DVC Dining Plan

[LakeAriel]

http://allearsnet.com/menu/menu_tus.htm

Everything there is good!

 

[Disneyhappy]

If you are a member and booked both the points and cash reservations through MS, it will be treated as though it were one continuous 7 night reservation (assume you are checking out on Sunday). You need to call MS and find out if you can add our neice to the DP for the days she is there. I don't believe anyone has posted an "official" answer to our question. Please let us know what you find out.

If the cash reservation is through CRO/WDWTC, my understanding is the same as Dean's - add to room & ticket package, minimum 3 night stay, etc.

Best wishes -

Thanks CarolMN and Dean for your responses. I remembered that MS was open late tonight so I called. My two reservations were linked and I am guaranteed to stay in the same room because the cash nights were discounted rooms with my DVC memebership. With the rooms linked, MS could not add separate dining plans. The CM tried unlinking the ressie, add the DP and then linking them together again but it did not work. He suggested to unlink the ressie if I wanted to add the DP for my niece's arrival. He indicate that odds are that we will be able to stay in the same villa for both ressies. I'm not sure I want to chance that, though.
Thanks again for your help. Hopefully this may help someone who may run into the same situation.

 

[NMW]

I really don't understand the "too much food" argument. If it is more than you want, don't order it. To me, it is like going to a buffet. Yes, you've paid to eat whatever you want but you don't have to try everything much less eat yourself silly.

But of course you do want to make sure you would eat enough to cover your costs.

For those of us who like to plan, it is easy to plan TS meals, make ARs and check what would likely be ordered. Then choose the plan or not accordingly.

My problem continues to be finding counter service restaurants we would like. That is a whole part of Disney Dining that we know little about. Any good hints out there?

We were there in Dec NOT on the dining plan because of DVC. We ate a character or resort breakfast every day, which I made ADR's for. I also made ADR's for a sit-down dinner every night. We figured our kids might be hungry for CS meals a couple days, but maybe others they'd just get a snack. We were wrong! They were staving for lunch every day (3,7,9) and all really skinny! I guess it's all the walking. We did CS in every park, so I can tell you about our experiences.
MK- Pecos Bill is good, Columbia Harbor house is good. You can use your snack credits for the McDonalds Fry cart. I think I was the only person in a line of 10 people NOT on the dining plan and NOT using a snack credit. My friends who used the dining plan this past Oct at the Pinnochio House for CS. She said they had these really good turkey and bacon Panini sandwiches and cannolis for dessert.
Epcot- This is the best place to eat CS. All the countries have CS places that take the dining plan. Again I think I was the only person in line at the fish and chips place paying cash. It seemed like everyone was on the plan.
AK- Flame Tree BBQ is really good and so is Tusker House.
MGM- This was the one place we had trouble finding good CS. ABC Commissary is terrible. Backlot is okay, you could eat it if you were really hungry. I have heard people say they like Pizza Planet, but we didn't try it. When we do our MGM day in Oct I plan to make an ADR for Sci-Fi and use our CS credits for breakfast that morning. We have the DDE card for the sit down lunch at Sci-Fi and my boys love that place-I'll do anything not to have to eat at ABC or Backlot again!

Overall, we would have saved a lot of money if we had been on the dining plan, instead of using the DDE card. But, every family is different. I still plan to renew the DDE for our Oct 06 trip for our breakfasts and alcohol, oh and that Sci-Fi lunch.

 

[BCV23]

If you are a member and booked both the points and cash reservations through MS, it will be treated as though it were one continuous 7 night reservation (assume you are checking out on Sunday). You need to call MS and find out if you can add our neice to the DP for the days she is there. I don't believe anyone has posted an "official" answer to our question. Please let us know what you find out.

If the cash reservation is through CRO/WDWTC, my understanding is the same as Dean's - add to room & ticket package, minimum 3 night stay, etc.

Best wishes -

I have popped in and out of this thread but have not read the whole thing. If there was a question about adding someone who would not be there for the entire stay, I do have a response on that.

For a 5 night DVC stay we have coming up, my husband may only be there the first night. I asked about having him on the plan for just that night. The CM put me on hold as I recall but at any rate I was told that MS could not book it that way. However, when we check in we could try to have the resort make the adjustment since we actually pay at checkin.

