Deluxe Dining Plan vs. Tables in Wonderland

[tnmom25]

My husband and I are going Aug 26-30 and he wants to get the DxDP, but if we have TiW wouldn't we save more by using that? I've tried to figure this out and compare, but my brain is mush by now. I'd love to hear opinions about this. I really think we'd save money if we just paid cash with TiW and not use the DxDp. Am I right? Thanks!

BTW, the only thing we have booked that we wouldn't be able to use TiW for is the Rivers of Light dining package.

 

[bumbershoot]

I assume you have all of your dining figured out. So look at what you have planned, and see IF the Deluxe package saves you money for what you're planning. Then look at TIW and see if *that* saves you money on what you're planning. Remember that TIW includes alcohol.


Since your brain is mush, sit down with pen and paper and figure it out step by step. Each day, where are you eating (and if you're like me, since we're vegetarian and have limited options anyway, we know WHAT we'll be eating, too) and if you get drinks and if you get desserts and all the other things on the Deluxe plan, etc etc. Don't try to do it all in your head. Write it out.

 

[sharonabe]

Agree with bumbershoot, you're going to have to do some real math. Look at the menus and "order" what you WANT to eat. Don't look at the prices, don't order as if you're on the DxDDP, order what you WANT to eat and drink, then do the math. Don't forget the 6.5% sales tax. Once you have that number, you'll need to go back and add up all the things that are NOT included on the plan and either add that amount to your DxDDP price or decide if you're willing to give them up.

 

[alex9179]

Say the money comes out to be pretty close, either way. Will you order wine/beer/cocktails? How and how much do you eat? Some people don't mind throwing food away when the plan allocates more than they can eat. That would make me crazy. Taking leftovers is often inconvenient with touring so I'd rather order what I think will be eaten, instead of what's included and leaving a bunch for the trash.

I'd choose TiW for more flexibility.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

I'm not much on doing too much complicated math (I do enough analytics in my day job --- don't need to overthink a Disney vacation).

I'd think about what meals you know you have planned and how you normally eat/drink. Deluxe dining comes with (I think I have this right) 3 meal allotments and 2 snacks per day. If you know you have ADRs booked that are going to use your meal allotments and you usually eat appetizer, entree, dessert plus have a non-alcoholic drink with each meal then go with the dining plan. If you generally don't want a three course meal and/or drink a lot of alcohol and/or don't have enough high value ADRs booked, you're probably better of with TIW.

But, also think about the psychology. If I were on the dining plan - I'd be constantly worried about trying to maximize value (ordering most expensive entree, always getting dessert, etc.) --- I know it doesn't make much sense, but I know that's how I am. For me, I'm better off paying out of pocket and ordering exactly what I want when I want it even if the math might work out slightly better with the dining plan. For others, having their food pre-paid through the dining plan would greatly reduce their stress because they wouldn't need to worry about the amount of each item they ordered --- for them I'd say dining plan all the way if the math is even close to even.

 

[bumbershoot]

But, also think about the psychology. If I were on the dining plan - I'd be constantly worried about trying to maximize value (ordering most expensive entree, always getting dessert, etc.) --- I know it doesn't make much sense, but I know that's how I am. For me, I'm better off paying out of pocket and ordering exactly what I want when I want it even if the math might work out slightly better with the dining plan. For others, having their food pre-paid through the dining plan would greatly reduce their stress because they wouldn't need to worry about the amount of each item they ordered --- for them I'd say dining plan all the way if the math is even close to even.

Perfect. I'm in the same camp as you.

 

[rwdavis2]

TiW is designed to save you money and the DxDP is not, with any savings being coincidental.

 

[Faldred]

IF you plan on getting appetizer, entree, dessert, and beverage at every meal, there's a chance DxDP will work out better than TiW.

TiW, on the other hand, is much more flexible and is more likely to save you money if you're using it enough times to cover it's cost. If you already have TiW and have absorbed that cost, I'd say TiW is a no-brainer unless your dining style exactly fits the DxDP entitlements.

