If we can no longer share on DDP then...

[wdwobsessed]

I think so too. I think you can go under your allowed entitlements, but you can not go over them. You would not be allowed to order 5 adult meals from the plan you mentioned. Which was happening especially at CS where the child was not available for the CM to see.

Right ... and back in December we were NEVER told we could not get A CS meals with Child credits except for at Wolfgang Pucks (this was before the new brochure). We routinely got the kids whatever they wanted with no problem and we didn't stand in two seperate lines.

I think it comes down to it was allowed back then but now they are clamping down on not being allowed to order more than the specific allotments on your card for CS.

I wonder what they will do if someone with a 2A 1C card had 4CS left on check out day??? Would they let them get 3A 1C meals?

Hmmmmm ...fun to speculate isn't it?

LOL

WDWO

 

[punkin]

I forgot to say...

As far as I can tell, I will not even use up my entire allotment of Adult credits using them the way I plan.

 

[BethR]

But ... If you have a table of 4A 1C and choose to order 3A meals to share ... I don't recall ANY posts saying this has not been allowed.

WDWO

You are right, I don't know that we have read anyone who has experienced this. But unfortunately, I asked that very thing of "Regis" the CM who I spoke to last Friday and he said that if there are 4 people at the table on the plan, then you must USE 4 TS credits, you count NOT order 3 meals (appetizers and desserts) and have only 3 credits used. That is what he SAID. Who knows if that is how it work though?

 

[3PRINCESSMOM]

Originally Posted by Sammie

I think so too. I think you can go under your allowed entitlements, but you can not go over them. You would not be allowed to order 5 adult meals from the plan you mentioned. Which was happening especially at CS where the child was not available for the CM to see.

Isn't this just leading to the whole issue of confusing adult and child entitlements?

Say the Doe family will be 3A and 2C. If they only order 3 adult TS at non-buffets then near the end of their trip they'll have tons of child entitlements. What do you think they'll choose to do with them?

Personally, I haven't decided where I stand on this...it seems clear to me Disney wanted to be flexible until some took it all too far. I guess I somewhat rationalized why they would allow SO much flexibility...some 2 TS places REALLY weren't twice the experience...they are now holding me captive, I am not leaving so I am spending $$$$ on drinks and merchandise... they not only get my $$$ up front, but also make me feel like I haven't spent that much while on vacation (no budget for food), so I can splurge on that______(fill in the blank)...

While I certainly believe that it appears they feel the need to reign this program in a bit, I can not for the life of me imagine Disney instituting a "No sharing" policy. No way!!!

Just like many who ask the questions about pushing the limits get responses from CMs that they want to hear, I believe the same holds true for some here that have been referred to as "the morality police". They hide behind statements like they care because it is going to ruin it for the rest of us. However, Disney seemed to have had a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of approach to the rules surrounding the DDP. Though the ambiguity seems frustrating to many, I think that is intentional.

In the end, we know that cheaters will always cheat! I don't get why this whole forum has become so bogged down with the sharing, and cheater, and pooling credits debates. I used to come here for info, lately I come mainly for entertainment purposes.

 

[ReallyFunMom]

You are right, I don't know that we have read anyone who has experienced this. But unfortunately, I asked that very thing of "Regis" the CM who I spoke to last Friday and he said that if there are 4 people at the table on the plan, then you must USE 4 TS credits, you count NOT order 3 meals (appetizers and desserts) and have only 3 credits used. That is what he SAID. Who knows if that is how it work though?

I was thinking the only way you might get around this is on the last meal if something just worked out such that you only had 2 TS credits for 4 diners. (Lots of ways it could happen with people splitting up, say 2 choose to snack around the world during F&W festival and send kids with hotel key out to dinner with grandparents, 2 child TS credits used.) This little DDP "horror" occurred to me. So, say on your last meal you go to a nice TS restaurant and have more food than you can eat with the 2 appets, entrees and desserts for the adults but also order 2 kids meals b/c there is no sharing. You plan on paying OOP for kids meals. Then you get the BIG bill, all the adult food is considered OOP because they use the TS credits on the lower cost meals! (Another poster who was initially trying to pay for others on DDP but ended up OOP seemed to indicate when DDP and OOP are mixed, the more expensive entrees are deemed the OOP ones.) Who gets to choose where the 2 TS credits get applied among the 4 diners? If the credits were unpooled, it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[wdwobsessed]

I was thinking the only way you might get around this is on the last meal if something just worked out such that you only had 2 TS credits for 4 diners. (Another poster who was initially trying to pay for others on DDP but ended up OOP seemed to indicate when DDP and OOP are mixed, the more expensive entrees are deemed the OOP ones.) Who gets to choose where the 2 TS credits get applied among the 4 diners? If the credits were unpooled, it wouldn't be a problem.

