DDP or TiW

[ltmoko]

We are going to try Tiw this year. Have done the DDP before. We used to use the DDE card, that worked well. Have had an AP and used it for discounts for a trip of 12 people, stopped counting the savings after $500. We are going this time with 4 adults and 4 kids so I think the TIW will save us money!

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

I have an 11 year old who eats like a 6 year old. We liked the DDP until he reached adult prices. Then we switched to the TIW.

 

[heynowirv]

We love TIW.

 

[granmanh603]

Yes, the $100 price puts it in a different light for smaller groups. We will pay for extended family, so there are often 9 of us at the table. I thought that the price increase was truly excessive.

We also prefer soups or appetizers to dessert.

I was not aware of the increase to $100, I got TIW thru AP in Oct because we had extended family coming, and agree the rise is excessive( but what raise hasn't been at Disney lately) that is why we cancelled our March trip this year. Just feeling very unDisney...the price increases at the Food and Wine last Oct I thought was also excessive for the size of food offerings( I happened to have found the previous years Passport book with the items listed ) the Fantasyland expansion preview, underwhelmed...... :

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

We tend to use both! DH likes to prepay for everything so we do the Dining Plan - however we use the TiW for discounts on adult beverages and apps...... and since we like eating at signature restaurants, we always end up a few meal credits short

We use both too! TIW isn't applicable on holidays so the Dining plan is necessary for those days. And of course for the discounts on alcoholic bevs, extras, and my DS' meals because he is too young for the dining plan.

 

[davedmaine]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

I'd hate to be your waiter

 

[AmyB2006]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

You're in Canada, though, and I can see why you would think that. Here, 15% is considered the minimum amount you should tip.


We do TIW. I don't like how DDP basically forces to eat dessert to get your full value of the credits. We're not big dessert eaters while out, so we wouldn't get that use out of it.

Plus if you do end up driving to your restaurant, don't forget you can valet park for free as long as you show your receipt with TIW card. So that is added savings.

 

[bobbiwoz]

When the tip became included for TIW, I did write and complain, especially for buffets and for poorer service. I received a reply that basically said for poorer service, tell someone before the end of the meal. I don't want to be the server's trainer, but at least I had my say.

I must say that only once in 5 years of using the equivalent of TiW did we have a poor meal and service, and in the end, we received a gift card for the price of the meal, and so did the couple we were with.

So, on the surface, it may look as if you put up with what you get, we have found Disney to listen when there are legitimate complaints.

The main buffet that we eat at now is at the Clambake at Cape May, and with the snow crab legs, the servers have been very attentive to getting new plates for the claws. I'm happy.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

Perhaps they pay restaurant servers a higher wage in Canada. In the US, restaurants are allowed to pay servers less than minimum wage because part of their income comes from tips.

I can see why restaurants like this system. Prices on the menu are lower than they otherwise would be since you pay for much of the cost of having the food served to you as a separate charge.

 

[erionm]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

In Florida, the minimum wage for tipped positions starts at $4.77 per hour, all other non-tipped positions start at about $3 more per hour.

As for the automatic gratuity, if you feel the service was so bad and does not deserve 18%, ask for a manager and explain the problem with the service and have the gratuity removed and tip what you feel is appropriate.

 

[NuJoy]

TIW isn't applicable on holidays so the Dining plan is necessary for those days.

Does that mean Memorial Day? We used it for MLK.

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[NuJoy]

With eight people remember, with the TIW, the card holder must be present. You will not all be able to use it if you split up. This did effected the planning of one of our trips.

Will restaurants split the bill between two parties and apply the TIW discount to both tickets as long as the card holder is present?

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[LisaS]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

Here is an example of what you would save with TIW and an 18% tip vs no TIW and a 10% tip. For every $100 in food and drink costs, you would save $13.30 with the TIW card. The card costs $100, so it only makes sense to purchase it if your food costs are going to be high enough over the 12-13 months that the card is valid.

         TWI+18%    No TWI+10%
         -------    ----------
Food      100.00      100.00
Discount   20.00        0.00
Subtotal   80.00      100.00
Tax         5.20        6.50
Tip        18.00       10.00
          ======      ======
TOTAL     103.20      116.50

 

[Hunclemarco]

We generally use TIW, and there are times when we're with others that we'll use both the DDP and TiW...Much depends on where we'll be eating. If we're going to many of the character meals, then we don't mind using ddp that much...we do see a savings there. If it's just my wife and i, we'll use the TIW more, and we split meals. When we're on the TiW only, we save about $350 with the card.

