Tables in Wonderland Card or DDP

[DisneyQueen1320]

I'm thinking of buying an AP so I can take two trips in one year. I wish I could take more but plane tickets can get expensive. Maybe I can talk my husband into driving. We normally get the DDP every year, but now I'm rethinking it. My son is now 10 so he's charged as an adult, after looking at the prices of the menu it's not making sense why the plan cost so much.

Can I save money if I purchase the Tables in Wonderland and go twice a year for about an 8 to 10 day stay? We eat a table and counter service each day. We might do a couple of Character meals.
Are counter service meals included in the discount?
How can I get a card once I have the AP?
Can I get a DVC AP at the park or resort?

 

[erionm]

Some of your TiW questions can be answered at the official TiW website: http://tablesinwonderland.com/

As for the AP, you can only purchase at a park ticket window or guest relations location. The resorts can not sell them.

 

[crazybones27]

I'm thinking of buying an AP so I can take two trips in one year. I wish I could take more but plane tickets can get expensive. Maybe I can talk my husband into driving. We normally get the DDP every year, but now I'm rethinking it. My son is now 10 so he's charged as an adult, after looking at the prices of the menu it's not making sense why the plan cost so much.

Can I save money if I purchase the Tables in Wonderland and go twice a year for about an 8 to 10 day stay? We eat a table and counter service each day. We might do a couple of Character meals.
Are counter service meals included in the discount?
How can I get a card once I have the AP?
Can I get a DVC AP at the park or resort?

Yes you can save money going 8 nights on two trips with the TIW card. Your meals would need to be over $500 to start seeing your savings. With two trips at 8 nights each trip doing a table service each day this should be easy enough to accomplish.

The only counter service meals included are those at Animal Kingdom and some of the resort hotels(values) where there is no sit down restuarants.

Go to any quest relations at the parks or DTD to obtain your AP or TIW card. The resorts cannot do this for you.

We purchased our TIW card in November last year before they raised the price for AP holders. In that trip we about made up for the price we paid for the card. It is good for our upcoming trip in June and with a half of a sit down meal we've made up in full for the price we paid. We only did 4 sit down meals our last trip which is why we didn't make up for the price then. If you do a sit down meal each day of an 8 day trip I can easily see you making up for the price

 

[hakepb]

Yes, you can save money with the TIW...if you would normally order items costing less than the DDP price.

If you normally order items like theseprices)

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/...lan-one-credit-table-service-values-for-2012/
The DDP may be a better value.

On the other hand, ordering a burger at Sci-Fi is a great experience and a great use of TiW, but a low value use of the DDP.

 

[drusba]

A TIW card costs $100 as a DVC member or AP holder. With its 20% discount for food and drinks (including alcohol), you need to spend $500 in a year to break even. If you are going to spend more than that (which sounds likely) you should consider it. Be aware that at table service and buffet restaurants, a tip of 18% (based on the non-discounted price) is automatically added to any check. TIW has some additional benefits such as free valet parking at any resort that has it if you have a restaurant reservation at the resort, and TIW often has some special food/dinner type events that only TIW members can get into although they can be expensive (e.g., last Oct you could have done dinner inside the Great Movie Ride).

 

[Minniesgal]

I think the decision between TIW and DDP depends largely on how many CS you will eat. We have a TS most days with some being signatures se we would use all the TS credits but we find it too much food if we have a TS and a QS so we don't use all the QS credits or if we do we spend the week feeling like we have over eaten. We did DDP in February but bought TIW for our next trip in August and think we will eat less thus spend less.

 

[belias21]

I had this same question and found an awesome calculator here...
http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon

It definitely takes some time to fill in all the details, but it will do the comparisons among all the options (QSDP, DDP, DlxDP, TIW, none, etc...)

I used this and think we may go with TIW for our 6 night trip in November instead of the DDP. Only thing we'll miss out on is the refillable mug. (and all the calories from the desserts we wouldn't normally order...)

 

[dsneygirl]

We've been very happy to have the TiW card the last couple of years. We bought in Sept when we went for 10 days broke even and then saved another $100 or so. We have 8 more days coming up. We like to do TS lunches and enjoy a cocktail or glass or wine. I also like the option of ordering 2 apps or splitting entrees and getting apps.

This trip we plan on 2 or 3 days at AK so we can use the TiW at their counter service restaurants.

 

[BrerNashville]

With a 10 year old, you are going to have a hard time making the dining plan "work" to save you money without a lot of planning and dessert eating. The TiW card is by far the better deal, in my opinion. The discount on alcohol is particularly convenient.

The only way I have come out better on the DDP is when I took kids under 10 to several character buffet meals. Otherwise, it's just way too much to keep up with and worry about if you just are not hungary on a particular day.

 

[bigAWL]

With a 10 year old, you are going to have a hard time making the dining plan "work" to save you money without a lot of planning and dessert eating. The TiW card is by far the better deal, in my opinion. The discount on alcohol is particularly convenient.

The only way I have come out better on the DDP is when I took kids under 10 to several character buffet meals. Otherwise, it's just way too much to keep up with and worry about if you just are not hungary on a particular day.

This is the only time the DDP would make sense for my family as well. But with no kids, it doesn't make sense to me.

TIW makes more and more sense, the more and more TS meals you do, and the more alcohol you order. It's also better with more people in your party. A small family of three might take longer to break even. But if this is your typical TS meal...?

Appetizer: $10
Two adult entrees: $54
Bottle of wine or two cocktails: $20
One child meal: $9
Dessert to share: $7

Total: $100

Multiply that by 6 days = $600

With TIW, you save 20% ($120) - cost of card ($100) = $20. You basically just broke even.

