2020 dining plan changes- game changer! DxDP - any plan changes or credit sharing issues?

[KayaWildfire]

In the UK you often get a free dining deal that is bigger than the US version. If it comes out again this year for 2021. Would people be better off putting all the kids down as adults for the dining plan? Currently the difference between an ultimate pass for adults and kids is £30 so tickets are not that more expensive.

Does anyone have any experience with Disney questioning kids who are clearly under 10 using an adults dining plan?

We just returned and because we checked in 2019, we could still use the loophole of using child credits for adults. A CM at landscape of flavors at AoA made a big deal out of our 9 year old having an adult meal and commented several times about it being an adult meal at the register. Yes, it sure is. Obviously she was allowed to have it because our credits weren't differentiated, but I can see going forward CM's may question it. Especially at ts restaurants. I would caution you also not to put down your kids as kids age at ts restaurants because on our last day, our youngest wasn't allowed off the kids menu at Liberty Tree despite having the deluxe plan and undifferentiated credits. Wasn't a huge deal until dessert when she didn't want an ice cream sundae, but the cm wouldn't allow her an adult dessert.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Technically the ltt cm followed the plan. It currently says children must order from a child’s menu....

so the loophole w pooled credits closed and the cm followed the plan. Child was required to order off a child’s menu.

bit of a bummer to end the vacay that way.

 

[KayaWildfire]

Technically the ltt cm followed the plan. It currently says children must order from a child’s menu....

so the loophole w pooled credits closed and the cm followed the plan. Child was required to order off a child’s menu.

bit of a bummer to end the vacay that way.

I personally don't have a huge issue with it, just was commenting in reference to people planning to age up kids on the plan and having an issue. I will also add, sharing does still seem to be allowed. We did it three times as ts places(LTT, H&V, and Prime Time) after 1/1 and there wasn't a problem other than the previously mentioned kids must eat on kids menu issue.

 

[maxiesmom]

Technically the ltt cm followed the plan. It currently says children must order from a child’s menu....

so the loophole w pooled credits closed and the cm followed the plan. Child was required to order off a child’s menu.

bit of a bummer to end the vacay that way.

A bummer for sure. But sad that Disney had to take the steps it has taken to force people to do what they were being told in writing to do.

Another loophole closed. I wonder what is next on their radar? They sure seem to be tightening down on everything.

 

[sharonabe]

We will have 3 Disney adults, 2 Disney kids & a Disney Freebie. We were originally going to use the "loophole", and would have ordered 3 adult meals, splittling the 3 apps, entrees & desserts between the 6 of us. If the numbers work, I plan to do the same, just paying for 3 adults - or maybe 2 adults & 1 kid.

I'm not sure anyone ever answered you and I'm a little confused about what you want/plan to do. Are you staying in two separate rooms? That is the only way to not get the DDP for everyone, so I assume you have two rooms. With that assumption, you could put 2 adults and 1 child in one room and get the DxDDP for that room. You could then share the 2 adult credits with the other adult and the 1 child credits with the other child. Depending on the meals you choose, you may end up with leftover child credits which couldn't be used for anything other than kid's meals, so you need to really plan well and check your math.
If you think you may have extra adult credits, then there's no problem. Those credits can be used to purchase any meal and/or 3 snacks in one transaction. But again, you need to do the math, because using those credits for anything other than an adult meal changes the value.

 

[Nancyg56]

I personally don't have a huge issue with it, just was commenting in reference to people planning to age up kids on the plan and having an issue. I will also add, sharing does still seem to be allowed. We did it three times as ts places(LTT, H&V, and Prime Time) after 1/1 and there wasn't a problem other than the previously mentioned kids must eat on kids menu issue.

these are two separate situations. In one a guest purchased a children’s deluxe dining plan and was told that the child needed to order from a children’s menu. Apples to apples. In the other a guest has purchased an adult ticket for a child and had paid the difference in cost. At that point an adult plan is included in a FD offer, or the guest has paid the difference in cost between a children’s plan and an adult plan.

unless Disney intends to require ID to prove age in minors I believe they will need to accept “aging up”

I think it is rather difficult to determine kids ages. My friends have two 11 yo girls and a 9 yo. The 9 yo is a shorty and looks about 7. The two older girls are like day and night. One is taller than me and could pass for 14. The other is tall ( I guess, no idea normal height for kids) but looks like she is younger. I took two 13 year olds and holy cannoli! They passed for 16. This is not the area I think a cm or Disney will wade into

 

[rdaky]

My problem with this will be that the kids menus are all so limited. If they improved the kids offerings to give more variety, or made it so kids can have smaller portions of adult entrees, this would be fine but it looks like they haven't made any changes there(?). I can see myself eating some kids meals when we go back just so my kids can use some adult credits to get something other chicken tenders or mac n cheese.

