A conundrum

[Welsh_Dragon]

I would appreciate your opinions. I upgraded the ‘free’ DP to the DxDP and I planned our ADRs to get the best use of the 63 TCs credits for our eating/touring style. We (two ‘real’ rather than Disney adult children and me) have booked Signature restaurants for each night and plan to eat snack breakfasts and then be flexible at lunchtime and use snack credits at F&W or visit Signature restaurants/TS restaurants at lunch, but at lunchtime are most likely to share plates and definitely not have three courses each. Anyway there was a plan that we were happy with.

However a friend of one of my adult children has a holiday home in Orlando and will there at the same time as us and the friend’s family have asked to join us for dinner on three evenings. Sometimes three or four people, sometimes two, sometimes just the friend. I have met them once or twice and I am happy for them to join us but .... how do I negotiate the bill paying situation?

My initial reaction was to reorganise our lunch time ADRs so that I would have sufficient TCs available to cover the other family’s meals (it would use up about 12 or 14 extra TCs) but my family think this is a ridiculous/over generous idea... and even then what would I do about OOP extras, such as add ons, extra wine, gratuities etc?

I am happy to and will definitely cover the cost of the friend when he joins us on his own, but I really don’t know how to address the bill on the other evenings when the family join us. And should I raise it with the other family now to save an awkward embarrassing moment at the table?

I am, as we say in this part of the world, getting myself ‘in a pickle’. If we did not have the DP, I would probably split the bill 50/50 on two of the evenings and pay the entire bill when just the friend joins us but for some reason being on the plan complicates things (in my head at least). Would it be churlish to ask the waiter to charge our meals to the DxDP and split any OOPs and gratuity 50/50? And I know they have APs and probably TiW too.

What would you do?

 

[brewhome]

I would ask the waiter to split the bill between the families. Kindly explain to the friends that you have the dining plan and had already pre-planned your use of the credits. Anyone that knows anything about Disney understands that this process is almost a science. Use your credits to cover just your meals, pay for your extras and your gratuity, and let them cover their own. If you want to offer to cover their gratuity or buy a nice bottle of wine or round of drinks for them and cover it with your portion, you could do that... or offer to pay for one meal for them OOP (while using your credits for your meals as planned). Or, if they are wandering with you at lunch time and you want to buy them some snacks with extra snack credits, go for it. Them inviting themselves to join you (and I don’t mean that meanly) doesn’t require you to pay for their meals.

 

[garris3404]

Just like dining at any restaurant, split the bill.

 

[Bjkandma]

I definitely would bring it up before hand, just so there was no awkward moments. Pay for your dinners using your plan. When and if you'd like to treat to some drinks, wine or snacks just let the cast member\server know you would like to pay for "whatever" and they will add that to your bill.

 

[rg35]

I would probably avoid meeting with them so many times. Three or four meals is a lot of intrusion into someone's vacation, especially with people you don't really know all that well (at least that's how it sounds). I'd suggest offering to have one meal with them and explain ahead of time that you are using the dining plan and will split the bill so you can use your credits and they can pay cash for their portion.

 

[thepicklebee]

I would never even consider that someone would cover my dinner if I was joining someone else. I would ask for separate checks and if you want to cover anything, say appetizers, just ask for that to be added onto your bill.

We also say in a pickle

 

[TravelandLeisure]

I agree with the other posters. Nothing about this situation indicates that you should be responsible for paying any of the other family’s bill. Just pay your family’s part with credits and the server can separate the checks and the other family pays for their own meal however they like.

 

[MomOTwins]

Wow this is such a weird culture difference. The norm I am used to is the person who chooses the restaurant pays the bill for everyone there. Then the next time you go out if someone else picks, they pay, and it all sort of evens out over time with people taking turns to pay. That way the person picking the restaurant can find a place in their budget, rather than creating an awkward situation where the friends are invited to join at restaurant where they have no say in the cost.

I haven't split a bill since I was in college! ​

 

[Christine]

Wow this is such a weird culture difference. The norm I am used to is the person who chooses the restaurant pays the bill for everyone there. Then the next time you go out if someone else picks, they pay, and it all sort of evens out over time with people taking turns to pay. That way the person picking the restaurant can find a place in their budget, rather than creating an awkward situation where the friends are invited to join at restaurant where they have no say in the cost.
I haven't split a bill since I was in college!

I can see where that's done among close friends who dine together all the time.

This is a rare situation. The OP is on vacation out of their area, visiting/dining with friends that they probably don't see on any type of regular basis. There may not be a chance for the other parties to reciprocate so it will "all even out."

