DVC Dining Plan

[Dean]

Even if you are using points at a non-DVC resort, you cannot add the dining package without purchasing the tickets. The DVC deal is only good at DVC resorts, staying on points.

Hmmm, I wonder if you could add the dining package for cash DVC nights though.

It has been reported as such which would make sense due to the fact that a cash reservation through MS is essentially counted as a points stay.

 

[Dean]

You can question it all you want, but nobody at Disney seemed to care. Quite the opposite, actually. The room cards say how many people are on it, so it would be easy for them to say you can only use that number of credits at a given meal. That wasn't our experience at all. Actually, it was quite the opposite. It seemed like it was harder to go to a meal with people not on the meal plan at the table and have them rung up not on it than it was to have them rung up on it. At a given time there could be like 100,000 people on property, and those credits are bought and paid for and they don't seem to care who uses them when. YMMV of course. Again, we were there during the very busy holiday time and a lot of CMs were on "automatic-deal-with-crowds mode."

I've always said that Disney is very inconsistent and if they chose not to enforce the rules that only hurt them, that is their right. My obligation is to be honest and forthright. However, not enforcing or not saying anything and not caring are totally different issues. You can rest assured that someone in a position of decision does care. But these type of issues are what did in the FnF plan and will likely be the death of this plan as well if these types of abuses continue.

About the credit card and room key. Come to think of it, maybe we were wanting to use seperate credit cards for seperate room keys for seperate people in the same two bedroom, and that is what they couldn't do. Tough to remember. I remember there was something they couldn't do, and it seemed like it was different last time, but I may have been mis-remembering.

That is correct, you would not be able to use multiple CC for one room though you can have them separate it out and pay with multiple cards if you get to them before they put the charges through, usually the night before checkout.

 

[d-r]

I've always said that Disney is very inconsistent and if they chose not to enforce the rules that only hurt them, that is their right. My obligation is to be honest and forthright.

well, you are acting like your obligation is to assume. FYI, we said "there are only three of us on the dining plan" and they said "that's OK."
Frankly, I don't even think it is against the "rules." Again, the cards say clearly how many people are on the dining plan.

Have you actually ever used it, or are you just deciding what you think it should be and what you think these "rules" are?

You know what, you inspired me to go read all I could find at disney.com about the plan. They have a little on the web and some more on a pdf file that I could find. I don't see anywhere where it says you can only use the number of credits of the number of people in your party for a given meal. Maybe you can find that and point it out to me since you are such an expert on the honest and forthright interpretation of the "rules." What I did find said:

"You can continue using meals any way you like for the rest of your package stay until the number of meals/snacks are depleted."

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

Maybe there is some obscure list of "rules" somewhere else that I don't know about - but if it is that hard to find I'm sure other guests don't know about these "rules" either. What I get from that is that the meal credits are bought and paid for and that you can use them "any way you like." That was also the message I got from the cast members who work with this every day.

However, not enforcing or not saying anything and not caring are totally different issues. You can rest assured that someone in a position of decision does care. But these type of issues are what did in the FnF plan and will likely be the death of this plan as well if these types of abuses continue.

I'm trying not to take offense at your implications about "honesty" and "abuse." Look, it isn't "abuse" to receive what you paid for. I'm not sure that "someone" in a position of "decision" does care - if they did, they would have made a point to say so, wouldn't you think? But they don't. What they say is, for example "two table service meals for each person dining at a signature restaurant will be redeemed from your meal plan balance." That doesn't say each person who is staying the full stay. It says each person dining. Perhaps when you are put in charge of the program you can implement it the way that you think it should be and we'll see how that works out then. Right now, I'm just saying what my experience was, and I don't really need a lesson in "honesty." Thanks anyway. Maybe you know this decision maker and that is what they told you - if so perhaps you should suggest to your friend that they tell everybody rather than letting you take care of it for them on a message board.

