To DDP or TIW?

[TDC Nala]

I don't use DDP at all any more. Too restrictive as to which courses you must order, and I like to spend some time at restaurants that don't take it.

fyi for those who have a reservation at Rainforest Cafe - they don't accept TIW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't use DDP at all any more. Too restrictive as to which courses you must order, and I like to spend some time at restaurants that don't take it.

fyi for those who have a reservation at Rainforest Cafe - they don't accept TIW.

We don't eat at Rainforest Cafe in WDW. We live near the original Rainforest Cafe (MOA), and the food there is much better than at the WDW variety.

 

[CarolA]

I didn't find it a good deal before the change. How many of us REALLY need an appetizer AND Desert at a TS meal once a day? How many of us need a desert with out CS meals? Since a large number of posters on this board think that it's too far to walk around SSR it's unlikely we were burning all those calories LOL! (And honestly walking at Disney is kind of a casual deal not a real work out)

Is it really a "deal" if it's something you don't need?

I also don't need or want a TS meal every night. Disney's food ain't that great anymore!

 

[CarolA]

We don't eat at Rainforest Cafe in WDW. We live near the original Rainforest Cafe (MOA), and the food there is much better than at the WDW variety.

Is it as SLOW as the one at Disney.

I have eaten at several of these all over the country. I think the kitchen for all of them must be at MOA and they "transport" the food to your resturant. Honestly they are ALL slow and have medicore service. (Getting a drink refill is next to impossible the staff seems to deliver the food and "disappear")

 

[LisaS]

fyi for those who have a reservation at Rainforest Cafe - they don't accept TIW.

We signed up for Rainforest Cafe's Safari Club card (I think that's what they call it). If I remember correctly, we paid $15 for it but got a $10 coupon in the mail so you get some of that money back on a subsequent visit. It gives you 10% off entrees only for up to 4 people and you get priority seating which can be a huge help. The discount is nowhere near as good as TIW but better than no discount at all.

 

[spiceycat]

We signed up for Rainforest Cafe's Safari Club card (I think that's what they call it). If I remember correctly, we paid $15 for it but got a $10 coupon in the mail so you get some of that money back on a subsequent visit. It gives you 10% off entrees only for up to 4 people and you get priority seating which can be a huge help. The discount is nowhere near as good as TIW but better than no discount at all.

I though the DVC card gave us a discount at RC?

 

[spiceycat]

Thank you, by the way where did you find this, I was looking here under dining and could not find any mention of number of people ony that 18% grat is added.

here is some
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm

here is more
http://allears.net/din/dde.htm

 

[spiceycat]

I though the DVC card gave us a discount at RC?

well darn it - that discount is now gone.

 

[famsen]

I guess what confuses me about TIW is the fact that they add 18% gratuity to every transaction. Am I right in figuring that the actual dining discount you are getting is 2% after the bill comes? Doesn't seem worth it for table service dining. Do they add the 18% if we were to just get a beer at Victoria Falls or if we were to use the TIW at the All-Star Food Court?

 

[dcamdad]

I guess what confuses me about TIW is the fact that they add 18% gratuity to every transaction. Am I right in figuring that the actual dining discount you are getting is 2% after the bill comes? Doesn't seem worth it for table service dining. Do they add the 18% if we were to just get a beer at Victoria Falls or if we were to use the TIW at the All-Star Food Court?

Do you tip your wait staff or bartender

 

[mathgeek]

Do they add the 18% if we were to just get a beer at Victoria Falls or if we were to use the TIW at the All-Star Food Court?

We stayed at All-Star Sports last weekend and used the TIW card at the food court 4 times. No gratuity was added there.

However, they did ask for ID twice when we used it there so make sure you have a photo ID to show just in case. It says that on the back of the card, which I had forgotten the first morning I used it to get my new refillable mug. I of course only had my room key and the TIW card - had to go back to the room for ID. Not the best way to start my first morning there. We were not asked for ID when we ate TS.

