Need help. Dining credits with large group question

[got2luvtink]

Okay, it's been 3 years since we were in the DDP, so I know some things may have changed.

This year we are bringing 6 kids with us, myself and dh (so technically 2 disney kids and 6 disney adults). Two rooms. I've recently read on here that you have to provide both room keys when ordering at TS locations, because the credits are attached to each room.

I just don't remember having to do that before. I'll be carrying EVERYONE'S (except dh's) KTTW card with me. Which can get really hectic when you have a lot of kids. I just want to streamline the process as much as possible.

My plan was just to pull out my card to pay for all 8 of us, until we use all the pooled credits from the first room for all of our CS, TS, and snacks. Then for the second half of our trip, pull out one of the kids KTTW card from our second room, and use all the pooled credits for the 8 of us.

This would just work out so perfectly for us if this could be done. It just makes sense to me. My only concern is since each KTTW card only has 4 ppl on it, would it really be a problem to use 8 credits at a time for TS, CS, and snacks?? Could it technically be done?

 

[gigi1313]

it depends on how your reservation is booked... if you have one reservation for all eight of you, then you can use one card for the group (the card will read 6A/2C or whatever the breakdown of adults/children you have)... if you have two reservation numbers with four on each, then you will need to use two cards to pay for each meal (the cards will each read 2A/2C or again, whatever the breakdown of adults/children you have in each room)...

if you have the two reservations, it won't really matter which card from each room you use so if you are on one ressie and dh on the other, use your two cards each time... if you have all the cards, and know who's in what room (registered, not necessarily staying) just grab one from each... they do not compare signatures and you can sign on both if you'd like...

we always have two rooms also and i typically mark all of the cards w/a sharpie marker, usually putting the last digit of the room on it in the corner, so i know which cards are for room 1234 and which are for room 1235... try to make it easy on yourself!

 

[clanmcculloch]

Some servers may give you a hard time but many will allow you to use credits off only one card but really it'll only work if you have an even split of adults and kids in each room. If you have 3 adults and 1 kid in each room then it's easy to keep track of adult vs child credits per room but if you've got both kids in one room then you'll end up at some point with a situation where you'll run out of adult credits on that room and have to pull out the second card for the adult credits and use the first card for the kid credits.

It's probably easiest to just tell the server at the beginning of the meal which people you'll want on each bill based on how your room split is. You can mix up who you point to each meal as long as you've got the right number of kids vs adults on each bill. This way you'll always have the same number of the right kinds of meals left on each room and it's easiest to keep track of.

 

[gigi1313]

Some servers may give you a hard time but many will allow you to use credits off only one card but really it'll only work if you have an even split of adults and kids in each room. If you have 3 adults and 1 kid in each room then it's easy to keep track of adult vs child credits per room but if you've got both kids in one room then you'll end up at some point with a situation where you'll run out of adult credits on that room and have to pull out the second card for the adult credits and use the first card for the kid credits.

It's probably easiest to just tell the server at the beginning of the meal which people you'll want on each bill based on how your room split is. You can mix up who you point to each meal as long as you've got the right number of kids vs adults on each bill. This way you'll always have the same number of the right kinds of meals left on each room and it's easiest to keep track of.

Actually, it will only really work (if two ressies w/separate #s of As and Cs on each card) if *all* the servers go along with it, and since policy is not to use more credits than listed on the front of the card, there is no way to know if the server at your last meal will allow you to take all 8 credits off one card if the card only has 4 ppl listed on it...

we had a similar issue w/our cards where we were two ppl (1A/1C) in each room and we had a server who said "oh, it's okay, i will take it all off one card" but later had a server who wouldn't... had that been our last meal, we would have had to pay two meals OOP and left w/credits still on the card... fortunately, we still had credits on both cards and were able to get out of that meal unscathed, but had to throw ourselves on the mercy of the next server to take all credits off the other card, so we could even them out!

 

[poison ivy]

this change in policy has been around for at least a few years now. the servers need to match number of patrons at the table to number of guests covered on the meal plan room keys.

You will need to keep careful track of this now esp when all dining together.

 

[TDC Nala]

Unless both your rooms are under one room reservation number, you are going to need a KTTW from each room to pay for meals for everyone. Doesn't matter whose card it is; you can use a child's card.

 

[abouna]

How about this, we have a dining plan, but I am meeting my family a few days into our trip. Will I lose my credits or will we be able to use them toward our 2-credit dining nights? In other words, in practice, are the credits pooled to the room and they subtract them as they are used (we are in one room) or will l lose the nights I am not there?

Also, concerning children's credits vs. adult credits. With regard to meal credits, are "children" above the age of 9 considered "adults" since they order off the adult meals?

 

[Mississippianna]

When we went with my mom, we had 1 reservation with 2 rooms, and after a couple of days we finally figured out all of the credits were 1 large pool, where we had been putting down a card for each room. I willing to bet y'all have 1 reservation with 2 room2, and therefore will only need to present one card when dining as a group.

We also found on that trip (at check out) that one credit card had been assigned to both our rooms, rather than ours for our cards and my mom's for her card. That was a mess. Turns out our single reservation meant a single CC for charging privileges, too. Oy.

 

[Tricia1972]

How about this, we have a dining plan, but I am meeting my family a few days into our trip. Will I lose my credits or will we be able to use them toward our 2-credit dining nights? In other words, in practice, are the credits pooled to the room and they subtract them as they are used (we are in one room) or will l lose the nights I am not there?

Also, concerning children's credits vs. adult credits. With regard to meal credits, are "children" above the age of 9 considered "adults" since they order off the adult meals?

It sounds like you have two different reservations booked. One for the first group size and a second for the additional family joining you. If htis is the case and you have two reservations booked, your credits from the first reservation will expire at midnight the day you check out and check back in.

Children come of age at the ripe old age of 9 at Disney. This means that your 9 year old may order off of the adult menu on the DDP and that they have the honor of paying for adult tickets at the park as well.

 

[abouna]

It sounds like you have two different reservations booked. One for the first group size and a second for the additional family joining you. If htis is the case and you have two reservations booked, your credits from the first reservation will expire at midnight the day you check out and check back in.

Children come of age at the ripe old age of 9 at Disney. This means that your 9 year old may order off of the adult menu on the DDP and that they have the honor of paying for adult tickets at the park as well.

Actually, we have one room for five people since the 5th is an infant. But, from what you are saying then, since the four on the dining plan are "adults" by Disney standards, then all of our dining credits will be one pool of adult dining credits, correct? The reason I am asking is that since I will be joining them later, my extra dining credits will still be part of the total pool then, correct?

 

[gigi1313]

Actually, we have one room for five people since the 5th is an infant. But, from what you are saying then, since the four on the dining plan are "adults" by Disney standards, then all of our dining credits will be one pool of adult dining credits, correct? The reason I am asking is that since I will be joining them later, my extra dining credits will still be part of the total pool then, correct?

yes, that is correct!! we had a similar situation w/a niece meeting us partway into our trip, so the add'l credits were used for Akershus