink]

We are debating the same thing right now. We have eight of us going in May and we have ADRs every day so we would get our money's worth either way, just not sure which is more convenient.

With eight people remember, with the TIW, the card holder must be present. You will not all be able to use it if you split up. This did effected the planning of one of our trips.

 

[MoreTravels]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

 

[TBLaube]

We are 15-20% tippers so that disn't bother us. I went on my first 'no kids' trip and we used it a lot in the various lounges for drinks and appetizers. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of counter services included too. We made sure to eat at Pizzafari and Flame Tree during our AK visit to take advantage of it. I am also going for a week in the fall with my son so will definitely get my money's worth. We aren't huge dessert fans either and would rather enjoy appetizers!

 

[Kidanifan08]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

So, without TIW you will be paying 110% of the total bill (at the low end of your tipping pattern) vs. 98% with TIW. I know what I would choose.

Of course, if you don't spend more than $500 over the entire year at TIW participating restaurants/lounges, there is no sense in buying TIW, since the buy-in is $100 for AP and DVC members.

 

[Anal Annie]

We also usually tip between 15-20% (usually just leave whatever it takes to round it off to the closest dollar so whatever it works out to be) so the 18% gratuity is fine. We have never gotten the DDP as it's only been in the last couple of years that I felt DS was eating enough to be worth the adult price. We also didn't used to eat so many TS meals and survived on mainly CS food. But we got along great with the TIW card this past year with DS being a teenager who can eat his weight in meals. Since we had 2 trips last year we had AP's and purchased it with that discount (which is higher than the DVC discount). We like that it includes alcohol and enjoyed a pitcher of Sangria with our meal at Via Napoli and DH got his UK beers with it. We tried hard to plan meals at places that take it and really missed using it at places like Teppan Edo which does not take it. Since it's percentage based the larger the party & the bigger the tab the more you save.

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I order appetizers and entrees and rarely order dessert so the DDP doesn't work for us. The TIW card covers whatever we order including alcohol so we have been using it for a few years now. However, with the price increase from $75 to $100 I will have to run the numbers to see if it will still be worth it for us. I wish they offered a "TIW for Two" card, good for up to two people for a lower price.

Yes, the $100 price puts it in a different light for smaller groups. We will pay for extended family, so there are often 9 of us at the table. I thought that the price increase was truly excessive.

We also prefer soups or appetizers to dessert.

 

[Geomom]

I voted TIW, as that's what we prefer, but we have done DDP when traveling with other people as they wanted to do it--they liked the pre-paid option. DDP was worth it to us when we had 2 kids...with only 1 Disney 'kid' now, not so much. I also didn't like how they added the mugs to the DDP (and upping the price). We don't tend to do much for refillable mugs now that we stay at DVC's with the coffeemaker and fridge in room. The mugs were worth it at the value resort because we needed our morning coffee!

TIW works for us. We always tip over 20%. We like to have 1 TS meal a day, and enjoy alcoholic drinks with our meals. TIW worked well when we traveled with a party of 8 that didn't stay the same number of days as us (DDP just wasn't going to work for that trip.) We tend to do an AP every other year, traveling April then Feb and usually a fall trip in between...so we get 3 trips out of both the AP and the TIW.