A few DP newbie questions! DIS experts - we need YOU!

[TheBunny]

Hello everyone! New member here blush.

We're hoping to book a trip to Disney for next year, but have read a couple of things about the dining plan that confused us. Maybe we didn't get the full picture, but anyway. Could anyone please confirm if there are any restrictions on the plan? For example, I'm sure I read somewhere that Chefs de France only lets you order from the prix fixe menu if you’re on dining plan, but for the life of me I can't find anything to confirm or deny this.

Also, as we are planning to maximise our credits while we’re there, I’m pretty sure it would be wiser to use the TS credits for more expensive evening meals rather than, say, one of the breakfast meals. How would this work? Do have to pay with your credit card or cash in case a credit is mistakenly redeemed from your plan? Or do you need to tell the CM a white lie that you’re not on DP?

Fiiiinally, as it would be the two of us on this trip, and let’s say I make most/all of the ADRs, would my girlfriend be able to see or check any special requests made at the time of booking? She’s a pescatarian so I don’t know if this would need to be specified at the time of bookings, but, also, if I wanted to try and plan a surprise at one of our reservations, would she be able to see this on the MDE site when looking through the ADRs we have?

Thanks for any help!

 

[smbowtie]

Hello everyone! New member here blush.

(1) We're hoping to book a trip to Disney for next year, but have read a couple of things about the dining plan that confused us. Maybe we didn't get the full picture, but anyway. Could anyone please confirm if there are any restrictions on the plan? For example, I'm sure I read somewhere that Chefs de France only lets you order from the prix fixe menu if you’re on dining plan, but for the life of me I can't find anything to confirm or deny this.

(2) Also, as we are planning to maximise our credits while we’re there, I’m pretty sure it would be wiser to use the TS credits for more expensive evening meals rather than, say, one of the breakfast meals. How would this work? Do have to pay with your credit card or cash in case a credit is mistakenly redeemed from your plan? Or do you need to tell the CM a white lie that you’re not on DP?

(3)Fiiiinally, as it would be the two of us on this trip, and let’s say I make most/all of the ADRs, would my girlfriend be able to see or check any special requests made at the time of booking? She’s a pescatarian so I don’t know if this would need to be specified at the time of bookings, but, also, if I wanted to try and plan a surprise at one of our reservations, would she be able to see this on the MDE site when looking through the ADRs we have?

Thanks for any help!

(1) If you are on the DDP (1TS-1QS and 1 snack) you order from what ever is listed on the menu, whether it's lunch or dinner. There are some that require 2 TS credits per meal. You can check out the meals here. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/

(2) If you want to pay for BF then you tell the cashier to charge it to room or pay cash. They won't use a credit unless you tell them to. For lunch and dinner you tell your server to begin with that you are on the DDP. They don't care how you are paying.
We do this all the time.

(3) If she is linked to your MDE then yes, she will be able to see all the plans.

Hope this helps

 

[ses1230]

Hello everyone! New member here blush. We're hoping to book a trip to Disney for next year, but have read a couple of things about the dining plan that confused us. Maybe we didn't get the full picture, but anyway. Could anyone please confirm if there are any restrictions on the plan? For example, I'm sure I read somewhere that Chefs de France only lets you order from the prix fixe menu if you’re on dining plan, but for the life of me I can't find anything to confirm or deny this. Also, as we are planning to maximise our credits while we’re there, I’m pretty sure it would be wiser to use the TS credits for more expensive evening meals rather than, say, one of the breakfast meals. How would this work? Do have to pay with your credit card or cash in case a credit is mistakenly redeemed from your plan? Or do you need to tell the CM a white lie that you’re not on DP? Fiiiinally, as it would be the two of us on this trip, and let’s say I make most/all of the ADRs, would my girlfriend be able to see or check any special requests made at the time of booking? She’s a pescatarian so I don’t know if this would need to be specified at the time of bookings, but, also, if I wanted to try and plan a surprise at one of our reservations, would she be able to see this on the MDE site when looking through the ADRs we have? Thanks for any help!

There are very few restrictions on the dining plan. Off the top of my head, the Kitchen Sink at B&C, alcohol, specialty drinks. If you have a question just ask the servers, they will explain it.

At Chefs, you can get the prix fixe or order from the regular menu.

In general dinners are more expensive so yes it is a good strategy to use credits for dinner. You have to check each one though because there are very inexpensive places to have dinner (Plaza, Beaches and Cream) and some of the character breakfasts are on the pricey side.

At the meal just tell the server if you are going to use credits or pay OOP. You decide what you use credits for and what you pay for, you don't have to say that you don't have the DDP if you don't want to use credits for that particular meal.

If your gf has an MDE account and you share planning she will probably be able to see the ADRs.

 

[TDC Nala]

For example, I'm sure I read somewhere that Chefs de France only lets you order from the prix fixe menu if you’re on dining plan, but for the life of me I can't find anything to confirm or deny this.

It's not the case.

You can order from the regular menu OR the prix fixe menu. But if you are on the regular dining plan, you are entitled to an appetizer covered by the plan ONLY if you order from the prix fixe menu. If you use that menu, no substitutions are allowed, so you can't ask if you can have the prix fixe but with a different dessert, for example. They'll allow for allergies but not so sure about dietary preferences, if you want to know whether a pescetarian can get a fish dish substituted for an entree or appetizer on the prix fixe. I can't answer that one. They do have the mac and cheese and I think that's vegetarian (although not vegan with all that cheese)

 

[TheBunny]

Thanks for the helpful answers.

 

[waitomo]

Also, if you are planning a surprise, you can call directly to the disney dining reservations and just don't link it to your account. Give them a different phone number and explain what you are doing. The number is 407 wdw dine, and even if it is more than a week away just press the number for in florida now, you will get a cast member directly and not have to go through all of the automated questions.