"Disney doesn't know if it's child or adult credit"

[Pedler]

Another logical voice joins the fray, welcome. I totally agree with everything you say. People that do not work in the IT industry have no idea how long it takes to implement a change, without impact to the total system. What seems trivial to the uninformed is actually quite a massive undertaking. I, for one, am not the least bit surprised that it has taken this long and longer to fix the mistakes.

I agree that these technical changes can take time. I work in IT as an enterprise database programer and I know full well what the ripple effect can be from one "little" change. Its like tossing a rock in a pond. The ripples touch everything.

Having said that you don't need a computer system to change policy. You can simple make the policy change if you are ready and wait for the enforcement mechanism to catch up.

 

[Pedler]

Just wondering. How much (on average) would it cost Disney for any given adult TS meal? What is their markup? Does anyone have a clue? As I was reading the various opinions, I was wondering if Disney might not come out ahead if someone chose to purchase kid's meals OOP. If 2 adults and 2 kids go to Disney for 3 nights. That would be 12 TS meals. Instead of going to 3 TS meals and using the credits outright, I now go to 6 TS meals and use only TS credit for adults. I am also paying OOP for 6 kid meals, right? At Chef Mickey's I would have to pay at least $22.00 for the kids meals. I realize that all kid's menus do not cost this much but if you throw in a few character meals, it would add up. Does this make any sense? What is Disney's overhead for the adult TS meals compared to what would be paid OOP for the kids?

I just can't see Disney letting this go if they were really losing money on the pooling of the credits as has been mentioned. Hope it makes sense, very tired as I am rattling this off.

The easiest way to calculate the potential cost of this is by just taking the difference between the adult and kids plan, roughly $26. That assumes you are using the pooled credits for both CS and TS meals in a given day. It doesn't matter what you ordered. The real opportunity cost of an adult paying for the plan and a child is $26. I had a post many pages ago that had some detailed financial examples.

 

[Goobergal99]

Hey since we are on the subject, has anyone been to Disney since January and if so could you tell me if they changed the design of the refillable mug since last year? I'm curious since I still have my mugs from last year at POFQ and would like to use them again this year at POR.

No but seriously, PM me if you know the answer and don't wish to be flamed like I am about to be. I swear sometimes I feel like I am in church again when I am on the DIS and have to hear all the preachers. Kind of reminds me why I am a "recovering catholic"

 

[Lewisc]

BINGO--Disney could probably also stop the pooling which would effectively, seperate the credits into adult and child,while they were trying to program child and adult credits into the system. They could also enforce the provision that requires all guests use the meal plan or pay out of pocket.

My guess is the "problem" isn't big enough for Disney to spend the time and money changing the system. The actual food doesn't cost Disney that much money and guest who pay out of pocket for kids meals are giving Disney extra $$.

Having said that you don't need a computer system to change policy. You can simple make the policy change if you are ready and wait for the enforcement mechanism to catch up.

 

[faindrops27]

Can someone please tell me about this. I booked a surprise trip for myself, and my 12 year old son. Ok, I got a price, I am paying the full price for my son as I pay for myself. Adult price. Even though. It says he is a child on reservation. Ok, now, my question is this. Is my son allowed to choose from the adult menu, on the DDP? I sure hope he is allowed, since I am paying the adult price for him? TIA

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

I might be stupid, but I just spent the last 2 hours both googling and searching Disney's website for the word pooling in regards to the meal plan. The only place it shows up is on the DISboards, mousesavers.com and other non-official Disney sites. I am tired and want to go to bed. Please, can someone send me the link/email where Disney says credits are pooled?

Or for one that says that they aren't?

 

[Hope73]

Sometimes we did not have the kids eat off of the kids menu because you cna only eat so many chicken strips and I don't think all of the rest even have a kids menu. In ak at the pizza rest there may be a kids offering but my kids wanted pizza so that is what we had.

 

[Sammie]

This is interesting. This is the first time that I have heard someone say they have had a direct formal communication that mentions child credits. I would be interested in seeing the e-mail if you still have it.

Glad I saved it, knew this was coming.

