Parents with children under three, how does the dining plan work?

[surfergrl31]

We are going for free dining 9/15-9/21 I am wondering about my daughter. She will be 2 by the time we take the trip, but since she is not included on the dining plan I'm worried. Can she just share the food with my husband and I? We are eating at CRT since it is preplated I wasn't sure how that was going to work with her. She eats like a bird and I would hate to order her something I know she is not going to eat.

Since she is under 3 will the resturants just go ahead and use child's TS credit for her anyway, which by the end of the week will be a mess to straighten out.

 

[labdogs42]

She can just eat off your plate. When DS was under three, I would let him eat some of my food or we did a lot of buffets/family style meals where they can eat essentially for free. Sometimes we did order him a kid's meal at places like LeCellier and we had to pay OOP for that (or if the server was nice, they just threw it in on the free dining! We had that happen a couple of times! )

 

[gatorfreud]

We were on the DDP in November with my 4 and 2 year old (sounds like you have an older child as well?).

Well the DDP had appetizers then, so we usually ordered that and then they split the one kid's meal we got... we just got an extra plate. Or he just ate off of ours.

Sometimes when we did order him his own kid's meal, we just told the server to charge us for it OOP and only use one kid's credit for my older son's meal. Sometimes we decided to use use 2 child's credits to pay for both of theirs and that didn't seem to be a problem either. Just let your server know what you want to use a credit for and what to pay OOP.

If I misunderstand and you don't have an older kid, then there would be no way for them to charge you a child's TS credit, because there would not be any on your account.

Hope that makes sense!
Kim

 

[Merilyn]

We do a lot of buffets and the children can get what they want on the buffet. For TS that are not buffets, the kids can eat off your plate. We had several give us free drinks for my grandson. We ate at one place, and they gave Cooper the childrens plate for free.

 

[DisneyMom5]

The first year of Free Dining we had two under 2. We just shared our overabundance of food with them. There won't be any credits in their names.
Buffets work great, since under 3 can eat free there anyway.

We did have a couple of free drinks provided, but it's not guarenteed. Sometimes the servers just do it to be nice. (A good time to tip a little extra. )

We NEVER needed to order extra food.

Have a great trip!

 

[averysmom]

When we went with our dd who was under 2 in 2006, we just let her eat off our plates, etc, since she wasn't a huge eater. We also did some buffets that were good as well.

Friends of ours, whose ds was under 3, but a big eater, bought tickets for him, so he could have his own meals - although in the end they said that since they did some buffets as well (where he was free anyways), it probably would have been just the same as paying for his meals OOP and not buying him his ticket, kwim?

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

We are going for free dining 9/15-9/21 I am wondering about my daughter. She will be 2 by the time we take the trip, but since she is not included on the dining plan I'm worried. Can she just share the food with my husband and I? We are eating at CRT since it is preplated I wasn't sure how that was going to work with her. She eats like a bird and I would hate to order her something I know she is not going to eat.

Since she is under 3 will the resturants just go ahead and use child's TS credit for her anyway, which by the end of the week will be a mess to straighten out.

Check your receipts after meals. I've read on other boards that families have been charged for the little one, especially at WCC. I guess they just "assume" the child is three-who knows! My son will be almost 22 months, and is HUGE for his age. So I"ll be checking...

 

[momma of 2]

we have a dd4 and a ds2. Last year when we went they were 3 and 2 and they just shared a meal. Since then my ds has been dignosed with dairy and peanut allergies. So my dh and myself will be sharing food with him so my dd can still eat her peanut butter and jelly. Hope this helps

 

[danielle782001]

We had one problem when we went with our boys the first time... The baby was free but he wanted what his brother had (even at the age of 14 months)... So if he saw a counter-service meal came with Mickey Ears, he wanted them too... So sometimes we had to buy an extra dessert here or there...He also wanted the black Mickey dish a lot of the kids meals come in...I would always ask for an extra Mickey plate at the counter places to put his food on (that he was sharing with the rest of us.... Also, he mostly was sharing with me, so I could not always get what I wanted most because I had to think of what he would want... If made things harder on me...

I agree that family-style meals and buffets work best when there is a child under 3... The baby gets to eat every thing there and it does not cost a penny more... And the adults can get what they want because they don't have to think about what the baby is going to eat...

If you need to order a child's meal at a table-service because you don't want to share for some reason, you WILL HAVE TO PAY OOP... Otherwise, sharing and an extra plate is FREE!

So you won't have to pay extra at CRT

 

[Superspectral]

We are going for free dining 9/15-9/21 I am wondering about my daughter. She will be 2 by the time we take the trip, but since she is not included on the dining plan I'm worried. Can she just share the food with my husband and I? We are eating at CRT since it is preplated I wasn't sure how that was going to work with her. She eats like a bird and I would hate to order her something I know she is not going to eat.

Since she is under 3 will the resturants just go ahead and use child's TS credit for her anyway, which by the end of the week will be a mess to straighten out.

Children under 3 receive what is called a free "infants kids meal" which consists of a refillable drink and an (empty) plate. Whether you are on the DDP or pay OOP they are always free. Your check will actually denote the child as a guest who ordered an "infants KM $0.00". At buffets and family style TS they eat like everyone else. At a la carte TS they must share food with someone who receives food. Of course, you can always pay for a regular kids meal OOP, in which case they receive their own food. This is also always a choice on the DDP or OOP. FWIW, you can't add an under 3 year old to the DDP as a child (well, you could fib about their age, and buy a ticket too).

 

[momma of 2]

Last year when we went with my ds2, we never ran out of food. He is a good eater and we always had more than enough food for everyone. You shouldn't have a problem with extras

 

[srdipert]

I am not worried about sharing food. We have been on the DDP before and I know we will have more than enough food to share. I am worried about CRT and the sword. DS1 will get a sword. Will I be able to buy one for DS2? I would really hate to pay for a kids meal there.

 

[wishtdream]

I am not worried about sharing food. We have been on the DDP before and I know we will have more than enough food to share. I am worried about CRT and the sword. DS1 will get a sword. Will I be able to buy one for DS2? I would really hate to pay for a kids meal there.

CRT gave DD age 7 weeks a wand last year we keep it on a shelf above her crib

 

[srdipert]

CRT gave DD age 7 weeks a wand last year we keep it on a shelf above her crib

Good maybe we will get some of that magic also. I can just see the melt down now if one gets a sword and the other doesn't!

 

[danielle782001]

Good maybe we will get some of that magic also. I can just see the melt down now if one gets a sword and the other doesn't!

I don't know about the sword because we have not been to CRT... However, last October we were at Chef Mickey for DS birthday.... He was given a placemat and cupcake.... We asked the person seating us if our other DS could have a placemat also and we asked our server if he could have a cupcake too... They both said yes! I knew the one not there for his birthday would be very confused and upset if his brother got something that he did not... Both CM understood and came through for us... I am sure if you explain the situation at CRT that they will come through for you.... It is Disney after all!

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

We went in 2006 and both of my DD were under 3 - both rec'd a wand and wishing star and both rec'd adrink and a plate with french toast sticks which was refilled (the plate) for my 2 1/2 y.o.

 

[Mom2JPL]

To the OP, you won't have a problem w/the ddp. Last year when we went, 2 of my kids were under 3 (3, 2 and 12 months at time of trip) and we were never charged anything extra for them. This year they'll be 4 (turning 5 during trip), 3 and 2 - we're doing CRT also (fingers crossed, hope we can get it when it's time to book our adr's) and don't anticipate a problem.

Have a great trip!