This sounds problematical to me. Since we have until two days before check in to add the plan, we'll wait and only book it if he will be there for the whole trip.

That is if I find enough counter service spots! Thanks NMW for your thoughts on counter service. Keep 'em coming!

 

[jacksmom]

It starts April 1st. HOWEVER, I joined under F & F 2-1. My guide misinformed me & said the plan was already in effect for DVC so we booked a ressie for 8 & everyone wanted "the plan". When I went back to MS to do so, they said "not till April 1". HOWEVER, in ongoing discussions w/ our guide, supervisors, quality assurance, etc. We have learned that the EARLIEST date the "system" will accept "the plan" for DVC is March 26th. We are still in negotiations with them to resolve our issue, but our guide assures us we will have our meals taken care of one way or another. So, if your trip coincides with the 26th & you want to engage in a bit of a battle, you might be successful in getting the plan.

We arrive the 26th and would love to do this! Anyone else have any imput?? Should we try calling DVC or Dining?? Would love some imput!

 

[PinkTink63]

Thanks CarolMN and Dean for your responses. I remembered that MS was open late tonight so I called. My two reservations were linked and I am guaranteed to stay in the same room because the cash nights were discounted rooms with my DVC memebership. With the rooms linked, MS could not add separate dining plans. The CM tried unlinking the ressie, add the DP and then linking them together again but it did not work. He suggested to unlink the ressie if I wanted to add the DP for my niece's arrival. He indicate that odds are that we will be able to stay in the same villa for both ressies. I'm not sure I want to chance that, though.
Thanks again for your help. Hopefully this may help someone who may run into the same situation.

I'm not sure I'm following you on this. Did you do the DP and if so, did you have to buy it for both ressies?
Stephanie

 

[Pembo]

I called MS and they said no problem with adding DP on March 27th. If we get there and they say no, it doesn't really matter to us. All you can do is try.

I didn't know there was a "starting date" of April 1st. (We're renting points). When I asked the member about adding dining she told me I could. I called MS, they added it.

 

[d-r]

Our experience in Dec. We checked in with three adults and one child under 2 who was not on the dining plan. Our Aunt was joining us midweek. If we added her to the plan, she would have had to pay for the whole week. There was no way to put her just part of the week. So we asked about options, and they recommended not putting her name on the reservation. When she arrived, I went down to check in with her, and get her a room key. They gave her a room key with her name on it, and it is also had the dining plan stuff on it (the numbers based on three adults, not four). So she could use the meals from the pool that was based on three adults. So there weren't any extra meals for her or anything, but no one really cares how many meals you use at a given time. Actually, I think that at meals with other family friends we may have used credits for five meals at one time, even though there were only based on three people. They are bought and paid or meals, disney doesn' really care who eats them when. Now, these were all adult meals, I don't think it would be the same to pay for children's meals and use them for adults. Just my experience.

Also, something I've noticed. It used to be when you had a two or three bedroom you couldn't put a credit card down for just one or two room keys, it had to be on everyone's. Now it doesn't seem to be any problem for them to put the card on some keys and not on others.

I have popped in and out of this thread but have not read the whole thing. If there was a question about adding someone who would not be there for the entire stay, I do have a response on that.

For a 5 night DVC stay we have coming up, my husband may only be there the first night. I asked about having him on the plan for just that night. The CM put me on hold as I recall but at any rate I was told that MS could not book it that way. However, when we check in we could try to have the resort make the adjustment since we actually pay at checkin.

This sounds problematical to me. Since we have until two days before check in to add the plan, we'll wait and only book it if he will be there for the whole trip.

That is if I find enough counter service spots! Thanks NMW for your thoughts on counter service. Keep 'em coming!

 

[BCV23]

Thanks for your experience, d-r. I wonder if the same thing will be true with DVC reservations. Again that does leave it at the discretion of the front desk. But in our case since my husband would be there for the first night at any rate, I don't want to take the chance that the front desk would say no.

I agree giving meals to someone is not the same at all as using children's meal credits for adult meals or some of the other machinations I've read about.

That is interesting about your credit card info. We have always been able to have keys issued without the ability to charge. When our children were little they had no need to charge and even now I ask for a key without charging for our son who has Down Syndrome. Ironically he hasn't lost his keys but my husband has.

