Do a search on the dining board........I just posted about this a couple weeks ago because my friend had the procedure done and she will be going with us in December.
(She has lost over 150lbs over the last two years)
She did call guest services and while she felt the woman she talked to was sympathetic, she didn't really get the answers she was looking for. I believe the CM she talked with explained that it wasn't based on the amount of food you will eat, the price is because you are an adult. So anyone can go and not eat as much but still pay the adult price, does that make sense?
She hasn't decided if she will go ahead on the dining plan because of the cost difference with what she actually eats, or if it will avoid a headache to just do it because the rest of our party will be using the DP--including her DH and DD.
Oh, here are some of the responses to that thread. I had emailed them to my friend.
#1
But I don't think she would get her monies (sp?) worth out the dining plan. She could order kids' meals, appitizers, split entrees, etc. if she was not on it. An appitizer would be much better for her than all the fried foods on the kids' menus. Shrimp cocktail is an excellent choice .. but I digress ..
As far as buffets, she would not be charged if she does not eat unless it is a character meal. Then there is an entertainment fee .. something like 5 dollars. And you are right, no sharing and no doggy bags at buffets. That is fine other places, though.
She can get a card from her doctor's office stating she has had surgery and should be allowed to order from the kids' menu or pay the kids' price for a buffet. They are also availible from ObesityHelp.com. I understand that WDW usually honors them.
So .. all that in mind, here is what I would do. she, her DH and DD could be on a seperate reservation and not do the dining plan at all. They could pay OOP. You have said the group are all close friends, right? Between the other 9 people, I am sure there would be an appitizer she could have or be able to split an entree. Her DD might be able to eat the same way sometimes. She could pay the entertainment fee at character meals.
#2
Well, if I were her I would call special guest services and see if she could get the children's dining plan. The wosre they can say is no or they might be able to let her pay the child's price or give a waiver for the fourth person.
Another idea might be to put two of the people on her reservation into another room (on paper only) and add the
DDP and have her room as just a room and one person/one ticket?
As far as buffets, they have an entertainment fee if she attends and chooses not to eat, even if she eats very little I believe she will be charged the full amount--this is where the DDP might be worth the $38. She could also let her DH use the TS credits and just share the food with him at non-buffet meals.
I would contact guest services and be persistent.
#3
I bariatric surgery (WLS) in May 2005, although I had a gastric by-pass. My first thought when I read your post was, when did she have the surgery? What I (and most other WLS patients) can eat/tolerate 12 months after the sugery versus what I was able to eat at say 5 months post-op were very different. Although everyone is different and you should always follow your doctor's recommendations, I can say for me the water requirement thing changed the further out I got. I now follow a 20 minute before & after rule, I do not drink liquids during meals. Additionally the amount of food I eat during a meal slowly increased as time progressed. In the months following the surgery the most I ate at a sitting was 2-3 ounces of food. I now eat about 5-7 ounces a meal (sometimes more). I have to eat three times a day, my meals must include a certain amount of protien (I eat about 70 grams of protien a day).
I went to Disney 9 months post-op and was on the DP. I think it was still worth it. We are going back again in September & using the DP (although it's FREE this time...I would still pay for it again though). Yes, there was some wasted food, but there was always someone at the table who wanted to have a taste of my filet mignon, shrimp, scallops, veal...whatever. I would still order an appetizer, but just eat a small amount. Then an entre, and again only eat a portion. For dessert, that was more difficult as I can no longer consume large amounts of sugar, I would order something that caught my eye and have two forkfulls & then pass it on to my husband, or BIL, or whoever wanted to try a bite.
For the CS, I always found something that suited my needs, but again I cannot finish it and I was ok with that
For the snacks, I stuck to the fruit & water. Once in a while I "splurged" on popcorn.
Ordereing off of the kids menu is probably cost effective, but the choices are poor. Fried chicken fingers, to me, is a poor choice for someone who has had WLS (well, for anyone who is watching their weight). But everyone is entitled to make their own chocies, I just no longer choose fried foods (they tend to "sit heavy" in my stomach).
We did some creative things with the TS credits. We went to some 2 credit restaurants, I ordered an appetizer as my entre and paid OOP, and my DH used my unused TS towards his dinner.
Overall, even with WLS, I still think the DP was a good value for me, my family, and the people we were traveling with.
Feel free to ask any other specific questions you may have. I do not mind talking about my sugery.
Enjoy your vacation!!!
#4
My mother called ahead and she was able to order from the children's menu and get the children's rate for the buffets. She didn't want to spend all that money just to eat a piece of chicken and some rice, so the children's rate was good for her. It also took a lot of careful planning - we'd have to make sure she knew when we'd be eating so she could plan her day around it. If she didn't eat at certain intervals, she got sick, so she'd carry peanut butter crackers with her. However, if she ate them too close to the meal, she wouldn't be able to eat with us. I'd call and make priority seating for the meals and tell them the story. That's how we got my mother to get the children's meals and rates.
Good luck and have fun!
#5
This is one of those big controversies amonst bariatric patients.
Some want to pay kids rates. Some just pay adult rates (cause you are an adult) and eat less.
The controversy centers around the issue that when people eat more (they don't charge you extra) so why should WDW charge you less if you eat less.
I would think she'd want as little extra attention brought to her situation as possible.
(but she'll still need to get in her proteins and such during the trip; IMHO WDW chicken fingers isn't really quality protein anyway.)
A lap band just gives you a smaller stomach; she doesn't drink with meals because the water pushes food through the band and defeats the purpose.
If it were me; I'd pay the full rate to avoid the embarrassment. Some sit down meals do offer doggie bags though.
I know that LTT will let you attend the character meal for an entertainment charge though. (around $5 or so last time I saw it mentioned). Not familiar with how the other restaurants handle it though.
#6
about the "card" My dad had the surgery 2 years ago, and when i went to wdw last year w him he was able to show his card and get the kids price.... He got it from his doctor b/c he had the gatric bypass. I know he used it for Chef Mickeys breakfast, and Whispering Canyon and Boma. I would definately call wdw dining and ask if you're unsure.
#7
My friend had the surgery and also got the same thing. It gives permission to eat of children's menus or in this case the children's dining plan.
Hope this helps you and your husband!!
