Is Disney World Bringing Back Tables in Wonderland Dining Discounts for Membership Magic Beyond?

Disney is exploring new discounts, lounge access, exclusive characters, freebies and more at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This is via surveys to test guest interest in an expanded DVC Membership Magic Beyond, the two-year old program that has struggled to gain traction. Here are full details, along with what we’d actually expect to happen and why a different approach to bringing back Tables in Wonderland would be better.

Before getting going, one caveat is that Disney regularly conducts guest surveys for market research, gauging interest in potential product offerings, testing the waters on expansion plans, new pricing strategies, discount structures, and much more. They also use surveys to ‘paper the file’ in support of preordained decisions that they already intend to make.

Sometimes, surveys are a dead end. I’m still waiting on Disney’s Hollywood Studios to change its name to Disney XL Park (my all-time favorite example) or for $400 discounts on Annual Passes and Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. Speaking of which, I’m actually expecting some form of AP discount to happen in the next month or so, for the many of you who have been asking.

On the other hand, Walt Disney World did recently bring back the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, which was heavily surveyed one year earlier. That’s one of several instances of surveys being a precursor to action. Suffice to say, surveys should not be viewed as conclusive, but rather, as a window into Disney’s thinking, priorities and options that might be pursued.

The latest survey, as shared via screenshots on the Disboards, revolves around Membership Magic Beyond. It asks questions about different discounts, additional perks, as well as the ability to exchange DVC points for Disneyland Annual Passes. (Note: we have not received this survey, or have been screened out from participating if we did get it, so I can’t confirm all questions/variations, but there are enough reports to paint a pretty clear picture of what’s being asked.)

A lot of the specific ideas in this survey won’t come to fruition. Most of the changes will not, so don’t get your hopes up about any specific addition, especially the more obscure ones. With that said, we do expect several of these changes to be implemented. For whatever reason, Disney Vacation Club hasn’t really pushed the paid Membership Magic Beyond perks program or iterated on it all that much since it launched at the beginning of last year.

It feels like they’re still figuring out what they want MMB to be in the first place, and there’s absolutely the need to offer more to make the program appealing to a wider swath of DVC Members. As it stands, MMB is pretty niche, and even though it’s great for us, it’s easy to see why most Disney Vacation Club Members are passing on Membership Magic Beyond. That’s why we’re taking note of this survey–because the practical reality here is that MMB needs significant fleshing out and expansion, or it’ll end up being retired entirely.

On that note, the potential expanded Membership Magic Beyond benefits that were the subject of the survey include the following:

• The ability to exchange 70 points toward Disneyland Explore Key Annual Passes.
• The ability to exchange 100 points toward Disneyland Believe Key Annual Passes.
• One complimentary beverage at a DVC Resort lounge per season.
• An exclusive Disneyland character experience with extended hours at Star View Station.
• Priority access to select high-demand experiences at Aulani, such as luaus.
• Ability to use 10 Vacation Points to renew Member Magic Beyond.
• Access to airport lounges through a partner program, such as Priority Pass.
• An included Owner’s Locker membership.
• Dedicated MMB areas at DVC events and bonus perks, such as exclusive lanyards or food & beverage coupons.
• Preferred pricing on travel insurance through Disney’s dedicated providers.
• Select complimentary beverages on Disney Cruise Line sailings.
• Complimentary popcorn during movie screenings on all Disney Cruise Line sailings.
• Expanded food and beverage discounts at participating Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort locations, including select alcoholic beverages that would apply to the Member and a set number of guests.

The survey also asks whether members would be willing to pay $109 or $119 for Membership Magic Beyond with this expanded slate of perks. (MMB currently costs $99 per calendar year, meaning even if you buy it today, it expires on December 31, 2026.)

Breaking down each of these entries is beyond the scope of this post, especially since I don’t have particularly strong opinions on most of this. Everybody and their brother already has Priority Pass and free or discounted travel insurance, for instance; I’d be shocked if most DVC members who would be willing to purchase MMB don’t already have both.

The complimentary beverages and other small extras sound fine, and after recently spending over one-hundred dollars at Cove Cafe, we’d definitely take advantage. But I can’t imagine that being a bona fide selling point for many people. Ditto a lanyard or space at Moonlight Magic.

Generally speaking, my unsolicited advice to Disney would be to narrow the focus of MMB perks to those unique to the Parks & Resorts. Consumers are exhausted by “coupon book” credit cards, and throwing unrelated extras at the wall to see what sticks dilutes emphasis on the benefits that are actually worthwhile.

One thing that does interest me as a Californian is the Disneyland tilt to this list. I’m indifferent to using points for an Explore or Believe Key AP, but to each their own.

The real solution is offering a discounted Annual Pass to DVC/MMB Members. Whether that’s the Imagine Key or something else, I don’t know. That wouldn’t do anything for me, personally, but I think it would be a savvy move, especially given downward demand for APs and Disneyland attendance trends.

