Dining Plan w/a 12 month old

[Jim6122]

This will be our first time on the DDP. We are a family of 4 ~ myself, DW, DS4, and DS12mo. Does Disney consider the 12mo as part of the dining plan? Our little guy is a big eater, and no longer eats baby food. I'm not expecting to order a full meal for him, but do they at least allow you to order a side dish?

 

[TDC Nala]

You can't purchase the dining plan for children under age 3. Babies are expected to share. If you order anything for him a la carte you'd need to pay for it.

At buffets and all-you-can-eat meals, he'd be free to eat whatever he wanted, so it may be advantageous to you to book a lot of those types of meals.

 

[Jim6122]

Gotcha. Thanks for the response!

We plan on him sharing with us, but for those times we'd like to try something different (and maybe a little spicier) we were wondering if they loaded a few extra "baby" credits on your card for little ones to use.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry, no baby credits. Children under age 3 are not eligible for the dining plan at all.

Some posters have registered their under-3 child as age 3 just to get the dining plan for the child - but if you have a non-AP package booking, that also means that you have to buy the kid a park ticket. It also means you're paying for the kid to eat at buffets, which you wouldn't have had to do at all otherwise. If you're getting free dining, that last wouldn't matter. Not only that, but $10 a night for the children's dining plan isn't all that much.

 

[Jim6122]

Sorry, no baby credits. Children under age 3 are not eligible for the dining plan at all.

Some posters have registered their under-3 child as age 3 just to get the dining plan for the child - but if you have a non-AP package booking, that also means that you have to buy the kid a park ticket. It also means you're paying for the kid to eat at buffets, which you wouldn't have had to do at all otherwise. If you're getting free dining, that last wouldn't matter. Not only that, but $10 a night for the children's dining plan isn't all that much.

Okay, wait a minute. Are you saying for $10 per day (night) we can add him to the dining plan and then we could order him his own children's meals?? AND snacks?!?!

Also, what do you mean by "non-AP booking"??

 

[TDC Nala]

Annual passholders can book packages with dining and without tickets. If you don't have an annual pass, you'd have to book your package including tickets or you can't add the dining plan. If you are DVC members you also don't have to buy tickets.

The children's dining plan for 2008 costs $9.99 per night of your stay, for 2009 it will cost $10.99. But you would have to say your one year old is 3 to purchase the plan for him, because they will not sell it to a child under age 3. As I stated, if you register him as age 3 and you are booked on a room/tickets package, you have to buy him a park ticket. It could cost far more to buy him a ticket than it would to buy him a few meals and snacks.

 

[Missin'Disney]

As far as the dining plan, you will have the option of feeding him off your plate, or buying him his own dish and paying OOP. I'm sure everybody could just share with him and in instances of a buffet it won't be an issue as you can load up your plate and feed him off it.
We were just there with our 16-month old and didn't have to buy anything extra for him, he just shared with everybody.

 

[Jim6122]

Got it. Thanks guys!