Food & Wine & Friends, or 'Wishing a Year Away'. October 2012 PTR *NEW 11/18 TR link!

[AKL LOVER]

I need some help! I'm sure my very knowledgeable and wonderful readers can assist me...

I've been looking at the Tables in Wonderland card, and it definitely seems to make sense. Most of the places we plan to eat at are part of the program, and 20% is a good savings, especially with 4 adults worth of food and alcohol!
Do any of you have experience with it? Do you recommend it? And what may be a stupid question: is it good for a year?

I'll be getting an AP this spring, so this is the first time I've been eligible for one. Though I did hear that they are going to be making them available to DVC members as well (not sure what the price will be in that case). It just seems too good to be true, so I was hoping to hear from folks that have used it!

Your May plans are really shaping up!

I'm also interested to see what people say about the TIW card because I'm going to get one too. Since I'm doing 2 trips next year, I will also be buying my first ever AP in April. I figured if I'm going to get an AP I might as well take advantage of the TIW card instead of the dining plan. I think we'll save more.

So while I can't offer any advice up yet, I can in April once I come back...which would actually be before you go in May

Day 2 sounds like fun!

We had the Tables in Wonderland card and loved it! It cost us $75 (if I remember correctly) and I think they're actually good for 13 months. Not sure why. It pretty much paid for itself after a couple of meals since dining at Disney is so expensive. I'd say that if you've got two trips planned within the year and you're going to be buying drinks, you can't go wrong with the card. It also adds 18% gratuity automatically, which I liked because it meant I didn't have to figure out the tip! There was only one restaurant that we went to that didn't accept it, and that was Yak&Yeti. I know there are others, but it seems like most of the restaurants do take it now. Oh, and you can use it for yourself and up to 10 guests (or maybe it's 10 people total) so that would be great for your trip in October with your friends.

I'm bummed to hear that Yak and Yeti doesn't take the TIW card. We were planning on eating here again, but I'm wondering if I should take full advantage of the TIW card and eat somewhere else in AK that takes it. But this was one of our favorite meals last trip, so it's hard to pass up!

 

[smile4stamps]

I'm bummed to hear that Yak and Yeti doesn't take the TIW card. We were planning on eating here again, but I'm wondering if I should take full advantage of the TIW card and eat somewhere else in AK that takes it. But this was one of our favorite meals last trip, so it's hard to pass up!

I believe Yak & Yeti offers an AP discount though!

 

[Nermel9]

Your Day 2 plans for May look great! I can't believe how many princesses you met! I'm so nervous to talk to them...still!

I considered getting a TiW card for this past trip and my upcoming May or September trip, but I realized, not having the dining plan does not work for us! It's SO hard for us to budget money for food, it's easier to have it all prepaid for. But that's just us. For people good with budgeting, I'm sure it's great! I really wanted to get it, since you get a discount on appetizers and alcohol, but unfortunately, it just wouldn't work for us!

 

[Joyciemc]

Day 2 sounds like fun!

We had the Tables in Wonderland card and loved it! It cost us $75 (if I remember correctly) and I think they're actually good for 13 months. Not sure why. It pretty much paid for itself after a couple of meals since dining at Disney is so expensive. I'd say that if you've got two trips planned within the year and you're going to be buying drinks, you can't go wrong with the card. It also adds 18% gratuity automatically, which I liked because it meant I didn't have to figure out the tip! There was only one restaurant that we went to that didn't accept it, and that was Yak&Yeti. I know there are others, but it seems like most of the restaurants do take it now. Oh, and you can use it for yourself and up to 10 guests (or maybe it's 10 people total) so that would be great for your trip in October with your friends.

Yak&Yeti isn't on my list of ADRs for May or October, so that works out good. It definitely seems more than worthwhile! Thanks, Courtney!

Oh another trip! I'm a little late but joining in now! I've been in October two years in a row and the weather was fantastic. Hopefully you'll get Boardwalk, you can't beat the location and it's beautiful!

Welcome! This will be my first October trip, and I am sooooo excited! I've been in early Sept a bunch and it is usually HOT. I'm hoping the weather on this trip will be a bit more comfy.

I've been going over whether to get a Dining Plan, TIW or pay OOP. In trying to decide I came across a thread on a different message board where someone created a spreadsheet to determine based on what you would order what is the better deal..

