calypso*a*go-go said:
it's really up to Disney to straighten this whole mess out. To me, the only solution is to not pool the credits...put each guests credits on their resort I.D. card and specifically print on the card whether it is a child or adult.
If we clear away all the sniping back and forth, we'll see that there have really only been two sharing issues raised here. One is the practice -- taking advantage of a loophole, often with the active encouragement of Disney CMs -- of using child credits for adult meals...which also happens to be the main issue in OP's original post.
Disney could have stopped that in an instant, but instead of doing so, they chose to let it go for a while. Now they have revised the brochure to say it is not allowed, and servers enforcing it can't be far behind. I really think using child credits for adult meals is dead...as it should be.
The more difficult question is sharing adult credits. Is it allowed or not? It is currently apparently allowed in the restaurants, but in their emails, they'll tell you it's not. Inconsistency from Disney? Who'da thunk it?
We have heard from Sammie (who DOES have close connections to folks high up in the food chain at WDW, BTW) that Disney is concerned about
part of the sharing. Not sharing among US -- people participating in the dining plan -- but participants in the dining plan
sharing with those who are not participants. The obvious issue there for Disney is someone getting a room or two at a value resort, putting the whole clan off-site, and then attempting to feed the entire hoard on Disney's nickel. IF that is Disney's main issue -- and I have no reason to think it is not -- it is something they could stop instantly, just by asking for room keys from anyone who's eating on the dining plan.
My prediction? Disney will not stop
any of the adult-to-adult sharing.
I fearlessly predict they will take the path of least resistance -- they'll raise the price of the paid dining plan and raise the room rates during
free dining to compensate for whatever they feel they're losing. No muss, no fuss, no nasty confrontations with an entire herd of cheaters who are really tent-camping in Ocala National Forest, but claim rights to the dining plan.
I'd much rather Disney stop those who are cheating them and leave the rest of us alone, but that's not the Disney way. It's a lot easier to market than enforce, and they are good at marketing. Plus...they'll make more money that way.