Premium Character Meal Voucher

[Zbugz]

In reading the fine print on my Costco package that includes Premium Character Meal Vouchers, it says it "may be applied up to its retail price at any other Disney owned and operated full-service or counter-service restaurant at the Disneyland® Resort". Since we are not much interested in the character dining (BTDT) and would rather save some money on our other meals, this appeals to me.

Does anyone have experience with using these vouchers for non-character dining? How did it work out?

Do the vouchers come separately, i.e. one for each person, or are they combined onto one voucher?

TIA,

Laura

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

We have used our vouchers in other sit down restaurants. They will not give you any change so use it wisely. We upgraded our park tickets to PAPs so that gave us a discount at the restaurant and then we would use 1 voucher and pay the difference on the Bill. We had 6 vouchers in our group and with the AP discount and getting less expensive meals and/or sharing we spent relatively little on food that trip.

 

[Disneylandfanatic]

We are going to use our vouchers for dinner at Carthay!

 

[ValpoCory]

Are pre-paid vouchers a good deal? Do they include tax and tip?

I see Ares Travel sells them for $33/$17 + convenience fee ($8 for my family of 4). Not a good deal unless they include tax and tip.

http://arestravel.com/77_attraction-tickets_a18.html

to use at:

Minnie & Friends Breakfast - Plaza Inn on Main Street, USA - Disneyland® Park
Surf's Up! Breakfast - Disney's PCH Grill-Disney's Paradise Pier® Hotel
Chip 'n' Dale's Critter Breakfast - Storytellers Cafe;-Disney's Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa.

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

Ours did say they include T and T at the carracter dining I can't remember how that was handled at a sit down restaurant.

 

[DizMe]

Yes, we did this! You get a separate voucher for each member of your party. The value is printed on the back, and it is more for adults than for children. You can use the vouchers all at once, one at a time, or in any combination. The best bit of info I got was that the voucher can be used toward the tip, so you don't have to worry about not getting any change back. Any remaining value on the voucher can be put towards the tip. It's a great way to eat at BB or other pricier sit-down. We used some at Cafe Orleans and some at Storyteller's for breakfast and still had one left to put towards lunch. We would have used them at BB but it was closed during our trip last Oct.

 

[DizMe]

Are pre-paid vouchers a good deal? Do they include tax and tip?

I see Ares Travel sells them for $33/$17 + convenience fee ($8 for my family of 4). Not a good deal unless they include tax and tip.

http://arestravel.com/77_attraction-tickets_a18.html

to use at:

The pre-paid vouchers do include tax and tip (all character meals include tax and tip in the price, I believe). Do a comparison between the different places that sell them and don't buy too far ahead of time unless you see a really good price. If you're going during the off-season, the regular prices are often a better deal and you can use your ap discount I think (if you have an ap). It has been a while since we did character meals so I'm not sure about the current rules. I used to buy vouchers through AAA but would always compare with getaway, ares, wdtc, etc. I usually found AAA to have the best deal, but as I said, it has been a few years since we did this.

 

[Zbugz]

We have used our vouchers in other sit down restaurants. They will not give you any change so use it wisely. We upgraded our park tickets to PAPs so that gave us a discount at the restaurant and then we would use 1 voucher and pay the difference on the Bill. We had 6 vouchers in our group and with the AP discount and getting less expensive meals and/or sharing we spent relatively little on food that trip.

Good to know you can use additional discounts on it, too. Thanks!

 

[Zbugz]

We are going to use our vouchers for dinner at Carthay!

That's a good idea. I will consider that myself.

 

[Zbugz]

Yes, we did this! You get a separate voucher for each member of your party. The value is printed on the back, and it is more for adults than for children. You can use the vouchers all at once, one at a time, or in any combination. The best bit of info I got was that the voucher can be used toward the tip, so you don't have to worry about not getting any change back. Any remaining value on the voucher can be put towards the tip. It's a great way to eat at BB or other pricier sit-down. We used some at Cafe Orleans and some at Storyteller's for breakfast and still had one left to put towards lunch. We would have used them at BB but it was closed during our trip last Oct.

Yea! Tip included is a good thing. I've also thought about BB but am not too sure considering the reviews I've read recently. We will definitely use one at Cafe Orleans. Thanks!

 

[cmwade77]

The only way these vouchers are a good deal is if you get a discount on them and you know that you will spend more than the face value, as no change is given for them.

At character meals, they are good for one meal, at all other locations they are good for up to the face value and can be applied toward tax, but not tip. If you simply leave say a $25 voucher and your total was $20, you just stiffed your server out of a tip (from what I have been told) and lost $5, as no change will be given.

These vouchers actually seem to work in Disney's favor more often than not.