It probably depends on where you eat. We don't do the dining plan, so our whole family orders kids meals at some of the counter service places when there were options that appeal to us. Pecos Bill, Sunshine Seasons, Flame Tree BBQ, Be our Guest have a good variety of kids meals that are filling, to name a few. My teenager even ordered a kids pot roast at Liberty Tree Tavern and it was a full plate of food that could feed an adult.

 

[ACJT]

Another update. ....

we joined our onsite friends again last night at San Angel.
Onsite room has dxdp with one adult three kids
Offsite room has three adults.
Onsite room only had 6 child credits remaining. We informed our service we only had child credits left. He immediately said “no problem”. He encouraged us to order as we please and the credits would cover 6 of our 7 meals. We’d only need to pay OOP for one meal. I questioned him on whether or not he was sure that was fine. He assured me “no problem “

At the conclusion of our meal he scanned a band and went off to apply charges, etc. After a long wait he came back and apologized as he didn’t realize the system would not allow him to use child credits for adult meals. Feeling bad that he had misinformed, he changed all our order (except 1) to appear as child meals and used our credits. ....very kind of him.

So long story short. .....credits can still be shared, but the dxdp system will not allow child credits to be used for adult meals anymore .....even if your server insists they can.

I think our experience is the result of servers themselves learning the new system combined with the fact there is most likely still guests using the 2019 dxdp under the old rules.

 

[jf256]

I think what i will be recommending my friend to do as she has free dining with one 12 year old and one 9 year old...is to share an adult quick service meal and convert the kids meal to one snack credit and use it for dessert or a side..eg pulled pork cheese fries or at one of the festivals. On the days where they dont fancy anythjng on the kids menu. Or use the Kids QS at satuli or somewhere like that to get the hot dog and bao buns, when the 12 year old would rather have the kids option anyway.

 

[MamaBelle4]

No. Bait and switch is to sell one product but provide a different one. Disney has never claimed you can use kids credits for adult meals, and has never told people to buy a childrens plan and then use it on adult meals. The verbiage in their brouchure has been specific in that regard.

Actually, no. The verbiage has been mentioned several times here, even in a reply you were quoting. Must be used for a kids meal, where available which clearly implies that if there are not kids meals available, an adult meal can be substituted.

I don't have a problem with the closing of the loophole, though some advertisement would have been nice for people who have been blindly impacted.

My issue is not adding kids menu items to the restaurants without kids menus at the same time you roll out this plan. That is unacceptable and kind of bait and switch-y.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I think what i will be recommending my friend to do as she has free dining with one 12 year old and one 9 year old...is to share an adult quick service meal and convert the kids meal to one snack credit and use it for dessert or a side..eg pulled pork cheese fries or at one of the festivals. On the days where they dont fancy anythjng on the kids menu. Or use the Kids QS at satuli or somewhere like that to get the hot dog and bao buns, when the 12 year old would rather have the kids option anyway.

You can't convert the kid meal to anything...only adult meals can convert to snacks (this has been confirmed twice in thread).

So, I'd do the last thing...encourage use of extra kid meals at CS's where they are good...and avoid using them at CS's that are bad...

 

[Nancyg56]

Actually, no. The verbiage has been mentioned several times here, even in a reply you were quoting. Must be used for a kids meal, where available which clearly implies that if there are not kids meals available, an adult meal can be substituted.

I don't have a problem with the closing of the loophole, though some advertisement would have been nice for people who have been blindly impacted.

My issue is not adding kids menu items to the restaurants without kids menus at the same time you roll out this plan. That is unacceptable and kind of bait and switch-y.

I am not sure if the implication that kids could order an adult meal if there was not a kids option is that clear. With that said, I think the Disney needs to endure that there are kids options available or remove that restaurant from the dining plan choices. I wonder if that will be the solution with Casey’s. If I could order a $5 hit fog instead of a more expensive one I would, and I’m not at all positive that would be in the restaurants best interest.

