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

[5boyz]

OOOOOPS!!! I gotta start re reading what I type. I meant to say "NOT" critizing "OTHER" people for their thoughts and questions!


BTW how do you do quick reply?

 

[Rowlf]

Rowlf

When I booked the Character Meal for dd's birthday they led me to believe that about the plates....when we got there it had apparently changes since I booked and now it was a menu. So like I stated somewhere else my 6 year and 8 year old got a hot dog for $12.99. We were so mad that they let the bigger kids eat off the kids menu but gave them the adult portion and like I said my husband and the other man were still hungry which made my husband a grump and we pretty much went back to our cabins after that! It cost us $165.US. My husband had 2 beers also! But live and learn, this year we are doing the Chef Mickey for her birthday as the other couple who we are going with did it a few years ago. Does anyone know anything about it?

Yes, it is menu, but you can order multiple plates off the menu if you want. I'm sorry they weren't clear about that!

It has been a while since I went to Chef Mickey's, but it was very buffetish when I went there. If you are looking for food quantity, that's probably a good choice.

 

[5boyz]

Rowlf,


Thank you!!! Buffetish (that's cute) is good for us because then the kids can eat what they like and only what they like!!! When you have 6 kids everyones taste is different!!! The 2 little ones eat WAY better (healthier) than the 2 middle ones!! They are fussy!!! LOL!!! But all eat like birds!

 

[5boyz]

Yea! I am glad that you feel a little better. It looks like you have 2 "children" and 4 "adults" if you were to get the plan? correct? Will your older boys do the plan justice? They are at that age of being a bottomless bucket! My kiddos like chicken strips almost every meal! So, while we were on the plan and they got to choose from the kids menu just like us adults. If they wanted chicken strips, well, by darn, they can have it!! I just did not feel like I was having to look at price and it felt good!!

We will have gone 3 years in a row after this year. My older twins are 9 and I wanted to go one more year (at least! I am addicted!) before everything cost more to take them. When I booked the package, I just order 1 day base tickets for all of us. Then I bought 10 magic plus non expiring tickets through undercovertourist. At the time they were still charging 2005 prices but even now at 2006 prices are they are cheaper than disney's prices. You don't have to use the tickets with your plan. Just apply there value to tickets later. I will probably take the 1 day tickets and apply their value to a 10 day ticket next year. The 10 is just a better value. We will also use the 10 day non expiring days on our Sept trip this year. We are going to the campground Fort Wilderness for pretty much a camp only trip. We will use a couple of days off the ticket for animal Kingdom and a water park.

We camp! Fort Wilderness is so much fun! We do have an RV but you can tent camp. Are first trip was suppose to be tent but we ended up buying an used RV. Since then, we have bought a new one! Right now, or reservation is for $47/night during value season. We did choose the preferred site with cable otherwise it would be a little cheaper. The kids love it. I would have to get 2 rooms too so this allows us to go more often. Let me know if you would like more information about FW!

C

Ok I have looked at your way of doing it and have a few questions

1.How many days do you go for?
2.10 magic plus-water or hopper?
3.10 magic plus for each person? lol
4. what do you mean take their 1 day and apply to the value next year?
5. You don't have to use the tickets with your plan? Meal Plan?

Sorry all of this is very interesting to me!

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Ok I hope this is not as clear as mud! ha!

1) I get the most days, 10, because it is only something like $3-4/day more for each day after 7 days! I bought the non-expiring (10 day magic plus) so we could use it for mulitiple trips!
2) I did get magic plus on these. For the 2005 tickets it was 5 extras days for the waterparks, Disney Quest (which my kids lovvvvvvvve!), etc.. BUT the 2006 tickets are actually 6 extra! So really you are getting 16 days on the 10 day magic plus.
3) Yes, I did because my kids are young and we will all be going at the same time.
4) If you do not use your tickets (because they expire 14 days from once you use them, unless you bought non expiring option) you can use what they are worth toward another ticket later. Or, in other words, upgrade them. I just can't bring myself to pay for 4 or 5 day tickets when a 10 day is not much more!! Some Annual Pass holders have done this because they want the dining plan but have to buy a ticket. So they would just buy a 1 day ticket and apply the value of it to next years AP. I plan on doing that on a future visit but probably not toward an AP. Of course, you are forking out the money for something in the future..... My 1 days cost me probably around $350 but I will just hold onto them and apply that toward ticktes later.

