Sizable Price Increase on Tables in Wonderland Membersip

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Oh great. I go solo and in the past it was worth it even when I only ate maybe 2 or 3 table service meals per trip. With the price increase I will have to do the math all over again. I wish the increase had waited until after my upcoming trip since I was going to be getting it then.

At least I had already renewed my AP even though I thought I wasn't going to at first. Once I did the math on that it was worth it then.

 

[lbv7]

While I appreciate that a 50% increase is a "BIG" jump from a percentage perspective. Why does that increase make purchasing the TWI card no sense any longer? What is the evidence that you're using to make that statement?

Really I understand the upset about this but................a 20% discount that includes alcohol is still big. If you spend $750 on food and alcohol during a Disney trip.....(I've done it ) without the TIW......that's $750. If you have the TIW card aren't you saving $150? Doesn't that 1 trip pay for the card?

Just trying to understand.

Doug

But what if for example the service is terrible and you don't want to leave a tip, or you want to leave only a nominal amount. With TIW you are forced to leave 18%, so
saving 2% with a card that you paid $150 for doesn't seem like such a great deal to me.

 

[rfc0001]

We're Florida residents and DVC Members and we get the renewal prices on our APs so it's not an $85/$95 pp increase for us.

Florida Seasonal Pass (now Silver) Renewal went up $51pp, so still more than TIW

 

[JJZMgailey]

But what if for example the service is terrible and you don't want to leave a tip, or you want to leave only a nominal amount. With TIW you are forced to leave 18%, so
saving 2% with a card that you paid $150 for doesn't seem like such a great deal to me.

It really depends on so many things like how many Guests are in your party and where you dine, what they order, etc.

You have to leave gratuity whether or not you have TIW, but if you should experience bad service from the waitstaff and don't want to leave at least 18%, you can ask to speak with a manager; they will sometimes adjust it depending on what the situation is.

The value for us is getting most of the tip covered for our party. There will be 10 of us total on an upcoming trip in May and only one of them will be in the 3-9 age group so it will save us a ton of money on a week's stay.

 

[stormer]

We are DVC members and AP holders. The increase makes it so we won't purchase it when ours expires next summer. We typically go twice a year. With the break even point now at $750 it just doesn't make sense for us to buy it. We don't eat that many big meals, but it was nice to have.

AM I remembering wrong, or was it pretty recently TIW was only $75 for either AP or DVC members? I can't remember exactly, but I thought we used to pay $75.

 

[SarahInMN]

Meh - we're bummed about the price increase but we easily eat/drink 750$ one on trip a year. We're DVC/AP holders and go for at least 1 trip per year - 8-10 days during F&W. We easily hit 750$ with 2-3 table service meals + wine/cocktails with the dinner.

 

[Narawen]

We only became AP holders and TIW members this spring, and have had two short trips with two longer trips planned before these expire for us. While I'm disappointed in the price increase with others, I don't think it will be that much harder to break even with the new price. With two long weekend trips totaling 8 park-days, we've already saved $115 with TIW as a party of two adults. I don't think that even includes the saving on Hoop De Doo when I prebooked for our upcoming trip. It shouldn't be difficult to find the $150 worth it for us if we choose to renew the AP.

 

[bumbershoot]

We are a party of 2. Previously it was around $500 to break even. Now that amount is $750. Having to spend an additional $250 JUST to break even is a deal breaker for me. We could make $500 work in two trips, but I doubt $750. We mainly thought of TIW as covering our tips. For my family it no longer makes sense. Obviously the bigger the party, the quicker you make your money back. But IMO the card no longer makes sense for a party of 2.

Are you really only spending $500 in food at places where it's taken? If so then it makes no sense but even a party of two has to eat. If you're eating at included places, are you sure you won't hit the mark and beyond over the year?

But what if for example the service is terrible and you don't want to leave a tip, or you want to leave only a nominal amount. With TIW you are forced to leave 18%, so
saving 2% with a card that you paid $150 for doesn't seem like such a great deal to me.

Talk with the server and management to get the service fixed as it is happening. If there's no change, talk to management again. They can remove the autograt if the service has been bad. You have to speak up.

Someone mentioned the blockout dates. The ones that extend are for specific restaurants, not for all. If you're only eating at those places on those dates, ok, but it seems unlikely.

 

[JJZMgailey]

Florida Seasonal Pass (now Silver) Renewal went up $51pp, so still more than TIW

We don't do the seasonal APs, we have the regular ones with no blockout days. That renewal is now considered Platinum and to renew one of our passes, it's $584.69 for ages 10 and up - can't remember what the renewal price was before today, but I really don't think it was much less than that - $20? Maybe $30?

Anyway.....

 

[DrivenByDisney]

I'd pay more for TIW since we spend so much time at Disney properties/parks. We renewed ours earlier in September last month and it's already paid for itself in just valet parking alone. We've used valet around eight times since renewing so that is $160 we saved on that alone.

As others have stated if TIW doesn't work for you, it doesn't. We live less than five miles from Disney property and are there a good three or four times per week. TIW is a no brainer for us. Though it may not be for others. The price increase for us, Florida residents and AP's is not that much nor do I find it a lot. My opinion of course.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'd pay more for TIW...

Shhhhh. Please don't give them more ideas.


