A few more dining plan questions

[ryty44]

I was origianlly told the dining plan can really be a budget saver. All of your credits go into one pot and are used accordingly. The tip boards advise that the credits are not specified adult or child, so a way to really save is to pay for your kids meals out of pocket and untilize the plan for the adults if you find you are going over the allocated amount. We have a few reservations that will require 2 vouchers so that was our plan. My friend hasn't been yet but is thinking that each individual person (adult and kids) are given their own "key" and on that key is the dining credits, so using a kids credit as an adults would be impossible. Does anybody know for sure how the credits are given to you and are they or aren't they put into one pot? Are they labeled "adult" or "kids". If anyone knows it would be really helpful!
Thank you
Me, Dh. Ds7, Ds4, DD 9 months
CR here we come 6 more days!
Feb 11- Feb 19

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, each person is (naturally) given their own "key", since this serves as your room key and often your park pass; in addition, it's 'proof', when needed, that one is a Disney Resort Guest. And yes, if the party is on the MYW Dining Plan, the number of total available credits is printed on each person's key.
BUT - all the credits are magnetically coded onto EACH key. This way, the entire party does not have to dine together in order to use each credit; plus, if your friend's statement were accurate, that would mean each person would have to present their individual key at each meal to have the credit applied, and each person would have to have been presented with a separate check.
Longwinded way of saying that, until/unless Disney changes things, your friend's information is inaccurate - although there have been rare, scattered reports of the occasional server not permitting out of pocket payments for kids' meals. Nope, can't tell you where. Don't know.

 

[mickman1962]

What you can get away with does not equal what is the ethical/moral/right thing to do.

If you use the child’s plan ( I don't care about them being pooled, I've heard all the arguments already ) which is about 1/3 the price of the adults plan, what RATIONAL argument can you give me that makes it OK, in your mind, to use that and eat adult meals?

I'm going in April with 6 kids and 6 adults. I'm staying in the cabins 6/cabin so I'm going to have one adult and 5 kids in one cabin and get the meal plan. I'm now only paying for 5 kid's plans and one adult plan. So according to all the people who like to milk the system for everything it's worth, all 6 adults can now eat all week after only paying for one adult plan and all I have to do is pay OOP for the little kids and I save a bundle. Oh that's right, I have a conscience.

 

[slcmkh]

Well said, Mickman. I have seen a number of posts where folks indicate that because all the credits, adult and child, are pooled into one pot, and because Disney doesn't then differentiate between adult and child credits, that there is nothing wrong with using child credits for adult meals. I don't want to call this blatant dishonesty, at the risk of getting flamed, but it is definitely taking advantage of a glitch in the system.

As people take advantage this way, mark my words Disney will crack down and restaurants will begin to require that all in a party pay with credits and not allow the occasional split between credits and OOP at table service restaurants. The consternation among guests on this website will be quite a sight to see if / when that happens.

One justification for using child credits for adult meals, I'm sure, is the fact that Disney is charging all children 10 and above as adults. "Well then, I'm going to even things up a bit with Disney by paying OOP for my younger than 10 year old kids and saving their credits for the adults in the party and get more table service adult meals out of the deal." I have been tempted to do this, but I fear that Disney will clamp down and not allow OOP for the kids at the TS meals, and I just don't feel right about it.

It just really seems to me that charging a 10 year old as an adult for the DP is in almost as poor form as bagging adult meals at kids prices. What I would give if Disney made a new class of kid, say, in the 10 to 14 age range, where there was an option to purchase either adult meal credits or kids meal credits, depending on the eating habits of the child. You can't search this website without finding somebody with the same problem: "my 12 year old simply can't eat that much food." I'm there right now with an 11 year old. I'd be a very happy guest if I could pay for kids meal credits for him at a kids meal price; and he'd be a very happy guest if he could eat kids meals for the entire vacation.

Would that Disney would offer the kids meal credit price as an option for the tweeners, and then keep people honest by differentiating between kids and adult credits at the restaurants.

Not wishing to be flamed. Just my opinions.

 

[pedro2112]

Well said, Mickman. I have seen a number of posts where folks indicate that because all the credits, adult and child, are pooled into one pot, and because Disney doesn't then differentiate between adult and child credits, that there is nothing wrong with using child credits for adult meals. I don't want to call this blatant dishonesty, at the risk of getting flamed, but it is definitely taking advantage of a glitch in the system.

