Experience with sharing on DDP???

[maggiew]

We are considering the dining plan this trip since the restaurants we picked would be good values for the plan. Anyway, the only problem is my family won't be able to eat 4 full meals including desserts. Does anyone have experience sharing on the DDP? I was thinking we could share 3 entrees/dessert between the 4 of us (at ala carte places, obviously) and then use the extra credits to do Cinderella's castle.

These are the restaurants I am interested in specifically:
Sci Fi
Chefs de France
Tutto Italia
Tokyo dining

Has anyone tried to get less entrees and then share at any of these places? How did they treat you?

Thanks,
Maggie

 

[maggiew]

No one has ever tried to share?

Maggie

 

[Hollymom1229]

Did the DP twice and it was a mixed bag on sharing. The only place that outright refused to allow sharing was Turf Club, they were going to charge us 3 credits whether we ordered 3 meals or two. On your list the only one we did it at was Chefs de France and they were very accomodating. For the most part most places were fine with it.

 

[dbmarie]

We shared at Sci-fi

 

[maggiew]

Did the DP twice and it was a mixed bag on sharing. The only place that outright refused to allow sharing was Turf Club, they were going to charge us 3 credits whether we ordered 3 meals or two. On your list the only one we did it at was Chefs de France and they were very accomodating. For the most part most places were fine with it.

Thanks. I guess we can just play it by ear and if we can't share at the 4 places listed, we will just have to pay OOP for any credits we might be short. I am planning for Crystal Palace breakfast on our last day and so it wouldn't be too expensive ifwe have to pay oOP for one person or two. And if we have no luck sharing at all, we can either cancel Crystal Palace or pay OOP if we really want to go.

Maggie

 

[smidgy]

I was agreeing with your plan until you mentioned Crystal Palace. Sharing at any buffet would definitely be a no- no (anywhere, not jusst aat Disney). Just like at an All you can Eat Fish Fry. you can't have one person order the fish fry, the other order a burger, and then share the all-you-can-eat fish..
any other meals, I don't see a problem. there was a couple at the table beside us aat Coral Reef, who shared an apt., entree and dessert. I don't know if they were on the dining plan, but I don't see what dif. it makes. you are getting the same amount of food, regardless.
while we have not done this, we have shared our counter service meals. in order to be able to use 2 TS credits for signature restaurants (stretching out our CS credits, to make up for the lack of a meal one day, or two, depending how many signatures we did.) Sunshine Seasons at the Land Pavillion has an Asian counter service meal that is 2 entrees, 2 sides. It split very nicely, and we didn't fill up too much, so we would still be hungry for California Grill that night.... (the only thing was, I couldn't manage to explain to the girl to put one entree and one side on one plate. we got the 2 entrees on 1 plate, the 2 sides on the other. we "reorganized" them at our table. (so Nebo wouldn't get my "germs"!) ... this is a man who once wouldn't eat the rest of his ice cream cone cause I licked it, and it had my toungue print on it!

 

[smidgy]

we had an all-you-can-eat fried chicken special where I work. a couple wanted only one order for both of them, because she "wasn't very hungry" and would only eat one, maybe two pieces! I told them they could order one fried chicken meal and split it, but it would NOT be all-you-can-eat.

some restaurants charge a small fee for sharing one entree for 2 people, but I don't think Disney does. Let us know how it works out! (although I mentioned sharing a bowl of the cheese soup at Le Cellier, now that apt. aren't included, but Nebo didn't want my spoon in the soup after it was in my mouth. guess I get to buy my own soup! (Out of pocket).

I posted this before, but we like a split stay. purchase the dining plan for the first resort, with tickets for the whole trip, and a room only ressie for the 2nd resort. you can eat a nice sit down dinner the first night of your stay at the 2nd resort. you can also use one CS credit each at the food court at your new resort, get it TO GO, put it in your fridge in the room. the next day, nuke it in the microwave at the food court. the 3rd day, use your planet hollywood voucher. (this only works if you're not big eaters, and don't like 2 big meals every day; and of course, I wouldn't bother with this idea during FREE dining!)

