TIW Advice

[lovin'fl]

DH and I love having the TIW. We do lots of Signature Dining at WDW and have used it since 2010. My parents generally get the DDP but this year they are going to go with us and we will use the TIW card every chance we can. My Daddy likes to have a JD and Coke in the evenings sometimes so I can see he and I heading to the lounge in our resort this November for an occasional drink. They are excited that they can eat however they want and still get a discount.

AllEars has a very good PDF file on their website which lists the restaurants and discounts. It is at the bottom of the page on left hand side when you click on dining.

Love this PDF...very handy...http://allears.net/pl/disc_dining.pdf

 

[SusanWasHere]

The TIW card is now only good for exactly one year. When I bought mine last week, I was not only annoyed about the $25 increase, but also to see it expires in exactly one year. I was hoping it would be good until Sept '14. Now my plans for next year will have to change...

 

[lovin'fl]

The TIW card is now only good for exactly one year. When I bought mine last week, I was not only annoyed about the $25 increase, but also to see it expires in exactly one year. I was hoping it would be good until Sept '14. Now my plans for next year will have to change...

Really!!! That's a bummer. That extra month or so was nice.

 

[Celestia]

In addition to the dining discount, we enjoy the free valet parking!

 

[Kidanifan08]

The TIW card is now only good for exactly one year. When I bought mine last week, I was not only annoyed about the $25 increase, but also to see it expires in exactly one year. I was hoping it would be good until Sept '14. Now my plans for next year will have to change...

That's interesting. Is it one year to the day, or does your card go through August 31, 2014? I just purchased mine on July 18, and it does not expire until August 30, 2014.

There was a TIW thread a few months back and some DIS'ers were reporting the same experience that you had, where the card only went out a year, although I think those people had an expiration date of the last day of the month one year after they purchased the card (e.g. purchase June 8, 2013, exp. June 30, 2014). Other's who purchased around the same time had a card that went out the extra month (in my example, June 8, 2013 - July 31,2014).

It is nice getting that extra month, particularly since the next time I need to buy a card will be early June (2015 ) and I would like it to run through the end of July 2016.

 

[lorie13]

Thanks for all the information on TIW.

I am hoping that we receive just a little over a year. We are planning on purchasing it the 8th of September. This trip is just my DH and myself for 11 nights, but we are planning on coming back next September with my brother, his wife and three daughters, so it will really be great for that trip.

 

[jagson]

Can you purchase TIW at VB DVC? I'll be there 9/1/13, for our first stay there, and wondered if Guest Relations sold TIW.

 

[hakepb]

Can you purchase TIW at VB DVC? I'll be there 9/1/13, for our first stay there, and wondered if Guest Relations sold TIW.

I think there are only guest relations at the Theme Parks and DTD.
If you have an active AP, you can order a TiW over the phone (but its scribe when they mail it)

 

[nalajms]

Has anyone used it with DP? We are a family of 7 and also order apps at diner. We are going in Feb and 2 friends are joining us for a few days. So I was thinking about getting the DP and the TIW. What do you think?

We have TIW and add DDP to parts of our trip (split stays). We also have family in the Orlando area that joins us for meals. It works for us because I'll plan our big signature meals using DDP, and TIW for the rest. We also go at least 2 weeks a year. But I still do the math before adding DDP - if I group the signatures around DDP, it's usually more cost effective than TIW.

 

[bumbershoot]

Any advice or thoughts to utilize this program to it's fullest?

Know the restaurants that are included. Focus on them. Know the counter services that are included. Eat there if you want the food.

Also I'm curious if folks think its a savings if you just visit once a year for a week.

Depends on what you eat and where you eat! We've had the TIW card twice now, and both times we've hit the breakeven number in our first trip. And we're two light-ish eating adults and one child, and we're vegetarian (not ordering the most expensive dishes, and avoiding many desserts) with some ingredient issues. I'm the only one that drinks alcohol and I rarely do that. But still we hit the number for breaking even.

There are about 102 venues at Walt Disney World that honor the TiW card. Sometimes, its hard to remember which venues will give you the 20% discount, especially when it comes to the Quick Service restaurants. For example, BLT/CR's Contempo Cafe doesn't honor it, but Art of Animation's Food Court does.

Food courts at Value resorts.
QS at Animal Kingdom PARK
Artist's Palette at SSR
Sassagoula at POFQ

The TIW card is now only good for exactly one year. When I bought mine last week, I was not only annoyed about the $25 increase, but also to see it expires in exactly one year. I was hoping it would be good until Sept '14. Now my plans for next year will have to change...

It's possible it changed. It's also possible the CM did it wrong.

There was a TIW thread a few months back and some DIS'ers were reporting the same experience that you had, where the card only went out a year, although I think those people had an expiration date of the last day of the month one year after they purchased the card (e.g. purchase June 8, 2013, exp. June 30, 2014). Other's who purchased around the same time had a card that went out the extra month (in my example, June 8, 2013 - July 31,2014).

During that time I really only noticed one or maybe two Dis'ers getting the year expiration date. And as far as I recall the ones with the wrong date ended up going back and getting it fixed. Because the year expiration date was wrong.

 

[Kidanifan08]

It's possible it changed. It's also possible the CM did it wrong.


During that time I really only noticed one or maybe two Dis'ers getting the year expiration date. And as far as I recall the ones with the wrong date ended up going back and getting it fixed. Because the year expiration date was wrong.

That is my recollection, as well.

