DVC (blue card) and AP. Get Tables in Wonderland?

Dtw002

Mouseketeer
Joined
Nov 12, 2016
Appreciate anyone’s opinion. We typically go to sit down restaurants and do enjoy some drinks. We live out of town, but have several upcoming trips.

Think it’s worth it? Or just use the AP/DVC discount? Thanks!!
 
How many people?

Biggest difference is that the Alcohol is also discounted.

You would have to spend about 1500 on food alone to make it a good buy. Buy, if you have a few drinks, that can easily add up to saving you 15-20 bucks a meal.

I usually get it, but it tends to cover me for about 20 days on property between various trips.

Also if you have a car, you do get complimentary valet parking at the resorts if you want that.

It tends to cover about 13 months. If you buy it mid Oct, it seems like they expire it end of Nov the following year.

Disclaimer - Mine expires end of this month. I will get a new one in Dec. but that will cover me a week (9 days) in Dec. 4 days in May, a week next Sept( 8 days) and a week(9 days) Next december. So its like 30 days.
 
Some really simple math on the alcohol front. It's $150, you save 20% on alcohol. So you'd need to spend at least $750 on Alcohol for it to break even.

Given you get an extra 5% off of food places you don't have to quite hit the $750, but it's a good baseline for estimating.
 
Some really simple math on the alcohol front. It's $150, you save 20% on alcohol. So you'd need to spend at least $750 on Alcohol for it to break even.

Given you get an extra 5% off of food places you don't have to quite hit the $750, but it's a good baseline for estimating.

It would be less on alcohol needed than that. The TiW discount is 20% on food, too, so 2x as good as the typical blue card or AP discount.

The real break even point is $1500 spent on meals. That would be enough saved off of that ($300 vs. $150 using the blue card) to make the purchase worthwhile. Alcohol estimates can be used when getting to that figure.

Just be careful about eating out beyond what you would typically want to just to justify the savings. For every 20% you save on a meal, you are still paying the other 80%, and the meals rarely come out feeling "cheap", even with the discount.
 


As others have said, you need to do the math. TiW covers more restaurants, covers alcohol in restaurants and lounges.
If you don't have any other discount, it takes about $750 to break even. If you have an AP that gives you a 10% discount, it takes roughly $1500 to break even since you already had your AP discount so this is above that.
For us, we plan our trips to get 3 trips from our APs and TiW and it more than pays for itself. The last trip, we had 4 people and we saved money before the end of the week.
 
How many people do you travel with? With a big group (say 5+) it can pay for itself awfully quick. I usually travel in groups of 2-3 and I can't make the numbers work, even after factoring in the alcohol. I'd probably about break-even.
 


How many people do you travel with? With a big group (say 5+) it can pay for itself awfully quick. I usually travel in groups of 2-3 and I can't make the numbers work, even after factoring in the alcohol. I'd probably about break-even.

I haven't gotten it in a few years, but am looking into picking it up in 2021 when I travel with my whole family, a party of 13. Even with only getting the discount on 10 of us, it would pay for itself after only 2-3 meals.
 
TIW also covers valet parking when dining at a resort (tip is still extra, of course). If you are a large party, and/or often drink alcohol, and/or are local or plan on a LOT of WDW dining, then TIW is likely worth it. For us, the numbers just didn't work (we prefer less on-site dining, and aren't big drinkers). Also, look at the restaurants you prefer - all 3 cards discount at about 100 places, but while most take TIW, a very few take only DVC/AP.
 
Myself, wife and 3 kids. I think I’m right on the break even line. Is nice having that 20% come off of each bill. Still unsure
 
One thing to remember when dining and using TIW card they add an 18% tip to the total bill. I made that mistake once at the Belle Vue Lounge so the person waiting on us got a 38% tip. Good deal for that person not so good for me. :sad2: If I didn't have the card I would be tipping 20% so I also save a little in the tip. Of course you can always leave extra if you want. :)

We have been getting TIW card for many years now and feel we get our money's worth. This year I will buy a new card in Jan so it will be good until end of Feb of 2021. We will get 14 days this Jan and we are traveling with DD, DSI and 2 DGC for the first 6 days. Next year we will get another 14 days and we may again be traveling with family so there is no doubt it will be worth it for us.
 
