Please help!!!!

[elaine and the boys]

I'm trying to help out my younger sister, a single mom with three kids, as she was recently "gifted" a trip to Disney by our older sister. She is leaving in two weeks and has no dining reservations! I just found out about her trip two days ago, and originally thought she had the QS plan, as she is staying at ASM. But I just found out she has the regular dining plan and will need to make reservations...and she's asking for my help. She has no plans for anything yet (what days for what parks, etc.) as this is a very recent gift and her work schedule is very demanding time-wise.

So, before I make some attempts to try to find available seating at table service restaurants, my question is "Can she use table service credits for quick service meals?" I know this makes no sense $$$$$ wise, but if she had no other choice, could she do this for several meals??

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[dpmfloyd]

"Can she use table service credits for quick service meals?"

sadly, nope. ts is for ts. and cs is for cs. no swapping.

 

[MerriH807]

The stress as a DISer to hear this dilemma. Dont make yourself crazy, this is what I would do...
Go on touring plans to find out crowd calendars for those days (it may be up for free right now.....if it not PM with the dates and I will find out...)
Make an itinerary as to what park they will start at each day and book some TS lunches and let them use CS for dinner. I think you will be pleasantly surprised as to what is still available 2 weeks out...esp lunch. (Dinner too, just not "ideal" times but lots of places) Also, check out the AUG Cancelation board on Dining Reservations if there is something in particular you are looking for.
Your sister is lucky to have you helping her with this trip!! Let us know what you wind up booking.

 

[elaine and the boys]

The stress as a DISer to hear this dilemma. Dont make yourself crazy, this is what I would do...
Go on touring plans to find out crowd calendars for those days (it may be up for free right now.....if it not PM with the dates and I will find out...)
Make an itinerary as to what park they will start at each day and book some TS lunches and let them use CS for dinner. I think you will be pleasantly surprised as to what is still available 2 weeks out...esp lunch. (Dinner too, just not "ideal" times but lots of places) Also, check out the AUG Cancelation board on Dining Reservations if there is something in particular you are looking for.
Your sister is lucky to have you helping her with this trip!! Let us know what you wind up booking.

Being the Diser and TGMer that I am, I have already worked out "best park for which day" for her, but I haven't even had the chance to run that by her yet. I don't want her to feel like I'm shoving a "must follow" plan at her, but at this point, I think I need to "gently suggest" that she take my advice. If she wants me to, can I book her reservations online for her? Do I need her reservation #, etc. because she is on the dining plan? Or can I just get the ADR #s and give her a list with times/places/etc.? I've booked my own ADRs without a reservation # as we stay at the Swan/Dolphin.

 

[WildGrits]

There are still plenty of ADR's to be had. I am on the web site daily looking to change ones I have. Atleast 30 show up for dinner still for every day I am going to be there. Ok, so maybe not Chef Mickey's but there are still plenty to choose from.

 

[LoriABil]

You may have to settle for early or late ADRs or ADRs at resorts!

I dint think you'll need her reservation number, but I'll double check if no one confirms. Since you are within the 180 days.

Also, I gave been reading that some cs let you use a ts credit, especially at the food court at your resort! Double check that info!

Our first family trip to Disney was on 3 weeks notice with the free dining (before I even knew about ADRs) and we did it! Even with an early ADR at Tusker House for a character breakfast! You can do it!

 

[dancin Disney style]

The stress as a DISer to hear this dilemma. Dont make yourself crazy, this is what I would do...
Go on touring plans to find out crowd calendars for those days (it may be up for free right now.....if it not PM with the dates and I will find out...)
Make an itinerary as to what park they will start at each day and book some TS lunches and let them use CS for dinner. I think you will be pleasantly surprised as to what is still available 2 weeks out...esp lunch. (Dinner too, just not "ideal" times but lots of places) Also, check out the AUG Cancelation board on Dining Reservations if there is something in particular you are looking for.
Your sister is lucky to have you helping her with this trip!! Let us know what you wind up booking.

Excellent advise. I would also just start booking anything that you can find....you can always cancel later.

We find that with the reg DDP we are fine to have only 2 meals per day and use the snacks in between. So what we do is have a late breakfast and then an early dinner. Mainly we have the CS for breakfast but we do switch it up on a few days. This might be a good plan for your sister....you might have an easier time getting early dinner ADR's. The only thing about doing it this way is that are not are as many options inside the parks for CS breakfasts.

 

[TDC Nala]

Actually you can swap TS for CS in some places if not most places. It is a one for one trade, no extras. People report having better luck doing this at resorts than at parks for some reason.