 

[Barbydoll8]

TIW used to save us money but it does not for how we eat at WDW anymore. Break even point at the current price of TIW is somewhere around $750-$800 in a year. If you are not going to spend more than that on your trip, TIW is not the way to go. I assume you are either a FL resident or DVC for TIW. If you are DVC, you already get a discount at many restaurants. Some of them 20% already. If you are an AP holder, you will get 20% instead of 10% at a large amount of restaurants already due to a special promotion through the end of Sept.

Example: Currently I am both DVC & AP holder so I get lots of 20% discounts (with the exception of alcohol). TIW is $150 bucks up front. Since I'm already getting a good discount and I'm also a Disney Visa holder so some places offer 10% for that, it's not worth it for me to buy TIW nor to do the Dining plan. Last year we just broke even so no more TIW for us.
Dining plan is way too much food for us so I'll stick with our discounts through the various plans. It does take a bit of work but figuring out the best way to maximize your $$ is worth it in the end.

 

[marikujawa]

TIW used to save us money but it does not for how we eat at WDW anymore. Break even point at the current price of TIW is somewhere around $750-$800 in a year. If you are not going to spend more than that on your trip, TIW is not the way to go. I assume you are either a FL resident or DVC for TIW. If you are DVC, you already get a discount at many restaurants. Some of them 20% already. If you are an AP holder, you will get 20% instead of 10% at a large amount of restaurants already due to a special promotion through the end of Sept.

Example: Currently I am both DVC & AP holder so I get lots of 20% discounts (with the exception of alcohol). TIW is $150 bucks up front. Since I'm already getting a good discount and I'm also a Disney Visa holder so some places offer 10% for that, it's not worth it for me to buy TIW nor to do the Dining plan. Last year we just broke even so no more TIW for us.
Dining plan is way too much food for us so I'll stick with our discounts through the various plans. It does take a bit of work but figuring out the best way to maximize your $$ is worth it in the end.

That's very good advice. Just remember, though, that none of those other discounts apply to alcohol. We visit at least twice a year, eat at signatures and order good wine, so TIW works great for us - we save much more than we would with the other discounts.

 

[nkereina]

IMO, if money savings is the priority, I'd go with TIW. If convenience is the priority, I'd go with DxDP. We like the dining plans because we can pay it in full before our trip and don't worry about it while we're there. It makes it more all inclusive for us. We know we are not necessarily saving money, and are ok with that. It's not our priority. While some may be concerned with maximizing the value of the dining plan, we think the opposite - if we were paying OOP, we might forego the steak for a burger to save some pennies. So for us, the psychology is that we can order anything we want without considering the prices while on a dining plan. Everyone is completely different though, so it just depends on how you'd eat and what your priorities are.

 

[CraigInPA]

There was a time that DxDDP was a bargain. You could eat at a signature for one meal and pay the entire cost of the plan. However, that was many years ago. Since then, DxDDP has grown in price to the point where you need to use almost every entitlement to break even. Don't get me wrong. There there some people who can do that, but my wife and I cannot. In addition to the cost of DxDDP itself, you'll also want to factor in "extras". For example, if you want surf and turf, you'll find there is an upcharge for that. If you want alcoholic beverages, there's a charge for that. And, even if you stay away from "extras", you still need to pay a tip on what you did order.

A few years ago, we took the receipts from our previous trip and matched them to the current menu prices. We found that the cost of DxDDP at that time equaled the price we paid for meals. When we factored in the snacks, we found the "20% savings" Disney advertised at the time. Since we were taking home all of the snacks, we decided the next trip to pay out of pocket (OOP) and skip filling our luggage with snacks that were included but we really didn't want. We went to the same restaurants, ate what we wanted, drank what we wanted, and didn't bother to look at prices. At the end of the trip, we found we had saved several hundred dollars over what the DxDDP would have cost. When we analyzed the reasons why, we figured out that we didn't always want the restaurant's dessert (No HBD snack size desserts, we had funnel cake in the park later!), or that we might not have been interested in each having an appetizer (so we bought one instead of two), or we got a discount as a Disney Visa holder, and we weren't paying the tip on the "I have to take everything on the plan" amount, only the cost of the food we actually wanted. Four trips later, and we're still saving money. Our last trip, 8 days, yielded a 15% savings over the cost of DxDDP.