 

[Disneyhappy]

I'm not sure I'm following you on this. Did you do the DP and if so, did you have to buy it for both ressies?
Stephanie

This is for an upcoming trip and I am still trying to figure out what we want to do with regards to the DP. My understanding from MS is that if I want my niece on the DP I have one on two options. 1) I have to pay for her for the length of our linked ressies (7 days) even though she will only be there for two days, or 2) I will have to unlink my two ressies (points/cash) and then I will be able to pay for her for the two days only. With option # 2, I run the risk of having to change rooms since the ressies are no longer linked. I have until August to decide.

 

[d-r]

That is interesting about your credit card info. We have always been able to have keys issued without the ability to charge. When our children were little they had no need to charge and even now I ask for a key without charging for our son who has Down Syndrome. Ironically he hasn't lost his keys but my husband has.

We've had the problem before in stays in 2 bedrooms, but maybe we just had a clueless CM checking us in.

 

[Dean]

Also, something I've noticed. It used to be when you had a two or three bedroom you couldn't put a credit card down for just one or two room keys, it had to be on everyone's. Now it doesn't seem to be any problem for them to put the card on some keys and not on others.

It's always been where you could have charging and non charging cards. They just usually don't ask and you have to specify.

One of the assumption Disney makes with this type of plan is that some of the options will not be used. Thus using them up on people not on the plan is certainly questionable at best.

 

[lisaviolet]

Thanks for the hints Lake Ariel and lisaviolet. Too bad about the water and milk at WPC. Do they allow ice tea do you know? We love the Cafe and the ice tea there is wonderful. We did try Earl once shortly after it opened. What's good at Tusker House?

The new place in the Land looks interesting as well. Has anyone tried it? Could be handy since it is right by Soarin.

I am trying to remember but I think that it was WPC Express that was really strict on the beverages as in maybe "fountain only". I remember thinking "but I don't want pop". Is the iced tea on the fountain? If not, I doubt they allow it. It's weird.

I've ate in the Land. Seasons? I like that place. They have a great selection there. A lot of healthy choices for CS. As for using the DDP there... I've only used the snack option. They were restrictive with their choices for that selection. But good food.

 

[lisaviolet]

OT...As for Soarin'. You got to love a ride where an almost seventy year old woman (my mama...I can't believe she'll be 70 in May!!) spends the entire ride saying, "oh my" and then gets off and says to me, "Can we go on that again?"

 

[BCV23]

One of the assumption Disney makes with this type of plan is that some of the options will not be used. Thus using them up on people not on the plan is certainly questionable at best.

Hmmm, not sure I agree with this.

That seems akin to saying if you can't use all your DVC points before they expire it would be wrong to give them to family or rent them out as WDW is counting on a certain percentage of points to not be used.

And in the case above, an adult meal was paid for and an adult meal used. If anything WDW might have made more money in the long run by the poster paying OOP for other meals. It's not like the posts about sharing meals where two adults dine on one credit. Nor like those that advocate getting the plan for one room and not another and sharing. Nor....

I am going to think about this some more but I am having trouble seeing anything unethical about giving a credit to a family member.

 

[BCV23]

OT...As for Soarin'. You got to love a ride where an almost seventy year old woman (my mama...I can't believe she'll be 70 in May!!) spends the entire ride saying, "oh my" and then gets off and says to me, "Can we go on that again?"

That is so sweet. Isn't Soarin great? Our DIL got to work on it as an intern so it holds a special place in our hearts. Thank you for the responses about CS.

 

[starwood]

OT...As for Soarin'. You got to love a ride where an almost seventy year old woman (my mama...I can't believe she'll be 70 in May!!) spends the entire ride saying, "oh my" and then gets off and says to me, "Can we go on that again?"

We did soarin' in August at DL with my DM (who was 79 at the time). She wanted to go back again and again. She said she would be happy to just stay on there all day long.

 

[LakeAriel]

Have they fine tuned Soaring? Though I loved the ride I thought the transition from scene to scene could have been smoother. Anyone else?

 

[swich2mac]

Not to open up a can of worms here, really.... but am I understanding that Disney does not differentiate credits on the dining plan? In other words, are people using a "snack credit" as a "dinner credit"?

 

[Deputycoz]

Not sure if the DVC Dining credit are different than regular Dining credits, but we were just there last week and they do differentiate between snack/cs/ts credits, you cannot use snack credits toward a dinner.