This is my email to Disney from the link on their official website:
I have a question about the Disney Dining plan. I am confused about the use of adult and child credits. I understand the credits are pooled and once that happens the restaurants can not tell which are adult and which are child.

Therefore can you use the child credits to purchase adult meals. I understand that this is possible due to the way the program is setup,but is it ok to do this?

The response was:

Dear Sammie,
Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

No, you cannot use a childs credit to purchase adult meals. When you purchase your dining plan the cost is based on the number of adults and the number of children. The price is not the same for both and is not interchangeable.
If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if applicable on all correspondence.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

WDW Online Communications

Pretty cut and dry to me, and ends my discussion of the fact that Disney says its ok to do this. I know you can get away with it. I know the cure might be worse than the problem. But I also know this is not the way they meant for the plan to be used and I will abide by that.

I could respect someone more that simply says I know its not right and its not the way the plan was meant to be used, but until they stop it, I am going for it. More than those that try to rationalize it with excuses.

 

[pezpam]

Can someone please tell me about this. I booked a surprise trip for myself, and my 12 year old son. Ok, I got a price, I am paying the full price for my son as I pay for myself. Adult price. Even though. It says he is a child on reservation. Ok, now, my question is this. Is my son allowed to choose from the adult menu, on the DDP? I sure hope he is allowed, since I am paying the adult price for him? TIA

Yes, he can have adult meals.

It looks like the confusion is because of the different 'adult' ages for various things..... At 12, your DS is a child for hotel purposes, so that's what shows up on the reservation. For tickets and for the DDP, he is a full-fledged Guest, not a child.

So yes, you'll pay full price for him on the DDP and for tickets, but if someone goes to WDW with 2 adults and 2 of their kids who are 12 and 15, the family is not charged the "extra adult in the room" charge for their not-yet-18 kids.

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

 

[Lewisc]

If they put that type of language in their brochure and on the Disney website you'd have a point. Guests are not required to follow rules that are only communicated via an email that's posted by a member on an internet discussion board. I can imagine a CM saying something like, forget what the brochure says didn't you read the email that Sammie posted on the internet?

There is absolutely no mention of a child or adult credit on Disney's website, any official communication regarding the plan or even on the receipt that we're given every time we use the plan. The person who wrote the email is using terms that don't even exit.

I'll repeat my previous question. A family of 6 splits for various meals. Disney doesn't keep track of how many TS credits were used to purchase adult or child meals. Do you really think the family is required to keep their own records?

If Disney wants to separate child and adult credits they can start by including the language from your email in all of the written information regarding the dining plan. Disney may not be able to enforce such a policy, at least with their present computer system, but they could at least take the first step by changing the rules.

I don't have respect for those posters who attack the character of guests who chose to follow Disney's published rules as opposed to imaginary rules that exit only in the mind of some DISBOARD members.

Glad I saved it, knew this was coming.

This is my email to Disney from the link on their official website:
I have a question about the Disney Dining plan. I am confused about the use of adult and child credits. I understand the credits are pooled and once that happens the restaurants can not tell which are adult and which are child.

Therefore can you use the child credits to purchase adult meals. I understand that this is possible due to the way the program is setup,but is it ok to do this?

The response was:

Dear Sammie,
Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

No, you cannot use a childs credit to purchase adult meals. When you purchase your dining plan the cost is based on the number of adults and the number of children. The price is not the same for both and is not interchangeable.
If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if applicable on all correspondence.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Bona Carlos
WDW Online Communications

Pretty cut and dry to me, and ends my discussion of the fact that Disney says its ok to do this. I know you can get away with it. I know the cure might be worse than the problem. But I also know this is not the way they meant for the plan to be used and I will abide by that.

I could respect someone more that simply says I know its not right and its not the way the plan was meant to be used, but until they stop it, I am going for it. More than those that try to rationalize it with excuses.

 

[Pedler]

Glad I saved it, knew this was coming.

....

I could respect someone more that simply says I know its not right and its not the way the plan was meant to be used, but until they stop it, I am going for it. More than those that try to rationalize it with excuses.

