Help please!!!! saving dining credits?

[walkermm]

Help!!! I just got off the phone with Disney dining reservation....boy it took a long time....made all my dinner reservations for 6 days of the disney dining plan...then decided to confirm that when we are dining with 4 people (2 adults and my 2 "kids" - ages 11 and 13 - so adults at disney....they told me that I COULD NOT just use 3 credits at a sit down dinner and let my son (who basically only eats a few pieces of meat and dessert at every meal) share with me so we could save a credit for later use. I thought I had read here that people were doing this?????? I spoke with the manager and he said that it was up to each individual restauraunt, but basically said that if the reservation is for 4 they will swipe your card 4 times no matter what you want to order...is this true....has anyone been successful with only using 3 credits for a party of 4??????

Was very happy to get all of the reservations that I wanted though.....

 

[michvin]

If you paid for 4 adult meal plans, and only order 3 adult meals I don't see how they can "swipe" your card 4 times. I clearly states on the meal plan brochure that you "use them how you like". I would really put up a stink once I got back to my hotel and have them put the unused meal credit back. They can do EVERYTHING at the hotel...I got incorrect "ringing up" from Casey's Corner that forced us to pay cash switched to using meals and got my cash back at the hotel. I wouldn't sweat it...Order you meal, say you are paying OOP for the 4th one's drink, and that's it. They can't charge you for stuff you don't buy.

 

[Frantasmic]

If the sit-down dinner was a buffet, they would charge for 4 adults at the buffet. You cannot share with buffets.

Perhaps the restaurant you inquired about sharing was a buffet?

Otherwise, you should be able to share as you see fit.

 

[adrock1976]

That is absolute crap. It sounds like another renegade CM making up policy. Per the dining plan, you are paying for your credits to use how you want to. If you wanted to use 20 TS credits at one time, and buy for everyone in the restaurant, you can. If you have a problem with an individual restaurant, the best thing to do is immediately call Disney Dining, if you cannot work things out to your satisfaction with the manager.

 

[pedro2112]

If you wanted to use 20 TS credits at one time, and buy for everyone in the restaurant, you can.

No, only those in your party can use TS credits. However, I do agree that the information given to the OP was incorrect. One does not "have" to use any of their credits if they do not want to.

 

[susan4]

There have been several threads on this. Instead of just opinions on what should be allowed, I would like info on what has been allowed recently. We will be using the dining plan in Dec. and would like to share 3 meals between 4 adults.

 

[adrock1976]

No, only those in your party can use TS credits. However, I do agree that the information given to the OP was incorrect. One does not "have" to use any of their credits if they do not want to.

Actually many posters, including myself, have used TS credits for people not in our party. Many people will have guests, for example, that are not staying with them on property, come to dinner, and pay with TS credits for the entire group.

 

[pedro2112]

Actually many posters, including myself, have used TS credits for people not in our party. Many people will have guests, for example, that are not staying with them on property, come to dinner, and pay with TS credits for the entire group.

I don't doubt that. I'm not suggesting that it can't happen, I'm just pointing out that it isn't allowed. Many CM's let people do things they aren't supposed to. The plan documents themselves specifically state that only people in your party are allowed to use the TS credits. As far as what CMs will let people get away with, that is a different story.

 

[tanmar]

I totally agree - that's ridiculous and I hope that doesn't happen to me either. There will be occassions where we need to use all of our credits for a meal, but there will also be other times where we have enough food to go around! I have a 4 year old that won't be eating much at most times, so I don't think it's right to make you use a credit and throw out food!

I'm hoping, too, that people who have had recent experiences can fill us in on current situations that they have had.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The only report I have seen along these lines was someone at Chef Mickey's who wanted to pay cash for her child but they said she HAD to use a credit since she was using credits for the others in her party.

I really can't imagine a restaurant MAKING you use a credit if one person doesn't order. Of course, strange things happen all the time. We paid cash for our DS twice at meals that DH and I used credits - once at a signature place where DS wouldn't eat 2 credits worth of food, and once on our last night when we only had 2 credits left. We had more TS scheduled than we had credits for, so we knew at some point we were going to run out and have to pay part in cash. We knew ahead of time which meals were going to cost more and paid cash for the less expensive ones. A buffet for DS typically cost around $12, but when we went to TS places his food was rarely more than $7. Nobody ever said we weren't allowed to pay cash for him.

