cs credits for adults and children

[disneynewbeemom]

Are all of the cs credits pooled together or are they marked as adult and children. My son likes hamburgers and very few places now offer children's hamburger. Can I order him a hamburger meal at CS even though we will be on the DDP? I also noticed that Pizzafari offers pizza, but not on the kid's menu. How cruel is it to eat pizza in front of your children while they are eating PB&J!

 

[bellarella]

Last weekend they were pooled. I didn't even realize it. I ordered kids meals for my kids but after a couple of days they were sick of the offerings. 2 adult meals was more than enough food to feed two adults two kids and a toddler. I planned on using up all our adult credits and then paying OOP. When I pulled our credit usage towards the end of the trip they told me that they were not separated.

If they do turn out to be separated, I would use your child credits for breakfast platters and then use your adult credits for lunch.

 

[disneynewbeemom]

Is Disney talking about separating these credits in the future?

 

[bicker]

Disney's made their feelings clear about this:

So regardless of how they reflect this in their enforcement, folks shouldn't be aiming to use CS credits in a manner inconsistent with the rules of the Dining Plan.

Questions about Disney's plans with regard to changing enforcement can only be answered by Disney directly.

 

[SM23]

I just returned yesterday and the credits were pooled together for adults and child meals. They were seperatd for TS meals.

 

[bellarella]

Disney's made their feelings clear about this:

So regardless of how they reflect this in their enforcement, folks shouldn't be aiming to use CS credits in a manner inconsistent with the rules of the Dining Plan.

Questions about Disney's plans with regard to changing enforcement can only be answered by Disney directly.

Ooops, sorry. Wasn't trying to get around the rules. Just reporting what happened to us. I planned on (and started out) only using child credits for child meals. I just counted Disney to tell me when I ran out of adult credits and I would start paying OOP (we were splitting meals and also getting some with my parents so I never had a clear idea how many credits we had or used). When I got my usage print out before I left I found out they didn't separate them. I asked two different CMs about it and they both said there wasn't a difference.

Disney really does need to separate those out in their system. Because CS meals are so large I think most people split them and it's next to impossible to keep track of how many child and adult credits you've used on your own if you aren't carrying a spreadsheet with you. I know I tried to keep track in my head for the first day or two and then gave up and let Disney do the accounting.

 

[disneynewbeemom]

I was not asking because I'm trying to beat the system or anything like that. I just know that my son will be so sick of eating chicken strips and mac and cheese! I don't understand why they don't have children's burgers or pizza. How can Pizzafari not have pizza for children!!

 

[bicker]

Ooops, sorry.

Don't worry about it: no harm, no foul.

I don't understand why they don't have children's burgers or pizza.

There have been some strange choices made regarding childrens' meals, but the underlying reason for the limitations is probably because it makes it makes the child meals much less attractive to adults. We know Disney has struggled for years with the difficulty presented by guests looking to save themselves a few dollars giving cast members a hard time about allowing an adult to order a child meal and pay for it at the child meal price.

 

[NMW]

I know, the kids CS offerings are pretty lame. I told this to Disney twice this year during email surveys I received from them. I hope they listen!

If CS credits are seperated when you go, I would probably use the kid's CS credits for breakfast items (pasteries, etc) and pay cash for the lunch they want. If the CM's tell you that they are not seperated into adult/child and you can get your child a burger, than I would do it.

I've been telling my husband for 2 months that I don't see how Disney is going to seperate the Cs credits and keep people happy. Most CS places have like 2 choices on the kids menu. What if your kids can't or wont eat either of them? People would be going insane in the CS lines, demanding to speak to managers, etc. At TS this is not an issue as they have several good choices for kids. If they keep them pooled sure, some people will order the kids meals. However, it gives the CM the flexability to let a kid get a burger or pizza if parents say they are allergic to peanut butter/hates sloppy joes/hates mac and cheese...and want to know why the kids menu doesn't have a burger on it. The price difference between an adult burger and a kids meal is a couple dollars. I just can't see Disney seperating the CS credits and keeping guests happy, unless they change the kids menus. I may be wrong, but I think they'd be dealing with some unhappy parents.

 

[LBKMAMA]

I know this upcoming trip I'll end up eating my son's meal and have to get him the burger in MK especially...(which then of course my 6 yr old will want too)...but those are big and they should be happy with half each. 4 chicken nuggets for an 8 yr. doesn't cut it and I agree NO burgers is ridiculous...hot dogs are hard to find as well....it's vacation for goodness sake let the kids live a little !LOL

Last year I didn't plan CS so well and one lunch in particular was a disaster. I've already started looking at menus to see which places they'd be the happiest at in terms of lunch. There are a couple of places i.e. Restaurantosauras sp? at Animal Kingdom and Pizza Planet at MGM that should work out great!

I also like the idea of getting some breakfast stuff a few mornings...I get up early so I may just run and grab a few things if we end up with extras from sharing.

 

[bellarella]

One thing I will say is that the CS meals really are large enough to share. We were 4 adults, a 6 year old, a 4 year old and a 1 year old. At most we would get 3 adult CS meals for a meal for all of us to share (and generally had food we were throwing away). The breakfast offerings for kids are much more "normal" so if you use child CS for breakfast (plus maybe a snack credit or two) and adult CS for lunch and split everything, you should be just fine on food.

 

[1sttimecruz]

I was not asking because I'm trying to beat the system or anything like that. I just know that my son will be so sick of eating chicken strips and mac and cheese! I don't understand why they don't have children's burgers or pizza. How can Pizzafari not have pizza for children!!

