pooling our adult meal credits?

[Jill Schwartz]

We are a family of 5, but considered 5 adults on the dining plan as kids will be 11, 11 and 12. If we were to sit down for a TS meal and all 5 of us were to order off the regular adult menu an appetizer, full meal, and dessert, it would be a GROSS amount of food. Way more than we need, or should eat. Half would end up in garbage.
My feeling is that any practical food server would see that, and allow us to order something like 4 complete meals instead of 5. The 5th person could have a little bit from the other 4 meals probably me, who wants a taste of everything anyway!).
We would have paid adult price for everyone's meal plan, so its not like we are trying to save kids' meals to be used for adults.
Has anyone done this? Were there any problems? Basically we are "pooling" all our adult meals, not getting any more meals than we are entitled to, or trying to get adult meals for what should be kids meals.

 

[DisneyDotty]

We've been able to split meals in the past with no problem. I know that the DDP rules have gotten stricter--don't know if they have changed this one.

 

[slcmkh]

Had no problem sharing meals last summer. Spent the entire vacation splitting meals between DS, age 11, and me. Worked out well -- kept me from gaining too much weight on the dining plan. Plan on doing the same this summer.

Anyone had any problems recently with meal sharing? Can't imagine it would be a problem, given how much food would probably be wasted by preteens being fed full meals.

 

[camdensmom]

DH and I split 2 TS meals on our last trip. Many of the restaurants have apps that are more like meals. The buffets work out great, but to get 2 apps, 2 entrees and 2 desserts between us was just WAY too much.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I don't consider that really pooling credits but instead just sharing meals. You can do that without a problem.

DH and I shared many times while on the DDP in Sept and found it to be more than enough food.

 

[bicker]

Generally, folks have had no problem with that. However, FWIW, some members are reporting that Disney has started informing guests who ask that that will not be permitted (even though it generally still is being permitted).

 

[kaytieeldr]

Another thing to keep in mind is, simply because the Disney Dining Plan includes three courses does not mean each Guest needs to order three courses.

 

[kldmom2000]

Another thing to keep in mind is, simply because the Disney Dining Plan includes three courses does not mean each Guest needs to order three courses.

Exactly.... I know many people do so in order to get their "money's worth" but when we had it for the first time, I generally skipped the appetizer and/or the dessert.... not going to gain back any of the 120 lbs I lost!!!! We have it again for this upcoming trip and I'll do the same thing

 

[bicker]

I know many people do so in order to get their "money's worth" but when we had it for the first time, I generally skipped the appetizer and/or the dessert....

When I was deciding whether to get the Dining Plan for our upcoming trip, I did a little calculation to determine whether we'd be able to get our "money's worth." Not only was the answer affirmative, but I even redid the calculation and determined that guests can get they're "money's worth" even without ordering any appetizers and without ordering any desserts:

http://brianandrobbie.com/DiningPlanEstimatedCostsNoAppyNoDessert.htm

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

Is it wrong that I convinced my husband that because I create Disney-themed scrapbook items for eBay as a hobby we need to go to Orlando as a "business trip?"

Oh my gosh! THIS IS AWESOME! You are my hero!

 

[MSSANDRA]

WE had planed to share some of our TS meals but decided not to and this is why. We really did not want to do any signature meals and one TS a day was all we wanted. We ended up just all (three of us) ordering what we each wanted at each meal. Now we never ate every bite anywhere but we so enjoyed geting to taste three different things at each course. We sometimes took desert with us. Also while some of the deserts and apps are still large, others are much smaller now.

Just enjoy your plan and do not try to hard to make it work.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just enjoy your plan and do not try to hard to make it work.

That is SUCH good, sensible advice!

 

[The Sweetness]

some members are reporting that Disney has started informing guests who ask that that will not be permitted (even though it generally still is being permitted).

Now that would piss me off enough to cancel my package, stay offsite, cut back to one TS meal onsite, and eat eat least one meal p/day offsite. Not to mention get a discount on passes (fl res) and probable cut back from 9 days at WDW to 5 or 6, also patronizing USF and SW

 

[thunderbird1]

WE had planed to share some of our TS meals but decided not to and this is why. We really did not want to do any signature meals and one TS a day was all we wanted. We ended up just all (three of us) ordering what we each wanted at each meal. Now we never ate every bite anywhere but we so enjoyed geting to taste three different things at each course. We sometimes took desert with us. Also while some of the deserts and apps are still large, others are much smaller now.

Just enjoy your plan and do not try to hard to make it work.

This was our experience, too. We decided not to share any meals because it got too confusing trying to figure out when to share and when to use up saved credits (hey--it's vacation--I don't want to have to think that hard!). After we arrived, we discovered that there was no way we could manage more than one TS meal a day anyway. And frankly, although we would have "maximized" the value of the DDP by sharing and saving credits for extra meals, the trade off would have been "minimizing" the value of the park tickets. We figure TS meals (including travel time/wait time) average a minimum of 2 hours each, so more than one a day would have cut pretty deeply into our park time.

Jill Schwartz: But we did see many others share, including one group of 5 adults splitting 3 meals between them. If you're going to use some of the saved credits for 2 credit meals or shows, it might be worth it. But your kids are young enough that I can't imagine they'd want to sacrifice 4 hours a day of park time just to eat. And don't forget, you'll also have to get the kids (or you and dh!) to agree on something to share, and pay OOP for extra beverages at any of those shared meals.