Is TIW card worth it for tee-toatler?

[Simba's Mom]

I never considered the TIW card because I thought it was beneficial only if you drank alcohol (honestly, I don't know where I got that idea) but now I'm thinking (thanks, Chuck S) that it may help even me. Do I have to go to a theme park to buy it? I already have an AP, so that's not an issue. However, if I'm going to WDW and planning to buy it there, but want to use it at my resort's resturant the first night, is there a way I can do that? And I'm just curious-is it valid for exactly one year from the date of purchase or is it good until the end of that month (like, if I buy it on 10/13/09will it be good until 10/13/10 or will it expire at the end of October, 2010?

 

[thepops]

Depending on where and what you eat, yes. We were down in May (family of 4) and did the dining plan. I saved all the receipts and did a difference between "list price" and what the dining plan cost (we did come out ahead!) and also figured in what it would have been with TIW. Without alcohol, we would have been about $200 ahead of "list price" witht he TIW card. The DDP worked out better, but you don't have the choice of doing an appitizer instead of dessert with that. So the TIW card would give you that flexibility.

 

[Tara]

I never considered the TIW card because I thought it was beneficial only if you drank alcohol (honestly, I don't know where I got that idea) but now I'm thinking (thanks, Chuck S) that it may help even me. Do I have to go to a theme park to buy it? I already have an AP, so that's not an issue. However, if I'm going to WDW and planning to buy it there, but want to use it at my resort's resturant the first night, is there a way I can do that? And I'm just curious-is it valid for exactly one year from the date of purchase or is it good until the end of that month (like, if I buy it on 10/13/09will it be good until 10/13/10 or will it expire at the end of October, 2010?

I think it's beneficial if you eat at mostly table service restaurants, particularly if you eat at signature restaurants. We sometimes have alcohol, but not often - and usually no more than 1 glass of wine each. Maybe we have a drink 1 out of every 4 meals. We covered our cost in 2 meals (Jiko, California Grill) the trip we bought the card, though it was only $60 then, not $75. We've saved a LOT of money using it.

Yes, you have to go to a resort to get it, but I think you can also order it ahead of time.

It's valid from the day of purchase through the end of the month *after* 1 year from purchase. I bought mine in mid-November 2008 (the 19th?) and it expires 12/31/09.

 

[helenk]

I do not drink and I have still found the card to provide a good deal of savings. Even if I travel solo I've been able to save alot because I generally take 2 or 3 trips within the timeframe that the card is valid.
For my next 2 trips I'm going with family so I know we will get good use of the savings.

 

[Chuck S]

We occasionally, but not often, have an adult beverage. Figure, basically, if you normally tip 20%, it saves you the amount of the tip. It can add-up.

Also, you have to look carefully at the final receipt, some servers automatically add 18% tip (as they are supposed) others do not.

Figure if you're normal TS meal for two is about $50, and you add a tip of $10, your final bill, including tip will be about $50. Over a long trip, or several short trips, even for two people, it can be a savings. Just remember that at $75 for the cost of the card, you need to spend $375 in dining before your actual savings kicks in. But that isn't hard to do.


Unless they change policy, if you purchase on October 13th, 2009, your TIW will expire November 30, 2010. They normally give until the end of the 13th month

You will need to buy the TIW at a guest services window at one of the parks or at DtD.

 

[Halle]

Can someone please tell me what the TIW card is?

 

[Chuck S]

Can someone please tell me what the TIW card is?

TIW=Tables in Wonderland formerly known as the Disney Dining Experience (DDE)

It is a card that gives you a 20% discount at virtually all Disney operated table service restaurants, lounges, and the counter service places in Animal Kingdom and the Value resorts.

It is available to all Annual Passholders for $75, or Florida Residents for $100. If you are not a passholder or FL resident, you can not get it.

It is good for up to 10 people in your dining party, dining on one ticket.

 

[Golden Rose]

We love the TiW card - and we're certainly not heavy drinkers. We never have more than a glass of wine once or twice a week, but we do eat almost exclusively at TS restaurants, often at Signature dining restaurants. We've tried to decide if the DxDDP or the TiW is a better fit for us, and this year, the TiW definitely wins. We love V & A and Bistro de Paris, neither of which take the DDPs and both of which take the TiW.

I think the various DDPs are all better deals for the age 3-9 crowd than the TiW, but for us, with just one child, the TiW makes more sense overall.

 

[Halle]

Thanks for your responses. We're going 2009/10 Xmas to NY with our kids and and their spouses we'll be 9 total. Can you please tell me where to find additional info. Many thanks!

 

[Chuck S]

Thanks for your responses. We're going 2009/10 Xmas to NY with our kids and and their spouses we'll be 9 total. Can you please tell me where to find additional info. Many thanks!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm

Just a note, as it is often asked...there is no auto gratuity added at the handful of counter service places that accept the DDE/TIW.

 

[vicki_c]

If you spend $375 in eligible meals, and if you normally tip 18% or more, you will break even on the price of the card.

After that, it's all savings. It's not hard to break even at WDW! Our family of 4 (2A, 2C) ate a TS meal every day on a 4 day trip, plus had a few meals at Artists' Palette (that's one of the CS location that accepts it) and it was already paid for.

