Chatting with a CM about sharing DDP

[disney2d2]

Chatted with a disney Cast Member while trying to book a package at disneyworld.com (I got a popup chat offer...)

Chat Information - Thank you for contacting Disney. Please hold while we route your chat to a Disney Cast Member who will help you with your question.
Chat Information - Welcome to Disney! My name is CM. How can I help you today?
you: hi
CM: Hello!
you: I'd like to know if two adults can share one table service credit
CM: No, unfortunately, a table service is per person and cannot be shared
you: even if both people are one the plan and are staying on disney property?
CM: Yes, remember that the Disney Dining Plan is per person,per day.
you: I understand, but our whole point in doing such a thing would be maximize our dining experience
you: by visiting different restaurants, say in World Showcase...
CM: So I can better assist you, let me ask you a question. What is your concern regarding the table service?
you: concern, well none really.
you: We are planning to stay for four nights with the dining plan
you: and as I understand that between the two of us we will have 8 table service credits
you: and all I thought was that we can share once or twice and visit more than 4 restaurants...
CM: The reason that I asked was to make sure I understood your question. And to answer that, each of you has four. You do not have eight. The plan works in a per person basis, therefore you cannot use it to share it.
you: Ok, I got that. Then what about counter service credit, does Disney also enforce a no-sharing policy on those too?
CM: Yes, it is the same with all components of the Disney Dining plan
you: Just to make that you understand what I am paying for, you do know that both of us will be paying for the dinning plan for all four days
you: so I really do not see why we cannot even share a counter service meal
CM: That is correct since the plan cannot be bought individually.
you: which really means that we probably won't be using all our credits
you: we are not BIG eaters...
you: and we hate seeing food go to waste...
CM: In reality,both of you will be eating, so the services will not go to waste.
you: kind of confusing
you: but I get your point
you: thanks
CM: You're welcome!

I really didn't get her point, and I don't understand why we can't share although both of us are paying for it. Also, if DIS'ers with DDP experience can shed some light here, and if this policy is in fact enforced, we'd rather not get the Dining plan, since we won't be eating a lot (rather, enjoying the rides) and don't mind paying for an entree since we can easily share one.

 

[goodeats]

What an absolutely infuriating conversation? Her side doesn't make any sense at all! Has she even used the plan before?! Why couldn't you share a counter service credit?

If I couldn't share, I would not use the plan either.

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

Now, that really makes no sense at all. I am guessing she has no Idea.

 

[dreamalittledream]

could you have asked
"can I use my credit to order a appy, entree, soda and desert and have DH order a beer (or his own drink) and no food and feed him bites of food from my plate. " that way you are not sharing the "credit" but rather the "meal" would that have made it more clear?

 

[Lewisc]

The chat doesn't make much sense. AFAIK the credits are still pooled. There really isn't any way to stop CS sharing. I guess they could reduce the portions, exclude the double burger, to make sharing CS meals less likely.

You certainly can't "share" the dining plan by only purchasing the plan for one guest in your room but it was clear that wasn't your question.

I don't think I'd accept anything said by that CM.

That said restricting sharing at TS makes some sense. I'm sure the plan is priced assuming some credits will go unused. I'm sure the plan is priced assuming some guests will skip appetizer and/or desserts. You'll get your monies worth in most restaurants even if you skip appetizers and dessert, just order a drink and an entrée. You pay the same price no matter how much or how little you eat in a buffet restaurant. I guess Disney could say a guest is charged a credit by eating in the restaurant, even if they share. Doe Disney intend to provide you 4 TS meals or does Disney intend to allow you to stretch that to 8 meals if you patronize the restaurants with large portions and order the menu items with the largest portion size.

I'll agree with Sammie from another thread. Guests using "child" credits to buy adult meals and to treat people not even staying at WDW is causing Disney to tighten up.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Here is the policy as it actually existed in practice.

