Tables in Wonderland vs Disney Dining Plan

[mrsfascinating]

So here we go again with our yearly question to do the DDP or not. We do not eat desserts at every meal nor do all 3 of us snack during the day. So last year we ended our stay with uneaten desserts in our refrigerator and hurrying up at the boardwalk sweetshop to use all our snacks on candy for our daughter to take to kids at school.
So this year we thought we would split our DDP along with our stay only having the plan for the first part so we could use all the snacks, and eat all the desserts before we leave Disney.
We also looked further into the Tables in Wonderland and even though the discount is only on sit downs we wonder if this is the way to go.
Just wondering what the concensus is about the use of the two plans?

 

[FigmentLady]

Hubby and I are having the same dilemma. There are a lot od threads about this, if you do a search im sure you'll find plenty of advice, but all it did was confuse me more.
What I'm going to do is sit down and look at menus and figure out approximately how much is save with both options.
I like the idea of getting a discount on appetizers and alcohol and the fact that i wont feel obligated to eat more meals or food than I want.
If we go with the TIW card i think ill start a seperate savings acct and then put all the money on a giftcard or a visa gift card so I still feel like we are paying in advance and will know how much we have to spend on meals.

 

[quirty30]

We are a family of 3, myself and 2 kids. I got a TIW card on our last visit in October. For that trip and our next visit in March, we have combined TIW with the DDP (so I still get a discount on my alcoholic beverages and any appetizers we order.) My youngest is 9, but after her next birthday in May, she will no longer be a child on the DDP; from that point on, I think we will use the TIW only. The kids may still order kids meals on occasion; other times, DD and I might share an entree. Or we may just order appetizers and forego entrees altogether. And we'll share desserts or even skip them. For what it's worth, the DDP encourages us to overeat. I think we will make better choices with TIW.

 

[Sandisw]

Going through the same thing right now. We decided last year, having done a split stay with the DDP for the first three nights and then the QSDP for the last 3 nights that we just (or at least I) don't eat the way the DDP schedules you to eat.

I don't need a second meal if I eat a TS meal. I can get away with a few snacks like fruit, veggies, yogurt and of course, a cookie or ice cream! We also through away uneaten desserts and had 8 snack credits to use up by the end, that we used to buy fudge to bring home to my other two children (which ended up getting thrown out 2 weeks later when they didn't eat all of it anyway).

We don't always do a TS meal daily, but did realize that for us, it makes sense to to it at lunch and not dinner. And, given the cost of the DDP, using the credit for dinner makes it a better value than lunch.

This summer, my DD's are bringing friends and we have now decided we may do more TS for lunch than normal so are considering just doing the TIW card. We will also be able to use it next summer as well and for the weekend trip DH and I will be doing at some point between this summer and next.

I think that the TIW card is the way to go if you are going to eat a TS at least 3 times during your stay and will get at least two trips out of the almost 13 months the card is good.

I still have to do some figuring, but I think this will work out. The great thing is that we will be able to eat the way we want. If, the girls don't want to get dessert with their lunch but want a snack a few hours later, it won't matter as can save that "credit" for later.

I think what we are going to do is put the amount of each person's DDP on a few gift cards and see how things work out. I am going to take the cost of the TIW out of the same pot and see if we end up with money left at the end of the week. But, even if we don't, I do know we won't feel pressured to eat in a manner that really doesn't work.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We do TIW. We don't eat enough TS to do the dining plan.

 

[ToddyLu]

My MIL kept a tally this year with our using the TIW card. We were there, adults only and several signature TS dinners, snacks, a few CS meals and a bit of alcohol. Our trip was 11/30-12/10, 10 nights and included TS meals at Cali Grill (twice), Brown Derby, Chefs, WCC, Plaza Restaurant, Biertgarten, Nine Dragons, HDDR and Boma.

The cost total was $1441.55, after TIW and including tips. I think DH had 3 glasses of wine and MIL had one glass while I had 2 glasses wine and a glow cube drink. We did get appetizers and desserts at Cali, BD and Chefs. But we do go to WDW to enjoy the nice dinners so we do not necessarily have a budget per se.

We split the cost 3 ways equally and MIL paid her portion of $480.52.

 

[saintstickets]

This decision depends entirely on your plans for a specific trip. We used the DDP during our trip this past May and it worked out great. We were a group of 5 adults (3 under 26) and the 3 "youngsters" weren't interested in fine dining or adult beverages. For that trip, the DDP was just right.

DW and I returned the week after Thanksgiving and had ADR's at Victoria & Alberts as well as Bistro de Paris where they do not take the DDP. Both do take TIW. We also had adult beverages during our ADR's at Flying Fish & Tutto Italia. In addition, we shared a CS meal at several places during the day. So for this trip, TIW was the better choice.

During the May trip, we saved about $300 using the DDP vs OOP for the 5 of us. On the Nov/Dec trip, we saved about $250 using TIW vs OOP for the 2 of us. TIW would not have saved as much for the May trip and DDP would not have worked on the Nov/Dec trip because of where we ate and the makeup of our party. Who knows what we will use on the next trip. It all depends on who is going and where we plan on eating.

 

[rice00]

Its a good question! We find ourselves asking the same question. I can't remember how many years you have to go back but when the dininng plan first was started it included appetizer, entree, a dessert and even the gratuity for dinner. It certainly has changed. I think there are alot of people who really don't care for the desserts and much rather have an appetizer. It is kind of funny how everyone is racing to finish to use all their last snacks or counter services. I've been there too. Always seems like we still don't use everything.

