TIW card..do you feel it negatively affected your service?

[Crazyhorse]

Just purchased Annual Passes, which gives us the opportunity to buy a Tables in Wonderland card. I've been reading about it and the card offers more percentage off your bill then AP. Especially interesting to me is the TIW discount includes alcohol, whereas the AP discount doesn't.

My question is, since TIW means an 18% tip is automatically included, have you felt as though your server was somewhat less inclined to provide top notch service? We normally tip 25% when on vacation, unless the service is just awful, but even then we cough up 15-20%. For good service, we'll add more to the 18% tip.

We don't do a lot of big dinners, we tend to snack around but I'm sure each night we'll end up somewhere that takes both AP and TIW. I don't want to experience missing waiters and the like, simply because we say we have a TIW card. Any experiences, both good and bad, would be appreciated. In addition, once purchased, has the TIW paid for itself? There are just two of us, one (me) drinks more then the other.

 

[DVC Chris]

I've used TIW multiple times over the past few years and we use it for dinner each night of our vacation. I've never experienced what I would consider to be bad service because of the card. You don't have to identify yourself as using TIW until you receive the check and are ready to pay. When asked if we're using a Dining Plan we just reply 'no'. With TIW, you always have the option of adding additional $$'s to the 18% gratuity that is automatically added. We've done it a few times, but not many.

We usually purchase the TIW in conjunction with the AP when we know we will visit at least two weeks within the 52 week period of the AP. Each time, the TIW card has paid for itself and then some. I usually find that we break even after the first week and then anything else over and above that is 'gravy'. If you make use of the comp valet parking, it even adds more to the savings.

 

[HopperFan]

First you need to consider if you will break even let alone come out ahead using the TiW vs AP discount.

Until September 2017 AP now offers 20% at many places, including QS that TiW does not.

I have never felt my server didn't work just as hard as they would have without the auto-tip.

I have had TiW for years. I will probably let it lapse end of January when it expires, using my AP and giving up alcohol discounts.

Then I will get the TiW back in October when the AP deal runs out ... if it's still available.

 

[Crazyhorse]

I've used TIW multiple times over the past few years and we use it for dinner each night of our vacation. I've never experienced what I would consider to be bad service because of the card. You don't have to identify yourself as using TIW until you receive the check and are ready to pay. When asked if we're using a Dining Plan we just reply 'no'. With TIW, you always have the option of adding additional $$'s to the 18% gratuity that is automatically added. We've done it a few times, but not many.

We usually purchase the TIW in conjunction with the AP when we know we will visit at least two weeks within the 52 week period of the AP. Each time, the TIW card has paid for itself and then some. I usually find that we break even after the first week and then anything else over and above that is 'gravy'. If you make use of the comp valet parking, it even adds more to the savings.

That's great to know that we don't have to identify as having a TIW card until it's check time.

These will be our first AP's in probably over 20 years. It just so happens we're planning two 6 day trips in 11 months so it sounded like a good idea to buy AP's again. Never had a TIW card so I'm looking for the good and bad about them, before spending another $150, after the sticker shock of the AP's!
TY.

 

[Crazyhorse]

First you need to consider if you will break even let alone come out ahead using the TiW vs AP discount.

Until September 2017 AP now offers 20% at many places, including QS that TiW does not.

I have never felt my server didn't work just as hard as they would have without the auto-tip.

I have had TiW for years. I will probably let it lapse end of January when it expires, using my AP and giving up alcohol discounts.

Then I will get the TiW back in October when the AP deal runs out ... if it's still available.

Good to know. I figure I'll ask everywhere we eat & drink if they accept AP and/or TIW and do the math from there. God forbid I should enjoy a meal/snack without an alcoholic beverage

 

[Minniesgal]

I never let them know i have TIW until it's time to ova specifically for that reason

 

[HopperFan]

Good to know. I figure I'll ask everywhere we eat & drink if they accept AP and/or TIW and do the math from there. God forbid I should enjoy a meal/snack without an alcoholic beverage

Go here for list for TiW:
www.tablesinwonderland.com

Go here for list for AP:
(Disney page isn't working but think this covers it)
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2016/...annual-passholders-for-45th-anniversary-year/

 

[Pumbaa_]

Just a reminder - personal tipping habits is not a topic for discussion
if this evolves into tipping debate/discussion the thread will be closed

(Read the tipping sticky post one for why)
thank you!

 

[TCRAIG]

Just purchased Annual Passes, which gives us the opportunity to buy a Tables in Wonderland card. I've been reading about it and the card offers more percentage off your bill then AP. Especially interesting to me is the TIW discount includes alcohol, whereas the AP discount doesn't.