**now I did have a old ticket last year (2003) that had 1 day left on it. I wanted to add magic plus to my husband's ticket. I went up to the reservation desk at the Fort and asked her if I could apply the value of that 1 day toward the cost of adding magic plus to his ticket (I believe magic plus was around $45) and she said no problem! So, that does have me thinking that maybe next year or the next that I could use the value of these 1 days just to pay for an option that I want to add on????hmmmm??? Never hurts to ask!***

I did not buy park hopper this time. We just did not park hop last year. We almost did it because we felt like we had to because I paid for it.

5)No you do not have to use these tickets with your meal plan. You actually could buy 10 day magic plus non expiring with this trip and just save your extra days for later. Your tickets do not have to match your stay.

Hope this helped!

 

[5boyz]

Oh that was clearer than mud!!! LOL!! You shud work for Disney,you would do very well at it, although you are trying to help people save money, not spend! ha ha!! Speaking of working for disney! Do Disney employees get a discount? I was just thinking about that!! Hmmmmmmmm!

 

[bicker]

I thought Disney was about family, not someone getting rich!!!!

The Disney Company was incorporated in 1936. Since then, its directors had a legal obligation to make all decisions in the best financial interest of the shareholders.

Many folks are surprised to find out that the old adage is, "Make the customer feel that they're always right," not "The customer is always right."

 

[nbodyhome]

I think that making the guests happy should make the shareholders happy most of the time. I like Costco because they aim to make their employees and customers happy, and then that helps the profits too.

As far as the 7 day ph vs 10 day - usually its only a buck or two more per person per day.

 

[5boyz]

nbodyhome,

I think that is a very good statement!!!!!!

 

[T. Lynn]

5boyz, You can have 5 nights worth. You just have to make two reservations. I would assume (I really don't know) that it is a way for them to curb the chance that people will use all the child credits on adults. As it is now, it is so much food that you really have to use credits on your kids or you will end up loosing some at the end. Of course, if there was another family that was not on the plan, you could work the system that way too. I think the price for adut and child is fair. As far as the junior situation, I agree. Next year my twins will be in that situation so I will have to decide if I would want to pay almost $40/day each for the plan. I have not even thought much about it yet but it might lead to "no" and we will just pay OOP. No biggy! If they ever offer a junior price then it would be nice but I am not going to worry about it. One other thing, you really have to think about the fact that this price INCLUDES tax and tip! They really add up!

We are staying for 2 weeks and was told by disney that we had to make 2 reservations as well. Their max amount of nights is 10 so we have to make a reservation for 10 nights and one for 4 nights. Was also told that it may change till then. That would be nice since it seems kinda stupid.

We're getting the dining plan but using it with the 10 day reservation, again, unless it changes till then.

 

[T. Lynn]

OOOOOPS!!! I gotta start re reading what I type. I meant to say "NOT" critizing "OTHER" people for their thoughts and questions!


BTW how do you do quick reply?

Hit the quick reply in the corner of anyones response, and it will bring you to the message box at the bottom of the page. Just start typing. Click the quote box if you want to quote the reponse you used for the quick reply.

 

[Lorikr65]

Personally, I think Disney is all about making money. The characters and cast members in the parks have been nothing less than great! In my opinion they keep the guests coming back - not the money-hungry executives sitting behind their desks' collecting bonuses for the work the cast members do.

We went in Dec. with DS6 and DD11. There was no way I was going to pay $34 for DD11 to eat, she's happy with a hot dog or chicken nuggets. If they were both under 9 I probably would have done it, but that amount for an 11 year-old, in my opinion, is ridiculous.

