Newbie to free DDP. help please.

[ztam3]

Hello everyone. I have read many of your posts and you are infinitely helpful!
The glorious hubby has decided to take me to Disney World to celebrate my birthday this year! It happens to fall within the free dining.

We have never used the dining plan before. I am very curious about how things work when paying for additional items out of pocket. For example, do most of you leave cash for tip? Or do you charge this to your room? Also, when paying OOP for items such as alcohol and appetizers, do you pay cash, or again, charge this to your room?

What seems to work best for all of you?

Is the tip automatically tallied with your bill when using the dining plan? If so, what percentage is used?

I apologize for so many questions, but I thought it best to ask all in one post as opposed to multiple posts.

I really appreciate any answers you can offer.
I am VERY excited about this upcoming trip!
Thanks in advance!

 

[eeyoregon]

Congrats on your birthday trip and for being born during free dining!!

When paying OOP I prefer to just charge it to my room so that I can keep track of where my $$ is going easier. Plus I don't carry much cash when traveling.

Have you made your ADR's? When will you be there?

 

[septbaby]

I will probably use cash or an Amex gift card for tips. I don't drink alcohol so I won't have those bills and our meals are generally character buffets, so appetizers are a moot point. A tip will generally be under $10 for us each time.

Many on these boards say they tip 15-20%, 18% seems really common. Keep in mind that tipping is only expected at the TS places, not CS.

Happy birthday!

 

[dogodisney]

Hello everyone. I have read many of your posts and you are infinitely helpful!
The glorious hubby has decided to take me to Disney World to celebrate my birthday this year! It happens to fall within the free dining.

We have never used the dining plan before. I am very curious about how things work when paying for additional items out of pocket. For example, do most of you leave cash for tip? Or do you charge this to your room? Also, when paying OOP for items such as alcohol and appetizers, do you pay cash, or again, charge this to your room?

What seems to work best for all of you?

Is the tip automatically tallied with your bill when using the dining plan? If so, what percentage is used?

I apologize for so many questions, but I thought it best to ask all in one post as opposed to multiple posts.

I really appreciate any answers you can offer.
I am VERY excited about this upcoming trip!
Thanks in advance!

Great questions! I was wondering about these myself.

 

[DisneyCatMom]

Just back april 9-17th. On DDP. At several TS the waiter brought our receipt and told us they had already charged the tip and any OOP items to our room/key.
We weren't given a choice. I guess we could have told them not to do that, but we were already planning on it so no big deal.

 

[ztam3]

Thank you all for your answers!
So far, we have ADRs at Raglan Road, Tutto Italia(?spelling?), Spoodles, Wolfgangs, Coral Reef, and Sci-Fi. I tried hard for Le Cellier, but it wasnt available. I am going to keep trying for sure! We are considering Rose and Crown and Jiko.

Thanks again for your help.
Have a wonderful day!

 

[septbaby]

Just because its an adult only trip don't thinkk you shouldn't/can't do a character meal. Crystal Palace might be the best TS in MK. I'll be trying it in just for the food. Not big Pooh fan, but my 6yo travel companion will probably enjoy the characters!

We loved Boma for dinner so I'd give that strong recommendation. Others love it for breakfast as it has some unique items then too. Hope you get Jiko too.

By the way are you on the Deluxe plan or just a long trip? You have 9TS credits noted.

Again have a great trip!

 

[ImaHomebody]

Hi all.

Im a newbie to the DDP also. We were not planning on doing ADR's for our trip this coming August. We felt that we are flexible enough that if we walked up and there was no availability we would try somewhere else, feeling that at the end of August it is usually a "slower" than normal time, and we know that they hold about 30% availability for walk-ins. Well now our time is also the start of the free DDP period and I am panicking. (we are staying 8/24-8/29)

I am finding it hard to figure out where and what time we will want to eat on any given night. I am thinking of making ressies at the places we know we want to eat so we will have a place everynight. My questions are:

1.) Do they really require 48 hr cancellaton? If, lets say we have a ressie at Kona Cafe for 7pm, but we are in Disney Studios and are able to walk in to Primetime for 6pm could we say to them at Primetime .."Hey we had an ADR at Kona, could you cancel that for us because we'd like to eat here now?" ...and not end up being charged? Please don't flame... I realize if everyone did something like this all the time it would make a mess of the whole ADR concept. I just really don't know how well they enforce the cancellation fee.

