DDP question.

[Mickey'sMainMami]

Hi, my family and I are doing the ddp this time for the first time. I have a question about which dinners we will have to use 2 ddp credits for.

Thurs 9/13-Ragland Road (I am pretty sure this is just 1 TS credit each)
Fri 9/14- O'Hana's (Do we need to use 2 TS credits each?)
Sat 9/15- Germany (I am pretty sure this is just 1TS credit each also)
Sun 9/16-Chef Mickey's Character dinner (I am pretty sure since this is a character meal, this one we will need to use 2 TS credits each for)
Mon 9/17- Mexico( pretty sure this is 1 TS each)
Tues-check out, will probably only use the cs credit so we will use the TS credit for Chef Mickey's.

so, I guess the only thing I have the question about is O'Hana's and Chef Mickey's. I know O'Hana isn't a character meal, but since it's family style, do they charge you 2 credits? Thanks for any and all help. If both of these require us using 2 TS credits, then we will pick 1 of the other 3 dinner places to pay out of pocket. Thanks for the help guys!!

 

[Mom of 3]

O'Hanas is 1 TS credit.

 

[aubriee]

All the ones you have listed are just 1 credit TS, including 'Ohanas and Chef Mickey's. The only character meal that is 2 Credits is Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle. FYI: Usually character meals are among the cheapest TS meals.

Only the signature dining restaurants cost 2 credits. They are: Brown Derby, Jiko, Artist Point, Narcoosee, Citricos, California Grill, Yachtsman, and Flying Fish (as well as Cinderella's Royal Table). Those are the only ones that come to mind, although there might be a couple more.

 

[Mickey'sMainMami]

Great, then we will have plenty!! Thanks so much for your help!! Also, how do you know when you go to a counter service place, what you can get on your dining plan. Is pretty much everything included??

 

[aubriee]

Great, then we will have plenty!! Thanks so much for your help!! Also, how do you know when you go to a counter service place, what you can get on your dining plan. Is pretty much everything included??

At a CS you get either a combo meal or just an entree, a desserts, and either a medium or a large drink (nonalcoholic, of course). If the entree comes with fries you get them, but if it's not listed as a combo on the menu, then you don't get a side. Most restaurants allow a large drink, but a few allow only a medium drink. The only food restrictions I can think of are Wolfgang Puck's Express will not allow you to get the ravioli or the lasagna and Tangeriene Cafe will only allow a certain baklava for dessert. At the bakery in France you are allowed a savory pastry (or fruit/cheese plate), a sweet pastry, and a medium drink.

You didn't ask, but just FYI, some of the best CS for your buck are La Kringla Bakeri in Norway (cup of soup, sandwich, any dessert, and lg soda), Seasons in the Land pavillion (Chinese food with two entrees and two sides, any dessert, and a lg drink), Tangerine Cafe in Morocco (lamb/chicken swarma platter with sides, baklava, and a drink), Wolfgang Puck Express (chicken bolognese, creme brulee, and drink), Mara at AKL (shrimp platter, zebra domes, and a drink), and the Pepper Market at CSR (rib eye steak with roasted vegetables and fries, soda, dessert). Yeah, at the Pepper Market you can get a rib eye steak for a CS credit and they are not small steaks either!

 

[illiniowl]

Great, then we will have plenty!! Thanks so much for your help!! Also, how do you know when you go to a counter service place, what you can get on your dining plan. Is pretty much everything included??

The short answer is that you should read the FAQ, which you can find here.

The long answer is that for a CS credit, you get:

Breakfast: Entrée, Non-alcoholic beverage
Lunch: Entrée, Dessert, Non-alcoholic beverage
Dinner: Entrée, Dessert, Non-alcoholic beverage
OR
Breakfast: one Combo Meal, Non-alcoholic beverage
Lunch: one Combo Meal, Dessert, Non-alcoholic beverage
Dinner: one Combo Meal, Dessert, Non-alcoholic beverage

There are some items at some places that are not available as part of a DDP CS meal (example - at Tangierine Cafe in EPCOT, the only dessert you are allowed to get with a DDP CS meal is baklava) but actually these are few and far between, and there is a list of the known "exclusions" in the FAQ - it's not long.

Have fun.

 

[Mickey'sMainMami]

Ok, guys, one more question, then I won't bother you anymore! I am sure this has probably been addressed on here already, (which topic hasn't?) but there are just so many posts and topics, I can't find one. Anyway, I know the gratuity is included in the plan, but do the servers actually get that? How do they tip them out of free dining? I mean, I know Disney makes a billion+ dollars a year, but do the servers really get what they deserve? I waitressed off and on for years, and let me tell you, it is a tough, thankless job, so I always tip well. Do you still tip on top of the ddp, or do you only tip more in cases where the server went above and beyond? What about buffet restaurants? We are going to 2 this trip, do you still tip for them on top of the dining plan, or do you think we only need to tip for the sit down meals? Thanks for the info!!

 

[daisy112878]

Since the tip is included we only tip more if the server goes above and beyond for us.

Also just so you know here's a link to more info including what TS are 1 or 2 credits:
http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/packages07a.htm#rest
This website is one of my favorite disney websites. It also has menus and other planning info.

 

[kelleigh1]

Everything you have listed is 1 table credit.

There is a chart somewhere that tells you the credits for every restaurant. I have a copy of it at home. I'll see if I can find it for you.

Here is one chart, not the one I have, but hopefully this helps. I have a printable one.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/MagicYourWaydining.htm#2007

 

[TN_DISNEY]

Ok, guys, one more question, then I won't bother you anymore! I am sure this has probably been addressed on here already, (which topic hasn't?) but there are just so many posts and topics, I can't find one. Anyway, I know the gratuity is included in the plan, but do the servers actually get that? How do they tip them out of free dining? I mean, I know Disney makes a billion+ dollars a year, but do the servers really get what they deserve? I waitressed off and on for years, and let me tell you, it is a tough, thankless job, so I always tip well. Do you still tip on top of the ddp, or do you only tip more in cases where the server went above and beyond? What about buffet restaurants? We are going to 2 this trip, do you still tip for them on top of the dining plan, or do you think we only need to tip for the sit down meals? Thanks for the info!!

I think the tip % is 18%.

Also, we found that the service was not always up to par and that sometimes an 18% tip was not warranted.

Our server at San Angel Inn (Epcot Mexico) rarely refilled our beverage glasses and even served our desserts prior to removing our entree plates. He also left a large stack of dirty dishes on a tray right next to our table....hardly what I'd expect when spending >$100 on dinner. Also, the chicken was terribly over cooked.

At Tony's (Main Street Magic Kingdom) our server brought our dinner entrees about 2 minutes after our appetizer arrived and before bringing our kids their meal even though we place the kids dinner order with our appetizer order (wife and I sitting there with appetizer and entree while 7 & 3 year olds are waiting with no food). Also, no bread was served until 2nd request (and it was cold bread). Once again, 18% tip was very generous for the level of service we received.

At Biergarten, our server was fine (she accurately pointed us to the buffet line and cleared our table between trips).

Other than those 2 restaurant service issues, everything else was fine.