Look, I suspect that many DVC members do not have the sort of disney vacations that are typical of casual visiters who call up and book a once in a lifetime package. DVC members have relatives who visit for parts of stays. They have friends on the cast who join them for meals. Some people buy DVC because they have relatives nearby and this is a handy way to visit, etc. If I go to a lunch with a friend and put his meal on the dining plan and pay for mine it doesn't really matter. The meals are "slots." We bought a slot. It can't be sold or transferred - I can't buy it and then put it on ebay or something. I can't sell it to someone if I decide to leave and come home early and we check out. I can't sell it to someone to go use if I decide to make money off it and eat a tuna fish sandwhich in my room. But if someone is in the dining party there is no rule whatsover, that I am aware of, about which people can use it and which can't. It gets to the point of silly in trying to figure out who the "traveling party" is when you take in to consideration the variety of ways that people travel. It is entirely possible, for example, that we could book two weeks and my mom stay one of those weeks and my step-mom the other. Now for me personally, never the twain should meet between those two. But Disney doesn't care, one room out of 25,000 had X number of people in it that get Y number of meals. And to me it doesn't matter because I'll be buying Y number of meals anyway. And there is an infinite number of examples of that sort of thing that I'm sure many dvc members experience on a given trip. It really isn't a big deal.

It is sort of the same as magical express bus service. It doesn't matter if people are coming in on the same plane or at the same time. The bus is still running. Yes, they made the calculations financially for it based on the idea that the majority of the parties would arrive together and they would carry them and touch their bags at the same time. But out of the MILLIONS of people that go to WDW a few don't travel like that, and it isn't a big deal. It comes out in the wash.

If we have 20 meal credits left on the card and want to use them all at one meal it doesn't matter. If we want to use only one credit at 20 different places and pay for everyone else in cash it doesn't matter. If I want to order one of everything on the menu the first night and take one bite off each plate and then not use it the rest of the trip and eat at waffle house every day it doesn't matter. You're saying "they figured they'd make extra money because people didn't use all their credits." You know what, I am sure they did and I am sure they do and will. Out of all those millions some will miss some meals, most won't. They did this to get people to book rooms and to eat in the restaurants. Guess what, the restaurants are full. It is working. They really don't care when you use what credit, it is a credit you bought and can use how you want. It is still a meal that is served in a restaurant.

Heaven forbid, Dean, you know what I've done before? Actually I've done it a lot, I'm ashamed to say. My mother in law and aunt don't like the thrill rides. So I'll put their tickets in when we get a fass pass and then I USE THEIR FAST PASS. It wasn't even on my ticket. IT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE'S TICKET! The horror. And throw a baby swap in there and somebody in the group gets still an extra ride. And get this. Many times we've decided to leave the parks without using all the fast passes that we had in our pocket, and I GAVE THEM AWAY TO STRANGERS TO USE. Unbelievable, the lack of honesty and forthrightness. They'll probably have to get rid of the fast pass system, because a ticket that was used to enter the park was used to get a fast pass - a slot in line - that was used by someone else other than the person who used the ticket to get in the park. So when the fast pass system gets revoked I'll have to take the blame.

Guess what, though, it doesn't matter. The ticket gets a fast pass for the slot in line. Doesn't matter who actually stands in that slot.

That is correct, you would not be able to use multiple CC for one room though you can have them separate it out and pay with multiple cards if you get to them before they put the charges through, usually the night before checkout

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was using multiple credit cards. We have never tried to go seperate them out at the front desk. It makes sense that they could do it if you asked, thanks for that tip.

 

[castleri]

We have done the credit card sorting out thing several times. Each time the person went to the front desk the night before check out and asked to have all charges for room keys x, y and z charged to their credit card instead of the one that had been used at check in. Another time we just asked them to run the bill showing the charges for each room key and sorted it out ourselves with cash.

 

[Judique]

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"?

