DDP vs TIW

[Mflaherty]

My family of 4(me,my husband, 4 year old and 2 year old are going in nov)- am debating between the 2. We have ADRs at flying fish, akershus,garden grill, and yachtsmans steakhouse for dinner. We will probably eat breakfast in the room with the exception of my husband who really likes to eat ( he will prob do ts breakfast and some lunches table service as well. Me and the girls will prob get quick service lunch. We may do 2-3 table service lunches while we are there. In your experience would we fair better with ddp or TIW?? Ps-I drink a glass of wine with dinner. And my kids are really picky eaters

 

[Kidanifan08]

It's not clear how many days you will be there, but you probably would do well with the TIW, if you think you will spend over $500 (to cover the $100 cost of the card). Having the two kids can make the DDP a good option, particularly since you have two character meals, but it is not very flexible and it does not cover the wine, as you probably know. Sometimes you just have to sit down with the menus and crunch the numbers.

The TIW would definitely be the right choice if you already know you will be back within the 12 months after purchasing the card.

 

[SuperRob]

With that many people, TIW is almost always going to be a better deal, particularly if the adults will be having the occasional alcoholic beverage. The Table Service meals are where you're going to see some significant savings.

 

[dianeschlicht]

With two small children and two adults, I wouldn't bother with the dining plan. We find the DDP to be way more costly than using the TIW card and paying OOP. We did the dining plan a couple of times back when you could choose between an appetizer and dessert. We tracked our usage and also tracked our costs on a subsequent trip using the TIW card. The advantage of the card was we didn't feel like we were paying for things we never use (like counter service meals). We also found tracking the point on the DDP to be a real PITA.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The TiW can be purchased by Florida Residents, DVC Members, and Annual Passholders. It gives a 20% discount on food and beverages (including alcoholic) at most tables service and some quick services location on WDW for up to ten people at a time. When you purchase it, the card is valid for the remainder of the current month plus 13 full months.

Here is a working example, using $100.00 as the original bill to make the math show up easily. Note this is for Table Service. At Counter Service there is no gratuity added.

100.00 - Original Menu Amount
*20.00 - Discount
*80.00 - Subtotal
*18.00 - Gratuity Added based on $100
**5.20 - Sales Tax on $80
103.20 - Final amount charged, takes into consideration discount, gratuity and tax.

Without TiW Discount (and still figuring 18% Gratuity)

100.00 - Original Menu Amount
*18.00 - Gratuity
**6.50 - Sales Tax on $100
124.50 - Total

$21.30 - Savings using TiW Card.

(Note - At Victoria and Albert's the added gratuity is 20% instead of 18%.)
* Ignore the asterisks; they are there only so the columns/numbers line up properly.

For the complete list of locations and the rules, go to www.tablesinwonderland.com which is the Official Disney site.

Based on the current pricing, the following is the break-even point for menu pricing (assuming you will routinely give an 18% tip):
AP Holder or DVC Member ($100) is $469.48
Resident (not AP holder) ($125) is $586.85
Both of the above take into consideration that the Sales Tax is also discounted.

 

[disneynutz]

I would look and the menus and prices of what you would like to eat and compare the cost of the DDP and TIW.

Sometimes the DDP allows you to buy food that you normally wouldn't buy because of the cost.

Bill