do you split meals?

[Wenda]

DH and I usually split meals because one meal each is too much food.
If we are on the DDP can we split a table service meal with no problems? That way we could save a couple of TS credits for a signature rest. Can you split at a signature rest also? I really want to do the DDP but I can't imagine us each eating an appetizer, entree and desert at a TS every day and we don't believe in throwing food away.

 

[Katiebell]

I wondered the same thing, but haven't been able to get a definitive answer. Other people have asked the same question, too.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1376421

DH and I usually share an appetizer and/or dessert, sometimes an entree if it's huge. I wanted to do this on the DDP -- and I'm not talking about sharing a buffet or family service meal (all you care to eat), and not sharing with people not on the plan, and not adults using children's credits (the biggest problems with "sharing"). I'm talking about two adults, both on the plan, sharing one TS meal (appetizer, entree, and dessert), and maybe buying an additional menu item -- a salad, another appetizer or entree, etc. Several guide books and board DDP FAQ's said, yes, no problem. Our TA and the CM who took our ADR's said, no problem. Several people posting on the boards said, no problem.

However...a few -- very few -- people posting on the boards said they got a "funny look" from the server. And just a couple of posts I read that people were not allowed to share, or had problems at checkout because they were charged 2 TS credits anyway.

So, I figured the best answer would be directly from Disney. I emailed Guest Services with very specific questions, and the reply I got was:

"Please know meals are nontransferable and sharing is not permitted.
Meal entitlements can not be shared.

Guests may use their Meals and Snacks in any order and any amount
throughout their stay until the total is depleted.

Guests on the dining plan and sitting at a table in a table service
restaurant are not required to use their dining credits for the meal.
Guests may pay for the meal at the time of dining.

If one Guest wishes to use a dining credit and the other Guest in the
party wishes to order food and beverage and pay for it instead of using
their dining credit, that is permitted. However, ordering one meal and sharing is not permitted with the dining plan."

Another poster said they got the same cut and paste reply from Disney. So... People with better contacts than me (ie: bicker ) are trying to get an answer...

 

[Sweedee]

The DDP may not be the best choice for you then.

 

[katiebsmom]

I knew you could "share" cs meals, but did not know if you could "share" ts meals. Can you?

 

[tortoni]

We used the DDP last year and did a lot of sharing. Only slight problems at SciFi, where it just seemed to confuse the waitress, but overall, the CMs had no problem with it. We found overall, whether on the dining plan or not, that the portions are too big and so we tend to split. For example, my 11 and 13 year olds would only eat an appetizer or split a main course. DH and I would split a lunch sandwich, etc. When we were on the DDP, we were able to do 2signatures with the extra credits. Of course, you can't do this at buffet meals. So, I'm not sure if this has changed since last year or not. Would be a shame though. We have seen DDP guests with their tables full and a lot of wasted food. I can't see that wasted food benefits anyone.

 

[Katiebell]

Would be a shame though. We have seen DDP guests with their tables full and a lot of wasted food. I can't see that wasted food benefits anyone.

Oh, I know, and I agree...but we also had almost an entire thread about whether or not it's morally wrong to waste food, whether or not folks feel guilty about it, whether or not that's just cultural or generational, how ordering the food and wasting it benefits farmers anyway, ummm...let's see, oh yes, feeling that you must eat everything on your plate contributes to the obesity epidemic in America, and that's a much greater sin than wasting food...it got quite a bit and at times a bit silly

DH and I eat out a lot, even more on vacation. We love to try a lot of different restaurants, different cuisines, different dishes. Try them. Not gorge ourselves. In a perfect world, restaurant portions would be smaller -- at least smaller portions would be offered as an option -- and the prices would be lower. But, that's not gonna happen, not in America, land of the Supersize, Big Gulp, and "y'all want fries with that?" Restaurants offer huge portions because it makes them look like a good value, and it justifies the higher prices. So that's why we like to share meals at restaurants -- we can try more new things and hopefully the only extra weight we bring home from vacation is from the souvenirs in our luggage.

