This is one thing that I find very annoying about the dining plan. They say snacks are generally anything under $4 except pizza slices, etc.
As others have pointed out, that is actually not what they say. This is what Disney says a snack is:
2007 Dining Plan Brochure said:
- Frozen Ice-Cream Novelty, Popsicle or Fruit Bar
- Popcorn Scoop (single serving box)
- Single Piece of Whole Fruit
- Single serving Bag of Snacks
- 20 oz. Bottle of Coke®, Diet Coke®, Sprite® or 20 oz. Dasani® Water
- Medium Fountain Soft Drink
- 12 oz Coffee, Hot Chocolate, or Hot Tea
- Single serving Prepackaged Milk or Juice
Look for this symbol at Quick Service, Cart, and select merchandise locations for eligible snack options on the Disney Dining
Plan.
So if it isn't on that list, and doesn't have a symbol indicating it is available for a Dining Plan snack credit, don't count on it being offered to you for a snack credit.
What happened to no exclusions?
Disney never promised "no exclusions." Indeed, the FAQ lists a st of exclusions. The list is remarkably short, but again, Disney never said "no exclusions."
We will be using the DDP for the first time this year and I am really concerned about running into these exclusions. Are there more I should know about?
As mentioned above, there is a list of them in the Dining Plan FAQ:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=16079998
I'd humbly recommend that the list of exclusions in the FAQ be updated to show that pastries at Boulangerie are not available on the DDP
Done.
or alternatively maybe there should be a sticky thread for things under $4 that are confirmed NOT to be available as snacks on the DDP (hopefully to be a much shorter thread than the one that shows snacks on the plan).
The existing
**Confirmed Snacks included in Dining Plan/add yours here** thread does a good job at listing what is included -- assume that if it isn't listed there it isn't included. Perhaps Joyce might consider having a second list at the bottom, as you suggest. You should PM her, just in case she doesn't see your message.
Unless I misunderstood the guest relations lady, she told me if it(the place) is in the dining pamphlet and showing that meal available, then it is available..period.
Yes, but not everything at every venue is available for Dining Plan credits.
She also told me if that were to happen again, to go to guest relations and they would immediately correct the situation.
She's mistaken. It's a shame but sometimes the guest services folks don't know what they're talking about.
She did say that places in DTD may be exempt or have their own rules, but anything on the main Disney properties was not(assuming it is in the pamplet they give you)
Yes, she definitely doesn't know what she's talking about. There is no distinction between DTD and "main Disney properties". The only relevant distinction is between Disney-owned (
including Cap'n Jack's at DTD) and non-Disney-owned (including Boulangerie at Epcot's World Showcase).
Plan on what you know you are entitled to and if you are given extras be grateful--what I mean by that is if you are to get a beverage, entree and dessert be grateful that you were given chips with that even though your plan doesn't really include that.
You've really hit the nail on the head. A lot of the confusion stems from people assuming that if they get something more than they're promised somewhere, that they're entitled to it everywhere, or alternatively that if someone got something more than they were promised, that everyone is entitled to that. In reality, the approach you suggest is best: Go in knowing what you've purchased, expect what you were explicitly promised, and then be delighted whenever you get some extra pixie dust.