Dining plan VS. No Dining Plan

[4Ds4Diz]

On past trips we have gone with the DDP because we like a sit down breakfast and dinner. Throw in the sit down lunch and after about 3+ days we no longer had an appetite from so much food.

While I dont mind the scheduled meals, because we like the themed restaurants at Disney, we have decided to try OOP this trip. I will purchase a TIW card and we will still do a sit down breakfast and dinner but skip the lunch. I looked over the menus of the restaurants we plan to dine at and I believe we will be saving $$ this trip and not over eating too.

Good luck with what ever you choose, and have a magical trip!

 

[MrsDuck]

We've never used the DDP as we've found it to not really be a savings. We use the TIW and the regular DVC discount... it's worked for us!

 

[cfw213]

It seems as if I am in the minority, but our family loves the DDP. It saves us a considerable amount of money. I have created spreadsheets comparing DDP to Cash and TIW and every time, come out ahead. We enjoy having one TS and 1 CS per day. It gives us a break from the heat since we go in August.

We are on vacation and love eating at our favorite WDW restaurants so it works for us.

This August, we are trying the DxDDP so we are excited. We have ADR's at several Signature restaurants that we haven't dined at in many years!

I am considering purchasing a TIW card to help with alcoholic purchases. Does anyone have any experience combining the TIW with DxDDP? We are also traveling with a large group. How many people does the TIW card cover?

I totally agree with you! For me, a major part of "vacation" is eating at nice restaurants, rather than CS meals or cooking at my resort. Yes it is a lot of food, but I love to eat and spoil myself with food/snacks when I'm on vacation!

I compared TIW with DDP (this was part of my comparison when looking into buying dvc) and it would cost us about $15 more with TIW.

To each his own!

 

[Dean]

I totally agree with you! For me, a major part of "vacation" is eating at nice restaurants, rather than CS meals or cooking at my resort. Yes it is a lot of food, but I love to eat and spoil myself with food/snacks when I'm on vacation!

I compared TIW with DDP (this was part of my comparison when looking into buying dvc) and it would cost us about $15 more with TIW.

To each his own!

IMO whether to enjoy the things you state is not particularly relevant to the DDP decision. If the choices in the DDP work for you there's still the cost question. For many it is cheaper to go another route even if you make the same choices. Often we can get a great value from the DDP but it takes planning and specific types of choices to do so. For us this fits into our needs and wants. I've tracked several DDP trips and for us it ends up being about the same price or slightly more than we would have spent but we get an added value from the DDP. IMO, we get a value because we plan for the higher price locations AND options, arrive early day 1 and get lunch or breakfast the day of departure plus we now have a grandson so we can take advantage of the child's price. The one negative for us is most trips are exchanges so we must get the full 7 days. Sometimes we get an exchange and only use it for a long weekend so no DDP then. Looking at it another way, my wife and I can eat 2 TS meals a day and a snack or 2 for less than the price of the basic plan for 2.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

IMO whether to enjoy the things you state is not particularly relevant to the DDP decision. If the choices in the DDP work for you there's still the cost question. For many it is cheaper to go another route even if you make the same choices. Often we can get a great value from the DDP but it takes planning and specific types of choices to do so. . .

Is it worth it for the savings and/or will there be savings.........?
As Dean points, if the cost, the choices, menus, ADR process and the limitations of the plans works for you then yes, possible savings can be realized!

But for my family and traveling circus, none of the plans work. We don't want to be tied down to restaurants & ADR's, morning, noon and night. We make just a few ADR's, the rest of the time we let the day dictate what, where and when we eat. We enjoy time at the resort and making meals there. We eat very light breakfasts, never dessert, and other than Boma, the word buffet is a dirty word! Our children are 15, so the "character" dining is thankfully over! The cost per person, per day, unless we do an upscale restaurant like Blue Zoo (not on the DDP), is far above what we normally do spend per day, so no savings.

With the TIW card, a few ADR's, cooking in the villa, and even dare I say it, "eating offsite" we get the best savings for how we like to eat while vacationing at Disney!

