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E-Ticket4
12-29-2008, 10:01 PM
We took the plunge and are using the 4/3 promo to go over Spring Break. The past few years we have gone for the free dining and bounceback offers in the Fall. So we have gotten spoiled on good meals. Debating the different dining plans, but am wondering if this plan would be any good. We have annual passes so do we only need 1 Tables in Wonderland card for the 4 of us to get the discount on the meals? I could see where spending $60 may be worth the 20% discount. Does anyone have any insight? Anyone use this before? What are your thoughts, please let me know.
Thanks!
MB

ILoveLegos
12-29-2008, 10:07 PM
We have annual passes so do we only need 1 Tables in Wonderland card for the 4 of us to get the discount on the meals? MB

You only need one TinW card for your party of 4, in fact I think the card is good for up to a party 8 people.

VWL Mom
12-29-2008, 10:25 PM
I got mine in November and covered the cost in the first 2 nights. I think we ended up saving close to $200 for the week. It covers food and beverage which is a big plus since we like to have wine/cocktails with dinner. An added bonus for us is that it doesn't expire until December 2009 so I will get another trip out of it.

KylesMom
12-29-2008, 10:51 PM
We've belonged to the former DDE, now Tables in Wonderland, for several years now and find it to be of great value. If you eat a TS each day, you'll get your biggest bang for the buck out of it.

Now that A/P holders are eligible to purchase the dining plan, DH had me crunch the numbers based on our planned TS meals along with our "adult beverages" at each sitting to see what is the bigger value. For us with our selected TS meals, we'll continue to save more money by utilizing our TiW card instead of purchasing the dining plan. Even with the 18% gratuity added in, it's still a great plan.

I should add that the savings on one meal @ LeCellier was $38 - and another meal's savings at Ohana was $22. That paid for the plan & we ate at many, many other TS locations which made the savings huge for our 15-day stay. And as a bonus we'll get to utilize the card again in June for a few hundred dollars more in savings.

mulderxcoltrane
12-29-2008, 10:54 PM
Officially, the discount is good for up to 10 people on the same check, but people have reported getting the discount for as large of a group as 12.

E-Ticket4
12-31-2008, 09:52 PM
Thanks so much everyone! And from so many ppl in Illinois like me. Can we get the card when we check in or do we order ahead of time?
PS - any of you Illinois folks who have any driving to WDW hints let me know.

PlutoToo
01-01-2009, 09:03 AM
Not trying to hijack the thread, but am having trouble figuring out how this card is a benefit.:confused:
Can someone help me with my math on this one? The card costs $65. It saves 20% at selected table service places. With the mandatory 18% gratuity the savings is 2%. With me so far? So on a $100 bill I save $2?
Where am I going wrong. Thanks. :confused:

ILoveLegos
01-01-2009, 09:48 AM
Not trying to hijack the thread, but am having trouble figuring out how this card is a benefit.:confused:
Can someone help me with my math on this one? The card costs $65. It saves 20% at selected table service places. With the mandatory 18% gratuity the savings is 2%. With me so far? So on a $100 bill I save $2?
Where am I going wrong. Thanks. :confused:

You forgot the original tip that you were expected to leave. :blush: I'll explain. Even before the mandatory tip was added, you still were supposed to leave a tip (As a guide let say a minimum of 15% and 20% or more for excellent service. So when figuring out savings and whether the card is "worth it" or not for you as an individual. Examine you last trip's out of pocket expenses for all of your table service meals (and your quick service meals at values and Port Orleans Frenchquarter). Add in all of your tips that you left as well for the table service meals. Subtract 20% of those total bill costs. That's how much you are technically saving. But in some people's cases it is more than that because like me, they may have left in the past the 20% savings as the server's tip - (easy math says you are saving whatever you would have tipped normally), but now that it's a madadory 18% I've got the extra 2% in my pocket. That is, unless there was some excellent service rendered during the meal and then a individual can increase the tip at their own discretion.

At this rate, depending on how many people you have in your table party you can recover the cost of the TiW card in 2 or three meals. That's how people justifiy using the Tables in Wonderland card.

