MYW Dining: Would this be tacky or even allowed?

[Liz]

We are traveling for the first time with another family. Here's the situation:

DH, myself, DS17, DD16 - one room at POP w/ dining plan

Friend, Friend's DH, DS16, DD13 - one room at POP w/o dining plan

If it was just us going I believe we'd give the dining plan a try because we only eat 1-2 sit down meals per vacation due to the cost. This seems like a great opportunity to try some restaurants we've always wanted to try and not worry about the cost.

Our friends (who are visiting WDW for the first time) think they can eat cheaper without the plan so they don't want to get it.

Now my question: If we got the meal plan and they didn't could we split the cost ($980 for our family for 7 days) and share the meals. Like if the 8 of us went to dinner at Rose & Crown (as an example), could we use 4 meals from the plan and share them between us and then buy any additional food we might need? Would that be extremely tacky? I realize we couldn't do this at buffet restaurants.

The other option our friends said they might agree to is for each family to get two separate reservations and both of us get the meal plan for just a couple of days and then eat counter service the rest of the time. BTW, our friends could easily afford the meal plan but they are very much penny-pinchers! (I mean that is the nicest way!)

Thanks for any opinions! Please honestly tell me what you think.

 

[IloveWINNIEthePOOH]

We are sort of doing that same thing, but it is our family of four w/ dining plan for a few nights, and then have a tag-a-long cousin that we are going to share our food with.

I don't see why Disney wouldn't let you do it, I think they would rather have you order the food and get it all eaten than to order it and eat half of it.

So I say go with it... especially if you can split the costs in some way with them!

 

[aec]

Not sure if it how the dining works, butif you can do it I don't think it would be tacky at all. You are paying for the dining package and paying for any extra food. I've heard they are very accomodating at the parks about splitting entrees for you. We did it once at Scifi b/c we were not hungry enough for a big meal and they didn't bat an eyelash. They preplated the entrees with plenty of sides. Just tip appropriately.

The other issue if there are kids involved, from what I understand the kids must order off the kids menu when available.

 

[TinkerPixxie]

During my recent trip we ate at Rain forest and the table next to us had a meal plan. They made sure to get all they could out of it in that they all slit one of the deserts and then started walking around to tables with the other 3 that was part of the deal. The waiter was actually the one who told me they were on the plan and were to full for all the deserts.. then commented that he encourages the guests to get all they can out of it so the bill goes up thus his tip does also.
My opinion is that this happens frequently in disney and would not be ashamed in the least.

 

[Liz]

I spoke to CRO Dining today and found out a couple of things.

They said the only people who can use the meals are the people who actually paid for the plan. Maybe that wouldn't be a problem (as in how would they know) unless for instance there are 4 people in the room and you are trying to use 6 meals at one time.

Also, in case anyone wasn't sure like me, the $35 per person charge for the dining plan is plus tax so its actually more like $39.04 per day (guessing 11.5% tax rate).

 

[EEyorelover22]

I had questions about giving the counter service to another person in our family...like DS or DH. Someone posted that I couldn't do that. I have to wonder if Disney will have "food police" and make sure I eat the meal and not DS or DH. They would never know. They could use the extra counter service meal for lunch or breakfast and I never would.

 

[speedyf]

EeyoreLover...

I heard that Disney will be giving you a complete physical examination by a certified doctor before each meal on the meal plan to make sure that the voucher is yours

Just Kiddin'....

I thought about this as well. I guess Disney would frown on sharing the voucher....but, I can't see where it's any different from sharing one of the old vouchers that everyone has talked about doing in the past.

Also....from what I've read....you can use as many of the vouchers as you want on any given day. In other words, you don't have to use the counter, snack, and sit-down meal each day. You can do 2 counters one day and 2 sit downs the next....etc.....

I'm just guessing at this point....lol

speed

 

[EEyorelover22]

Thanks for the laugh!!

Yes, I understand too that you can use the meals in any combo. 2 sit downs one day, snack and two counter service another. Looking at the way we plan and eat, I could use a plan with 2 sit downs and no counter service. We are going for 10 days so it doesn't matter any way at this point since I can't get a package for that length and doing two is too expensive.

 

[CarolMN]

I had questions about giving the counter service to another person in our family...like DS or DH. Someone posted that I couldn't do that. I have to wonder if Disney will have "food police" and make sure I eat the meal and not DS or DH. They would never know. They could use the extra counter service meal for lunch or breakfast and I never would.

If you get the counter service meal yourself and give it to someone else, they wouldn't know. But I think they would know for sit down meals because the meal plan info is encoded onto your resort IDs - you don't get coupons or anything separate. I don't think you could give your resort ID to someone else becasue it would have your name on it as well as your park admission ticket. Maybe if you all ate together you could use more than one sit down meal allowance at the same time and give it to someone else. Not really sure.

Best wishes -

 

[EEyorelover22]

I wasn't worried about using the sit downs. What you said makes sense though for sit downs. I'd use all those no problem. It was having extra counter service meals and snacks left at the end. I can't do it anyway as we are staying 10 days and I can't get a package for that length of time.