Much more interesting to me, personally, is the extended hours for Star View Station lounge and the exclusive character meet & greet. My current favorite Membership Magic Beyond perk is the extra hours at the Imagination lounge, and that’s routinely a ghost town despite a huge DVC population at Walt Disney World. I can only imagine how wonderful that would be at Star View Station. We’d visit weekly!

What is most interesting of all, though, is the expanded food and beverage discounts at participating Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort locations, including select alcoholic beverages that would apply to the Member and a set number of guests.

To me, this basically sounds like something between a permanent version of DVC Welcome Home Weeks/VIPassholder Days and Tables in Wonderland. For those who are unfamiliar with the former, they’re special seasonal events (the latter is ongoing, the former starts soon) that offer DVC Members and Annual Passholders, respectively, 40% off discounts at objectively unpopular table service restaurants.

We are huge fans of DVC Welcome Home Weeks and VIPassholder Days, which drive almost all of our dining decisions during this stretch of the year. They are a win-win for Walt Disney World and guests, and I’m honestly surprised the concept hasn’t been expanded. I would fully expect this to come to fruition, at least at Walt Disney World.

If you follow pretty much any of our Walt Disney World dining coverage, you’ve likely seen discussion of the decreased table service dining demand. My anecdotal observation is that ADRs are more abundant than anytime we’ve been tracking them, and I’ve eaten at several restaurants in the last two years that have been uncrowded.

Nothing Walt Disney World has done has made a difference. Not bringing back the Dining Plan or Free Dining or even the Kids Eat Free promo. And given the absurd pricing, I’m confident that the Deluxe Dining Plan in 2027 won’t fix anything, either.

There are still times when restaurants are busy, and there are specific spots that don’t have trouble filling tables any time of year. Some are even overbooked and require a wait to be seated even with ADRs. But that’s not the norm.

One other big indirect explanation we’ve mentioned elsewhere: guests reallocating discretionary spending on table service restaurants to Lightning Lanes. Vacation budgets are finite for most people, and the money spent on paid FastPass has to come from somewhere.

Line-skipping is now a non-negotiable for many guests, which means fewer splurges on table service restaurants, merchandise, etc. This is happening across the board, and is another reason why counter service restaurants are packed, but walk-up availability is abundant at the vast majority of table service restaurants.

Guests are spending their discretionary Disney dollars on line-skipping as opposed to the Disney Dining Plan, and trading down from table service restaurants. The sit-down options that are still doing well are the new or unique ones, offering fresh and compelling menus, upmarket dining experiences, etc.

This isn’t the only explanation. Soaring menu prices, inflation, consumers being squeezed, and all of the usual suspects come into play. Among compelling theory is that guests are taking shorter trips due to rising costs, and thus are less likely to budget their limited vacation time to lengthier table service meals. Regardless of the reason, this is an observable trend and one that’s evident in everything from ADR availability to Coral Reef going seasonal.

This is also why it’s been so odd that Walt Disney World still has not brought back Tables in Wonderland. It made sense to suspend the program post-COVID, when strong pent-up demand collided with reduced capacity and staffing shortages. But that’s long gone, and has been for over 2 years.

My best guess is that Walt Disney World has forgotten about Tables in Wonderland. It was run by a very small team, and if they were furloughed and never returned, it’s possible that the program simply slipped through the cracks as Walt Disney World started pulling out the 2019 playbook to incentivizing demand and guest spending. (To underscore the point about how the program has been forgotten, you can actually still find info about Tables in Wonderland on the Canadian version of DisneyWorld.com!)

I don’t know how else to explain why Tables in Wonderland hasn’t returned. It’s a way to increase demand for table service restaurants, which is badly needed, while also monetizing it via an upfront revenue stream. Tables in Wonderland kills two birds with one stone, and feels like it’d scratch Walt Disney World leadership right where they itch.

Critically, Tables in Wonderland was also aimed at Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members. Two categories of guests who, generally speaking, don’t have the same ticking clock when it comes to limited time. Or at least, not to the same degree as the average tourist.

I would also hazard a guess that DVC members and Floridians are statistically less likely to purchase Lightning Lanes in the first place. These demographics also need more of an incentive to dine on-property, which is precisely why regular discounts are offered to APs and DVC in the first place.

It seems very obvious to me that there isn’t much of an opportunity cost to offering expanded dining discounts to Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members at select restaurant. Walt Disney World presumably agrees, hence the existence of VIPassholder Days and Welcome Home Weeks in the first place. The upside to Disney would be even bigger if they monetized the program, a la the original Tables in Wonderland.

As an Annual Passholder and DVC Member who spends a lot on dining, I’d eat more table service meals if I had Tables in Wonderland. Dining would be a priority again, because we’d “need” to get our money’s worth on the membership discount. (Same trap we fell into when getting APs all those years ago!)

For a while, I thought maybe Walt Disney World was reworking Tables in Wonderland and was going to relaunch it as a more all-encompassing program with other perks. Back when it was still a rumor, I wondered whether this would be a perk of the new Disney Visa Inspire Card. Now, it would seem that exactly this will end up happening as a revised or expanded Membership Magic Beyond program.

