Tables in Wonderland price goes up $50/yr

[lockedoutlogic]

Essentially yes. If your party is large enough (6+ people) and you are in WDW for 10+ days it could still pay off. But I don't see how anyone can argue it's nearly as good a deal as it was a few days ago.

Personally I'm at the point where I think I'd just stop doing Table Service meals. I'm not going to increase the amount I eat just to try and justify a card.

Exactly...

I guess it's still a "good deal" depending on perspective.

Here's what I look at:

It now requires an extra $250 in out of pocket expenses to get it back to equal...I guess that's not too much.

But the "value" is entirely dependent on how much you're willing to drop at restaurants...which make no mistake is the point.

Now...here's the kicker that I annoying tend to point out:

The menu prices have doubled in a decade. Same stuff...in some restaurants worse stuff...double the price.

So through the looking glass...I suppose.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The TS meals are one of our favorite parts of vacation, and we wouldn't stop doing them regardless of discounts so for us any discount is better than no discount. With attendance and things being the way they are, I am kind of surprised that they didn't do away with this entirely.

No doubt

 

[Eoghann]

The TS meals are one of our favorite parts of vacation, and we wouldn't stop doing them regardless of discounts so for us any discount is better than no discount. With attendance and things being the way they are, I am kind of surprised that they didn't do away with this entirely.

Well as I've said in other threads I don't think most of their TS meals (there are some exceptions) are actually worth the cost. The food is not that good and the service is nothing special. TiW was something that made them justifiable.

 

[bpadair32]

Well as I've said in other threads I don't think most of their TS meals (there are some exceptions) are actually worth the cost. The food is not that good and the service is nothing special. TiW was something that made them justifiable.

I will respectfully agree to disagree. I think the food that I have had in the TS restaurants was good and worth the money so I will continue eating there.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

Essentially yes. If your party is large enough (6+ people) and you are in WDW for 10+ days it could still pay off. But I don't see how anyone can argue it's nearly as good a deal as it was a few days ago.

Personally I'm at the point where I think I'd just stop doing Table Service meals. I'm not going to increase the amount I eat just to try and justify a card.

True, when the families get a bit older (kids in 20's and 30's) they kinda become more like 3 families/wallets. In effect a 3 way split with a lot of food and drinks.

Depending on budgeting, habits, expectations of a vacation-it can still create a lot of savings over a couple longer trips.

But tighter budgets and more typical aged and sized families-it is getting a lot tougher.

 

[Nancy F]

Glad we don't have to re-new till our April trip. Going to get one more trip in this December at the bargain price of $100.00. Still will pay for us to re-new because we go to all signature restaurants and are going for 10 day trips now. Twice a year.

 

[jo-jo]

We decided it wasn't worth the price for us. We seem to eat less and less TS dinners and many of the other meals we have chosen have a 10% discount with DVC/AP/VISA. Even if we traveled with the kids and paid for a couple of meals, we'd only come out slightly ahead.

 

[pilferk]

Essentially yes. If your party is large enough (6+ people) and you are in WDW for 10+ days it could still pay off. But I don't see how anyone can argue it's nearly as good a deal as it was a few days ago.

Personally I'm at the point where I think I'd just stop doing Table Service meals. I'm not going to increase the amount I eat just to try and justify a card.

Thats us, starting Saturday. But even then, I'm hemming and hawing. I could easily save more (net) just by cutting one ts during our stay than by buying tiw and saving on all of them.

 

[DisneyHoosier]

I hate the TIW increase, but it still works out for my family - just not saving as much as I once did. We like table service dining - and a family of four over a 10 day trip doesn't have to eat much to spend the magical $750. Two trips and it's a no-brainer - IF you like table service. I'm first to admit the food is overpriced. It's not the fine dining that one would expect for that level of pricing anywhere else on the planet, but it is what it is. The only time I get REALLY disgruntled is with the buffet price for an 11 year old daughter who will eat a bowl of cereal and maybe if I beg her a piece of bacon. That's $40 worth of cereal - makes me insane.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

If I skip two very mediocre dinners on a trip...not hard to find...then I would save the cost of the card and the savings for a week...

Just numbers

 

[Slayd]

I bought it last year, did the math, thought it would save us a little bit of money. Didn't end up saving us any money, in fact we lost, since most restaurants didn't even take it. At $50 more it's not even a thought. My AP/Disney Visa discounts will have to do.

 

[disney20something]

Honestly, the TS prices at Disney are not obscenely high. Having lived in both Boston and LA, the prices are identical to what you'd see in major cities when you go out to eat.
I also used to drive down to NYC often and if you've ever eaten anywhere within 10 blocks of Times Square, you know that the food is terrible and costs triple what you'd pay twenty blocks over.
Disney is a tourist destination that actually provides good food. Obviously the quick service and counter service food isn't great; but that's not surprising. However, I've always found the TS food to be great (particularly in Epcot).
My sister and I are going for 10 days in 2016, and just between the two of us we budget $100/day for meals. So for us TiW is a definite, even with the increase. It really does come down to how many TS meals you eat. We usually do one to two TS a day (breakfast & dinner or just lunch) and we stay away from buffets (not worth it in terms of food options since we're vegetarians). And while my sister's not old enough, I do drink, and it's the only Disney discount that applies to alcohol, which is a plus!

