Sharing Meals Phone call ....

[WDisnut]

I was thinking about sharing meals when I go to disney in Sept, like I did last year. But I just called and talked to a CM who said, "sharing is not allowed!" Then the CM tried to use buffet meals as the example. I said, "no, I understand that, I'm talking about all non-buffet meals." Then the CM called guest services and confirmed that sharing is not allowed. I said, "whats the differnce between me paying and sharing or using the DDP and sharing ?" The CM said, "you can pay and share but not using the plan." The CM tried to explain about the DDP having set priceing and the dining experience, blah blah.. I said, "OK what if this happens. One of us was sick and didn't go to a table service. So on the last day there would be only one TS credit left. Then we go to a non-buffet TS resturant and split a meal and use the last TS credit." The CM said ," you would be charged the for the price of the meal also." . SO that settles it no sharing except at CS they can't enforce. But who know what will happen for real when I get thier or what will be said when I talk to a different Cm.

 

[Natalya]

This falls under the "CMs are trained to tell you this because they try to discourage it" category.

If you call, email, or write to Disney, you will get a CM who is trained in "the rules".

That is why most people just go and ask their server when they get there.

 

[Amyg]

I just came back from WDW and shared almost all my TS and CS meals with my 9 yr old son, no problems at all, in fact the CM's were very gracious about it.

 

[WDisnut]

Why are the Disney CM's stating you can't share if you can? Is the final say up to the restaurant manager and servers? Is the statment of "no, it is not allowed" simply because this is the safer answer?

I think the main reason why we are wondering is because when you get to the restaurant that you were told you could not share at and you ask the server, they say yes you can share and once you are done eating the manager comes over and says sharing is not allowed and you have the potential of being charged for another meal as a TS or OOP. Since there is no actual literature that states "non buffet sharing" and we are hearing multiple answers based on sharing. If a problem occurs who is right or wrong? Is it up to the servers, managers, owners of the restaurant, or Disney?

 

[jennbug]

OK I will have a 2 year old when we go. He can't share off his three year old sister's plate who is on the dining plan?

 

[indigoxtreme]

OK I will have a 2 year old when we go. He can't share off his three year old sister's plate who is on the dining plan?

A 2 year old may share off of anyones plate as they are not charged.

 

[bicker]

Is it up to the servers, managers, owners of the restaurant, or Disney?

It is up to the restaurant manager. They'll be following Disney policy that everyone over 3, sitting at a table in a buffet restaurant, shall be charged either the entertainment fee (if they don't eat anything) or the appropriate price (if they are).

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

i'm not asking to flame, but why do you need to share? i rarely eat anythign at all, but i don't care adn am not going to share with DH, we have different tastes. Yes food will go to waste...blah blah blah, but it's free, so i'm not going to try and get more out of it.

 

[bicker]

That's a good point. The food is already purchased anyway: What is left over at the end of the evening is going to be thrown out or donated or whatever. Nothing any individual diner does will have much impact on how much food is used during the course of the day by Disney Dining.

 

[ReallyFunMom]

As someone who thinks sharing is resonable in light of the food you should/need to eat in one sitting, I think we should give up on it. Disney doesn't want you to do it and its more relaxing to give up on original plans and embrace the new rules than worry about confrontations with servers and managers. Book more buffets if that helps. They may be trying to change portions to be more like a cruise where you really can eat an appet, entree and dessert so it may not be impossible to eat it all, especially at the nicer restaurants. We'll do one non-buffet TS in 4 nights and try to go in as hungry as we can and accept the kids will pick at the parts they want and toss most of it. I'll bring a small collapsible cooler to pack the adult desserts for later so we don't explode.

PS If you want to enjoy the plan more under the new rules, stay away from those old trip reports. You'll only end up drooling and disappointed you had to abandon your original plans. And don't forget to cancel those ADRs!