Hi Sammie,

Thanks for posting the e-mail. It doesn't make it cut and dried for me it actually muddies up my view now. The reason I say that is while this does say that credits are not interchangable it mentions things that don't exist such as child and adult credits. This causes me to wonder if the person responding, who probalby responds to hundreds of e-mails a day, has specific knowledge on this or is just making a best guess. It would be more definitive if it came from someone involved with the dinning plan. You have mentioned that you have had communications with people in management at Disney Dinning. Could you send a e-mail regarding the pooling of credits and post your response? It would be interesting to see what the dinning plan folk say.

 

[Sammie]

Hi Sammie,

Thanks for posting the e-mail. It doesn't make it cut and dried for me it actually muddies up my view now. The reason I say that is while this does say that credits are not interchangable it mentions things that don't exist such as child and adult credits. This causes me to wonder if the person responding, who probalby responds to hundreds of e-mails a day, has specific knowledge on this or is just making a best guess. It would be more definitive if it came from someone involved with the dinning plan. You have mentioned that you have had communications with people in management at Disney Dinning. Could you send a e-mail regarding the pooling of credits and post your response? It would be interesting to see what the dinning plan folk say.

The response was to my question. I asked about using a child's credit to purchase an adult meal. I think that is pretty plain. I think you are picking at termonology. I feel sure the person who responded knew exactly what they were talking about, must we question everything anyone says.

You pay a child's price, you bought child's meals with that. How hard is that to understand. I understand you can get away with it. I understand at this time Disney is not stopping it. But surely no one truly believes anywhere in the world, Disney included, can you pay a the price of child's meal and get an adult meal in place of it. Can you do that if you are not on the dining plan, well of course not.

My correspondence between friends in Dining are private. I have no desire or need to post them here, to try and verify this. I have shared them with some of friends here so they know they are real. End of that story. Regardless if I did post them on here, someone would say they were fabricated, or that regardless if the email does say that you can't do this, Disney is not stopping it, so that means they don't care.

I truly could care less what anyone does with this plan. I don't even care if Disney does not change it. I am intelligent enough to understand that if you pay for a child's meal you have purchased a child's meal.

End of my discussion, someone else can beat this poor horse.

 

[Lewisc]

You pay a child's price, you bought child's meals with that. How hard is that to understand. I understand you can get away with it. I understand at this time Disney is not stopping it. But surely no one truly believes anywhere in the world, Disney included, can you pay a the price of child's meal and get an adult meal in place of it. Can you do that if you are not on the dining plan, well of course not..

of course, a child can get an adult meal at every single buffet restaurant at WDW. Children, who are tall enough, get to ride all of the adult attractions in the theme parks.

My correspondence between friends in Dining are private.

Did you have permission to post the email message, with the CMs name?

I truly could care less what anyone does with this plan. I don't even care if Disney does not change it. I am intelligent enough to understand that if you pay for a child's meal you have purchased a child's meal.

End of my discussion, someone else can beat this poor horse.

I'm intelligent enough to base my conclusions on reading written policies and not on how I would have designed the plan. I would have had seperate adult and child credits. I would have made that clear in the brochures even if I didn't have the computer system in place to enforce the rules. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT DISNEY DID.

 

[faindrops27]

Pezpam. Thank you very much for your answer!! I really do appreciate it. I think. I do understand what you are saying.

 

[Disney Debbie]

Someone asked for the link where Disney says the credits are pooled - here it is below. I've also copied my post from another thread on this subject.

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

It's amazing to me how many folks worry about people using child credits for adult meals or following "the rules". Who's rules?? They aren't Disney's rules. I've put a link to the plan as defined by WDW from their website above - no where does it say that if you pay a child's rate you can only get children's food. It specifically says "The Disney Dining Plan includes (1) Quick Service Meal etc..... per person, per night of your package stay for everyone in the party ages 3+. For example, a party of 4 staying for 5 nights would receive 20 Quick Service Meals, 20 Snacks and 20 Table Service meals to use during their package stay."
Under the "Using your Meals" in an example it specifically says "You can continue using meals any way you like for the rest of your package stay until the number of meals/snacks are depleted."
They do not distinguish between child credits and adult credits at all - and it seems to me if that was a problem for them they could easily keep up with the credits by child and adult if they wanted to. They can distinguish between snacks and counter service - so why not adult and child if it mattered to them?