 

[Zbugz]

The only way these vouchers are a good deal is if you get a discount on them and you know that you will spend more than the face value, as no change is given for them.

At character meals, they are good for one meal, at all other locations they are good for up to the face value and can be applied toward tax, but not tip. If you simply leave say a $25 voucher and your total was $20, you just stiffed your server out of a tip (from what I have been told) and lost $5, as no change will be given.

These vouchers actually seem to work in Disney's favor more often than not.

I will make sure to ask about the tip before I "pay". I used to wait tables back in the day.

 

[DizMe]

The only way these vouchers are a good deal is if you get a discount on them and you know that you will spend more than the face value, as no change is given for them.

At character meals, they are good for one meal, at all other locations they are good for up to the face value and can be applied toward tax, but not tip. If you simply leave say a $25 voucher and your total was $20, you just stiffed your server out of a tip (from what I have been told) and lost $5, as no change will be given.

These vouchers actually seem to work in Disney's favor more often than not.

The server told us that they can be applied toward the tip. I had read that on DIS and asked. I sure hope it's true!

We got a package last year through Costco that included the vouchers; otherwise, we wouldn't have ordered them. In that case, the package ended up saving us money over a la carte (hotel & tickets), which isn't usually the case. It does pay to check all avenues!

 

[ValpoCory]

The best bit of info I got was that the voucher can be used toward the tip, so you don't have to worry about not getting any change back. Any remaining value on the voucher can be put towards the tip.

OK, so that increases the chances that you can break even. But still, the only way I'd buy a voucher is if they were being sold at a discount, like you bought yours.

 

[skiingfast]

Yea! Tip included is a good thing. I've also thought about BB but am not too sure considering the reviews I've read recently. We will definitely use one at Cafe Orleans. Thanks!

The character meal couchers cover the meal, tip and tax only at the character meals. It doesn't just simply cover the tip at the other locations. At othe Disney locations you can apply the value to you bill and tip total. If the cost is more than the value of the voucher you have to pay the difference.

Just tell your server you want to apply the voucher to the meal and the difference if any to their tip.

The only way these vouchers are a good deal is if you get a discount on them and you know that you will spend more than the face value, as no change is given for them.

The way to get a discount is to buy them not just when there is a deal, but when you can get them at regular season price, and use them for the character meal that is priced for peak season. That is the loop hole that saves you money.

 

[Zbugz]

The character meal couchers cover the meal, tip and tax only at the character meals. It doesn't just simply cover the tip at the other locations. At othe Disney locations you can apply the value to you bill and tip total. If the cost is more than the value of the voucher you have to pay the difference.

Just tell your server you want to apply the voucher to the meal and the difference if any to their tip.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Karenann*]

Does anyone know what the $ value on the Premium character vouchers is form the Costco package (all adult)? Don't think we'd change our Goofy Kitchen plans but it would be nice to know our options.

 

[skiingfast]

Does anyone know what the $ value on the Premium character vouchers is form the Costco package (all adult)? Don't think we'd change our Goofy Kitchen plans but it would be nice to know our options.

Premium
$40A, $21A
AG,and GK, doesn't matter if it's used for Brunch or the higher price Dinner. Using them for brunch is a money looser and dinner a deal.

For the regular character meals.
$33A, $17C
PI w/MM, ST, and SU, all three are breakfast only.

Knowing this you can see if you are getting a deal or not buying from a third party, these are the costs buying direct from WDTC which is the value you can apply at other Disney dining locations as well.

 

[Karenann*]

Premium
$40A, $21A
AG,and GK, doesn't matter if it's used for Brunch or the higher price Dinner. Using them for brunch is a money looser and dinner a deal.

For the regular character meals.
$33A, $17C
PI w/MM, ST, and SU, all three are breakfast only.

Knowing this you can see if you are getting a deal or not buying from a third party, these are the costs buying direct from WDTC which is the value you can apply at other Disney dining locations as well.

Wow. Thanks, Skiingfast, didn't know... 7 adult premium CM came with a costco pkg. We purchased one hotel night with seven 6 day PH to save $ before the price increase and got these included...
Was planning on dinner at GK, now I know we'll get money's worth, but may use them instead as food $ in the park...$280 would go a long way for our miserly ragtag group! (if I can get the troups to for-go G...,may have an uprising on my hands!). I love options!!!

BTW actual cost of the Premium CM was $20 pp as I parted out our package.

 

[DizMe]

That's right. We got a value of $39 adult for our cm vouchers last Oct. I don't remember what the kids' value was but skiing must have it right because he's always right and I remember that for the 5 of us (2 adult, 3 child) we had almost $200 in dining credits. We're not really into the character meals anymore so it was fantastic to have that money to spend elsewhere on food!