 

[TDC Nala]

There are a few TS restaurants that don't accept it. La Hacienda de San Angel, Teppan Edo, Yak & Yeti, Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex. Resist the urge to eat there unless you have a blackout date to contend with. I do like La Hacienda but I've been going to San Angel instead because they will discount. I'll go to the bar at Yak & Yeti though. At Teppan and Yak you can get an AP discount of 10% - lunch weekdays only at Teppan, entrees only at Yak.

If you want that V&A discount, go before August 1, 2014. After that date V&A will no longer accept TIW.

 

[SusanWasHere]

That's interesting. Is it one year to the day, or does your card go through August 31, 2014? I just purchased mine on July 18, and it does not expire until August 30, 2014.

There was a TIW thread a few months back and some DIS'ers were reporting the same experience that you had, where the card only went out a year, although I think those people had an expiration date of the last day of the month one year after they purchased the card (e.g. purchase June 8, 2013, exp. June 30, 2014). Other's who purchased around the same time had a card that went out the extra month (in my example, June 8, 2013 - July 31,2014).

It is nice getting that extra month, particularly since the next time I need to buy a card will be early June (2015 ) and I would like it to run through the end of July 2016.

Thank you so much for your reply! At dinner tonight the people at the next table had the card. I asked them about their expiration date. They actually bought their's 1 day after me and got the 13 months. I went right to GR and they fixed it. Now it's good until 9/30/14. Usually I am a lurker and am so glad I commented or I would have had it run out 8/13 instead Thanks again!!

 

[Kidanifan08]

Thank you so much for your reply! At dinner tonight the people at the next table had the card. I asked them about their expiration date. They actually bought their's 1 day after me and got the 13 months. I went right to GR and they fixed it. Now it's good until 9/30/14. Usually I am a lurker and am so glad I commented or I would have had it run out 8/13 instead Thanks again!!

Good for you! I don't know why they can't get this right, or at least follow their own rules. Think of how many people have the same mistake happen to them, and they don't even know they are getting ripped off.

I fully expect that this little 13-month-ish "perk" will eventually disappear. It seems like they could sell the card on-line and send a link to an e-mail that would allow you to print your TIW card at home, or even have some sort of app with a barcode on a smart phone. That kind of electronic delivery would easily allow them to make the card a 365 day thing.

Enjoy your trip! And . . . enjoy planning 2014, now that you can include Sept 2014!

 

[lorie13]

Awesome, now when I purchase my card I will make sure that they do not "glitch" and I receive 13 months.

Thank you so much for your reply! At dinner tonight the people at the next table had the card. I asked them about their expiration date. They actually bought their's 1 day after me and got the 13 months. I went right to GR and they fixed it. Now it's good until 9/30/14. Usually I am a lurker and am so glad I commented or I would have had it run out 8/13 instead Thanks again!!

 

[fflmaster]

Does someone know if you have to have a spouse's name for the second card?

Could I add my sister to my TIW card for the $50?

And, does she have to be with you when you buy the original card? I arrive with my boys a few hours before she does with her family.

 

[rlovew]

Does someone know if you have to have a spouse's name for the second card?

Could I add my sister to my TIW card for the $50?

And, does she have to be with you when you buy the original card? I arrive with my boys a few hours before she does with her family.

The second person must live at the same address. So if she lives at your address this would work. I don't know about timing though.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Also, TIW is accepted at most Swan/Dolphin restaurants...

I was not going to renew mine but now I have booked California Grill for my October trip and will probably do at least one TS on the next few it's becoming more borderline. Plus the Rose and Crown beer discounts add up So it's becoming marginal.

My rule of thumb is "if there's not a sit down restaurant" they take the TIW. So All Star Food courts, Pop Century etc.. I think that's why originally AK CS did and they just never changed.

 

[bangzoom6877]

We've used the TIW on our last 2 trips and we saved a good amount of money. It was a 10-night trip, we are 2 adults and 2 boys (last trip they were 5 and 7). The four of us saved at least a couple of hundred dollars with it, after subtracting the cost of the card as well from our original savings according to our receipts. We prefer TS, DH and I like to have a drink or a glass of wine with dinner many nights, and we usually have 2 ADRs per day.

In addition to the savings the four of us saw, for a few days of each of those trips, my parents, sister, DBIL and nieces joined us. We were a party of 10 so the whole table got the discount. So it also saved them money.

To me, the best things about it are discounts in alcohol, being able to order anything I want and knowing it's covered by the discount (sometimes an app or 2 instead of an entree), and none of the dining plans fit into our current eating plans so this works out great for us. And we only go every other year so I buy a new card for each trip.

 

[disneygal55]

Good for you! I don't know why they can't get this right, or at least follow their own rules. Think of how many people have the same mistake happen to them, and they don't even know they are getting ripped off.

I fully expect that this little 13-month-ish "perk" will eventually disappear. It seems like they could sell the card on-line and send a link to an e-mail that would allow you to print your TIW card at home, or even have some sort of app with a barcode on a smart phone. That kind of electronic delivery would easily allow them to make the card a 365 day thing.

Enjoy your trip! And . . . enjoy planning 2014, now that you can include Sept 2014!

They messed up my card even worse than it expiring in a year (vs 13 months). We purchased TIW May 2012 and when we came back to use it October 2012 I noticed that the expiration date was June 30, 2012! I'm glad that I just happened to look at the card before using it a restaurant and then having to go through hoops to get the 20% discount. Went over to GR and they said "OOPS" someone messed up...you think? Lesson learned...look before you leave the ticket window!