I don't have any answers for you, but I had to chime in because I had the same thoughts about Pizzafari! I thought it was crazy to not have pizza on the kids' menu there!

 

[TatenEly]

I would not say it is getting around the rules because it is Disney that decided to seperate the adult's from children's on TS credits only...the CS credits are pooled into one and open to any menu item from the CS offerings...now, we were not informed of this, we had to figure it out for ourselves and ask someone (which was half way through our 10 day trip and after my one daughter kept getting chicken strips and could not stand them one more time from the limited kids menu)....this is why the kids menu at Pizzafari does not show pizza...it's one size and is good for 1 CS ...it made sense after we actually asked.

I think we just felt it was only right to order kids meals at CS since there was a Kids Menu offering...I think Disney is counting on that.

 

[TruBlu]

That does make sense!

I know that DS7 (8 when we go) would be sick if he had to eat a chicken nugget instead of a burger!

 

[fivefordisney]

Bottom line for us is that Disney makes more money from us than they would when we buy the DDP (maybe even so if we were to get it free.) Why? You ask.. Well, we would never eat at a TS everyday. We always order a cocktail with dinner (which is not included) and we will always buy snacks that aren't on the plan.

We pack less food, less water. We don't end up eating breakfast in the room as we normally would. We psychologically get into a mode where we feel like we are getting something for little cost and end up spending more.

Also, my DH and I always talk about the genious in Disney's plan. The DDP and the ME keep people on the Disney property, spending money, living the Magic. We always ponder whether to figure out a way to go to US or SW, but never do in the end. It's too much trouble to find transportation, figure out the extra expense, etc. Disney has made it so overwhelmingly easy that we just stay at Disney living the magic while they make money. A perfect plan for all...

So yes, I am sure there are people who will spend time working the system--but for the most part, it just seems like people are trying to feed their kids food they'll actually eat to keep them happy. I'm bummed at the kids' choices and I know my husband and I will use plenty of CS buying what we think the kids will eat--on the children's menu or not. It is also safe to say that my DD10 who is considered an adult and who we have paid for as an adult, will eat lots of kids meals at TS restaurants. We will, in essence, be paying adult prices for mac n cheese or pasta with butter and that's okay...it all works out in the end. Well-fed kids make happy "line waiters/parade watchers/crowd tolerators."

I just wish that the new kids menus contained more palatable choices--or just more choices, in general. When you are staying for 9 days, you need a little variety. But that is a completely different thread!

Happy Friday!!!

 

[TheWags]

We have three kids, so had two adjoining rooms and two sets of cards. When we did counter service, we could not order more than two adult meals on one card even through there were three adults. On the room key with one adult assigned, we could only get one adult CS meal at a time.

Here is a tip that we didn't realize until the end, at the food court (Pops)everything single serve under $4 counted as a snack credit, so salads, fruit bowls, cereal with milk, and even boxed pastries under that amount counted. We had been using stuff in the room (grocery delivery) for most breakfasts.

It still turned out to be a good deal for us, and with the exception of Pizzafari, there were no problems and an abundance of food.

Tracy

 

[trspohr]

Ok, I am confused. You said you could not order more than 2 adult meals at a time, but you had three adults. That doesn't make sense. Did you have to get in line again? I understand that the Adult and Child CS are still pooled, so wouldn't 1 person be able to go and order x amount of CS while the others waited at a table, or does everyone need to be present? I am lost!

 

[Lewisc]

Ok, I am confused. You said you could not order more than 2 adult meals at a time, but you had three adults. That doesn't make sense. Did you have to get in line again? I understand that the Adult and Child CS are still pooled, so wouldn't 1 person be able to go and order x amount of CS while the others waited at a table, or does everyone need to be present? I am lost!

There is a maximum number of guests that can be "pooled" on one resort card. Sometimes guests in different room, on the same reservation, will be seperately "pooled".

It sounds like the previous poster had one room key that said 2A and the other room key said 1A3C. In order to order 3 adult meals they would have to use both room keys since many CMs won't let you order more meals than indicated on the card.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Also, what would happen if I wanted to use one of my adult credits for one of my children? Last year, I used one for my DD since she wanted chicken strips instead of chicken nuggets.

 

[thunderbird1]

Also, my DH and I always talk about the genious in Disney's plan. The DDP and the ME keep people on the Disney property, spending money, living the Magic. We always ponder whether to figure out a way to go to US or SW, but never do in the end. It's too much trouble to find transportation, figure out the extra expense, etc. Disney has made it so overwhelmingly easy that we just stay at Disney living the magic while they make money. A perfect plan for all....

You got that right! Back when we had to pay for an airport transfer, we always rented a car, because the difference between the car rental and the bus was so little. And once we had the car, it was so easy to go off property to the grocery store to stock up on supplies, beverages, snacks and breakfasts. And as long as we were off property going to the grocery store, why not have a meal (or 2, or 3) off property, where food is cheaper. And maybe we should head over to a competitor's park for a day, as long as we already have the car and everything.

Then came ME, and we were still a little reluctant to give up the freedom of a rental car because of the high cost of food and supplies on property. What's that you say, there are grocery delivery services? Now this is sounding a little more palatable.

Then came the DDP, and now we have no reason to ever leave Disney property. Oh sure, I'd still like to visit IOA one of these days, but when it costs $50/person or so to get into a different park, but only $2/person to add on an extra day at WDW, AND all your food at WDW is already paid for, I can't justify it. The whole ME/DDP marketing plan really is brilliant.