.

It is not 'taking advantage of a glitch in the system', rather, it is using the plan in a manner in which Disney not only allows, but encourages. Disney management has instructed it's CMs at the resorts to tell people to use the plan this way. The examples Disney uses in it's literature confirms that anyone in the party, regardless of age, can use any of the pooled credits at any time. If Disney encourages this activity, how on earth can it be "dishonest." Please stop calling people who are using the plan in the manner it was intended as cheaters or dishonest. I am surprised the moderators of this site allow this foolishness to continue. If Disney want's to change it's plan to not pool credits, they had every opportunity to do so when they made changes to the plan at the beginning of the year. They didn't... they realize that for every "extra" TS credit for an adult, they have to pay out of pocket for at least two kid meals while still paying the 10 bucks a day for the plan. In addition, this gurantees at least one more meal on property rather than offsite.

 

[ashresiren]

One justification for using child credits for adult meals, I'm sure, is the fact that Disney is charging all children 10 and above as adults. "Well then, I'm going to even things up a bit with Disney by paying OOP for my younger than 10 year old kids and saving their credits for the adults in the party and get more table service adult meals out of the deal." I have been tempted to do this, but I fear that Disney will clamp down and not allow OOP for the kids at the TS meals, and I just don't feel right about it.

It just really seems to me that charging a 10 year old as an adult for the DP is in almost as poor form as bagging adult meals at kids prices. What I would give if Disney made a new class of kid, say, in the 10 to 14 age range, where there was an option to purchase either adult meal credits or kids meal credits, depending on the eating habits of the child. You can't search this website without finding somebody with the same problem: "my 12 year old simply can't eat that much food." I'm there right now with an 11 year old. I'd be a very happy guest if I could pay for kids meal credits for him at a kids meal price; and he'd be a very happy guest if he could eat kids meals for the entire vacation.

Would that Disney would offer the kids meal credit price as an option for the tweeners, and then keep people honest by differentiating between kids and adult credits at the restaurants.

Not wishing to be flamed. Just my opinions.

I don't have any children, but it seems to me that, as you have alluded, the real unethical act is being committed by Disney. Charging a 10 year old as an adult is completely laughable and in no way justifiable. However, I'm positive that most people would have no problem keeping children's credits just for children if Disney took your advice and created a third category. As it is, however, I have been through Disney's dining plan literature and find no stipulation stating that the credits cannot be used this way. Sure, it may be a loophole, or it may be, as some have said, that Disney intended the credits to be used this way. I won't pretend to know the answer. I do know, however, that this type of situation arises often in life and most people would take advantage of the loophole. For instance, most states have tax statutes requiring that you pay sales taxes for your online purchases at the end of the year. How many of us follow that one? (Or even know it exists) Also, people have different standards for what is moral/ethical. Thus, it seems kind of heavy handed to pick this one issue to jump on.

 

[mickman1962]

It's always convenient the way the people who play the system always manage to leave out the part where Disney states "[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]that children age 3-9 must choose from a children's menu, if one is available[/font]". Are the adults doing that??? Do you think they put that in because they don't care what gets ordered on the ticket you paid $10 for? I doubt it, that is why you pay more. How can you possibly rationalize that it is okay for an adult to get the filet after paying $35 a day for the plan and it is also OK for an adult to pay the $10 childs fee and also get the filet? I guess plain old fashioned common sense generation has been lost to the how much I can get away with generation.

 

[pedro2112]

It's always convenient the way the people who play the system always manage to leave out the part where Disney states "[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]that children age 3-9 must choose from a children's menu, if one is available[/font]". Are the adults doing that??? Do you think they put that in because they don't care what gets ordered on the ticket you paid $10 for? I doubt it, that is why you pay more. How can you possibly rationalize that it is okay for an adult to get the filet after paying $35 a day for the plan and it is also OK for an adult to pay the $10 childs fee and also get the filet? I guess plain old fashioned common sense generation has been lost to the how much I can get away with generation.

Wrong issue. Yes, if a child is planning on using a TS credit they must order from the child's menu. That is a seperare issue from the one discussed here, which is how Disney has set up the plan so that anyone in your party (regardless of age) can use any of the credits at any time.