 

[WDisnut]

We just want to be able to experience 16 TS resturaunts on 8 TS credits each like the previous year . Its not the amount of food, or having anything to do with waste of food. I eat alot and will be snacking all over disney in addition to my allotted credits (ice cream stands are good). It just seems more confusing this time using the DDP, when last year was our first year using it and it was easy . I'm still looking forward to disney, the DDP. And I only have 8 ADRS. The ones I want to make sure I don't miss. BUt I believe we should all just wait to see what happens when we get there and have a good time.

 

[jsmla]

As someone who thinks sharing is resonable in light of the food you should/need to eat in one sitting, I think we should give up on it. Disney doesn't want you to do it and its more relaxing to give up on original plans and embrace the new rules than worry about confrontations with servers and managers.

I agree. You know that old saying about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing? We'll that was me. I spent the last month beating my head against the wall about whether or not to get the Dining Plan because I rarely eat an appetizer, usually prefer the more inexpensive entrees and almost never have dessert (I'm not being noble, I don't have much of a sweet tooth). I literally spent hours pricing out exactly what we would spend if we were paying OOP for our dining and comparing it to the cost of the DDP. If I were the only one going the dining plan would be a huge waste but DH loves desserts and expensive steaks. Even with me ordering only an entree 75% of the time (I just can't bring myself to order something I know I won't eat.) we'll come out slightly ahead and DH will be able to enjoy all sorts of things he would never otherwise try. I'll just have my pasta and enjoy watching DH's pleasure in all those filets and creme brulees.

I've decided that I'm going to let go of the stress and just enjoy my vacation!

 

[HaleyB]

It is so much fun not to share!

If we had 2 TS meals everyday I would go bonkers. I just can't sit still that much while at WDW.

 

[wdwobsessed]

I am just wondering why people are still harping on this no sharing thing being gospel? Are you all ignoring the very recent post "a week of sharing" that is on this very board? She shared all week and never had a confrontation.

WDWO

 

[mefordis]

I am just wondering why people are still harping on this no sharing thing being gospel? Are you all ignoring the very recent post "a week of sharing" that is on this very board? She shared all week and never had a confrontation.

WDWO

Right on. A friend of mine also just returned. She and her husband spent 5 nights, shared 10 TS meals. They each had 5 TS credits and that is exactly what they spent. However, they got more variety by eating them at 10 different TS restaurants, sharing one app, entree and dessert.

 

[LBelle]

I know from our experience with the Dining Plan last year that the 3 of us (myself, DH and DS10) could EASILY share 2 TS credits and/or 2 CS credits between the 3 of us and STILL be WAY TOO FULL!!!

My problem is that I can't figure out for the life of me WHERE to cram in any more TS meals than the 9 we have already booked (1 per day)!!

 

[disney2d2]

I have ADRs to expand our 4TS (between the two of us) credits into 3 Dinners.

When I made the ADRs, I even told the CM on the phone that we are on the plan and we were going to "stretch" our two meal credits to three. And he didn't say once that "oh, I'm sorry. you can't do", or "why do you need to that, you are still getting a deal" or "it's cheating" or "just let it go"...

not a single friggin' work.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Don't worry about what Disney Dining is told to say (either by email or phone) and just worry about what the restaurant says when you get there. That is all that counts.

So far NO ONE has come back and said that they were not allowed to share on the DDP. NO ONE. Why the continued debate?

 

[bicker]

The problem is that the word "sharing" means different things. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing the food on your plate with someone else, who also has their own meal. The problem is sharing your Dining Plan points with someone not on the Dining Plan. Here's a link to a report by a member reporting they were not allowed to share their dining plan credits: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1124492

So people are being prevented from sharing. As far as we know, the only reason why is because of the child credits/adult credits issue, so we can guess that if they ever separate child credits and adult credits, the whole sharing issue will just go away.

 

[Debbie]

I think that most of us on this forum are referring to sharing within our own family, not sharing with others not on the plan....which is defined as not 'legal' within the brochure, I believe. I don't know, I don't plan on that, anyway. Bottom line, just as you said. Forget what the CM on the phone says, forget what posters here on DIS say, just ask before you begin your meal.