I wouldn't worry about it. The hotel can see exactly what you ordered if they pull up your dining account. If the restaurant charges you 4 credits for 3 meals the hotel will fix it.

 

[SB in KY]

We got home day before yesterday....we had 6 nights on the dining plan and the only time we used 4 credits at one meal (me, DH and DD's 17 and 15) was at Boma's and Chef Mickeys (buffets). We ate at Le Cellier, Wolfgang Pucks Cafe, Rose and Crown, Concourse Steak House and Kona's (in addition to Boma's and Chef Mickeys) and used 3 credits at each meal for the 4 of us....no one ever had a problem with this...in fact several servers offered an extra drink to who ever happened to be sharing at the meal and never once did they charge us for the 4th drink even!!

Servers were without exception friendly and helpful about using the dining plan at the TS places.... I do not think the OP will have any trouble sharing meals with "adult" children.

 

[susan4]

Thanks SB,
That is just the info I have been looking for. We will be traveling with our 2 adult children in December and hope to do the same, i.e., have 4 people share 3 meals.

 

[LoriZH]

Yes I believe it's only for the buffets, otherwise, they are your credits and it's your meal, you can share it with whoever you want.

BTW, do they ever expire?

 

[tortoni]

We took advantage of the Dining Plan during the Free Dining offer. We had absolutely no problem sharing meals. Only did not do this at buffets since it is a per person price. We said up front how many TS credits we wanted to use and sometimes paid OOP for our kids (10) and (12) who wanted kids meals instead. For ex, at Beaches and Cream we only used 2 TS for 5 of us. DH and I had salads, Kids had burgers and ice creams. Plenty of food for everyone and we only used 2 credits. We wound up with 2 signature meals by the end of the trip.

 

[Carol1973]

My adult DD and I ate at Flying Fish on 9/24. We were told that they charged per "seat" in the restaurant for the dining plan, not per meal, and that we could not share. Therefore, we never attempted to share at a TS meal for the remainder of the trip. However, we always shared CS meals. I think it really depends on the restaurant and the management on duty at the time you are eating.

 

[Buzzfan]

We have two adults and two children. How do the restaurants know if you have children's credits or adult's credits left? My son eats like a bird (a few bites a meal - if we're lucky) so it probably would be a good idea to have my two kids share a meal. Does this mean that at the end we'll have several kids meals left? Can we pass on our leftover credits (assuming we have some) to another guest to use?

 

[pedro2112]

We have two adults and two children. How do the restaurants know if you have children's credits or adult's credits left? My son eats like a bird (a few bites a meal - if we're lucky) so it probably would be a good idea to have my two kids share a meal. Does this mean that at the end we'll have several kids meals left? Can we pass on our leftover credits (assuming we have some) to another guest to use?

There are only TS and CS credits, not "adult" or "children's" credits.

 

[tatooed goofy]

We had to use our credits at Buffet meals. That made sense to us. We used credits at Crystal Palace and paid cash for the kids. We only ordered 3 meals at some places and shared as the youngest (11&9) was stuffed on Mickey ears ice creams. We did not have problems anywhere we went. We just told them upfront and tipped well. LeCellier was very pleasant about it as well as other "fancier" restaurants. Chef Mickeys was disappointing in food this last visit. It is our favorite and just not up to par this past visit. Crystal Palace was Fabulous for dinner. I want to try breakfast there. Hope things work out how you want. Have a great trip.

 

[CF'er]

but most of the TS ressies I have are Character/Buffet. It is myself, DH, DS 9 (b-day during our trip though) and DS 7.
I am planning on paying OOP for the kids for the cheaper TS (Liberty Tree, Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare) to save them for CRT and HDDR. My 2 barely eat one kids meal between them so they will share when possible.

I hope they don't change the rules too much between now and April. I will keep an eye out here though so I can keep up.

 

[walkermm]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I just read one thread about someone who ate at Le Cellier, Kona and Concourse Steakhouse and shared at all of those restaurants....I'm happy to report that I have ADR at all of those...so should be ok to share for those meals anyways.
I had read somewhere that you were not allowed to share at any signature restaurants which would explain why on person was not allowed to share at the flying fish. We are planning on eating at California Grille but I am prepared to use 2 tickets for my husband and I to eat there (we will leave children ages 13 and 11 behind in the room at the Poly when we eat there so only have to use 4 tickets all together.)
Has anyone had experience sharing at spoodles or whispering canyon...those are the other 2 restaurants we were planning on sharing at.....
Thanks again!