 

[ryty44]

What you can get away with does not equal what is the ethical/moral/right thing to do.

If you use the child’s plan ( I don't care about them being pooled, I've heard all the arguments already ) which is about 1/3 the price of the adults plan, what RATIONAL argument can you give me that makes it OK, in your mind, to use that and eat adult meals?

I'm going in April with 6 kids and 6 adults. I'm staying in the cabins 6/cabin so I'm going to have one adult and 5 kids in one cabin and get the meal plan. I'm now only paying for 5 kid's plans and one adult plan. So according to all the people who like to milk the system for everything it's worth, all 6 adults can now eat all week after only paying for one adult plan and all I have to do is pay OOP for the little kids and I save a bundle. Oh that's right, I have a conscience.

The moral rationaly agrueement would be this: First--Disney obviously not only doesn't mind but seems to somewhat encourage it. 2nd--I paid $10 or $11 for those pooled credits and then on top of that will be paying for an off the menu item for my kids, which would equal what an adult entree costs anyway. It would just allow to eat at a charachter breakfast that would cost 2 credit instead of one. If it is immoral to do that, then one would think that it would be immoral for Disney to charge 2 credits for a meal that a character might be at, when the food is no more expensive than other restaurants on the plan. If you are to speak on ethics, why not speak about that.

I am not one to judge and while I asked a ? on how the plan works, I certainly did not ask you to be the "moral moderator". How is it your place to speak on ethics? You really under estimate Disney's intelligence if you think for one second they have a problem with the system working like this. They could change the entire system in a blink of an eye if they wanted to, but they don't--they want us eating on premisis---very wise of them if you ask me, almighty one.

 

[slcmkh]

I'm with Mickman on this.

Knew I was going to get flamed.

 

[ryty44]

It's always convenient the way the people who play the system always manage to leave out the part where Disney states "[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]that children age 3-9 must choose from a children's menu, if one is available[/font]". Are the adults doing that??? Do you think they put that in because they don't care what gets ordered on the ticket you paid $10 for? I doubt it, that is why you pay more. How can you possibly rationalize that it is okay for an adult to get the filet after paying $35 a day for the plan and it is also OK for an adult to pay the $10 childs fee and also get the filet? I guess plain old fashioned common sense generation has been lost to the how much I can get away with generation.

Actually Disney would have worded it like this: If using a child credit, you must order from the childrens menu when available. If they truly wanted to prevent adults from using kids credits and so forth. Do you peolple really think Disney is that stupid, they would never have a policy and not enforce it. They have the means to change the entire system immediately if they wanted too. Disney would rather ensure you eat on premisis, rather than go off. Again I would like to stress an adult is not getting a whole spread for $10, they are paying that plus the cost of the kids meal.

 

[mickman1962]

So once again, do you really think this is how Disney intended it to be used. They probably thought, as I did, that people wouldn't have to be given a 20 page legal contract specifying all the possible ways the dining plan could be used/mis-used. Adult price Child price, it is not a hard concept.

My example from before, is this OK to do??

I'm going in April with 6 kids and 6 adults. I'm staying in the cabins 6/cabin so I'm going to have one adult and 5 kids in one cabin and get the meal plan. I'm now only paying for 5 kid's plans and one adult plan. So according to all the people who like to milk the system for everything it's worth, all 6 adults can now eat all week after only paying for one adult plan and all I have to do is pay OOP for the little kids and I save a bundle.

1 adult plan =$35
5 kids plan =$50
6 oop kids meals = $60
total $145

6 adult plans =$210
6 kids plans =$60
total = $270

 

[mickman1962]

It would just allow to eat at a charachter breakfast that would cost 2 credit instead of one. If it is immoral to do that, then one would think that it would be immoral for Disney to charge 2 credits for a meal that a character might be at, when the food is no more expensive than other restaurants on the plan. If you are to speak on ethics, why not speak about that.

you're right a character breakfast has added value because of the added characters, and thus should cost more (if not go to a diner if you just want food), thanks for making a good point.

