Hot Takes on Tables in Wonderland

[Lesley Wake]

A tip if you do get it: order via phone. Then it comes in a nice plastic card-CMs appreciate that much more than the paper cards which can easily be damaged!

 

[shocker]

Once I decide to get it, I never look back or waste time calculating if I saved more or less going with it. The larger your travel group, the more you'll save. If you naturally tend toward faster & cheaper QS meals, then maybe skip it.

Even with TiW I still make my own breakfasts in the room & I do bring my own meals into the parks several times each SOLO trip, I just do what I like.

The automatic tip has tripped me up a few times, because there's still a line to add tip & its so natural to add it in & total it up. A few very lucky servers have been double tipped from me, because they sure didn't deserve it.

I also forgot my TiW card at home one trip & they do want to physically see it. They can follow my AP on my MB, but they can't also follow my TiW purchase (sad). Luckily, it was a solo trip with only 1 ADR. $50 to replace, so I didnt, I asked nicely for & got my discount at my 1ADR, YMMV.

I downloaded the mouseperks app so I can quickly see what discounts are avail where, when, & how much. But, I've found that I don't pick where to eat based on a discount & have found it easier to just ask at each store, restaurant, etc. if they offer TiW, AP, or Disney Visa discounts. I think making this the habit will save some dough.

 

[randumb0]

As AP I haven't been able to justify the price due to what would be required to break even

 

[Mome Rath]

As AP's who don't really drink, we haven't been able to justify it since the cost has gone up.

 

[smcabee]

It is USUALLY just me and the wife on our trips but I was thinking about the experiment like Roxyfire. I feel fairly confident we can get it to pay for itself.

Its usually just my wife and myself also. Granted we get three 8 night trips in one card and we always use valet(we drive from SC) which is now $33 each time we eat at one the resort restaurants. We do like adult beverages with our meals so theres that too. It really depends on how much you will utilize it during the year its valid.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When our son was a poor CM and we would take him and a friend or two out for dinner at WDW, it was worth it. Now that he's gone from WDW, not so much.

 

[imp&pixie]

I bought the TiW card on my last trip because I was anticipating our upcoming trip with 12 people. We used it for our meals for just the two of us and I'm sure I saved about $70, so I didn't break even yet, but in two weeks we will be doing a big meal every day with all 12 of us and the 20% discount for 10 of us will more than pay off the initial investment in the card. We will have at least a $160 discount for our California Grill brunch alone, so the card is well worth it if you know that you will be doing expensive meals. I also like the way tip is already calculated and added to the bill (I had to double check I was reading it right the first few times because I didn't want to stiff the servers.)

 

[tracysaluki]

I have been wondering (no pun intended) about TIW too. At first I thought oh $1500 easy we spend that- but after backing out what we would get with our AP and V options- I am wondering. So the $1500 would have to be in QS, alcohol and lounges right? We do a lot of lounges and alcohol so maybe worth it. We wouldn't use the free parking as get that from elsewhere.
Also- If you get it in person you get a paper card and if you order online its plastic and mailed? so if get in person you don't get the plastic mailed? not a deal breaker just easier to keep up with a plastic one I think.
I do wish there was 1 place (hmm like a magic band) to load everything we need, AP, TIW, ID, Credit card etc).

 

[alex9179]

So the $1500 would have to be in QS, alcohol and lounges right?

TiW is most TS and lounges. There are a few QS where it can be used, like at POFQ or the All-Stars. Here's the list...
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/restaurants/tables-in-wonderland-restaurants/

 

[tracysaluki]

TiW is most TS and lounges. There are a few QS where it can be used, like at POFQ or the All-Stars. Here's the list...
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/restaurants/tables-in-wonderland-restaurants/

Right- I meant more the opposite- TS would get discount from AP and Visa. So the only things that you get the TIW that you don't get from the others would be any QS on the list, alcohol and lounges (right lounges don't get discounts for AP)

 

[alex9179]

Right- I meant more the opposite- TS would get discount from AP and Visa. So the only things that you get the TIW that you don't get from the others would be any QS on the list, alcohol and lounges (right lounges don't get discounts for AP)

Ah, yes. AP and Visa will cover many of the same TS with a 10% discount (with occasional exceptions). TiW is 20%.

