I got asked this and I've got no clue.

[prune1977]

OK so I hope you all can help. i got a buddy interested in going to Disney they have 3 kids ages 6, 4, and 2 or infant. They want to do POR royal rooms but they get fD but want to add the 2 year old onto the dining as well. Problem is if they put her at 3 they cant' stay at POR and they want to as this will be there last chance to do so. What do they need to do?
Thanks in advance

 

[Deb & Bill]

OK so I hope you all can help. i got a buddy interested in going to Disney they have 3 kids ages 6, 4, and 2 or infant. They want to do POR royal rooms but they get fD but want to add the 2 year old onto the dining as well. Problem is if they put her at 3 they cant' stay at POR and they want to as this will be there last chance to do so. What do they need to do?
Thanks in advance

If they want their two year old to be three, they need to book a resort that sleeps five and purchase tickets for the two year old (at least the minimum for the free dining). It will be cheaper to just pay for the little kiddo's food. If they do buffets (like character meals), they can get food for free for the two year old anyway.

 

[Mayhem1976]

Not sure why they would want to add them to the DP. We've been twice with kids under 3 and they always give more then enough food. Buffets they just got to eat whatever and at sit downs they brought them a plate from the kids meal (Ohana's and Akershus).

Even the counter service meals we were able to make work. I guess if they ate a ton they might need to buy something once and a while.

 

[Marthasor]

It isn't possible. Unfortunately, they can't have their cake and eat it too. POR Royal Rooms sleep 4 plus a child under 3. So, they either need to book the Royal Room as 4 + 2 year old/infant or book a different room category (if they stay with POR, they can book a room that sleeps 5 in the Alligator Bayou section)

There is absolutely no way of booking a POR Royal Room with 5 people who are all over the age of 2.

They do realize that they will get "free dining" for their "3 year old", but they also now have to buy him/her a park ticket that they wouldn't need to buy if they simply listed the child as an infant? If they are planning on going back to WDW at some point, that could make sense, but if not, buying a ticket to then get "free dining" doesn't offer any cost savings.

 

[prune1977]

If they want their two year old to be three, they need to book a resort that sleeps five and purchase tickets for the two year old (at least the minimum for the free dining). It will be cheaper to just pay for the little kiddo's food. If they do buffets (like character meals), they can get food for free for the two year old anyway.

That's the thing they don't want there 2 yo to be 3, but they do want to pay for a dp for them since she eats a lot. But they want to be able to stay at POR royal rooms. Does that clarify?

 

[prune1977]

It isn't possible. Unfortunately, they can't have their cake and eat it too. POR Royal Rooms sleep 4 plus a child under 3. So, they either need to book the Royal Room as 4 + 2 year old/infant or book a different room category (if they stay with POR, they can book a room that sleeps 5 in the Alligator Bayou section)

There is absolutely no way of booking a POR Royal Room with 5 people who are all over the age of 2.

They do realize that they will get "free dining" for their "3 year old", but they also now have to buy him/her a park ticket that they wouldn't need to buy if they simply listed the child as an infant? If they are planning on going back to WDW at some point, that could make sense, but if not, buying a ticket to then get "free dining" doesn't offer any cost savings.

OK thanks i'll tell them

 

[Mayhem1976]

I would tell them that all the sit down Table service meals will bring them a plate for the 2 YO. Counter services, I would honestly wait to see. Last year when we went my oldest was 5 1/2 and the youngest was 2. Between DH, myself and our oldest we had enough food at counter service meal for the 4 of us. Plus, we had snacks to take in the parks and then the snack credit it was a lot of food.

I would just wait to see if they need to order and extra meal and pay for it.

 

[Missytara]

That's the thing they don't want there (sic) 2 yo to be 3, but they do want to pay for a dp for them since she eats a lot. But they want to be able to stay at POR royal rooms. Does that clarify?

Deb's answer was perfectly correct. In order to get a dining plan, the child has to at least be three.

They want to make their child three in order to get a dining plan, but now that considers them a family of 5 and they cannot book the RR's because they are an occupancy of 4 plus one infant under the age of 3.

They want to do both but they cannot - does that clarify?

 

[aliyasmomma2003]

We took our DS, now 4, when he was 2 and did the dining plan ourselves and with our other kids. DS ate for free at the buffets and other places we just bought him a meal or he shared with the other kids or with us. Many places that were t buffets fed him for free too. This was much cheaper than saying DS was 3 to get him a dining plan that would have had to had park tickets as well.
I think your friend should just book at POR and get the dining plan themselves. What they might have to pay for the 2 year old out of pocket would be much cheaper than paying for a dining plan even if they could get it without the park tickets, but free dining requires tickets and that would be much more expensive than the few meals.