 

[serenitynow]

Actually, no. The verbiage has been mentioned several times here, even in a reply you were quoting. Must be used for a kids meal, where available which clearly implies that if there are not kids meals available, an adult meal can be substituted.

I don't have a problem with the closing of the loophole, though some advertisement would have been nice for people who have been blindly impacted.

My issue is not adding kids menu items to the restaurants without kids menus at the same time you roll out this plan. That is unacceptable and kind of bait and switch-y.

It says must be used for a child’s meal where available. If no child meal is available than the child service credit cannot be used

If it must be used for a child’s meal, it is not implied that it can be used for an adult meal if no child meal is available. A strict reading is that the child credit can be used at any restaurant a child meal is available. If No child meal is available , than an adult meal is served which requires an adult meal payment (credit), like any other restaurant without a kids menu.

 

[MamaBelle4]

It says must be used for a child’s meal where available. If no child meal is available than the child service credit cannot be used

If it must be used for a child’s meal, it is not implied that it can be used for an adult meal if no child meal is available. A strict reading is that the child credit can be used at any restaurant a child meal is available. If No child meal is available , than an adult meal is served which requires an adult meal payment (credit), like any other restaurant without a kids menu.

I'm going to have to disagree with you here, but this is the last I'll post about it because it doesn't really align with the purpose of this thread.

If it was that it had to be used for a child menu item, it would simply say, "Must be used for a child's menu item." But it doesn't, it says "Where available" which implies that there is an alternative when child menu options are not available.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm going to have to disagree with you here, but this is the last I'll post about it because it doesn't really align with the purpose of this thread.

If it was that it had to be used for a child menu item, it would simply say, "Must be used for a child's menu item." But it doesn't, it says "Where available" which implies that there is an alternative when child menu options are not available.

You may be right. And Disney may simply determine to remove those few Restaurants from the plan choices, or add nuggets and Mac and cheese as choices for kids. Bet you a buck there will not be a children’s hot dog included as a kids meal.

 

[MamaBelle4]

You may be right. And Disney may simply determine to remove those few Restaurants from the plan choices, or add nuggets and Mac and cheese as choices for kids. Bet you a buck there will not be a children’s hot dog included as a kids meal.

I decline to take that bet

 

[Wosmama6]

This REALLY sucks for us. We are doing a confirmed reservation dvc rental and had just added the dxdp a couple weeks ago. We have a sitter staying offsite that will be onsite with our daughter a lot and we had planned to share with her and just pay out of pocket for our son and daughter or order appetizers for them, etc. I'm trying to see if I can get a refund now but I'm gonna guess not because of how the confirmed reservations work (you're not allowed to buy the point protection).

 

[handyl03]

I am not sure if the implication that kids could order an adult meal if there was not a kids option is that clear. With that said, I think the Disney needs to endure that there are kids options available or remove that restaurant from the dining plan choices. I wonder if that will be the solution with Casey’s. If I could order a $5 hit fog instead of a more expensive one I would, and I’m not at all positive that would be in the restaurants best interest.

They’ll probably just add a kids portion of mac & cheese or a smaller portion of corn dog nuggets as Casey’s kids meal options. Both items are already available and easily sized down for kids. For other locations that don’t have items that can be sized down they could easily add uncrustables as the kids options or just remove the restaurants from the dining plan. I will be surprised if they allow adult meals to be purchased with child dining credits moving forward. Disney is closing the loopholes.

 

[jessiegirl1982]

I have a FDP trip (QS) booked for my 8 yo DGS and me in Sept. Based on this thread, my TA aged him up to 10 (she said this was allowed?) and he will now be a Disney adult. Cost me less than $20 and I won’t have to worry about kids versus adult meals. Seems an easy solution to the problem

Yes, I did the same for my 6 year old!

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what the situation would be for special diets. We are all vegetarians, there are times when only the adult meals has a decent vegetarian option. The kids meals are chicken nuggets or something along those lines.

Don't get the DDP. My son is vegetarian (his choice, the rest of us are omnivores) and we were able to make the DDP work last trip because he could use his QS credits on adult vegetarian meals like the ones at Docking Bay 7 and Satuli Canteen. Otherwise it would have been mac n cheese or uncrustables for every QS meal. We will be paying OOP next trip and hoping to find a RO discount instead of looking for a FD offer.