Looking for Table in Wonderland Opinions/Info

[DMKEDM]

We've read a lot about the TIW card and now am considering it instead of DDP. We've used DDP on each of our last 10-12 trips, and are now finding that we would like a trip where we're not locked into the DDP restrictions...we might want more (or fewer) table service, or counter service meals...plus, next trip I'm hosting 3 college students who are all over age 21--they will want wine w/their meals. So...am thinking TIW...

I keep seeing the card works "most of the time" and at "most" places. What are the restrictions? Where can I find out which restaurants don't take it? (E.g., we love Le Cellier, Wolfgang Puck's/West Side, most of the Epcot restaurants...we may try some of the GF restaurants, or perhaps the new Wave eatery at the Contemporary...we're also huge fans of Brown Derby and California Grill, neither of which is a good value on the DDP...would the TIW card work at those places, for all meals? (I know the card cannot be used on T-giving or Christmas, but what about other times?) Our trip is over Easter break, but does not include Easter itself. We will be going to WDW for T-giving, and once we have the TIW card, I suspect it'll be what we use for the entire year...so I know that means we'd be paying full freight for T-giving dinner (makes no sense to get the DDP if we have the TIW card)...

I've seen the DVC discounts are pretty restricted (unless you're willing to plan around them)...e.g, only at lunch, only on certain days, etc. Does it work that way for the TIW card, too?

Sure would appreciate your input, particularly with respect to what kinds of restrictions we might encounter in trying to use it...

Thanks!

 

[erionm]

Here some of the information from the passholder website:

Benefits include:

• 20% discount on all food and beverages at over 70 participating Resort hotel and Theme Park restaurants (discount is valid for a party of up to 10 Guests).
• Resort and Theme Park parking for dining purposes
• Invitations to special member-only food and wine events, winemaker dinners and celebrity chef dinners
• And more!

• Tables in Wonderland members will receive reimbursement for parking at all Walt Disney World® Resort Theme Parks after 5:00 p.m. daily by showing their membership card at Guest Relations. Blockout dates for the 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.
  
  
• Effective January 1, 2008 a charge of 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size.

Here's the most current list of restaurants participating in Tables in Wonderland. Print this page for future reference.

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort – World Premiere Food Court
Disney's All-Star Music Resort – Intermission Food Court
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort – End Zone Food Court
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge – Boma - The Flavors of Africa, Jiko - The Cooking Place, Victoria Falls
Disney's Beach Club Resort – Beaches & Cream Soda Shop (excludes take-out shop), Cape May Cafe, Martha's Vineyard Lounge
Disney's BoardWalk – ESPN® Club, Flying Fish Cafe, Spoodles, Bellevue Lounge
Disney's Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge Golf Club – Sand Trap Bar & Grill
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort – Shutters at Old Port Royale
Disney's Contemporary Resort – California Grill, Chef Mickey's, The Wave, Outer Rim Lounge
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort – Maya Grill
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground – Crockett's Tavern, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (9:30 p.m. show only), Trail's End Restaurant
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – 1900 Park Fare, Citricos, Garden View Lounge, Grand Floridian Cafe, Mizner's Lounge, Narcoossee's, Victoria & Albert's (excludes Chef's Table)
Disney's Old Key West Resort – Olivia's Cafe
Disney's Polynesian Resort – Kona Cafe, 'Ohana, Tambu Lounge, Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (Late show only)
Disney's Pop Century Resort – Classic Concoctions, Everything Pop Shopping and Dining
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter - Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, Scat Cat's Club
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside - Boatwright's Dining Hall, River Roost
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort – The Artist Palette; The Turf Club Bar & Grill
Disney's Vero Beach Resort – : The Green Cabin Room, Shutter's and Sonya's (except Sunday Brunch)
Disney's Wilderness Lodge – Artist Point, Territory Lounge, Whispering Canyon Cafe
Disney's Yacht Club Resort – Captain's Grille, Ale and Compass Lounge, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Crews Cup Lounge
DOWNTOWN DISNEY® – Marketplace - Cap'n Jack's Restaurant
DOWNTOWN DISNEY® – Pleasure Island - Raglan Road™ Irish Pub and Restaurant
DOWNTOWN DISNEY® – West Side - Planet Hollywood®
Epcot® – Tutto Italia Ristorante, Chefs de France, Nine Dragons Restaurant, San Angel Inn Restaurante, Bistro de Paris Restaurant, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Biergarten Restaurant, Restaurant Marrakesh, Restaurant Akershus, Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, The Garden Grill, Coral Reef Restaurant
Disney's Hollywood Studios™ – Hollywood & Vine, 50's Prime Time Cafe, Tune-In Lounge, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby
Magic Kingdom® Park – The Crystal Palace, Cinderella's Royal Table, Liberty Tree Tavern, The Plaza Restaurant, Tony's Town Square Restaurant
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park – Tusker House Restaurant, Pizzafari, Flame Tree Barbeque, Restaurantosaurus


Entertainment & Dancing

Atlantic Dance Hall – Disney's BoardWalk
Admission is free for members and guest.

 

[bonnielynn]

If you have the dinning plan and the DDE card.. can you it them for alcohol? Or can't combine them?

 

[erionm]

If you have the dinning plan and the DDE card.. can you it them for alcohol? Or can't combine them?

You can use the TiW card for anything not included with the DDP.

