Tiw

[Sparkles2613]

Can someone please explain to me what TIW is, the benefits, and how I would go about getting it?

Also, from those of you who know, which works best the TIW or Dining plan?

(( background on the trip 2 adults, 11 nights ))

 

[hakepb]

TIW is a dining discount card available for AP holders and FLA residents to purchase. The cost is $75 for an AP holder. The card gets you a 20% discount on most WDW table service locations for food and drinks (including alcohol). An auto 18% gratuity also gets added to your bill when you use the card. Only 1 person at the table needs the TIW card (for up to 10 dining guests). The TIW card remains valid for 12 months (some get nearly 13 as it may not expire until the end of the next month). The TIW card does have blackout dates on several holidays. more info: http://allears.net/din/dde.htm

The DDP is a pre-paid dining plan and is not designed to overall save guests money. (it's a trip add-on that makes the mouse $$$) If you normally order a dinner entree, soda, and desert at the more expensive diner places (like LeCellier) and you get ADR's for those more desireable places, the DDP can save some money.

Personally, I found the 2008+ DDP changes to stack the DDP too much in the mouse's favor, so I started using the TIW card.

You can use both DDP and TIW on the same meal. (DDP for entree and desert, TIW for appetizer and alcohol) That may work well if you get the desireable ADR's and order bottles of wine...

Really you would have to calculate how much you will spend on:
dining cash with any DVC/AP discounts
VS cash - TiW discount (TIW and DVC/AP are not "stackable", you only get one discount)
VS DDP cost + gratuity and any extra alcohol/appetizers

Some say the TIW "break-even" is about $350 total trip on food/drinks, but that does not necessiraly take DVC/AP discounts into effect..

 

[paults]

also I believe that if you do have 5,6,,7,8,9,or 10 at the table and use TIW that this will have to be on 1 check

 

[Silver Queen]

We are two adults who have used both DDP and TiW. We prefer TiW because it includes alcohol, includes a discount on appetizers, and enables us to share one dessert (or just skip dessert). The 18% gratuity doesn't both use because we usually tip at least 20% anyway. The TiW has enabled us to try many of the signature restaurants without using 2 TS credits if we were on the DDP.

 

[Anal Annie]

It depends on how many TS meals you like to plan for and if you really want to take the time to plan for restaurants that only take the card. We got it a couple of years ago (2 adults, 1 child) when it was called the DDE card. Since we only do about 3 TS meals in a week it took us about 10 days (our 2nd trip) to recover the cost (and it used to only cost $60). Now you have to figure that you will need to spend at least $375 at participating restaurants to break even with the increased $75 fee. We decided to skip it this year as it's not good for the Fantasmic packages and on our May trip neither of our TS meals were at participating restaurants. We just wouldn't recover the cost at the 3 meals we have planned on our August trip.

Since it's a percentage based discount it's a better deal for larger parties or for families that plan TS meals every day.

 

[flipflopmom]

How do you know which restaurants accept TIW?

 

[allshookup]

How do you know which restaurants accept TIW?

Check out this link:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm

 

[Tara]

Since it's a percentage based discount it's a better deal for larger parties or for families that plan TS meals every day.

Or people who prefer signature dining. We are a family of 3 (2 adults, 1 child) and TIW is a far better deal for us than the dining plan. We don't plan TS every day anymore and it still works out well. Our typical pattern is 2-3 signature meals per trip, plus a character breakfast and usually a meal at Beaches and Cream and the rest of our meals are in our room or offsite (cause I have to have my dose of Chick-Fil-A, which I can't get at home!). We rarely eat counter service - and our son NEVER eats counter service, so that's another reason the dining plan doesn't work as well for us as TIW.

It's also a very good deal if you will get more than one trip out of your card. My November trip will be my 4th on the card - we got it when it was still $60, not $75, and it paid for itself the first two times we used it (California Grill and Jiko).

