Disney Dining Plan ---- Can it be shared/split??

[tophee99]

Ok, this might seem like a rather goofy question, but if we were to purchase the DDP for me, dh and 1 ds, could the other ds share? There is no way they would eat that much food between them, so I am hoping that they can share!!

thanks.

Tophee

 

[T. Lynn]

When I called to find prices for 2 weeks they asked how many adults and children in the room. I was then told that the dining plan would have to be purchased for each person.

 

[Donna]

You don't say their ages, but anyone ages 3-9 has to pay the child price and over 9 is the adult price, so if your other son is 2 or less, that is the only way you could share the food.

 

[InstImpres]

The dining plan has to be purchased for everyone in the room. The only way to "share" is if you have connecting rooms, you can purchase for one room and not the other,

 

[rach2674]

I know I'm probably going to get bashed for saying this, but I've been wanting to get the dining plan myself sometime and wondering the same thing. What I was thinking of doing is tell them there is only an Adult and child in the room...instead of two adults and a child. Since we all have our passes and only live 2 hours from Orlando, I'm thinking I can just check in with my daughter and my husband can stay in the car and pretend he's not there. We would never eat that much food and share meals so often. I know it's probably "illegal" to do that, but that's the only solution I've been able to come up with. Of course that probably doesn't work for anyone who is flying in because you're buying a vacation package with everything.

Any opinions on that?? (Ducking so I don't get pelted)

Rachel

 

[bicker]

I think your underlying instinct, that caused you to ask the question as you did, was sound: It's dishonest to engage in such deception. Disney relies on the integrity of their guests to avoid having to institute more draconian and costly enforcement measures. I vote for telling the truth, and if that means that the Dining Plan isn't a good fit for your family, simply turn the offer down.

 

[crisi]

I know I'm probably going to get bashed for saying this, but I've been wanting to get the dining plan myself sometime and wondering the same thing. What I was thinking of doing is tell them there is only an Adult and child in the room...instead of two adults and a child. Since we all have our passes and only live 2 hours from Orlando, I'm thinking I can just check in with my daughter and my husband can stay in the car and pretend he's not there. We would never eat that much food and share meals so often. I know it's probably "illegal" to do that, but that's the only solution I've been able to come up with. Of course that probably doesn't work for anyone who is flying in because you're buying a vacation package with everything.

Any opinions on that?? (Ducking so I don't get pelted)

Rachel

Since you asked - if you suspect its unethical, it probably is. Would you get caught? Probably not. Would your choice impact others long term - you betcha - enough people "work the system" and the system gets changed - more expensive rooms, more expensive dining plan, more expensive park tickets. Disney picks a target profit - you cheat them out of their profit, they will raise prices somewhere else to make up for the loss.

 

[rach2674]

I guess I'll just go back to buying the kids meals for myself. I suppose that's probably dishonest too, but I can't eat the amount of food that is on an adult portion and I don't want to waste food. I apparently should have kept my thoughts to myself.....I'm just not big into wasting a ton of food. I've seen people in Disney with giant trays of food and then they end up throwing half of it away. In my opinion I'd rather lower Disney's tiny profit margin instead of wasting more food.

Rachel

 

[bicker]

In my opinion I'd rather lower Disney's tiny profit margin instead of wasting more food.

I can surely understand and respect your preference in that regard, but I'm sure you'd agree that that's really something best left up to them to decide -- their restaurants, their profit, their rules.

It got me thinking about something I find mystifying here in Massachusetts. There is a checkbox on the tax form that allows taxpayers to elect to pay a higher tax rate. I'm sure that we all appreciate having that as an option, for us to decide, rather than having the state decide for each of us which of us will pay the higher tax rate versus which of us will not.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Ok, this might seem like a rather goofy question, but if we were to purchase the DDP for me, dh and 1 ds, could the other ds share? There is no way they would eat that much food between them, so I am hoping that they can share!!

thanks.

Tophee

Hi Tophee!
to the DIS!

It looks like you've gotten an answer to your question. Keep in mind that if you go with the dining plan, it is "per night" and not "per day". So, if you're at WDW for 7days/6 nights, you will only get 6 tables service credits, 6 counter service and 6 snacks per person. If you choose to do Hoo-de-doo or Spirit of Aloha, they each require 2 TS credits, as do select signature restaurants.

There are ways to use the credits completely and not waste food. For families with young children, the $10/day is far less than you would spend on a single character meal. And if the children are sharing counter service meals, you would be able to get breakfast (counterservice, shared) lunch (counterservice, shared), dinner (tableservice, individual) and a snack each day for them if you budget the credits right.

You can learn a lot more about the dining plan by visiting the Dining Plan sub forum on the Restaurant Board.

