Paying OOP- covertly?

[emma'smom]

We are taking my parents to WDW next March and have arranged for the dining plan. We've told them that it's an "all expenses paid" trip and that we're covering hotel, meals, etc.

We've arranged for the dining plan so that all of the meals are paid for ahead of time and we won't get into any "I'll just order the cheapest thing on the menu and glass of water will be just fine" business.

Here's my problem: We have the dining plan for 5 days, but we will be there for six nights. This means we have one meal to pay for OOP. I've looked at all of the menues on Allears.com and have decided that Biergarten is the least expensive of our planned meals. So we'll just pay for this OOP. However, we don't want my parents to realize that this meal hasn't been paid for in advance....otherwise they'll try to pay for it and I want to treat them to the whole trip.

They won't know how much the dining plan costs and they have no idea how much the hotel costs. They won't research it, I am sure. I'd really rather they not worry that they are costing us too much money.

Any way I can pay for the Biergarten meal covertly?

 

[dodukes]

Get up to use the bathroom and hand your cc to your waiter then or ask him to discreetly tap you on the shoulder when the bill is ready and youd like to ay it before it reaches the table, tip him extra. thats what i would do. also if this meal is later in the trip your parents will be used to you signing for the ddp receipt and they wont know that you are actually slipping a card i there...

 

[Califgirl]

If it were me, I would just suck it up and pay for Biergarten with DDP and pay for the remaining dinner at the end of the stay oop. That way the plan never deviates and your folks don't ever get worried that you are paying oop all the time and not telling them. My folks are the same way, and that is what I would do. So, I assume you are changing resorts the last night? Are you staying off property? Are you parents leaving a day early and you are staying? I'm not sure how you have DDP for 5 nights and are staying for 6. This is an interesting delima

you are a very sweet DD, emma'smom! I'm sure you and the folks will have a great time!

 

[stopgo]

We are taking my parents to WDW next March and have arranged for the dining plan. We've told them that it's an "all expenses paid" trip and that we're covering hotel, meals, etc.

We've arranged for the dining plan so that all of the meals are paid for ahead of time and we won't get into any "I'll just order the cheapest thing on the menu and glass of water will be just fine" business.

Here's my problem: We have the dining plan for 5 days, but we will be there for six nights. This means we have one meal to pay for OOP. I've looked at all of the menues on Allears.com and have decided that Biergarten is the least expensive of our planned meals. So we'll just pay for this OOP. However, we don't want my parents to realize that this meal hasn't been paid for in advance....otherwise they'll try to pay for it and I want to treat them to the whole trip.

They won't know how much the dining plan costs and they have no idea how much the hotel costs. They won't research it, I am sure. I'd really rather they not worry that they are costing us too much money.

Any way I can pay for the Biergarten meal covertly?

You guys are awesome! As for paying covertly, that's easy... Most servers handle this sort of request frequently. Just excuse yourself to go the bathroom during the meal and either track your server down and slip him/her the CC with a little request to make sure that no one at the table sees the check. If you feel that's too risky just head toward the hostess stand (under the auspices of finding out where the bathroom is) and make the same request. The hostess will get your server to take care of the rest.

 

[Alaska Catdog]

When you check in to your resort the hotel will reserve some money on a cc for incidentals and room charges. When you use the dining plan you present your room key, when you charge a meal to your room you present your room key. I don't imagine that your parents would know the difference unless you wanted to place the charge on a cc or pay cash. I could be very wrong but that's how it worked when we were on the dining plan several years ago.

 

[BuffaloGal]

Any of the suggestions above will work. Also, you can call the restaurant before you go and talk to the Guest Service Manager. This is one way to make sure that it goes off completely without a hitch or without them finding out before hand. The GSM will make arrangements with you and will brief staff at pre-meal that there are special payment issues with the (insert name here) party and to see her they are seated in their section.

 

[emma'smom]

When you check in to your resort the hotel will reserve some money on a cc for incidentals and room charges. When you use the dining plan you present your room key, when you charge a meal to your room you present your room key. I don't imagine that your parents would know the difference unless you wanted to place the charge on a cc or pay cash. I could be very wrong but that's how it worked when we were on the dining plan several years ago.

This is a good point that I didn't think about. I could just charge it to the room card. However, I want to make sure that it doesn't come off of our dining plan. Maybe I'll stick a post-it on the key that says "Please charge to room, not dining plan".

We have six days (Sunday-Friday for meals, but staying over until Saturday to leave) and five nights of the dining plan because we are moving resorts on the last night. Since the DP is good until midnight of the day you check-out of the first resort, I thought I would end the trip with Chef Mickeys (my dd4's request) which will be the last day of the dining plan (check-out day) before we change resorts. Our dining plan should be good from the Sunday we check in until midnight on the day we check out, right? This is how it worked last year..although I only tried it through lunch on the last day last year.

Thanks!