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We have been getting TIW card for many years now and feel we get our money's worth. This year I will buy a new card in Jan so it will be good until Feb of 2021.
We are on our third as well. Most of our travel is just my wife and I. We do enjoy the lounges and if we do a signature dinner will indulge a bottle of wine. We are 1BR stayers, do a lot of our own food and will typically do one signature type dinner in a 4 night stay and a few lunches. Admittedly we tend to patronize locations that take TIW but not exclusively. I like keeping close track and so far for our newest card, purchased in May we have logged 13 transactions, average check $75.78, and accounting for where we would get a 10% deal with DVC/AP we are $14.69 ahead, with 14 nights planned before it expires. Our previous card ran 2/3/18-3/31/19 and we netted $210 over 36 transactions averaging $57.58. So not huge savings, but you take what you can get right? Oh, and we always “plus” the tip back to 20% or more and my math accounts that too. Enjoy!
 
Do you know if you can buy with Disney Gift Cards. I am assuming you can since you purchase TIW from Disney
Yes. We have done so in person and on the phone. Side note, if you order by phone you get a plastic card - more durable.
 
Yes. We have done so in person and on the phone. Side note, if you order by phone you get a plastic card - more durable.

The only problem with buying over the phone is the effective date of the card is the day you make the purchase. It can take up to 3 weeks to get the card which eats up pretty much all of the extra month you get on the card.
 
I am debating the same thing right now. We go down in three weeks. It will be our third time in 19 years if we get it.

I will definitely have three trips - 7 nights each - to use it. One trip is just dh and I. One trip will be with my son and dil (they are not drinkers and will have the baby - 1 1/2 yr. old then). My trip coming up now - I might use it for two/three of us or more. Not sure. I might just go for it.
 
The only problem with buying over the phone is the effective date of the card is the day you make the purchase. It can take up to 3 weeks to get the card which eats up pretty much all of the extra month you get on the card.
Yeah, I figured that’s why it was 13 months in the first place. If you buy it on property it a bonus!
 
One thing to remember when dining and using TIW card they add an 18% tip to the total bill. I made that mistake once at the Belle Vue Lounge so the person waiting on us got a 38% tip. Good deal for that person not so good for me. :sad2: If I didn't have the card I would be tipping 20% so I also save a little in the tip. Of course you can always leave extra if you want. :)

We have been getting TIW card for many years now and feel we get our money's worth. This year I will buy a new card in Jan so it will be good until end of Feb of 2021. We will get 14 days this Jan and we are traveling with DD, DSI and 2 DGC for the first 6 days. Next year we will get another 14 days and we may again be traveling with family so there is no doubt it will be worth it for us.
Yes, not to be forgotten. In essence, TIW is more or less prepaying your tips since it knocks off 20 but adds on 18 (even at buffets).

Also, AP tends to be only 10 percent discount on food but it does vary.

So, it would be less the 750 in alcohol needed to make it work while.

I am often up in the air about it at times, but then I think, whats the worst case, I only save enough that justifies a purchase price of 125? Ok, so I spent 50 bucks I didn't need to. And if thats the worst case scenario.....Oddly, my food budget at DIS is always underestimated
 
Yes, not to be forgotten. In essence, TIW is more or less prepaying your tips since it knocks off 20 but adds on 18 (even at buffets).

Also, AP tends to be only 10 percent discount on food but it does vary.

So, it would be less the 750 in alcohol needed to make it work while.

I am often up in the air about it at times, but then I think, whats the worst case, I only save enough that justifies a purchase price of 125? Ok, so I spent 50 bucks I didn't need to. And if thats the worst case scenario.....Oddly, my food budget at DIS is always underestimated

That's how I see it........but it's $150 now. If it has gone up again, then I am out.......
 

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