Tables in Wonderland vs. Disney Dining Plan

[csharpwv]

We are are DVC members, and pass holders.

In the past we have always done the Disney Dining Plan - but after our last trip I was a little frustrated with the dining plan and rushing to use the last credits on our way out of town. It was annoying to say the least - I hit the Earl of Sandwich right around lunch time. The line was out the door - I'm not joking!

Plus I always feel like it's a wash in the end anyway - some meals are more than what you pay for the DDP - some are less.

We are planning our next trip, and I proposed that we buy the Tables in Wonderland Card instead of the Disney Dining Plan. OK - cool enough - let me crunch the numbers.

Well, I laid out a 5 day trip just for the sake of brevity, and I'm still convinced it's a wash in the end regardless of how you slice it!

OK - follow close -
If we bought the Dining Plan for 5 days - for two adults it would be: $459.90
If we buy the Tables in Wonderland card is will be: $437.83

OK - so it looks like savings there - but then comes the gratuity part - mandatory 18% with TIW.

DDP with Gratuity: $637.94
TIW with Gratuity: $520.41



WOW - OK - so we would save over $117.53 with the TIW card.

BUT WAIT - you have to BUY the TIW card - that's $75.00 with an Annual Pass.

So now that drops our savings to $42.43

If we don't do the Dining Plan - being the penny pincher that I am, will I order the least expensive thing on the menu, or will I actually order what I want?

Will I order water instead of a soft drink?

Will TIW force us to be more economical - and take away the care free style that the dining plan has allowed us to have when it comes to what to order, what to drink, and how often to eat?

DW likes to eat far more frequently than I do - I'm more of a 1 big meal a day type of person. But I always eat more than I should when on the DDP - so what does that mean?

We will be back again in the same calendar year to use the TIW card again, so while our savings loss might appear to be out of balance on this trip - the savings will be greater on the next trip due to the cost recovery on the card from the first trip.

SO - in the end - do we pay upfront and call it a day - or do we pay as we go and 'settle up' after every meal?

Has anyone else had this dilemma before?

Has anyone else calculated the cost of DDP vs TIW?

What did you find?

What do you do?

What would you do in my situation?

DDP averages out to $63.79 per person per day.
TIW averages out to $52.04 per person per day if you don't factor in the cost of the card.
IF you add the cost of the card in the total is $59.54 per person per day.

One additional benefit to the TIW card is the 20% savings on alcohol as well - we usually have 1-2 drinks each throughout the week. So there would be additional savings there.....

If we had 4 trips planned for this year I would definitely go with TIW. We are going to Disneyland this year, so that's out of the ordinary for us - so that's another factor.

We have enough points to go for at least two more weeks in this calendar year - so that's to be factored in I guess.

Pros? Cons?

I'm anxious to hear feedback!

 

[quirty30]

I hate it, but I'm one of those people who feels compelled to get my money's worth when I'm on the DDP. I'll order the most expensive entree, even if I would prefer something cheaper....I'll get dessert even if I'm full...I'll let the kids get smoothies with their dinner...you get the idea. And if you eat this way, the DDP will save you a good amount of money. But I always feel stuffed when I'm on the DDP.

I'm so much happier with TiW - I eat what I want (sometimes only appetizers and a side dish - dessert only when I really want it.) I get a discount on my alcoholic beverages. The kids who are not true grown up eaters can still order kids meals. I believe I spend less in the long run and eat better to boot.

That being said, I couldn't resist booking a free dining trip (sans DVC) for Labor Day weekend. But there's a big difference between paying for the dining plan and getting it for free (especially now that my kids are both considered adults for DDP purposes.) I'm hoping I can get the kids to try some more sophisticated meals and wean them off kiddie fare!

 

[n2mm]

OP, We are TiW cardholders (5 years now) and would not do it any other way. Yes, we've also done the DDP. We've done a variety of DDP trips too. Sometimes just booking the FD plan. Sometimes just doing a partial DDP. We have to say, we hate having to keep track of the credits and when I don't want to eat, I still have to because then trying to use that credit before it expires comes into play. Trying to use the snack credits get to be a pain too. I like using the TiW card exclusively. If we decide we don't want to eat at a TS that day, we just cancel it and move on. Some days we spend more using the TiW discounts, but other day we spend very little. We also like splitting appetizers, and with the DDP you have to pay extra, or the Delux you both have to get one. Sometimes I don't want the most expensive thing on the menu and just a salad. With the DDP you feel like you're not getting bang for the buck, but using the TiW card, it's all good. And the gratuity doesn't even come into play at all. Why should it? You tip OOP on your DDP meal (and generally higher because most of us tend to get the most expensive thing on the menu making for a higher tip). So tipping on either plan is a wash. We go to WDW at least 4 trips a year and most are more than 10 days each, so we really get our value out of the TiW card. We sometimes add the DxDDP to the first day of our reservation and will eat at a more expensive place and use credits, then use the TiW card the rest of the trip. This works well for us too.

