Phantom Child for Free Dining?

[southcarolinagirl]

What is he stealing? He paid for the child, even if it doesn't exist. He isn't going to get the meals when the ticket is used later.

But he will the meals that go with his "phantom" child to which he is NOT entitled. In my opinion, it is stealing.

 

[ReneeA]

The last few years, all 4 of us had to show our faces upon check in during free dining due to so many "phantom children". The last time I remember not having to parade everyone up to the counter during free dining was 2005.

Good luck to you...it's more than likely not going to work.

 

[TheRatPack]

They ask to see all of us at check-in...but there are 7 in my party LOL

 

[asoko]

Are you worried about not having enough food? We have always needed to go on the last day and use our remaining credits and have even left some there. We are not big snackers or eaters except when we have the dining plan.

 

[Traveliz]

Actually you are the one who is incorrect. If the OP doesn't use the ticket it's good forever. Still think it's overall a bad idea OP since during free dining the sometimes request they whole party at check in to prevent this thing from happening. Plus it's really unethical to boot.
ETA: I think people are misunderstand the 14 day rule on tickets. If the OP has it taken off the room key & hard ticketed as long as he does not use it at any turnstyle it is not activated so the 14 day rule does not start because it's not an active ticket.

And really you don't have to take it off the room key - just don't use it at a turnstyle. We have APs and regularly participate in packages that require ticket purchase. I just mark on the key how many days and put it aside. Never had a problem using it a year or two later.

Liz

 

[silmarg]

Lets face it, eating free meals of the phantom person is stealing and is very different from the CVS scenario.

I love a bargain. And i have bought stuff from a Rite Aid or CVS not because I needed it - but because it was free. But I followed the rules that the retailer set out in the promotion - and enjoyed the benefits of the deal

Put differently, if the meals weren't free and instead you were paying for the dining plan and you knew that the dining plan was not going to have enough credits to cover what you planned on eating - would you have added a another person to the reservation and paid for their meal plan? I dont think so. The only reason to add a phantom person to this ressie is to scam the free meal for that person.

If there is some question as to whether that person will or will not come. Have them on the ressie and cancel when you know for sure. That is the proper thing to do.

No matter how you slice it, there is no way a phantom person on the ressie is ethical.

Disney is harmed by this as they have to pay for the meal of a person who is not in the parks buying trinkets and what not (after-all, the promotion is all about getting real people into the parks and possibly spending money... and in exchange Disney give you an incentive).

 

[hambirg]

I am not really seeing the lying cheating and stealing part. He pays for a ticket, he gets a ticket. With that ticket comes a set of meals. 4 tickets, 4 sets of meals. When he uses the ticket later, he won't get the meals. So still he paid for 4 tickets and 4 sets of meals.

CVS probably never expected folks to buy loads of stuff they had no use for just to get a lot of coupon dollars. That doesn't make it illegal. (though reselling all the diabetic meters could be)

I kinda have to agree with that. You are buying a MYW, non-discounted package. . .if you pay a package for 4 adults, you get the credits for 4 adults during free dining. That is how Disney set it up. . .it is tied to the number of nights you book the hotel for. Not everyone in the party has to have length of stay tickets. . .nor do they have to use them. Is that correct? Now I may be wrong, I can't seem to find anything that says differently though. So. . .if you pay for a package of 4 and somebody gets sick. . .doesn't use their ticket at all. . .maybe doesn't even go. . .does that somehow mean you are not entitled to the credits that go with the package you purchased? The only restrictive language I can find is that the package credits cannot go to someone who is not included in your package. So apparently you are not allowed to buy some nice, young couple lunch with the CS credits you have left over.

He is lying about the child and stealing a product without fulfilling the requirements for the promotion.

I don't see how he is not fulfilling the requirements. . .and he may or may not be lying about the child. It just sounds like that child may or may not be able to go.

 

[Alexander]

Your concern about personal attacks on the board is valid, it is not allowed, but also neither is finding ways to circumvent the rules at WDW, which is exactly what you are looking to do.

Why don't you just upgrade to Deluxe Dining, you'll have plenty of credits and you won't be doing something that is wrong.

 

[dzorn]

Lets face it, eating free meals of the phantom person is stealing and is very different from the CVS scenario.

I love a bargain. And i have bought stuff from a Rite Aid or CVS not because I needed it - but because it was free. But I followed the rules that the retailer set out in the promotion - and enjoyed the benefits of the deal

Put differently, if the meals weren't free and instead you were paying for the dining plan and you knew that the dining plan was not going to have enough credits to cover what you planned on eating - would you have added a another person to the reservation and paid for their meal plan? I dont think so. The only reason to add a phantom person to this ressie is to scam the free meal for that person.

If there is some question as to whether that person will or will not come. Have them on the ressie and cancel when you know for sure. That is the proper thing to do.

No matter how you slice it, there is no way a phantom person on the ressie is ethical.

Disney is harmed by this as they have to pay for the meal of a person who is not in the parks buying trinkets and what not (after-all, the promotion is all about getting real people into the parks and possibly spending money... and in exchange Disney give you an incentive).

A person like this is the reason many have reported all members of the party must be present at check in and why is on the paperwork disney sends.

