Child vs Adult meal plan - date of purchase or date of trip

[DisneyFEB2013]

We would like to purchase the meal plan for our family by adding it onto our reservation (we purchased points through a DVC member and from what I understand, I have to have him add it on). My son turns 10 the week before our trip. Is the cost for the meal plan based on the date of purchase or the date of the trip. For what it is worth, he still eats kids meals and the adult plan would not appeal to him at all. I am not trying to skirt the system, just want to know which date they will use so we can budget the cost. There is quite a price difference between the 9 year old and a 10 year old!!

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Age of child counts for the date of the trip. Perhaps you could pay oop for his kids meals and use the extra credits for signature restaurants or extra meals for the "real" adults.
Have a great trip.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You have to pay based on date of trip. He will also need adult tickets.

FWIW, he will have to pay as an adult at any character meals or buffets regardless. But the DDP is rarely a savings with 3 Disney adults, even so.

 

[bumbershoot]

For what it is worth, he still eats kids meals and the adult plan would not appeal to him at all.

Think very carefully about whether the total cost of the plan for your family will be worth it, now that he's not a Disney Child in terms of dining. Since he's still eating kids meals, the math changes, so DO the math for this trip with the places you have planned.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Why not just put the money you would spend on the dining plan on a Disney gift card? Then you can spend what you like on food and if you have money left over, you can use it for souvenirs or another trip.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Kid's prices - food and admission - are based upon the trip date, not the date you bought the package.
2) However, if the child has their birthday DURING the trip dates, they keep the kid prices.

 

[robinb]

If you pay out of pocket like some here have suggested he can still eat off the kids menu except at buffets and other fixed price meals.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

10 years ago, the dining plan was a savings, but between things taken out of the plan and the cost increases, it is no longer a cost savings for us. We now do what Deb & Bill suggested, buy gift cards in the amount of what we would have spent on the dining plan and use those to buy food. We always have something left on the gift cards at the end. When my DD was 10, she sometimes wanted something off the kids menu or we would order one entree to share and found it to be plenty of food. It worked out perfectly for us.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

10 years ago, the dining plan was a savings, but between things taken out of the plan and the cost increases, it is no longer a cost savings for us.

MOST PEOPLE do not see what a bad deal DDP truly is.

 

[IrishNYC]

We love the convenience of the DDP, whether it saves us money or not. Right now we are 2 adults and one child. When DD reaches the age where she is like your son - considered a Disney Adult, but not ready for adult menus, we will just pay OOP for dining until her appetite catches up with the adult menus.

Your son will need adult tickets and dining based on his age at the start of your trip.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you skip the dining plan and use the Disney Gift card instead, you can order appetizers instead of entrees for your meal. And get the kids' meals if you want them. And skip dessert if you don't want it. Plus add adult beverages if you want.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

We love the convenience of the DDP, whether it saves us money or not.

1) We hear that A LOT at the Concierge Desk.
. . . we frequently joke at The Desk that these same people want to pay as little Income Tax as possible
. . . or do not want to pay list price for a new car
. . . but do not mind over paying at Disney
2) However, if you pay by Room Charge or a gift card, it is just as convenient - and almost always less expensive.
. . . folks who do want to save money sometimes buy a advance pre-paid guest gift card before the trip
. . . they use this for the meals
. . . even more convenient that DDP, and a money-saver
3) Many people, including this board, have made comparisons, and few have ever seen DDP benefit the guest.
4) Just WDW.
5) WDW does NOTHING to benefit a guest unless they make a big profit.
6) DDP is no different.
7) Ogre (I mean Iger) does not give money away.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yeah, I just don't see how ordering exactly what the plan wants me to order, getting a dessert and a drink, etc, and never having just a salad or just an appetizer, is convenient. Or how ordering those things and having to have a plan to use those credits OR just leaving money on the table by not using it, is convenient.

 

[CinderDuffy]

FWIW, we had the opposite experience. A family member was turning 10 one month before the trip. This was relayed to the CM when tickets & DDP were purchased. When tickets were linked, her ticket reflected "Child," so a call back was made - the CM said not to worry about it & off we all went. Not wanting any issues, before entering the park we asked at Guest Services & we were told all was well. There were indeed no issues during the trip. I'm guessing they have absolutely no way to verify age and the rules are different from CM to CM.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I'm guessing they have absolutely no way to verify age and the rules are different from CM to CM.

1) As an FYI, CM's are NOT ALLOWED to ask for proof of age.
2) Of course, a 6-foot, 200-pound ten-year-old might raise some suspicions.

