Confusing situation on dining plan

[lovehoney]

I hope you DISers can help me.

Here goes: We have 13 family members on the dining plan for 5 days. 11 are in a Grand Villa so are all on the same plan. DMIL and DFIL have one less day on the dining plan (they arrive at OKW the day after the rest of the group) however they are arriving at WDW the same day (not staying DVC first night).

I have a reservation for 11 at Chef Mickeys and a reservation for 2 at Concourse on our arrival night.

Do you think we can use the dining card to pay for all 13 on that first night?
If anyone has done anything similar to this please advise. TIA

BTW DFIL is not going with us to CRT later in the week (could only get ressies for 12).

 

[atisikitabasket]

I'm not for sure if I got this straight but are you asking if the first night you can pay for 13 meal on a card with 11 guest?

I don't think so but I could be wrong. I think they put the total # of guest in the party on the bottom corner of each card and won't let you go over the party amount. I could be wrong but that is what I understood it as.

 

[wilde_oscar]

The morality police and the rules hounds will chime in soon enough...

The in laws are not on the plan that first night, therefore you cannot use "extra" TS credits to pay for their meal as DDP credits cannot be used to pay for meals for those not on the plan.

However, The intent is not to cheat, just to exchange credits a day early? Ask the server... maybe they will do it, but be prepared to pay OOP.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

But only 11 are eating at one place, and 2 at another. If each party has a room key, I don't see why this wouldn't work? They will be short at the end of the week, but that's their choice. I agree, probably totally not within the rules here, but I don't see any intent to "cheat the system."

 

[lovehoney]

I'm not for sure if I got this straight but are you asking if the first night you can pay for 13 meal on a card with 11 guest?

I don't think so but I could be wrong. I think they put the total # of guest in the party on the bottom corner of each card and won't let you go over the party amount. I could be wrong but that is what I understood it as.

Yes and no. I am trying to buy a meal for 11 guests with a card that says 11 and a meal for 2 guests with a card that says 11 at the same time at two different places.

The morality police and the rules hounds will chime in soon enough...

The in laws are not on the plan that first night, therefore you cannot use "extra" TS credits to pay for their meal as DDP credits cannot be used to pay for meals for those not on the plan.

However, The intent is not to cheat, just to exchange credits a day early? Ask the server... maybe they will do it, but be prepared to pay OOP.

Do you think the server would even ask since the cards would technically not be over the limit at the two places. They don't ask everyone in the party to provide a card - do they? I guess the computer might catch it and throw it out. That's why I was wondering if anyone had done it.

But only 11 are eating at one place, and 2 at another. If each party has a room key, I don't see why this wouldn't work? They will be short at the end of the week, but that's their choice. I agree, probably totally not within the rules here, but I don't see any intent to "cheat the system."

Since my FIL is not going to CRT later in the week, we will actually have enough credits to cover all of our meals. My FIL will have one less table service than everyone else. Thankfully he is happy staying at the resort and eating a sandwich than going to see the Princesses with us.

I told you it was confusing.

 

[msgrimm23]

on the cards it states how many in a room so if you have that many in a room then yes. they ask for one key for each room.

 

[Marcy Mouse]

you can use the credits anyway you want. If you had a couple of friends living in Flordia and wanted to take them to dinner using your credits you could so I don't see a problem. If you had 13 at dinner on a card with 11 you would still be fine; you would just use 13 of you TS.

Just my 2 cents.

Marcy

 

[THERESA522]

I'd like to chime in here too. I don't understand why everyone thinks you'd be cheating the system.

I just returned and used the DDP. I had no problems using as little or as many table services or quick services, regardless of how many people were eating with us at the time.

The way I understand it is like this. If you're staying for 5 nights and you have 4 adults in your party, then you get a total of 20 table services, 20 quick services and 20 snack credits for the entire stay. You can use all 20 of each in one day or in 5 days or in 2 days, etc. Not one cashier or server EVER questioned us on the # of credits we were using. If you're paying for, say, 20 table services then who cares how many days it takes you to use them? There is no implication anywhere that says you must use 1 table service + 1 quick service + 1 snack for each day of your stay. That is exactly why Disney allows you to use 2 table services for some character meals. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY CREDITS OF ANY KIND YOU USE IN ONE DAY!

 

[msgrimm23]

I'd like to chime in here too. I don't understand why everyone thinks you'd be cheating the system.

I just returned and used the DDP. I had no problems using as little or as many table services or quick services, regardless of how many people were eating with us at the time.

