Really we CAN share on the DDP?

[Sacha_L]

So if we are all on the DDP DH, the 2 boys and myself we could go to a table service resturant and just order 1 adult meal and 1 childs meal and split them? We would probably fill in with a salad or app for the adults but this is the way we eat out at home...portions are just huge nowdays plus what an amazing way to make your credits go farther... I guess I just can't believe they'd let us do this?

 

[TDC Nala]

Really.

Unless you are at a buffet, all you can eat family style restaurant, fixed price restaurant (like Akershus or CRT) or a dinner show, you can do this.

There are reports that Beaches & Cream won't allow guests on the dining plan to share entrees, but no problems seem to have been reported anywhere else.

I don't know how old your boys are, but the child's meals are generally VERY small. I don't know if it would be enough to have them split one.

 

[Sacha_L]

Thanks for the quick reply! Our boys will be 6 and 9 at the time of our trip and at a regular resturant eating out we will order an app for all to share, then dh and I will split an entee and the kids will split a kids meal. Adding in a desert will just be an extra bonus! Not saying we would do this at every single meal but I now need to rethink our dining plans!

 

[TDC Nala]

I do not think a 6 and 9 year old will be satisfied splitting a typical Disney kids meal, unless they have VERY small appetites. Many parents report that kids meals are not enough for their 9 year old boys.

 

[ChrisMouse]

Not to hijack this thread, because this is a related question, but...

I have a VERY picky DS (9). The rest of us would like to eat at Les Chefs, Nine Dragons, etc. but he has stated he will not eat anything on the menu.

Can he sit with us and skip the meal and save his TS credit for a different meal?

Late in the trip, when the rest of us run out of TS credits, can we use his credits to pay for his leftover meals and then use Cash to pay OOP?

Also...(our first time on the dining plan)...

We have two families going together in separate rooms, but we have made joined dining reservations. Does everyone at the table have to be on the DDP?

Thanks for your help!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

not to hijack this thread, because this is a related question, but...

I have a very picky ds (9). The rest of us would like to eat at les chefs, nine dragons, etc. But he has stated he will not eat anything on the menu.

Can he sit with us and skip the meal and save his ts credit for a different meal? yes

late in the trip, when the rest of us run out of ts credits, can we use his credits to pay for his leftover meals and then use cash to pay oop?yes

also...(our first time on the dining plan)...

We have two families going together in separate rooms, but we have made joined dining reservations. Does everyone at the table have to be on the ddp? no, just let the server know who is on which plan or oop

thanks for your help!

hth!

 

[Colleen27]

I do not think a 6 and 9 year old will be satisfied splitting a typical Disney kids meal, unless they have VERY small appetites. Many parents report that kids meals are not enough for their 9 year old boys.

Yeah, that's been our experience. Kids meals were okay for my son at 8-9 only because that was before the DDP changed to exclude appetizers; he'd share my appetizer and eat his whole kids meal, and often a little of my entree too since I rarely finish a restaurant-sized portion.

Even my DDs, who were 8yo and 15mo on our last trip, couldn't really share without something else too; it worked out well to have them share a "safe" kids meal while sampling the adult appetizers & entrees DH, DS & I ordered (on the DxDDP), but the kids' meal alone wasn't really enough to share most places.

 

[Nadjalu]

You may want to only have you and your husband split a meal if you feel it is enough.

As the others have said, kids meals are really small. I would suggest getting them their own meal.

 

[Sacha_L]

OK thanks for all the input We'll have to just wait and see...worst case scenario we pay OOP for some extra kids meals. i'm not trying to cheap out but it would be nice not to have to throw away food Our entire family are grazer's we eat lots of small "meals" all day long. As an example..start the day with 4oz yougurt, followed by a bananna 30-45 minutes later followed by 1 egg an hour or so after that, followed by a sandwich for lunch, 2 small afternoon snacks (usually one protein and one fruit), followed by dinner. Would you compare a childs meal at disney to say one at chili's or another chain resturant? Thanks!