It really turned out to be a non-issue for us, though. Several of our ADR's are for buffets or fixed price meals anyway: Boma, Fantasmic Package at Mama Melrose's, Princess Breakfast at Akershus, and 'Ohana Breakfast with Stitch. Our other TS meals are Raglan Road, Grand Floridian Cafe, and Rose and Crown. If we can't share there, it's no big deal, we will probably just have wasted food (gotta keep those farmers in business, right? ), and if necessary pay for a meal or two OOP (pretty sure 'Ohana will end up being OOP). So, it's all good. I could see it being more of a problem for us if we were counting on saving some TS credits for a signature meal or two. But after pricing those out, I wouldn't waste my TS credits on them -- it generally makes those credits worth a lot less, so I'd probably pay OOP if we wanted a signature meal.

 

[Wenda]

The DDP may not be the best choice for you then.

Yes, this is why we have never gotten it in the past. I am just thinking about doing it if "free dining" is offered this year. We would probably do mostly buffets but I was thinking about trying a couple of the restaurants in Epcot and then doing the Luau that takes 2 credits. We love the buffets because you can take small portions of many different items.

We always share meals when eating out but we always tip as if we ordered two dinners. I do think that ones who are sharing meals on the DDP show tip extra. I think maybe I would do that at the beginning of the meal so the server knows up front that she/he is getting full pay for the time spent.

Also if we pay out of pocket for an appetizer and beverage and split the entree then that won't be frowned upon.

I agree that American restaurants serve portions that are way to big and I am Pooh sized and I think I eat a pretty good amount

 

[MariaEllerºoº]

My husband and I were able to split our TS meals without any problems. Some restaurants even split the meal in half and brought the meal out on separate plates. I had asked prior to ordering if we could just order one meal and share it since I wasn't very hungry and the waiters/waitresses always said "no problem at all".

 

[Katiebell]

We always share meals when eating out but we always tip as if we ordered two dinners. I do think that ones who are sharing meals on the DDP show tip extra. I think maybe I would do that at the beginning of the meal so the server knows up front that she/he is getting full pay for the time spent.

Also if we pay out of pocket for an appetizer and beverage and split the entree then that won't be frowned upon.

I agree that American restaurants serve portions that are way to big and I am Pooh sized and I think I eat a pretty good amount

ITA about tipping extra if splitting a meal. The server is working just as hard to serve two people, especially if your meal is split in the kitchen on two plates. I would hope you wouldn't need to advise the server up front that you were tipping extra, and that they would just provide good service anyway; but it might help to get things off on the right foot, and not have the server feel frustrated, or like they would be shorted for their work (since they rely on tips as such a large part of their pay).

The email I received from Disney said: "If one Guest wishes to use a dining credit and the other Guest in the party wishes to order food and beverage and pay for it instead of using their dining credit, that is permitted." Since we had planned to order one full TS meal (appetizer, entree, and dessert) and probably another couple of menu items OOP (a second beverage and a salad, a second entree, or a second dessert) maybe that would have been less of an issue than if only one of us ordered food and used a TS credit?

 

[jodifla]

I mean really, split a meal? I'm shocked that people do this in nice restaurants....Share food, sure?

 

[Katiebell]

I mean really, split a meal? I'm shocked that people do this in nice restaurants....Share food, sure?

If we order an appetizer or dessert, we will typically split or share it. If entrees are really large, when we aren't on vacation, we usually just set aside part of our meals to take home. Or sometimes we will share an entree -- one of our favorite restaurants makes wonderful fajitas, but it's just too much for one person, and it's not really feasible to take part of it home, so we share it.

Not really sure what the distinction is between sharing and splitting? I guess "sharing" indicates eating off the same plate; "splitting" means one entree is plated separately on two plates in the kitchen, or at least a second plate is brought to the table. Many restaurants would rather split the meal in two plates in the kitchen rather than the guests trying to divvy it up themselves at the table or eat off of the same plate, which could conceivably be a messy procedure. More casual restaurants would be less likely to care about that.

Many restaurants routinely will split larger meals for guests with lighter appetites; if it is a more upscale restaurant, they will sometimes charge a nominal "plate splitting" fee.

 

[BriarRose59]

My mom and I went last October and asked to split at Le Cellier. They put the food on 2 plates. I ordered a cup of the cheese soup extra so we did order something OOP. We tipped extra, but did not indicate to the server that we would be doing so. We still had wonderful service even though we split a DDP TS meal.