Dining plan- share meals?

[MrsJackSparrow]

DH and I usually split an entree for lunch and for dinner. We are booked to take advantage of the free dining in August. Would we be able to do this on the dining plan? Example: At Pizzafari, we usually split the sandwich. This would count as 1 counter service, right? Or do I have to use my dining pics each day?

 

[traviesojmt]

You may use the credits however you wish. You are not required to use a certain number per day. We have a 3 year old daughter who doesn't eat much for dinner. We are just going to share our meals with her and keep a TS credit for later in the trip. For example: If 2 of you are staying at Disney on the Dining Plan for 5 nights, you would have 10 snacks, 10 counter service and 10 table service for your total trip. You may use them in any order that you want. If you want to have a TS for breakfast and another for dinner, that is perfectly fine. The next day, you can just eat counter service meals if you want. This plan is extremely flexible. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[thelionqueen]

Agree with PP, the plan is very flexible and designed to give your family the dining options it needs. There will be some on this board who will flame you for not using 1 credit PP, etc. I personally love the plans flexibility and it sounds like it will be great for you too.

Use it in any way you see fit. I also don't like to waste food, and often will share a plate w/my kids. There is so much food, we often have credits left over. Enjoy!!

 

[LoveThatDarnMouse]

I was wondering this same thing. I can't eat much because of surgery I had, and my DS3 doesn't eat more then a few bites. So we can actually split meals~that's great.

 

[budbeerlady]

DD (5) and I shared breakfast at our resort (1 cs) and then we shared a lunch (1 cs) and Dh ate only breakfast (1cs) and all 3 of us ate 1 ts for our dinners. That was how we used our 3 cs and 3 ts for our family of 3 a day. (I know it can cause some arguments but that is what I did)

 

[Lewisc]

Agree with PP, the plan is very flexible and designed to give your family the dining options it needs. There will be some on this board who will flame you for not using 1 credit PP, etc. I personally love the plans flexibility and it sounds like it will be great for you too.

Use it in any way you see fit. I also don't like to waste food, and often will share a plate w/my kids. There is so much food, we often have credits left over. Enjoy!!

I would never flame people for sharing a meal, where permitted. I just don't agree with the posters who talk about H U G E PORTIONS. The portions aren't any bigger than restaurants I go to at home. Some of the Disney restaurants have reduced portion sizes. People with light appetites may be happy sharing but I think some guests will get the wrong idea from some of the posts here. One poster said the appetizer at Coral Reef was big enough to be a meal. I'm sure it was for that person but I suspect many people would disagree.

Many of the CS meals may be enough to share IF you eat all of the "bad items" like french fries. A few have portions large enough to share but many don't, unless you eat very little.

 

[formernyer]

I would never flame people for sharing a meal, where permitted. I just don't agree with the posters who talk about H U G E PORTIONS. The portions aren't any bigger than restaurants I go to at home. Some of the Disney restaurants have reduced portion sizes. People with light appetites may be happy sharing but I think some guests will get the wrong idea from some of the posts here. One poster said the appetizer at Coral Reef was big enough to be a meal. I'm sure it was for that person but I suspect many people would disagree.

Many of the CS meals may be enough to share IF you eat all of the "bad items" like french fries. A few have portions large enough to share but many don't, unless you eat very little.

I was the one who said the appetizer was big enough for a meal for my kids. The were permitted to order an appetizer off of the adult menu and the ceasar salad came with an entire grilled chicken breast on top of it. Did they also eat their kid's meal and dessert? Yes, they did. HOWEVER, we left that place so full that our stomachs were ready to burst. My kids could have done very well with just the salad and chicken breast.

I've noticed something...every single time I see Lewis' name next to a post I know ahead of time that it's either going to be a flame, a disagreement, or something negative.

 

[happymommy]

I have to agree that if you're a light eater, you may want to share meals - even at home restaurants! I am a very light eater, but enjoy frequent snacking and small meals as opposed to a large one, where I feel uncomfortably full afterwards. Plus, with all the strolling around the theme parks, I'd rather not be too full! I actually enjoy a child's meal at a counter service restaurant, if they don't object (like I really enjoy it at the Japan pavillion in Epcot). Also, it's fun to eat smaller portions more often to enjoy sampling some of the fun snacks at WDW! Especially at Epcot - we love going from country to country and snacking! What I guess my point is, is that it's better IMHO to share if in doubt, then order something extra, rather than getting so much you feel obligated to eat it all, then be stuffed. There's always dessert....

 

[Lewisc]

Feel free to add me to your ignore list.

Sorry if you don't like it when posters correct the mis-information you're posting. Your kids were given an adult appetizer. The plan doesn't require it and other guests posted that they were not allowed an adult appetizer for their kids. That courtesy depends on the restaurant, the CM and I suspect how nice the guest is. Ask nicely, and many CMs will bend rules to accommodate guests.

I don't think the portions, particularly at the signature restaurants, are large enough for two adults, with normal appetites, to share without at least purchasing an extra entrée or appetizer. The entrée at my meal at CG wasn't large enough to share.


A lot of the Disney meals, including all the character meals can't be shared. They're buffet, or all you care to eat and everyone must pay/use a credit. People planning on which meals they're going to share have to take that into account.

My post in this thread wasn't a flame or negative. I simply disagree with the implications that portions are huge and are sized for sharing. Actually your posts are mild and I'm sure are accurate with respect to how your family eats. Read some of the posts and you'd think a single meal will stuff 3 people.

A SUGGESTION FOR THE OP--take a look at what's being served at other tables before you order. Decide if it's enough so you can split an entire meal, none of the meal or just need to order an extra appetizer. Our opinion of what's enough may be different than yours and portion sizes may have changed since our trip.

I was the one who said the appetizer was big enough for a meal for my kids. The were permitted to order an appetizer off of the adult menu and the ceasar salad came with an entire grilled chicken breast on top of it. Did they also eat their kid's meal and dessert? Yes, they did. HOWEVER, we left that place so full that our stomachs were ready to burst. My kids could have done very well with just the salad and chicken breast.

I've noticed something...every single time I see Lewis' name next to a post I know ahead of time that it's either going to be a flame, a disagreement, or something negative.

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

Thanks so much! Wasn't sure if they were 1 snack, 1 CS, 1TS per person, per day. The flexibility will be nice b/c we plan to take DKs to luau and DH and I find the portions FAR TOO LARGE for one of us to eat at most of the places we like to dine at WDW (we share a sandwich at Earl of Sandwich even!), so it will be nice to be able to "save" a TS or two since we want to do the luau. Thanks to all who replied!