 

[RMulieri]

Buffets, and pre plated all you care to eat meals do not allow sharing. Other restaurants it depends. Les Chefs would not let us, nor would Beaches and Cream

 

[septbaby]

Buffets, and pre plated all you care to eat meals do not allow sharing. Other restaurants it depends. Les Chefs would not let us, nor would Beaches and Cream

I think this poster's experience is more typical. You definitely cannot share at a buffet/All You Care to Eat and it depends at other places. I would not Plan my ADRs assuming you are able to share TS meals. I might happen, but it is not the rule. Sounds like you have a plan B, so just be willing you use it if needed.

 

[Dizneydaz]

We've used DDP four times now, once paid for, 3 times free. We have shared at many different restaurants and it's been fine. Even shared at Narcoossee's. Of course you can't share at any buffets. It was sharing that let us try Narcoossee's the first time since we had extra credits. A few we've shared at are: Kona, Narcoossee's, Spoodles, 50's PTC, etc.

This year DD will be turning 10 during our trip and they booked her as an adult (free DDP time) so I'm sure we will be sharing meals again. Some places she will eat an adult meal, others she'll eat a kid's meal. I'm going to pay OOP for any kid's meals and share the adult credits for something else. This is another thing we've done with DDP. At some of the 2 TS we paid OOP for kid's meal. Esp. at CG where she was not interested in the appetizer or really even the dessert. I didn't want to use 2 kid's TS credits for only her pizza. Paid OOP and used her credits at another restaurant.

My DM and I frequently share meals here at home so we don't do it any different at WDW. We do tip more than the percentage though, since we have shared. AT WDW we found that if we don't share then we end up taking our dessert back to our room-that leaves out anything that melts!

 

[rentayenta]

We shared at Cal Grill without issue but that's not on your list.

 

[maggiew]

I was agreeing with your plan until you mentioned Crystal Palace. Sharing at any buffet would definitely be a no- no (anywhere, not jusst aat Disney). Just like at an All you can Eat Fish Fry. you can't have one person order the fish fry, the other order a burger, and then share the all-you-can-eat fish..
any other meals, I don't see a problem. there was a couple at the table beside us aat Coral Reef, who shared an apt., entree and dessert. I don't know if they were on the dining plan, but I don't see what dif. it makes. you are getting the same amount of food, regardless.
while we have not done this, we have shared our counter service meals. in order to be able to use 2 TS credits for signature restaurants (stretching out our CS credits, to make up for the lack of a meal one day, or two, depending how many signatures we did.) Sunshine Seasons at the Land Pavillion has an Asian counter service meal that is 2 entrees, 2 sides. It split very nicely, and we didn't fill up too much, so we would still be hungry for California Grill that night.... (the only thing was, I couldn't manage to explain to the girl to put one entree and one side on one plate. we got the 2 entrees on 1 plate, the 2 sides on the other. we "reorganized" them at our table. (so Nebo wouldn't get my "germs"!) ... this is a man who once wouldn't eat the rest of his ice cream cone cause I licked it, and it had my toungue print on it!

No. We weren't planning to share at Crystal Palace. If you see my first post, I listed the 4 places I was planning on sharing: Sci Fi, Chefs, Tutto and Tokyo Dining. I also said we were planning on sharing at a la carte places only (not buffets, etc.) If we can share at the places I listed, then we will have 4 "extra" credits that I can apply to Cinderella's Castle.

Crystal Palace is our last meal of the trip. So what i was saying was that if we weren't able to share at the previous restaurants, we wouldn't have enough credits for Crystal Palace. So I would either have to cancel that one or pay OOP for the credits we were short.

Plan:
Sunday: Chef Mickey dinner
Monday: Cinderalla Castle lunch
Tuesday: Sci Fi dinner (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Wednesday: Chefs de France (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Thursday: Tutto Italia (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Friday: Tokyo Dining (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Saturday: Crystal Palace

I hope that makes sense.

Maggie

 

[Sandy321]

Buffets, and pre plated all you care to eat meals do not allow sharing. Other restaurants it depends. Les Chefs would not let us, nor would Beaches and Cream

WAIT - why cant you share something at Beaches and Cream?