We tried it, and you may have to try it for yourself to determine if it works for you as a whole! Good Luck!

 

[Alexander]

This August it is just DS (6) and I. The dining plan is $66/day for us.

To eat dinner at the Crystal Palace we are looking at $54.98. I am quite sure that we will be able to eat more than $11.00 in 2 counter service meals and 2 snacks throughout the day.

Some days we may not "spend" $66 in meals (character b'fasts) but other days we more than make up for it. So personally, I do feel the dining plan is worth it.

 

[2binak]

We used the regular DDP last year for the first time. We planned higher cost TS meals so numbers-wise, we came out with a $200 savings.

However, we felt that the amount of food was much more than we would have otherwise eaten. Also, we like to go with the flow and park hop when the mood strikes and unfortunately, the DDP limits your ability to do that.

I create a spreadsheet every year to view our OOP costs vs. DDP costs and we always (with the exception of last year) spend less or just about the same when we pay OOP. Combining the math with our preferred style of "go with the flow" touring, we plan on paying OOP for future trips.

 

[Dean]

This August it is just DS (6) and I. The dining plan is $66/day for us.

To eat dinner at the Crystal Palace we are looking at $54.98. I am quite sure that we will be able to eat more than $11.00 in 2 counter service meals and 2 snacks throughout the day.

Some days we may not "spend" $66 in meals (character b'fasts) but other days we more than make up for it. So personally, I do feel the dining plan is worth it.

You really need these type of options to make it worthwhile financially but assuming the rest of the days will give you a similar savings without actually planning for it is unrealistic, IMO.

 

[RayJay]

Can the TIW and DVC discount be used together?

What is the DVC discount?

Thanks, great info from everyone.

RayJay

 

[Alexander]

You really need these type of options to make it worthwhile financially but assuming the rest of the days will give you a similar savings without actually planning for it is unrealistic, IMO.

I guess I don't understand. You generally cannot have a TS meal without making an ADR and thus you have planned for it.

Another one of our planned meals is at Chef Mickey's. $47.91 for the two of us. That leaves $18.09 for 2 counter service meals and 2 snacks. One adult counter service meal is easily $10. So how this isn't working out to a savings I don't quite understand?

There is no fancy planning going on here. I am taking DS to multiple character meals because that is what he wants to do. We will have our CS meals and snacks as we need them. Nothing fancy happenin' here!

I completely understand that the dining plan may not be for some people, but to give a blanket statement that you have to do extensive planning and eat the most expensive meals just isn't true.

 

[Dean]

I completely understand that the dining plan may not be for some people, but to give a blanket statement that you have to do extensive planning and eat the most expensive meals just isn't true.

As a blanket statement I believe it is. Let me qualify that to get a true value you have to want and plan to eat the options involved. Simply taking what you received and adding up the numbers is not enough. It's actually fairly difficult to realize a true savings with the basic plan and even more difficult with the QS plan. If you don't plan and don't order the more expensive options, it's almost impossible to get a savings over the course of a several day trip, assuming you use the plan as intended under the rules. The assumption that everyone who gets a plan with TS options makes appropriate reservations enough in advance to get options where you see a savings, is not an assumption I'm willing to concede. That may be true for you and me but isn't for everyone. The QS plan is actually the best example of this concept where without factoring in both the most expensive options AND the higher cost snacks and the mug, it's almost impossible to show a real savings. IMO a real savings is 20% min. One has to be careful taking the price that you would have paid as the end point plus one has to realize that you also pay tip on the extra value and more expensive meals if you would have gotten less without the plan.

 

[graueMaus]

So let me get this straight about TIW:

savings for TIW :20%
mandatory TIP: 18%

Net savings 2%

Initial Cost of TIW $100 DVC/$75 for AP holders

Breakeven point $500 (DVC)/ $375(AP) in food purchases annually
So in order for TIW to be a cost savings you need to spend above your BE point.

Am I correct here?

Thanks.