I don't think so. I think it is child credits versus adult credits that are being discussed.

 

[Dean]

'm trying not to take offense at your implications about "honesty" and "abuse." Look, it isn't "abuse" to receive what you paid for.

d-r, I won't go through your entire post, but you have no reason to be offended from what I was intending to say and it's relationship to what you've posted, sorry you took it that direction. In the situation you described, giving your aunt access to the dining plan directly was clearly outside the rules as posted (for all guests for the LOS). However, if you told them you needed a card and they knew, or had the opportunity to know, about the DP, the onus is back on them that is exactly what I was talking about. However, there are people putting bogus kids on their reservation to get extra meals and people lying about the makeup of the group, that is the type of activity I was talking about as "lying and dishonest" and I stand by that statement in those situations.

And as I've said previously, DVC and Disney will have to deal with the situation you describe since the nature of a certain percent of DVC stays is that some people will come and go.

 

[CarolMN]

Even if you are using points at a non-DVC resort, you cannot add the dining package without purchasing the tickets. The DVC deal is only good at DVC resorts, staying on points.

If you are staying at a non-DVC resort on points, you cannot get the Dining Plan at all.

The only way to get the DP at a non-DVC resort is to reserve your stay (for cash) through CRO/WDWTC and follow their rules - i.e., minimum stay, add to room & ticket package.

Hmmm, I wonder if you could add the dining package for cash DVC nights though.

If you book the cash portion via MS, yes. If you book it via CRO/WDWTC, then no (unless you add the DP to a room & ticket package and meet the minimum stay requirements).

Best wishes -

 

[pplasky]

However, there are people putting bogus kids on their reservation to get extra meals and people lying about the makeup of the group, that is the type of activity I was talking about as "lying and dishonest" and I stand by that statement in those situations.

I don't believe this happens often. I would never even have thought of doing something like this, but dishonest people will find ways to cheat the system. Of course, repeatingly posting things like this does give people ideas. I personally do not think sharing your credits with friends or family who may join you for dinner one night is cheating the system. You paid for the credits, use them how you wish. Disney is offering the plan to entice people to eat at overinflated prices(and doing a good job at it). They know that some parents will use their childs credit at a signature restaurant, they don't care because they are using 2 credits instead of one, and disney still makes out. Believe me, if disney were losing money, they would not be offering the plan.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I personally feel like this plan will only be around a few seasons and then be discountinued as too many people are taking advantage of it. I'm sure the main goal was to get guests away from cheaper counter service meals and into more expensive sitdown restaurants and signature dining locations. At some point they will realize it didn't go anything more than create an absolute nightmare for the restaurant employees (especially if they find a way to distinguish child/adult entrees and the people cheating the system take their frustration out on the servers).

 

[Sammie]

This has probably been covered somewhere in the 40+ pages but humor me and don't make me read it all.


I know the plan begins when you check in, When does it end? And if it's good through the entire day you check out and you are leaving early how do you get that last day's meals in or do you manage them before the last day.

Thanks for all who have experience with this.

 

[BCV23]

The credits are good until midnight on checkout day. But the credits are per night not per day so there should be no probelm using them even with an early am departure as long as you plan.

 

[Sammie]

I am totally confused by the discussion between Dean and d-r. If the Aunt was not on the plan what did she eat. Are you saying you ordered for 3 adults and just shared the food or did you just eat up the meals earlier if the Aunt had not joined you?

I do understand Dean's point. The problem at Disney is you have a CM making minimum wage at the Front Desk, issuing room keys who could absolutely care less about the Dining plan and any use of it and you have upper management looking at how the plan is being used or abused and then making the decisions to continue or discontinue. So to say that the CM at the front desk that gave extra keys is aware of policy and how the plan is meant to be used is not accurate nor will that CM be responsible for the changes or discontinuing the program.

