Really confused about Meal sharing policy!

[BandBob]

Boy, I hate to bring this up again, (really scared of flames and huge debates) but I'm so confused. When we booked our trip, and yes, we paid for our dining plan, sharing was encouraged. We made our ADRs with that in mind. We don't want to "cheat" Disney out of anything, just want to stretch our TS so we could experience more restaurants! Now, I read that if 5 people (ours will be 3A, 2C - Me, DW, DD-13, DS-9, DS-6) sit down to eat, we must use 5 TS credits, no ifs, ands or buts. Then, I also read Disney's official response in the "Confussing CMs and Visitors" thread and they say that it is perfectly OK to share meals. Our thought was to possibly use 2A, 1C and share meals to save credits (again, using A credits for A meals and C credits for C meals, we also understand that there is no sharing at buffets & all-you-can-eats and you can't order more A meals than is listed on your card, ie: 4A and 1C won't work!) and after doing that a couple of times be able to enjoy another TS later in our trip the same way. Or using the same secenario, but paying OOP for the other two meals again to stretch out our TS and we don't need to eat that much food!!! Now, we are at the point of having to completely rework our ADRs because we have too many and this will also screw up our entire itenerary with less than 2 weeks before we leave. This is probably our 1 and only trip to WDW as a family. We are shelling out over $4000 for this trip and we want it to be a very special trip. We have scrimped and saved our tails off to make this trip happen and are doing our best not to have to sweat about the additional cash needed while there! Sorry, my question turned into a venting session. Anyway, I would like some first hand knowledge from members who have been to WDW since May of what the TS are letting people do in regards to sharing and OOP paying. Thanks for the vent session and the help!

 

[llqool]

i, too, have been concerned about what i have been reading about possible new policies regarding sharing and paying OOP for some meals. yesterday I called Disney dining and specifically asked them these questions. now, one never knows how knowledgeable any given CM will be, but the CM i talked to (got her name, not that that means anything), told me there were no new memos or policies in effect, that we could share meals if we want (we have an 18 month old and a 4 yr old and lots of times the 18 mo old eats more than her sister) and we *can* pay OOP for some of the meals as long as we tell the server beforehand. (we had been worried about that b/c there is going to be one signature TS meal where it will be just myself and my husband, and i didn't want our 4 yr old's TS credits to "go to waste"; i wanted to be able to use those credits on a meal later in our trip, paying OOP for part of it)

the CM told me "don't worry about it -- please just enjoy yourself. you're going to have a great time. And don't believe everything you read online!"

 

[bicker]

Don't believe everything the CMs tell you verbally either. If something is very critical to the enjoyment of your vacation, get the CM to send you a written confirmation of it, on Disney letterhead. That's as good of a guarantee as you can get. Barring that, just plan to go with the flow. Maybe you will be allowed to do what you wish; maybe not. As long as you're prepared for it working out either way, you WILL enjoy yourself and have a great time.

 

[punkin]

As far as I can tell, no one has yet been told that they cannot share while actually at Disney. I intend to plan based on that fact. If I am told, at Disney, that I cannot share, I have alternate plans.

There are some people on this board who have moral certainty that their position on sharing is correct and do not doubt that Disney is following their interpretation. However, Disney has not made any announcements or comments on the isue. This whole discussion is nothing but a tempest in a teapot fueled by some dis members' moral outrage.

 

[Lewisc]

I can say with close to absolute certainty that sharing is not permitted at buffets, restaurants that serve "all you care to eat" and dinner packages such as the FDP. Basically every dinner show and character meal.

I don't think anyone really knows if Disney is going to ban sharing, allow sharing or just leave it up to the restaurant.

I can't pretend to speak for others but I think Disney would be reasonable in enforcing a no sharing rule BUT I also think Disney would be reasonable in allowing sharing if it doesn't get out of hand. Some people had a moral issue with child/adult credit but I haven't read any poster calling this a "moral" issue. Some CM said sharing won't be permitted and some posters just want guests to understand that a no sharing rule is a possibility and that it can be justified.

As far as I can tell, no one has yet been told that they cannot share while actually at Disney. I intend to plan based on that fact. If I am told, at Disney, that I cannot share, I have alternate plans.

There are some people on this board who have moral certainty that their position on sharing is correct and do not doubt that Disney is following their interpretation. However, Disney has not made any announcements or comments on the isue. This whole discussion is nothing but a tempest in a teapot fueled by some dis members' moral outrage.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Now somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only place you might run into trouble over sharing (besides buffets/family styles) would be at a signature restaurant. They require that everyone pays, whether OOP or on DDP. It would be nice to know if at 2TS places if you can do part OOP, part DDP, though.

If I could pay OOP for one adult meal at CRT, I could add another meal, but

Who knows...

 

[Wazzo]

Now somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only place you might run into trouble over sharing (besides buffets/family styles) would be at a signature restaurant. They require that everyone pays, whether OOP or on DDP. It would be nice to know if at 2TS places if you can do part OOP, part DDP, though.

It would only make sense if you could pay for someone OOP and have someone on the DDP. What if you were dining with someone not on the plan? Or even better, what if you had 2 adults dining at a signature and only had 2 TS credits left? They can't make you leave becasue you don't have enough credits and you're willing to pay!

