DDP for DVC member?

[RumpleMom]

I just talked to Disney dining asking for info about DDP. I was told I needed to talk to CRO.

CRO told me DVC members could not participate in DDP.

Is that true?

I was told anyway it was too late because the DDP was not an add-on. It had to be bought when the room reservation and park tickets were purchased.

Is that true?

I thought I read somewhere that it could be purchased as long as it was before arrival.

So what is correct?

 

[Sammie]

If you are a DVC member you can purchase the Dining Plan up to 3 days prior to your arrival by calling Member Services. Your tickets you purchase seperately. You need to deal with DVC member services. You must be staying at a DVC resort using points to make the purchase. You can purchase it from MS when you book your DVC vacation or wait until closer to your trip. Just make sure you do it before you arrive and everyone in your unit must be on the plan.

 

[RumpleMom]

Thanks

I will call Member Services tomorrow.

 

[MrShiny]

Yes, as posted above, DVC can add on DDP. We just did it before our trip last week and I just added it to our trip in February. We found it a great value - didn't eat all the desserts, but still well worth it.

 

[byoung]

Used it a lot it's worth it.

 

[Simba's Mom]

It cost 38.99 per day per person (I don't know how much per child). That price includes tax. As the CM at MS told me when I signed up for it, "You can't beat that with a stick." New England sayings-gotta love 'em.

 

[RumpleMom]

Just reporting back, that DVC members can indeed add DDP, as long as it is 3 days prior to your trip.

 

[bicker]

I've read that pretty consistently. I haven't read any reports of folks calling in four days prior and having a request to add the Dining Plan denied, so folks are well-advised to aim to make their final decision "at least three days prior".

 

[dianeschlicht]

Actually, we were able to add DDP 24 hours ahead of the ressie. We were already at OKW and changing units the next day. We did not originally have DDP for the second ressie, but were able to add it the day before by calling MS...No problems at all.

 

[MinnesotaChill]

We will be in a Grand Villa and one-bedroom next January with 13 people. Do we ALL have to do DDP? My DH and I are the only DVC members, and we find we do pretty well with the DDE and our AP, because we feed the kids in the room quite often. The people we are traveling with really want DDP, though.

 

[bicker]

If it's all one reservation, then everyone will have to purchase the Dining Plan (or no one).

 

[jekjones1558]

MinnesotaChill,
You can buy the DDP for one room and not the other. You can share the credits among everyone. When we were there a few weeks ago we bought the DDP for one of our 1 - bedroom units and not the other, then the 4 of us shared all the credits. It was a good fit for us. Have a grand time!

 

[Dean]

Actually, we were able to add DDP 24 hours ahead of the ressie. We were already at OKW and changing units the next day. We did not originally have DDP for the second ressie, but were able to add it the day before by calling MS...No problems at all.

The only real requirement is you do it through MS. You could call that AM and add it prior to check in if you really wanted. I'm sure if the lead time gets too short they would balk but it's not really a time issue per se.

MinnesotaChill,
You can buy the DDP for one room and not the other. You can share the credits among everyone. When we were there a few weeks ago we bought the DDP for one of our 1 - bedroom units and not the other, then the 4 of us shared all the credits. It was a good fit for us. Have a grand time!

I would second this approach and feel it is one of the ways to get a value out of the program without overeating as much. but everyone in one unit or the other will have to buy it for the entire length of stay.

 

[bicker]

Credits cannot be shared between folks registered in the different rooms, if they're not on the same reservation. The Dining Plan is not transferable. So if you only get the Dining Plan for one of the two reservations, then the folks in the other room would have to pay for their meals in cash.

 

[Dean]

Credits cannot be shared between folks registered in the different rooms, if they're not on the same reservation. The Dining Plan is not transferable. So if you only get the Dining Plan for one of the two reservations, then the folks in the other room would have to pay for their meals in cash.