 

[Nancyg56]

MOST PEOPLE do not see what a bad deal DDP truly is.

Perhaps it is because "Most People" have not done the math. I do, and for us, given how we like to eat, and what we generally choose on the menus, we tend to at least break even. But we always enjoy dessert and coffee with every ts meal when we dine out. I am the only one who likes wine with dinenr, so the rest of my party will generally order a soft beverage.

I think that whenever someone chooses a "discount" it is important to know how the family will dine, or how they will use the resort, or how much park time they enjoy. WHen my DGD turned 10 we were able to secure a FD at a Deluxe resort. WE factored her meals in and since that child's usually ordered off of the adult menu it was indeed a substantial savings.

The DDP is no longer the "no brainer" is used to be, but folks were not happy with that one either. No one should blindly choose a resort or a ddp.

 

[IrishNYC]

1) We hear that A LOT at the Concierge Desk.
. . . we frequently joke at The Desk that these same people want to pay as little Income Tax as possible
. . . or do not want to pay list price for a new car
. . . but do not mind over paying at Disney
2) However, if you pay by Room Charge or a gift card, it is just as convenient - and almost always less expensive.
. . . folks who do want to save money sometimes buy a advance pre-paid guest gift card before the trip
. . . they use this for the meals
. . . even more convenient that DDP, and a money-saver
3) Many people, including this board, have made comparisons, and few have ever seen DDP benefit the guest.
4) Just WDW.
5) WDW does NOTHING to benefit a guest unless they make a big profit.
6) DDP is no different.
7) Ogre (I mean Iger) does not give money away.

Quite a long response for your OPINION on a single sentence about how I choose to spend MY money.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. (Are we there yet?)
6.
7..........
98.
99.........
100. See above.

Why do you care what's convenient to me? I like the convenience of having my trip paid for before I go, food included. Your opinion in my wallet means nothing to me.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Quite a long response for your OPINION on a single sentence about how I choose to spend MY money.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. (Are we there yet?)
6.
7..........
98.
99.........
100. See above.

Why do you care what's convenient to me? I like the convenience of having my trip paid for before I go, food included. Your opinion in my wallet means nothing to me.

I get that you don't like his opinion but he also offered you a way to have your entire trip paid off before you go AND save money over buying the DDP and being able to order whatever you want - which many might find helpful.

 

[Faldred]

MOST PEOPLE do not see what a bad deal DDP truly is.

I think that's an unfair blanket statement. QSDP and DDP are undoubtedly bad deals for adults form a dollars and cents perspective, but they are actually pretty good deal for kids age 3-9. It's not hard to come out "ahead" for equal number of adults and children.

DxDP is flat out a good deal if it fits your dining style, adult or child.

There's the caveat, though, the chosen plan has to fit your style. if it doesn't, then you're going to be disappointed in the results, regardless of what the numbers say.

As to the original thread subject, age grouping is supposed to be based on age as of the date of arrival at the resort.

 

[bumbershoot]

but they are actually pretty good deal for kids age 3-9

For *some* 3-9 year olds. By the time my kidlet was 8 we were already ordering two kid's meals at a time. Then he moved to adult meals.

If DH and I had loved doing character meals the younger ages on the plan might have been nice, but DH and I have weight issues that we're fighting the good fight on, and part of our issues are wanting "value", and, frankly, paying for a buffet at Disney when I don't like characters, the adults aren't going to get their dollar's worth in food, and only the kid is eating a decent amount (though generally that was eating his weight in mac&cheese), didn't work for us.


The only blanket statement is that everyone should get really real about their family, their budget, their eating style, IF they want to change their eating style, and what's important to them, while evaluating the dining plan.


As for the Scupper's opinion, or mine...Irish, you might have worked it all out , but plenty of people haven't. Plenty of people do want it to be a financial value *as well as* a convenience. If it can be both that's awesome. My family can't get it to work out either way; to do the dining plan changes the way we eat (the way we WANT to eat) in a negative direction. It doesn't benefit us in any way.

So we budget for the food we'll eat, and often we'll put that money onto giftcards (or into our Disney debit card account to either use from there or to buy and add to GCs as we go), and in THAT way we have it all paid for in advance AND can buy exactly what we want without having to conform to the DDP.

I doubt that Rusty cares about your wallet; but he sees people (since I believe he works in the restaurants onsite and likely sees what people are ordering compared to what he knows they paid for the dining plan) squandering money probably all day every day.