My question is, since TIW means an 18% tip is automatically included, have you felt as though your server was somewhat less inclined to provide top notch service? We normally tip 25% when on vacation, unless the service is just awful, but even then we cough up 15-20%. For good service, we'll add more to the 18% tip.

We don't do a lot of big dinners, we tend to snack around but I'm sure each night we'll end up somewhere that takes both AP and TIW. I don't want to experience missing waiters and the like, simply because we say we have a TIW card. Any experiences, both good and bad, would be appreciated. In addition, once purchased, has the TIW paid for itself? There are just two of us, one (me) drinks more then the other.

I always tell the servers I am using TIW upfront - in no way have I ever felt I received a different level of service because of it. I usually go to WDW @20 days a year and don't drink - I still feel the card has value...esp because it last thru the end of next years purchase month - so if I buy it on May 1rst for instance - it's good thru the end of May next year. That said - this year I will not be renewing because of the special 20% AP Discount.

 

[bumbershoot]

since TIW means an 18% tip is automatically included, have you felt as though your server was somewhat less inclined to provide top notch service?

They don't care if you're on TIW until it's time to pay, so there's no need to tell them ahead of time.



This has solely to do with my thought while reading of "how will a server know they provided awful service", in hopes that you are talking to the manager about your poor service. Please oh please let a manager know. If the server thinks they are doing just fine, when they are not, they'll never change and you're just passing along the awful service to other people.

We had a meal at a TS in Disneyland ON my birthday once, during the "free birthday" YoaMD promotion, and the server was SO bad. You could tell he was judging us for how little we ordered, compared to his other tables, and he treated us in a way he felt was appropriate for what he was expecting at payment time. Of course he basically created a self-fulfilling prophecy, since our one entree, one salad (both to share between me and DH) and one appetizer (for DS b/c the rest of the menu grossed him out) and one fancy coffee order took nearly 2 hours to get to us. I also ordered the beignets, which were supposed to be special for your birthday, and it took nearly half an hour to get them (while people around us *in his section* were being seated, having orders taken, having food brought including beignets, and checks brought, in that same timespan, and they had MUCH more food) and then they were just the normal beignets.

Dh made sure to go find the manager and talk to her about what had been happening, how it negatively affected my birthday, our meal, our enjoyment of the park (we were a full hour later getting out than we thought we would be), etc. If you're receiving poor service, please tell the manager.

I always tell the servers I am using TIW upfront

There's really no need. When they ask if you're on a "dining plan", they don't mean TIW. That's a discount, not a plan. And the times we've done it up front so that they won't bother to run the check then have to rerun it (back in the days when they had to get the manager to run it through and it added ages to getting the check back) they forget anyway.

 

[TCRAIG]

They don't care if you're on TIW until it's time to pay, so there's no need to tell them ahead of time.



This has solely to do with my thought while reading of "how will a server know they provided awful service", in hopes that you are talking to the manager about your poor service. Please oh please let a manager know. If the server thinks they are doing just fine, when they are not, they'll never change and you're just passing along the awful service to other people.

We had a meal at a TS in Disneyland ON my birthday once, during the "free birthday" YoaMD promotion, and the server was SO bad. You could tell he was judging us for how little we ordered, compared to his other tables, and he treated us in a way he felt was appropriate for what he was expecting at payment time. Of course he basically created a self-fulfilling prophecy, since our one entree, one salad (both to share between me and DH) and one appetizer (for DS b/c the rest of the menu grossed him out) and one fancy coffee order took nearly 2 hours to get to us. I also ordered the beignets, which were supposed to be special for your birthday, and it took nearly half an hour to get them (while people around us *in his section* were being seated, having orders taken, having food brought including beignets, and checks brought, in that same timespan, and they had MUCH more food) and then they were just the normal beignets.

Dh made sure to go find the manager and talk to her about what had been happening, how it negatively affected my birthday, our meal, our enjoyment of the park (we were a full hour later getting out than we thought we would be), etc. If you're receiving poor service, please tell the manager.





There's really no need. When they ask if you're on a "dining plan", they don't mean TIW. That's a discount, not a plan. And the times we've done it up front so that they won't bother to run the check then have to rerun it (back in the days when they had to get the manager to run it through and it added ages to getting the check back) they forget anyway.

I tell them upfront so I won't forget - I pull the card out and put it on the table when seated

 

[Dis703]

That's great to know that we don't have to identify as having a TIW card until it's check time.