On that trip, I think we went to:
Akershaus breakfast
Sci Fi for lunch
Whispering Canyon for dinner
Hoop Dee Doo

and that's all it took to break even - although some of those are more expensive meals, definitely.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We are tea totlers too, and we save a ton using the TIW card!

 

[Anal Annie]

I don't know that the value has so much to do with whether or not you drink. We drink, but I rarely will order a drink in a restaurant 'cuz I'm appalled at the prices and I prefer my drinks to be stronger than the watered down stuff you get at the typical bar. DH usually orders a beer with dinner and sometimes with lunch too...but I usually give him "the look" when he orders them for lunch 'cuz I think $6.25 each is just crazy. We rarely do TS for a lunch and the card isn't taken at any CS places except in AK.

ANYWAY, we had the card 2 yrs. ago when it was still $60 when it was called the DDE card. We eventually broke even on our $60 after about 10 days in WDW. With the price increase we didn't feel it was worth it this year. As someone else said, you have to know that you're going to spend at least $375 on TS meals AT PARTICIPATNG RESTAURANTS just to break even for your $75....and you have to be willing to plan your meals around restaurants that take the card. We just had 2 TS meals last weekend in DTD and neither place took the card. We have 2 or 3 more TS meals planned for our trip in August but for the 3 of us we will not spend $375 on those 2 or 3 meals. (It is not accepted for the Fantasmic packages either.)

Since it's a percentage based discount, to know if it's worth it for your family, you have to look at how many people in your group & where you want to eat to figure out if it will save you anything.

 

[Dean]

If you spend $375 in eligible meals, and if you normally tip 18% or more, you will break even on the price of the card.

After that, it's all savings. It's not hard to break even at WDW! Our family of 4 (2A, 2C) ate a TS meal every day on a 4 day trip, plus had a few meals at Artists' Palette (that's one of the CS location that accepts it) and it was already paid for.

On that trip, I think we went to:
Akershaus breakfast
Sci Fi for lunch
Whispering Canyon for dinner
Hoop Dee Doo

and that's all it took to break even - although some of those are more expensive meals, definitely.

Maybe, but that assumes no other discounts available for the person involved such as DVC member discounts or AP type discounts. For many, I think the actual break even is closer to $450-500. It can still be a great deal for the right situation though.

 

[vicki_c]

Maybe, but that assumes no other discounts available for the person involved such as DVC member discounts or AP type discounts. For many, I think the actual break even is closer to $450-500. It can still be a great deal for the right situation though.

True - honestly I don't pay all that much attention to DVC/AP discounts on dining. They're usually not available most of the places we eat! And I forget to ask 1/2 the time anyway.

I did like my DVC discount at Basin, though!

 

[crisi]

It really just depends on how much you spend. You got the idea that you should drink from the notion that it covers alcohol - and that can quickly add to the savings. But other reasons you might want it - big party (it covers up to ten people), lots of signature dining, a lot of days on property eating at covered restaurants.

A small party that drinks a lot will save. A big party that doesn't drink at all will save. And a couple that doesn't drink but spends a lot of meals in Disney restaurants over the year will save. A big party that drinks a lot and apends six weeks eating at signature places would save enough to buy a small car. (I'm exaggerating).

 

[Dean]

True - honestly I don't pay all that much attention to DVC/AP discounts on dining. They're usually not available most of the places we eat! And I forget to ask 1/2 the time anyway.

I did like my DVC discount at Basin, though!

The DVC and AP discounts favor lunch over dinner and the AP ones are generally S-Th even then. For those of us that prefer sit down over CS and prefer a larger lunch meal over dinner, the difference can be even larger compared to TIW. Plus DVC has had special discounts lately at WP, Fulton's and last I heard, 30/20% off at Portobella YC. The 50% off mondays at lunch for WP in Dec was quite the benefit. And for the right group, the DDP can be a great option.

 

[aprince&princess]

You should also know that holidays are excluded. We were at WDW from Christmas Eve through New Years and if I remember right, Christmas Eve, Christmas, NYE and New Years Day were all excluded. But we definitely thought it was worth it after just a few table service dinners for four people.

Also the counter service at SSR also takes the TIW card, although they didn't always know it. We would show the card at breakfast or lunch time and a CM would say that they didn't accept it, but when we asked them to check with someone else, they would always come back surprised to find out that they did take it. Or once or twice we were told that it wasn't taken during holiday time, and we would ask them to double check that because only the actual holidays were excluded. Again, they would be surprised that it was ok to apply the discount.

 

[Tara]

You should also know that holidays are excluded. We were at WDW from Christmas Eve through New Years and if I remember right, Christmas Eve, Christmas, NYE and New Years Day were all excluded. But we definitely thought it was worth it after just a few table service dinners for four people.

Mother's Day is also excluded.

 

[Debrn]

We are going 12-17- 12-27. My kids 10,6 don't finish the kids meals so i don't want to do dining plan for my 10 yr old. we like to have a couple drinks each night at dinner. We were going to buy the AP and visit again next Nov-Dec. Would I benefit from this card??????