2014 CHANGES to TiW

[CarolMN]

Looks like there are going to be some changes to the TiW program in 2014. This is from The Disney Food Blog:

News! Changes to Disney World Tables in Wonderland Dining Discounts for 2014

You can also find a more official notice on the www.tablesinwonderland.com website if you scroll down far enough, LOL.

Briefly, V&A's won't take the TiW discount card beginning August 1, 2014 and there are additional blackout dates for some of the more popular restaurants - Le Cellier, CRT, Chef Mickey's, 'ohana, Akershus & 1900 Park Fare.

The changes don't impact us, but I hope this won't be a trend that makes the discount program less valuable.

Will any of those change your plans to get TiW?

 

[jfinke]

That is disappointing. TiW was one of the few discount programs that actually seemed worth it.

 

[gracelrm]

We plan to get a TIW on our late December 2013 trip. We'll use it on that trip, spring break 2014, June 2014 and possibly Oct. 2014. So the changes shouldn't affect us this year; however the blackout dates in the future for early June will definitely keep us from purchasing TIW in the future. That is a shame

 

[wdrl]

Most of the new extended blackout dates make sense: They are associated with major holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving) or Peak guest times, such as Easter/Spring Break from March 8 to April 5, 2015. However, I don't understand the blackout time from May 31 to June 20, 2015. Why blackout that period? Its well after Memorial Day and I would not have thought that period was a peak guest period for the Parks.

These new extended blackout periods for the six restaurants would not, by themselves, prevent us from getting a TiW card. There are still plenty of other restaurants that will honor the TiW card during the new blackout periods. We'll just have to a bit more careful in choosing which restaurants to eat at if we want to use our TiW card.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I don't really do character meals so the new blackout dates would not stop me (I won't bother to waste any more time or money on LeCellier either)

For me the price increase a while back made it 'marginal' and looking at my plans for this year it just hasn't made sense to buy the thing

 

[SUSIEQ]

For me the price increase a while back made it 'marginal' and looking at my plans for this year it just hasn't made sense to buy the thing

The one I have now will probably be my last TIW card.

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip)......, I don't understand the blackout time from May 31 to June 20, 2015. Why blackout that period? Its well after Memorial Day and I would not have thought that period was a peak guest period for the Parks...........

Yeah, I don't get that, either. The Florida seasonal & select weekday passes have most of that period blocked out already. The only thing I can think of is Star Wars Weekends and Gay Days week, but can't believe those would be as busy as the Holidays, especially for the character meals.

 

[wdrl]

Yeah, I don't get that, either. The Florida seasonal & select weekday passes have most of that period blocked out already. The only thing I can think of is Star Wars Weekends and Gay Days week, but can't believe those would be as busy as the Holidays, especially for the character meals.

Since we don't live in Florida, I don't pay much attention to the blackout periods on Florida resident passes. But if a precedent has already been set with Florida passes, then it could make sense that Disney applies it on a limited basis to the TiW card.

I thought about Star Wars Weekends, too, but that normally runs from the last two weekends in May to the first two weekends in June, so a blackout period from 5/31 - 6/20/2015 doesn't match up well with SWW. To paraphrase Obi Wan, "These aren't the dates you're looking for."

 

[VrBchJ]

V&A not accepting TiW in the future is a big downer for me. It almost pays for itself with one V&A dinner.

 

[bobbiwoz]

This is disappointing, but not a deal breaker for me, not yet. As long as we have our family coming with us, our restaurant bills are pretty high!

 

[butsy113]

We always vacation in the beginning of June one year and the end of May the next in order to benefit from TIW and AP. On our visits everyone gets to pick 1 restaurant. My DS always picks Chef Mickey, my DH always picks Ohana dinner, and we occasionally do Le Cellier. I don't think TIW will be worth the cost anymore considering those three meals will be blacked out. I guess I'll have to break down and get an Owner's Locker to store a crock pot.

 

[Missyrose]

The changes (especially V&A) are disappointing. But luckily the added blackout dates don't affect my trips yet. So until they do, I'll continue to buy TiW. But I can't help but feel like Disney is doing to TiW what it did to the dining plans. At first the dining plans were a good value, then Disney raised the prices and slowly chipped away at what the plan covered and now, you have to do financial gymnastics to make the numbers work to your advantage.

With last year's price increase and the coming blackouts, I don't think these are the last changes we'll see for TiW in the near future.

