I don't know what to believe?!

[mrsltg]

Hi All-

I have tried to keep up with the ins and outs of the dining plan, I really have. However, I'm confused. We're going to WDW in 19 days. We are participating in the free dining program. Here's where it gets sketchy. Please help...

There are four of us. Dh, myself, dd (5.5), and dd (14 mos). At a lot of restaurants my older dd and I share. She's not big on "kid" food and generally there is more than enough for me to feed myself, her, and now the baby, too. Are we allowed to share? I can't for the life of me see ordering two appetizers (or do we get three), entrees, and desserts. Granted, we don't have to eat it all. I just don't want to do it "wrong".

Would someone please explain to me, as though I'm 5, how this works? I really appreciate it and I do function well in normal society...

 

[mickeyfan2]

What are you planning on doing with DD5's TS credits? You cannot use them as adults.

 

[LizinSTL]

Hi All-

I have tried to keep up with the ins and outs of the dining plan, I really have. However, I'm confused. We're going to WDW in 19 days. We are participating in the free dining program. Here's where it gets sketchy. Please help...

There are four of us. Dh, myself, dd (5.5), and dd (14 mos). At a lot of restaurants my older dd and I share. She's not big on "kid" food and generally there is more than enough for me to feed myself, her, and now the baby, too. Are we allowed to share? I can't for the life of me see ordering two appetizers (or do we get three), entrees, and desserts. Granted, we don't have to eat it all. I just don't want to do it "wrong".

Would someone please explain to me, as though I'm 5, how this works? I really appreciate it and I do function well in normal society...

Don't over-think it. Plan your allotted TS meals (include those character meals too!) and enjoy yourself. If nothing grabs your dd on the menu, then consider letting her eat off your plate. or order her some chicken nuggets and let the baby eat 'em. If you end up with unused TS credits, then so be it. We ended up at a lot of buffet/preplated meals due to the lack of variety in kids menus. We enjoyed it and we didn't "lose" money on it, and we paid for the ddp!

 

[kvogel11202]

You'll have trouble sharing your meals with her, you will just have her TS meal credits leftover- unless the 14 mos old will pick at mac & cheese or something? You just can't use kids credits for adult meals.

 

[mrsltg]

I do understand that the child credits can't be used for adult meals. No biggie. I hadn't even thought about the leftover credits. Actually we have some meals where she will be charged no matter what (buffets) so there won't be that many left. I was just wondering about how it worked for her to eat off my plate.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I do understand that the child credits can't be used for adult meals. No biggie. I hadn't even thought about the leftover credits. Actually we have some meals where she will be charged no matter what (buffets) so there won't be that many left. I was just wondering about how it worked for her to eat off my plate.

She can eat off your plate. I would order something that DD and the baby might eat and then let her eat what she wants.

 

[Anewman]

What are you planning on doing with DD5's TS credits? You cannot use them as adults.

Without trying to stir up debate/arguements...

You used the word "cannot", does that mean that disney has seperated credits?

Or is it that one "should not"?

Just hoping for clarification on if the plan has finally been adjusted to stop this or if it is on the "honor" system.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Without trying to stir up debate/arguements...

You used the word "cannot", does that mean that disney has seperated credits?

Or is it that one "should not"?

Just hoping for clarification on if the plan has finally been adjusted to stop this or if it is on the "honor" system.

I now states in the brochure that you cannot use kids credits for adults. Read the brochure for the exact wording.

 

[LizinSTL]

Without trying to stir up debate/arguements...

You used the word "cannot", does that mean that disney has seperated credits?

Or is it that one "should not"?

Just hoping for clarification on if the plan has finally been adjusted to stop this or if it is on the "honor" system.

At this point it is still an honor system. The credits are NOT currently separated. Disney is relying on the integrity of their guests.

 

[frayedend]

At this point it is still an honor system. The credits are NOT currently separated. Disney is relying on the integrity of their guests.

I'm sorry but this is really funny. I know that using the child credit for adults is stealing, and I won't be doing it. But Disney messed up. They surely didn't sit and their board room and say, "No, don't worry about it, we don't have to separate the credits. We can rely on the integrity of our guests"

Is it because the guests at Disney are so unlike the general public? They don't pool hop or use old mugs or anything like that. Right?

 

[LizinSTL]

I'm sorry but this is really funny. I know that using the child credit for adults is stealing, and I won't be doing it. But Disney messed up. They surely didn't sit and their board room and say, "No, don't worry about it, we don't have to separate the credits. We can rely on the integrity of our guests"

Is it because the guests at Disney are so unlike the general public? They don't pool hop or use old mugs or anything like that. Right?

I agree. But again, at this point the credits are not separated. The information on the dining plan has said (since at least March) that children should order from a children's menu when available. This summer they added the FAQ page to the brochure. Until the credits are officially separated, then it's an honor system. Maybe they are hoping that MOST people are honorable But, this suggests to me, that despite the cheaters, the ddp is a money maker for disney!

 

[disneygurlz2s]

I think the key here though is...it's FREE. If you choose to use the child's credits at the same time as your meal, you could order something she and the baby could split...or the other thought, is save her (counter service credits, especially) for a time when maybe she is hungry and you and your dh are not.

I know with my daughter, she is hungry more often than I. If you share a lunch at 11:30 and then at 3:00 she says she's hungry again, you can always get her counter service meal then. Remember that often the little ones need/want to eat more times than we do, and this would allow you the chance to space meals out without having to pay for the meals/snacks in between.

