Question about dining plan...

[d4est]

I read this on another thread. Can anyone confirm or deny? Thanks.

Additionally, WDW has finally started to enforce the dining option (as to sep. credits on each person's tix - eliminates the loophole exploited in the past). Could effect the plans' popularity among certain sectors.

 

[kutchyone]

That wouls s#$k! Anyone have any details. I'm from one of those sectors and planned on using 3 of my 5 credits for dinner at LeCellier for myself, daughter and her boyfriend who will not be on the dining plan because they are with their High School band under a youth program.

 

[d4est]

Anyone?
Here's where I found it: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=945796

 

[FionaLovesShrek]

Hi, I just posted this on another thread RE: kids DP. We were there Oct 8-15. At that time all the credits were pooled. However, we were asked at most restaurants for our card. On our cards it said DP 2A 1C. The CS's then knew how many meals they were charging on our DP. Our DD was then always given the child's menu to order from.

 

[kutchyone]

Has that always been the case I wonder?

 

[mickman1962]

That wouls s#$k! Anyone have any details. I'm from one of those sectors and planned on using 3 of my 5 credits for dinner at LeCellier for myself, daughter and her boyfriend who will not be on the dining plan because they are with their High School band under a youth program.

It doesn't mean that, it means that there will be no more using the childs ticket that you paid $10 for to get adult meals. They don't care how the adult plan is used.

 

[bicker]

It is important to remember that the program is for something specific, but is implemented much more leniently than how it was intended to be used. The degree of leniency, however, can and will almost surely vary over time, so folks are best-off not relying on such leniency.

 

[mom2febgirls]

Hi, I just posted this on another thread RE: kids DP. We were there Oct 8-15. At that time all the credits were pooled. However, we were asked at most restaurants for our card. On our cards it said DP 2A 1C. The CS's then knew how many meals they were charging on our DP. Our DD was then always given the child's menu to order from.

The same thing happened with us. My sis's family also had the DP and for one meal we took our nephew, but they wouldn't let us use the DP for him because our room key only said 2A2C and he made a 3rd Adult. We had to pay OOP and adjust it later.

 

[WDWfor5]

I made my ADR's today and the CM told me that each person will have to prevent their room card to charge dining plan credits. She also said you wouldn't be able to charge other people's meals. This will prevent the use of Child credits as adult meals.

So, yes, it look like the unintended loophole is fixed.

 

[kutchyone]

Well from what Mom2febgirls said they also took the ability to charge 4 adult meals on your card if it say 1adult on your card.

Shoot, I had hoped to charge my adult daughter and her boyfriends meal along with mine by using 3 of my 5 credits off my card. From what has been written so far they have closed that loop hole now, am I correct?

 

[BBGirl]

It ticks me off that you can't decide to share a meal (adults non-buffets) anymore either . To me that' s just wrong as it can be alot of food and it's not like your asking for more then you paid for. 0 Just the abilty to use your credits in anyway you wish which is how they sell the plan. The plan states that you can use the "credits" anyway you wish. Yup big problem for me and I have a call into management about it. They are MY credits if I don't feel like eating at a certain resturant that is not a buffet and just "snacking" off DH or even DS plate then I should have to use a credit and eat a meal I don't want to throw it away. Remember I paid for that credit maybe not as much as the meals I order cost but that's why people buy the plan because it saves them money. I'm talking adult credits for adult meal here not "getting over" be using childs credits for adults food but adult credits shared for meal here or there. Or maybe paying OOP for an extra appy. When there are only 3 (2A1C) you only have to share twice to then pay OOP for DS meal to get another TS meal on the plan.

 

[d4est]

It ticks me off that you can't decide to share a meal (adults non-buffets) anymore either . To me that' s just wrong as it can be alot of food and it's not like your asking for more then you paid for. 0 Just the abilty to use your credits in anyway you wish which is how they sell the plan. The plan states that you can use the "credits" anyway you wish. Yup big problem for me and I have a call into management about it. They are MY credits if I don't feel like eating at a certain resturant that is not a buffet and just "snacking" off DH or even DS plate then I should have to use a credit and eat a meal I don't want to throw it away. Remember I paid for that credit maybe not as much as the meals I order cost but that's why people buy the plan because it saves them money. I'm talking adult credits for adult meal here not "getting over" be using childs credits for adults food but adult credits shared for meal here or there. Or maybe paying OOP for an extra appy. When there are only 3 (2A1C) you only have to share twice to then pay OOP for DS meal to get another TS meal on the plan.

