Can we do this?

[NurseJes]

So DH and I are small meal eaters...we eat 4-5 small meals per day. We are on the regular dining plan. There is no way we could finish a TS meal at most places (from the pictures I've seen), and we hate to waste food. Can we split a meal? What we usually do when we go to a restaurant at home is order salads or an appetizer and then split one meal. Sometimes they charge us a couple bucks to split, and that's totally ok. The other issue being is if we each get our own meal, then each waste half of it...we're going to be short quite a few meal credits.

 

[Nadjalu]

Yes you can share. I do believe there is only one restaurant other than buffets where you can't share and that is Beaches and Cream. I may be mistaken (someone correct me if I am) but you should be ok otherwise.

But not all entrees are as big as they look. Just be aware of that.

 

[Wants2Live@WDW]

Please correct me if I am wrong everyone, but the DDP was not meant to be used to share a single meal. That being said, I know that the castmembers will work with you all whenever possible. Firstly, do not book reservations for buffet places. It will be a waste of a dining credit for you both. (Unless you REALLY want to see Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace or Playhouse Disney at Hollwood and Vine).
Next, I suggest to have only one person order and to ask for a second plate (as is usually done, but not to directly ask for the option to split the meal in the kitchen before serving). When the check comes, you will only have to charge a drink as a snack or just to the room and 1 TS credit.
If they won't accommodate that, I would suggest bringing a small soft-side cooler for your backpack to place your doggy bags in.
I have had to be on some pretty peculiar diets (medical reasons), where I needed to eat around 5 times per day. I carried around my tupperware in my backpack and ate when I felt like it. The chefs were so understanding that the ones at my resort even sourced out special foods that I could eat (iodine-restricted diets are awful, and I needed hard-boiled eggs to survive).
My other recommendation is that you all eat the morning meal before you leave the room (they have places to buy quick breakfast fare at the deluxe resorts, but there is also a Publix grocery store less than 5 miles away). This will help your DDP credit last you longer.
Good luck!!! (and remember, it is a magical place where the castmembers do try to make your every wish come true).

 

[DisFan10]

So DH and I are small meal eaters...we eat 4-5 small meals per day. We are on the regular dining plan. There is no way we could finish a TS meal at most places (from the pictures I've seen), and we hate to waste food. Can we split a meal? What we usually do when we go to a restaurant at home is order salads or an appetizer and then split one meal. Sometimes they charge us a couple bucks to split, and that's totally ok. The other issue being is if we each get our own meal, then each waste half of it...we're going to be short quite a few meal credits.

I'm not clear why you would be "short quite a few meal credits if we each get our own meal". Each person gets the same number of meal credits based on the number of nights you booked, so if only one of you ordered a meal, only one credit would be used - not two.

 

[NurseJes]

I'm not clear why you would be "short quite a few meal credits if we each get our own meal". Each person gets the same number of meal credits based on the number of nights you booked, so if only one of you ordered a meal, only one credit would be used - not two.

We would be short because we eat 4-5 small/half meals...whereas if we were splitting 1, we would be able to eat all 4 meals on our credits vs only eating 2 and wasting half of them...then paying out of pocket for the others.

 

[TDC Nala]

When the check comes, you will only have to charge a drink as a snack

You can't use snack credits to order items at TS restaurants. You could use a snack credit for a drink at a CS.

You cannot share at buffets, all you can eat family-style restaurants, fixed price restaurants like CRT and Akershus, or dinner shows. You can't split the cost on the all you can eat skillet at Whispering Canyon, everyone who eats this item is charged individually for it. There were several reports that Beaches & Cream does not allow guests on the dining plan to split entrees (apparently it's fine if you're NOT on the dining plan). Other than that I have seen no reports of problems sharing a meal between guests on the same dining plan.

 

[DisFan10]

We would be short because we eat 4-5 small/half meals...whereas if we were splitting 1, we would be able to eat all 4 meals on our credits vs only eating 2 and wasting half of them...then paying out of pocket for the others.

Oh okay, now I understand. Well, I'm assuming you're not planning to eat all of the 4-5 small/half meals at TS restaurants, so have you considered going with the QSDP instead and just paying OOP for one TS dinner where you can split the entree? It would probably be more cost effective in the long-run...

 

[bits-n-pieces]

Oh okay, now I understand. Well, I'm assuming you're not planning to eat all of the 4-5 small/half meals at TS restaurants, so have you considered going with the QSDP instead and just paying OOP for one TS dinner where you can split the entree? It would probably be more cost effective in the long-run...

I was thinking the same thing. I think the QSDP might be a better fit for your needs.

 

[chartle]

Oh okay, now I understand. Well, I'm assuming you're not planning to eat all of the 4-5 small/half meals at TS restaurants, so have you considered going with the QSDP instead and just paying OOP for one TS dinner where you can split the entree? It would probably be more cost effective in the long-run...

I was thinking the same thing. I think the QSDP might be a better fit for your needs.

Also you will need two ADR's per day and its going to take the same amount of time eating two small meals as it would two regular meals. You are going to spend a lot of time eating.

 

[cglaura]

Are you on the free dining? If not, I would think paying out of pocket / no plan would be the best. Then you can split anything and everything, or get a child size CS meal (can't share buffet of course). This is what we usually do. We spend around $25 - $30 per day total on food for the two of us, but we eat in room breakfasts we bring from home and drink mostly refillable water bottles.

 

[clanmcculloch]

At TS restaurants you'll be charged OOP for your appetizer/salad and second drink plus 1 TS credit. At CS restaurant you'll be charged 1 CS credit (most places allow a salad or fruit as the dessert if they have that). Doing that will give you 4 small meals per day using your credits (2 TS and 2 CS that you're sharing). You'll then have 2 snack credits to use as well for when you want something small in between all those meals.

Just keep in mind how long all of these meals take. Even if you're just sharing the meal, it takes just as long in the restaurant. For TS restaurants, figure at least an hour each assuming you actually get seated on time (which is highly unlikely). For CS restaurants, figure at least half an hour. That adds up to over 4 hours of your day in restaurants.

Also, as others noted, what I described above only works at restaurants that do not have fixed prices for the meals. At fixed price restaurants, you have to use credits per person at the table regardless of how much or how little you eat. There aren't even exceptions to this for people who can hardly eat for medical resons.