 

[Chuck S]

So let me get this straight about TIW:

savings for TIW :20%
mandatory TIP: 18%

Net savings 2%

Initial Cost of TIW $100 DVC/$75 for AP holders

Breakeven point $500 (DVC)/ $375(AP) in food purchases annually
So in order for TIW to be a cost savings you need to spend above your BE point.

Am I correct here?

Thanks.

Don't you normally tip about 18% on a table service meal anyway? If so, your formula computation is flawed.

So on a $100 table meal, $6.50 tax, $18 tip = $124.

Now let's look at TiW

Table service meal $100
less 20% = $80
plus $5.20 tax
plus $18 tip

Total $103.20
or a savings of $20.8


Next savings ($124-$103.2)/$124 = 16.77%

 

[gmi3804]

Let's put it this way: would you rather get 20% off your food/drink purchases and tip 18%, or not get 20% off your food/drink purchases and tip 18%?

You're correct in that you need to spend up to your BE point in order to start realizing the savings from the program.

 

[rentayenta]

Let's put it this way: would you rather get 20% off your food/drink purchases and tip 18%, or not get 20% off your food/drink purchases and tip 18%?

You're correct in that you need to spend up to your BE point in order to start realizing the savings from the program.

Exactly. I'm going to tip anyway so why not save. For us, a $500 BE point is a no brainer with an 11 day trip and 6 people.

 

[Dean]

So let me get this straight about TIW:

savings for TIW :20%
mandatory TIP: 18%

Net savings 2%

Initial Cost of TIW $100 DVC/$75 for AP holders

Breakeven point $500 (DVC)/ $375(AP) in food purchases annually
So in order for TIW to be a cost savings you need to spend above your BE point.

Am I correct here?

Thanks.

we normally tip a little more than 18% esp for non Buffet's. Disney's expectation of 18% for buffet options is likely too much though I would admit that the server's at the Disney buffet's normally do more than at most buffet options. The proper tip on ETOH is 15% as a standard.

 

[twinklebug]

It's so easy to meet the break even point be it $400 or $500. With myself and 2 teens that's 4 or 5 dinners out.

Also note, the TIW card is good for 13 months from purchase. Our card purchased last Christmas will cover that trip, the summer trip and hopefully (if airfare cooperates) another December trip.

Just don't loose it between trips ($25 replacement fee)

(Side note, CS places, like Flame Tree BBQ deduct the 20% discount, but do not add on the 18% tip. I can't name another place in Disney where I can feed my 14 yo for $10 and have him perfectly content.)

 

[Dean]

It's so easy to meet the break even point be it $400 or $500. With myself and 2 teens that's 4 or 5 dinners out.

Also note, the TIW card is good for 13 months from purchase. Our card purchased last Christmas will cover that trip, the summer trip and hopefully (if airfare cooperates) another December trip.

Just don't loose it between trips ($25 replacement fee)

(Side note, CS places, like Flame Tree BBQ deduct the 20% discount, but do not add on the 18% tip. I can't name another place in Disney where I can feed my 14 yo for $10 and have him perfectly content.)

Other than the value locations I think there are only a couple of CS options that honor the TIW.

 

[twinklebug]

Other than the value locations I think there are only a couple of CS options that honor the TIW.

Correct, The Artist’s Palette (SSR CS) and FlameTree (AK park)

Also, the All Star food courts and POP. Now, How often DVC members are over there I have no idea - only been to Movies for one night and have no desire to return.

I suspect the new animation resort will also honor the TIW card.

Also worth noting it's good on certain shows at certain times. For example: HDDR, 9:30pm seating. Food's not anything to write home about, but the show is fun. The prices have the tips built in there so again, no 18% added.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

In our family experience, DDP is no longer worth it with the new price increases. We did TIW card last 2 times and ate whatever we wanted and still spent less. For us, our kids barely eat, they can usually split a meal. I occasionally want to order 2 appetizers instead of a meal, or just a salad (thereby LOSING money that i paid for the DDP). I just like the flexibility of not having the DDP and I am not the type of person who wants to pay more for the convienence of prepaying and lose money. But hey, that's just me.