TIW vs DDP

[pcutrone]

I'm planning a trip in November for Thanksgiving. Two adults and two children. I've done the DDP in the past and always said "never again" then end up doing it anyway for the convenience. My question is this. After reviewing the Dining Plans, I really think the Deluxe plan is the best value if you will really eat three meals and two snacks a day. I won't, but having reservations at Hoop De Doo, Whispering Canyon, Tusker House, etc. it actually might make sense this time. I'm looking for feedback on the Deluxe Dining Plan and if it is worth it.

 

[Colleen27]

The only way to really know is to estimate costs based on your ADRs and do the math. It offers more potential savings than the other dining plans but you do have to use most of the meal credits for table service and not leave much unused to realize that savings.

I would be surprised if the DxDDP worked out better than TiW. When you take into account the limitations of the DxDDP (no Cat 1 seating for HoopDeeDo, a strict three-course meal model, etc) and the fact that the TiW offers savings on alcohol as well as food, the TiW usually works out to be the better option assuming you're eligible to purchase it. We opted for the DxDDP over TiW for many trips but for only one reason - getting a TiW would have required upgrading to an unneeded AP and that tipped the scales in favor of DxDDP. If you're already an AP holder or DVC owner the TiW is going to be the better deal in most cases.

 

[Cafeen]

As Colleen alludes to, the question of worth is a bit tricky.

Can you save money? Yes. Will you save money? Not necessarily. Is it "worth it?" It all depends on what you're looking to do.

It can be worth it and can be a value if you're looking to dine in the way the plan is designed (at least for this year, 2013 is going to be more difficult.) What I mean by this, is that you desire to take upwards of 3 hours per day plus travel for dining. That's at least 2 TS per day, and several of those should be signatures. This will add up between tips and extras quite quickly.

Add to that the sheer amount of food you'll be getting with each portion, with 3 courses each meal (except breakfast) and you can get overloaded quickly. I left several portions half-eaten over the past week (though, I had done that on purpose, to make sure I didn't feel all yucky at the end like I did last year).

So, if you go in wanting a more food/restaurant-centric trip, then it can be worth it and you can save money, but otherwise it's not likely to be a very good idea between the time it'll take up, the raw amount of food, and the sheer cost (which can come back to bite you due to the first two points).