ddp vs tiw

[mickie16]

we are going to be there april 22nd thru the 29 i am having trouble deciding if i want to get the meal plan since the price wen tup again i wasn't sure during the last trip bc i felt like you yes got a lot of food but if you were paying for food you would order a dessert for everyone each night and definitely not for lunch. We have played back and for about TIW also but can't figure out which is more of a savings. My son is four this year and if i get the meal plan i have to get it for him also i heard and he eats nothing so that is another prob. he is a waste of money. We have reservation at kona cafe, ohana, mama melrose fantasmic package, via napoli, narciosi, be our guest and yachtsman steakhouse. Any advise please?

 

[ses1230]

we are going to be there april 22nd thru the 29 i am having trouble deciding if i want to get the meal plan since the price wen tup again i wasn't sure during the last trip bc i felt like you yes got a lot of food but if you were paying for food you would order a dessert for everyone each night and definitely not for lunch. We have played back and for about TIW also but can't figure out which is more of a savings. My son is four this year and if i get the meal plan i have to get it for him also i heard and he eats nothing so that is another prob.

Everyone must have the same dining plan so yes, you have to get it for your 4 year old.

he is a waste of money. We have reservation at kona cafe, ohana, mama melrose fantasmic package, via napoli, narciosi, be our guest and yachtsman steakhouse.

You can not use TIW for the Fantasmic package.

Any advise please?

If your son won't eat a whole meal, and you don't want desserts every meal, the DDP might not be the best option for you. The best way to tell is look at the menus and run some numbers. If you plan to spend at least $500 on food, then you have reached the break-even point with TIW.

You did not mention it but just so you know, TIW is only available for DVC, AP holders and Fl residents.

 

[abdgeek]

we are going to be there april 22nd thru the 29 i am having trouble deciding if i want to get the meal plan since the price wen tup again i wasn't sure during the last trip bc i felt like you yes got a lot of food but if you were paying for food you would order a dessert for everyone each night and definitely not for lunch. We have played back and for about TIW also but can't figure out which is more of a savings. My son is four this year and if i get the meal plan i have to get it for him also i heard and he eats nothing so that is another prob. he is a waste of money. We have reservation at kona cafe, ohana, mama melrose fantasmic package, via napoli, narciosi, be our guest and yachtsman steakhouse. Any advise please?

Another thing to factor in to whether or not TIW is better than the dining plan is how many QS meals will you eat? TIW isn't accepted at most QS restaurants so you will have to pay OOP for those. Check the TIW website for their most recent list of places where it can be used.

I've done both TIW and the regular and deluxe dining plans. I do eat differently when I do TIW, but the one thing that I don't like is that I can't use it at the QS restaurants or for snacks, so I'm really not saving anything. Something else to keep in mind is that the 18% gratuity(20% at V&A) is automatically added to the cost of the meal. With the meal plan, while they suggest 15-18%, you can decide how much of a tip to leave.

 

[nalajms]

We have reservation at kona cafe, ohana, mama melrose fantasmic package, via napoli, narciosi, be our guest and yachtsman steakhouse. Any advise please?

You also have at factor in taxes with TIW. So with the 18% tip, Total TIW (meal, tip, tax) = price of meal (pre tax & tip). Look at the menu and see what you'd eat.

We have TIW and I just priced out our May trip. We're adding on the QS plan and probably the regular plan to the 2nd half (split stay).

You also do not have to use the dining credits for your son at the Signatures, you can pay out of pocket or just order a side. My 4yo is picky and doesn't eat much, so we save his credits for QS. His favorite is the QS next to Canada that serves chicken fingers. 1 child TS for that QS is a better deal than using 2 for a $15 signature meal that he wouldn't touch.

 

[cpc430]

Is adding a QS Dining Plan generally a good option then if you have TIW to get a discount on CS and snacks? We also have a split stay vacation coming up where 3 of our days would be eligible for the dining plan. We've never done the dining plan before and I want to try it out… but I also want to be sure it's worth it.

 

[nalajms]

Is adding a QS Dining Plan generally a good option then if you have TIW to get a discount on CS and snacks? We also have a split stay vacation coming up where 3 of our days would be eligible for the dining plan. We've never done the dining plan before and I want to try it out… but I also want to be sure it's worth it.

Only a few CS have discounts for TIW. The QS worked for our first split stay because we will be there early on day 1, and can continue to use it the day of checkout. So a 2n plan with 4qs each can be spread over 3 days. We are only planning 1 TS during that time so the regular plan didn't make sense. DH is a big eater and needs non-water drink with meals, so it's worth it for us.

We're also going during F&G so I know I'll be getting at least $5 per snack.

QS would not be a savings if I ended up having 1 TS each night then using my QS for breakfast and lunch. It can come out ahead if we have character meal breakfasts and use QS for lunch and dinner.