 

[Dug720]

Do remember the counter services that are included! That helps, depending on your plans. (CS at AK plus food courts at values, SSR, and the PO resorts)

Sadly AK does not include Satu’li (unless that has changed since July).

 

[Disneylover99]

It wasn’t worth it for us because of the blockout dates. We go over Christmas/New Years. So we had four days where we couldn’t use TIW. The AP discount worked though.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

if you are going to spend enough at participating places (excluding blockout dates) to realize a discount with it, it's a no-brainer. If you're not, then don't bother.

AK does not include Satuli or Yak and Yeti CS, just the Disney-operated places that were already open back when AK had no table-service restaurants.

If you want to order by phone, remember that it is active when you order it, not when you first use it, so keep track of the expiration date just in case.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Before I post a new thread, any Canadians have experience ordering beforehand, will they even ship to us? And how close to a trip can you do that?

And for everyone, we are first time AP holders and need to activate them on arrival. Planning to do this at Epcot (IG entrance), can we buy TIW here if we cannot by mail?

 

[gillep]

Before I post a new thread, any Canadians have experience ordering beforehand, will they even ship to us? And how close to a trip can you do that?

And for everyone, we are first time AP holders and need to activate them on arrival. Planning to do this at Epcot (IG entrance), can we buy TIW here if we cannot by mail?

Not sure about shipping to Canada, but we always buy ours at the GS at the IG entrance to Epcot.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We are on our 5th TIW card now. We typically spend 30 to 40 nights at DW during a 12 month period. There are usually 4 of us. We go to signature restaurants most nights and we usually get a bottle of wine with dinner. Plus we might hit a few lounges for drinks. Even with the DVC card it more than pays for itself for us. We always go for at least two weeks around March 1. So we get our card on March 1 and it is good until the following April 1. That wAy we get 2 or 3 trips out of it. And last year we happened to go to DL for 3 nights after aulani and used it a lot there. The restaurants at vero Beach are also included. We actually try not to frequent restaurants that don’t take it. So you should check because there are a few like the Boat House or the character meal at Artist Point which don’t take it.

 

[Dean Marino]

Deleted

 

[kiford]

Before I post a new thread, any Canadians have experience ordering beforehand, will they even ship to us? And how close to a trip can you do that?

And for everyone, we are first time AP holders and need to activate them on arrival. Planning to do this at Epcot (IG entrance), can we buy TIW here if we cannot by mail?

My understanding is that you can't get the TiW card unless your AP is active, thus you have to activate your AP first. I might be wrong on this but given that TiW is active as soon as you purchase it but your AP isn't active until you go there to activate it, depending on when you buy, you could lose out on some of the use of it if you were able to buy over the phone. We purchased our APs in October but weren't going until December. So we activated the AP at the IG gate of Epcot at the ticket booth and then moved over to the window beside (Guest Services) and bought TiW. Pretty efficient and that gave us 13 months from that time we activated it. So we will renew our APs in December and then buy a new TiW card in February when we're there again rather than trying to buy it over the phone after AP renewal. There's just no point IMO in buying it before you're there using it.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

My understanding is that you can't get the TiW card unless your AP is active, thus you have to activate your AP first. I might be wrong on this but given that TiW is active as soon as you purchase it but your AP isn't active until you go there to activate it, depending on when you buy, you could lose out on some of the use of it if you were able to buy over the phone. We purchased our APs in October but weren't going until December. So we activated the AP at the IG gate of Epcot at the ticket booth and then moved over to the window beside (Guest Services) and bought TiW. Pretty efficient and that gave us 13 months from that time we activated it. So we will renew our APs in December and then buy a new TiW card in February when we're there again rather than trying to buy it over the phone after AP renewal. There's just no point IMO in buying it before you're there using it.

Thanks! I was only considering it because we know we’re only taking two trips so expiring a little over a month earlier didn’t matter, but you saved me a phone call, we’ll just wait