A perfect example is what happened at CRT. You had people making reservations for this meal in a "fake" name then giving that reservation and the fake name info to someone that did not make the reservation. The CM at the podium checking in the "fake guest" could care less about it and did nothing to change the situation, even though they were fully aware of what was going on. However upper Disney managment did care and changes were made.

So Yes I am sure Disney upper management has a master plan for how this program should be used and if abuses result, then either it will be changed or discontinued.

 

[CarolMN]

This has probably been covered somewhere in the 40+ pages but humor me and don't make me read it all.


I know the plan begins when you check in, When does it end? And if it's good through the entire day you check out and you are leaving early how do you get that last day's meals in or do you manage them before the last day.

Thanks for all who have experience with this.

You can use the credits anytime you wish between check in and midnight of the day you check out.

If you are leaving very early on check out day, I'd suggest you just use the credits up before check out day - shouldn't be hard to do, IMHO.

Best wishes -

 

[Sammie]

The credits are good until midnight on checkout day. But the credits are per night not per day so there should be no probelm using them even with an early am departure as long as you plan.

Do you get the total number of credits when you check in and can use as many as you want when you want, or do you get them each day.

For example if we save our last full service for a nice breakfast on the day we check out, can we use our CS from the last day earlier in the week, as we tend to leave as soon as we check out at 11am and we would not be hungry again.

I have a feeling that are credits not being used with this plan, as it does take planning.

 

[Sammie]

You can use the credits anytime you wish between check in and midnight of the day you check out.

If you are leaving very early on check out day, I'd suggest you just use the credits up before check out day - shouldn't be hard to do, IMHO.

Best wishes -

Thanks, Carol, you read my mind.

 

[Dean]

I don't believe this happens often. I would never even have thought of doing something like this, but dishonest people will find ways to cheat the system. Of course, repeatingly posting things like this does give people ideas. I personally do not think sharing your credits with friends or family who may join you for dinner one night is cheating the system. You paid for the credits, use them how you wish. Disney is offering the plan to entice people to eat at overinflated prices(and doing a good job at it). They know that some parents will use their childs credit at a signature restaurant, they don't care because they are using 2 credits instead of one, and disney still makes out. Believe me, if disney were losing money, they would not be offering the plan.

I suspect the flagrant abuses are far more common than you realize. I doubt discussing it will change what dishonest people will do but I've never been in the camp that says "lets keep things quiet" have I? And I do see a different level of issue with your last statement but I'd disagree with your final assessment. Sharing meals with others certainly is beyond the intent of the program, still Disney must decide how to handle this.

I personally feel like this plan will only be around a few seasons and then be discountinued as too many people are taking advantage of it. I'm sure the main goal was to get guests away from cheaper counter service meals and into more expensive sitdown restaurants and signature dining locations. At some point they will realize it didn't go anything more than create an absolute nightmare for the restaurant employees (especially if they find a way to distinguish child/adult entrees and the people cheating the system take their frustration out on the servers).

A point I've made several times therefore, I agree.

 

[Chuck S]

I personally feel like this plan will only be around a few seasons and then be discountinued as too many people are taking advantage of it. I'm sure the main goal was to get guests away from cheaper counter service meals and into more expensive sitdown restaurants and signature dining locations. At some point they will realize it didn't go anything more than create an absolute nightmare for the restaurant employees (especially if they find a way to distinguish child/adult entrees and the people cheating the system take their frustration out on the servers).

I think we'll slowly see this plan lose value over the next few years. First, I think the "snack" will be dropped. If the plan is still popular and they see too much abuse, the price will increse slightly. Then they may drop "beverages" or "desserts" from counter service so that only those that really want the convenience of "pre-paid" will continue to purchase it. That is what has happened to dining plans in the past that have been available to DVC members. - Though none of the prior plans have have been as comprehensive (including tip, and basically unlimited food) like the current plan. As it is, the plan doesn't make sense for everyone, especially those with DDE or where every adult in their party tend not to eat a three course dinner daily.

