Tables in Wonderland Changes with Additional Block-out Dates

[71jason]

Looks like it's only about half a dozen restaurants in the additional blackout dates and I don't frequent those often so it's not gonna be a big deal for me.

Two things (going all Rusty Scupper):

(1) The half-dozen restaurants are, according to Guest Services, the 6 most popular on property. So while you may not frequent them, that definitely makes you an outlier.

(2) Are you familiar with the concept of a "trend"? In other words, if the beancounters see results from this, do you not think all restaurants will be blacked out next year at these times?

 

[fbb]

Nice enhancements to the program, they will be much appreciated.

 

[PeterMarcus]

As a seasonal passholder, the blackout dates don't affect us too much as they're clustered around the park blackout dates anyway, but that March one hurts.

 

[biggy H]

Two things (going all Rusty Scupper):

(1) The half-dozen restaurants are, according to Guest Services, the 6 most popular on property. So while you may not frequent them, that definitely makes you an outlier.

(2) Are you familiar with the concept of a "trend"? In other words, if the beancounters see results from this, do you not think all restaurants will be blacked out next year at these times?

As any business knows why give a discount if you can sell your items at full price. If people are going anyway and those places are always busy I can see why they have done it. Whether I agree with it it another matter.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Two things (going all Rusty Scupper):

(1) The half-dozen restaurants are, according to Guest Services, the 6 most popular on property. So while you may not frequent them, that definitely makes you an outlier.

(2) Are you familiar with the concept of a "trend"? In other words, if the beancounters see results from this, do you not think all restaurants will be blacked out next year at these times?

Lets not forget that we now have to PAY for our reservations... so if the person at the podium screws up and doesnt mark you as present, you get charged.

 

[asianway]

Lets not forget that we now have to PAY for our reservations... so if the person at the podium screws up and doesnt mark you as present, you get charged.

Man the apologists & BRAND advocates are working this thread hard

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Nice enhancements to the program, they will be much appreciated.

What, pray tell, has been enhanced?

 

[docdebbi]

I think we need to remember that WDW is a business. it's goal is to maximize profits for shareholders. While I wish it wasn't that way, it is.
The purpose of TiW wasn't to be nice to us, it was to encourage folks to frequent their restaurants more often by offering a discount to frequent visitors. If they can fill their restaurants at full price, why would they give a discount? It's the old supply and demand theory which we all studied in Economics in school.
The question now will be: will they lose money by actually selling fewer of the TiW cards. Yes, fewer of us (including myself) will buy them. But will they increase overall profits by not discounting their product while still filling their restaurants? That remains to be seen, but based on how hard it is to get reservations at these locations (except V&A) I suspect they will make the increased profit.
Hope they don't because I have always been borderline about whether I save money or not, depends on how many trips with how many people that year. The increased price, and locking out V&A, and possibly the blackout periods probably make it not worthwhile for me. and I really did like having it!

 

[Scuttle]

I don't get this move. My days of eating table service are done. I'm now a counter service guy. The food has gotten worse over the years anyway. Nice move TDO you just saved me about 2,000 a year. Keep these cuts coming and see how long pass holders keep renewing.

 

[wdisney9000]

I don't get this move. My days of eating table service are done. I'm now a counter service guy. The food has gotten worse over the years anyway. Nice move TDO you just saved me about 2,000 a year. Keep these cuts coming and see how long pass holders keep renewing.

Wife and I cut out TS a year ago for mostly same reasons. We usually book one, maybe two TS per trip just for nostalgia reasons. We actually got a res. at Le Collier for our upcoming trip and will probly just have beer cheese soup and a few drinks. We just wanna cross it off the bucket list.

Some CS spots have almost the same food as a similar TS spot and you don't have to tip at CS spots and you can eat at ur own pace, not get rushed by a CM trying to make tips on turnover. CS is the way to go now a days. I should probly shut up before some Disney online person sees this.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've always been shocked that V&A's offered a TIW discount in the first place.

As for the expanded blackout dates: I see both sides. As a sometimes-TIW holder, I would rather not have those restaurants blacked out. But, given that they are the most popular restaurants on property, and those are more or less the dates of highest demand, I can see why Disney no longer feels the need to discount at those locations for those dates. I can choose to pay full freight to eat there, or I can choose to eat somewhere else.

 

[Scuttle]

Wife and I cut out TS a year ago for mostly same reasons. We usually book one, maybe two TS per trip just for nostalgia reasons. We actually got a res. at Le Collier for our upcoming trip and will probly just have beer cheese soup and a few drinks. We just wanna cross it off the bucket list.

