Should I get the TIW?

[DisneyStarWisher]

My DH and I will be in WDW in October. We are doing a split stay and getting the DxDDP for the first part using it at Narcoosees, Monsieur Paul, and California Grill. I'm wondering if we should get the TIW card for the other meals. We plan on doing Tutto Italia (splitting a meal), The Wave breakfast, and WCC lunch. We know we can get DVC discounts at all of these. We will probably do valet parking at the Beach Club for MP so it will save there. We are planning another trip for next year just for a couple of nights and will probably do Olivia's, Shulas, and Fultons and will have our two teenage sons with us. We should be able to get a DVC discount at Olivia's and Fultons but not Shulas. I realize the DVC discount is not as great as a TIW discount but I'm wondering if it would be worth it. I'm worried with the new changes to the TIW such as blackout dates that I'll buy it this year and changes will prevent me from using it when the savings will be substantial. Should I get it this year or not?

 

[disneynutz]

You will know after you make yourself a spread sheet of restaurants and meals to see how much you will be spending on food.

TIW breaks even at $500.

Bill

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

You will know after you make yourself a spread sheet of restaurants and meals to see how much you will be spending on food. TIW breaks even at $500. Bill

I have done that and it looks like I will be saving over $50. That's not much plus I'm worried that they may change something like the restaurants that honor it and we may end up losing. How do you decide to do it if you aren't sure about the changes that could happen?

 

[disneynutz]

I have done that and it looks like I will be saving over $50. That's not much plus I'm worried that they may change something like the restaurants that honor it and we may end up losing. How do you decide to do it if you aren't sure about the changes that could happen?

I wouldn't think that much will change on Disney's end but it may on yours. I make the spread sheets and rarely does the family buy what they picked for the study. Steak sounded good at home but fish was the meal of choice once we got to the restaurant.

The other issue is that we get tired of eating and sometimes we eat at QS locations so the TIW card doesn't help. For us the DDP's aren't worth it anymore so we eat out of pocket when and where we feel like it at the time.

ADR's, DDP, and TIW create a "we gotta run to our next meal" which isn't fun any more.

Bill

 

[rlovew]

My DH and I will be in WDW in October. We are doing a split stay and getting the DxDDP for the first part using it at Narcoosees, Monsieur Paul, and California Grill. I'm wondering if we should get the TIW card for the other meals. We plan on doing Tutto Italia (splitting a meal), The Wave breakfast, and WCC lunch. We know we can get DVC discounts at all of these. We will probably do valet parking at the Beach Club for MP so it will save there. We are planning another trip for next year just for a couple of nights and will probably do Olivia's, Shulas, and Fultons and will have our two teenage sons with us. We should be able to get a DVC discount at Olivia's and Fultons but not Shulas. I realize the DVC discount is not as great as a TIW discount but I'm wondering if it would be worth it. I'm worried with the new changes to the TIW such as blackout dates that I'll buy it this year and changes will prevent me from using it when the savings will be substantial. Should I get it this year or not?

I don't think you can Valet Park for free at the Beach Club for a dinner at Monsier Paul's (Since it is not at that location). Also if you don't use the TIW card at the meal and have a reciept with the TIW discount on it (since you are planning on using the dining plan there) you will not be able to use the card for valet parking for that meal anyway.

 

[gdrj]

For us it has worked this past year. We are coming up on our 3rd stay in 13 months so it has worked very well.

For me when I first got it (wasn't sure on plan for future trips) it looked like we would at least break even so I did it. If we had been up or a down a little no big deal, it gave me a chance to use.

Don't forget about alcohol discount if you drink at all. Even a moderate drinker, the savings add up.

You may want to run the numbers and see if eliminating the DP for the first part of the trip makes it even better. For us we are not going to get desserts at every meal so instead of ordering stuff because its part of the DP we save that expense when we use TIW. I also don't want to feel like I have to order the most expensive item to get a savings (like the DP does).

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I don't think you can Valet Park for free at the Beach Club for a dinner at Monsier Paul's (Since it is not at that location). Also if you don't use the TIW card at the meal and have a reciept with the TIW discount on it (since you are planning on using the dining plan there) you will not be able to use the card for valet parking for that meal anyway.

Thanks for the info. Someone gave me this idea on the transportation thread. My DH has knee problems and I'm trying to reduce walking. Of course he should be all fixed by then. He has a broken knee they think will heal on its own and he's having surgery on the other for a broken miniscus next week.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

For us it has worked this past year. We are coming up on our 3rd stay in 13 months so it has worked very well. For me when I first got it (wasn't sure on plan for future trips) it looked like we would at least break even so I did it. If we had been up or a down a little no big deal, it gave me a chance to use. Don't forget about alcohol discount if you drink at all. Even a moderate drinker, the savings add up. You may want to run the numbers and see if eliminating the DP for the first part of the trip makes it even better. For us we are not going to get desserts at every meal so instead of ordering stuff because its part of the DP we save that expense when we use TIW. I also don't want to feel like I have to order the most expensive item to get a savings (like the DP does).

We do not drink alcohol so no savings there. I have run the numbers for the three signatures and the DxDDP is better just because we plan on ordering very expensive items. That's the whole reason we are doing a split stay--to do the DxDDP one last time and order items we would never pay OOP for. Of course we do tend to order more expensive items but not like the lobster at Narcoosees. Haha. Thanks for the idea though!

 

[ssharratt]

we have the standard dining plan for 2 adults and one child. after plugging in our dining places with the spreadsheet below, we only come out saving $40. and that's adding in a quickservice breakfast for the 5 days.


seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon#!dining-plan-calculator/cxc0