Can I use the dining plan this way?

[MaeManda]

Hello! New here - I came to get advice from you Disney veterans

So I am heading to WDW in April in a group of 15 (my husband's family). We have the regular dining plan, but my FIL has purchased the deluxe dining plan for himself, my MIL and my nephew (3 meals a day with no distinction between TS and CS). He did this to cover the extra TS credits our group will need (his itinerary has us using 10 TS credits in 8 days). He was told that he would be able to hand over his card at a restaurant and use the credits on his card to pay for all 15 meals.

I am hoping someone here may be able to verify this - I have read that at CS locations you *can* use your credits to purchase adult meals for children but often have to get back into line and make two orders - i.e. if you card says "2 adults, 2 children" they will only let you order 2 of each, but really CS meals are not distinguished between adult and child credits. Since it's finicky like that, I am concerned that he may be given a hard time over using his card to pay for all of the meals?

Logically, I think that the server could just run his card multiple times, deducting 2 adult/1child until all of the meals are billed, unless of course there are policies against it.

Any insight or experience is very much appreciated!

[MaeManda]

Sorry! I just realized there this a sub-forum that would be more appropriate to post this. I can't figure out how to delete this, so I will cross-post there. Thank you!

[floridagirl61]

Sorry, but he will not be able to do it. If I understand correctly, there will be 3 people in his room, so his card will show that, and he will only be allowed to pay for 3 people. The other people in your group will have their own cards that they will have to show to pay with. I'm not sure who told him this but they are wrong.

IF this did work, everyone would be doing it.

Hope this helps.

[vicki_c]

At any particular TS meal, he can only purchase the number of meals that his card shows as guests in the room. So that plan will not work. He can't use his credits to buy meals for those not on his reservation.

[SignMeUp]

Are your FIL, MIL, and nephew staying in the same room? All people in the same room must be on the same plan. Their KTTW cards will be identical. Is your nephew 9yo or under? If he's under 10, then he will have to order off the kid's menu. If the 3 of them are in the same room (and nephew is under 10), then their cards will read "2 Adults, 1 Child" and that is the maximum amount of credits they will be allowed to use at any one meal. Your FIL will not be able to use his extra credits to cover your party if he, your MIL, and your nephew are also eating. It sounds like a tricky proposition for you guys to try to work this out as it would mean one or more of them not eating with the rest.

ETA: I see your main concern is with CS. It will depend on the CM you get, but I would not count on being able to do that. I certainly would not count on being able to get an adult meal with a child credit anywhere that offers a kid's menu. You can go back through the line as often as you like to get 2 adult meals and 1 child meal until all the credits have been used, but I wouldn't expect a CM to let you get all the meals at once with one card that says 2 adults/1 child.

[Maggie'sMom]

No. It will not work the way your FIL is proposing. He will only be able to use 3 credits (or 6 at signature restaurants) at each meal. If you are all dining together, the remaining 12 people will have to use their own credits.

[AlohaAnnie]

Here is the PDF for deluxe dining. It does state you can use as many as you want until they run out. It depends on if the restaurant will do this.

There are only 4 of us and I know we were able to purchase 5 CS meals at one time without question.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/med...luxeDining.pdf

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

[AlohaAnnie]

It also says guests on your meal plan but we have purchased CS meals for others with left over credits.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

[MaeManda]

Well, I was so disheartened by the responses that I called Disney Dining and asked them - they said that since my FIL will be on the deluxe plan he'll have a "Key to the World" or something like that and will be allowed to deduct all 30 meals at a go (15 people at signature dining) if he so chooses! The rest of us, who just have regular dining would not be able to do that.

Thank you all for your input! I guess we all learned something new today

[MaeManda]

Well, I was so disheartened by the responses that I called Disney Dining and asked them - they said that since my FIL will be on the deluxe plan he'll have a "Key to the World" or something like that and will be allowed to deduct all 30 meals at a go (15 people at signature dining) if he so chooses! The rest of us, who just have regular dining would not be able to do that.

Thank you all for your input! I guess we all learned something new today

[okw2012]

Originally Posted by MaeManda

Well, I was so disheartened by the responses that I called Disney Dining and asked them - they said that since my FIL will be on the deluxe plan he'll have a "Key to the World" or something like that and will be allowed to deduct all 30 meals at a go (15 people at signature dining) if he so chooses! The rest of us, who just have regular dining would not be able to do that.

Thank you all for your input! I guess we all learned something new today

I'd ask DD to confirm this in writing so that there is no problem at the restaurant (they might not do this too often, so you could end up loosing time). I'd also tell the waiter as soon as you arrive.

[MaeManda]

Originally Posted by okw2012

I'd ask DD to confirm this in writing so that there is no problem at the restaurant (they might not do this too often, so you could end up loosing time). I'd also tell the waiter as soon as you arrive.

Thank you for the advice! I will definitely heed it and get something sent in writing. With a group our size dining is always barely on this side of chaotic, I'm sure the severs will appreciate as few surprises as possible

[Cafeen]

Officially, the answer will be no.

You cannot purchase meals for people not on your plan. This is limited by the KTTW card itself and what the CMs are supposed to cap it with (example, a room with 2 adults and 2 children would have 2A2C printed on their card, that's supposed to be the max number and make up of meals they can deduct at one time).

Originally Posted by DxDDP Brochure

You may not redeem meals or snacks for any Guests who are not on your Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.

-Source-

Now, unofficially, this does happen from time to time (though, 15 may be very much pushing it!) I know they allowed me to redeem one of my credits for Mom's meal this past trip. But again, it's a very rare exception to the norm and should most definitely NOT be counted on!

Note that Disney Dining CMs often get these types of things wrong. It's just the way it is. Asking how the restaurants themselves handle these things (at the restaurants themselves) will get you the best answer, but by then it's too late.

[Maggie'sMom]

Originally Posted by MaeManda

Well, I was so disheartened by the responses that I called Disney Dining and asked them - they said that since my FIL will be on the deluxe plan he'll have a "Key to the World" or something like that and will be allowed to deduct all 30 meals at a go (15 people at signature dining) if he so chooses! The rest of us, who just have regular dining would not be able to do that.

Thank you all for your input! I guess we all learned something new today

When you call Disney, you are talking to someone in a call center who may never have been to Disney. Some CMs are well-trained and give out correct info. Others do not. The call centers notoriously give out wrong information regularly. The answers you get here on the Disboards are much more likely to be correct.

[vicki_c]

Originally Posted by MaeManda

Well, I was so disheartened by the responses that I called Disney Dining and asked them - they said that since my FIL will be on the deluxe plan he'll have a "Key to the World" or something like that and will be allowed to deduct all 30 meals at a go (15 people at signature dining) if he so chooses! The rest of us, who just have regular dining would not be able to do that.

Thank you all for your input! I guess we all learned something new today

I hope that works out. I've never heard of that being allowed, deluxe dining plan or not. None of the dining plans are intended - at all - to let you purchase meals for those not on your reservation. I really think the dining CM you spoke with was incorrect, but I hope you find out otherwise.