These will be our first AP's in probably over 20 years. It just so happens we're planning two 6 day trips in 11 months so it sounded like a good idea to buy AP's again. Never had a TIW card so I'm looking for the good and bad about them, before spending another $150, after the sticker shock of the AP's!
TY.

We always told them up front that we had the TiW card. I thought it actually said this was required in the fine print somewhere but I haven't had it since 2013-2014. We never experienced a decline in service from it though.

 

[HopperFan]

I tell them upfront so I won't forget - I pull the card out and put it on the table when seated

I tell them too. They always ask if we are on a "dining plan" and I consider it a dining benefit so I tell them TiW. Again never felt it changed my experience.

Another plus is they come get the card and before they even ring the bill so it eliminates an extra round of going back to the machine to rerun the bill.

We always told them up front that we had the TiW card. I thought it actually said this was required in the fine print somewhere but I haven't had it since 2013-2014. We never experienced a decline in service from it though.

It says present with I.D. at time of purchase.

 

[Hopefully]

I have always had good service while using the TIW Card.
The rule of thumb is that you need to spend about $750 to recoup your investment. We (3 adults) have always reached that our first week & the second week is all savings. We think it is worth it for us.

 

[JZCubed]

Just purchased Annual Passes, which gives us the opportunity to buy a Tables in Wonderland card. I've been reading about it and the card offers more percentage off your bill then AP. Especially interesting to me is the TIW discount includes alcohol, whereas the AP discount doesn't.

My question is, since TIW means an 18% tip is automatically included, have you felt as though your server was somewhat less inclined to provide top notch service? We normally tip 25% when on vacation, unless the service is just awful, but even then we cough up 15-20%. For good service, we'll add more to the 18% tip.

We don't do a lot of big dinners, we tend to snack around but I'm sure each night we'll end up somewhere that takes both AP and TIW. I don't want to experience missing waiters and the like, simply because we say we have a TIW card. Any experiences, both good and bad, would be appreciated. In addition, once purchased, has the TIW paid for itself? There are just two of us, one (me) drinks more then the other.

No, I have never felt as if TiW negatively impacted service.

Gratuity is calculated on total purchases.

We spend more on food & alcohol because of TiW discount.

In our case, TiW likely gets Servers the benefit of a larger gratuity.

Also, a 'known' gratuity of 18% is better than wishfully hoping for a 20+% gratuity that arrives as something less stellar.

The expressions is, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Besides, if you tip generously, you can leave more than the charged gratuity (as my family always did when our toddler left behind a child's mess or when we receive exceptional service).

 

[Crazyhorse]

Just a reminder - personal tipping habits is not a topic for discussion
if this evolves into tipping debate/discussion the thread will be closed

(Read the tipping sticky post one for why)
thank you!

Sorry! In no way do I want a debate....just wondered if anyone thought their service was affected by a guaranteed tip. Watch your P's & Q'S people.

 

[profdsny]

Just purchased Annual Passes, which gives us the opportunity to buy a Tables in Wonderland card. I've been reading about it and the card offers more percentage off your bill then AP. Especially interesting to me is the TIW discount includes alcohol, whereas the AP discount doesn't.

My question is, since TIW means an 18% tip is automatically included, have you felt as though your server was somewhat less inclined to provide top notch service? We normally tip 25% when on vacation, unless the service is just awful, but even then we cough up 15-20%. For good service, we'll add more to the 18% tip.

We don't do a lot of big dinners, we tend to snack around but I'm sure each night we'll end up somewhere that takes both AP and TIW. I don't want to experience missing waiters and the like, simply because we say we have a TIW card. Any experiences, both good and bad, would be appreciated. In addition, once purchased, has the TIW paid for itself? There are just two of us, one (me) drinks more then the other.

Never. As far as paying for itself, when it was $50 and four or five of us were going, yes. Even at $75 or $100. Now that there are two of us going, no.

 

[winterman]

No. I never felt it affected service.

 

[wench]

I've never had a negative experience. At least not one that I thought was linked to TIW. As stated previously, the server doesn't even know you have TIW until it's time to pay.

I would think that any server that would give poor service because you have TIW, doesn't care about the quality of their work much. In which case they're likely to provide poor service regardless of what discounts you may or may not have.

 

[bumbershoot]

Another plus is they come get the card and before they even ring the bill so it eliminates an extra round of going back to the machine to rerun the bill.

That's what I was saying hasn't happened when I mention it ahead of time. They forget anyway.

I've been specifically told by servers that it's not a dining plan and they don't have to know.

They want to know about an actual plan so they can remind you what is on the DDP and what isn't. No such conversation needs to happen with a discount card.