The way I understand it is like this. If you're staying for 5 nights and you have 4 adults in your party, then you get a total of 20 table services, 20 quick services and 20 snack credits for the entire stay. You can use all 20 of each in one day or in 5 days or in 2 days, etc. Not one cashier or server EVER questioned us on the # of credits we were using. If you're paying for, say, 20 table services then who cares how many days it takes you to use them? There is no implication anywhere that says you must use 1 table service + 1 quick service + 1 snack for each day of your stay. That is exactly why Disney allows you to use 2 table services for some character meals. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY CREDITS OF ANY KIND YOU USE IN ONE DAY!

youve got it sorry for the mix up.. we where a group of 11 with different rooms and they always looked at the card to see how many on the room so it might be because we where all useing our dinning plan. with the snacks there was no prob in how many you use so it prob the same i hope i cleared my end up. i thought they looked at the card to see how many people in a room but i must be wrong

 

[Princess Stitch]

I know they've been getting alot more strict with the DDP lately according to everyone's reports. If you are at two different restaurants, it shoudln't be a problem unless the system flags that you JUST paid for a meal, but I would think you would be OK.

If you have 13 people at one table and are trying to pay for the meal with a card that says you have 11 people on your plan, you may have a problem. I know you're allowed to use as many credits as you want in one day, jsut not sure how they'd react to you sharing with people who are clearly not on the dining plan... never tried myself...

 

[illiniowl]

you can use the credits anyway you want. If you had a couple of friends living in Flordia and wanted to take them to dinner using your credits you could so I don't see a problem. If you had 13 at dinner on a card with 11 you would still be fine; you would just use 13 of you TS.

Sorry, but this is wrong.

 

[kaytieeldr]

you can use the credits anyway you want. If you had a couple of friends living in Flordia and wanted to take them to dinner using your credits you could so I don't see a problem.

However, Disney - the owner and administrator of the Disney Dining Plan, does "see a problem". Very clearly explained in the DDP brochure is that Guests cannot use Dining Plan credits to obtain food for people not participating in the DDP.


Please note: This response is not for and does not apply to the OP.

 

[wilde_oscar]

you can use the credits anyway you want. If you had a couple of friends living in Flordia and wanted to take them to dinner using your credits you could so I don't see a problem. If you had 13 at dinner on a card with 11 you would still be fine; you would just use 13 of you TS.

Just my 2 cents.

Marcy

I'll agree right up to the point that the rules for DDP state that you cannot give your credits away to someone not on the dinning plan. I believe the spirit and intent there is that, oh It's the last day we will be here and he have left over credits... well I'll just walk into LTT and pick up the tab for the people sitting closest to the door.

Which I would do, in fact last year our first day in the parks, we were in line at American Pivilion Lunch Counter @ Epcot and the guy in front of us turned around and said, order a combo meal, we have extra credits to burn so I'm buying lunch.

 

[Merilyn]

Well, it may not be correct but we let friends use our 2 sit down meals one night while we used our counter meals at another place. I know it says you can't use it for friends who are not on the dining plan but I don't think you are cheating Disney. They didn't give you anything you didn't pay for. I know for a fact that most people don't end up using all there snack credits because we were told that. So in most cases Disney is really getting a refund on the plan for those of us who paid for it and didn't use all of it. I don't think cheating is right and I would never use an childs credit for an adult, but this is not cheating. You are not taking from Disney, you paid for it.

 

[JimMIA]

Hear we go again!

If you're really in doubt about what's permissible, you might want to call Disney Dining and ask them. They're really the only people who can tell you for sure.

 

[JimMIA]

...in fact last year...

The prudent consumer will be extremely wary of well-intentioned but outdated anecdotes from last year. This is 2007, and the rules changed drastically on January 1 -- to the point of threatening CM's with termination if they violate the rules.

Last year's experience is irrelevent, as are all the logical gymnastics trying to rationalize what people want to do for themselves...as if those were new ideas.

If you have a question about the intent or operations of the DDP, you should address those to Disney Dining.

The DDP is Disney's plan, and it is what it is. DDP was never intended to fit every family's needs in every conceivable situation. If it doesn't work for you on one particular trip, there are a variety of other options available to you.

 

[JimMIA]

The way I understand it is like this. If you're staying for 5 nights and you have 4 adults in your party, then you get a total of 20 table services, 20 quick services and 20 snack credits for the entire stay. You can use all 20 of each in one day or in 5 days or in 2 days, etc. Not one cashier or server EVER questioned us on the # of credits we were using. If you're paying for, say, 20 table services then who cares how many days it takes you to use them? There is no implication anywhere that says you must use 1 table service + 1 quick service + 1 snack for each day of your stay. That is exactly why Disney allows you to use 2 table services for some character meals. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY CREDITS OF ANY KIND YOU USE IN ONE DAY!

Your post is correct...as far as it goes.

Unfortunately, if a person is trying to figure out what they can get away with (as opposed to what the plan documents say), they may interpret your post to mean they can do whatever they want with their credits (which is simply not true). Other folks will tell them, "Oh yeah, you can do that because I did it back in 1846 and nobody questioned me!"

Effective January 1, 2007, however, Disney made several fundamental changes in the way they administer the DDP. Their view is they changed nothing, but the truth is the plan works differently today than it did on December 31.

