4. Seriously, what’s the catch?
Well, there are a few things that you need to know about Tables in Wonderland if you are considering membership. The most important one is that not every Disney restaurant participates. A full list of current offerings is available at TablesinWonderland.com. The participants are primarily table service locations, which makes sense because there is less of a discount to be had on a quick service meal. Then again, there is also no gratuity charge. So, the 20% savings is retained rather than forcibly directed toward a tip.
5. Are there any caveats?
Here are some important caveats. You CAN purchase a second card for your household for a discounted total of $50. However, you cannot stack the card discounts. In other words, you may never receive more than a 20% discount on a meal. You are probably wondering about the value of a second membership. It is best for people who occasionally travel in parties of more than 10 people. A card can be used for each group, increasing the amount of people receiving the discount from 10 to 20.
Also, a photo ID is occasionally requested. If one member of a family eats without the other a significant amount of time, having a second card just for them is just good business sense.
Most important, the list of participating restaurants is subject to change. Earlier this year, Victoria and Albert’s exited the program. More impacting was Disney’s decision to negate the card’s value during holidays. On August 1st, several Disney restaurants, many of which include character meals, stopped accepting Tables in Wonderland for holidays. Affected dates include the big ones such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve/Day. Also excluded are less trafficked holidays such as Mother’s Day and Easter. On these dates, Disney wants as many customers as possible to pay full price.
So, if you want to take your mother to Chef Mickey’s on Mother’s Day, you have to pay full price even if you are a member of Tables in Wonderland. Such changes are always a possibility, although Disney does a wonderful job of notifying potentially affected customers far ahead of time when the program changes. If you want further information about the specifics and restrictions of the program, visit TablesinWonderland.com.
If you do choose to join, you will need to get in the habit of visiting Theme Park Tourist frequently in order to learn of potential changes…but you should be doing that anyway.
Comments
Why would you consider this a 2% discount? I always plan on tipping at least 18% to 20% wherever I go. So, it's still a 20% discount card people. Clearly...you've never worked in hospitality.
We purchased our TIW card in August 2013 and it was good through September of 2014. Also, there are special dining events for cardholders several times throughout the year.
The name on the credit card used to pay for the meal must match the name on the Tables in Wonderland card. For example, not even the cardholder's wife can get the discount if paying with her credit card. Or a friend at the table cannot treat the cardholder to the meal and get the discount. This seems to be most strictly enforced at the buffets. At quick service or a bar no one really cares. Personally, I think this is an unfriendly rule, especially since it's advertised as being good for up to 10 people at the table. Otherwise, if you go to Disney a lot and eat regularly in table service restaurants, the card saves a lot of money.