The opposite happened with me .... of course this was back in December ... and as we know things are ever changing.

We had 2TS left and ate 2A 2C family style breakfast meals at WCC. They took off the 2A meals and we paid for just the 2C meals OOP. This was without requesting it. We tipped her extra on the OOP meals and well at that!

I would even be agreeable with "making" the child at the table use thier TS credit when present for a meal.

Even that would be better than "no sharing" period.

Right now IMHO the jury is still out on what will happen in reality. For those of us not going for a while yet things could change and yet change again! They may try the "no sharing" thing and it will most certainly cause the CM's a HUGE headache ... then they may change back ... or do something else completely.

I'm still waiting for 1st hand reports of people not being allowed to share meals amongst people in thier party. So far it's only been e-mails, phone calls and people trying to use the plan to purchase MORE meals than were listed on thier card.

I'm not saying it's not true that they are going to try to enforce this ... I just want to hear real world accounts of it before I get me panties in a bundle!

LOL

WDWO

 

[4greatboys]

We used the DP in June and had no problems paying oop for someone or sharing

 

[ntsammy5]

The sad thing about this is the poor servers are going to be the ones everyone gets angry with, not the people who make the rules in the first place.

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

Here is the vague answer I got from WDW online communications:

Dear Christian,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

Sharing a meal is up to the individual restaurant's management. You would have to inquire wherever
you eat. Sharing is not allowed at buffets or dinner shows or all you care to eat family style
restaurants. In addition, a child's meal option can not be used by an adult.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

It really does not help much. She should have just said : IT DEPENDS...LOL

 

[punkin]

I used to come here for info, lately I come mainly for entertainment purposes.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Personally I think everyone is getting freaked out over nothing..I believe that in non buffet type places you will be able to share. The only way sharing would be wrong is if childs credits came into play to be used for an adult meal..

I totally agree with you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bicker
"Yes. There have been several guests who have reported being unable to share their credits with (adult) guests (not on the plan) at their table, while paying OOP for their children (on the plan). What I haven't seen is any reports of guests being prevented from sharing food once ordered. That's not the issue, as far as I understand it. "

But I'm not talking about paying OOP, just sharing an adult meal with another adult in my party also on the same dining plan. I really don't think they are going to have a problem with this.

Quote: WDWObesessed
"I think this is a totally different scenario than what most are concerned about which is the ability to share with others IN your party.

I can understand not being allowed to do what you have described above ... share your meals with those NOT on the DDP. This is an example of ordering meals for more Adults than are listed on your card. I remember a post of this nature within the last few days.

But ... If you have a table of 4A 1C and choose to order 3A meals to share ... I don't recall ANY posts saying this has not been allowed."

I don't either and like I said I'm not worried about it.

 

[Sammie]

I think the only thing we know for sure concerning the DDP, is we know nothing definitely. Answers gotten by guest communications and phone, are at best being read off a computer screen.

What will actually happen at the time of ordering is anyone's guess. It will and can change at any time, from CM to CM and from restaurant to restuarant.

If this is something that is going to make or break a vacation, then avoid the DDP completely. I just think sometimes you have to take the good with the bad and right now the confusion is the bad.

 

[NMW]

Here is the vague answer I got from WDW online communications:

Dear Christian,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

Sharing a meal is up to the individual restaurant's management. You would have to inquire wherever
you eat. Sharing is not allowed at buffets or dinner shows or all you care to eat family style
restaurants. In addition, a child's meal option can not be used by an adult.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

It really does not help much. She should have just said : IT DEPENDS...LOL

Wow, that means that sharing is up to the restaurant, not a Disney policy. Although I can't imagine any restaurant not allowing sharing WITHIN your party. I can see a shared plate charge-lots of places in Sunset Beach, NC and Mrytle Beach SC that we ate at last week had that on the menus (between $5-$10 dollars). That seems fair to me.