I haven't read all of this thread, but everyone tries to save money nowadays - not just in Disney. You have the people who reuse mugs, the people who bring their easy mac to the food court and heat it in the microwave, the people who use kids credits for adults, adults who eat kids meals, and the list goes on. They will continue to do this (and I don't have a problem with that because I'm guilty of some of the above!) and you can hash it out, but in the end will it change?? Who disagrees?? Shareholders, DVC members?? People who didn't think of it the last time they went!!

We've gone 8 times in the past 8 years and I feel the magic is wearing off. I don't know that we'll go again this year. We may visit other non-disney parks in orlando or go on a non-disney cruise.

Does anyone else feel that Disney overcharges for just about everything?? $3 for a bottle of water that would cost me .21c at home, $7 for a hot dog, and the list goes on. I personally feel a bit taken advantage of by Disney and will continue to cut corners or go to other amusement parks (although, unfortunately, they probably are just as bad!!!). Maybe I oughta just make myself a marguerita and sit by the pool at home!!

 

[lilpixie]

Maybe for those who like to split meals -- buying food on your own instead of the dining plan is a better option? We just got back from DL (they don't have a dining plan there) and my girls barely ate a thing lol! I know I'm the type of person who will eat cereal in the morning, have a big lunch, and then rarely eat dinner. So when we go to WDW, we probably won't be using the dining plan. That way we can just buy what we need without having to worry about misusing the system.
But I think it is a great option for people with older kids or kids who like their own meal (who knows when my 3 little girls will actually eat a whole meal )

 

[bicker]

I think that making the guests happy should make the shareholders happy most of the time.

More precisely, making guests happy most of the time should make shareholders happy. And that's of course precisely what Disney does.

in the end will it change?

Yes, of course. How and when isn't clear, but Disney often changes policies and procedures, and often those changes are in response to use of an offering contrary to their intent.

 

[5boyz]

Lorikr65,


That is pretty much how I feel!!!


BTW Bicker you picke a good name!!!!!

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Well, it is pretty much like that everywhere! Even if you pull through a drive through and buy bottled water it is going to be high. At least higher than 21 cents!! I took the kids to 6-flags in MD last year and it was so gross! We went to Sea World last year and the food was gross and high. I don't even really like to eat fast food out much anymore because when I really think about it, it doesn't seem too appetizing anymore. Most of ya'll would think that Taco Bell is cheap and wish you could spend that kind of money at WDW. Well, taco bell uses LFTB (lean fine textured beef). We actually have plants that only buy bones from other plants that process beef. These plants scrape the bones to get what left over meat that is stuck to the bone. It becomes a liquid mixture and they freeze it over a grate. So cheap meat=cheap food. Not always, but most of the time, you get what you pay for. It would cost us lots of $$ to go to any amusement park! I would rather save the $300 or more and go to Disney because we do get a lot of bang for the buck (as far as amusement)! My kids can experience almost everything in one trip. I think that they have done a pretty good job keeping the magic compared to how big the company is now. It would be hard to make everyone happy but they do a pretty good job. Like I said, we camp at FW. FW is really close in in price to most nice campgrounds and it is way above nice. I just can not complain.

 

[mickman1962]

I don't get the using child credit for adult meals????? What is the difference what you use........you paid for all of it anyway!!!!!!

No, you paid 1/3 the price of the adult meal plan. A very simple fact that a lot of people on this board either can't comprehend, or choose to ignore. If you feel OK about doing it, then go ahead. I will always think it's wrong.

 

[5boyz]

mickman...you never answered my question, only were quick to get your 2c worth in about how you think its wrong.....so my question was how do you use child credits for adult meals???????

 

[mickman1962]

mickman...you never answered my question, only were quick to get your 2c worth in about how you think its wrong.....so my question was how do you use child credits for adult meals???????

I did answer your question, you just didn't like my answer.

The answer to your question is you don't.

 

[5boyz]

I wasn't asking to do it!~!!! Everyone kept talking about it and i didn't know what they were talking about, so I was asking someone who was talking about it not someone that came in half way thru. I never asked for your permission by the way....I already have a dad and a husband!!!!!