My child is 20 - so it's not like I'm going to be able to do that anyway - but the only reason I can see that people are upset about it is jealousy that someone is getting meals for a real deal! If Disney sets it up this way, if they don't specifically address it and if they don't keep up with the credits separately - then what's it to me if Joe Blow is getting to have 2 table service meals a day while his 5 year old is eating peanut butter sandwiches from home???

 

[DCDisney]

My guess is the "problem" isn't big enough for Disney to spend the time and money changing the system. The actual food doesn't cost Disney that much money and guest who pay out of pocket for kids meals are giving Disney extra $$.

I agree. We found that paying OOP for our kids at 1 meal wasn't any savings for us anyway. We paid $30 at Le Cellier for 2 kids meals, 2 drinks, and 2 kids desserts plus tax and tip. Our extra meal was O'Hana breakfast and the 2 credits saved us 18.99+18.99 plus tax and tip. So we saved less than $10 and paid for an extra meal at Disney. We weren't trying to maximize at all though; we didn't order any of the specialty drinks we were offered in nearly every restaurant which can really add up. We often didn't order sides at CS because we weren't going to eat them. We ate about half of cheaper character meals rather than places that were more expensive. We did order the kids adult meals at pizza restaurants but didn't order any sides which certainly makes up for the $1-1.50 cost difference b/w the kids meal and the cheese pizza. I think many people are like us eating what we enjoy and not trying to "make money." We paid $100 a day and ranged from $140-180 a day in food receipts.

Yvonne

 

[frndofpooh]

What about the requirement that everyone traveling together has to buy the plan, or no one can? By requiring this, isn't Disney setting up a system in which a group of people is all linked together for purposes of participating in the dining plan? This requirement that all members of a traveling party must buy the plan is a key component of the plan and partially defines what the plan is. It is a plan for a group of people to use together; it is not a plan for an individual to prepay for a defined number or type of meals per day (unless that individual is traveling alone, in which case this entire thread is irrelevant to that person).

If Disney wanted to sell a plan that permitted one person to use dining credits set aside for that specific person, it could do that by permitting any one person to buy the plan regardless of whether others traveling with him or her bought it. That is not what Disney did. Instead, it set up a service specifically for a group of people, and it did nothing to separate how each member of the group can use the benefits of the service. Disney is selling something that is, by definition, for multiple people to participate in together. As a result, there is no possible way that they could not have foreseen that the issue of how the credits are tracked would have to be addressed. In fact, they did address the issue by determining that the credits would belong to the group collectively because the plan was sold to the group collectively.

Maybe I’m giving Disney too much credit, but I would like to think that the requirement that every member of your traveling party buy the plan is motivated by more than a simple desire to maximize revenue. It is a key part of the overall set of rules that make up the dining plan. It makes clear that Disney is selling a service to a group to be used flexibly by that group. Without the requirement that all members of a group must participate, I might feel differently. With this requirement, however, it seems more reasonable to think that Disney knew what it was doing, and still knows what it is doing by not changing anything.

 

[Goobergal99]

Hmmm..... I wonder if the fact is that Disney just isn't losing anything in the deal. For goodness sakes they are offering "FREE DINING" they can't be hurting all that bad IMO.

 

[puddleduck]

Actually due to tech issues, foreign travel agencies issues, legal issues its not easy at all. On what information provided by Disney do you base the assumption that it's so easy to fix?

Forgive me my ignorance, but I have a life. I don't spend my time corresponding w/ Disney about every detail of the dining plan. Or any detail for that matter. I was just assuming (and yes I know what assumptions do) that any company that could scan my bone measurements in my fingers to prove that my ticket was mine could surely fix this problem that you and several others have apparently lost sleep over. Again, I humbly apologize for making assumptions about what Disney can and can not do according to the dining plan, I know that you would never do that .

 

[DIS4MYGIRLS]

I have a spin on this .. What if DH and I want to use TS as an CS can this be done??? This would be better for Disney. Sometimes we just don't want that much food....I hope there is someone who can help....