annual pass and dining plan

[disneynarula]

Is there any way to do the DDP if you have an annual pass?

[momofaprincess]

Yes. You can add the DDP with an AP. We did it last year. I think you have to do it 3-5 days before you come.
:mickey:

[greengeen]

On the Passholders site, under Passholder Offers, is an offer called "Room and Dining Packages for Passholders". I personally think Tables in Wonderland discount is a better deal, but you can get DDP.

[disneynarula]

Thanks! We are thinking about taking a longer trip since we live overseas now and it might be worth it if they give a good enough discount to annual pass holders.

[KylesMom]

Thanks! We are thinking about taking a longer trip since we live overseas now and it might be worth it if they give a good enough discount to annual pass holders.

Not sure if this is what you're referencing, but you won't find a dining plan discount for A/P holders. Rooms, yes. Dining plan, no. I'm sure you're aware of the TiW membership, however. Unless they run some type of special for A/P holders outside of the US?

Last year in late July/Early August, we were quoted at $46.99 per person per day for the dining plan, being A/P holders during Deluxe Resort Value season. I didn't even look at the Dining Plan rates for us this July . . . we're much better off utilizing TiW.

[magicofdisney]

If a Dining Plan promotion is running that you're interested in, you must purchase a minimum 2-day ticket for the package. You can save those tickets for later use. We generally apply that 2-day pass towards an AP renewal.

[kakn7294]

I believe that the "magic" number for an annual pass to be a good deal is 10 days. Longer than that and the AP becomes the cheaper option as far as tickets go.

Room discounts are never guaranteed to annual passholders and recently haven't been much better than those offered to the general public. My AP is saving me an additonal $210 off 9 nights at The Poly over the general public discount I had previously booked - it's a difference of 5%.

The Dining Plans are never discounted unless you get it during the free dining promotions but then your room will not be discounted so they've got you either way.

There are a variety of other discounts you can get as an AP holder. You will be eligible to purchase the Tables in Wonderland card for $75 - with it you can get 20% off at most TS locations throughout WDW for up to 10 people. You can also get a discount of 10% off for lunch at several Epcot TS locations. There are a few dining discounts at DTD as well. You can get 10% off at a number of merchandise locations. You can also get discounts on tours and recreation and water park and special events tickets.

[DizneyRox]

Last year in late July/Early August, we were quoted at $46.99 per person per day for the dining plan, being A/P holders during Deluxe Resort Value season. I didn't even look at the Dining Plan rates for us this July . . . we're much better off utilizing TiW.
With a large gorup, you'll see savings for the TiW after only a couple of meals. For two of us, we saved over $300 over our vacation last year (7+ days) versus had we purchased the dining plan. That was the second time using the same TiW card, so we were probably closer to $800 in savings (first trip had more people).

For us theTiW is a magnitude times better than paying OOP, which would have saved us more than the DDP as well. Run the numbers and do what's better. Off the top of my head, I would guess the TiW is a better deal than the DDP.

[MN_Dad]

I've heard a lot of people comment on the value of TIW. We have not done this in the past. We typically do the traditional dining plan. I will need to do some calculations, but I do not see the TIW being a better option. We have our AP, so the card is only $75, but not all the restaurants we go to accept this and a minimum of 18% gratuity. I usually tip 15-20%, but if the service is not up to par, the tip I leave will reflect this.

[DizneyRox]

I've heard a lot of people comment on the value of TIW. We have not done this in the past. We typically do the traditional dining plan. I will need to do some calculations, but I do not see the TIW being a better option. We have our AP, so the card is only $75, but not all the restaurants we go to accept this and a minimum of 18% gratuity. I usually tip 15-20%, but if the service is not up to par, the tip I leave will reflect this.
We are usually big tippers, but when gratuity turns into a surcharge, that's all they get. We can save about 2% just on gratuity alone, plus 20% of the meal. If service isn't up to snuff, talk to a manager, that's what I do.
When I did the math, TiW saved us over $300 versus the DDP, and I think it was like $200 over paying OOP. We did plenty of meals that were not able to be discounted (counter service and some holiday meals at TS locations) and still saw savings, for basically two people. Add more poeple and you see even more.

And yes, the above is correct, the order of savings for us was TiW, OOP and DDP. DDP being the worst value of the possible dining options.

[TracyL]

I think the dining plan was a good deal years ago when it used to be basically "eat yourself into a stupor" at TS restaurants three meals a day with minimal restrictions. Now, it's still pretty pricey ($45-ish per person per day as I understand it) and it limits you to two meals a day. If I do a $5 snack for breakfast, a $15 quick service lunch and a $35 TS dinner, I've spent $55 -- so the dining plan saves me ten bucks a day. But that's not how I eat at Disney. I want a $15 real breakfast, and I often want TS lunch AND TS dinner. At that point, I'm hypothetically dropping roughly $85 on the day. TiW saves me $17, making it $68, but I get exactly what I want and I'm not trying to keep track of how many of what I've used and whether I can have the salad without paying extra. For convenience alone, I think TiW is a better value.

[magicofdisney]

I just did the math because this TiW talk intrigued me. The TiW will COST us $200 more than using the free dining promo. Not only that, but we lose the 2-day tickets (for a group of 5) that the promo is giving us.

It's essential to do the math to see what works best.

[KylesMom]

I just did the math because this TiW talk intrigued me. The TiW will COST us $200 more than using the free dining promo. Not only that, but we lose the 2-day tickets (for a group of 5) that the promo is giving us.

It's essential to do the math to see what works best.

I would heartily agree. For our family, we enjoy an appetizer or two before our meal. We are rarely enticed by dessert at the end of our meal, as we partake in too many of the good things along the way. We also enjoy a few adult beverages during the course of our dining experiences, so the TiW pays off heartily for us. However, we have a specific way we dine - which is not necessarily for everyone. I encourage all who are looking at the TiW to choose which way you dine, and figure out the best for your family! Since we are A/P holders from year to year (two years' of 15-day trips), the passes - unless it's been an unusually generous promotion - aren't worth paying for when looking at the overall picture of a package. We've only done that once where it's paid off - during the buy 4, get 3 free promotion a few years ago. Each family has to decide if they can take advantage of the TiW or package promotion based on their own private circumstances. :mickey:

[VWL Mom]

If you enjoy a bottle of wine or cocktails with dinner, TIW discount also applies to them :marg::wine:

As others have said, you need to crunch the numbers. For our family, this will be the 3rd trip on this years card and so far we have saved over $700 vs DDP.