 

[prune1977]

Deb's answer was perfectly correct. In order to get a dining plan, the child has to at least be three.

They want to make their child three in order to get a dining plan, but now that considers them a family of 5 and they cannot book the RR's because they are an occupancy of 4 plus one infant under the age of 3.

They want to do both but they cannot - does that clarify?

yes it sure does

 

[Deb & Bill]

That's the thing they don't want there 2 yo to be 3, but they do want to pay for a dp for them since she eats a lot. But they want to be able to stay at POR royal rooms. Does that clarify?

Yes, they do. You must be three to get the dining plan. And three year olds count towards occupancy and three year olds require park admission.

 

[Mom2six]

Honestly, the children's meals at quick service restaurants are cheaper than adult meals. Even if they end up buying her a counter service meal (and getting free ones at table service) it will not cost as much as buying a ticket would cost! Portions are pretty big anyway, and I bet they could share with her without a problem. My DD6 never finished her child meal and honestly the rest of us didn't either.

 

[DisneyMom5]

2 yo eats free at buffets and family style. Pay out of pocket elsewhere. We've always had enough food for the baby when we were on the DDP without having to purchase additional food.
I'd take the savings of fitting more in the 4 person room over getting the ddp for the child.
One other option...if they still want to upgrade her, stay in a 5 person room at POR. Not princess themed, but still at POR. Same price range (maybe cheaper?) and and same resort stuff.
But, personally, I'd skip the ddp for a 2 year old.

 

[angierae]

Buying tickets for the 2 year old is going to cost much, much more than whatever food they'd need to buy him/her out of pocket.

 

[CdnKayDee]

This did happen to me and not even on free dining. But Disney would not let me pay for the dining plan for an infant. Basically I was told infants can not buy park tickets or the dining plan.

 

[nkereina]

That's the thing they don't want there 2 yo to be 3, but they do want to pay for a dp for them since she eats a lot. But they want to be able to stay at POR royal rooms. Does that clarify?

In order for them to book the free dining promotion, if they made the kid 3, that kid would have to be booked under the same promotion meaning they have to buy tickets for the kid as well (required by the promotion). They would not be able to book everyone else under free dining, and then pay for the dining plan for the 2/3 year old in order for them to have meal entitlements. Everyone would have to have the same package booked. They are much better off, in all regards, to keep the 2 year old as a 2 year old and pay OOP for any food the kid wants.

 

[sommergirl25]

I had a very big eater. He was 2 on our trip. All sit downs gave him his own plate and he had his own plate at buffets. Our counter service we usually just shared but only because his sister ate like a bird. Every once in a while we just paid out of pocket for a kids meal. So much cheaper that way.

 

[Nixie]

It is much better to pay out of pocket than add your 2 year old as a 3 year old. I did the math for our situation: little one will probably rack up around $50 for quick service for the week and a couple of plates at the non buffet restaurants. For tickets for her would be around $350 dollars. I would also have to purchase a ticket for MVMCP for her. Much better just to pay OP for her meals.

 

[Heather1979]

Previous posters have answered this beautifully, but I wanted to add with a 6 year old and a 4 year old each getting their own kids meal, the kids meals will have more than enough leftover for the 2 year old to eat. I went with a 2 year old and a 3 year old, and when we went to a plated meal there was always a lot left over with them splitting just one kids meal. (Plus you can always feed the 2 year old things off your plate as well.)

 

[Amanda999]

Hi OP - be sure to tell your friend that kids counter service meals (as opposed to 'table service' meals - which are waiter/waitress meals) are mostly $5.99 or $6.99 complete - meaning, they get, e.g., a cheeseburger, grapes, apples, and milk carton (8 oz) all for the one price (plus tax). Table service meals consist of more food - often entree, side dish like fries, and beverage, and small child size dessert (e.g., large scoop of ice cream with toppings) - are around $8 or $9 plus tax and tip.

You/your friend can look up the prices at allears.net. All the restaurants - CS and TS - are listed there, with current pricing.

I think you'll see that it takes ALOT of kid meals to equal the cost of a 2 day ticket (which, as PPs have said, you must buy to get FD for a person 3+)

And, as PPs have also said, the adult meals (CS and TS) are huge. My husband and I routinely share one meal, and we are not petite. The dining plan is alot of food.