Some CS spots have almost the same food as a similar TS spot and you don't have to tip at CS spots and you can eat at ur own pace, not get rushed by a CM trying to make tips on turnover. CS is the way to go now a days. I should probly shut up before some Disney online person sees this.

Agreed, plus remember quite a few bars have good menu items from the restaurants.

 

[asianway]

I've always been shocked that V&A's offered a TIW discount in the first place.

As for the expanded blackout dates: I see both sides. As a sometimes-TIW holder, I would rather not have those restaurants blacked out. But, given that they are the most popular restaurants on property, and those are more or less the dates of highest demand, I can see why Disney no longer feels the need to discount at those locations for those dates. I can choose to pay full freight to eat there, or I can choose to eat somewhere else.

This isnt like a DVC/AP discount, you are paying for the discount card, presumably to drive business across the year....

 

[doctornick]

The half-dozen restaurants are, according to Guest Services, the 6 most popular on property. So while you may not frequent them, that definitely makes you an outlier.

I don't disagree with the complaints, but I will point out that of the 6 restaurants with the additional blackout dates, only one (Le Celliar) is a non-character meal. This strikes me as an attempt to free up character meal ressies for "once in a lifetime" guests. Of course, an alternative would simply be to open more character dining locations.....

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I think we need to remember that WDW is a business. it's goal is to maximize profits for shareholders. While I wish it wasn't that way, it is.
The purpose of TiW wasn't to be nice to us, it was to encourage folks to frequent their restaurants more often by offering a discount to frequent visitors. If they can fill their restaurants at full price, why would they give a discount? It's the old supply and demand theory which we all studied in Economics in school.
The question now will be: will they lose money by actually selling fewer of the TiW cards. Yes, fewer of us (including myself) will buy them. But will they increase overall profits by not discounting their product while still filling their restaurants? That remains to be seen, but based on how hard it is to get reservations at these locations (except V&A) I suspect they will make the increased profit.
Hope they don't because I have always been borderline about whether I save money or not, depends on how many trips with how many people that year. The increased price, and locking out V&A, and possibly the blackout periods probably make it not worthwhile for me. and I really did like having it!

Of course, the counter argument would be that they're filling these places up simply because of the DDP, not hordes of members of the general public.

 

[aladdin2007]

if not happy with changes send comments and emails directly to tables in wonderland:
WDW.Tables.In.Wonderland@disney.com

 

[oswaldmickey]

Well there is a completely hassle full and annoying way around Disney's new name must match policy.

A - First have GUEST WHO IS PAYING buy a Disney gift card for more than your meal...
B - Pay meal with gift card and tables of wonderland card
C - go to nearest store and buy an item for more than the left over balance of gift card
D - immediately return the said item and get left over gift card money + little extra you paid out of pocket for item returned to you in cash.

Tada.....eh?

 

[PhotoDave219]

Man the apologists & BRAND advocates are working this thread hard

All I know is that I had this program as well as the Disney dining experience, it's forerunner, over the past nine years.

Based on personal experience I've come to two conclusions. One, the amount of restrictions grow every year. I do not like that I have to pay $50 every time I lose my car… Because it's a little piece of paper. It's not the old plastic card that they used to send us. Since all the ticket cards are scannable, and that's how they process the discounts now, they should just cancel out the old card and reissue a new one. I understand it's because of abuse, but it's vastly unfair.

Seconds? Now that I need to use a credit card to secure my dining reservation? I don't make reservations.

And the third observation is something we all know and that is the food quality is going down while the prices going up.

 

[Scuttle]

All I know is that I had this program as well as the Disney dining experience, it's forerunner, over the past nine years.

Based on personal experience I've come to two conclusions. One, the amount of restrictions grow every year. I do not like that I have to pay $50 every time I lose my car… Because it's a little piece of paper. It's not the old plastic card that they used to send us. Since all the ticket cards are scannable, and that's how they process the discounts now, they should just cancel out the old card and reissue a new one. I understand it's because of abuse, but it's vastly unfair.

Seconds? Now that I need to use a credit card to secure my dining reservation? I don't make reservations.

And the third observation is something we all know and that is the food quality is going down while the prices going up.

Yep I'm going to be strictly a parks guy now. I'm not doing these restaurants anymore it's a joke. I'd rather stop and get wings on the way home and save a 100 dollars. This is getting stupid. It's so obvious that TDO could care less about the pass holders and as much as I love Disney I might stick to flying above and looking down at all the nonsense that is going on for a while.

 

[Scuttle]

Did anyone else write an email?