If the OP thinks this is not wrong or against Disney policy why not contact guest services by e-mail and see what their reply is. After all if it is not wrong why not just confirm that.

I think we all know what Disney offical reply would be I also think just becasue a unethical CM suggested it does not make it right.

Call names is against DIS guidelines but so is posting way to get around Disney policy.

Denise in MI

 

[Disneyadore]

Afraid you'll go hungry on Disney Dining???

I don't think hunger is the main reason but getting more credits means using signatured dining for free which is mutch more expensive than the 1 credit meals.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

I don't think hunger is the main reason but getting more credits means using signatured dining for free which is mutch more expensive than the 1 credit meals.

Exactly.

 

[dzorn]

I kinda have to agree with that. You are buying a MYW, non-discounted package. . .if you pay a package for 4 adults, you get the credits for 4 adults during free dining. That is how Disney set it up. . .it is tied to the number of nights you book the hotel for. Not everyone in the party has to have length of stay tickets. . .nor do they have to use them. Is that correct? Now I may be wrong, I can't seem to find anything that says differently though. So. . .if you pay for a package of 4 and somebody gets sick. . .doesn't use their ticket at all. . .maybe doesn't even go. . .does that somehow mean you are not entitled to the credits that go with the package you purchased? The only restrictive language I can find is that the package credits cannot go to someone who is not included in your package. So apparently you are not allowed to buy some nice, young couple lunch with the CS credits you have left over.



I don't see how he is not fulfilling the requirements. . .and he may or may not be lying about the child. It just sounds like that child may or may not be able to go.

I past year the paper work has said everyone must be present at check in. How can she fill that requirement if there is no child.

Denise in MI

 

[Green Tea]

But he will the meals that go with his "phantom" child to which he is NOT entitled. In my opinion, it is stealing.

But he paid for the ticket and the associated benefits. If I want a room by myself on a cruise ship, I have to pay double. I'm not stealing the bed; I paid for it.

If he didn't pay for the ticket but got free meals, then that is stealing. But how is it any different than buying a ticket for your kid that eats nothing and you eat the food they were entitled to?

 

[fakereadhed]

Ask yourself what kind of example you want to set for your non-phantom child.

 

[Disneyadore]

But he paid for the ticket and the associated benefits. If I want a room by myself on a cruise ship, I have to pay double. I'm not stealing the bed; I paid for it.

If he didn't pay for the ticket but got free meals, then that is stealing. But how is it any different than buying a ticket for your kid that eats nothing and you eat the food they were entitled to?

Because with one credit you can buy a meal around $$ 50 but as the OP himself stated he would use it for expensive meals that go way above $$ 100 till $$ 120 dollar it is scamming the system no matter how some one tries to sugar cote it.

 

[rsschneck]

I do not agree with the original poster because it is unethical and cheating. I would assume this thread will be closed shortly but I wanted to say that if you feel you all need to share another meal just plan your table service credits for buffets then you can all eat as much as you want and not worry about getting caught doing something wrong.

Congratulations on adopting your 15 year old foster child and make sure to set a good example for him/her.

 

[ceecee]

I guess I don't understand the whole thread. Why would you want the extra dining credits? We have left overs at the end of our trip and have over eaten much of the time. If the dining credits you get aren't enough just order sometime else and pay for it, in the end it would be less expensive and certainly easier! If you want to use the signature dining then pay for the rest!!! I'm assuming you are getting the dining free anyway so isn't that enough??? Also I thought you had to pay extra to get the tickets to be non-expiring? They might wonder why they were all used except one. Friends of ours went in June and he got sick and only used 3 counter serves and 1 table and only 3 days of his park hopper, they asked at the front desk and they said the dining credits would expire and they would have to pay extra to get the 5 days left on the tickets not to expire.

 

[Green Tea]

So if my spouse and I go and take our 15 year old, it is unethical to make him stay at the hotel and eat a pizza while we use his credit to go to a nicer restaurant?

I have never looked into the free dining promotion; it sounds like a nightmare time to go to me; too many crowds, too many gluttons. BUT, if I was going, I wouldn't think twice about using my kid's credit to eat at a nicer place. If one credit is a $50 meal, and 2 credits is a $100 meal, why does it matter?

I'm not involved in this scenario, I just don't understand what the big bruha is.

And for the record I would more easily be able to explain a paid for child for dining credits than I would be able to explain the closet of diabetic meters and Polydent.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

Congratulations on adopting your 15 year old foster child and make sure to set a good example for him/her.

Thank you!

I'm wondering why nobody has addressed that this isn't my idea, it is the idea of a CM over the phone! This thread reminds me of the camping ground site.

We're going to keep the fourth child on the reservation, the worst that happens is they remove the child and refund us the price of the ticket.

 

[Disneyadore]

So if my spouse and I go and take our 15 year old, it is unethical to make him stay at the hotel and eat a pizza while we use his credit to go to a nicer restaurant?

Let my put it this way. If I would suggest to create a non existing child or let my child stay at the resort to eat pizza and go out myself to eat a nice dinner I found myself walking out of WDW to the airplane with a suitcase a no credit card.

Sooooooooo we just buy the Deluxe plan we can eat what we like and no sweat about credits even if one of us is just eleven and only eats from the kids menu.