Help me with dining plan decisions.

[sharonabe]

Hey POOCH! Thank you for at least giving it a try!

I'm glad the plan still works for you, but I agree with some other PPs that for 2012, you'd be loosing money if you ate the exact same things you did in 2008 (without free dining, of course).


And TEXASCOP, thanks for starting the thread. It looks like you've found what will work for your family. ENJOY your vacation next year!

 

[texascop2]

What is a TIW card?

 

[sissy_ib]

What is a TIW card?

Tables in Wonderland card. Only available for AP holders or FL residents. Gives 20% off meals and drinks at many restaurants.

 

[sheltonsluvdisney]

I think TIW is a Tables in Wonderland card. If you have an annual pass you can purchase this card and it gives you a 20% discount on food and drink at certain restaurants.

We are a family of 2 adults and an 8 year old and we feel that the Dining plan is a good fit for us. We used the plan for the first time in 2006 during free dining and the regular plan included an appetizer and the tip. So Disney really reeled us in, as we got about $900 in free food over 8 days. We had gone the year before and ate mostly counter service meals and still spent about $500 for 8 days.

While I agree that it is not as great a value as it used to be, we still have purchsed it on more recent trips where we used a room discount or rented points and have saved money.

We don't feel tied down with the plan and I don't mind making ADR's, in fact I enjoy it. We use the time spent eating to cool down, relax and catch up with other family or friends traveling with us. We also enjoy dessert with each meal or sometimes save desserts for evening snacks or breakfast. We like to share 2 counter service meals between the 3 of us (our son is not a big eater yet) and then use the extras for breakfast or whenever we are hungry.

The dining plan cost us $103.97/per night. Here are a few examples of what our cash costs would have been during our trip last May:

Lunch at Lecellier-
Smoothies - $9.38, 2 fillets-53.98, kids meal-7.49 (which my son loves and will eat), 2 desserts-11.98, tax-5.38 Total-$88.21
Dinner-Pizza Planet
2 pizza combos - $16.58, drinks-$5.78, 2 rice krispie treats-$6.98, tax-1.90, total-$31.24
3 snacks-$12.00
Total for the day-$131.45, so we came out $23.48 ahead.

Breakfast-french toast platter & drink-$9.03, snack-muffin-$3.50
Lunch-Sushine Seasons-2 cashew chicken meals-$19.98, 2 drinks-$5.58, 2 desserts-$7.58, tax 2.19, Total-$35.33
Dinner-Ohana buffet with tax - $87.30
2 snacks-pineapple floats-$8.92
Total for the day-$144.58, came out ahead by $40.11.

Breakfast-Donald's Safari buffet w/tax-$63.89
3 snacks-$12.00
Lunch-Harbour House-chicken/fish basket, drink, dessert, tax-$15.41
Dinner-Parmesan Chicken-$8.99, Lasagna-$8.99, Drinks-$5.58, desserts-$8.98, tax-$2.11-Ttl-$34.65
Total for the day-$125.95, ahead $21.98

 

[sharonabe]

SHELTONSLUVDISNEY: Great job and thanks for taking the challenge! You guys did save money, BUT you do have one child and that always helps with the value of DDP. When DS is a Disney adult (and eats like one!), let us know if it's still worth it.

It's POURING rain here today, so I went to see what I could do with the cost of 2012 DDP ($51.54)

Here's my four days worth of eating and the "damage"....

AK Day
Pizzafari Mixed fruit cup, yogurt $5.40
Yak/Yeti CS Mandarin chicken salad, frozen lemonade $12.60
Garden Grove (at the Swan) Buffet $30.00
Total w/tax $51.12

MK Day
Main St Bakery Banana bread pudding, coffee $5.60
Columbia Harbour Tuna sand, soup $12.80
Ohana Buffet $33.00
Total w/tax $54.74

Epcot Day
Sunshine Seasons Oatmeal, coffee $4.00
Sommersfest Brat, soda $9.20
Snack at Fife/Drum American Dream $4.00 (I've wanted to try this ever since seeing it in someone's trip report.)
Le Cellier Prix Fix Dinner $37.00 (If on the DDP, I wouldn't get this as it is not a good value, but I would also not get the cheddar cheese soup since apps are extra, and I really like the soup.)
Total w/tax $57.72

HS Day
Starring Rolls Bagel/cream cheese, coffee $3.40 (I know, a cupcake would be better, but I'm having two desserts later.)
Fairfax Fare Brisket $10.00
Brown Derby Cobb Salad, Grapefruit Cake, Fruit Cobbler, coffee $32.00 (assuming $4 coffee)
(I really want to try the Cobb Salad (but wouldn't if on DDP), and I can't decide between these two desserts, so I'll just get both!)
Total w/tax $48.35

Total for four days $211.93
Total for four night adult 2012 DDP $206.16

So I'm close to $6 over what I would pay on DDP, BUT I have 2 Signature restaurants, and have essentially used 9 snack credits for my breakfast and one snack during the day, so that's 2 extra TS and 5 extra snacks. I would say that's well worth my extra $6.

If I were on the DDP, I would never eat at Brown Derby because I just can't see the value of using 2 TS credits there even if you do order a regular entree, dessert, and drink

 

[Angeni11]

My question is what about the tips you pay on all those meals that you probably wouldn't eat otherwise?

As many say they would not eat like that otherwise so how much are you really saving after tips are included?

Not trying to stir the pot but it seems to be something important everyone leaves out.

I believe the plan works very well for some people and not others as it depends on how you eat and budget for vacations.

 

[pooch]

My question is what about the tips you pay on all those meals that you probably wouldn't eat otherwise?

As many say they would not eat like that otherwise so how much are you really saving after tips are included?

Not trying to stir the pot but it seems to be something important everyone leaves out.

I believe the plan works very well for some people and not others as it depends on how you eat and budget for vacations.

we would eat all those meals anyway. TS meals are our daily breaks and we would have one every day, on plan or not so tips are a wash.