Hope this helps! :mickey:

E-Ticket4
01-01-2009, 12:03 PM
That's how I think of it - discount on the food. We would be leaving a tip anyways so that would be a given. Plus for us, we are at POR and I think the food court is on the CS discount list for the card.

big blue and hairy
01-01-2009, 12:11 PM
Not trying to hijack the thread, but am having trouble figuring out how this card is a benefit.:confused:
Can someone help me with my math on this one? The card costs $65. It saves 20% at selected table service places. With the mandatory 18% gratuity the savings is 2%. With me so far? So on a $100 bill I save $2?
Where am I going wrong. Thanks. :confused:
Unless you stiff the servers normally, it's a 20% discount. 18-20% is pretty much the accepted percentage for tips for good service. I have never had bad service using this card.

The fact that you get the discount on food and alcohol is great in my opinion. If you go to WDW sitdowns more than 3 or 4 times a year, it is definitely worth it!

:sulley:

chick20679
01-01-2009, 12:12 PM
We find it a great value. We use it on our meals that are eaten at the food court (POFQ), and our TS meals. We must have saved at least $100 on this last 4 day trip alone, and we've had three trips this year with the card.

That said, if you are planning to eat most of your meals at quick service places within the parks, it probably won't be of great value to you as it isn't accepted at those locations.

:mickey:

big blue and hairy
01-01-2009, 12:20 PM
We find it a great value. We use it on our meals that are eaten at the food court (POFQ), and our TS meals. We must have saved at least $100 on this last 4 day trip alone, and we've had three trips this year with the card.

:mickey:
Wow! I didn't realize the TIW was accepted at POFQ! I knew Pop took it bacause they don't have a sit down restaurant. That's cool!

:sulley:

WDWFanatic
01-01-2009, 04:01 PM
Do you have to have an annual pass to get this?

ILoveLegos
01-01-2009, 05:50 PM
Do you have to have an annual pass to get this?

You can either have an annual pass ($65) or be a Florida Resident ($85).

KylesMom
01-01-2009, 11:40 PM
Thanks so much everyone! And from so many ppl in Illinois like me. Can we get the card when we check in or do we order ahead of time?


They've recently begun accepting memberships at the Guest Relations windows at each park. We exchanged our A/P vouchers our first day @ MK and purchased the TiW (DDE) card all at once. You could order it ahead of time if you have an activated pass, but we found it to be really convenient to get it when we arrived.

FYI, we paid $60 in July for our membership, not $65 . . .

Natazu
01-02-2009, 07:42 PM
Unless you stiff the servers normally, it's a 20% discount. That made me laugh kind of loud. Now everyone at Starbuck's is looking at me. Thanks a lot. ;)

big blue and hairy
01-03-2009, 11:19 AM
That made me laugh kind of loud. Now everyone at Starbuck's is looking at me. Thanks a lot. ;)You're welcome! Did I get coffee through the nose? :D

:sulley:

Disney_Barbie
02-11-2009, 02:37 PM
WOW, WAIT A MIN, the TinW includes Liquor too??? I've never much looked into the DDE or now TinW, but I've just never heard of ANY discount program that discounts liquor. But if that's the case, it would SO be worth it's weight in cold! :marg: (haha, cuarvo gold that is!)
Can someone just confirm for me... not that I don't trust, just cause it seems too good to be true.

Disney_Barbie
02-11-2009, 02:41 PM
They've recently begun accepting memberships at the Guest Relations windows at each park. We exchanged our A/P vouchers our first day @ MK and purchased the TiW (DDE) card all at once.


Just so I'm clear. Did you do anything before arival? (like how you do AP vouchers ahead of time) is there some sort of TinW voucher or anything. Or you just walked up to the window (w/ your AP voucher of course) and enrolled to be a TinW member? Do they print you up a card on the spot?