Plus the OP is on a prepaid dining plan with restaurants picked out to maximize that plan, not picked out to be affordable so he can pay for guests.

Very, very different scenario.

 

[Pumbaa_]

When the server arrives, tell them this number (my family) is onthe dining plan. So separate bills are automatic

 

[rosiebean]

Wow this is such a weird culture difference. The norm I am used to is the person who chooses the restaurant pays the bill for everyone there. Then the next time you go out if someone else picks, they pay, and it all sort of evens out over time with people taking turns to pay. That way the person picking the restaurant can find a place in their budget, rather than creating an awkward situation where the friends are invited to join at restaurant where they have no say in the cost.
I haven't split a bill since I was in college!

But the person who chose the restaurants in this case did so without knowing another family would basically invite themselves to several meals after plans were made. Are you saying if you chose to go out to eat and pick a restaurant, you’re responsible for paying for anyone who decides to go with you, even if you didn’t invite them or they weren’t part of the original planning? I’m not being snarky, I’m trying to understand.

 

[HopperFan]

OP

As is said, the servers at Disney are quite used to splitting bills because lots of groups eat together on all different types of meal plans, discount plans, etc. And as the other family I would never expect you to pay for my meal. If you offered for just one I might accept, if you offered for my family I would say no.

Wow this is such a weird culture difference. The norm I am used to is the person who chooses the restaurant pays the bill for everyone there. Then the next time you go out if someone else picks, they pay, and it all sort of evens out over time with people taking turns to pay. That way the person picking the restaurant can find a place in their budget, rather than creating an awkward situation where the friends are invited to join at restaurant where they have no say in the cost.
I haven't split a bill since I was in college!

I've only had that happen with say two people who are dating or like myself and my Mom often doing lunch. But it has nothing to do with who picked we just alternate. We eat out often with families or friends and it would never occur to me to cover their food ... we all order what we want, drink what we want and we each pay for our own groups getting our own bills. On the rare occasion it's a smaller group and a single bill .... money is put out in cash; or a person paying with plastic is given cash or venmo money. Same with sharing a car or picking up tickets for someone so they are together.

If meals were done with alternating I probably would never be going out, I prefer to pay for myself and family. I especially think the awkwardness of some folks picking more expensive restaurants than others ... creates imbalance in the relationship.

 

[paisleys]

I would probably avoid meeting with them so many times. Three or four meals is a lot of intrusion into someone's vacation, especially with people you don't really know all that well (at least that's how it sounds). I'd suggest offering to have one meal with them and explain ahead of time that you are using the dining plan and will split the bill so you can use your credits and they can pay cash for their portion.

^THIS. A WDW vacation these days is highly complex, expensive, scheduled and organized. Three meals together is a lot and kind of intrusive of the Orlando dwellers. We have Orlando relatives and have stopped mentioning when we will be there. It sounds terrible but after waiting (and waiting) for people who always seem to be late, or people changing plans last minute it would take hours out of the day. Rushing back to meet up with people instead of enjoying the park or whatever. WDW is just too expensive. One meal would be nice, but not three.

 

[DISNEY1975]

We (two ‘real’ rather than Disney adult children and me) have booked Signature restaurants for each night and plan to eat snack breakfasts and then be flexible at lunchtime and use snack credits at F&W or visit Signature restaurants/TS restaurants at lunch, but at lunchtime are most likely to share plates and definitely not have three courses each.

Looks to me like you are saving credits for the meals when your guests will be joining you.

If your question is should you use your credits, then take cash from the friends to cover their portion, then I would say absolutely not. Tell the server you want to use your DP to cover 3 meals and have the rest paid OOP. Then you split the cost of the wine and tip.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

If your question is should you use your credits, then take cash from the friends to cover their portion,

No, no, no.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

is the person who chooses the restaurant pays the bill for everyone there.

Yes and this is what I would do ‘at home’. In this instance, I chose the restaurants (and upgraded our plan so that it would cover my choices). The basic DP was ‘free’ at part of a package, so I only ‘paid’ (I know, I know for the upgrade.

 

[DISNEY1975]

No, no, no.

Honestly, Im just trying to save you a little $$, which I totally understand is YOUR $$ which you are free do what you please with, but.......

from what you described as your plan, it would make more $$ sense to go with the regular DP and pay OOP for whatever may be missing. You can trade each (1) QS credit for 3 snack credits which would cover your plan for breakfast and give you more for F&W.

Whatever you end up doing, have a wonderful vacation

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

he

Maybe she but that, maybe, perhaps, adds to the issue. There will be two gentlemen, my student son and the patriarch of the other family.