 

[stczt]

we went in sept. and there was 5 of us 3 adults dh, me, 10 y.o.son and 2 children. we let the little ones share counter meals and the table service we paid for kids and used the credits for adults except @ charter meals which we did 3. and we still had to much food, d.h. is a 3 meal on the clock guy and we ended up eating 2 meals a day and no snacks.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

It is still a great deal if you plan on doing meals. I would not lie about my kids age to get it cheaper but I have no problem splitting the meals. The kids meals seem like a proper amount so I really don't have a desire to split theirs. Us girls shared an adult meal every once in awhile because it was alot of food. But, we it also enabled us to be able to do the Hoop de doo and one more sit down meal at the castle. We had a great time. Like aka-Mad4themouse said-you can really stretch it out and get your $$ worth. My kids are still all 9 and under but when they are not, I will have to sit down and figure if it is worth it still.

I loved it! If you have alot of snacks left over just trade in for Dasani waters. You can't go wrong there.

 

[dylansmom1]

I really think that it is dishonest not to pay for everyone. I'm a gastric bypass patient but I have to get the plan because everyone else in my rooms are getting them as well. We plan to pool our credits and pay out of pocket for me since a side salad and maybe half a chicken breat is about all I can eat at a meal. pooling the credits gives us more options for sit down meals too. AS a GB patient, there's no way I can eat $37 worth of food a day, but with my credits we can do Breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of eating only twice at restaurants. It works out pretty good.

Jane

 

[texasthree]

I am not flaming but question........isnt buying childrens credits and using them towards adult meals also dishonest? People are jumping on the lady that just wants to buy 2 and share with her husband but the person who bought childrens credits and used them for adult meals, no one questions this? I read on a a trip report of 2 adults and 2 children that they paid for their childrens meals oop and used all the credits for adult meals. I am suprised that disney doesnt find a way to stop that. I purchased the dining package for our trip in May and I think its a great deal even when its used the correct way. If you are going to eat any charector meals a day its going to save you hundreds of dollars. For us to do chef mickeys for one dinner would be something around $80 plus tax and tip. The dining plan is costing us $87 per day with tax and tip included. Its like getting a discount at dinner and getting lunch and a snack for free. Why play the system when the plan they are so generously offering is already saving you money. Also, if your kids can share a lunch meal then you can feed them a shared breakfast as well and get 3 meals a day for them for $22. I wish we had a second kid to do the sharing, Lord knows mine hardly eats!

 

[bicker]

no one questions this?

If you check past threads in the forum, you'll find that that has been questioned a great deal. It isn't acceptable either.

 

[Lewisc]

Disney requires that everyone on the reservation purchase the dining plan. Skipping one of the family members is breaking the rules.

There is no such thing as a child or adult credit. The brochure shows how all credits are pooled. Guests who use credits paid for at the child rate to purchase adult meals, to be consumed by adults on the plan, are following Disney's rules. Children who are tall enough to ride an attraction can ride it even though they paid the child's admission price.

http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...gespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/MYWDining.pdf


I'm not sure if families who have the strategy of using all, or almost all, of the credits that they paid child rates to purchase adult meals are smart consumers or are greedy.

I am not flaming but question........isnt buying childrens credits and using them towards adult meals also dishonest? People are jumping on the lady that just wants to buy 2 and share with her husband but the person who bought childrens credits and used them for adult meals, no one questions this? I read on a a trip report of 2 adults and 2 children that they paid for their childrens meals oop and used all the credits for adult meals.

 

[5boyz]

Well I would love to do it but it just soooo not worth it for us.....we are a family of 6 and 2 are teens 2 are kids and 2 adults....for us to get the meal plan for 10 nights is $1852.46 we would never in our wildest dreams eat that much food.....it would not cost me for 2 weeks of groceries at home. My one complaint about it is that is goes from 3-9 - $10.99 then from 10 up 37.99 no one can tell me that a 10 yr old shud be compared to an adult......that is what is a rip off!!! There shud be a happy meduim!!!

 

[Donna]

I agree, there should be a junior price. My 11 yr old barely finishes a kid meal and he has to get the adult plan and he will never eat that much. still, we are getting it because with our large party, it will just make everything easier. I think 19.99 would be a good price for 10-15 yrs old. Then charge for adults over that age. When i book ADRs and she said any kids and i said, one-age 4 (niece) and she said is everyone else over 18? i said, no, i have an 11 yr old and she said, oh he is a junior. ok, so why isn't there a junior PRICE???

 

[bicker]

I think the key thing to keep in mind is that for all things there is a single price, the regular price, but for some things Disney offers a discount for young children. They don't have to offer the discount -- they do so because their research shows that by offering the discount for young children they get more adults to make the purchase. They draw the line where offering the discount is no longer is worth it in terms of how it affects overall revenue.

 

[Donna]

I think the key thing to keep in mind is that for all things there is a single price, the regular price, but for some things Disney offers a discount for young children. They don't have to offer the discount -- they do so because their research shows that by offering the discount for young children they get more adults to make the purchase. They draw the line where offering the discount is no longer is worth it in terms of how it affects overall revenue.

I see your point and it makes perfect sense. I just think that (and we all know) disney WAY OVER charges for their meals as it is ($9.00 for a PB & J at Grand Floridian Cafe) so even with a junior price range, they more than likely would not be losing any money. Another good example is the Cindy breakfast. There's no way that food is worth $30 something but the people continue to pay to give their kids the experience and experience is the key word here, thats pretty much what you're paying for there.