 

[acpalmer]

OK thanks for all the input We'll have to just wait and see...worst case scenario we pay OOP for some extra kids meals. i'm not trying to cheap out but it would be nice not to have to throw away food Our entire family are grazer's we eat lots of small "meals" all day long. As an example..start the day with 4oz yougurt, followed by a bananna 30-45 minutes later followed by 1 egg an hour or so after that, followed by a sandwich for lunch, 2 small afternoon snacks (usually one protein and one fruit), followed by dinner. Would you compare a childs meal at disney to say one at chili's or another chain resturant? Thanks!

The child's table service meals at Disney are definitely smaller than any you would find at Chili's or similar chain restaurants. My kids pretty much never finish their full meal at a chain but there were times when the Disney meal was barely enough for each of them. And this was when they were 6 and 8.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

The child's table service meals at Disney are definitely smaller than any you would find at Chili's or similar chain restaurants. My kids pretty much never finish their full meal at a chain but there were times when the Disney meal was barely enough for each of them. And this was when they were 6 and 8.

That's good to know. I assumed the 3 kids meals could feed the 4 kids (2 youngest would share ages 4 & 2) but I'm thinking my oldest (almost 10 by the time of our trip) may do better with an adult meal and share that.

 

[Sacha_L]

Thanks so much for the info! I was thinking the kids meals would be like a regular resturant

 

[squirrel]

Another option if you are going for Free Dining is to up the 9 yr old to 10. You would have to pay a bit more for his ticket and the difference from QSDP to DDP (only if staying at a value resort). He would then be able to order an adult meal and dessert, along with a drink. You would have to crunch some #'s if you have to upgrade the dining plan as well as the ticket, it may be better to just pay for a few more snacks or appetizers.

Some of the CS meals are much easier to share. I shared the 1/2 chicken meal with my niece (4). Sometimes we shared an adult pizza when we weren't that hungry.

My niece and I did share one TS meal at 50's Prime Time Cafe. I ate the chicken breast and she ate the other 3 pieces of chicken. She barely touched the fries or corn. After helping choose the dessert, she didn't want any-too full.

 

[NMW]

OK thanks for all the input We'll have to just wait and see...worst case scenario we pay OOP for some extra kids meals. i'm not trying to cheap out but it would be nice not to have to throw away food Our entire family are grazer's we eat lots of small "meals" all day long. As an example..start the day with 4oz yougurt, followed by a bananna 30-45 minutes later followed by 1 egg an hour or so after that, followed by a sandwich for lunch, 2 small afternoon snacks (usually one protein and one fruit), followed by dinner. Would you compare a childs meal at disney to say one at chili's or another chain resturant? Thanks!

A child's meal at WDW is way, way smaller than a typical chain kids meal like Applebees, Chilis, Outback, TGI Fridays ( I can not stress this enough). My 8 yr old daughter is not a huge eater and usually does not finish a kids meal at a chain restaurant. At WDW the kids meals were so small she was still very hungry after eating it. NO WAY she could have split it with another kid.

When my middle son was 8 he was so unhappy with the TS kids meals and portion size, we upped his age the following year to 10 so we could purchase the adult plan for him. WE had to pay an adult ticket price for him as well, but at least I knew I wouldn't have to purchase extra food for him at every meal.

 

[Charleys Cat]

Hi we are a family of 4, myself and hubby, 10 year old and 9 year old girls we all have DDP as adults as eldest is classed as adult and youngest would throw a fit if she had different to eldest daughter so I upgraded her.

If we are at a TS meal and the kids wanted to share a TS meal would I get funny looks from waitresses as there is no way they would eat a adults meal when there last time they could not eat a kids meal, do you have to ask for a seperate plate are they ok with this or not.

I can then save extra TS Credits for the character one that youngest daughter wanted to do,

 

[dixonsontour]

Most potions are not large at disney TS restaurants.

Nothing like you would get at a chain restaurant in the US.

Kids meals at the disney restaurants are small.

Have a look at the pictures on the restaurant reviews or food picture thread.

 

[momtotaryn]

This has been very informative for me. My 10 y/o DD and I are not big eaters at all, and it would be great to share meals at TS restaurants. The only problem is, what she wants to eat is not what I want to eat (and the other way around too)!

 

[CountyMounty]

I guess if we find that we are not getting full I will just have to switch all our meals to buffet restaurants, want to make sure you get your money's worth ya know.