The thread is http://www.mouse*owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49186 (remove the asterisk from the middle!)

That spreadsheet is amazing
I know for sure that we won't be doing a DP, since we spend so much money on alcohol. Which sounds bad. But it's true!

 

[Joyciemc]

Your May plans are really shaping up!

I'm also interested to see what people say about the TIW card because I'm going to get one too. Since I'm doing 2 trips next year, I will also be buying my first ever AP in April. I figured if I'm going to get an AP I might as well take advantage of the TIW card instead of the dining plan. I think we'll save more.

So while I can't offer any advice up yet, I can in April once I come back...which would actually be before you go in May

Hellooooo Melissa! You're going back in April?! Too bad our trips don't line up again...
Very excited for you that you also get two trips next year

The TIW just sounds like a great deal- the last time we had the DP, Ben and I spent SO much money on extra TS meals, appetizers and alcohol... Dining Plan just wasn't worth it for us.

Your Day 2 plans for May look great! I can't believe how many princesses you met! I'm so nervous to talk to them...still!

I considered getting a TiW card for this past trip and my upcoming May or September trip, but I realized, not having the dining plan does not work for us! It's SO hard for us to budget money for food, it's easier to have it all prepaid for. But that's just us. For people good with budgeting, I'm sure it's great! I really wanted to get it, since you get a discount on appetizers and alcohol, but unfortunately, it just wouldn't work for us!

I get all weird and awkward when I interact with the face characters, but once I met Belle with no line, I was on kind of a roll!

Ben and I also have a hard time budgeting money for food. I very much have a 'it's vacation, I am not going to go without' mentality- which makes settling up our room charges a painful experience! But even with the DP, we just ended up paying OOP for anything extra we wanted.

 

[Joyciemc]

Look at my ticker! It's less than 10 months till the October trip! Time is flying by amazingly fast... too fast! I have a very, very busy next few months coming up and not enough time to do it all!

Ben and I just got home from his office holiday party. Since he is the only one in the Boston office (which is actually a room in our house ), the company just pays for us to go out to a nice meal. We went to a super fancy restaurant in Boston called Menton. The food was delicious and the service was great; I was a little out of my element- the highlight being when I dropped a hunk of foie gras down my dress and had to fish it out.
We do not normally eat food like this (or drop that kinda dough on a meal!!), but it was a nice treat.

Thanks to everyone for input on the TIW card! I am definitely going to get one in May, along with a shiny new AP. Yay!

Next up, Day 3 plans!
This morning we will be heading to DHS. I don't know Mark's feelings on TSMM, so there is a chance I may actually have to take part in the ridiculous ritual sprint. But once that is over, we'll have time for the REAL fun:

Doesn't that look like fun? I remember taking that picture, and it was because we were the only people in that part of the park. We spent a while taking bizarre photos.

Looks like Mark decided to get in on the meet n' greets. Must just be the princesses that scare him!

I spent a lot of time on that trip interacting with inanimate objects

We both love ToT, so I am sure we will be spending a lot of time at the Hollywood Tower Hotel!

Lunch is going to be at 50s Prime Time Cafe- another place I wanted to visit again that Ben doesn't mind missing.

In the afternoon, we will probably scoot over to Epcot. On our last trip, Mark made me watch the Circle of Life movie (is that what it's called? The one in the Land with Timon and Pumbaa) and I was not happy:

No big plans for Epcot, just some hanging out on benches eating snacks and making faces:

Going through these pictures makes me very happy to be taking another trip with Mark- he's a lot of fun!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

That's pretty awesome that Brian's office party is a nice dinner out for you guys! Don't feel bad, whenever we go somewhere nice, I always end up doing SOMETHING ridiculous (knocking over a drink, having the waiter constantly coming over to see if everything is okay just because I keep looking at the decor - am I the ONLY one that this ALWAYS happens too??? It's so awkward..."no, I'm just looking at your funky lamps...I'll just stare at my napkin...")

LOL at your picture from the Circle of Life video! That pretty much looks like EXACTLY the face I'd be making too! (I think that face already comes out for yet another round on that Backlot Tour at DBF's request!)

 

[AKL LOVER]

I believe Yak & Yeti offers an AP discount though!