I completely agree. Why shouldn't you be able to share! On our trip it will be 2A, 1C. I was planning to pay OOP for my DS once, & share with my DH twice so that we would have 3 "extra" TS's to use for Hoop-Dee-Doo. I don't see anything wrong with this. I will probably cancel my HDD ressie and eat somewhere that is 1 TS.

 

[bicker]

Clearly, sharing of the meal makes it a better deal for the patrons. It is a shame we don't have access to the business plan for the promotion, and to the stats on usage and impact, because that might clarify just how much sharing disrupts the original basis for offering the program. If patrons use the program in a manner the pricing didn't encompass, then they'll either have to increase the prices significantly to make up for it or change the program to get usage back in line with the business case. I think what is critical is whether or not the program is still worth it even with the new restrictions. It was actually never worth it, financially, for me, so for me the answer would be surely "no." It'll work out differently for different folks. I suppose if my brother was a bit more concerned about the price of meals, the dining program would have been a good choice, since he wouldn't actually be seeing the cost of the meal. It would have cost me more money, but in that case we would have had a better time, so the extra money would have been worth it, even with not being able to share.

 

[d4est]

Ok, let's say I don't get the dining plan and will pay OOP for all meals. Do they allow sharing of meals in this case? As has been stated, the meals are often quite large. I'm not a big eater. I might want to share with DH or maybe even just order an appetizer for my "dinner." Is this ok?

If it is okay, then what is the difference? I am not misusing my credits by nibbling off DH's plate.

 

[Disneyhappy]

I was hoping to save TS credits to use when my sister and family came one night to visit from Tampa. I guess I don't understand what difference it makes how we use out TS credits (we are all adults on the plan) as we are paying for a certain # of credits and are entitled to them. We will still use all of our credits even though we can't use them for when my sister comes up. It still equals out to the same. Disney better change their dining plan brochure to reflect this because it currently doesn't state any such restrictions and actually states under "Using Your Meals" - "Use your meals and snacks in any order and in any amount throughout your package stay until your total is depleted". When I read this while planning our trip 5 weks ago), I called Disney Dining and was told we could use TS credits when my sister visited. Obviously, their position has changed. What if someone was really, really hungry and wanted to order two meals for themselves?
I'm not going to let this ruin my trip but now I have to refigure my ADR's. ALways fun planning! I agree that using children credits for adults was a loophole that needed to be corrected as that would lose money for Disney that they likely weren't intending to lose. But my sharing credits one night with my sister is not making Disney lose any money as we will still use all of our credits now, just in a different order. Also, I think people should be able to share meals. They allowed it before the dining plan and it worked out well when we were not really hungry but wanted to experience a restaurant.

This may be the first and last time we use the dining plan but I am anxious to try it out.

 

[bicker]

I guess I don't understand what difference it makes how we use out TS credits (we are all adults on the plan) as we are paying for a certain # of credits and are entitled to them.

That's really the crux of the issue. Many programs like this are priced explicitly based on a forecasted amount of non-use or under-use. Think about the difference between Magic Your Way admission with and without the expiry option. Six days of admission is six days of admission, and if you aren't going to use some of those days for a long time, that should actually be better for the company, since they get your money now. Yet, they charge you more for the non-expiry option. That's because it factors in some level of non-use (for example, a few years ago, we lost two Park Hopper passes, and both had two days left on them, and we also lost the receipt for them) or under-use (for example, we would have actually ended up using those passes at Lotusphere, a convention held at the Dolphin each year -- so we would have been in the convention all day and then used these days on that pass for just a few hours at Epcot).

Also, with regard to some other issues you raised, while one person varying from the intended use of the program won't have any significant impact, the program itself needs to apply some measure of consistency to stave off institutionalized variance from the intended use.

 

[Reese]

When we made our reservations for Feb we were told that each person will get their own dining cards. Now I understand that it is to keep credits seperate but with five kids ir makes a lot of cards to keep track of. I guess this is why they've done it that way so you can no longer use child credits for adult meals.

 

[Chuck S]

Ok, let's say I don't get the dining plan and will pay OOP for all meals. Do they allow sharing of meals in this case? As has been stated, the meals are often quite large. I'm not a big eater. I might want to share with DH or maybe even just order an appetizer for my "dinner." Is this ok?

If it is okay, then what is the difference? I am not misusing my credits by nibbling off DH's plate.