 

[permavac]

I just crunched the numbers again. I am now convinced that the Disney people crunched the numbers and designed the plan to the point where it was literally a wash between the two, with the deciding factor being either the convenience of the DDP or the flexibility of the TIW...

If it helps you any, we don't even use the TIW card and we still come out ahead by paying OOP (2 adults). The DDP is very seductive and we only had it while being at Disney during free dining. Now, every trip we go on I crunch the numbers for our favorite meals and treats and it either comes out as a wash or we save $20+/- (depending on the day/restaurants we go to). My DH and I keep wanting to get the plan (because it is so much fun using those credits ) but in the long run we have realized that the days that are a "wash" financially aren't in reality because with the DDP we are "forced" to get dessert with our TS meals when we would either want an appetizer or no dessert to save room for a highly anticipated favorite elsewhere (most times we never eat dessert in the same restaurant we have had our meal). So IMO, that is the tie-breaker and something you might want to consider. Are you willing to forgo appetizers at dinner and eat dessert with every single TS meal (and CS too) since skipping them means you're not getting the bang for your buck? In the end, the DDP is a little too rigid for the way we like to eat - even if we were saving money with it - which we're not. Good luck with your decision!

Terri

 

[CarolA]

I guess what confuses me about TIW is the fact that they add 18% gratuity to every transaction. Am I right in figuring that the actual dining discount you are getting is 2% after the bill comes? Doesn't seem worth it for table service dining. Do they add the 18% if we were to just get a beer at Victoria Falls or if we were to use the TIW at the All-Star Food Court?

They don't add tip for CS, but since I tipped before ON the full amount I guess I save more. If you were stiffing the wait staff then yes it's costing you money, but that's why they added the auto tip!

 

[WALTSAGOD]

Whats TIW?

 

[jodifla]

Whats TIW?

Tables in Wonderland, the new Disney Dining Experience. 20 percent off sit down meals AND alcohol.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Looks like quite a few of you agree with my original post. I'm so glad I did that little excersise with our recipts from last month. Now I KNOW not to be sucked in by the lure of assuming I'm getting something cheaper. You must admit that the DDP looks like that on the surface, thus making our little comparison necessary. So glad others have learned the same thing!

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

On our past trips we have gotten the DDE (now known as TIW). However, this trip we committed heresy -- no ADRs, no TIW....just our DVC card. Why, you may ask? We decided to try out the kitchen We had breakfast in the room and did our big meal during late lunch hours. Rose and Crown, HoB, and others gave 10% or more. So, given our dining habits for this trip, we did okay without any "programs."

Just my $.02.

 

[anna08]

On our past trips we have gotten the DDE (now known as TIW). However, this trip we committed heresy -- no ADRs, no TIW....just our DVC card. Why, you may ask? We decided to try out the kitchen We had breakfast in the room and did our big meal during late lunch hours. Rose and Crown, HoB, and others gave 10% or more. So, given our dining habits for this trip, we did okay without any "programs."

Just my $.02.

It's like you were reading my mind... after several trips in the past 3 yrs I have decided that planning ADR's around the DDP in order to get a good deal and rushing (often an hour ahead of time) to get to the restaurants in time have added much NOT needed stress to the trip. We are dining using our kitchen for the next one and will just eat out one meal a day. We had the problem too of too much food, kids choices incredibly narrow, and no one needs dessert every day.

 

[deedeetoo]

Well, I ran the numbers. I went through day by day where we were likely to eat and tried to give a good guess what everyone would order. The DDP came out almost exactly the same as paying out of pocket. But I would save about $170 using the TIW. That pretty much seals the deal for us.

 

[BnADisneyDad]

I guess we are in the minority and the DDP is actually better for us. It is just my 2 kids and myself. Since they are both still counted as children we get everything for $60 a day. If you take the $4 snack off their price, which they always have, I am only spending about $7 a day for a CS and a TS meal for them. Once they get older and they get into adult prices the TIW card will probably be better, but for now the DDP can't be beat.