DDP vs TIW

[skstorm]

Trying to decide whether to purchase the dining plan or attempt to get the TIW card. We are staying onsite with points 2 adults 2 children, We will be mainly doing the Disney parks and therefore mostly eating at Disney with maybe the exception of a few days. We are only there 2 weeks this time (usually do 3 so have less spare time) on a split stay 9 nights and then 5 nights.

We have planned to do
Liberty Tree Tavern
coral reef
BOG breakfast
Sci Fi
CRT
Bon Voyage breakfast
Yachtsman

Garden Grill
California Grill

Kids also want to eat at TRex and rainforest unfortunately as DH and I haven't been overfond of the food but we do have a Landry card as well.

and potentially (if we end up on DP)
Crystal palace
Fantasmic DP
FOF DP

These are all restaurants we really wanted to eat at covering everyone's favourites. so our options are 2 do DP for first stay covering the first group + 1 other.

DP for the second stay which could also include yachtsman and BonVoyage as that is the changeover day so a selection from those. If we did this would they let us activate mugs at the beginning?

DP for alldays


Or whether it would be cheaper with TIW. Bearing in mind the DP would also give us the QS for the other meals in between as well. my husband would usually have an alcoholic drink or 2 with his meal but I'm not really much of a drinker.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be most welcome on which would be the most cost effective way of doing this. I know there is a calculator somewhere which basically tells you which one would be the cheapest for you but I haven't been able to locate it so far so if anyone has a link to it that would be great.

Thanks in advance everyone

[Mr Tom Morrow]

There is a calculator but sorry I can't find it now, maybe moved? It was on the DIS.

All the posts I have ever seen say the TIW is the winner unless you consistently order the most expensive dish each time on the DDP.

I have done the maths time after time and can never make the DDP to be the cheaper. Plus the Card pays for itself in 7 days.

One of the quirks for us is we don't want the desserts so that means part of the DDP goes to waste.

Going to be an interesting thread this one especially if somebody can find that calculator

[skstorm]

I thought I had it tagged as I know I've looked at it before but can't for the life of me find it, when the kids go to bed tonight I might start scouring the posts. We would probably prefer a starter to a dessert

[skstorm]

Think I've found one, not sure if this is the one I've used previously but sure it will be helpful
distripplanner/

[BarryandCaron]

We can never make the DP work for us, we don’t eat that much food. Most TS restaurants give DVC members 10% discount at the moment.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

This trip we are mostly eating offsite. Cheaper still!
Carrabas tonight I think

[Princess Ploppy]

The only time the DP ever worked for me was in the very early days when it included 3 courses and a tip. Since then I have always done the maths when we’ve got home and we always spend less using the TIW card than we would have if we’d boight the DP and we eat every meal onsite and we eat at the more expensive restaurants such as Narcoossee’s, California Grill, Flying Fish, Yachtsman etc

[Flamingjam3]

What is the TIW card?

[Shooby doo]

Looking at your plans I see 3 2xTS choices, buying the dining plan is generally a bit of a wash anyway but even less if you are using it to eat at Signature's! The break down for DDP is approx. $45 for a TS , basically that's what you "need" to be spending to break even but on a signature that's now $90 plus you then have another 3 nights where you have to now buy a meal IYKWIM.
I can never get it to work from a financial point.
SD

[caj]

If you are going on cost alone, then TIW wins. However in an expensive trip I figured other factors came to play.

For me ... by having DDP I could order whatever I liked the sound of ... rather than look at prices. It was all paid for (except tip). Often at home I'll go for the cheap option to save pennies. I guess it makes wdw a version of all inclusive.

For me that made it a better holiday. With TIW the spends includes food so it's a different way of looking at it.