 

[bpadair32]

Honestly, the TS prices at Disney are not obscenely high. Having lived in both Boston and LA, the prices are identical to what you'd see in major cities when you go out to eat.
I also used to drive down to NYC often and if you've ever eaten anywhere within 10 blocks of Times Square, you know that the food is terrible and costs triple what you'd pay twenty blocks over.
Disney is a tourist destination that actually provides good food. Obviously the quick service and counter service food isn't great; but that's not surprising. However, I've always found the TS food to be great (particularly in Epcot).
My sister and I are going for 10 days in 2016, and just between the two of us we budget $100/day for meals. So for us TiW is a definite, even with the increase. It really does come down to how many TS meals you eat. We usually do one to two TS a day (breakfast & dinner or just lunch) and we stay away from buffets (not worth it in terms of food options since we're vegetarians). And while my sister's not old enough, I do drink, and it's the only Disney discount that applies to alcohol, which is a plus!

Agree 100%. Ive always had good food, we eat at least one TS a day and with alcohol the discount is totally worth it even at the increased price.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Can you really compare wdw to major metropolitan markets?

The Cost of food in urban markets is due to a very large, concentrated consumer populace and the very high costs of doing business...

The overhead costs at wdw are about as low as they come pound for pound...and general consensus (at least here among recovering dust addicts) is that the overall quality has been systematically slashed to save cost for about 15 years. Employee costs have been systematically reduced where possible since the mid 90's...that's not debatable behind the scenes.

 

[disney20something]

Can you really compare wdw to major metropolitan markets?

The Cost of food in urban markets is due to a very large, concentrated consumer populace and the very high costs of doing business...

The overhead costs at wdw are about as low as they come pound for pound...and general consensus (at least here among recovering dust addicts) is that the overall quality has been systematically slashed to save cost for about 15 years. Employee costs have been systematically reduced where possible since the mid 90's...that's not debatable behind the scenes.

I'm not talking the entire cities of LA, Boston, and NYC. I'm talking about the specific tourist areas. For example, a delicious, top of the line, melt in your mouth chocolate croissant across the bridge from Boston's Back Bay area in Cambridge costs $2.50. Cross that bridge back into Newbury St. (an area that is loaded with tourists) and a similar chocolate croissant of slightly less quality is $4.75.

All popular tourist attractions raise prices the way they see fit, for their own reasons. And WDW, bring a tourist destination has the right to charge whatever they want for anything. We as consumers are not entitled to the same prices for decades. And when they increase, it's up to the individual to choose whether or not they will pay.

Personally, I choose to happily pay for what I want. I will pay for the fabulous pastries in the French Pavilion with a smile. I will not pay for the mediocre tacos at Cantina de San Ángel because I don't like the quality. Done and done. I don't feel the need to monologue about how corporate America is unfairly messing with my hard earned dollars every time I buy a meal. I prefer to enjoy my Disney trips as much as possible, because then my money is well spent.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Very interesting...

I have used the analogy as follows:

Disney steak: $48

2002 price: $24
Disney/tourist upcharge: $12
Iger/ddp upcharge: $12

 

[Strawman]

I don't understand Disney's rationale for this major price hike. I've been a TIW member for many years, back to when it was $25 as the DDE. Our family makes several trips to Disney each year, and we almost always eat at Disney restaurants and utilize our TIW discount. But now that the break even is $750 (even more considering the 10% AP discount at some restaurants) we are definitely out. So what does that mean? Our horizons will expand, and now non-Disney eating options will litter our iteneraries. So now instead of 80%, Mickey will be getting 0% on many of our meals.

 

[bbak30]

Wow, that's quite an increase.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't understand Disney's rationale for this major price hike. I've been a TIW member for many years, back to when it was $25 as the DDE. Our family makes several trips to Disney each year, and we almost always eat at Disney restaurants and utilize our TIW discount. But now that the break even is $750 (even more considering the 10% AP discount at some restaurants) we are definitely out. So what does that mean? Our horizons will expand, and now non-Disney eating options will litter our iteneraries. So now instead of 80%, Mickey will be getting 0% on many of our meals.

It's just the same old realities:
1. They can
2. Nobody says much about it
3. Since it's a "discount" - if people don't buy it they really don't care (the management doesn't consider it a loss of revenue and THAT is completely contrary to how wdw was run in the past)

And here's the sad thing...I got one a few weeks ago when we were there and we didn't eat THAT much (actually for the first time ever we intentionally limited our "Disney expenditures"...just so they wouldn't get the money)...but we still blew the initial investment cost away.
The menu prices are just in outer space now.

The same character buffets that used to be nuts are now double the price in 10 years...

Wdw consumers are kinda in a "while Europe slept" reality...it's a tad late to "wake up"

 

[Whilykit]

We will still buy it because TS meals are what we like to enjoy. We take 2 trips a year and bring extended family with us - we saves a TON using it. We far surpassed that amount to make the card worth it... however, it is still disappointing that every other day there is a price increase announcement! Annual passes, TIW - no more non-expiring cards etc... it's always something!