2.) This is slightly off topic, but, We are staying at the Beach Club after we return from a cruise, there are 5 of us. (myself 46, DH 47, DS23, DD 21 & DD 15) 4 of us are staying the full time of our trip with MYW +Dining. DS will be with us a couple of days before flying home on his own. Our TA told us that all people in the room must be on the same plan for the same number of days, so we can't get him the same package for his length of stay. She said we can add him at check in for the extra person rate per day and he can buy his own tickets for the park at the gate. That this is done all the time etc. My question is this, would he get the free dining? I am going to call my TA later to ask her that same question, but unfortuately, I have found that she isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer , and getting questions answered by her has been a chore. It is easier for me to try and find out on my own.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

 

[septbaby]

Hi all.

Im a newbie to the DDP also. We were not planning on doing ADR's for our trip this coming August. We felt that we are flexible enough that if we walked up and there was no availability we would try somewhere else, feeling that at the end of August it is usually a "slower" than normal time, and we know that they hold about 30% availability for walk-ins. Well now our time is also the start of the free DDP period and I am panicking. (we are staying 8/24-8/29)

You "know" a lot for a "newbie".

1.) Do they really require 48 hr cancellaton?If you've provided a credit card to hold a ressie, they'll charge your card if you are a no show or cancel with less thatn 48hrs notice.

2.) This is slightly off topic, but, We are staying at the Beach Club after we return from a cruise, there are 5 of us. (myself 46, DH 47, DS23, DD 21 & DD 15) 4 of us are staying the full time of our trip with MYW +Dining. DS will be with us a couple of days before flying home on his own. Our TA told us that all people in the room must be on the same plan for the same number of days, so we can't get him the same package for his length of stay. She said we can add him at check in for the extra person rate per day and he can buy his own tickets for the park at the gate. That this is done all the time etc. My question is this, would he get the free dining? I am going to call my TA later to ask her that same question, but unfortuately, I have found that she isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer , and getting questions answered by her has been a chore. It is easier for me to try and find out on my own. I have no clue on this one.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Good luck!

 

[ImaHomebody]

My TA got back to me and said that "In order to have the free dining you need to have a MYW package." (which i also found by reading the the plan online) so basically the answer is no. My parents and my brother's family are also coming to Disney after the cruise. My parents are staying a shorter period of time, so we may book him on their reservation so he will get the dining, and tickets that way.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Hi all.

Im a newbie to the DDP also. We were not planning on doing ADR's for our trip this coming August. We felt that we are flexible enough that if we walked up and there was no availability we would try somewhere else, feeling that at the end of August it is usually a "slower" than normal time, and we know that they hold about 30% availability for walk-ins. Well now our time is also the start of the free DDP period and I am panicking. (we are staying 8/24-8/29)

I am finding it hard to figure out where and what time we will want to eat on any given night. I am thinking of making ressies at the places we know we want to eat so we will have a place everynight. My questions are:

1.) Do they really require 48 hr cancellaton? If, lets say we have a ressie at Kona Cafe for 7pm, but we are in Disney Studios and are able to walk in to Primetime for 6pm could we say to them at Primetime .."Hey we had an ADR at Kona, could you cancel that for us because we'd like to eat here now?" ...and not end up being charged?

I don't know about being charged, because I've only heard rumors of a credit card hold being newly required for all dining reservations - but, two things.

First, if a CC hold is required and the Guest does not cancel that specific reservation by the required time, then yes, it would seem that the credit card would be charged - and yes, even if the Guest chose last-minute to dine at an alternate location.

Second, "It's 7 PM, can you please cancel our 7 PM reservation for Kona so we can eat here instead" deprives another party that attempted to make plans in advance, from getting that 7 PM reservation at Kona. Sure, some walk-up could get in instead; but meanwhile, the party that tried to make a reservation there two days or three months ago, now ends up eating at Earl of Sandwich* because they were blocked out of their restaurant choice.


*Not that there's anything wrong with that (restaurant).