 

[TDC Nala]

From all reports, I do not think you should plan your entire schedule on the assumption that you will be permitted to share entrees on the dining plan at any particular restaurant. With the exception of the buffets and all you can eats, whether or not to permit sharing is up to each individual restaurant, and the ones that currently permit sharing on the dining plan could change their minds at any time. Or you could get a server who has their own version of the restaurant's rules in mind. Note on this one thread, we have one poster who was permitted to share at Chefs de France and one who wasn't.

We have had several reports on the boards that Beaches & Cream does not permit guests on the dining plan to share entrees - but if you are not on the dining plan, it's fine.

 

[RMulieri]

WAIT - why cant you share something at Beaches and Cream?

Not if you are on the dining plan, and it is only entrees they get picky about not the desserts

 

[smidgy]

No. We weren't planning to share at Crystal Palace. If you see my first post, I listed the 4 places I was planning on sharing: Sci Fi, Chefs, Tutto and Tokyo Dining. I also said we were planning on sharing at a la carte places only (not buffets, etc.) If we can share at the places I listed, then we will have 4 "extra" credits that I can apply to Cinderella's Castle.

Crystal Palace is our last meal of the trip. So what i was saying was that if we weren't able to share at the previous restaurants, we wouldn't have enough credits for Crystal Palace. So I would either have to cancel that one or pay OOP for the credits we were short.

Plan:
Sunday: Chef Mickey dinner
Monday: Cinderalla Castle lunch
Tuesday: Sci Fi dinner (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Wednesday: Chefs de France (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Thursday: Tutto Italia (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Friday: Tokyo Dining (share 3 entrees for 4 of us)
Saturday: Crystal Palace

I hope that makes sense.

Maggie

I'm so sorry, Maggie May! MY BAD! Mea culpa! now it makes sense. I didn't mean to take the thread off on a totally dif. topic, either. .

I would think it would be "fair", but as the mod said, I wouldn't count on it. Maybe they only allow it if you're NOT on the DDP. They do tend to frown on us who try to streeetttcchh the DDP as far as we can!, (esp. on free dining.)
anyhow, sorry for the misunderstanding? we are from chicago, too! can we still be friends (even though we are white sox fans)?

 

[maggiew]

I'm so sorry, Maggie May! MY BAD! Mea culpa! now it makes sense. I didn't mean to take the thread off on a totally dif. topic, either. .

I would think it would be "fair", but as the mod said, I wouldn't count on it. Maybe they only allow it if you're NOT on the DDP. They do tend to frown on us who try to streeetttcchh the DDP as far as we can!, (esp. on free dining.)
anyhow, sorry for the misunderstanding? we are from chicago, too! can we still be friends (even though we are white sox fans)?

I was right there with you ... until you said you were White Sox fans!

Maggie

 

[mmueller408]

Okay I have a question... We are a party of three... DH, DW and DS9.... I have the DxDP and I know my son is supposed to order off the Kids Menu....

BUT is it okay to share my meal with him....as if I dont want my appetizer and he eats it and then eats also from his kid's menu... I know for him eating chicken nuggets and mac and cheese every day for lunch and dinner will be really old fast... I am basicaly trying to give him something other than the typical kid stuff...

Any thoughts?? We are doing a few buffets, but from what I understand they too only have a kids section with the same fare... Please any advise would be appreciated... Oh and we would pay using the 3 TS Credits (2A 1C)

 

[magicaddict]

To the OP
We actually had a bad experience trying to share at Tutto Italia when we went last year. I really wasn't that hungry and just wanted to share a meal with my 10 yr old son but they said absolutely not. To top it off we had a very snooty waiter so I definitely won't be going back there.

With regard to the new question asked about buffets and kids credits, we found that buffets are a wonderful place for kids who have an adventurous appetite. They use a child's credit but are not restricted as to which foods they can eat on the buffet. This saved us plenty of times as my kids aren't into chicken fingers and mac and cheese.

 

[TDC Nala]

Nobody's restricted at a buffet. Adults can eat from the kids section if they want and kids can eat anything on the buffet.