1. Buffets and all you can eats. No sharing.
2. A-La-Cartes. Depends upon the restaurant. Most, however, allowed it.
3. Counters. They couldn't stop it if they wanted to. No problem at any counter.

Though from recent posts, there appears to be a change in stated policy on the part of some (not all) CM's, I haven't seen where there's a widespread change in actual practice yet.

 

[bertalander]

I'd like to see them try to enforce no sharing of CS meals. THAT is the silliest thing I have every heard.

 

[Lisa_Belle]

I just hope they don't push the CS issue and make everyone in the party stand in line. Can you imagine the chaos if Mom, Dad, Johnny, Susie, Buddy and Katie all had to stand in line and then not think about what they wanted to eat until they actually had to order? It would take forever and a day to get through those lines. I can see it now:

I want a burger and fries. No, wait, make that chicken fingers. Do you think that would be too much? Should I really get fries? OK, give me tea to drink. Now is that sweet or unsweet? Oh, but if its Nestea and not brewed then I want a coke. No, not a regular coke, a diet coke. Um, I'm on the dining plan so I get a dessert with that. What do you have? I'm allergic to chocolate cake. Maybe I should just have the cookie. But that has chocolate chips in it. Can i just save my dessert until later?

BTW - I'll bet if you call back and get another CM, you'll get a whole 'nother answer.

 

[paulh]

on the CS isue are we expected to order 4 meals and have everyone eat in frount of them (we are 4adults)whats to stop me getting 4 meals and dw getting 4 meals behind me in line while we are waterparks.As stated on dinning plan brociure your credit to do as you please we will be with friends and will buy for them at waterparks .They can enforce the no sharing at TS but not at CS
Paulh

 

[Lewisc]

Which a la carte restaurants are not allowing sharing?

Here is the policy as it actually existed in practice.

1. Buffets and all you can eats. No sharing.
2. A-La-Cartes. Depends upon the restaurant. Most, however, allowed it.
3. Counters. They couldn't stop it if they wanted to. No problem at any counter.

Though from recent posts, there appears to be a change in stated policy on the part of some (not all) CM's, I haven't seen where there's a widespread change in actual practice yet.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Which a la carte restaurants are not allowing sharing?

There have been reports of various places at various times on the boards here. I think it may be as much a function of the particular CM as the restaurant.

 

[drogerstn]

As somone pointed out earlier, I think the CM in the chat got confused over "sharing the plan" versus "sharing food off of one order".

It would take a major change to say that all people on one package must be present and submit a credit for a TS meal when using TS credits. Right now, one person could be eating at a TS restaurant with some non-plan friends while the rest of the family may be eating at a different location and time... (or any other combination). When a person pays for food (DDP or OOP) WDW cannot dictate what that person does with the food.

Buffets are the only TS meals I can see where a person is not allowed to eat someone else's food without paying for a meal

 

[glass slipper girl]

I would agree that the best way to ask the question would be something like "I plan to meet a friend for dinner. I will be on the plan and she will not, is that going to be a problem?" Even if my card says 2A, they can't know for sure that both adults at the table are the ones on the card. If DH and I went with my parents, each had separate rooms and we had the DDP and they didn't it is entirely possible that my DH and DF would go watch a game at ESPN and my DM and I would be in the parks (a situation that has happened to us!) or the guys could be on rides and the women shopping. Are the going to say b/c my card says 2A and there are 2A at the table that I must use 2 credits even if she is not on the plan?

Or saying "what happens if my husband gets hungry and I am really not that hungry. Can he use his credit to get a full meal and I just get a bowl of soup and a drink and pay out of pocket for my food and save the credit for later when I am hungry?" I do agree that when the question is about sharing CREDITS, that the answer is no...you can't share credits. But about sharing food, that may be a different story.

