2 year olds don't get dining -- any way to change that?

[DashforCash]

We planning a March Disney trip. We have 4 children, the youngest will be 3 10 days after we leave Disney. I just found out he won't qualify for a dining plan. I really don't want to have to pay out of pocket for all of his meals. Is there anything I can do?

 

[TDC Nala]

Register the child as 3 years old and buy him a park ticket - afraid that's the only way.

The biggest problem you may have with this is because you are a large family, registering your 2 year old as 3 might put you over room capacity in some resorts.

If you want to leave him registered as 2 years old you can also go for buffets and all you can eat/fixed price restaurants, he can eat his fill there for free. Also, the rest of the family could share with him.

 

[DashforCash]

Well dang. Alright, thanks!

 

[3princes+1princess]

We planning a March Disney trip. We have 4 children, the youngest will be 3 10 days after we leave Disney. I just found out he won't qualify for a dining plan. I really don't want to have to pay out of pocket for all of his meals. Is there anything I can do?

Make all your dining reservations for buffets where they can eat as much as they want for free

We have a 2 year old....but between all of the other kids, there is enough food for her if they all share a little. We never buy as many kids meals as kids in any resturant. They do not make you get one from here, I think they expect you to share.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

With that many people, I doubt that you will need to buy him extra food. We didn't in September, there was always plenty of food to share. And like a PP suggested we did lots of family style and buffets. The only menu TS we did was Le Cellier and they offered to bring him his own meal free of charge which we turned down other than a drink and dessert because there was more than enough food.

 

[lisateaches]

Just pay for his/her food as you go.

 

[DashforCash]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Jperiod]

Related question...I have a very hungry 1 yo that could very well eat my entire adult meal. We're paying for dining, not going on the free promo, and we're staying in a DVC unit. We bought our tickets from undercover tourist. We have buffets scheduled for all our TS credits, but I wondered if I could buy her the DP plan even though she's 1? I thought we could use her credits to fill in the gaps of breakfast for her and DS, as well as get her her own meal when the rest of us are using our CS credits. Can I do this? Or would I have to regester her as 3 and buy her a park ticket too? How would this work on our KTTW? Wouldn't they see she's just a baby? Would they try to charge us her TS credits at the buffets?

 

[amyr1]

She would have to have the same plan as the rest of the family. What would you do with the extra child TS credits if you get her in free because she's under 3? You would have those left over unless you scheduled other meals...I can see this working if you want more TS meals and are willing to pay oop for the adults that attend.

If all you want is some extra CS meals, I think you would be better off just paying oop for those.

Amy

 

[Jperiod]

Well, assuming I don't have to buy her a ticket, I'd get the DP like the rest of us. From what I understand, TS credits can be used at CS. So as long as I don't have to use her TS credits when we're at the buffets (because she's supposed to be free), I'd use those extra credits toward breakfasts for her/DS here and there and her CS credits for her own meal when we're eating CS. Not to mention the extra snack credit she'd get.

I haven't priced out kids CS meals, but this could be easier than me carting in extra food and perhaps cheaper/same cost as buying her extra.

 

[catne]

Well, assuming I don't have to buy her a ticket, I'd get the DP like the rest of us. From what I understand, TS credits can be used at CS. So as long as I don't have to use her TS credits when we're at the buffets (because she's supposed to be free), I'd use those extra credits toward breakfasts for her/DS here and there and her CS credits for her own meal when we're eating CS. Not to mention the extra snack credit she'd get.

I haven't priced out kids CS meals, but this could be easier than me carting in extra food and perhaps cheaper/same cost as buying her extra.

Your understanding of TS credits is not quite correct...sometimes you can use the TS at CS. Basically you'll have OK luck doing this at your resort's counter service. Everywhere else, it will be hit and miss as to whether or not they'll take the TS credits. We have been in line behind people who were being told they did not have enough counter service credits and could NOT use TS credits at Cosmic Rays, Main Street Bakery, Sunshine Seasons, and Starring Rolls to name some places. Back when Free Dining was new and really packed the table service restaurants they did allow TS to be used at virtually all CS, but that changed a couple of years ago.

Kids meal prices are in the $5-6 range including beverage. Example would be the Kids' Picks at Cosmic Rays:

(Children 9 and under)
(All Sides of Restaurant)
All meals include grapes, carrot sticks and
Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water or apple juice

Chicken Nuggets $5.49
Turkey Sandwich $5.49
Smucker's Uncrustables Sandwich $5.49

 

[sarmat1]

We have buffets scheduled for all our TS credits, but I wondered if I could buy her the DP plan even though she's 1?

Why would you want to do this? If you have buffets for your TS credits, she gets to eat for free at all of them without any plan. If you're worried about CS, just pay OOP for her meals there. Kids meals there are pretty cheap - $5-$6.

 

[TDC Nala]

Related question...I have a very hungry 1 yo that could very well eat my entire adult meal. We're paying for dining, not going on the free promo, and we're staying in a DVC unit. We bought our tickets from undercover tourist. We have buffets scheduled for all our TS credits, but I wondered if I could buy her the DP plan even though she's 1? I thought we could use her credits to fill in the gaps of breakfast for her and DS, as well as get her her own meal when the rest of us are using our CS credits. Can I do this? Or would I have to regester her as 3 and buy her a park ticket too? How would this work on our KTTW? Wouldn't they see she's just a baby? Would they try to charge us her TS credits at the buffets?

You can get her the dining plan ONLY if you register her as three and buy her the park ticket. As for how they will react at restaurants when they see the child is obviously well under three, there isn't any real way to know that. However, if you're planning to attend all buffets, just buy extra food as needed. Since all your TS meals are buffets and the one year old eats free at all of them, I'm assuming you want the extra credits just to get some CS for breakfast. It would probably cost you more to buy a park ticket and pay for an extra child's dining plan than it would to just pay for some extra CS food.

 

[Jperiod]

Okay, thanks for clearing all that up! Good to know about that TS/CS thing, I totally thought TS credits could be used downward, but CS credits couldn't be used upward. We have enough TS meals scheduled to use all of ours, so we should be fine. But I had kept that in the back of my head in case we didn't make one of the ADRs for some reason.

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh, you don't need the ticket if you're staying DVC, but you do have to register her as three. If all your TS are buffets, then just buy breakfast for your one year old.

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh, you don't need the ticket if you're staying DVC, but you do have to register her as three. If all your TS are buffets, then just buy breakfast for your one year old. Kids meals for breakfast really don't cost all that much.