 

[TLPL]

COOL!! I didn't know I can use my TiW at The Artist Palette @ SSR, so I can get 20% off on my meal there, when I go there in 2 weeks?

 

[Inkmahm]

My card expired in Dec and I need to get a new one. Anyone know if I can still get one by mail or do I HAVE to get it in person at WDW?

On our trip in March, we will arrive at 6:30 pm at MCO and have Boma's reservations at 8:30 pm. That doesnt' leave any time for us to go to a park to pick up a new card.

 

[erionm]

My card expired in Dec and I need to get a new one. Anyone know if I can still get one by mail or do I HAVE to get it in person at WDW?

On our trip in March, we will arrive at 6:30 pm at MCO and have Boma's reservations at 8:30 pm. That doesnt' leave any time for us to go to a park to pick up a new card.

Mail order form for passolders: http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...e/passholder/Diningfax_passholder_app_new.pdf

 

[Tine731]

Is it still valid at Vero Beach? I know at one them the DDE card was.

 

[Inkmahm]

Mail order form for passolders: http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...e/passholder/Diningfax_passholder_app_new.pdf

Great! Thanks for the link!

 

[erionm]

Is it still valid at Vero Beach? I know at one them the DDE card was.

Vero is in the list that I posted.

 

[Anal Annie]

My card expired in Dec and I need to get a new one. Anyone know if I can still get one by mail or do I HAVE to get it in person at WDW?

On our trip in March, we will arrive at 6:30 pm at MCO and have Boma's reservations at 8:30 pm. That doesnt' leave any time for us to go to a park to pick up a new card.

YUUMMMMM! Boma!

I didn't know you could buy them THERE! I thought you had to order them ahead of time (by mail). Last time we ordered the DDE card I called and ordered it over the phone...and it took SEVERAL weeks to get (like about 4-6 weeks)!! So order it ASAP so you will have it in time! Oh, and eat a bowl of soup for me at Boma!! I am not picky - I generally like them ALL!


OP - with a party of several adults who drink alcohol, the card will pay for itself in one or two TS meals!! For a family of 3 (1 child) who only eats 2 or 3 TS meals per trip it takes a couple of trips to recover the cost. But for a large group of adults I think it would be GREAT!!

 

[Inkmahm]

YUUMMMMM! Boma!

I didn't know you could buy them THERE! I thought you had to order them ahead of time (by mail). Last time we ordered the DDE card I called and ordered it over the phone...and it took SEVERAL weeks to get (like about 4-6 weeks)!! So order it ASAP so you will have it in time! Oh, and eat a bowl of soup for me at Boma!! I am not picky - I generally like them ALL!

I have to admit, Jiko's is our favorite WDW restaurant. We've never eaten at Boma because we always end up at Jiko's! We have extra nights this trip so I decided to add Boma to our list. I hope we like it as much!

 

[Tine731]

Vero is in the list that I posted.

I guess I need to put my glasses on. oops.

 

[kaffinito]

So with the TiW card, is there is a mandatory built-in 18% gratuity?

I know with the DDP you would get a bill that had a suggested 18% tip that you could pay if so inclined, but am wondering if that's the case with TiW.

 

[Anal Annie]

I have to admit, Jiko's is our favorite WDW restaurant. We've never eaten at Boma because we always end up at Jiko's! We have extra nights this trip so I decided to add Boma to our list. I hope we like it as much!

We ALWAYS eat at Boma and on our last trip we also tried Jiko. It was good...but honestly, for the $$$ spent we preferred Boma. It is a FABULOUS buffet...I like being able to try all the different things. So you will just have to trust me on the soups!! I think they usually have about 4 out every evening. I always have a sample of at least 2 of them! Of course while it's nice, it's a little more casual atmosphere. But the food is excellent!

 

[erionm]

So with the TiW card, is there is a mandatory built-in 18% gratuity?

I know with the DDP you would get a bill that had a suggested 18% tip that you could pay if so inclined, but am wondering if that's the case with TiW.

Yes, they will add an 18% gratuity to the check regardless of party size if you use the DDE/TiW card.

 

[lizanne]

YUUMMMMM! Boma!

Last time we ordered the DDE card I called and ordered it over the phone...and it took SEVERAL weeks to get (like about 4-6 weeks)!! So order it ASAP so you will have it in time! Oh, and eat a bowl of soup for me at Boma!! I am not picky - I generally like them ALL!

I could be wrong because it's been a couple of years since we had the card but I think, unlike an annual pass, the DDE/TIW card becomes active at the time it is ordered so I wouldn't order it too far in advance.

Can someone who knows for sure respond. I'd like to know for our next trip. Thanks.

 

[erionm]

I could be wrong because it's been a couple of years since we had the card but I think, unlike an annual pass, the DDE/TIW card becomes active at the time it is ordered so I wouldn't order it too far in advance.

Can someone who knows for sure respond. I'd like to know for our next trip. Thanks.

Yes it is. The good thing is the card is generally good for 13 months.

 

[kristenrice]

I just want to verify something...

I can buy a TIW card at Guest Services (any park?) correct?

I have MYW passes that I need to upgrade to AP's and I figured that I will buy the TIW card at the same time. Can I do this?

 

[kaffinito]

Yes, they will add an 18% gratuity to the check regardless of party size if you use the DDE/TiW card.

Humm. Then I think I will just stick with the DDP. I like the suggested gratuity a lot better than the built-in gratuity. Some of the wait staff at WDW restaurants are really awful and some are really good. I'd rather tip based on service. Thanks!