VWL Mom
02-11-2009, 02:49 PM
WOW, WAIT A MIN, the TinW includes Liquor too??? I've never much looked into the DDE or now TinW, but I've just never heard of ANY discount program that discounts liquor. But if that's the case, it would SO be worth it's weight in cold! :marg: (haha, cuarvo gold that is!)
Can someone just confirm for me... not that I don't trust, just cause it seems too good to be true.
It does cover alcohol at TS and many of the lounges.


Just so I'm clear. Did you do anything before arival? (like how you do AP vouchers ahead of time) is there some sort of TinW voucher or anything. Or you just walked up to the window (w/ your AP voucher of course) and enrolled to be a TinW member? Do they print you up a card on the spot?
The do it right at the window. FIrst they will print you AP and they they do the TinW.

Disney_Barbie
02-11-2009, 03:02 PM
Wow, THANK YOU!!!!!
It's such a funny thing about WDW, just when you think you're an expert and you have so many trips under your belt and stuff, some thing always comes a long that I've never realized before.

One last question : We're 11 of us when my whole extended family is there. Can I still use my TinW membership but obviously not expent the discount to be taken off for 1 of us (ya'know, if I inform the server ahead of time & such) or would that be an issue to have 11 sitting at a table & attempt to use a TinW card?

PittFan
08-12-2009, 04:06 PM
Since we already have the DDP, would we still be able to use the TiW for our alcoholic drinks and/ or appetizers ?

Robbieligh
08-12-2009, 04:37 PM
Yes, in the past I had the deluxe dining plan and I was able to use my card for our alcohol.

PittFan
08-12-2009, 07:54 PM
Thank You !!!! :cloud9: I just read your thread about needing the TiW # for my ADR's .. I am purchasing my TiW as well as my AP on arrival. :(

SurferStitch
08-12-2009, 08:59 PM
It does cover alcohol at TS and many of the lounges.

It also covers drinks at the bar in the Rose and Crown Pub in England! We love to get Black and Tans there with the 20% discount! :thumbsup:

SurferStitch
08-12-2009, 09:00 PM
Since we already have the DDP, would we still be able to use the TiW for our alcoholic drinks and/ or appetizers ?

Yep!

SurferStitch
08-12-2009, 09:02 PM
Thank You !!!! :cloud9: I just read your thread about needing the TiW # for my ADR's .. I am purchasing my TiW as well as my AP on arrival. :(

We have never needed our TiW # to book ADR's. When I was asked about being on the DDP, I told then no, we had TiW. Never once had to give the number.

You are asked for your reservation number, though. I've always given that.

Dsnygirl
08-12-2009, 10:11 PM
Just an additional FYI -- the AP TiW price is now $75, and for FL residents w/o an AP, it is now $100. Not sure when the prices went up, but I have the application here with me at work, and those are the prices on it now.

Also - is it true I can get the card when I check in? That would be great, b/c if I get it now, it will expire in August. But we aren't travelling 'til October, so I'd rather it be good for a year from October than a year from August!

SurferStitch
08-13-2009, 10:10 AM
We like to get ours at guest relations at the first park we go to. We do it while we activate our AP's. It's quick and easy. You can't buy it at your hotel.

Even at the higher price, it will pay for itself in a couple days for us. It's still worth it.

When we got our last TiW card, it was good for 14 months, so it will be nice if it's still like that.

Dsnygirl
08-13-2009, 03:56 PM
We like to get ours at guest relations at the first park we go to. We do it while we activate our AP's. It's quick and easy. You can't buy it at your hotel.

Even at the higher price, it will pay for itself in a couple days for us. It's still worth it.

When we got our last TiW card, it was good for 14 months, so it will be nice if it's still like that.
:thanks: for the info... and the 14 months would be PERFECT, as my AP goes through next December (if I renew it...) and that'd be great!

Does anyone know if the TiW is still good for 14 months??

Robbieligh
08-13-2009, 10:04 PM
Believe me, no one was more surprised than I was when I had to give my table in wonderland card number. This was definately a first. This would not surprise me at all if they were headed in that direction, though. With it becoming more difficult to obtain ADR, they may indeed limit the amt. of reservations with discount cards. I hope not but it would not surprise me!!