I think what they mostly want to stop is the treating others not on the plan and using childs credits to do it. Hence the new "none transferrable" and "childs meal options not to be used for an adult" statements in the new DDP brochure.

 

[aubriee]

You are right, I don't know that we have read anyone who has experienced this. But unfortunately, I asked that very thing of "Regis" the CM who I spoke to last Friday and he said that if there are 4 people at the table on the plan, then you must USE 4 TS credits, you count NOT order 3 meals (appetizers and desserts) and have only 3 credits used. That is what he SAID. Who knows if that is how it work though?

Anna Clare (or Clare Marie-I forgot which) told me the same thing the other day. I was not even the one who brought up sharing, she was when she noticed I had too many TS ADRs. I told her I planned to pay OOP for the two dinner shows, then share a couple of meals (all adults, by the way). She immediately said sharing was no longer allowed and we would be charged TS credits according to the number of people at our table. I asked her since when. My mom and I were on the dining plan in May and shared. She said the CMs had just gotten the new info a few days prior. She tried to get me to cancel some of my ADRs, but I refused. We are not going until Sept, so have plenty of time to see how it pans out. If we can't share, no biggie, we'll just pay OOP for two character breakfasts and still be OK.

 

[bicker]

I think so too. I think you can go under your allowed entitlements, but you can not go over them.

Precisely. So my earlier scenario would be if your Dining Plan was for 2A1C and you have three adults at your table that you're trying to apply the Dining Plan to. That could be and IMHO should be prevented.

However, if it is more profitable for Disney to enforce what it needs to regarding its "adults cannot use child meal entitlements" rule via a "no sharing" rule for Dining Plan participants, then that's what they will do. We'll trade off one unfairness for another. And as others have pointed out, that will be "intentional."

 

[bicker]

Though the ambiguity seems frustrating to many, I think that is intentional.

Intentional but unsatisfactory in general. The more people complain about it, the more Disney will be forced to consider addressing the problem. As it is now, many guests don't even know what other guests are doing to exploit the system. We need to be consistent in informing them and advocating use of the program with integrity.

In the end, we know that cheaters will always cheat!

There is anecdotal indications that this kind of behavior is on the rise. That trend should not be overlooked.

 

[mickey mommy]

Intentional but unsatisfactory in general. The more people complain about it, the more Disney will be forced to consider addressing the problem. As it is now, many guests don't even know what other guests are doing to exploit the system. We need to be consistent in informing them and advocating use of the program with integrity.

There is anecdotal indications that this kind of behavior is on the rise. That trend should not be overlooked.

I agree with you 100% I had no idea all of this was going on prior to finding this discussion board! Not saying I haven't fibbed about the kids ages by a year or so at Old Country Buffet But some of the ways people try and get around the DDP system is unbelievable. Who would even think to add extra kids to their resort reservation, just to get extra credits! That is just crazy! You get so much with the dining plan as it is, why would anyone need MORE!

 

[ReallyFunMom]

Remember, not everyone who wants to share and pay OOP is trying to cheat. If the rules have changed, thats fine. But the people who wanted to split an ADULT TS credit, b/c thats the amount of food they wanted to eat, and then use child TS credits for the kids would need to pay OOP at the next meal for the kids when adults are again sharing an ADULT TS credit. It was a reasonable approach for using TS credit allotments they paid for.

 

[mickey mommy]

Remember, not everyone who wants to share and pay OOP is trying to cheat. If the rules have changed, thats fine. But the people who wanted to split an ADULT TS credit, b/c thats the amount of food they wanted to eat, and then use child TS credits for the kids would need to pay OOP at the next meal for the kids when adults are again sharing an ADULT TS credit. It was a reasonable approach for using TS credit allotments they paid for.

Absolutely! I think sharing a meal here and there is perfectly normal!

 

[bicker]

Yes, and it would be a shame if that perfectly normal practice becomes a casualty of the abuse of others.