Need info on Tables in Wonderland (TIW) card About This Page:

[tammyg]

Would like to know where I can get more info on TIW, other than the Disney site. I'm not sure if this is the correct spot for this question. Looking for how to use it, opinions on the benefits of getting one, etc. Anything you're willing to share about your experiences with it. Thanks!!

[Dave Marx]

You could start with a Search of this forum - there have been a lot of discussions of the topic over the years. I'm sure you'll find them helpful.

[annc98]

There is some great info here about TiW: Tables in Wonderland (formerly Disney Dining Experience)

We love TiW, and find that it is more flexible and fits our needs better than a dining plan. We don't always get dessert (and often will share a dessert), sometimes I'll make a meal out of an appetizer, and we often enjoy a beer or glass of wine with dinner. The fact that the TiW discount applies to all of that, and that we aren't tied to the entree/dessert/non-alcoholic beverage just works better for us than a dining plan.

[tammyg]

Thank you! I will definitely try both suggestions.

[mattnkatsmum]

I think its benefit or otherwise comes purely down to mathematics. I would

1. Work out how many nights I am likely to stay on property in that year.

2. Work out how many meals I am likely to take on property.

3. Assess when I would take those meals - I prefer to eat at lunch time then there are often AP discounts to be had in any event. The AllEars site usually has a good summary of available discounts.

4. Assess whether I am comfortable always giving a minimum of 18% tip. I view a TiW card as a pre-paid gratuity card.

5. Decide whether I am likely to want to partake in a dining plan.

6. Check the black out days. I remember booking a Cali Grill meal on Mother's Day ( unwittingly - it doesn't fall at the same time in England) and being disappointed that we couldn't use the card.

Generally, if I am going to make a couple of week long trips, I find that the TiW pays for itself and some. And at times. when we have eaten at a few signature restaurants we recouped the cost after a couple of meals.

[mechurchlady]

It is very simple.
Break even points are
$400 per year
$375 per year for AP members

One card for a group up to 10 people

Will you and your group spend more than the break even point in food, drinks and booze? I ate at Cape May Cafe, Beaches and Cream, and got Coke at Martha's Vineyard. I spent about $45 last night so for me the savings over 10 days would be worth it. I even saved on my coffee shake at Beaches and cream, diet Coke at the bar, and the buffet. So ask yourself if you can spend more than the above break even points.

I have a fan that I pull out of a holder that has payment, TiW card, AP, driver's license, and finally back up payment. At stores they take the AP and Driver's License while at a buffet they take the TiW thus my little fan of cards is easy for everyone.

I try to present the card early on so that the bill processing gets started early on. It takes certain people to run certain types of discounts like TiW. if you are in a hurry do not wait until the last second as locating the right person can take up to 3 to 5 minutes extra at times while other times the person is right there. I find it a benefit in tipping as I know that I am paying 18% and half more is 27% and double is 36%

[Kworrell0514]

thanks for all of these posts. i just read that as dvc i can now purchase this card! so exciting. i will purchase it this weekend when Hubs and I go for our anniversary -- then we'll use again when six of us return for our Thanksgiving trip --- I figure since we'd be paying for 5 adult dining plans then (2 are for kids who will still eat off kids menu) I will be making out tremendously!

Again, thanks for all the tips in this post.

[Caldercup]

Originally Posted by Kworrell0514

I figure since we'd be paying for 5 adult dining plans then (2 are for kids who will still eat off kids menu) I will be making out tremendously!

Just to clarify - you mean, you're choosing to pay out-of-pocket for meals and using the TiW membership card to reduce your costs by 20%. (Because your statement above makes it sound like you could be thinking you'd be able to use the TiW discount on the purchase of the Dining Plan, which you can't.)

If you're paying out-of-pocket for 3 adults and 2 kids, you could easily exceed the minumum to "make back" your membership cost. After that, all the discounts are a bonus!




PS - I expanded the "TiW" in your thread subject line because not everyone knows our acronyms, and the search function needs more than 3 letters to work properly. Someone searching for the membership program is likely to use "Wonderland" as a query item.