Well, business-wise I see the problem with sharing on the meal plan vs. OOP. First off, the meal plan is already discounted substanially, ordering appetizer, entree, beverage & dessert at most TS restaurants would cost more than the purchase price of the plan, then the plan includes tip for the server. So basically, the server is making less if only one credit is used. Now the restaurants expected there to be (most likely) two adults eating for $70 in credit, now they have 2 adults eating for $35 in credits...so the per table "profit" is cut in half, having an impact on the profitability for that particular restaurant, and likewise the it will affect the menu offerigs (as we aleady see), since a certain amount of cost & profit are estimated into each meal and table. Now the restaurants must somehow increase profit on that table space, another option is to "turn" that table faster...leading perhaps to "rushed" meals and poorer service...for instance, two adults, both eating full meals, would perhaps generate $100 per hour in gross income per table, not including tip. Along comes the meal plan with sharing and that $100 per hour is slashed to $35, including tip, and not accounting for the CS meal also included.

It may fill resort rooms, but it makes the individual restaurant look "unprofitable" and subjects it to staff cuts, menu cuts and perhaps closing/remodeling. While the Dining program has been around in various forms for years, it is only after it was priced seperately as a "add-on" to a full price room, that it has become so popular. Disney, and the restauants, could absord those costs previously...as dining was only offered at an extra cost in packages that included length of stay type premium park tickets with package-priced rooms...now you only have to buy a one day park ticket, and can stay up to 10 days with dining...another probably unforeseen mistake when this plan was rolled out.

 

[Disneyhappy]

Good point but I will still be using all of our credits, just in a different order with the change so Disney will not be making money off of us. I have seen very few posts where people had left over TS credits, although these boards are just a small percentage of WDW patrons and may not be a representative sampling. Also, the new MWY passes are saving me "mucho" money and if it is making Disney money at the same time, great for them. I purchased 10 day MYW premium passes with no expiration for $353. With the 5 "plus" options, that will get us to Disney 3 times (1 four day trip and 2 six day trips as we do not go to a theme park everyday and hit a water park and/or Disney Quest a couple of days). That would normally cost us at least $700 per person if I remember the cost of the old park hopper passes correctly.

I'm a rule follower and have no problem following the changes, but I still do not agree with the reasoning. My frustration (and believe me, the frustration was minimal) was that 5 weeks ago I was told it would be OK to share with my sister for one meal and I made my plans accordingly and got my sister all excited that we would be treating her family to a nice dinner that they could normally not afford. Obviously, we are still going treat her now that we promised it but it will be out of our pocket. Fortunately, paying for them will not break us financially.

In the end, I look at it this way - if I can't handle constant change in my life, I need to get out of my legal career and find something else as the legal climate changes on a daily basis! The bottom line is we are still going to Disney and will have a great time!

That's really the crux of the issue. Many programs like this are priced explicitly based on a forecasted amount of non-use or under-use. Think about the difference between Magic Your Way admission with and without the expiry option. Six days of admission is six days of admission, and if you aren't going to use some of those days for a long time, that should actually be better for the company, since they get your money now. Yet, they charge you more for the non-expiry option. That's because it factors in some level of non-use (for example, a few years ago, we lost two Park Hopper passes, and both had two days left on them, and we also lost the receipt for them) or under-use (for example, we would have actually ended up using those passes at Lotusphere, a convention held at the Dolphin each year -- so we would have been in the convention all day and then used these days on that pass for just a few hours at Epcot).

Also, with regard to some other issues you raised, while one person varying from the intended use of the program won't have any significant impact, the program itself needs to apply some measure of consistency to stave off institutionalized variance from the intended use.

 

[mrsmagic]

I'm willing to follow the rules, whatever they are, but what makes this dining plan a hard decision for me, is what are the rules?

How could they really enforce a "no sharing" policy? What if it is your last meal, and you only have 1 adult credit left, and you have 2 adults? Does the extra adult have to leave? Or, you happen to be dining with an extra adult who does not have the dining plan, so your card says "2 adults, 2 children" but you have 3 adults sitting at the table. Is it okay for the 3rd adult to share? I wouldn't want to use a child credit for them, but there has also been discussion that you can't buy 3 adult meals at one meal when your card only says 2 adults (which makes sense to me). I would hope that paying OOP for the 3rd adult is an option (without forcing them to order an appetizer, entree, and dessert), otherwise this plan totally lacks the flexibility that was one of its selling features.

I'm really hoping that some of these bad scenarios that people have found themselves in were a result of crowded restaurants and frustrated CMs during the free dining promotion. I also feel for the CMs because they seem to have just as much trouble interpreting the rules as we do!

Just my 2 cents.