Brian, I know you know a lot about the DDP. However I see nothing in the rules for the plan or in function that would preclude buying meals for other people. Some may argue the intent was as you state but I don't even see that from either the paperwork or the way it's been implemented. They even talk about using all your meals in one day if you prefer. While Disney may hope you don't use everything, you would only be using specifically what you paid for assuming you don't cross over with kids meals. And I can tell you for certain that I had it for 2 last week and could have used our credits at Whispering canyon for a group of 9, I asked them. I didn't because I could get a 10% discount on lunch with the Seasonal Pass and felt it wasn't a good value to use the DDP.

I have no doubt some cast members have tried to impose this on their own, it happens with companies like Disney all the time when there are things to be interpreted. And I know they could change it tomorrow if they wanted.

So as long as the one paying has the DDP on their card, they can pay for others.

 

[bicker]

Brian, I know you know a lot about the DDP. However I see nothing in the rules for the plan or in function that would preclude buying meals for other people.

The Dining Plan is non-transferable. The meaning of this is clarified in the 2007 MYW Dining Plan brochure:

Q. Can I use my Disney Dining Plan to redeem meals for friends or family members who are not included in my reservation and have not purchased a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining?

A. Sorry, you may not use your Disney Dining Plan to redeem meals for friends or family members who are not included in your reservation and have not purchased a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining.

Indeed, on another Disney forum, they're saying that the information systems changes going into effect on Monday are ONLY aimed at preventing that abuse, and not aimed at preventing the adult meal/child meal abuse.

(Personally, I'm betting that they're going to close the door on both exploits, especially since they went to the extent to clearly prohibit both abuses in the Q's and A's in the brochure.)

 

[Dean]

The Dining Plan is non-transferable. The meaning of this is clarified in the 2007 MYW Dining Plan brochure:

I didn't see anything different in this regard in the 2007 vs the 2006 brochure. I personally don't see this as a transfer if you're paying for someone else's meal, obviously you do, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree unless more hard evidence is forthcoming.

Indeed, on another Disney forum, they're saying that the information systems changes going into effect on Monday are ONLY aimed at preventing that abuse, and not aimed at preventing the adult meal/child meal abuse.

(Personally, I'm betting that they're going to close the door on both exploits, especially since they went to the extent to clearly prohibit both abuses in the Q's and A's in the brochure.)

It will be interesting to see what happens but I suspect this is more hope than reality. IMO this is not an abuse of the system simply because you're getting what you paid for and what you paid for is spelled out. Again, sounds like we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[bicker]

I didn't see anything different in this regard in the 2007 vs the 2006 brochure.

Well, it's there. I copied-and-pasted it directly out of the brochure. "Sorry, you may not use your Disney Dining Plan to redeem meals for friends or family members who are not included in your reservation and have not purchased a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining." It's there in black-and-white (and blue and red ).

Click here for the brochure, right off Disney's website. You can see it for yourself.

I personally don't see this as a transfer

Which is probably why Disney felt the need to add the clarification in the Q's and A's. I bet a number of people made the same assumption you did.

Again, sounds like we'll have to agree to disagree.

I hope you're not suggesting whether we'll have to agree to disagree about whether the words are there in the brochure! As such, while we can agree to disagree about whether this was allowed or not in 2006, I cannot imagine that you still think it is allowed in 2007.

 

[Sue's Mum]

Originally Posted by Disney Dining Plan brochure
Q. Can I use my Disney Dining Plan to redeem meals for friends or family members who are not included in my reservation and have not purchased a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining?

A. Sorry, you may not use your Disney Dining Plan to redeem meals for friends or family members who are not included in your reservation and have not purchased a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining

The original poster was asking a question as a DVC member and not as a holder of a Magic Your Way Pacakage Plus Dining. I think this may make the difference.

 

[CarolMN]

The original poster was asking a question as a DVC member and not as a holder of a Magic Your Way Pacakage Plus Dining. I think this may make the difference.

The rules for using the Dining Plan are the same no matter if you purchased it as a DVC member or as part of a room & ticket package through CRO.