[mamasann]

A few things to make note of. Yes, you're getting a 20% discount. However, they automatically tack on an 18% gratuity ...so you're only saving 2%. We usually tip well, so that didn't bother us at first, but we have found that more often than not, we got lousy service. It was like once the server knew we were on the card, their tip was guaranteed. The card was also supposed to give us a discount at the food courts at resorts, but we never got the discount without a hassle and fuss at the registers. So, needless to say, we didn't renew our card last time around. Lots of luck with it. It seems others have fared better than we did with it.

[Caldercup]

Originally Posted by mamasann

A few things to make note of. Yes, you're getting a 20% discount. However, they automatically tack on an 18% gratuity ...so you're only saving 2%.

Well, wouldn't you be paying SOME gratuity anyway. In fact, for me, I tip at 20%, so I end up getting an "additional" 2% on top of the 20% discount.

It's all in the way you look at it.

And you don't have to tell them about the TiW card - don't mention it at all until the time the bill is presented. THEN you give them the card and they run the discount and present you with the adjusted bill.

[Kworrell0514]

Yes, that is exactly what I meant. We would be paying for the Tables card instead of the DDP -- I cannot make myself pay the adult price for the two kids who are now "adults" (ages 10/11) and prefer to eat off of the children's menu selections anyhow.

Thank you for getting me straightened out. I guess I was too excited to re-read what I wrote before hitting the "post" button.

And -- to chime in on the "tip" issue -- we too generally tip at 20% -- and would have to tip regardless if we used the DDP or the TiW discount so that didn't really become a factor for me at all. It's part of the cost of dining.

[LLaffinPlace]

We told the folks at the check-in or the server about our TIW card in advance last week and had very good to excellent service each time. But others have advocated not mentioning it in advance and I have no problems with that.

As a DVC owner I'll never be offered a free Dining Plan, and I am happy to stick with TIW and not have to be concerned with juggling credits. I suspect it's a matter of what I am used to as much as anything else, though we tend to get wine and often not by the bottle, so I like getting the discount on that as well as the food.

[mechurchlady]

I did the math on tips.
You pay $100 for a meal
Deduct $20 for TiW
$80 is then used for the tip
X18% is $14.40
I have checked and the tip comes out after the deduction for TiW.

Now we all are unconfused on your use of the TiW. I was a bit confused too but did not admit it.

[DVC393]

Originally Posted by mechurchlady

I did the math on tips.
You pay $100 for a meal
Deduct $20 for TiW
$80 is then used for the tip
X18% is $14.40
I have checked and the tip comes out after the deduction for TiW.

Now we all are unconfused on your use of the TiW. I was a bit confused too but did not admit it.

Actually the tip is on the pre-discounted amount and sales tax is on the discounted amount. I believe the reason it is now automatic is many guests were tipping on the discounted amount, shortchanging the servers. You do have the option of talking to a manager if you feel the 18% tip is not deserved and you can always leave more if you like.
Here is an example

100.00 - Original Menu Amount
*20.00 - Discount
*80.00 - Subtotal
*18.00 - Gratuity Added based on $100
**5.20 - Sales Tax on $80
103.20 - Final amount charged, takes into consideration discount, gratuity and tax.

Without TiW Discount (and still figuring 18% Gratuity)

100.00 - Original Menu Amount
*18.00 - Gratuity
**6.50 - Sales Tax on $100
124.50 - Total

$21.30 - Savings using TiW Card.

[TuffyCO]

I'm glad to know the tip is on the pre-discounted amount. I am planning on TIW for our next trip and would not have wanted to be shorting the servers with 18% on the discounted price. I always tip on the original total not including tip.

Does TIW get a discount on counter service meals? I have looked at the info from Disney and a few places have some counter service restaurants listed (mostly at the value resorts). Is it available anywhere else, or is counter service regular price?

Either way I think it would save us a lot or at least break-even compared to the dining plan since my kids will be 12 and 10 (just barely) and I think they will be able to either share an adult meal, eat soup or salad or kids meals.