formernyer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2006
- Messages
- 1,705
Wow, this post got a lot longer than I expected it would, LOL
We just got back from WDW (actually, WE'RE still in Florida visiting family, but WE'RE done with Disney). We had some DDP situations which all worked out ok for us, so I thought I'd share our experiences. I know other people have had questions about some of these situations.
Our reservations were made 5 months ago for 4 people. All four of us were on Free DDP. My mom ended up joining us, so we actually had 5 people dining at each meal and only four of us on the DDP.
Our first concern was showing up at the restaurants with reservations for 4 and getting a table for 5. Our second challenge was that we had several buffets planned. We were hoping to get 5 DDP meals, but were prepared to have to pay for one out of pocket, since only 4 were on the dining plan.
We had the DDP for five days, so we had a total of 20 credits and 5 people. The reservations were all for peak-time dinners. Here's how it went...
CRYSTAL PALACE - FIVE CREDITS - I explained that my reservations were made 5 months ago, but Grandma decided to join us, so we'd like an extra place setting at our table. The had absolutely no problem with the request. When I handed the server the DDP card at the end of the meal, she commented that we only had 4 on it, but a party of 5. I said that I didn't mind putting 5 meals on it, since we were planning to meal share later in the week to make up for it. She smiled and said it was no problem at all. She put through all five meals on the DDP.
WHISPERING CANYON CAFE - THREE CREDITS - I gave the same explanation about the extra person in the party and was told that it was no problem at all. One of us had a skillet and the other four people split two meals. We all left STUFFED and there was no surcharge for meal-sharing (some people have recently reported meal-sharing surcharges at some restaurants).
CORAL REEF - THREE CREDITS - Exact same scenario as WCC, except we left satisfied, but not stuffed. No problem adding the extra person to the reservation. No meal-sharing surcharges.
BOMA - 5 CREDITS - No problem at all getting the table for 5. At the end of the meal, the server told us he could only put 4 buffets on the DDP. I politely mentioned that another restraurant processed it with 5 and it went through just fine. He said he'd try it. Next thing I knew, a manager was at my table explaining that what she would have to do is put the 5th meal through as room charge and then I could ask the hotel front desk to adjust it to a DDP credit. I explained that I did not add room-charging to my card. At that point, she told me that she'd put through 5 credits on the DDP, "but just this once." She later mentioned that the easiest way around the DDP max is to just give the server two cards and ask him to process 4 meals on one of them and one meal on the second card. I could have very easily given them two cards, but he didn't mention it until after they processed all 5 on one card. Anyway, in the end it wasn't really a big hassle to get them to process all 5.
SCI-FI - 4 CREDITS - We only had 4 credits left, so rather than pay OOP for the extra person on this night I cancelled my Chef Mickey's reservation and got a last minute table at Sci-Fi. No problems at all with meal-sharing and no surcharges.
As for the CS credits, the 20 credits were more than adequate to feed five of us for 6 days. We shared meals (we ordered 3-4 meals each day for lunch). We went primarily to places I knew had very large meals. For breakfast, we ate Entenmanns donuts (1 snack credit per box) and leftovers from TS dinners/desserts. We used a snack credit for onion rings once, but it never got deducted from our account. Another time, we bought three ice creams, but when I went to hand the guy the card he said, "The DDP scanner is down at the moment, so your ice creams are on the house."
At the end of the trip, we had 14 snack credits remaining
Our previous record was 7 remaining!!! Luckily, we drove to Florida, so we had plenty of room in the van for extra snacks. Imagine the strange looks we got from other customers when we got on line at Pop Century this afternoon with two big boxes of Entenmann's donuts, 2 jars of Tostitos Cheese Dip, and 10 huge bags of Doritos and Lays chips!!!
We just got back from WDW (actually, WE'RE still in Florida visiting family, but WE'RE done with Disney). We had some DDP situations which all worked out ok for us, so I thought I'd share our experiences. I know other people have had questions about some of these situations.
Our reservations were made 5 months ago for 4 people. All four of us were on Free DDP. My mom ended up joining us, so we actually had 5 people dining at each meal and only four of us on the DDP.
Our first concern was showing up at the restaurants with reservations for 4 and getting a table for 5. Our second challenge was that we had several buffets planned. We were hoping to get 5 DDP meals, but were prepared to have to pay for one out of pocket, since only 4 were on the dining plan.
We had the DDP for five days, so we had a total of 20 credits and 5 people. The reservations were all for peak-time dinners. Here's how it went...
CRYSTAL PALACE - FIVE CREDITS - I explained that my reservations were made 5 months ago, but Grandma decided to join us, so we'd like an extra place setting at our table. The had absolutely no problem with the request. When I handed the server the DDP card at the end of the meal, she commented that we only had 4 on it, but a party of 5. I said that I didn't mind putting 5 meals on it, since we were planning to meal share later in the week to make up for it. She smiled and said it was no problem at all. She put through all five meals on the DDP.
WHISPERING CANYON CAFE - THREE CREDITS - I gave the same explanation about the extra person in the party and was told that it was no problem at all. One of us had a skillet and the other four people split two meals. We all left STUFFED and there was no surcharge for meal-sharing (some people have recently reported meal-sharing surcharges at some restaurants).
CORAL REEF - THREE CREDITS - Exact same scenario as WCC, except we left satisfied, but not stuffed. No problem adding the extra person to the reservation. No meal-sharing surcharges.
BOMA - 5 CREDITS - No problem at all getting the table for 5. At the end of the meal, the server told us he could only put 4 buffets on the DDP. I politely mentioned that another restraurant processed it with 5 and it went through just fine. He said he'd try it. Next thing I knew, a manager was at my table explaining that what she would have to do is put the 5th meal through as room charge and then I could ask the hotel front desk to adjust it to a DDP credit. I explained that I did not add room-charging to my card. At that point, she told me that she'd put through 5 credits on the DDP, "but just this once." She later mentioned that the easiest way around the DDP max is to just give the server two cards and ask him to process 4 meals on one of them and one meal on the second card. I could have very easily given them two cards, but he didn't mention it until after they processed all 5 on one card. Anyway, in the end it wasn't really a big hassle to get them to process all 5.
SCI-FI - 4 CREDITS - We only had 4 credits left, so rather than pay OOP for the extra person on this night I cancelled my Chef Mickey's reservation and got a last minute table at Sci-Fi. No problems at all with meal-sharing and no surcharges.
As for the CS credits, the 20 credits were more than adequate to feed five of us for 6 days. We shared meals (we ordered 3-4 meals each day for lunch). We went primarily to places I knew had very large meals. For breakfast, we ate Entenmanns donuts (1 snack credit per box) and leftovers from TS dinners/desserts. We used a snack credit for onion rings once, but it never got deducted from our account. Another time, we bought three ice creams, but when I went to hand the guy the card he said, "The DDP scanner is down at the moment, so your ice creams are on the house."
At the end of the trip, we had 14 snack credits remaining
Our previous record was 7 remaining!!! Luckily, we drove to Florida, so we had plenty of room in the van for extra snacks. Imagine the strange looks we got from other customers when we got on line at Pop Century this afternoon with two big boxes of Entenmann's donuts, 2 jars of Tostitos Cheese Dip, and 10 huge bags of Doritos and Lays chips!!!
Maybe you'll get lucky and they'll stay away! 
). I am, on the other hand, going to stress: 