 

[Brandis]

If you buy a discounted ticket from Undercover Tourist and then upgrade it to the DVC AP you can save quite a bit. That saving you then can use towards the TiW.

 

[drusba]

We have TIW. It has something additonal that DDP doesn't: all alcholic beverages at the meal are also subject to the TIW 20% discount.

 

[n2mm]

We have TIW. It has something additonal that DDP doesn't: all alcholic beverages at the meal are also subject to the TIW 20% discount.

However did I forget to point that out too!!

 

[Brandis]

Also a nice extra, with TiW you get free Valet parking at the resorts which offer it. Of course only if you eat at that resort. You will have to show the receipt when picking up your car.

 

[jcvalenti]

Also a nice extra, with TiW you get free Valet parking at the resorts which offer it. Of course only if you eat at that resort. You will have to show the receipt when picking up your car.

That requirement is quite liberal. I have a travel mate who often valets at Boardwalk to walk to Epcot, and then stops at the Bakery or at ESPN for a beer on the way back from a full day at Epcot to satisfy the "receipt" requirement.

For me, it's a no brainer. We go TIW all the way. I like wine ... a lot .... so that 20% makes all the difference in the world to me. Plus I absolutely hate what the DDP has done to the dining options in Disney (too homogenized, too bland, and way too crowded). I wish it would disappear altogether and they would get back to the way it was pre 2005, when the restaurants had more of an individualized personality, and dining was a little more of an experience, rather than a cattle call at the Golden Corral.

 

[Brandis]

That requirement is quite liberal. I have a travel mate who often valets at Boardwalk to walk to Epcot, and then stops at the Bakery or at ESPN for a beer on the way back from a full day at Epcot to satisfy the "receipt" requirement.

For me, it's a no brainer. We go TIW all the way. I like wine ... a lot .... so that 20% makes all the difference in the world to me. Plus I absolutely hate what the DDP has done to the dining options in Disney (too homogenized, too bland, and way too crowded). I wish it would disappear altogether and they would get back to the way it was pre 2005, when the restaurants had more of an individualized personality, and dining was a little more of an experience, rather than a cattle call at the Golden Corral.

Absoluetly agree with this!

 

[donald...really]

I wish it would disappear altogether and they would get back to the way it was pre 2005, when the restaurants had more of an individualized personality, and dining was a little more of an experience, rather than a cattle call at the Golden Corral.

I can't tell you how strongly I agree with the above quote.


TIW is a godsend. DDP is a nightmare.

 

[Brandis]

I found DDP quite cool when it still included Appetizer, Entree and Dessert AND tips and was cheaper than it is now! But of course, the dumbing down of the menus already started then. So pre-DDP situation would be preferrable.

 

[Granny]

We have enough points to go for at least two more weeks in this calendar year - so that's to be factored in I guess.

Especially since you would use it for multiple trips, TIW may be your best bet. Then the cost of purchase is spread over a few trips.

Here's another benefit...if you aren't really hungry you don't have to eat. With DDP, you almost feel compelled to eat regardless of the hunger level.

And if you have transportation, you don't feel shackled to WDW for dining options with the TIW card.

I don't like what the DDP has done to the WDW dining experience either, but you really didn't ask that question. You are looking for advice on what works for you.

In my opinion, based on your typical travel, the TIW card would work best for you. Even better if you continue to enjoy some alcohol with your meals.

As far as how you would order with the TIW card instead of the DDP, yes you might tend to order less expensive meals if that's your nature.

We tend to look at the TIW as covering the tip so basically it lets us dine at WDW restaurants without tipping cost. That tends to make us worry a little less about the cost per entree differential.

There are no right or wrong answers here. Lots of valid feedback for you to ponder.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We are planning our first trip with TiW and I can't wait! The DDP no longer suits our family at all and I'm looking forward to the tiw discount.

Do you find you book more meals now that you have TiW??? I have so many meals booked for December! We would have never used DDP for breakfast, but now since we will have TiW I have 3 breakfasts booked, 2 lunches and 5 dinners! That's a lot more meals then would have done on DDP. I also like that we can get a discount on any drinks we have with dinner. Drinks in WDW are expensive and getting a little break on the cost of a Pina Colava sounds awesome! All of our kids except the baby are over 10 so the cost of their DDP has gone through the roof. In January we skipped the DDP, but also were foolish and didn't do TiW. We saved so much money not doing DDP. Our total out of pocket including souvenirs was less then cost of the DDP. Since we are a family of 6 we get automatic gratuity no matter if we do DDP or TiW. I can't wait to kiss the DDP goodbye!!!

