DDP general questions

[Youneek1]

This will be our first time visiting Disney World. I am getting plans in place without DDP (both in case it does not return by our trip or in case math wise it does not make sense) as well as well with both the Regular Plus and Deluxe plan. In my planning, I thought of a scenario, where perhaps at Sci-Fi, we could pay OOP for my kiddos and my husband and I could use the dining plan to get my meal and desert. Could we then split the desert?

I guess I'm trying to figure out how individualized I can make the dinning plan, considering it will be a lot of food, and might be a better use to split here and there and add on OOP to supplement. I could then try and stick with Regular Plus, and spread some of the dinning credits out to more meals, as needed. It's just really hard trying to figure out how hungry everyone will be at various times of the day in the future (at least for my family it is).

 

[_19disnA]

Lots of older (often contentious) threads on the dining plan on here. We went to Disney last year and had the regular dining plan and it worked out great for us. It all depends on how you like to eat (i.e. do you do a lot of character meals, what types of places do you prefer, do you drink alcohol), etc. Some people love it others hate it. Dining plan has changed to some new options before the whole covid thing caused Disney to stop offering them. No one probably knows at this point if they will return, just like buffets aren't going to come back in their current form until covid is behind us or more likely they return in a different format where everyone isn't touching the same utensils, etc.

 

[sharonabe]

I guess I'm trying to figure out how individualized I can make the dinning plan, considering it will be a lot of food, and might be a better use to split here and there and add on OOP to supplement. I could then try and stick with Regular Plus, and spread some of the dinning credits out to more meals, as needed

For 99% of restaurants you can pay with credits and pay OOP however you want. So your scenario of only using one credit at Sci-Fi will work. You can share your dessert with the whole table if you want.

One thing to remember as you start planning to spread out credits: kid's credits can only be used to purchase kid's meals, so plan wisely where those credits get used.

The 1% where it will not work is Via Napoli. VN doesn't require everyone to use a credit, but they do require everyone to order something (kid's meal, app, or entree). Once the food is on the table, anyone can eat it, but you can't use just 1 or 2 credits and feed the whole table.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Sharing at sci fi will be awkward at best w folks in different rows

great point above, child meal credits (age 3-9) can only be used on child meals so if You pay oop ts meal for the kids, how would you use the credits?

and who knows when or if they will return. If rules change. If different plans are offered. We really have zero idea. Disney is having enough trouble doing bare minimum as they try to reopen during this very difficult time. So plan away, manipulate the numbers so you know what your plan may be if plans are offered again.
I do not see them reverting though to allow child credits to ever be used on adult meals.