Question about 2 yr old on dining plan

[njco]

I'm looking for some info on the dining plan for my 2 yr old. I called to get the dining plan for all of us ( 3 adults 1 child and my 2yr old) and they told me that i cant add the 2 yr old because they dont have a plan for kids under 3. I was told in the past that i can add it but now i cant. I said then put him down for being 3 and add him. He told me that it will change all my other plans. i.e not so scary, park hopper etc. but i dont see how it will change any of that. just looking for some info. will it change anything that im not thinking of? thanks for any help

 

[catne]

If you call him a 3 year old for the meals, you'll have to call him a 3 year old for everything: DDP is only for package deals including park tickets and the components in the package have to "match"...so, if he's a 3 yr. old for the DDP, then he'll have to be a 3 yr. old for park tickets, too. Meaning you'll have to pay for child's park tickets for him too.

 

[DVC Sadie]

If you call him a 3 year old for the meals, you'll have to call him a 3 year old for everything: DDP is only for package deals including park tickets and the components in the package have to "match"...so, if he's a 3 yr. old for the DDP, then he'll have to be a 3 yr. old for park tickets, too. Meaning you'll have to pay for child's park tickets for him too.

Depending on the resort you chose you may even have to purchase two rooms to fit 5 or change resorts that accomadate 5. Plus add in the cost of tickets for your 2 year old and the cost of the dining plan. To me it just doesn't make financial sense.

 

[justplaingoofy]

agree with previous poster...

depending on the resort you are staying at you may exceed capacity.

Some resorts only allow 4 plus 1 child under 3, if you are now saying he is over 3 you may have to switch resorts that will allow 5.

since children under 3 share off your plate how about booking places that have either homestyle or buffets? If you eat at the buffet you can get the child whatever you wish, or if its homestyle say... whispering canyon has a skillet with pork, chicken, mashed pot, corn, cornbread....etc..


For what it would cost you to pay for a childs tickets plus the special event ticket, & possibly having to change resorts... if you are not interested in doing the above (buffets or homestyle) then it may be less $ to pay out of pocket for the childs meals.

 

[njco]

We are staying at saratoga springs 2 bedroom. I was able to buy the dining plan without getting any park passes. So if i change my 2 to 3 yr old and try and buy the park passes they are going to tell me that i have to buy one for my "3"yr old? What happens if my mom (who is going with us) goes down to the local AAA and gets park passes?

the dining plan for a 3 yr old is $9.99 a day. At a c/s thats a pizza and a drink. We could just share our meals, but i know that when he looks over at his big brother and sees him eat a pizza or whatever he is going to want one.
it would just easier to get the plan.

 

[carmie3377]

I'm in the same situation. We too are staying in DVC and aren't required to buy a package to the DDP. I have a 2 YO that can eat! He eats all day. The first word out of his mouth in the morning is "EAT!" I just don't understand why we can't buy the DDP for a 2 YO if we choose. Even w/o buying tickets, Disney would most likely still make money on the deal. Meals that otherwise wouldn't get ordered would get ordered. Even though the plan is 9.99 and OOP the meals would cost more that 9.99, I'm sure it doesn't costs Disney 9.99 to prepare those meals. So they would still make money.

 

[catne]

well if you could get the DDP without a ticket package due to being DVC, then you may be able to add him to the DDP as a 3 yr old without any problems...but it would be a bummer to get to the MNSSHP and not be able to get him in without a ticket, if there was any question. (if the tickets were sold out for that night.) Not sure if they would question you at the gate, but have to say you'd be amazed how much info they have linked up in the great Disney computer system...can you just pay OOP when you get to situations where you know he won't be satisfied with sharing? That might be the easiest/cheapest way to do it anyway.

 

[njco]

ok, i got the tix for not so scary all ready (pick them up when we get there)
I forget from last time but do the kids under 3 get a ticket for mnsshp?
i will have proof of age with me to show he is under 3, so we will not need a ticket to get in the parks. so if i get my park hopper tix from AAA and not link them up to my room key and ddp is there anyway of them knowing?

 

[Ellester]

The issue you might have is that he would then be in Disney's All-Knowing Database as 3. If, in 7 years, you do decide to buy tickets through Disney, he would come up at 10, even though he is 9, and need an adult ticket. It might not ever be an issue, but it might become one. That would be my only concern, that it might come back to bite me later.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

If you are staying DVC, then NO you do'nt have to buy him a park pass. We stayed DVC two years ago and I added DD (then 2 and already eating like a grown man) onto the Dining Plan....CM actually told me to. There was never talk about her needing a park pass, etc.

It isn't like they are giving you something for free, you are paying for the plan.

Just call them back and change it, if they say you have to get him a park pass, etc, then just say OK!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

ok, i got the tix for not so scary all ready (pick them up when we get there)
I forget from last time but do the kids under 3 get a ticket for mnsshp?
i will have proof of age with me to show he is under 3, so we will not need a ticket to get in the parks. so if i get my park hopper tix from AAA and not link them up to my room key and ddp is there anyway of them knowing?

