ddp buffet or menu with kids (1-3)

[akrake]

I have the dpp and a 1 year old....plus a 3 yr old who does have a ticket and plan...since the 3 yr old will hardly eat anything (3 fries & dessert) would I be better off doing ts with menu and having her share a meal with her older brother?

do I understand correctly that if I go to a buffet then they (waitstaff) will automatically take her credit since it wouldn't be considered sharing?

another example for experts:

If I go to scifi
I have 4 table service credits. I can order a meal for me (1); meal for older junior child (2) who can share with 3yr old; child's meal for 7 year old (who can share with 1 year old). That would use 3 credits for 5 (remember...2 of the five are 3 or under). Since junior child only drinks water, then the other child could have her drink. We could share 3 appies & 3 desserts.

Am I figuring it out correctly?

thanks.

 

[janets]

As long as you are not at a buffet or family style restaurant, you are welcome to share meals. Your 1 yo will not be on the DP but is welcome to eat off anyone's plate (including at buffet and family style). At menu driven restaurants, if you order for the 1 yo you will be charged for it.

If you'd like to have your children share among themselves, then tell the server what you are doing and the number of credits you'd like to use. As long as you only order that certain number of entrees, you will be charged that number of credits.

You can always consider ordering an extra appetizer OOP for the kids to share if you think they would enjoy it and it would cover their needs better.

 

[bicker]

The only caveat to that is that the Dining Plan rules do prohibit use of child meal entitlements for adult meals. You will have 1TS credit for both your three-year-old and your seven-year-old, for each night of your reservation, and are to use all of those TS credits for child meals. It is for this reason that some folks with very young children over the age of 3 decide that the Dining Plan isn't right for them. YMMV.

You can surely share those child meals between your three children (or even share them with, if you wish), and you can share your own adult meals as you wish as well.

(As janets mentioned, there is no "sharing" at buffets -- each young child over the age of three will be charged one TS credit.)

 

[akrake]

Thanks for the clarification...we are mostly at menu ts restaurants since I was so last minute....booked the trip on wednesday for next wednesday....so had to take what i could get...I'll have 4 credits each day so it should work out...after the 1st day I should have a better handle/understanding of the way it work...since i'm the only adult (real one...not 10 yr old junior adult) on the trip...I expect to have left overs.

 

[bicker]

Your original message says you have a one year old, a three year old and a seven year old. I didn't realize you also had a ten year old -- the ten year old gets adult credits, so that changes things a bit, of course.

 

[akrake]

Your original message says you have a one year old, a three year old and a seven year old. I didn't realize you also had a ten year old -- the ten year old gets adult credits, so that changes things a bit, of course.

yes,
I expect to have "trouble" getting the 10 yr old to order off the adult menu....thanks goodness she really doesn't like mac & cheese.....if she doesn't order off the "big" menu...then I will probably not break even on the costs (unless we really order every appie & dessert & waste food). ugh.

 

[bicker]

It really sounds like you might actually be better off just paying for meals in cash, rather than purchasing the Dining Plan. Did you check to make sure that the plan was the right way to go?

 

[akrake]

I've been really "studying" the menus....esp for my 10yr old....I made sure that there is something that she likes on each adult menu....

I totaled up what I think we would get at scifi & I think it comes to around $72 (then add grat).

for lunch I chose ABC & if I did this right (you are allowed dessert and a drink, correct?) then it comes to around $30.

Can the kids get a dessert at CS if it's not on the kids menu?


It is going to costs me $96 per day on the meal plan.

thanks so much for the info!!