Further to my post above, the longer sets of blockout dates are for these restaurants, not for all restaurants:

1900 Park Fare,
Chef Mickey’s,
‘Ohana (Dinner Only),
Cinderella’s Royal Table,
LeChefs de France,
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall,
and Le Cellier Steakhouse

 

[karrit2000]

I was considering purchasing again for my November trip but now I will really have to think hard about whether or not it will be worth it for me. It really bothers me that the dining discount isn't included in the AP prices as it is at DL. Yes I know there are some token Dining Discounts included in the AP but nothing that I would make use of. If they included all the CS instead of just select ones I wouldn't have to think about it but since we don't do TS every day I don't know if it is worth it for us. Of course when I saw the new DL AP prices I about had a heart attack. Even the Premier Pass is totally out there now.

 

[Disneytam]

My biggest problem with the TIW price increase is that for most of the places we eat at we would already be getting a 10% discount with the AP. So that knocks the discount down to 10% and we do drink but almost never more than one drink per meal. The valet parking is no use to us because we don't rent a car and I have never used the MM photo's and had no plans to so the increase in AP rates is hard to swallow as well. I always cringe when people on these boards say you don't have to go to Disney you can vacation some place else, but with all the price increases and so little increase in quality that might be something we start looking into. To all of us that drink the kool-aid that is Disney what have we gotten for all these increases? I've been hearing about all the new stuff coming for a long time but I don't see much new and improved yet and probably won't for a few more years. Just think what the AP and park prices will be then! Not many of us will be able to afford Disney by then.

 

[rfc0001]

We don't do the seasonal APs, we have the regular ones with no blockout days. That renewal is now considered Platinum and to renew one of our passes, it's $584.69 for ages 10 and up - can't remember what the renewal price was before today, but I really don't think it was much less than that - $20? Maybe $30?

Anyway.....

Even worse then... the former AP (now Platinum) Renewal rate went up $100 pp for Florida Residents and DVC Members (thus my confusion):

Here is my Comparison Chart of old/new WDW Passes Prices/Benefits I posted on other forums last night (DIS was down):

(click for online spreadsheet, incl. After-Tax rates)​

Sources:
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/discounts-perks-offers/ticket-tour/walt-disney-world-pass/
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/florida-residents/passholder-program/
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/m...enefits/WDW-AnnualPass-Blockout-Calendars.pdf
https://shop.omniticket.com/wdw/renewal/index.cfm

 

[richmo]

Yeah, between the TiW increase and the new "portfolio" of AP's (as Disney put it) that basically made AP's much more expensive, I think I've done my last AP for awhile.

 

[JJZMgailey]

Even worse then... the former AP (now Platinum) Renewal rate went up $100 pp for Florida Residents and DVC Members (thus my confusion):
http://www.disboards.com/threads/new-aps-will-this-affect-dvc-passes.3452718/page-4#post-54526827

See, I was just focusing on TIW for this thread and hadn't quite gotten into the AP hullaballoo yet. Our APs expire at the end of this month and sometimes when I know something's going to be ugly on the ole checkbook, I wait for a few days so I can digest it. Ugh......

 

[SothrnChic]

I was super surprised and disappointed to see this increase in TIW since I am leaving for my trip on Wednesday and was planning to buy it at that time. However, I calculated the numbers based on our ADRs and I will still be making the purchase since it will still save our group of 4 adults and a child some money. I am just upset that I could have saved even more than I am going to now.

 

[rfc0001]

As far as TIW, it all depends on how much you use it as to whether it's still worth it. Assuming family of 4, 2 sit downs a day, that's around $2,500/wk. So, savings are:

1. 1 week @ $2,500/wk x .2 = $500-$150 = $350/$2500 = 14% (probably better off with a standard DDP)
2. 2 weeks @ $2,500/wk x .2 = $1000-$150 = $950/5000 = 17%
3. 3 weeks @ $2,500/wk x .2 = $1500-150 = $1350/7500 = 18%

Of course, it also depends if you normally eat all sit downs. If you don't the Standard DDP is probably a better deal. I still think Disney needs to fill the gap between DDP and TIW with a "Table Service DDP" -- similar to the Quick Service DDP but 2 Table Service credits per day -- with an advertised discount of 20% (compared to 15% for Standard and 25% for Deluxe). This would give me all the benefits of TIW (except discount on alcohol) plus snacks and refillable mug without the $150 cost

 

[The_Banking_Scot]

We are DVC members and AP holders. The increase makes it so we won't purchase it when ours expires next summer. We typically go twice a year. With the break even point now at $750 it just doesn't make sense for us to buy it. We don't eat that many big meals, but it was nice to have.

AM I remembering wrong, or was it pretty recently TIW was only $75 for either AP or DVC members? I can't remember exactly, but I thought we used to pay $75.

Hi,

I was last in WDW in 2011 and TiW was $75 then.

Now it is $150 and will need to work it out to see if it is still worth while. Will be in WDW for a week in Nov and a week in Apr ( 1 person)

 

[rfc0001]

Hi,

I was last in WDW in 2011 and TiW was $75 then.

Now it is $150 and will need to work it out to see if it is still worth while. Will be in WDW for a week in Nov and a week in Apr ( 1 person)

Depends how much you normally spend on sit downs. E.g. $1000/wk x 2 = $2000 * .2 = $400 - $150 (TIW) = $250 savings/$2000 cost = 12.5% savings -- you would be much better off with a Standard DDP (15% savings) if you are OK doing 1 sit down 1 QS a day. If you are 2 sit down a day person, that's where TIW can still save you over Deluxe DDP (unless you use all 3 credits each day on sit downs -- which is insane IMO )