 

[LSchrow]

we've done both the DDP and TIW.
i agree: the DDP daily is just way too much food, and we aren't fans of having to have a sit down dinner, every.......single.......day
however, the TIW wasn't a geat solution for us either. we normally go twice a year, 10-12 days each time, but it is just 2 people (adult DD and myself, or DH and me). none of us drink very much, and the alcohol i do enjoy - especially grey goose slushies - are not covered. other considerations: some of our favorite places have a DVC discount, we found that we tend to order higher priced entrees so the TIW discounted price of an entree was close to the DDP price for a night (which includes CS and snack!), we don't want to eat a big meal daily, and a big deciding factor: we enjoy eating offsite for many meals.
my solution was to get a TIW every other year, when i go with a larger group (my parents, and brother with his wife and 2 kids). they do like to eat at least one sit down meal daily, and often two. they mostly like alcohol with every dinner. although they also eat offsite, the savings on that many meals for 7 people were definately worth the cost of the TIW card.
with just 2 ppl however (first tried in may and will do again in oct), we picked which TS and CS we really wanted to eat at (last trip it was just one of each). then we just bought the DDP to cover the TS one day, and CS the next. ex: our dinner at coral reef came to over $100 - more than the cost of the DDP for two! then, we had a late lunch at tangierine cafe in morrocco the next day, and then a snack, which came to easily over $40, with no oop cost.
by using the DDP only for a day, we saved money over the TIW or no plan at all, and ate where and when we wanted.
we plan on doing the DDP for at least two days in oct, but don't want to be tied down to just wdw food so not much more than that. as everyone has different eating habits and preferences and the dynamics of each group is different, there isn't one clear solution for all. the use of DDP for only a few days was definately the best possible solution for us though
hth

 

[Brian Noble]

I've never, not once spent as much out of pocket as the appropriate dining plan would cost. Usually, that's because I don't eat exactly the way that the Plan tells me I should---I either have more or fewer TS meals than one per night, etc. TIW is a no-brainer as long as you expect to bill at least $375ish at eligible restaurants during the year+ it is valid.

 

[BrerNashville]

The DDP is very annoying to me because I feel that I have to eat a dessert for every meal in order to get my "money's worth" out of it. On the plus side, however, are the counter service meals. We are breakfast in the room, table service for lunch, and counter service for dinner types. Outside of the dining plan, we would probably do two counter service meals on some days.

Other than AK and some value resorts, the TiW card does not work at counter services, so that was a negative for us. That notwithstanding, we bought the TiW card this year. So, I guess we will continue to eat at least 1 table service per day, and make up for the lack of a discount at counter services with a nice bottle of wine at Le Cellier.

 

[sgtpet]

I have also down both the Dining and TIW. I 100% enjoy the flexibility with TIW over the forced eating with the dining plans. Save your $50 and enjoy it on something else. Tables in Wonderland all the way.

 

[Mickey527]

I am tryng TIWL this trip and think it will be the best for me.
I used to get the dining plan and would eat according to the cost on the menu. I always tried to get my monies worth and more. I ate too much and felt awful but couldn't stop. this was way back when you could get a full box of enteman's cookies for your snack. I brought home about 10 boxes of cookies and the big boxes of candy because we never ate the snacks because we ate so much for our meals.
I had lap band surgery two years ago and I do still enjoy eating but eat about 1/2 my meal now. I am looking forward to ordering an appetizer or two as my meal and maybe a few drinks and dessert. Lots less wasted food and some appetizers I have never had a chance to try that will make great meals.
Oh but I do remember the few times I took my sons and we did the Gold plan. 2 TS meals a day, a ll the activities and classes we wanted and all the parks. We did 2 hours of the little speed boats every day and my boys loved the classes, especially the one that was about the animals that was held on Discovery Island.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Irregardless of the cost or savings, I can't do the DDP! Yes, I eat everyday but I don't eat the same way everyday, especially while vacationing. Sometimes we just like to share appetizers, we very seldom do dessert, and if we want to really treat ourselves, we want more choices, and the DDP inders all of those options. The DDP has taken the whole joy of perusing a menu, I don't want just 6 choices! I miss the old Disney Dining days! and at least with the TIW card alcohol counts towards the 20%!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Just back from 15 nights at WDW. Me, DH, and DS15.

DxDDP would have cost us about $4700 for the plan, the tips, and the experiences that were not included in the plan that would have had to be paid OOP.

TiW cost us $2600, total, including all food, drinks (even alcohol), and tips. Adding in the cost of excluded experiences (Sunrise safari, etc.) we still came out about $1500 better than we would have with a dining plan.

There is a detailed breakdown of our costs in my trip report. We order everything we want at every meal, and stop for whatever snacks and drinks we want in the parks. We do a lot of signature dinners, and DS will frequently order his entree from the kid's menu (HIS choice - he is welcome to order anything he wants from the adult menu) so the dining plans don't fit the way we eat.