DDE is it worth it??

[NJ2Boardwalk]

Just wondering if DDE is worth the $60 investment. I've read it saves you 20% on meals...but adds 18% gratuity. So, are you really only saving 2%?? Is the discount eligible at counter services and kiosks too? Any help appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Since you are going to tip at least 18% anyway, you are still saving the 20%.
And it is worth it.

 

[magik]

Currently, you can only use it at select counter service. Last I checked it was at counter service in Animal Kingdom and at resort food courts if there is no table service restaurant. It's mostly only good for table service restaurants though, so if you eat at a lot of table service restaurants and/or like to use valet parking at the resorts (valet is free with it) and eat in enough restaurants or valet park enough times to save more than $60, it's worth it.

 

[plutolovr]

The card now costs $75 I believe for AP holders.

Just wondering if DDE is worth the $60 investment. I've read it saves you 20% on meals...but adds 18% gratuity. So, are you really only saving 2%?? Is the discount eligible at counter services and kiosks too? Any help appreciated. Thanks.

This sort of thought just kind of irks me. You still save 20% unless you were not planning on tipping. In fact I always tipped 20% and now that they automatically charge the 18% I'm ahead. I will tip more if warranted, like at Jiko where we always get wonderful service.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's now called "Tables in Wonderland" and costs $75 for a one-year membership for annual passholders.

If you never tip anyway, then yes, it's a 2% discount. If you tip at all, you are still saving money.

There are 8 or 9 counter service restaurants in the entire resort that accept TIW and none of the kiosks accept it.

 

[DisneyKidds]

You would have to have at least $375 in meal costs to recoup your $75 with the 20% discount. Look at the meals you plan to pay out of pocket for, and if they are more than that TIW is worth it.

 

[clandoc5803]

It really just depends on your situation. You'll need to take into consideration where you are eating, the size of your group, and the frequency of your visits. I got my Tables in Wonderland card in December, and for some reason it's good through January of 2010. I will have made two trips with my card, and eaten 10 table service meals with it. In my case, I usually eat with a group of 8-10 when we go, so it paid for itself rather quickly. Also, I tend to eat a lot of meals at resorts, and having the free valet option is priceless. Without the card, I probably wouldn't pay to valet, so I hesitate to consider it a real "savings" but rather consider it to be a nice perk!

 

[TDC Nala]

I got my Tables in Wonderland card in December, and for some reason it's good through January of 2010.

A year's membership in TIW typically means 13 months, not 12. Why? Don't really know.

 

[goofy4tink]

A year's membership in TIW typically means 13 months, not 12. Why? Don't really know.

It depends on when you order it. If you order the card in the first 15 days, or so, of the month (let's say May) the card is good through May of next year. But, if you order the card on May 20, then the card will be good through June of next year. That's how a CM with TiW (DDE) explained it to me a year or so ago.

I always tip at 20%, so with that automatic 18%, I'm saving an extra 2% that I would have tipped. I have found that it isn't worth it for just one trip or if I'm going solo. But, I used my TiW card last month, I'll be using it in Aug (8 days of 3 or 4 people eating), and I'll use it again in Dec. In that case it is really worth the cost.

 

[MickeyNicki]

It was for us because we tip 20% and more if the service is outstanding. We bought our TIW in March 08 and used it for 39 stays at WDW and goodness knows how many TS places and lounges

 

[webray]

It's now called "Tables in Wonderland" and costs $75 for a one-year membership for annual passholders.

If you never tip anyway, then yes, it's a 2% discount. If you tip at all, you are still saving money.

There are 8 or 9 counter service restaurants in the entire resort that accept TIW and none of the kiosks accept it.

LOL, this is exactly what I think everytime that response comes up..I guess these are the people that never tip, lol.

 

[Brad Bishop]

There is one huge difference:

With 'automatic tipping' you're no longer rewarding the person for doing a good job.

Everything being normal, I'm a 20% tip guy.

If you suck - it's nothing.

If you're awesome, it's likely to be above 20%.

If you force a tip on me (18% or 20%) that's where it ends with me. You get the forced gratuity and nothing more. You can do a super awesome job and because of that stupid policy you'll get whatever they forced from my pocket.

Allow me to make the call and, normally speaking, it's 20% from me.

I'm going to sign up for TIW when I go next week but I do admit that the auto-tipping irks me.

 

[Anal Annie]

Obviously, it was a much better deal when it was still $60...$75 pushes the limit to "probably not worth it" for us bcuz we're only a family of 3 who only does about 3-4 TS meals in a week. Because it is a percentage discount and good for parties of up to 10 (and includes alcohol) it is a fantastic idea if your party is larger (esp. say a family of 5 with older "Disney adults" and if you drink with dinner. It is not accepted everywhere (I suggest you study the dining link here on the DIS that lists all of the participating restaurants.)

I was just going thru my list of "maybe restaurants" for ADR's that I hope to make on Monday for our August trip, trying to decide if we should get it again. When we go over Memorial Day weekend we have 2 TS ressies but neither place takes it but they DO give the 10% AP / DVC discount (T-Rex and Wolfgang Puck Cafe). So the only time we'd get any use out of it on that trip would be for a CS lunch in AK - so we'd save like $5 on lunch. Hummm...still $70 to go. Our intended list for August includes 2 places that also give the 10% AP / DVC discount (San Angel Inn for lunch and Restaurant Marrakesh for L or D) plus we were thinking of trying Tony's at MK for dinner & possibly Tusker House for lunch. We're planning on doing the Fantasmic pkg - but there is NO discount for that by any means. Now, I think it is also good at Shutters (at Vero) so that would be nice...but considering we can get 10% off of at least 2 meals w/o it I think we'd still have a lot of $$ to recover (far more than what we'd get out of Shutters in a night). I just don't think all the planning in the world is going to make it worthwhile for us for this year. Being a family of 3 I don't think we'll spend over $375 on these few eligible TS meals. But I am still studying the menus & estimating our costs before I decide for sure. I just think it takes a lot of planning for very little savings (for us).

 

[mrzrich]

The free valet at the resorts alone more than pays for my card. I love not having to take a bus to a monorail to a boat to get to dinner.

 

[TDC Nala]

There is one huge difference:

With 'automatic tipping' you're no longer rewarding the person for doing a good job.

Everything being normal, I'm a 20% tip guy.

If you suck - it's nothing.

If you're awesome, it's likely to be above 20%.

If you force a tip on me (18% or 20%) that's where it ends with me. You get the forced gratuity and nothing more. You can do a super awesome job and because of that stupid policy you'll get whatever they forced from my pocket.

Allow me to make the call and, normally speaking, it's 20% from me.

I'm going to sign up for TIW when I go next week but I do admit that the auto-tipping irks me.

Tipping discussion is not permitted on the main Restaurant boards. (General statements about the TIW auto tip is OK because it hasn't provoked tipping discussion up to this point.) We have a Tipping Information Thread, where all tipping discussion should be carried out. Because this is not a tipping discussion thread (yet) it's going to remain here, but further tipping discussion will be moved or deleted.

And just to respond - the servers don't know you have TIW until you pay for the meal - so they don't know they're getting an automatic tip unless there are 6 or more of you - but that's another topic (and one for the tipping thread).

If you're curious, please see the first post of the Tipping Information Thread (sticky at top of forum) for the policies of the Restaurant Board regarding tipping discussion.