I think of the Tables of Wonderland card as paying the tip. It allows you have what you want, as much or as little, including alcohol. It does cost $75 up front so I think you need have multiples trips to WDW. I think this year we will try this rather than the dining plan.

 

[JJSWDW]

Does TIW still require you to be a Florida resident or annual passholder?

 

[ToddyLu]

yes. And I think you reap the rewards of it after $375 dollars or so. We loved not have to calcualte a tip and think we got benefit from it. Of course now we get to use the same card for our trips in May and October. We purchased it 12/01/10 and it expires 12/31/11.

 

[a742246]

For The TIW card is 1 card is good for the entire table or does each party member need their own card????

 

[Sandisw]

For The TIW card is 1 card is good for the entire table or does each party member need their own card????

One card is good for up to 10 people at the same table.

 

[photobob]

Sounds like the DDP isnt what is best for you, sounds like either the TIW or just simply OOP will work. We just do everything OOP. We usually eat at five TS meals per trip (one per day), a CS here and there and a good bit in the villa. The DDP has caught my eye but I'm such a tightwad that I'm afraid I'd be obsessed with trying to squeeze as much value out of as I possibly can instead of just going with the flow. I do usually make an ADR for each day, usually lunch, but those are subject to change if we decide we'd rather do something else.

 

[Brian Noble]

I prefer the TIW. It is more flexible, covering as many or as few meals as you like; if you'd rather have an app than an entree, no problem. It covers booze. We never seem to eat "the right" number of TS meals for DDP, and even when we do, some of them end up being less expensive breakfasts or lunches. I suppose we *could* use DDP in a way that would maximize its value, but that's not how we normally eat, and so it wouldn't really be a "savings".

 

[quirty30]

Sounds like the DDP isnt what is best for you, sounds like either the TIW or just simply OOP will work. We just do everything OOP. We usually eat at five TS meals per trip (one per day), a CS here and there and a good bit in the villa. The DDP has caught my eye but I'm such a tightwad that I'm afraid I'd be obsessed with trying to squeeze as much value out of as I possibly can instead of just going with the flow. I do usually make an ADR for each day, usually lunch, but those are subject to change if we decide we'd rather do something else.

I'm just like you and when we do the DDP, I try to pick the most expensive restaurants and order the most expensive item on the menu, etc., all in an attempt to get the biggest bang for my buck. With TiW, I can eat where I want, and order what I want, knowing exactly what my discount will be. And I won't be compelled to eat dessert every meal.

 

[mrsfascinating]

Thank you for your feedback. Over the past 13yrs we've been members I have tried cooking breakfast and dinner since we usually have a 1 bedroom(let's face it who wants to cook in Disney your on vacation) , OOP sharing QS meals here and there( I longed for the days when I didn't have to share my drink), the original DDP and the new improved (not quite) plan. I think Tables in Wonderland is worth a try since we will be visiting 2-3 times in the next 13mths.

 

[cel_disney]

We tried TIW this year cause we usually do the deluxe DDP and really like to get appetizers and I"m pretty sure that we would have saved if we were on the DDP and just paid OOP for the extras..

We will be going back a few times before it expires and on our next trip I think we will plan a few days of DDP and then some days not, getting the best of both worlds (TIW and DDP).

The one reason I think that it really didnt help us is that we ended up having to get several meals for my 4 year old at both lunch and dinner - most of the time he would just need to eat more than we could share or we didnt want to reduce our meal enjoyment getting something he would share...a kids meal pretty much everywhere is very close to the cost of the kids DDP, so needing 2 of those a day really was a killer..

I think we probably spent 20$ more a day with TIW than DDP (not including things that DDP wouldnt have covered)...it REALLY depends on where you are going to be eating and what your selections will be...

 

[TyGuy]

I'll add my vote for TIW. My DW and I did a trip in December 2009 and used the TIW for the first time. We had done DDP in the past and it was just too much food. For the 2009 trip, I kept track of all of our spending on the trip and even with the cost to buy the TIW card, we saved $200 over the DDP. We would of used all of our TS meals, all of our snacks and would of had 3 CS meals left over if we did the DDP.

We also used the same TIW card for our trip this December, and even though I haven't figured out all of the cost, I think the TIW card saved us money again this year.

We have our next trip scheduled of November of 2011 and I haven't quite figured out which way we are going to go. These will be 8 of us, all adults. I might get the TIW again, schedule the TS meals, and then let everyone figure out the rest of their meals on their own.

 

[ladylinda65]

In all my years I never did DDP. I have had TiW since 2004 and never sorry I bought it. I never know when I want to eat and certainly never know how much. Most times I love going for a real nice sit down meal while at Disney and have a drink with dinner so the alcohol portion of this discount was wonderful.

The first time I bought TiW I went to dinner upstairs at Bistro d'Paris with 3 friends and by the time we were done with dinner and drinks the billl was over $300 so the dinner paid for TiW on the first day. Now that I live in Orlando - it is even better of a deal because I get to eat at Disney whenever I feel like or I can go for drinks with friends at the Beach Club and I can use my discount.

Good luck and enjoy!!

 

[Sunshine22]

I just bought TIW card in Dec. We had 3 adults and 3 teens on our trip. The card paid for itself very quickly. We are going on another trip in March with 2 adults and 4 teens so it will also save us $$. If you have a larger group and/or are going on more than one trip per year, the TIW is the better way to go if you go to the nicer restaurants. We love the flexibility it offers. With young children or only 2 family members, the decision may be more difficult since the DDP is fairly inexpensive for young kids.