Disney Dining Plan and 2TS Dinner Shows

[wdwluv]

We are a group of 3 adults and 3 young kids heading to Fort Wilderness Cabins in November and are kind of going for a "country theme" for this trip. We plan on doing both Hoop Dee Doo and Mickey's Backyard BBQ. (PLUS we want to do Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle) All 3 requiring 2 Table Service credits, as you know, if we are on the dining plan. We are there for 11 days and plan on doing some other meals as well - but will obviously run out of credits quickly with these meals.

I'm wondering if we should pay cash for these 2TS credit meals, and use the dining credits (we are planning on MYW Plus Dining) for our other table service meals. (Le Cellier, Sci-Fi, etc....) Or is there a better way to go about it?

on a side note - We have a few down time days that we won't be spending at parks....with staying at Ft. Wilderness Cabins - of course we CAN cook and grill at the cabins.... we don't have a good quick service option at FWC...SOOOO... I'm not sure will be able to use all our quick service credits?! Maybe we should we go deluxe so that it can be quick or table? There are bunch of table service restaurants at the parks we want to do -Le Cellier, Sci-Fi, Tony's, Tusker Breakfast, Yak & Yeti...etc...)

Just lookin' for your two cents again! :mickey:

LEAVING FOR PORT ORLEANS IN 26 HOURS!!!
:mickey3::joy::yay::party2:

(oh...but that means I'm turning 40 in 5 days too...)

[elmjimmlm]

We are in the same boat... We have to use 2 for the Luau and have more reservations than credits... What we are planning is paying OOP for the cheapest restaurants and using the credits for the pricey places... I would much rather pay for Liberty Tree than pay near 300.00 for the luau...
:party:Happy Birthday:party: and have a great time!

Leaving for POR in 38 days!!!

[DizneyRox]

At 11 days and that many TS meals, you might want to look at an AP with a TiW card... We've found significant savings with the TiW card over the expense of the DDP.

[SBETigg]

It's likely that it might be a better deal for you to pay oop for one or two of those 2 ts meals and add more ts dining. You would have to check out some menus, think what you might order, and do the math. Or just wing it and choose the experiences you would prefer to pay for oop vs with dp credits.

[wdwluv]

...still learnin' the lingo around here...

DizneyRox...I *think* you were saying maybe an annual pass but I don't know what a TiW card is? Fill me with your knowledge! :mickey:

(only 5 maybe 6 days will be spent in the parks....)

[queenmom9497]

TiW= Tables in Wonderland. :thumbsup:

[DizneyRox]

At 11 days, you're pretty close to the cost of a standard annual pass (AP). That would get you park hopping as well. By getting an AP, you can also purchase (~$75 I think) a Tables in Wonderland card which should give you 20% off most if not all your TS meals. That INCLUDES appetizers, entree, dessert and even beverages (adult and children's beverages includes).

Thee are some that don't participate and I think HDD may have show time restrictions, CS locations are few and far between that are on the plan, but we've found it to be a much better deal for how we eat than the DDP.

It usually pays for itself after a couple of meals, the rest is savings. It's good for a year as well, so there's a possibility of using it on multiple trips. With your trip, it's definitely worth runing the numbers. It may work out, it may not.

When running the numbers, call and ask about possibly discounted AP rooms. Often the room discount and TiW make for a much cheaper vacation.

[SBETigg]

I don't think 11 days brings you that close to an annual pass fee. I think paying extra for the annual pass would be a worse deal than the percentage you get off at some restaurants with Tables in Wonderland. The MYW package makes park admission cheaper per day the longer you stay, so it's probably half the cost of an annual pass, or close. Unless passes are now much less expensive than I thought.

[DizneyRox]

Actually, everything is moot now, I didn't catch they are leaving in a few hours.

I did run some numbers though: 3 adults and 2 children with TiW

They can save some $44 at HDD and $44 at CRT. That's 1/2 way to the cost of the AP + TiW vs 11 MYW tickets (with park hopping). Two meals, at least 9 more to go for most folks, LeCellier would be another potential big hit towards the "expense" of the upgraded tickets.

Not everyone in the party needs to have an AP. Yes, they include tip on the TiW bills, however, for us, that's more of a savings. I would probably tip in the 20% range, maybe more, but when you stop letting me decide, that's all you get. Plus, I'll make them work for the 18%

[SBETigg]

The difference between 11 days of hopping with MYW and an AP without water parks is over $200. The whole family needs to have the same package now, so you couldn't just have one person with an AP and the rest buying tickets. That one person would have to buy the park admission tickets to fit with the package.

Of course, it's possible that a room only deal with the AP and TiW pass might be a better bargain than a MYW deal. One would have to add it all up to see and check deals out. And as you say, they're leaving too soon, so moot point.

[KylesMom]

We are a group of 3 adults and 3 young kids heading to Fort Wilderness Cabins in November


(only 5 maybe 6 days will be spent in the parks....)

While JCRKTW is leaving in a few days, they're actually inquiring about paying OOP for some of their TS meals or going the deluxe dining plan for November since they're concerned about not being able to utilize all of their QS credits. Although they're going to be there for 11 days, they are only planning on going to the parks for 5 or 6 days. That means a five or six day base ticket. DisneyRox, I would have suggested the same thing as you if they were going to be heading to the parks most every day. However, only visiting for five or six days changes the landscape dramatically.