 

[mickman1962]

I am not one to judge and while I asked a ? on how the plan works, I certainly did not ask you to be the "moral moderator". How is it your place to speak on ethics? You really under estimate Disney's intelligence if you think for one second they have a problem with the system working like this. They could change the entire system in a blink of an eye if they wanted to, but they don't--they want us eating on premisis---very wise of them if you ask me, almighty one.

right again. I am not a "moral moderator", but this is how a discussion group works. DIScussionBOARDS. If you just want someone to agree with you all the time you came to the wrong place. You have your opinion, I have mine, we both think we are right and the other is wrong, what's wrong with that?

Signed
Almighty One (your words)

 

[ryty44]

right again. I am not a "moral moderator", but this is how a discussion group works. DIScussionBOARDS. If you just want someone to agree with you all the time you came to the wrong place. You have your opinion, I have mine, we both think we are right and the other is wrong, what's wrong with that?

Signed
Almighty One (your words)

Okay I apologize, I am new to the boards. I was under the imprssion that it was a place where I could come and ask a question and someone who might have more knowledge than me could lend me some insight. I had no idea by asking a question I was opening myself up for judging, lectures on morality and plan old lecturing. I wonder if you are serious when you mention that Disney opts to not specify and/ or enforce the ways YOU say the credits should be used because it open them up to having to present guest with oodles of rules and regulations.

I, in asking my question was not asking DISers to aid and abed me in scamming. I was trying to find out if any changes were made in the begining of "06, besides prices. I did not make up a way to beat the system. I was told by a CM on how it works and what you can do with them. I found out about the pot of credits when I made ADR.

Why is a charachter meal to cost you more $ when using credits, but the meals cost is that of meals that do not offer charachters. I do agree with you, a character meal is more valuable, but it should not only cost those on the dining plan extra, it should cost everyone extra then. Do you honestly believe that it should cost me more but not those who are paying cash.

I wonder why you take such offense to the way the plan works and also wonder why you do not take issue with Disney since they are the ones who disinged and offer the plan like this, & informed me how to use the plan. Not to mention the credits are stored on your "key", everyone recieves a key, each key has access to all the credits, it would be sooo easy for Disney to make so each key only has access to each individuals credits thus avoiding the long waivers and book of rules to accompany the plan.

I am not sure if I give Disney too much credit or you don't give enough ( I believe it to be the later) but we obviously will need to agree to disagree, because I have gotten my answers from CM's and you from own moral guideline and your own book of rules. I am going to go with advise from the CM, I sure you can understand why.

 

[PooooohBear]

When we went in October during the "Free" dining plan offering, I had every intention of using some of my daughter's credits for adult meals. An ideal I got from these Boards, it never occured to me before reading it here.

Then, I just knew with my luck that the minute the computer system knew I had used a child credit for an adult dinner, all these Disney Suits would come streaming out of the kitchen with the details of every meal we had eaten over the week and bust us. OK...I may have been a little paranoid (LOL!) but I kept thinking how I'd been out of touch with the boards for a week and maybe they had changed the policy so I ended up not doing it.

Okay I apologize, I am new to the boards. I was under the imprssion that it was a place where I could come and ask a question and someone who might have more knowledge than me could lend me some insight. I had no idea by asking a question I was opening myself up for judging, lectures on morality and plan old lecturing. I wonder if you are serious when you mention that Disney opts to not specify and/ or enforce the ways YOU say the credits should be used because it open them up to having to present guest with oodles of rules and regulations.

Since you are new, I'd like to help you out...this debate is still pretty mild, however its seems to be quickly gaining popularity and sure to be at the level of some other fun topics here on the DIS...re-using refillable mugs, swimming in pools other than your resort, using Concierge as a meal plan and I'm sure there's others my tired brain cannot come up with right now.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a great vacation.

 

[pedro2112]

So once again, do you really think this is how Disney intended it to be used.

Without question as Disney set up the plan this way and has instructed it's CMs to advise guests to use it this way. Now will you please stop telling people who come on here asking for information that they are abusing the system when they use it in an allowable way in a manner encouraged by Disney management. Yes, if YOU created a dining plan then YOU would have different rules. But this is Disney's plan and this is they way they want it.