The most obvious change they made was to segregate child and adult TS credits, so people can no longer use kids credits for adult meals.

Other changes are less obvious to the casual guest, but abundantly clear to the restaurant CMs. Yes, you can use as many credits as you like in one day, but only what's shown on your card for any one meal. So if you have 2A/2C on your card and you show with your family plus Aunt Nellie and Uncle Clyde who are tent camping in a Wal-Mart parking lot offsite, you're only going to be able to purchase 2 adult meals with DDP. This change was made specifically to stop DDP guests from "treating" guests who are not on the plan.

CMs were also told that another change was going to be a limitation to the number of meals you could purchase in the same "meal period." That change was supposedly to prevent exactly what OP is wanting to do -- purchase 13 meals in different restaurants with 11 credits. AFIK, that change has not yet been implemented. If and when it is, however, the computer would automatically catch the over-purchases and decline them.

I hope Disney doesn't feel it necessary to implement that change, but we'll see. I'm sure they'll do it if they feel this aspect of the plan is being abused...just like they did with other aspects.

In implementing those changes, Disney was quite direct with their CMs. Several CMs have reported here that they were bluntly told they would be severely disciplined if they did not enforce the new rules -- up to and including termination. So you can expect compliance with the new policies to be pretty consistent...for Disney. No CM is going to give up their job for a guest.

The best advice on these issues has not changed. If you have a question about specifics of DDP operations, address those to Disney Dining.

 

[lovehoney]

CMs were also told that another change was going to be a limitation to the number of meals you could purchase in the same "meal period." That change was supposedly to prevent exactly what OP is wanting to do -- purchase 13 meals in different restaurants with 11 credits. AFIK, that change has not yet been implemented. If and when it is, however, the computer would automatically catch the over-purchases and decline them.

I hope Disney doesn't feel it necessary to implement that change, but we'll see. I'm sure they'll do it if they feel this aspect of the plan is being abused...just like they did with other aspects.

Why do you think Disney thinks it is an abuse to purchase meals for people not on the plan? I don't see how it matters to them. For example 1 guest on ddp for 5 days gives 1 of their TS credits to their visiting cousin from Fla and uses the other 4 TS. A total of 5 TS were used regardless of the person using it. (I am not trying to argue here, I'm just asking opinions)

I guess it could be a bottom line thing. For example if people were only able to use 4 of their 5 TS instead of being able to give it to someone they would just not use it, thus Disney makes more money. They might have figured a lot of people wouldn't use all of their credits when they designed the plan for profitability.

 

[crisi]

Basicially, Disney says they are non-transferable, so in the circular logic of "their plan, their rules" its abuse.

But, the reason those rules are in place is because the plan is costed to include breakage. i.e. Disney knows darn well every guest will not take advantage of every meal and every snack on the plan, and has priced the plan accordingly. Want to be able to transfer credits? - We'd have a plan that cost $50 or $60 a day instead of $40.

 

[JimMIA]

Why do you think Disney thinks it is an abuse to purchase meals for people not on the plan? I don't see how it matters to them. ...

I guess it could be a bottom line thing. For example if people were only able to use 4 of their 5 TS instead of being able to give it to someone they would just not use it, thus Disney makes more money. They might have figured a lot of people wouldn't use all of their credits when they designed the plan for profitability.

Actually, I used to agree with you, but I finally realized three important facts:

1. It doesn't matter what I think. DDP is Disney's plan, and it is what they say it is. If I disagree with some aspect of this plan, I have the option of using another discount plan (and there are several), or taking my dining business elsewhere.​

2. DDP is not a discount plan. It is one component of a package. The package includes staying onsite at a certain room rate, purchasing at least a one-day base theme park ticket for each person in the room, and purchasing DDP for each person in the room for each night of their stay(or getting it free). In fact, in the hugely successful UK promotion, I believe the requirement was to buy a theme park ticket for every night of the stay -- ten days on DDP = ten-day park passes.

The price of the DDP is based on all three of those requirements, not just the $38.99 per adult per day. The DDP promotion is NOT a menu of options to select from. It's a take-all-or-leave-it package.​

3. The DDP is not exclusively (or even mostly) a dining promotion. In reality, DDP is a hotel promotion. Disney is trying -- through a wide variety of promotions: DDP, DME, free theme park parking, EMH, etc, etc -- to enhance the attractiveness of staying onsite. If we give a TS credit to someone who is not staying onsite, the ability to do that is precisely the opposite of Disney's main interest with DDP. Therefore, they forbid it.​

With regard to "breakage," I'm sure Disney factors in some breakage, but I doubt if they expect many people to fail to use any of their TS credits. I doubt if anyone finishes a stay with TS credits left over. If they do, shame on them! We rarely finish with credits in the bank, and on our trip in early May, we ran out of snack credits two days before the end of our 5-night trip.