 

[msd1962]

I know everyone is looking at how it affect sit down meals. But remember DDP also is prepaid counter service and snacks. The TIW does not affect any of those. I just did another quick check and none fo the counter service we wil be using in Oct are on the TIW.

 

[allshookup]

I know everyone is looking at how it affect sit down meals. But remember DDP also is prepaid counter service and snacks. The TIW does not affect any of those. I just did another quick check and none fo the counter service we wil be using in Oct are on the TIW.

That is true, however if you are like us, we don't eat a lot of counter service & if we do we tend to just grab something light & certainly not those pre-packaged desserts. Blech! We also don't eat a lot of snacks (maybe 2 or 3 per vacation). California Grill is a most-do for us every trip so after one meal there & a couple of TS elsewhere, we have more than paid for the TIW card & since we like our cocktails...it's a big savings overall, especially since we get 2 trips out of it.

Like others have said, you need to look at how YOU eat. I've done the DDP plan when it still included the app & gratuity & I still hated it. I felt like we spent so much time trying to use our credits instead of eating because we were hungry.

 

[msd1962]

That is true, however if you are like us, we don't eat a lot of counter service & if we do we tend to just grab something light & certainly not those pre-packaged desserts. Blech! We also don't eat a lot of snacks (maybe 2 or 3 per vacation). California Grill is a most-do for us every trip so after one meal there & a couple of TS elsewhere, we have more than paid for the TIW card & since we like our cocktails...it's a big savings overall, especially since we get 2 trips out of it.

Like others have said, you need to look at how YOU eat. I've done the DDP plan when it still included the app & gratuity & I still hated it. I felt like we spent so much time trying to use our credits instead of eating because we were hungry.

I agree
I think how each plan works/saves depends on how you look at food while you are on vacation.

If all food is, is something to fill you and you do not care about the experience then yes you can save tons of money paying cash and eating all meals at counter services.

On the other hand if food is part of the overall experience then going with a plan can save tons of money.

It also depends how many meals you eat a day, do you only eat one big meal and grab snacks for the rest or do you eat 3 meals.

For Becky and me we have been so often we do not do commando style on all the rides and shows, We take our time and try and enjoy the other, hidden experiences including eating at different sitdown resturants every night. We get way more exercise at disney than we do at home so the extra calories are needed to keep us going all day and we usually lose weight with all the walking.

But bottom line is do some planning based on how you eat/plan on eating we found that for 4 people and how we planning on eat the dining plan will save us $393.21 over cash only and $255.14 over TIW card. This includes us sharing appetizers for most meals.

 

[cheezNE1]

when using the TIW card, do you have to show your AP also when the bill comes?

 

[Mahusky]

when using the TIW card, do you have to show your AP also when the bill comes?

Nope. the TIW card looks much like a park pass with magnetic strip etc... you just present that and nothing else.

 

[cheezNE1]

Nope. the TIW card looks much like a park pass with magnetic strip etc... you just present that and nothing else.

So that would mean i can lend to / borrow from a friend ?

 

[Mahusky]

So that would mean i can lend to / borrow from a friend ?

I will have to check my card but I think my last name is printed on the back.... but if it isnt then yes I guess you could or just pay cash with room card or cc to cross refernce your last name.....

 

[ValpoCory]

The DDP is a pre-paid dining plan and is not designed to overall save guests money. (it's a trip add-on that makes the mouse $$$) If you normally order a dinner entree, soda, and desert at the more expensive diner places (like LeCellier) and you get ADR's for those more desireable places, the DDP can save some money.

Personally, I found the 2008+ DDP changes to stack the DDP too much in the mouse's favor, so I started using the TIW card.

Exactly. When they took the "gratuity included" out of the DDP, it no longer was an smart option. If I can get it free on a stay, I'll do it, but I'll never pay for the DDP again. Much cheaper to just pay cash and eat at your normal levels (my kids can't, and don't need to, eat portions fit for an offensive lineman).

 

[Disneypubgal]

They do ask you for your ID to show that the card is yours....