 

[pedro2112]

this debate is still pretty mild, however its seems to be quickly gaining popularity and sure to be at the level of some other fun topics here on the DIS...re-using refillable mugs, swimming in pools other than your resort

However, the difference is that the rules set forth by disney do not allow for pool hopping or re-using refillable mugs. The OP was asking a question that is clearly allowed by the rules and encouraged by Disney. If people have a problem with the way Disney set up the dining plan, then they should tell it to Disney, not slander people using the system the way in which it was intended. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people would care so much that Disney didn't make a different dining plan that didn't pool credits.

 

[PooooohBear]

However, the difference is that the rules set forth by disney do not allow for pool hopping or re-using refillable mugs. The OP was asking a question that is clearly allowed by the rules and encouraged by Disney. If people have a problem with the way Disney set up the dining plan, then they should tell it to Disney, not slander people using the system the way in which it was intended. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people would care so much that Disney didn't make a different dining plan that didn't pool credits.

Thanks for the clarification.

As a side note, I was merely trying to bring a little tongue in cheekness to the thread and share how me & my paranoia handled the situation with our dining credits.

 

[slcmkh]

However, the difference is that the rules set forth by disney do not allow for pool hopping or re-using refillable mugs. The OP was asking a question that is clearly allowed by the rules and encouraged by Disney. If people have a problem with the way Disney set up the dining plan, then they should tell it to Disney, not slander people using the system the way in which it was intended. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people would care so much that Disney didn't make a different dining plan that didn't pool credits.

Pedro, I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll tell you why I care so much.

When I vacation with my family I, like most people, spend thousands of dollars happily so as to enjoy a good time with my family. On my upcoming trip, rather lengthy, we will be spending not hundreds, but thousands just on food. I have never done the dining plan before and I have studied these threads for hours as I have made the decision whether or not to go with the dining plan. Your apparent knowledge of the way the plan works is greatly appreciated, but I don't see anything in writing to confirm what you have said: that using most or all of a party's pooled credits for adult meals by paying OOP for the kids meals is allowed and encouraged by Disney and by Disney CMs.

Much of what I see on this website is useful, but I also see much of hearsay and differing opinions and experiences. I have seen people say that they had no problem with OOP for kids, and others say that the restaurant wouldn't allow this, that everyone had to order on the dining plan. And again, I see nothing in writing anywhere from official Disney that indicates that it is encouraged to use all pooled credits for adult meals, paying OOP for kids meals.

This brings me to the two concerns (read: why I care):

1) I fear that if I join in with those who use the plan this way, and that if enough people do the same, that Disney will see it for what it is (getting up to about $50 dollars worth of food per day for $10) and either modify the program dramatically, potentially making it a more expensive and less favorable plan for everyone, or abandon it altogether. It may sound overly altruistic, but I don't want to be a part of those who may affect the program negatively for others.

2) I fear that if I decide to go with the Dining Plan based on the opinions rendered here, based on various experiences and possibly hearsay or even bad information from CMs (imagine that), that I could be making a costly mistake if the information gleaned here turns out to be incorrect. Specifically, if I decide that the plan will work for my family of 6, including several tweeners (adult aged children who don't eat much) and one child-aged child, based on the information in this forum, and the information turns out to be wrong, I could be out hundreds of dollars in food costs because of a bad decision. That's not my idea of maximizing the enjoyment of my vacation.

So my opinion on this issue is based on what appears to be the way the plan should work when I see what is available in writing about the plan, versus what is said in this forum but I can't find in writing, versus what the CMs may say about the plan which I probably shouldn't entirely trust, versus what people here have experienced with the plan (past performance is no guarantee of future results.)

So, what is the right thing to do based on what I see about the plan in writing and what seems to be intended by the plan: that one pays $10 per day for kids on the plan and the kids eat kids meals using credits based on that cost?

What is the right thing to do with respect to future guests as a group, thinking about the continued viability of the plan, if it is used more and more widely by good consumers (I don't mean that in a derogatory way) who are adept at maximizing the benefit of the plan by paying OOP for kids and using all credits for the adults in the party?

And, just as important, what is the best thing for me to do regarding my own family's needs and financial interests? What if I make a decision based on calculated and anticipated costs -- planning on being one of those good consumers -- and then I find out in the midst of my vacation that the decision was based on faulty or outdated information and that the decision was therefore not the best decision for my family's needs, and I wind up paying much more in food costs than I had anticipated?

I apologize for being long-winded and I hope I haven't come across as confrontational here. Just explaning my side of the coin.

Good thread.