Just back from WDW using MYW dining plan

[JJsmama]

Thanks to the OP for posting and answering all our questions!!

One more: Can you get bottled water instead of soda with your counter meals?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

So what would happen if you book the room for 2 and get the dining program for 2 but people come down later in the week to stay. Would they then have to purchase the meal plan?

I'd probably call the resort or the CRO to ask but I would think so. The servers see your KTTW card and know how many people are on your plan when they punch it in. So if you have four people dining even if you have extra options they know who you "should" have, i.e. two adults.

 

[jjohnson]

I don't understand this at all! If you are paying for the adult fare, why can't the child order a (cheaper, smaller!) kids meal without having to pay extra?

Well for the sit downs at dinner I would rather just pay the $5 or $6 for him & "save" them for when we go to CRT or CM for breakfast.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks to the OP for posting and answering all our questions!!

One more: Can you get bottled water instead of soda with your counter meals?

Yes, Dasani water is included as a Coca-Cola product.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Some folks are talking about paying for less expensive meals and saving their dining plan credits to use later in the trip. Since you can use as many or as few as you want each day, you can "save up" your credits for signature meals or dinner shows that would cost 2 credits per person.

Thanks, Pea-N-Me!

Actually, we are already home from Pop! LOL We chose not to have the dining plan because we were being told that our room would be rack rate and we would have to buy MYW tickets. We already had 4 day Hoppers and the MYW tickets were more expensive, not to mention the increase in hotel cost! It would have wiped out our dining plan savings to change over. We had a terrific stay and enjoyed Pop!

NOW I am planning for a trip to Pop in October (maybe). I want to get the dining plan, but I thought they separated the credits for kids and adults. For example, if DS and I shared lunch at Pop (which is what happened a couple of times) then DH would use one counter credit, and I would use another. DH and I would each have 7 counter credits remaining, but DS would have 8. BUT they don't designate your credits as adult or child, they lump them all in together. After 8 days of WDW I won't remember my name, let alone that some of the credits are supposed to be "kid meal ONLY" credits. I suppose if this starts to bother WDW they will change it, or load each room ticket with each individual's credits like someone else suggested.

Thanks so much for all the great info!!

 

[JJsmama]

Well for the sit downs at dinner I would rather just pay the $5 or $6 for him & "save" them for when we go to CRT or CM for breakfast.

Aha! Now things are really getting complicated!

 

[jjohnson]

Aha! Now things are really getting complicated!

Aren't they! I'm making myself crazy trying to figure it all out.

 

[princessmomma]

Pea-n-me,

Thank you!

When you went to O'hana did you order dessert as well? Some of those desserts look delicious.

Also, do the dining credits expire the day after you check out of your resort?

 

[clhcpaca]

If all the meals are grouped together, can the adults use all the credits (say there are 2 adults and 2 children), to eat at a signature restaurant every night (using both their and the children's credits)?? And, feeding the children off their plates or paying for the child meals. It seems that WDW would lose alot as the child's plan is only $10.

Cindy

 

[henrylovespooh]

I just bought the dining plan for our trip next month. On the Disney website, it states that a dessert is included with a counter service meal. I printed out the website's dining plan brochure to take with us. For our family, who does a lot of dining in the "World" I think it will be a cost savings. I think you get a better value out of trying restaurants like Cindy's, Tony's Town Square or Concourse Steakhouse for dinner where you can have an appetizer, main course and dessert. I bet the cost of that meal alone would exceed $35. We are also going to use them for some buffets so the kids can see the characters.

Thanks for the good report!

 

[pooh2001]

I hope the MYW dining plan is still available when we go June 2006. Even though my DS will be 14 and DD 11 - 4 adults - $140 per day.
We always budget $150 per day - so right there is a $10 savings.
Plus we only splurged on dessert at Le Cellier (the Canadian restuarant) the last time we went. My DS will always order off the adult menu. My DD - well she is another story - but her tastes may change by next summer. My DS & DD will love the idea of being able to get a dessert. What a treat.

We also do our own cereal, snack bars, fruit & pop tarts in our room in the AM except for a Cindy's and Crystal Place breakfast.

Each day includes:
1 table-service meal including appetizer, entree, dessert, and nonalcoholic beverage

1 counter-service meal including entree, dessert and nonalcoholic beverage

1 snack including either a frozen ice cream bar, popcorn scoop, 20 oz bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani water or a medium fountain soft drink

You may also exchange 2 table-service meals for 1 Signature Dining Experience.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/packageDetail?id=PackageDetailMYWDiningPkg05Page

 

[drumflower]

If all the meals are grouped together, can the adults use all the credits (say there are 2 adults and 2 children), to eat at a signature restaurant every night (using both their and the children's credits)?? .

Cindy

I would like to know this too ! We could just pay out of pocket for the kdis meals. Couldn't I use my 2 kids counter service meals for breakfast for us to share as a family and use our adults counterservice meals for lunch to share as a family? Since they don't split adults and childrens options, couldn't you order all adults menu items? This would be great because the dining plan would cover all our meals. I am sure it would be enough food for everyone. The meals were huge last year when we did the silver plan, and a lot of food was wasted. I really don't think DIsney is losing any money if we do this, they make a fortune on the meals already.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Actually, we are already home from Pop! LOL We chose not to have the dining plan because we were being told that our room would be rack rate and we would have to buy MYW tickets. We already had 4 day Hoppers and the MYW tickets were more expensive, not to mention the increase in hotel cost! It would have wiped out our dining plan savings to change over.

