Tables in Wonderland vs Disney Dining Plan

[dmbkmb]

Well, honestly, my husband and I use to do the DDP, but we ended up eating way too much. We have Tables in Wonderland instead. this way we can eat what we want and get a discount. But remember, with the Tables in Wonderland you have to leave an 18% tip, so you really just get the tip for free (since it is 20% off meals).
I watch people on the DDP and their tables are full and I'm thinking, OMG I am so glad that is not me. i would gain like 10 pounds eating like that.
Good luck on your decision!

 

[walkdmc]

If you do sit downs, TIW might be worth it. We thought EVERY restaurant took the TIW card but such is not true. Teppan Edo doesn't, along with some others I can't think of now. So, figure out where you want to eat, then see if they take TIW and go from there.

BTW, I LOVED the freedom the TIW card provided. We could order whatever we wanted, didn't feel like apps or dessert were forced on us...and could imbibe if desired.

We are a family of 4, 2 kids 9 and 6. We just went in Nov. '10 and did 1 sit down/day, along with 1 or 2 QS/day. Most of our room charges, for the week, were from dining. We paid about $800 for the week, including tips. (I used to say we only spent $400 but I totally forgot about my $400 Disney Visa Rewards Card which we used). If we were to do the DxDP (which we've done 2x before), we'd have spent just over $1000 for the plan, then add the tips. So, I think we saved money and had a lot less stress than when we do the DxDP.

 

[dizkneedreamers]

do you have to be an annual pass holder to get a TIW card? We are club members, but the military discount is far better than getting an annual pass. Is there another way to purchase TIW?

 

[walkdmc]

I don't know but hopefully this bump will get you your answer....

(We have APs and also DVC. We bought TIW using our APs but I don't know if you can join using the DVC membership alone).

 

[erinna]

I'm pretty sure you have to have an AP to get a TIW card. Sorry!

 

[wcpamotm]

Either be an annual passholder or a Florida resident.

 

[dizkneedreamers]

Tables in Wonderland seems like the perfect option for DVC members. the DDP is a little too much when you have a full kitchen and splitting up the reservations is too much of a hassle. TIW needs to come to DVC MEMBERS!!!

 

[bytheblood]

We did a cost analysis and found the only way the DDP is really a savings for us is if we eat every single dessert and snack as well as order the most expensive meals and avoid most of the buffets.

We are going to WDW twice this year and will be getting the TIW card - this is a larger savings than the DDP.

 

[nyck]

Love the TIW card! I never to the DDP because who know how we are going to eat? I pretty much know that we will always eat at Ohana, Cape May, and garden grill, but other than that, who knows? Sometimes we go off property to eat, so DDP would be a waste for me. Also I do look at TIW as paying the tip, so I still feel like I saved that, especially when you have a table of 4 or more. BUT the real savings are that it is on alcohol too.

Plus the discount at the counter service places is really nice since they do not have gratuity added. These places are where you see the most savings to me. Examples are:
Flametree BBQ, All Star food courts, The artist's pallete (saratoga), Pop Century food court

There are more, but almost all my favorites on discounted with TIW

 

[saintstickets]

If you do sit downs, TIW might be worth it. We thought EVERY restaurant took the TIW card but such is not true. Teppan Edo doesn't, along with some others I can't think of now.

Tis true about certain restaurants not taking TIW but the reverse is true in 2 cases as well. Bistro de Paris and Victoria & Albert's are not part of the DDP but do take TIW. If those two were part of DDP, it would take 3 or 4 TS credits!

 

[RobPickles]

In the end it all depends on how your family eats and how long your vacation is.

For us, we used a combo of the Dining Plan and the TiW and it worked our very well. We ate like pigs throughout our 23 day vacation last summer, but when it came to the cost...

I did every calculation I could think of comparing the DP with the TiW and OOP costs and in the end the differences were negligable for us. I really like to not have to think about shelling out cash or charging it to our room and have a big bill at the end of our stay, so we ended up doing the combo of the DP with the TiW to supplement the cost of appetizers and drinks.

 

[LauraLea]

Tis true about certain restaurants not taking TIW but the reverse is true in 2 cases as well. Bistro de Paris and Victoria & Albert's are not part of the DDP but do take TIW. If those two were part of DDP, it would take 3 or 4 TS credits!

and don't forget Fulton's now takes TIW. I think I get my money worths just in the # of bloody marys i have in a years time there..........Laura

 

[n2mm]

We have done both and did a comparison last summer and the TiW card wins hands down in our family. I actually stayed at Pop in September and did the free ddp. I find when I use the ddp for the entire stay I get stressed about "having" to eat all of the time. With the TiW card if I want to cancel my plans because we just don't want a TS meal, it's no big deal. With the ddp you have to try to figure out how to use those precious credits you've prepaid. Plus if we want to share an appetizer or share a desert dining with the TiW card is such a better deal. This next trip (yep in 3 days) we have the delux ddp for the first night of a 14 night trip. We will dine at Kona Cafe the first night, Coral Reef for lunch on the second day and LeCellier for dinner that same day. We will get our bigger meals out of the way, get our mugs and use up our 2 snacks and then for the next 13 days we'll eat where we want and when we want and use the TiW card for the discounts. We have some meals booked (50sPT, LibTree, Narco), but there are others that we will just get last minute, like subs at Publix, Margarittaville (have a discount card for this one too!) at city walk, and maybe a visit or two to B&C. Having the TiW fits much better if you are a relaxed visitor. BTW -- when we did a comparison of the delux ddp last summer vs the TiW card, there was no savings using the Delux ddp. We kept the receipts and compared the prices, plus the fact that each of those meals we had to get both the appetizer and deserts (not something we would've normally done). Glad we did it, but won't do that again. (We at lunch TS and signature dinner TS for 5 days).

 

[Plutofan]

We have never done the dining plan. We always do the Tables in Wonderland due to the flexability. I find it interesting that when I see the advertisements for the Dining plan by Disney they say save up to 20% off your dining by getting the dining plan. Since the Tables in Wonderland is 20% off and is flexable I would assume that this is a better buy.