Frankly, we'd never pay premium for the deluxe plan if we weren't absolutely certain we'd use all of the credits on exceptional TS dining. Since you're looking at a 2-TS reservation which is held outside & is dependent upon the weather, if the show is cancelled due to inclement weather (been there, done that), you're going to have TS credits you may not be able to use. Times six people, that's a lot of credits to try & find replacement dining for if it is cancelled. Much more pricey than a few unused CS credits & paying OOP for a few of the others, IMO. Also, if members of your party were to unfortunately be taken ill or weren't able to make the 2-TS reservations for whatever reason, it would be a shame to have the credits truly go to waste. Obviously, the deluxe plan is going to be a nice chunk of change above & beyond what the standard plan is . . . especially when you're looking at Sci-Fi, Tony's, Tusker Breakfast, Yak & Yeti as some of your TS restaurtants you'd be paying a premium for. I'd take the time to do the math & figure out what would be the best TS meals to pay out of pocket for.

[DizneyRox]

The difference between 11 days of hopping with MYW and an AP without water parks is over $200.

AP = $520
MYW = $447 wih park hopping on all, $395 if you leave it off the one day ticket. An 11 day MYW ticket is a 10 day plus a single day ticket.


The whole family needs to have the same package now, so you couldn't just have one person with an AP and the rest buying tickets. That one person would have to buy the park admission tickets to fit with the package.

On check-in yes, but one person can go to GR and upgrade to an AP after check-in.



Of course, it's possible that a room only deal with the AP and TiW pass might be a better bargain than a MYW deal. One would have to add it all up to see and check deals out. And as you say, they're leaving too soon, so moot point.
For us, the DDP has NEVER been a better deal than room only + discounts. Not even close.

I also missed the 6 days in the park. Man I'm getting old. Hmmm... Two trips in less than a year? The AP is making significantly more sense in this case. A 5 day trip now and a 5 day trip in a few months? $242 times two (not taking into account the upcoming price increase) + $104 for park hopping. They are over the cost of an AP right there!

With all those meals coming up, and the amount of tickets they are going to be using, I think I'm dead on with the AP/TiW suggestion. I didn't get there the right way, but eventually... Not too late to upgrade those tickets! Hopefully they pay the $10 for Internet access and read this!

[SBETigg]

AP = $520
MYW = $447 wih park hopping on all, $395 if you leave it off the one day ticket. An 11 day MYW ticket is a 10 day plus a single day ticket.

This is where I missed it. With the current pricing, park visits become less expensive per day the longer you stay, and the price on the MYW for 10 days is $295 with hopping. Thinking what I would do, not add that day 11, which goes back to full price and brings the price up to comparative levels with the AP. But if someone did want all 11 days in the 4 major parks with hoppers, you're correct. The AP makes sense. But you still have the pricing wrong. Leaving off the one day ticket with 10 day MYW is only $295, a hundred dollars less than what you list. But the TiW savings might make up the difference, so I'll still say you're right.

[DizneyRox]

But you still have the pricing wrong. Leaving off the one day ticket with 10 day MYW is only $295, a hundred dollars less than what you list. But the TiW savings might make up the difference, so I'll still say you're right.
$395 was a 10 day MYW ticket with park hopping and a one day ticket without park hopping. Wording was a little strange though, but that's what I meant...

10 day MYW - $258
1 day MYW - $85
Park Hopping - $52

$258 + 52 + 85 = $395

Everyone seems to agree that the 11 days within a year is your break even point on an AP.

Now, if you're got "free" dining, or other deals that may require a full ticket instead of buying a single day ticket, the math gets fuzzy. I'e pretty much written off all the DDP plans. Disney doesn't offer them as a savings to guests, they offer them as a revenue stream for themselves. Knowing that, I find it hard to drink the koolaid and think that it's better for me. Especially when they continue to take away from the plan.

Next year I predict will be the death of the plans. Our friends in the UK are reporting that dessert isn't going to be part fo the plan. Wait till the masses get a whiff of it!

[betteratmk]

If they aren't going to be in the parks everyday, then even if they do 3-2TBS meals they will still have 5 per person left over. Trails End Buffet is a reasonable place $$ wise to maybe fill in the gaps. Plus their own kitchen and grill.:D

[wdwluv]

We are back from a great trip! (though the park on my birthday was JAM PACKED! I knew a Saturday would be busier, {but I really wanted to be in MK ON my birthday} and I figured the park *may* be busier with it closing on Sunday at 5pm...BUT WOW!..it was packed! Right up to closing! Even the parade and fireworks BARELY slowed things up! There was also a Triatholon going on the next day, so that must have made for increased crowds too. I've never been to the park that busy. Yuck!)

WOW! Thanks so much everyone for all your input! Numbers sure aren't my thing - so I will have to study it all for a bit.

This trip was a last minute 40th birthday gift. We had already had the November trip planned. My hubby wanted to do something, and I didn't want a party. I wasn't looking forward to turning 40, but being in my favorite place, made my 40th great!

Unfortunately the AP is kind of off the table since we did the MYW Plus Dining with 2 days of park for this trip. And our November trip will be only 4 days of park - maybe 5 - maaaaaybe 6. (we hope to do 2 days of MK - but one being the MVMCP on Friday of our trip, so don't have plans for park earlier in the day - and figure with little ones that we will need to sleep in on Saturday after staying up so late. PLUS we are hoping to get to Universal for a day to see WWoHP!) My hope up to this point, has been that they would extend the free dining. My kids ate NEXT TO NOTHING on this trip, so I'm just not sure what to do. I *thought* that kids couldn't share meals on the dining plan - but of course you could if you are paying OOP. Maybe I'm wrong? As it stands now we have room only reservations at Fort Wilderness Cabins...I have some time to figure out what to do. We *may* even skip any table service meals (except for the BBQ & Hoop Dee Doo) and just eat in the cabin and do counter services. Here's crossing my fingers for free dining!!!

Thanks again, SO MUCH for all your advice!!!