Sweet! Thanks for the tip

Hellooooo Melissa! You're going back in April?! Too bad our trips don't line up again...
Very excited for you that you also get two trips next year

The TIW just sounds like a great deal- the last time we had the DP, Ben and I spent SO much money on extra TS meals, appetizers and alcohol... Dining Plan just wasn't worth it for us.

I am stoked to have 2 Disney trips planned for next year--April (girls only) and June (family)!

No May trip for us this year which makes me sad. But it's for a good reason...DH and I are going to St. Thomas at the end of April and I couldn't take a week off for that plus another week for Disney in May. So this new trip has eased the pain of putting off our family trip to June.

I am so with you on the alcohol discount. I know that probably makes DH and I sound like a couple of drunks. I think it sounds even worse because we have the kids, so you should not even feel bad at all! But I don't really think that it has much to do with the amount that we drink--it's more about the COST to drink down there. It's just so expensive!! (That reason makes our indulgences sound more acceptable, right?!? ) So, I have ALWAYS wanted to get a TIW card....but I could never justify the extra $$ to get an AP to get the card with only one trip a year. 2 trips next year was the perfect excuse to do this because we will actually be saving $$ by me getting the AP and then we will continue to save $$ with the TIW card.

 

[Tracy161]

Plans sound great!!! The trip(s) will be here in no time!

 

[jenny105]

I'm guessing you are not a TSM fan? Day 3 sounds like fun!

 

[Joyciemc]

That's pretty awesome that Brian's office party is a nice dinner out for you guys! Don't feel bad, whenever we go somewhere nice, I always end up doing SOMETHING ridiculous (knocking over a drink, having the waiter constantly coming over to see if everything is okay just because I keep looking at the decor - am I the ONLY one that this ALWAYS happens too??? It's so awkward..."no, I'm just looking at your funky lamps...I'll just stare at my napkin...")

LOL at your picture from the Circle of Life video! That pretty much looks like EXACTLY the face I'd be making too! (I think that face already comes out for yet another round on that Backlot Tour at DBF's request!)

Ben's company used to fly me out to California for their party. One year, I flew out just in time for the party, and came back the next morning. I was in CA for less than 24 hours!

I have a similar picture of Mark... when I forced him to watch the Country Bears again

I am stoked to have 2 Disney trips planned for next year--April (girls only) and June (family)!

No May trip for us this year which makes me sad. But it's for a good reason...DH and I are going to St. Thomas at the end of April and I couldn't take a week off for that plus another week for Disney in May. So this new trip has eased the pain of putting off our family trip to June.

I am so with you on the alcohol discount. I know that probably makes DH and I sound like a couple of drunks. I think it sounds even worse because we have the kids, so you should not even feel bad at all! But I don't really think that it has much to do with the amount that we drink--it's more about the COST to drink down there. It's just so expensive!! (That reason makes our indulgences sound more acceptable, right?!? ) So, I have ALWAYS wanted to get a TIW card....but I could never justify the extra $$ to get an AP to get the card with only one trip a year. 2 trips next year was the perfect excuse to do this because we will actually be saving $$ by me getting the AP and then we will continue to save $$ with the TIW card.

Have an awesome trip to St. Thomas!! That's an island I haven't been to yet, but if we can stop going to WDW for so many vacations, I'd love to visit there someday!

Hey, trust me- there is no way you drink more than Ben and I... we actually do have something to be embarrassed about

Plans sound great!!! The trip(s) will be here in no time!

I currently feel like they are both so far away! But I'm very busy with other stuff, so I think time will go by quick...

I'm guessing you are not a TSM fan? Day 3 sounds like fun!

Nope! I don't hate it, but I don't think it's fantastic. And certainly not worth the hype. It doesn't help that I made us wait 2 hours for it cause I thought it would be worth it and I had heard that the line was fun to look at. It wasn't, and Mr. Potato Head was super repetitive and annoying. Yikes, that was a mini-rant! Sorry about that!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Your May trip plans sound great!

And I am totally laughing at the name "Gurgling Suitcase". Sounds like fun!

 

[jenny105]

Nope! I don't hate it, but I don't think it's fantastic. And certainly not worth the hype. It doesn't help that I made us wait 2 hours for it cause I thought it would be worth it and I had heard that the line was fun to look at. It wasn't, and Mr. Potato Head was super repetitive and annoying. Yikes, that was a mini-rant! Sorry about that!