I'm curious how the OOP and sharing thing will end up working out. We aren't going untill January now so there is plenty of time to see what changes they make and change our package if it isn't going to work for us. It will be DH, myself and our 3 DSs (an infant, 4 and 6 year olds). We have more table service meals planned than credits including a family meal at Narcoosees and DH and I have a night at Yachtsman planned while the kids are in a kids club (and the baby is with Grandma and Grandpa). We had planned on sharing at 2 of our TS meals at places where we knew we'd have enough food in order to have the 2 extra adult credits for Yachtsman. We'd then pay OOP for ourselves at a meal where the kids use their extra credit. I planned on figuring out what meals would be the least expensive to pay OOP for but we had intended to use adult credits for us and kids credits for the boys so that there was no need to panic if they started separating them. If they enforce the no sharing and no OOP thing then we will probably cancel the family meal at Narcoosees and eat somewhere else so that we can get 2 meals out of those credits and then DH and I will dine at Yachtsman on credits. We'd be ordering 2 adult meals and our card will say 2A on it...but we'd be using our family's 4 credits for the day...2 adult and 2 child. That way we would just use credits for all 4 members of the family who eat solid food ( ) at each table service meal. So in my case, I had planned to use it as intended but if they keep credits pooled and enforce no sharing and no OOP then we will end up with one meal where we use 2 kids credits in order to cover the extra "credit cost" of a signature meal.

 

[jonimce]

DS, 19 will not spend most of the days with us. So if he goes to a CS by himself, are you saying they will make him get three meals? Makes no sence. How will they know if we are with him or not? Same with TS's. He doesn't eat restaraunt meals. So if we go to a TS are they going to make the two of us order three meals? LOL

 

[DizGeek]

The whole thing makes no sense whatsoever. Why would 2 people go to a restaurant and order one meal?

 

[Lewisc]

DS, 19 will not spend most of the days with us. So if he goes to a CS by himself, are you saying they will make him get three meals? Makes no sence. How will they know if we are with him or not? Same with TS's. He doesn't eat restaraunt meals. So if we go to a TS are they going to make the two of us order three meals? LOL

No. The question or point is if your DS joins you for dinner will they make you use 3 credits or will you be allowed to use 2 credits and share your meal with your DS.

 

[bicker]

The whole thing makes no sense whatsoever. Why would 2 people go to a restaurant and order one meal?

Yes, that's true. I think what it is is that a lot of people are trying to bend themselves out of shape just to squeeze even more value from the Dining Plan than it has already.

 

[Lisa_Belle]

The whole thing makes no sense whatsoever. Why would 2 people go to a restaurant and order one meal?

My DD4 and I do this quite frequently. Her favorite restaurant is Chili's and we go and split a cheese dip and fajitas. There is no way I can eat an entire order of fajitas. I would like to refrain from gaining weight as I get older and my metabolism slows down. Personally, the thought of someone gourging on an appetizer, entree with side dishes and dessert all to themselves makes me sick to my stomach. (And I probably would throw it all up if I did eat that much.) Different stroke for different folks.

 

[disney1990]

This is all so confusing. So if my DH and I eat at a restaurant with several of our friends that are NOT on the dining plan (but our card also has our 21 year old DD on it, but she's not with us), how are they going to deal with it. Our DD plans to eat with us for some meals and eat with her friends for some meals.

I guess it's just going to be a wait and see.

 

[punkin]

My DD4 and I do this quite frequently. Her favorite restaurant is Chili's and we go and split a cheese dip and fajitas. There is no way I can eat an entire order of fajitas. I would like to refrain from gaining weight as I get older and my metabolism slows down. Personally, the thought of someone gourging on an appetizer, entree with side dishes and dessert all to themselves makes me sick to my stomach. (And I probably would throw it all up if I did eat that much.) Different stroke for different folks.

Gee that's exactly how I feel. I have often ordered an appetizer and 2 entrees to feed 4 people. Sometimes we even get one desert to share. Many times, we will have enough left over to take home a doggie bag.