Shari

 

[Bev J]

Go ahead and order for everyone, using the adult credits for the adults and the childcredit for your child. What you do with the food once it is at your table is up to you. I hardly think a server is going to come up and say your child cannot eat some bites of your dinner. Your younger child may be more interested in the childrens offerings.
Plus you don't have to order everything that is offered- appy, entree and desert. Maybe only one appy sounds good to you all, to go ahead and share it, same with desert.
your not cheating the system, you are using the credits and not wasting food. Disney should offer more variety for the kids to eat.
Enjoy your trip and dont let the difficulties of the dining plan take away from the magic...

Bev

 

[Anewman]

I think the key here though is...it's FREE.

Nope, not FREE.

I paid $980 for 7 nights of the plan last year, a little more this year. And those that get the free dining promotion also give up any discounts which can add upto similar amounts.

 

[mrsltg]

Thanks for all the answers. I am not looking to "cheat" on anything. In fact, I'm more concerned with wasted food - Mom and Nana always sad it was a sin to waste food - then with whether or not we use the credits. I plan to go where the day takes me. If the girls want something on the kids menu, fine. If I feel like there is an extraordinary amount of food just between DH and I then we'll just share with the girls.

Thanks for helping me!!!

Only 18 more days!!!!!

 

[ohiominnie]

Thanks for all the answers. I am not looking to "cheat" on anything. In fact, I'm more concerned with wasted food - Mom and Nana always sad it was a sin to waste food - then with whether or not we use the credits. I plan to go where the day takes me. If the girls want something on the kids menu, fine. If I feel like there is an extraordinary amount of food just between DH and I then we'll just share with the girls.

Thanks for helping me!!!

Only 18 more days!!!!!

Gluttony is a sin, so therefore eating extra food (so as to not waste it) is not a good plan either.

 

[dislovr]

ok i have a question....in august there were five of us that went down. my boyfriend and i went down together and my parents and brother went down. since we had separate rooms my bf and i did not want the dp but parents opted for it. to be nice since it was 3 nights my mom decided to treat my bf and i and she made resversations for the coral reef for the five of us and she was going to used 5 ts credits since she was under the impression that as long as you paid for them then you could use them as you wish. well in the end it went through but our waiter gave us a hard time about it. we couldn't understand what the problem was. were we wrong or was our waiter? just wondering so that i don't come into the same problem in december when i go. thanks!

 

[LadyOmega]

I really don't understand why people aren't understanding this :
The DDP is "non-transferable". The only people allowed to use the dining plan are those who have purchased the dining plan. So your waiter was in the right on this one. When it says that "the credits can be used any way you want", it does not mean that you can use them FOR whomever you want - it means just that you can use your allotted credits in any way you choose amongst those people in your party who have purchased the DDP. You cannot "treat" people who haven't purchased the DDP from your credits. You cannot share with people that haven't purchased the DDP (if they have purchased it, then it is fine to share, for now at least).
I'll admit that Disney could do a little better job of explaining this all to people, but for me it was just common sense stuff. I'm sure you have heard reports of people doing the "treating" and stuff in the first year or so that the DDP existed, but of course Disney was not going to let that go on!!
I hope this helps to clear it up a little.

EDIT: There was someone in this thread earlier asking about whether when people are saying "cannot", if it really means "should not". Well, I am now feeling that "cannot" is the right word to use altogether, judging from the many people who have tried to "treat" and share with peeps not on the DDP and have not been allowed. There has to be a better way to do this, where people don't feel like they are being victimized (ie. accused of trying to cheat the system) for sharing within their paying party, but that also keeps people from actually being able to cheat the system. Any theories?

 

[JimMIA]

ok i have a question....in august there were five of us that went down. my boyfriend and i went down together and my parents and brother went down. since we had separate rooms my bf and i did not want the dp but parents opted for it. to be nice since it was 3 nights my mom decided to treat my bf and i and she made resversations for the coral reef for the five of us and she was going to used 5 ts credits since she was under the impression that as long as you paid for them then you could use them as you wish. well in the end it went through but our waiter gave us a hard time about it. we couldn't understand what the problem was. were we wrong or was our waiter? just wondering so that i don't come into the same problem in december when i go. thanks!

The waiter was correct, although you'll see reports of doing that successfully last year. Personally, I think the blame for this confusion falls on Disney for doing such a poor job of communicating. A lot of good people who are not trying to cheat anyone are very confused at this point.

The key point, IMHO, is the DDP is a package consisting of a room at rack rate, purchase of a park ticket by each person in the room, and purchase of the DDP by each person in the room for each day of their stay. The DDP, and DME, and free theme park parking for onsite guests, and EMH, etc are marketing programs to encourage guests to stay onsite. It's a package, and it's all or nothing -- we can't cherry-pick which parts we want.

Disney tried to make their plan as attractive as possible from a marketing standpoint, but they never did intend for people ON the plan to be able to treat people NOT on the plan. In fact, that is the opposite of what they wanted. They also never intended for adult meals to be purchased with child credits, but their computer system allowed that, and many people took advantage.

What you will find on your December trip is much more active enforcement of both issues above. I would not plan on being able to treat anyone. You'll either have to take the whole DDP or pay for your food. You'll still be entitled to all of the usual benefits of staying onsite, of course...just not the DDP unless you buy it.

Have a great trip, whatever you decide!

 

[JimMIA]

There has to be a better way to do this, where people don't feel like they are being victimized (ie. accused of trying to cheat the system) for sharing within their paying party, but that also keeps people from actually being able to cheat the system. Any theories?

It's a work in progress. Right now they are supposedly not allowing the purchase of more adult meals than adult participants shown on the card. That helps curtail both the improper use of child credits and treating folks not on the plan. They are also making the necessary changes to the computer system to segregate child and adult credits. Once they get that resolved, a lot of these issues will go away...probably to be replaced with new issues.

I personally have only seen one poster here who I thought was really looking for ways to cheat the system. [ETA: Make that two cheaters.] And I wouldn't name them even if it were permissible under DIS policies...which it's not