I had this dilemma too when I had a room only ressie at first for $55/night with a BDP code and couldn't add the tickets and dining without booking a package, thus losing the discount on the room and (gasp) having to pay rack rate. What I ended up doing was booking the package through AAA which gave me almost the same discount on the room. I also was able to get 6 day MYW base park tickets (without hopping or expiration) for less than what I was going to pay for 4 day park hoppers. Total for 6 nights at Pop with 6 day park tix AND dining plan was $1721, a good deal I thought. I think it came to about $150 more than if I had been able to keep my BDP code ressie and book it all myself (which wasn't possible). AAA also gave me luggage tags, a 10% discount card for WOD and a preffered parking pass so we parked up front at the parks when we had our car.

NOW I am planning for a trip to Pop in October (maybe). I want to get the dining plan, but I thought they separated the credits for kids and adults. For example, if DS and I shared lunch at Pop (which is what happened a couple of times) then DH would use one counter credit, and I would use another. DH and I would each have 7 counter credits remaining, but DS would have 8. BUT they don't designate your credits as adult or child, they lump them all in together. After 8 days of WDW I won't remember my name, let alone that some of the credits are supposed to be "kid meal ONLY" credits. I suppose if this starts to bother WDW they will change it, or load each room ticket with each individual's credits like someone else suggested.

I'm not totally sure how this would work for you but my hunch is it would be fine, particularly if you stick to places that don't differentiate between adult's and children's meals. At Pop, I know we were able to get an adult hot dog for our DS without a problem; at Casey's we all got hot dogs; at Pepper Market the kids got pizza, etc... and the buffets also work well for everyone.

I just checked some of my meals receipts and they do list Adult and Kids Meals separately on the bill. We didn't get too crazy about it all, we just all ordered at the same time and what we ate we ate... Another meal was always right around the corner!

Don't know if this helps you. Hope you get to go and have a wonderful time in October. I'd go back to Pop, too! (I'm watching our video as I write this).

 

[drumflower]

I


I'm not totally sure how this would work for you but my hunch is it would be fine, particularly if you stick to places that don't differentiate between adult's and children's meals. At Pop, I know we were able to get an adult hot dog for our DS without a problem; at Casey's we all got hot dogs; at Pepper Market the kids got pizza, etc... and the buffets also work well for everyone.

I just checked some of my meals receipts and they do list Adult and Kids Meals separately on the bill. We didn't get too crazy about it all, we just all ordered at the same time and what we ate we ate... Another meal was always right around the corner!

.

So I guess since it list the kids meals and the adult menus on the receipts then maybe you can't order all adults meals for kids meals even though the meals are lumped together?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

When you went to O'hana did you order dessert as well? Some of those desserts look delicious.

Also, do the dining credits expire the day after you check out of your resort?

Yes, we did have desserts! DH and I got the coconut ice cream; DS the chocolate mousse and DD the Beach Bomb (aka snow cone) in a pail with a shovel which she thought was pretty cool. They also give you as part of your meal a sliced pineapple with caramel sauce for dipping. I had forgotten about that but barely had room to enjoy it.

I just asked the kids where there favorite meal was and they said Ohana. It of course was so fun for them. They remembered from our last visit there doing the coconut push with the brooms. This time they not only did that but also had a singalong with the "Polynesian lady" and did the hula hoops as well. They really had a ball.

DH loved Boma but also really likes Ohana too. We enjoyed chatting with a man behind us, a large sized solo diner. He said when he heard about Ohana he just had to try it. By the end of the meal he was laughing he was so stuffed he couldn't eat another bite and couldn't believe he couldn't finish his meal. He seemed to be having a good time along with everyone else. Another man we met coming in with his two teenage sons said as we were leaving he didn't really enjoy the meal because there was "too much meat", LOL.

We had an early flight out so we finished all our options by our last night. But I imagine they're good until midnight of the night you check out like the tickets are.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

So I guess since it list the kids meals and the adult menus on the receipts then maybe you can't order all adults meals for kids meals even though the meals are lumped together?

Probably not all. I don't know how fine a line there is. I think there are some gray areas to the plan as well as some still misinformed CMs but as I've said I think they try to be pretty flexible and accomodating for the most part.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If all the meals are grouped together, can the adults use all the credits (say there are 2 adults and 2 children), to eat at a signature restaurant every night (using both their and the children's credits)?? And, feeding the children off their plates or paying for the child meals.

I don't think so since it's listed in their computer system that some meals are kids meals. You could, however, use all your adult meals there if you wanted to (and your kids meals as well, but only if the kids are actually there).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Pooh2001, thanks for posting the Disney website. That is, indeed, the brochure I've been referring to which was given to us at check in.

 

[drumflower]

I just checked some of my meals receipts and they do list Adult and Kids Meals separately on the bill. We didn't get too crazy about it all, we just all ordered at the same time and what we ate we ate... Another meal was always right around the corner!

:

One more question, please! When you say on your receipt it shows adult and kids meals separtely, do you mean it says that on the objects your ordered or does it say that at the bottom where it tells you how many meals you have left. In other words, does it say how many kids meals and how many adults sitdown meals you have left separtely? Thanks again!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

When you say on your receipt it shows adult and kids meals separtely, do you mean it says that on the objects your ordered or does it say that at the bottom where it tells you how many meals you have left. In other words, does it say how many kids meals and how many adults sitdown meals you have left separtely?

It says it on the items we ordered because that's the way the CMs rang it in based on our party and the items we ordered.