The reason I’ve brought up Tables in Wonderland repeatedly in posts like this is because I believe the above to be true and, selfishly, am hoping that maybe someone from Disney is reading this and it’ll be what helps remind them that this program used to exist, and would be a good free revenue stream. It’s a rare win-win for Disney and diehard fans!

Oh, and on the off-chance that someone at Walt Disney World is reading, I’ll add this: relaunching Tables in Wonderland is the better idea. Don’t get me wrong–rolling this into MMB is better than nothing. But the optimal audience for such a discount is Florida residents.

Making this a perk of Membership Magic Beyond limits the reach of such a discount too much, at a time when Walt Disney World badly needs to fill tables at restaurants. It also extends the discount to a demographic that is probably at least slightly more likely than Floridians to dine at table service restaurants in the first place.

Barring a massive price increase, we’re going to join Membership Magic Beyond again in 2027, so selfishly, I’m perfectly fine with this being how the quasi-Tables in Wonderland perk returns. And I also don’t really care if it’s only a select list of restaurants, as many of my favorite options are the unpopular ones.

I just think it’s shortsighted of Walt Disney World to approach filling tables this way. In actuality, the best answer isn’t reinventing the wheel. It’s bringing back Tables in Wonderland exactly as it existed as of 2019. This is a pressing problem and it’s long overdue for Walt Disney World to address it, but the best fix is a standalone program.

If you’re unfamiliar with the existing Membership Magic Beyond because the secret has been so well kept, here’s basic background on the 2026 version of the program:

Membership Magic Beyond Basics

The “Membership Magic Beyond” add-on option is a yearly enhanced benefits package over and above Membership Extras, which gives you special ways to elevate your family’s stays. Eligible Members can purchase the 2026 Membership Magic Beyond benefits package for $99, with a usage window from now through December 31, 2026.

In other words, Membership Magic Beyond is a calendar-year paid perks program, as opposed to one with a rolling 365-day membership. The program is not prorated for those who purchase it later in the year, so you could theoretically buy for a family vacation during Christmas week and still pay $99 for that one week of access.

This is probably purposeful, both to allow for tweaks to the program by calendar year and also since many DVC members are only doing one stay per calendar year, regardless. There are probably plenty of DVC Members with trips in the second half of 2026 who visit annually during the Halloween or holiday season and no other time, so there’s no ‘loss’ to them in not having the previous months of eligibility. Either the value is there for their annual week, or it isn’t. Simple as that!

Membership Magic Beyond offers the following paid perks for 2026:

• Purchase specially priced 5-day weekday Walt Disney World Theme Park tickets, each with up to 5 water park visits or sports options included. Available for the enrolled Member and up to 7 guests in the traveling party. Save up to $140 per ticket compared to the non-discounted price of a standard ticket.
• Purchase specially priced 3-day weekday Disneyland Resort Theme Park tickets that include Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Available for the enrolled Member and up to 7 guests in the traveling party. Save up to $177 per ticket.
• Receive an 8×10 photo print during your stay at AULANI.
• Receive a 30-day Memory Maker entitlement to capture and share treasured Walt Disney World memories. Up to a $210 value if purchased separately.

Get Exclusive Access

• Special Character Access: Meet and mingle with special Disney Characters daily from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (subject to change) at Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge at EPCOT. The enrolled Member can bring up to 4 guests or the number of guests on their resort stay reservation, whichever is greater. Available 7 days a week. Capacity restrictions may apply.
• Priority Access to Member Lounges: Take advantage of priority access to Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge, Disney Vacation Club Star View Station – A Member Lounge and Disney Vacation Club McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge at Magic Kingdom Park. Use this benefit when lounge access goes on a waitlist. Same rules apply for party sizes as above.

Experience More Flexibility

• Use your Points to purchase the Disney Sorcerer Pass to enjoy Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks. Get a new pass for 75 points or renew your pass for 65 points.
• Get one bonus One-Time-Use Point for each One-Time-Use Point purchased! Members can purchase up to 12 Points for a total of 24 One-Time-Use Points in a Benefit Season. Excludes bookings offered through the hotel exchange program.
• Enjoy having your $95 transaction fee waived when booking Disney Collection Resorts and experiences, including Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line and National Geographic Expeditions experiences.

Membership Magic Beyond is part of Membership Extras which, effective June 3, 2021, requires having an ownership interest with 150 Vacation Points or more purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc.

This is an incidental benefit subject to availability, change or termination. Yearly enrollment fee applies. All offers are subject to availability. Special ticket and Annual Pass offers are not part of the ownership interest and are subject to change or termination.

This means Membership Magic Beyond is what’s colloquially known as a “blue card” perk. It’s all-digital now, so “blue card” member is a misnomer, but that’s what most DVC members still call it. Disney Vacation Club is able to restrict perks to only certain owners because these things are funded by DVC’s marketing budget–or some other budget–and not annual owner dues.

If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Would you join Membership Magic Beyond for a year-round 40% off discount at select restaurants? Or a lower percentage savings at a wider list? Which other perks on the list would move the needle for you? Will you be doing Membership Magic Beyond at some point this year or in 2027? Excited or disappointed about this upcharge, or do you not really care? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!