NO

 

[TDC Nala]

You won't have to buy a park pass, but you would have to put him on your resort reservation as age 3. If you list him as 2, you can't get the dining plan for him.

WDW's plan for children under 3 is that they can share with the rest of the family. If at a buffet or all you can eat restaurant, they eat free. Most infants don't eat a whole meal. So most parents wouldn't want to buy the dining plan for them.

 

[carmie3377]

ETA: Decided what I would do. Thanks for the input!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Yes, your plan will work!

 

[bumbershoot]

Doesn't everyone have to be present at check-in when you have the DDP? If so, wouldn't they then notice you don't have a niece there?


I'm not speaking from experience, but IF the dining plan worked for us (which it doesn't...we don't eat that much at restaurants but would want to try to eat everything "allowed" which would cause weight problems, and we're vegetarian), I would look at what I'm saving with the rest of the family, and figure that paying OOP for a 2 year old wouldn't harm the savings from the rest of the family. I would figure that I'm still saving so much, a couple OOP meals isn't going to cause a problem. But the dining plan doesn't work for us, so we won't get it when we do go to WDW.

 

[carmie3377]

Doesn't everyone have to be present at check-in when you have the DDP? If so, wouldn't they then notice you don't have a niece there?

I've never had everyone there at check-in when we had the DDP. We had the DDP on both legs of our trip in 2006 and the kids stayed in the car with their Aunt. No one ever asked where they were. Also, different members of parties check in at different times. For example, my MIL, who is joining us on this trip, has a later flight. She'll be joining us later in the day after we check in at AS Sports. I think the policy to have everyone there is only during free dining, which I completely understand. If they are going to give it away for free, then yes, there should be a person for each member of the reservation. However, I will be paying for it.

Not adding DS2 to the DDP will not blow our budget. In fact, it would probably save us $$ if we didn't because we would end up sharing more. I mainly want it for simplicity purposes. I plan to tip in cash and to use our DD's KTTW to "pay" for the meals (to avoid tips being added to the card accidently). If we are all on the DDP, then I only have to give DD's KTTW and cash. If we have some stuff OOP, then I would have to bring extra cash (which I don't want to do) or leave a credit card. That's just more things for the waiter/waitress to get confused with. I know it could work OOP, but I think it will be much simpler for everyone involved if all 5 of us were on the plan. If I thought that we would save a lot doing his meals OOP, then the hassle would be worth the savings. However, I don't think doing OOP will really save us much money. That little bit of money that we won't be saving is worth the hassle. That is why so many people by the DDP and DDxP, not just for savings but for also for convenience.

 

[catne]

In 2007 & 2008, we had to have all people there when we checked in, at 2 different resorts - neither trip was during free dining...this May, we had two rooms at POFQ with 2 adults in each room on our May trip. They required all 4 of us to show i.d. before issuing key cards (with DDP on them.) So I don't know if they've just changed the procedure since 2006, or maybe we just look like crooks?

 

[carmie3377]

In 2007 & 2008, we had to have all people there when we checked in, at 2 different resorts - neither trip was during free dining...this May, we had two rooms at POFQ with 2 adults in each room on our May trip. They required all 4 of us to show i.d. before issuing key cards (with DDP on them.) So I don't know if they've just changed the procedure since 2006, or maybe we just look like crooks?

So, all people had to be there and only the adults show ID??? Or only the adults had to be there???

Well, I guess maybe my plan won't work.

 

[catne]

So, all people had to be there and only the adults show ID??? Or only the adults had to be there???

Well, I guess maybe my plan won't work.

It might work, I don't know. Other people have said they checked in while the rest of the party were in the car or in the park, etc. But I don't know if that was recently (I've noticed a fair number of people on these boards talk about things that happened several years ago as if nothing could possibly have changed. Occasionally it's very obvious there statements are out of date when they're referring to places that have closed permanently or policies that changed years ago, etc.)

For us, this was at the Poly in May 2007, and at POFQ in May 2008. Both times, it was basically adults (DH & I, DD (age 19) and BFF (age 18)...at least all people who would be old enough to have driver's license/picture i.d.

But I don't know what they do when there are minors...obviously, most U.S. toddlers don't have picture i.d.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

In 2007 & 2008, we had to have all people there when we checked in, at 2 different resorts - neither trip was during free dining...this May, we had two rooms at POFQ with 2 adults in each room on our May trip. They required all 4 of us to show i.d. before issuing key cards (with DDP on them.) So I don't know if they've just changed the procedure since 2006, or maybe we just look like crooks?

Really, they took attendance?

We have had the DDP in June 05, Sept 05, Dec. 05, Jan. 06, June 06, Sept 06, Dec 06, May 07, Sept 07 and Nov 07 and I have been the ONLY person at check in each and everytime and have never once had them require everyone be present. Each trip was also with different sets of people too. Once there were 7 adults (May 07), the Sept trips have been an array of people each year...and all three of those were Free Dining. The other trips have been me and DS, another me and DH and our 2 DDs, each trip was differnt. A couple trips we moved resorts, etc. Some were DVC, some were not.