How should I pay for food?!

[JacLynne]

Our party includes 2 teenage boys that eat like there is no tomorrow, my hubs that is also a big eater and prefers steak, myself (I can NOT eat beef, lamb or pork and seafood wise I only prefer crab & lobster) and our under 3 yo. We are DVC members, AP holders and Disney Visa card holders. So, here is my question.
Which food plan do I get? Is Tables in Wonderland a better deal than the DDP? At this point I would say that yes, we will use all the food credits. My children are hobbits that believe we should eat 6 large meals a day. Or do I just use 1 of my other discounts that I already have? If we do the DDP for 8 nights, we have planned to use 4 of our TS days on character meal dinners and we have 2 breakfast character meals planned.
4 days before the DDP would kick in myself, 1 of my teens and the toddler will be there without the DDP and we are planning on doing 2 character breakfasts during that time and would be paying cash. We are also going during food & wine. We will also have 2 date nights, 1 at Sanaa & 1 at the Edison and brunch for the 5 of us at Raglan Rd (which I think I will have to pay out of pocket for)
Of course I don't have a crystal ball, and I can't tell if my kids are going to be eating burgers or steak. Also, we are staying at OKW and have a full kitchen I can take advantage of for some meals. Ugh. My brain hurts. When I did the math, we pretty much broke even if I just had a 10% discount. What are others more experienced opinions? $150 up front seems like a lot since we don't live there. I am hoping to use my annual pass a couple of times throughout the year with 1 of my kids, but no guarantees.

TIA!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Tables in Wonderland. It sounds like the men in your party could potentially go through all the DDP credits in half the days. Plus, it's mainly for convenience, not savings.

 

[alex9179]

We always did TiW on previous trips. 20% off on any TS/lounge menu item beat the DDP on our stays because we didn't eat QS often. We made our money back the first trip but I always had a second planned to get the value out of my AP (I'm the only one who got one). The weather during F&W can be pretty warm, which dampens the appetite. You might think that you'll order a ton from the booths, but what if the offerings aren't your cup of tea? Could I complicate it a little more?
With your resources, I wouldn't buy the DDP. It'd be a no-brainer if it were free.

 

[Faldred]

TiW does sound like the best bet for your circumstances. DDP might work out better in a very narrow set of possibilities that sees you maximize the credit values, but between the uncertainty of what all be ordered and the additional dining outside of when you'd be covered by DDP, I really can't see DDP working out to be a better bet for you.

 

[kiford]

I second TiW. If your boys are big eaters, they'll probably prefer to be able to pick what they want to eat without being tied to limitations on the dining plan. If they want 2 appetizers and an entree and a dessert, for example, on the DDP, you'd probably still be paying some OOP costs or you'd run out of credits quickly. DH and I bought TiW last December because we bought annual passes and are going several times in short visits. We were there in December and February (12 days total) and I think we've pretty much already paid for the card with the discounts we've had just for the two of us. With 5 people, you'll probably come out at least even if not ahead and you'll get to eat whatever you want rather than being tied to a plan.