Deluxe Dining Question....

[mpvmav]

We are going in August, this is the first year we are trying the DxDDP (we had a pin for free DDP so we paid the difference to upgrade to Deluxe ), as well as our oldest son is now 10....does that mean he orders from the adult menu and gets the app, entree and dessert? This is WAY too much food for him and he won't even make a dent in the app or meal (the dessert will be gone, I'm sure!...LOL) but if he does, I guess the perk is that he'll have more of a variety to choose from.

 

[juliebean]

Yes, that is what he is entitled to. He can order all three, doesn't have to, but you can always share the apps with the younger kids too. That's what we plan to do with ours, since I'm not sure all the kids meals will be enough for our 8 year old. Have a great time!

 

[AKL LOVER]

You know that you and your DS could order one adult entree and split the meal between the 2 of you (app, entree and dessert). Then you would only be spending one credit as opposed to 2 (one for you and one for him). This is a strategy that we have used in the past. The only time this doesn't work is at a buffett, where you have to pay for each person over the age of 3.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

You know that you and your DS could order one adult entree and split the meal between the 2 of you (app, entree and dessert). Then you would only be spending one credit as opposed to 2 (one for you and one for him). This is a strategy that we have used in the past. The only time this doesn't work is at a buffett, where you have to pay for each person over the age of 3.

I would double check that you can do that. I thought I read that there was no sharing as my DD 12 would eat just a bowl of soup for dinner. App/entree/dessert is just way more food.

 

[AKL LOVER]

I would double check that you can do that. I thought I read that there was no sharing as my DD 12 would eat just a bowl of soup for dinner. App/entree/dessert is just way more food.

We have done this several times on each trip and it's never been a problem--just as if you were ordering one meal to split and paying OOP. It just doesn't work at a buffet where you have to pay per person.

 

[Pumba's Truth]

I would double check that you can do that. I thought I read that there was no sharing as my DD 12 would eat just a bowl of soup for dinner. App/entree/dessert is just way more food.

In that case I would just look at paying OOP for the soup and then saving the credits for another meal some other time.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Do a little bit of math for yourselves. Figure out how much it would cost to NOT upgrade your DDP to DxDDp and pay for appetizers and DS' meals OOP (when he's actually ordering a meal of his own; if he just wants a soup then let him order that; my own 10yo loves it when I let her choose just a bowl of chicken noodle soup). DxDDP is a lot of credits and if you're planning on splitting meals and extending the credits further then you'll be spending a LOT of time in restaurants and will likely leave a lot credits left over. Of course this only works if you'll be eating a bunch of CS meals as well.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I would double check that you can do that. I thought I read that there was no sharing as my DD 12 would eat just a bowl of soup for dinner. App/entree/dessert is just way more food.

You just can't share with someone not on your dining plan with the exception of buffets and Beaches N Cream.

 

[catra121]

That is what your son CAN eat...but he doesn't have to order all that food. Many times I passed on dessert if I was feeling too full or if the desserts just didn't appeal to me. If your son doesn't want an appetizer or dessert or doesn't want to EAT all of it...that's up to him (or you...whoever).

Since you are upgrading from a free DDP pin...you will get your money's worth out of the Deluxe plan regardless of how much you end up ordering (though whether you could have saved more money going another route is another source of debate). My mom and I upgraded from a free dining pin last September to Deluxe Dining and it only cost us something like $30 or so a day each and many of our entrees at one restaurant cost more than that (we're big steak eaters).

Deluxe is great for convenience and just because you don't eat or order all your entitlements...that doesn't mean that you're not going to get your money's worth out of it. The flexibility of deluxe vs. regular dining plan is too big a benefit to pass up on (for me) and should be considered when making your decision.

 

[papamouse1]

Tricia1972 has a FAQ on the 2010 DDp plans and this is a quote from it...

"Can I share meals with other guests on the Dining Plan staying on the same hotel reservation?
There is no clear answer to this. Consistently, guests seem to be allowed to share the meals ordered on the Dining Plan amongst the guests at their table, with the exception of fixed price meals, such as buffets or other all-you-can-eat options. However, this question has been asked directly to Disney via email, by a number of guests, and consistently, they have answered this question by saying specifically that, "sharing is not permitted." Despite several attempts to get clarification about that statement, no clarification appears to be forthcoming from Guest Communications, and nothing official has been released by Disney Dining to resolve the confusion. Ask your server."

as far as I know, this is still accurate. You "officially" are not allowed to do it, however many people (including myself) have had success doing it at many restaurants. You just have to ask. The only problem here is you may not have the right to do it, and so if they say no, you are out of luck. We have never had anyone say no. We would split meals, then save xtra TS creds to do a 2TS restaurant