Dining Plan Credits & Teen

TinksTheBest

Mouseketeer

Joined

Sep 4, 2006

• May 12, 2015

• #1

We are considering purchasing the Dining Plan for our upcoming trip. It will be Me, DD(15), and DS(5). My 15 year old daughter is the chicken strip queen and oftentimes prefers those to anything on an adult menu. Would it be possible to use 1 adult TS and 2 child TS at one of the TS places where we order off of the menu?

 

sharonabe

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 22, 2009

• May 12, 2015

• #2

No, you can only use the allotted amount of child credit's that you have children, but some places will make an adult size portion of a kid's meal, so you can ask about that. Or maybe your DS5 will eat her meal and she can eat his??

 

purple figment

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 17, 2009

• May 12, 2015

• #3

No. You will have 2 Adult and 1 Child on your dining plan so at TS restaurants that will be the maximum credits that can be deducted at one time. You can either pay OOP for the second child's meal, ask if the restaurant will upsize the child's meal to an adult portion if you want to use her TS credit or see if your son will exchange meals with the teenager.

 

H

happymommy

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jan 8, 2006

• May 12, 2015

• #4

It may not be the best idea to purchase the plan if that's the case. Then, you could order a child's meal for the picky 15 year old. Now, if your ticker is correct, you've already purchased it?

 

TinksTheBest

Mouseketeer

Joined

Sep 4, 2006

• May 12, 2015

• #5

Thanks for responding! No we've not purchased yet. The CM that reserved our package said we could add it up to 48 hours before we arrive.

If we end up paying OOP to get DD15 a kid's meal at a couple of places, what happens if we reach the end of our trip and still have a TS credit or two left?

 

sharonabe

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 22, 2009

• May 12, 2015

• #6

You either use them or lose them. If you pay OOP for her at a couple places, it will mean you can do more TS, but then you'll also have to pay for DS to have a meal as he won't have any credits left.

 

TinksTheBest

Mouseketeer

Joined

Sep 4, 2006

• May 12, 2015

• #7

What about this situation: If through sharing and splitting menu ordered meals throughout our trip, we come to the final TS meal and have 3 adult TS left instead of 2 adult TS and 1 kid TS. Would we have to pay anything OOP to eat at Chef Mickey's? Or would they use the 3 remaining credits even though they don't "match" our party?

 

purple figment

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 17, 2009

• May 13, 2015

• #8

Buffets and all you care to eat Family Style meals are the same as TS meals. The server will see that there are 2 adults and 1 child on your dining plan and will not be able to deduct more than that at any meal.

 

MakiraMarlena

It's a big black fish to you

Joined

Mar 28, 2005

• May 13, 2015

• #9

Its 72 hours to add dining plan to a package, not 48.

If you are doing a lot of buffet and family style then keep the plan. You would pay the same and have the same food for your daughter as for everyone else at those.

You can also buy your daughter a child's meal with cash and use the credit somewhere else. That does mean you may end up with extra adult credits to use and be paying OOP for other party members at some meals. There is no refund for unused dining credits.

 

sharonabe

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 22, 2009

• May 13, 2015

• #10

It sounds like you're trying to make the plan work for you. Have you checked to see if paying OOP might be a better option? One concern I would have is if the kid's meals are going to be enough food for your 15 year old. They are pretty small portions.

 

supersnoop

What time is the three o'clock parade?

Joined

Nov 13, 2013

• May 13, 2015

• #11

MakiraMarlena said:

Its 72 hours to add dining plan to a package, not 48.

Click to expand...

It depends. It's 48 hours for DVC reservations, but 72 for cash reservations.

 

MakiraMarlena

It's a big black fish to you

Joined

Mar 28, 2005

• May 13, 2015

• #12

DVC does not have packages.

 

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ELSA711

DIS Veteran

Joined

Mar 11, 2015

• May 13, 2015

• #13

I love the DDP but I have to say that if it was just me and the two kids I wouldn't do it.
Unless you are doing a lot of character meals or sit down meals.

We do character meals everyday or one big sit down meal because my kids can't hack long days at the parks but it's tough to justify the money if we weren't doing the character meals.

Next year we probably won't unless we score FD as all but my 6 yr old will have out grown the character stuff by then.

 

H

happymommy

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jan 8, 2006

• May 13, 2015

• #14

MakiraMarlena said:

DVC does not have packages.

Click to expand...

Using their week (or renting from someone), they can add dining plans if desired without adding tickets.

Still, it may not be the best financially to do so (it often isn't).

 

L

lovndisney12

DIS Veteran

Joined

Nov 8, 2008

• May 17, 2015

• #15

My concern for you if you start trying to make it fit - meals will become stressful. The joy for us for dining plan is I don't have to worry about DS13 wanting the most expensive item. They can order whatever. It eliminates stress while on the trip. What happens if you plan on doing some sharing but can't decide on what to share or someone doesn't want to share - and what about dessert and drink - who will get those? Think it will be less stressful and even cheaper to just pay oop.

 

Nancyg56

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 17, 2005

• May 26, 2015

• #16

I would check out the meals, decide where our ADR's will be, and then realistically try to determine what my famly would order. If there are enough buffet of character meals included to justify the cost of the plan, then I woudl purchase it. If not, and you really think your DD will nto eat anything but chcken strips off of the kids menu, then skip the plan and pay OOP as you go. The last thing you want to do is to start comparing the cost of the plan against what your family orders. There was a time when the cost of the DDP was low enough to justify purchasing under most circumstances, but no longer. Now it may be a savings, it may be a break even, or it may be a big ol' waste.