I am NOT trying to cheat the system...

[la79al]

I have a question though. We have our June trip booked including the dining plan. I am going back and forth on the dining plan because so many people say it is a lot of food and I know my 10 year old and 5 year old won't eat much at all (last year my 10 year old barely finished a meal from the kids menu). But now my sister is considering going along also which would make us a party of 5. I am looking at getting two rooms at ASMo because it will be cheaper and help keep the peace. My question is, if me, hubby and kids are in one room and we all get the dining plan and sister is in the other room and doesn't get the dining plan, could she still go with us when we eat and just eat stuff from our meals, thus taking care of our extra food? Like I said, I am not trying to cheat the system, just figure things out so it works out for us. TIA

 

[The Sweetness]

According to the *rules* you cannot use your credits to pay for food for someone who isnt on the plan. But if your sis is just sharing, I dont see what the prob is at any place where individual meals are ordered. No go for family style, or buffets, though

 

[mickeymom629]

I think it would be cheaper for you to forget the dining plan (you've got to be kidding about the sharing just so you don't waste). Our family, has never done the dining plan, and we typically eat at the food court and counter service restaurants, so we only get as much as we are hungry for, and I make one or 2 ADR for sit down meals (maybe a character brunch at Crystal Palace and one other). We've only had the DDE once because we had AP's one year and that was great for discounts at the food court!

We also bring poptarts/bagels and cream cheese, etc. for our room - keeping milk in a cooler - to eat before heading out to the parks.

If money is an issue and your children don't eat much, there are ways to save money on food and it's probably not with the dining plan.

 

[MEK]

I do think the dining plan is something for you to consider. You can use the credits anyway you want. You will get your card loaded with a certain number of credits (based on length of stay) for counter service, table service, and snacks. If you don't think your 10 year old is going to eat a lot, then use his credits for your sister. I really don't think this is cheating the system. Rather, it is using your food credits in the manner that works best for you. It will allow you to eat at some nice places. You just have to be creative the way you use the credits. For buffets, every one will be charged. You could pay for any extra meals, especially kids meals, out of pocket.

When my family of four goes, we only order 3 counter services at lunch. 4 is just too much food. We use the extra credit for breakfast that my kids split. My kids are 12 and 13, so they eat a lot. It's still too much food.

The dining plan is really great. I have used it 3 times (2 with the free dining and 1 time I paid for it). On my last trip we paid $1064 with tax for it. Our receipts were about $1600. I don't think I could return without it. Although it does border on gluttony!

It's alot of food, so why not share with you sister. Try some nice restaurants. The best thing is you don't have to worry about what something costs.

 

[disneyjunkie]

You may be better off without the DDP.

Check out this thread,http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1303335
changes are on the way.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

What you want to do is not cheating the system. You have paid for the meals. You can do what you want with them. Disney has your money. If your children will not eat all that is on their plate, they can split a meal & your sister can have the other voucher for her. Cheating the system is when you are trying to get something for nothing or more than what you are suppose to. You pay for the credits (even though they say free) they are yours...

 

[puddleduck]

I don't think it would be cheating the system to use your 10 yo credit for your sister and have the kids split a kids meal or pay oop for an extra kids meal. Your 10yo is considered an adult on the meal plan, so I really don't see why it would matter which adult gets the meal.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's cheating the system if you try to get meals for people who are not on the plan. The plan is not transferable. When you go to eat, you will have four guests 10+ at the table and one guest 3-9 at the table. Your dining plan will indicate 3 10+ and 1 3-9. So someone doesn't get to eat.

 

[MEK]

Everyone does eat, as long as every meal is payed for. If the OP wants to buy a kids meal for the 10 year and pay OOP for it, then everyone eats. She is not transferring the plan. She is, in effect, treating her sister to dinner with a meal plan she has paid for. As long as every meal is paid for, there is no "cheating" involved.

After using this plan 3 times, I find it impossible to believe that any CM would challenge or question her use of the meal credits. When they are used up, they're gone, end of story!

I think it's a very logical use of the meal plan. Especially with the counter service meals. I'm sure the Disney police won't be following her back to her table to see who eats what.

To the original poster, I wouln't worry about anyone saying you are cheating the system. Don't even ask, because someone is always going to be wagging their finger at you. Just do it and don't give it another thought.

 

[Allison]

This should be posted on the dining plan board. There is a lot of information on that board about the dining plan.

 

[Praying Colonel]

There are 22 gazillion threads on this topic over on the dining plan board. IMHO this thread should be locked and/or moved.