If you have a bigger family, stay longer, or eat at more expensive signature restaurants a few times, then you're going to do better.

 

[AmyB2006]

With a 10 year old, you are going to have a hard time making the dining plan "work" to save you money without a lot of planning and dessert eating. The TiW card is by far the better deal, in my opinion. The discount on alcohol is particularly convenient.

The only way I have come out better on the DDP is when I took kids under 10 to several character buffet meals. Otherwise, it's just way too much to keep up with and worry about if you just are not hungary on a particular day.

Totally agree. I feel the DDP forces you to eat things you wouldn't normally eat.

 

[rlduvall]

I've often thought about getting the TIW card since I go to WDW about 2 times a year, but haven't seen the great value of it in our situation.

For our summer trip it's usually just my DS and I [DH is not as big a fan as us] and then I do a December solo trip. We don't eat TS every day, I'm not a big drinker and I don't mind eating off-site on occasion. I just can't bring myself to expend the initial outlay of $100.

And currently there are DVC and AP discounts of 10% or more on so many of the restaurants that, for me, it just doesn't make sense.

 

[tgropp]

I have studied this till the cows come home and even though we are going at Christmas for 11 days, (6 adults and one child) I am still biting the bullet and going DDP. You save 20% using TIW but does the DDP not include taxes, so is the discount actually 14% ? I do not fully understand this yet.

 

[bumbershoot]

I've often thought about getting the TIW card since I go to WDW about 2 times a year, but haven't seen the great value of it in our situation.

For our summer trip it's usually just my DS and I [DH is not as big a fan as us] and then I do a December solo trip. We don't eat TS every day, I'm not a big drinker and I don't mind eating off-site on occasion. I just can't bring myself to expend the initial outlay of $100.

And currently there are DVC and AP discounts of 10% or more on so many of the restaurants that, for me, it just doesn't make sense.

Do you have your receipts? compare them to the list of restaurants for TIW and figure out if you would have saved enough to make it worth it. Also compare where you normally eat to the AP and DVC discounts. Might as well see.



OP, the link to the TIW site is great, but in case you merely skim, the QS restaurants are:

Value food courts including AOA
Artist Palate at SSR
Sassagoula at POFQ
QS at AK park (like Pizzafari and Flame Tree)

Not too shabby, IMO!


Cheshire_Figment has a great post that shows that it's not actually quite $500 you need to spend. While the tip is charged on the pre-discounted amount, the TAX is NOT. The tax is charged on the discounted price, so your tax is lowered, and it's something like $486 in food/beverages from TIW-eligible restaurants that you need to spend in order to make the TIW card hit the even mark.


We had a trip in Feb where we didn't even have 8 days of onsite dining, and the 3 of us (vegetarians so our entrees aren't crazy-expensive, one or two beers total, and DH and I are not eating as much as we used to) hit the break-even mark already. One TS per day, a visit to the SSR QS, a visit to Sassagoula, and there we were.

On our next two trips planned it's all discount....

 

[Kidanifan08]

I have studied this till the cows come home and even though we are going at Christmas for 11 days, (6 adults and one child) I am still biting the bullet and going DDP. You save 20% using TIW but does the DDP not include taxes, so is the discount actually 14% ? I do not fully understand this yet.

You pay sales tax on DDP. The sales tax is applied to the bill after the discount with TIW.

 

[Sugardimples]

You can use Disney Gift Cards to buy the TIW card. So if you buy the gift cards at Target with a Red Card, you can save 5%, then if you use Pharmacy Rewards, you save another 5%. So now it's around $90. Then if you use gift cards to pay for your food, the savings are compounded.

 

[tgropp]

You pay sales tax on DDP. The sales tax is applied to the bill after the discount with TIW.

Wow..That is something that I did not know. I thought that the DDp had it factored in and I have never looked at the final bill once I paid it. Thanks.

 

[rlduvall]

You pay sales tax on DDP.

I never have - not when I purchase the plan up front [of course, Disney probably already has the sales tax worked into the price] or when I receive the bill printout at the table. You just need to leave a tip. Is this something new in 2013?

 

[rlduvall]

Do you have your receipts? compare them to the list of restaurants for TIW and figure out if you would have saved enough to make it worth it. Also compare where you normally eat to the AP and DVC discounts. Might as well see.

Trust me, I've done all that before; I tend to be a little obsessive about it. But for me, the trip planning and analyzing and what-not is just as much fun as the actual vacation. As for my DH, he would rather have a root canal then discuss vacation plans months out. It's usually the night before we leave when he starts telling me where he thinks we should eat and what we should do.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Wow..That is something that I did not know. I thought that the DDp had it factored in and I have never looked at the final bill once I paid it. Thanks.

I never have - not when I purchase the plan up front [of course, Disney probably already has the sales tax worked into the price] or when I receive the bill printout at the table. You just need to leave a tip. Is this something new in 2013?

I believe I have read where the tax is included in the price of the plan. If someone here knows differently, I would be interested to know. Tax has to be worked in there somewhere.

Even if tax were not included in DDP cost, I guess I wouldn't equate the TIW to only be a 14% savings plan. What we like about TIW is that we definitely spend less on food with TIW than by purchasing the DDP. And we generally do one character meal per trip and a table service daily. We just don't get dessert for everyone, NA beverages for everyone, and we rarely eat a CS per person per day. We just end up eating less and eating what we want (app for the table, dessert to split, salad).

So by having more choices and not being forced to order all of that food, TIW is a savings for us. There are probably still ways to "win" with DDP, but I think it works best for people with children who do 2-4 character buffets per trip.