 

[gillep]

Personally, I prefer the flexibility of the TIW, I don't find the Dining Plans (have only done DxDP) to be convenient at all due to the lack of flexibility and rigid structure of what is covered at each meal.

 

[supersnoop]

My husband and I are going Aug 26-30 and he wants to get the DxDP, but if we have TiW wouldn't we save more by using that? I've tried to figure this out and compare, but my brain is mush by now. I'd love to hear opinions about this. I really think we'd save money if we just paid cash with TiW and not use the DxDp. Am I right? Thanks!

BTW, the only thing we have booked that we wouldn't be able to use TiW for is the Rivers of Light dining package.

What qualifies you to purchase the TiW? Do you already have the card? How many trips will you be able to use the card?

The current AP discounts really eat away at the value of the TiW discount. And, if you don't already have a card, it will be difficult to justify the initial purchase price on a single 5 day trip with only two people.

 

[alex9179]

The current AP discounts really eat away at the value of the TiW discount. And, if you don't already have a card, it will be difficult to justify the initial purchase price on a single 5 day trip with only two people.

This is a good point.

I have a family of 5 and we'll be there for 10 days and have not current plans for another trip within the window. I'm waffling on being satisfied with the AP discounts or getting TiW. Truthfully, I'm dreading figuring out the math!

With the other discounts available this year, there's a fair chance that the DxDDP will cost more and it will be a ton of food.

 

[tnmom25]

What qualifies you to purchase the TiW? Do you already have the card? How many trips will you be able to use the card?

The current AP discounts really eat away at the value of the TiW discount. And, if you don't already have a card, it will be difficult to justify the initial purchase price on a single 5 day trip with only two people.

I have an AP that I just bought earlier this month. I will probably use it on one more trip, at least 8 days. We normally only eat one or two TS meals on our trips, though. But, for our anniversary, we want to try several new places that we normally wouldn't with the kids. We are a family of six, so food is a big part of our budget.

It's giving me a headache trying to do the math! I just didn't know if it was a no-brainer and I was overthinking it, which is easy for me to do! The only thing we are doing that we couldn't get the 20% TiW discount on is the Rivers of Light dining package at Tusker House.

 

[bumbershoot]

Last year we just broke even so no more TIW for us.

Others might feel that the valet parking (during meals that you use the TIW card for) has a decent value that helps justify the cost.

If you are not going to spend more than that on your trip, TIW is not the way to go.

I think that most buying a TIW card are going more than once a year, so you really have to think about future trips, too.

I will probably use it on one more trip, at least 8 days. We normally only eat one or two TS meals on our trips, though. But, for our anniversary, we want to try several new places that we normally wouldn't with the kids. We are a family of six, so food is a big part of our budget.

If you'll be taking a trip with those kids inside the TIW year, sounds like it could be an extra bargain.

 

[jcvalenti]

I've done the math quite a few times over recent years ... we ALWAYS save more money with TiW ... not to mention, it is more accommodating of exactly how we vacation. We do make use of the valet parking option, and we also use it a LOT at various bars and lounges. We usually get 2 or 3 weeks of use out of it when we travel, as we usually get Annual Passes and come back 2 times in a year plus food & wine. Heck - I paid off my TiW card on a single trip to Tutto Gusto once ... so it's a no brainer for me.

It also fits my personality - I hate the idea of giving Disney an interest free loan for food that I may or may not want to eat in 6 months, on menus that may or may not be in existence.

 

[jcvalenti]

The current AP discounts really eat away at the value of the TiW discount.

Of course, the current AP discounts (on food only) are temporary, and could go away at any time.

 

[supersnoop]

Of course, the current AP discounts (on food only) are temporary, and could go away at any time.

I believe they're scheduled to end the last day of September, but IP's trip is in August, so that's not a consideration.