 

[lillygator]

It's cheating the system if you try to get meals for people who are not on the plan. The plan is not transferable. When you go to eat, you will have four guests 10+ at the table and one guest 3-9 at the table. Your dining plan will indicate 3 10+ and 1 3-9. So someone doesn't get to eat.

yep!

 

[BluOrchid2]

When you go to eat, you will have four guests 10+ at the table and one guest 3-9 at the table. Your dining plan will indicate 3 10+ and 1 3-9. So someone doesn't get to eat.

If you make separate reservations for the two rooms, the sister would not have to be on the dining plan, and can eat whatever she wants. Food she orders and pays for herself, handouts from others at her table or neighboring tables, or scraps from the floor.

 

[karibritt01]

If it were me, I would ammend the reservations to put your 5 yr old in the room with your sister, and the 10 yr old with you. Then the DDP will be for 3 adults, and use them for you, spouse, and sister. Then pay the 2 kids OOP from the kids meals. The only problem you may have then is that buffets will charge adult menu prices. You should still be able to buy kids menu for the plated meals. This isn't cheating the system since you are paying and eating 3 adult meals for adults, and all are staying in the rooms... which is the point of the plan in the first place. Good luck!

 

[themudd4]

It would not matter to me either way but just FYI...in another thread I read that beginning in Jan. 2007 all kid credit and adult credits will be accounted for on each ticket. That being said you 10 yr old counts as an adult...but the thread also said that you would only be allowed to order up to the number of guest on the plan at anyone time...so if you have 4 people on the plan you could only order 4 meals. As anothers have already posted...you could prob get away with it with CS meals and such but with any table service that is family style or buffet you would not be able to do it since you have to pay for everyone in your group.I have been with and without using the DDP...my 2 cents...I will never go without it again! We love the character meals and it more than pays for itself for us!

 

[fla4fun]

I don't get the dining plan (because I have an AP), but I've read dozens of posts about it, and this thread has me confused. I know that if a family books a package (in this case, three adult and one child, one room, package with dining) then all people in that room have to have the same package. You can't have someone in that room not on the dining plan if every one else is. But in this case, the sister is staying in her own room, so she's not part of the package - she's her own separate room-only reservation. Are you all saying that just because she happens to be vacationing at the same time as her sister's family, that they can never eat at a TS restaurant together, because they didn't both buy the package? Is the sister not allowed to pay OOP and eat at the same table? I'm asking because I often have friends and family staying on property, and I spend the day with them using my AP and we do eat together. I'd hate to have to wait outside the restaurant until they finished!

 

[goofyernmost]

What you want to do is not cheating the system. You have paid for the meals. You can do what you want with them. Disney has your money. If your children will not eat all that is on their plate, they can split a meal & your sister can have the other voucher for her. Cheating the system is when you are trying to get something for nothing or more than what you are suppose to. You pay for the credits (even though they say free) they are yours...

Although it is sound, logically, how is that any different than buying an admission ticket with YOUR money. Giving the money to Disney (they have it) and then have Disney tell you that you cannot give that paid for ticket to someone to use up the remainder of the PAID admission. It's the same thing! You buy a meal plan for individuals, not random people, it is intended to be for that one person. Sharing means that you paid one price for two meals. That seems even less ethical then the ticket thing where only one person is using it at a time. If Disney was not foresighted enough to anticipate that scenario then by all means go for it, but they spend a lot of money to make sure that they can remove as much cash from "guests" as possible so read the fine print.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I don't get the dining plan (because I have an AP), but I've read dozens of posts about it, and this thread has me confused. I know that if a family books a package (in this case, three adult and one child, one room, package with dining) then all people in that room have to have the same package. You can't have someone in that room not on the dining plan if every one else is. But in this case, the sister is staying in her own room, so she's not part of the package - she's her own separate room-only reservation. Are you all saying that just because she happens to be vacationing at the same time as her sister's family, that they can never eat at a TS restaurant together, because they didn't both buy the package? Is the sister not allowed to pay OOP and eat at the same table? I'm asking because I often have friends and family staying on property, and I spend the day with them using my AP and we do eat together. I'd hate to have to wait outside the restaurant until they finished!

They can all dine together. They receive two receipts at the end of the meal. One for the family on DDP and one for the aunt paying OOP.

What people are suggesting here is that they get only one receipt. All 5 will benefit from the DDP.

OR

Have the aunt use the 10 year olds credit for a meal. (Ignoring the fact that the plan is nontransferable) Then pay for the 10 year old's meal OPP or have her share with the younger child.

Every package will not work for every family. It really sounds like the OP should skip the plan