 

[d-r]

I am totally confused by the discussion between Dean and d-r. If the Aunt was not on the plan what did she eat. Are you saying you ordered for 3 adults and just shared the food.

OK I"ll try to describe it, but let me say first that I read Dean's post and realize now that he didn't mean to imply that we were being dishonest. I shouldn't have gotten miffed about that. Sorry.

I absolutely agree that it is dishonest to make up people or to use a child's meal for an adult - the child's meals cost less, and the brochure clearly says that children must order from the child's menu if available. We didn't have any child credits so I"m not sure how they work but the cards clearly say how many adult and how many child credits there are, and I am sure that the computers should be able to tell them apart.

All I can tell you is what my experience was, Sammie, anybody else might tell you something different.

We stayed three adults (me, wife, mil) and one child under two, who couldn't be on the plan. The room key I had said three adults, 0 children. We checked in on Dec 23rd and this first week was through Jan. 1. Then we switched to points for another week, so we only had the dining plan the first week. Our Aunt came down on that Wed.

So if we would added the aunt to the dining plan she would have to pay for all days, including the four days she wasn't there. We couldn't just add her for the time she would be there. So we didn't add her. In fact, that is what they told us on the phone to do. That would have been sort of stupid because she'd have paid for four days that she wasn't there.

My aunt went out to eat with us. The server brought us a bill. My card said that there was three adults and no children on the plan. And I said there are really only three on the plan. The CMs said it didn't matter and used four meals. We didn't always eat together, we had different combinations of people at different meals or whatever, but I know at least one meal they used four adult credits. Some meals there probably was sharing. Sometimes everybody didn't eat together, etc. But I know at least once they rang up four meals on the plan at one meal. And this was perfectly acceptable and explained to us as how the system works.

The "rules" that I see say that you can use the meals however you want for the length of the stay (for us that was just the first week, because the second week was on points and so a different reservation). They don't say anything about who can eat it or how many credits you can use at a given meal. In fact they are careful to say that it doesn't matter how you use it.

I paid for the dining plan, I paid whatever was left over on the bill after the dining plan. It was all coming out of my bank account. Nothing was transferred or moved, I was paying for it no matter what day it was or who ate what. The money was always moving straight from my pocket to Mickey's pocket.

I remember another meal before my aunt got there that some cm friends joined us. They did share some of the appetizers that were from the plan, but we paid for their meals. You know, actually, I don't know if we actually paid for the meal they ordered or not, they threw some money in the pot and the server rang it up. I don't remember anybody ever saying OK, let's see everybody's IDs to figure out which chair gets the dining plan. It doesn't really matter.

There was also a mistake, btw, they rang up our two-year-old as an adult credit at Chef Mickey's when he wasn't old enough to be on the plan in the first place and eats free on buffets in the second place. And he was clearly under 3, we told the server, and they used an adult meal for a kid. So go figure. So stuff happens like that I'm sure.

We also gave away deserts to strangers and I got a takeout the last night for the last two credits, even though I'd already eaten dinner that night and didn't eat it until the next day. I also used 18 snacks in one shot.

The point is, you can use the credits any way that you like until they are gone or until midnight of your check out day. That's the "rule" and there is no "rule" that you can only use the number of credits that is the number of people on it at a given meal. You don't have to use a certain number a day or a certain number at a meal. You can use more or less than the number of people at a given meal. You can use the credits any way that you would like. That is both how the program is described and how it operates. Again, just my experience and YMMV.

 

[Dean]

OK I"ll try to describe it, but let me say first that I read Dean's post and realize now that he didn't mean to imply that we were being dishonest. I shouldn't have gotten miffed about that. Sorry.

Absolutely not a problem.

 

[conciergekelly]

Does anyone know if you need to purchase one day park pass to get the dining plan when you stay at DVC? I was just informed that was the case at the regular resorts. Thanks!
kelly