Upgrading to AP and TIW

[dvc one day]

What are the chances that upgrading to an AP and buying a TIW card will be worth it if you are not sure you will go again within a year?

For our trip this year, there will be nine people for most meals. I have been trying to estimate the costs, but it is just so difficult to predict what we will order. A trip next year is possible, but we are not sure yet.

Maybe this is an impossible question to answer, but I thought I would try.

 

[vicki_c]

What are the chances that upgrading to an AP and buying a TIW card will be worth it if you are not sure you will go again within a year?

For our trip this year, there will be nine people for most meals. I have been trying to estimate the costs, but it is just so difficult to predict what we will order. A trip next year is possible, but we are not sure yet.

Maybe this is an impossible question to answer, but I thought I would try.

If you're buying both solely for one trip, it depends of how many days you would be going, if you can get any resort discounts, how much you might get I merchandise discounts.

For just the TIW card alone, if you spend $375 in eligible dining you will break even on the card purchase price. Anything after that would be savings.

 

[dvc one day]

Should have known to put this in because it matters for estimating savings. We are staying on friends DVC points for six nights.

 

[TDC Nala]

Doesn't matter where you're staying unless you intend to do a good bit of cooking in the villa. If you're eating out with nine people at WDW it should be relatively easy to spend $375, especially if your group likes to order some alcohol. Remember there's only ten CS restaurants that accept TIW, so if you like to eat at CS you may want to factor that in.

 

[dvc one day]

Some of our meals are easy to estimate cost. We have kids going so we are doing Chef Mickey's, and 1900. Also, O'hana. One downside is they want to do Rainforest which is not on TIW list (I think you get a 10% discount with AP though).

We will do some CS meals, but I would think 5 to 7 TS meals (guessing though).

 

[vicki_c]

Is the question just about TIW? I'm confused. I thought it was about both the AP purchase and the TIW purchase. One is easy, one is not. With 9 people, you will break even easily. We do In less than a week for our family of 4.

 

[dvc one day]

Is the question just about TIW? I'm confused. I thought it was about both the AP purchase and the TIW purchase. One is easy, one is not. With 9 people, you will break even easily. We do In less than a week for our family of 4.

Sorry I was not clear in the beginning. I was trying figure out if buying both could be worth it since we are not sure of the second trip yet. I believe I remember the cost to do both would be about $330.

 

[vicki_c]

Sorry I was not clear in the beginning. I was trying figure out if buying both could be worth it since we are not sure of the second trip yet. I believe I remember the cost to do both would be about $330.

If you want to just look at it the most simple way, divide $330 by .2 and you get $1650. So you would have to spend that much in eligible dining before you broke even on buying both items.

 

[dvc one day]

If you want to just look at it the most simple way, divide $330 by .2 and you get $1650. So you would have to spend that much in eligible dining before you broke even on buying both items.

That is easier than trying to pick specific items from a menu for sure. Not sure why I did not think of that before.

 

[greengeen]

Keep in mind that the TIW cardholder has to pick up the whole check. There's no splitting the bill, if that's what you had in mind.

 

[OKW Lover]

Keep in mind that the TIW cardholder has to pick up the whole check. There's no splitting the bill, if that's what you had in mind.

The TiW cardholder does not have to be the same person that is paying.

 

[purple figment]

The TiW cardholder does not have to be the same person that is paying.

In the past as long as the TiW holder was at the table, anyone could pay, but the TiW website now says the TiW holder has to pay. I don't know if they are enforcing this, but it's something to be aware of.

From the TiW website:
The Tables in Wonderland discount is good for up to 10 people, as long as everyone is on the same check, and the Tables in Wonderland member is paying the bill. If you have the Tables in Wonderland card, and your spouse has the Tables in Wonderland secondary card, together you may cover up to 20 people. Both members must live at the same address and be 21 years of age or older.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We are a family of four and we took a slightly longer trip in 2010 (11 nights). It worked out for us to upgrade 1 of our MYW base tickets to an AP and purchase the TiW card. We dined TS every night including several signature venues (HDDR, Cali Grill, Flying Fish, CRT) and even enjoyed a few TS lunches, which we don't normally do. DH and I each enjoyed a glass of wine or a cocktail at most meals. The card easily paid for itself (even considering the extra cost to upgrade to 1 AP). I would think it would be easy to make it worth it with a group of 9, even for a shorter stay...especially if anyone in your party (or a few) orders alcohol...those drinks add up!

 

[OKW Lover]

In the past as long as the TiW holder was at the table, anyone could pay, but the TiW website now says the TiW holder has to pay. I don't know if they are enforcing this, but it's something to be aware of.

From the TiW website:
The Tables in Wonderland discount is good for up to 10 people, as long as everyone is on the same check, and the Tables in Wonderland member is paying the bill. If you have the Tables in Wonderland card, and your spouse has the Tables in Wonderland secondary card, together you may cover up to 20 people. Both members must live at the same address and be 21 years of age or older.

I wonder when they made that change. We used the TiW card a month ago at Artist Point and Yachtsman Steakhouse. The card is in my wife's name, but I was the one paying.