 

[Chuck S]

Following my normal dining habits, no they will not have any impact. BUT for 2015, I am planning a large group trip, and the dates fall in the May/June blackout period for Akershus which is the one Character Meal I am planning to do with a couple of little kids in the group. So yes, they will impact me for that trip only. I think I'll still get plenty of use to make it worthwhile. I am doing LeCellier during my upcoming November trip, but it is the first time in many years that I'll be dining there. I have no plans to do LeCellier in 2015.

 

[csharpwv]

I really wish they would give DVC members and regular passholders a better option in terms of dining discounts.

At Disneyland - AP holders get a discount, even at some dining cart locations!

They trimmed the AP holder merchandise discount in half, they are now putting further limits on TIW....

It gets harder and harder to feel like they actually care what DVC members think (let's pretend for just a moment that at one time they did actually care about what we thought...)

I don't feel like DVC members are "entitled" to anything - I just feel like we are a very unique class of guest, and they don't do much to take notice of the needs of DVC members. The dining plan is getting to be such a horrible value - resulting little to no savings, and forcing you to comply with the system, or lose a ton of cash.

I just feel like there has to be a better way to throw us a small discount just as an appreciation - instead of buying a discount card.... or even the now ridiculously priced dining plan.

We used to be able to calculate our savings on the DDP - but more and more, the savings are minimal at the very best - and in several instances for us on our most recent trip, the DDP actually cost us more.

If they keep cranking up prices, we will start taking more vacation and just cooking in our villa - and not spending a dime on Disney property.... If That's the way Disney wants it - that's the way we will give it to them!

We already do that at HHI!

We have get to spend a single dollar on Disney food at the HHI resort - we cook ever single meal - we can do that at WDW as well!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Thanks for the update. We have never gotten an annual pass or TIW. Has little impact on us, but I do hope this is not another baby step in eroding the few discounts we get as DVC members.

 

[k3chantal]

Looks like there are going to be some changes to the TiW program in 2014. This is from The Disney Food Blog:

News! Changes to Disney World Tables in Wonderland Dining Discounts for 2014

You can also find a more official notice on the www.tablesinwonderland.com website if you scroll down far enough, LOL.

Briefly, V&A's won't take the TiW discount card beginning August 1, 2014 and there are additional blackout dates for some of the more popular restaurants - Le Cellier, CRT, Chef Mickey's, 'ohana, Akershus & 1900 Park Fare.

The changes don't impact us, but I hope this won't be a trend that makes the discount program less valuable.

Will any of those change your plans to get TiW?

Depends....we usually go for 7+ days every two years and the TiW card has been worth it and saved us money. So it will completely depend on if the blackout dates coincide with our travel dates. We tried Akershus last time and really enjoyed it, so it will be disappointing if they end up canceling that one completely.

 

[Kidanifan08]

We just bought a new TIW on 7/18, which expires 8/31/14. We are planning 2 days before our cruise in April and 7-9 days in July next year, so we are not affected this time. But, our 2015 trip plan is for early June for 8-10 days, which is affected by these new restrictions. We usually go to LeC once or twice per trip, but would probably not go there given the restrictions. We also tend to do Chef Mickey if we have BLT as part of our stay, but that is not in the plans.

We are a little bummed about V&A, as we have never eaten there and would like to try it once. Maybe we'll try it during our July trip next year, before the discount is eliminated.

We will probably still buy the TIW in 2015 (depending on the price at the time) since we will have 7 adults and 1 child on that trip and we like to do a TS almost daily and at least one character meal. Hopefully the card will still go for 13 months at that time so we can still use it in July 2016!

 

[Goofy DVC]

Wow! When you add up all the dates (holidays and new blackout dates) , and assuming it will be consistent year to year going forward, it looks like there will be 68 blackout dates a year for those restaurants.

 

[brertoad]

This is lousy. They even raised the price of the card last year!
I'm really disappointed about V&A. We haven't been yet, and will have to make an effort to go before they discontinue the discount next year.

I don't see how it hurts them to continue to offer the discounts during those periods or continue to offer it at V&A, chances are we wouldn't go to V&A without the TiW discount, I'm sure many others will feel the same way. I hope that it bites them in the a$$.

 

[dsneygirl]

No impact on us. Of the blackout restaurants the only ones we do are Ohana and Le Cellier and we don't travel during any of the dates for the most part. So minimal impact.

We will get 21 out of our TiW this year. It paid for itself last trip so this one is all gravy.