You do not need to use a resort reservation to book restaurants online for her unless you intend to book Cinderella's Royal Table or a dinner show. For any other reservation, there is no need for anyone to be notified that she is on a dining plan until she actually shows up at the restaurant. If I were you, I would not book CRT or a dinner show for her, or anything that requires a credit card number for a no-show fee (Akershus, California Grill, Fantasmic Dining Package, Candlelight Processional Dining Package if relevant) if you plan to guarantee with your own credit card and have no control over whether or not she will show up for the meals.

 

[robinb]

Actually you can swap TS for CS in some places if not most places. It is a one for one trade, no extras. People report having better luck doing this at resorts than at parks for some reason.

This is especially true during free dining when many guests are like the OP's sister and have no ADRs.

 

[Kathy Z]

The one thing that has not been mentioned in the posts above is that it is a good idea to book all of the reservations under 1 telephone number. If your sister has a cell phone that she will be carrying with her that is the best number to use.

 

[tami82]

Dont wait any longer try booking some places. There are plenty of places to eat at, maybe not the more popular ones because those go quickly but they can also be found with cancellations. Even the ones which dont book up are probably very good places to eat so i wouldnt worry about it. You need to do some research such as what parks you will go to. Sometimes its easier to reserve at places in the resorts so you arent tied down to a certain park a certain day or try to limit places inside of parks.

 

[elaine and the boys]

Thank you all for your advice! I spoke with my sister earlier today, and she liked the touring plan I came up with and basically gave me permission to "have at it" as far as trying to secure dining reservations, and to let her know what I came up with! I LOVE being able to help her out in this way. So, I made mostly lunchtime ADRs, as she didn't want the kids eating too late (mostly 8:30 or later dinner reservations is what's available right now). Here's what I reserved:

Tony's Town Square
Biergarten (dinner)
Trail's End (dinner)
Liberty Tree Tavern
Hollywood and Vine
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre
The Plaza Restaurant
RainForest Cafe (possible OOP choice)

And one more question, if I may: I reserved everything online with my name and email address (she doesn't have a home computer). It won't be a problem because she has the dining plan, as long as she has the ADR #s, will it??

 

[TDC Nala]

She would have to give the restaurant your name when she checks in. You could have made the reservations using her name and phone number. If she had a cell phone that she will be carrying on her trip, that number would have been preferable. Should you get a call about the restaurant closing for a private party, for example, you would then have to get in touch with her and pass that on.

You can use your e-mail address to receive the confirmations if she does not have a computer, print them out and give them to her. They don't care whose name is on it. She will need the confirmation numbers only if they can't find the name when she arrives at the restaurant. They check first by name, not number.

 

[dpmfloyd]

And one more question, if I may: I reserved everything online with my name and email address (she doesn't have a home computer). It won't be a problem because she has the dining plan, as long as she has the ADR #s, will it??

as long as she checks in under your name...but that might make it a problem when she goes to "pay" with her KTTK cards.

 

[TDC Nala]

as long as she checks in under your name...but that might make it a problem when she goes to "pay" with her KTTK cards.

It won't be a problem. If you haven't prepaid (applies only to CRT or a dinner show), it does not matter what name is on the reservation when it comes to payment, as long as you give the correct name when you check in.

It is not required that the person whose name is on the reservation be the one who pays for the meal.

 

[ccgirl]

Just wanted to say what a great job! Biergarten is now one of my favs. Resort breakfasts are good too if she is looking for other options. You might want to give her a crash course on fastpasses and on good options for snack credits.

What great sisters you are.

 

[elaine and the boys]

Just wanted to say what a great job! Biergarten is now one of my favs. Resort breakfasts are good too if she is looking for other options. You might want to give her a crash course on fastpasses and on good options for snack credits.

What great sisters you are.

Wow....that's very nice of you, ccgirl! I'm in Centerville, just next door to Hyannis!

I have a list of " Dis secrets" that will help make her trip more enjoyable and intend to share them with her this weekend when I see her.

As I've never used the dining plan before, can you advise me on those "good options" for snack credits....especially concerning using them in her breakfast food court at ASM?

Fabulous!!! THANKS!

 

[Kathy Z]

Wow....that's very nice of you, ccgirl! I'm in Centerville, just next door to Hyannis!

I have a list of " Dis secrets" that will help make her trip more enjoyable and intend to share them with her this weekend when I see her.

As I've never used the dining plan before, can you advise me on those "good options" for snack credits....especially concerning using them in her breakfast food court at ASM?

Fabulous!!! THANKS!

Thanks, TDC Nala, for coming back on this thread to answer Elaine's questions.

Here is a thread all about what is available for snack credits.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2381706
The beginning gets updated frequently so if you go to the list there and then just skip to the last page or two you'll have the information that you need.

 

[elaine and the boys]

Thanks, TDC Nala, for coming back on this thread to answer Elaine's questions.

Here is a thread all about what is available for snack credits.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2381706
The beginning gets updated frequently so if you go to the list there and then just skip to the last page or two you'll have the information that you need.

THANK YOU!!!!