Please explain the TIW card to me...

[milmore104]

I'm trying to figure out the cost of our meals to see if going w/ the room discount and paying for dining is better than getting the DDP. Is the TIW discount taken off the bill before tax and then the gratuity and tax added on?

We will be buying AP's this trip as we will be moving to FL the month after our vacation. So buying the TIW makes sense as we will be visiting more often. That being said I am trying to figure out what is more cost effective for this trip. As we will be traveling w/ my family and will be eating at a lot of TS as well as HDDR and CRT.

 

[Brook1099]

18% gratuity and tax is taken off after the 20% TIW discount.

We will be using it for the first time this year.
Know when u book the Hoop de do the discount only qualifies for late shows.

 

[vicki_c]

Gratuity is based on the non discounted total. Tax is based on the discounted amount. At the AP holder price of $75, you will break even when you have spent $375 in eligible food and beverages using the card (alcohol is include)d. At prepaid locations, you can show your card to the waiter and they will issue a credit for the discount amount back to your credit card that you booked with. You do not get a discount on the photo portion of the total price at CRT, so it's a little less than 20% of the total there.

See www.tablesinwonderland.com for details and list of restaurants.

 

[LowesChevy]

We are DVC members who visit once a year for a little over a week. We purchased TIW this year and found the savings to be significant.

We dine at table service restaurants 2-3 times a day and normally tip around 18%. You will find it really adds up the savings when you get a few cocktails or beers with the meals. The dining plan does not suit our needs well, but TIW was a great fit for us.

 

[MrsLS]

I could be wrong, but I thought you needed to buy a park pass to add the dining plan. If you buy the annual pass I don't think you can add the DP, but again I could be wrong.
We've saved a lot using the TIW card, but we also do 2 TS a day; one being the higher end (signature) restaurant a day.

The TIW card works at most Disney restaurants. It is good for your food & alcohol (which is a plus for us). They take off 20% off of your total bill and then add on 18% tip (which you would have to figure in tip anyway with the DP when making your comparison).
Are you going to pay for the DP or would it be free instead of the room discount? I would figure out which places you would eat at, what you would get (if it isn't a set menu) and take off 20% and then compare it to the other package.

 

[POOHsie]

18% gratuity and tax is taken off after the 20% TIW discount.

We will be using it for the first time this year.
Know when u book the Hoop de do the discount only qualifies for late shows.

I could be wrong, but I thought you needed to buy a park pass to add the dining plan. If you buy the annual pass I don't think you can add the DP, but again I could be wrong.
We've saved a lot using the TIW card, but we also do 2 TS a day; one being the higher end (signature) restaurant a day.

The TIW card works at most Disney restaurants. It is good for your food & alcohol (which is a plus for us). They take off 20% off of your total bill and then add on 18% tip (which you would have to figure in tip anyway with the DP when making your comparison).
Are you going to pay for the DP or would it be free instead of the room discount? I would figure out which places you would eat at, what you would get (if it isn't a set menu) and take off 20% and then compare it to the other package.

Sorry, I have to correct these posts. Tax is calculated after the 20% discount, but gratuity is calculated from the original price. That is common restaurant practice.

Here's Cheshire Figment's explanation of TiW by using the example of a sample $100 meal. He compares costs with TiW and without TiW. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44779063&postcount=24

 

[TDC Nala]

I could be wrong, but I thought you needed to buy a park pass to add the dining plan.

True, unless you are an annual passholder, DVC member booking through Member Services, or eligible for the military room discount. Passholders and military can book a ticketless package. DVC doesn't book packages in the first place.

If it's the free dining promotion you are after, there are no exceptions - purchase of park passes is required, it's now at least 2 day park passes.

 

[MikeRx]

I think the argument is more than simply the cost. You also have to factor how your family eats. If dessert at lunch is not your norm or you enjoy an appetizer with dinner then the DDP may not be for you. We looked at it for a couple of things: the costs and the food for our trip.

1. Cost We calculated that if we took the 30-35% savings on the room only was a better deal than FD. We also calculated that we would return at least one more time on an AP so the cost became significantly better. The TiW card also covers alcohol if you are so inclined and has a list of non TS options at the value resorts and AK.
2. Food I make ADRs at TS venues for both breakfast and dinner most every day of our trip, that’s what we enjoy….The standard DP would not have been the best option for us and the deluxe is too much for what you get. We did the DP in 2010 and found it to be too much food on the DP. It is far too easy to over eat, yes I know you are on vacation, but the DP turned dining into a “job” to make sure we used the credits wisely…

The verdict after just one of our trips this year….we saved $300 (which included the $75 cost of the TIW card) and still got a 35% room only discount at the Poly. In fact it made simply buying an annual pass for one of us “worth it” regardless of a repeat visit. Even if we never went back on the AP the combination of the AP and TIW was an overall savings of $75.

Needless to say we’ve gone and will go back on this AP so the savings just keep adding up. I estimate that in the year (and 4 trips) will save us >$3000 in TIW and tickets. Yes, you can argue that we would not have gone 4 times in a year without the AP so the savings are inflated, but I argue back that we love Disney and wanted to maximize our pre-school year with our son and Disney is a perfect place to create those magical moments.

I don’t envision renewing as we branch out to other areas of the US including Hawaii, Europe and the world as he gets older, but 2012-13 will forever be know in our home as the year of Disney! I know we will sneak back to the World or Land once or twice over the next couple of years…



Mike DW DS (4) DMIL

First visit 1976, WDW 2/2010 BC CL, Disneyland GC 12/2010, WDW 4/2012 POLY TPV, WDW 7/2012 (off site meeting), WDW 12/12 POP and 4/2013 POLY with Disney Dream cruise!


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