Adding CHILD on to FREE DINING package?

[gypsydoodlebug]

DH and I had originally planned to go to WDW alone on our October trip we booked with free dining. Decided we just can't leave DD at home with the folks for that long -- we'd just keep saying "I miss DD. Ooohhh....DD would LOVE that..." so we're going to bring her.

If we buy her a one-day base ticket, can we add her to our free dining package? She'd eat her counterservice meals, but can DH and I use her TABLE SERVICE meals instead and just PAY for her. Since she's under 3, I know she eats for free at the buffets, but she's a BIG eater and can eat a kid's meal -- hot dog, for example -- but probably wouldn't eat much at, say Le Cellier or Mama Melrose's. If I've read all of this right, I think DH and I can use her table service meals elsewhere, right?

 

[unixadm]

Yes, you should be able to do this. We have AP's so to get on the dining plan, we just purchased single day/single park tickets for myself, my wife and my 4 year old to get on the dining plan. Our 2 1/2 year old (well, almost 3) was not on the plan due to the fact that he was under 3.

Because he has allergies (peanuts and eggs) and he is a picky eater, I called back and they allowed me to just buy a single day/single park ticket for him for $48 plus tax and it added him onto the plan.

 

[BluOrchid2]

You can do that - mix and match meal vouchers, but you would have to order from the child's menu as the meals are coded on the cards whether adult or child.

 

[oogieboogie]

...the meals are coded on the cards whether adult or
child.

Is this confirmed? Can anyone confirm this?

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

Is this confirmed? Can anyone confirm this?

Right. Then why are so many people posting that they're paying out of pocket for their kids?

 

[DebbieB]

If she's under 3, would she be eligible to get the child credits?

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

If I buy her a paid child's one-day ticket, she should be able to.

 

[Acklander]

but if she's under 3 she doesn't need a ticket or get added to the meal plan, right???

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

No, we just took her in June and her park admission was free, but I'd have to pay for her meals out of pocket. We normally order her a meal of her own at every dinner because there's not enough on our own plates for her to eat from. It would be cheaper for me to just buy her one-day park ticket and then she'd automatically get free dining.

Wait a minute! What's keeping Joe Blow from adding on his adult brother to the room package, buying him a one-day park ticket and then using the fake person's meal credits for the entire length of stay? That just hit me...You'd get free dining for the length of stay and only have to pay one-day park admission, since all of the credits are pooled for the group. There's got to be a fail-safe for that abuse, right?

 

[Acklander]

Wait a minute! What's keeping Joe Blow from adding on his adult brother to the room package, buying him a one-day park ticket and then using the fake person's meal credits for the entire length of stay? That just hit me...You'd get free dining for the length of stay and only have to pay one-day park admission, since all of the credits are pooled for the group. There's got to be a fail-safe for that abuse, right?

LOL - I guess the fail-safe is that you can't eat that much food. If you add an adult on to your room, you have to pay the additional rate per night for having an extra adult in your room, plus pay for a park ticket, and what would you do with all the extra food credits? they expire on your checkout date so don't think it would be worth the extra cost you'd have to pay for the room.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

One thought I would have in this situation is that the Free Dining offer has expired. I know you are just planning on adding your DD, but if the offer has expired, you may not be able to.

 

[maggiann]

One thought I would have in this situation is that the Free Dining offer has expired. I know you are just planning on adding your DD, but if the offer has expired, you may not be able to.

yes you can, my hubby decided to go with me and my daughter and i asked if i could add him about a week before we arrive, i will just have to pay for his 6 day hopper when i add him.

 

[shellybaxter]

I thought I read somewhere on these boards that Disney wasn't allowing people to put children under three on the dinning plan. Also, don't all the people in the group have to have the same ticket in the package. Thats why people with a AP couldn't book with out tickets for everyone. So if the do allow you to add your daughter I think her pass would have to be the same as you and your husband bought with the package.

 

[Acklander]

I also was under the impression that you couldn't add children under 3 to the dining plan, but they could eat at the buffets for free, and eat off your plate; but if they ordered anything you had to pay for it out of pocket.

 

[RedRuby]

I also was under the impression that you couldn't add children under 3 to the dining plan, but they could eat at the buffets for free, and eat off your plate; but if they ordered anything you had to pay for it out of pocket.

That's my understanding as well (from CRO and my TA and Disney's website, if that matters).

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

LOL - I guess the fail-safe is that you can't eat that much food. If you add an adult on to your room, you have to pay the additional rate per night for having an extra adult in your room, plus pay for a park ticket, and what would you do with all the extra food credits? they expire on your checkout date so don't think it would be worth the extra cost you'd have to pay for the room.

Didn't think about the extra room charge. But our buddy Joe Blow could live high on the hog at Cali Grill, Flying Fish, etc... using all those extra TS credits for two-credit meals! Oh, that Joe. What a glutton...

 

[polixeny]

I just called Disney and was told that in order to add my daughter to the free dining plan I would have to buy the same Tix and the rest of us... didn't make sense for us because we have 7 day hoppers.

 

[rebbeca]

Hi Polixeny. You could purchase her ticket and not activate it until your next trip.

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

I just called Disney and was told that in order to add my daughter to the free dining plan I would have to buy the same Tix and the rest of us... didn't make sense for us because we have 7 day hoppers.

It WOULD work for us b/c we just bought a one-way, one-day no expiry ticket. Still, DD is stayin' at home!! :

 

[LittleMermaidsMom]

Is this confirmed? Can anyone confirm this?

The dining credits are grouped together and are not distinguished between adult and child... we just returned home a few weeks ago and I used some of my daughters' table service credits for my meals and just paid out of pocket for her.