I have dined at signature restaurants in the past, NOT on DDP, and we only ordered one appetizer and one entree to share, and it comes out split for us on two plates. I don't anticipate a problem, especially with paying OOP.

 

[punkin]

I can say with close to absolute certainty that sharing is not permitted at buffets, restaurants that serve "all you care to eat" and dinner packages such as the FDP. Basically every dinner show and character meal.

That has always been so, whether on the DDP or not. The only sharing issues discussed here are at the CS places and the TS places which are not buffets and "family style"

 

[punkin]

Now somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only place you might run into trouble over sharing (besides buffets/family styles) would be at a signature restaurant. They require that everyone pays, whether OOP or on DDP. It would be nice to know if at 2TS places if you can do part OOP, part DDP, though.

If I could pay OOP for one adult meal at CRT, I could add another meal, but

Who knows...

I don't think you are correct and I plan to share when I go to 2TS places. I have seen no indication that sharing would not be allowed. In the past, without DDP, I know from personal experience that they allowed sharing.

 

[Lewisc]

That has always been so, whether on the DDP or not. The only sharing issues discussed here are at the CS places and the TS places which are not buffets and "family style"

People who don't go to Disney often, or who would skip TS meals if they didn't have dining, might not realize all of the character meals are buffet or all you care to eat. Although most of us know the rules there are people reading these threads who aren't aware of this.

There have been posters who want to know why they can't share a buffet.

The brochure does say 2 credits will be deducted from everyone dining at a Signature meal. That would give Disney the right to require all guests use their dining credits or no guests use their dining credits. I don't think this is being enforced.

I think a lot of these doom and gloom posts are much about nothing. I can't see Disney taking a lot of actions that are going to upset guests. My guess is they're going to be concentrating on actions that might facilitate guests using child credits to purchase adult meals, stopping guests from paying out of pocket for kids at Chef Mickey's would be a good example.

The plan generally works even if a guest only orders an entree and dessert.

 

[Sammie]

I don't think they would have even addressed this particular issue if guests had not started sharing meals with guests not on the plan and shared within the family to save children's entitlements to purchase adult meals. That is what got it all muddled.

I think Disney has a mindset of how they want the plan to work. It is all involved in the economics and marketing of the plan and probably is beyond the comprehension of most of us, even me. No insult here, it's just unless you build cars, you are not going to know as much about cars as someone that does. Hope that makes sense. I have some inkling of what they hope to accomplish due to friends that work there and have shared those thoughts.

Many times, and Bicker has probably addressed this and possibly LewisC too, if guests would use the plan to feed the members of their family on their reservation and not try to stretch it into something it's not, Disney would let some things slide.

But when you start asking questions, emailing, etc. well they have to then give you an official statement.

Sometimes, it is best to leave well enough alone.

 

[disney2d2]

I was just chatting with a CM on disney's site and she told me no TS sharing and no CS sharing, at all. You can read the full transcript here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1168009

 

[Wazzo]

I think the only person you can believe is your waiter and manager of the restaurant you are sitting in at that time at that exact moment.


Again, I don't get it... what if you only had 1 TS credit left, and 2 adults were dining? They're not going to NOT let you eat there, are they? Especially if you're getting an extra entree and order OOP?

 

[punkin]

I think a lot of these doom and gloom posts are much about nothing. I can't see Disney taking a lot of actions that are going to upset guests.

ITA. It will be impossible to enforce in the CS places and very difficult at TS places as well. Additionally, irate customers will not come back, and Disney has been going all out to get people to stay onsite and not visit other Orlando venues.

 

[bicker]

I think the only person you can believe is your waiter and manager of the restaurant you are sitting in at that time at that exact moment.

Yes, that's a great point and something folks need to keep in mind. Folks shouldn't rely on anything that isn't explicitly spelled out, and should look to work with their server to understand how they can use their Dining Plan credits at the restaurant.

Additionally, irate customers will not come back

I don't think that's a major concern. They only need to make minor changes to achieve their aim, and the vast majority of guests would probably not even notice, or at least not care all that much about those specific changes.

 

[punkin]

I don't think that's a major concern. They only need to make minor changes to achieve their aim, and the vast majority of guests would probably not even notice, or at least not care all that much about those specific changes.

I'm sure you think you are right, but I disagree.

 

[bicker]

Yes, we know. You're a "pirate" -- out to steal the treasure.

 

[punkin]

No, out to get as much as I can for my money.

You are the one labling people, I just adopted the label you gave me.

 

[bicker]

We're not talking about people. We're talking about behaviors. Poor behavior in particular. Selfish and self-centered behavior. It's really quite disturbing to think that these are the behaviors many of our young children are learning by example.

 

[Natalya]

Simple answer is that the Disney execs read this board. They read all of the posts on how to give little Johnnie half of their appetizer as a meal for him to save his credit for mom or dad later. They can see people trying to manipulate the system to get the most food they possibly can out of each point.

So, because of all the posts like this....they pass "rules" that state you can't share...blah, blah, blah.

If people would stop posting about sharing on the DDP...and just ask when they get there....this would have never happened. Jeez. If the plan is going to bankrupt you if you can't share then don't get the plan...it obviously just doesn't work for your family. Otherwise, If you want to occasionally share just ask your server.