I love TSM but you're right, it's definitely not worth the long wait it has all the time. The game for Wii was on sale for $10 and I bought it. I need to practice!

 

[klacey1]

Hahah you and your snowman boyfriend look very happy together.
I love looking at past trip pictures! It's fun to see how the parks have changed through the years!

 

[Joyciemc]

Your May trip plans sound great!

And I am totally laughing at the name "Gurgling Suitcase". Sounds like fun!

Thanks! Gurgling Suitcase is a great place! OKW has a completely different feel than other Disney resorts I've been to, realy looking forward to staying longer than 1 night this time!

I love TSM but you're right, it's definitely not worth the long wait it has all the time. The game for Wii was on sale for $10 and I bought it. I need to practice!

Practice is a good idea!! I think if I had been better at the game, maybe I wouldn't have been so annoyed by it!

Hahah you and your snowman boyfriend look very happy together.
I love looking at past trip pictures! It's fun to see how the parks have changed through the years!

My snowman boyfriend is the best!
I know what you mean about looking back- I have wasted hours searching for MK construction/opening pictures... it is fascinating!

 

[Joyciemc]

Merry Almost-Christmas!!

Does everyone have festive celebratory plans? The highlight for us is our annual Christmas Eve Bar Crawl. C'mon, are any of you surprised?
It started last year, when we recruited a few local friends for some daytime drinking on Christmas Eve. We've got a couple more attendees this year, and it should be a lot of fun! What's better than being in a townie bar on Christmas Eve? Not a whole lot!

Trip related-wise, we got our gift for referring Mark to DVC and used that towards paying our dues. We'll also be getting our reward card from our Disney Visa soon and I plan on using that toward my AP. It's not a huge amount, but I'll take it!

Here are the Day 4 Plans for the May trip:

We're starting early at MK, hoping to make rope drop. If you want to see me cry, stand near me at this ceremony. Waterworks, guaranteed.

More MK fun featuring Mark and Joyce, circa 2006:

Mark was very helpful in directing folks to the restroom

Remember my pouty face at Circle of Life? I think Mark did better:

This picture makes it look like I love Small World. While I do enjoy riding it from time to time, I am not sure where this sooper-happy face came from

Mark really likes the Carousel of Progress. I do too, but he really likes it!

This was the same Jasmine I met in World Showcase earlier. Since Aladdin was there, I managed to get Mark in the picture. And he actually interacted! When Mark asked where Abu was, Aladdin and Jasmine started wandering around calling for the monkey. It was really funny!!

Later on, we'll head over to Epcot. Dinner is at San Angel Inn. I had an awesome meal here with Ben on our last trip, but Mark has never eaten at this restaurant. Hope he likes it! Mexico is one of my favorite pavilions.
I the Mariachi Band!

I found this picture, it is stumped me for a while...

But then it came to me: it was a kaki gori. When it melted, we thought it looked like poop. Yup, we're mature

DHS has EMH this night, but I doubt we'll partake. It will be tempting, since this our last full day, but I think relaxing at OKW will win out!

 

[jenny105]

IASW gives me nightmares. The song drives me nuts, Epic Mickey made the ride creepy, and reading about the children attacking people in the Kingdom Keepers series freaked me out. So yeah, I'm over IASW.

Everything else looks fun!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Haha - your Christmas Eve bar crawl sounds like a blast. I hope Mark enjoys SAI! After our great meal there on the honeymoon it is one of our favorites.

 

[Imagineer5]

I love your day-by-day plans and how you impart pics from previous trips. Great idea! Sounds like it's going to be a fantastic trip...now I'm going to get all caught up!

 

[Imagineer5]

Ok all caught up!! Now I understand your day-by-day plans and how you already know the hours! They're for your May trip!! That's sooo awesome that you get to go twice next year - prompting an AP and possibly a TiW card. If I had a TiW card I would NOT miss V&A's as that meal basically pays for the card in the savings you get! I don't think I can convince my DH we *have* to return within a year of our Oct trip though LOL. Oh well...

Have a great New Years pub crawl!! I think those days are behind us LOL. We've done a few first nights though (Boston & Providence) and have enjoyed them. This year we're taking it easy (I'll be about 5 weeks to due date) at a friends house. I've never been big on new years though anyway, christmas is def our holiday!