 

[Lizard Valley]

TiW forces you to tip 18% regardless the number of guests or quality of service. i think any saving wiped out there. Maybe it's just my city, we typically tip 10 to 15% and not 18-20%.

I'm in Canada too, and yes, here we tip around 15% for excellent service, and 10% for so-so service. But our waiters are paid 2 to 3 times more than the servers in the US. I have a friend who is paid $2.31/hr in his state!

Last summer in Vermont, the restaurants were automatically adding an 18% gratuity to bills from Canadian customers. We're considered "cheap" in the US, just as Europeans are considered "cheap" in Canada.

So when in the US, I tip like Amercans do. And that means 18-20%, regardless of what the tipping habits are back in Canada.

Now that you know this, your math will show that you are indeed saving 20% with TIW because you would have tipped at least 18% regardless.

Just wanted to add: I used TIW for the first time last week. The service was always beyond exceptional, and I even added an extra tip on at least 2 occasions.

 

[erionm]

Does that mean Memorial Day? We used it for MLK.

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Block-out dates for Tables in Wonderland are Mothers Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

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[dsneygirl]

I'm in Canada too, and yes, here we tip around 15% for excellent service, and 10% for so-so service. But our waiters are paid 2 to 3 times more than the servers in the US. I have a friend who is paid $2.31/hr in his state!

Last summer in Vermont, the restaurants were automatically adding an 18% gratuity to bills from Canadian customers. We're considered "cheap" in the US, just as Europeans are considered "cheap" in Canada.

So when in the US, I tip like Amercans do. And that means 18-20%, regardless of what the tipping habits are back in Canada.

Now that you know this, your math will show that you are indeed saving 20% with TIW because you would have tipped at least 18% regardless.

Just wanted to add: I used TIW for the first time last week. The service was always beyond exceptional, and I even added an extra tip on at least 2 occasions.

Canadians are notoriously bad tippers at WDW. As they are 10% for the most part. Not standard in the US at all.

We haven't done the DDP in years. Doesn't fit our style at all but we more than get our money's worth out of the TiW and really like the flexibility.

 

[bumbershoot]

I love TIW.

We're a family of 3 vegetarians with some ingredient issues (which means we almost never get dessert). As my appetite changes I find myself less able to have booze with a meal, so adult beverages barely factor in anymore. And we're ordering less food now that we're working to make our weights more normal. (DS, of course, is a growing boy and eats like crazy)

We bought the TIW on our recent trip. Bought exactly the food we wanted, nothing more and nothing less, and we're already into the "pure discount" part of it. Used it at...

CRT (you get a refund of the TIW discount b/c you prepay the full amount),
Tusker House,
twice at the Garden View Tea Room (once we paid for 4 people not just our 3),
Sassagoula,
Brown Derby,
AOA food court,
Artist Palette (or whatever it's called there at SSR),
Sanaa,
Via Napoli,
and Territory Lounge.

I might have missed one or two but I'm not sure I did. One TS almost each day, and the occasional QS (b/c there are QS restaurants on the list).

We used the fee-free Valet parking one day for tea and I just love that.

Perhaps they pay restaurant servers a higher wage in Canada. In the US, restaurants are allowed to pay servers less than minimum wage because part of their income comes from tips.

But not even all states. WA, for instance, doesn't have a server-minimum. (lucky servers!) FL however, yep, really low pay for tipped positions.

 

[MoreTravels]

Yeah. Minimum wage in Canada is about $10 and up. In Florida it's around $7 so I guess this leads to different tip expectation.

how about DVC 10% discount? With $100 TiW fee, this means you need to spend $1000 in meals before making it even. It is a like reward credit card with a high annual fee, only worth it for high spenders.

 

[erionm]

Yeah. Minimum wage in Canada is about $10 and up. In Florida it's around $7 so I guess this leads to different tip expectation.

how about DVC 10% discount? With $100 TiW fee, this means you need to spend $1000 in meals before making it even. It is a like reward credit card with a high annual fee, only worth it for high spenders.

Minimum wage for servers in Florida starts at $4.77 per hour.

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