Dining Plan (desserts vs sides)

[JPG]

We are using the Dining Plan this May for the first time. I am WAY overplanning for this trip (I assume I am in good company here!) and was looking at the Pecos Bill menu which prompted this question:

I usually get a Hotdog with Chili Cheese Fries and NEVER a dessert. Assuming these don't come together as a 'meal' can you substitute 'sides' for desserts with the lunch credits?

How flexible are the rules? I've also heard that you can SKIP getting a dessert at lunch/dinner and they mark your slip and you can get it later. Is that a common request by people on the dining plan who don't usually eat dessert at lunchtime or would I confuse/annoy the counter person? (which I definately would not want to do)

Thanks!!

 

[JikoMarie]

That's a good question. Does anybody know? I can't help you as I haven't and don't intend to use the dining plan.

 

[Monty]

The "rules" are - no substitutes and everything at the same time.

If a CM lets you come back later for dessert they're not supposed to and who's to say the CM that's there when you do go back will honour it?

 

[JPG]

Thanks Montymon,

It makes perfect sense that you would fully use your lunch credit all at once. That's why I wanted to confirm (here) instead of being an annoying guest (there).

I'm sure most everthing I normally get is already put together as a 'meal'. The Pecos Bill Chili Cheese Fries (always a required part of the trip) were the only things I saw that might not fit in the dining plan. Obviously I can just buy them separately.

Thanks again!

 

[Monty]

Another option, if it's $3.49 for the chili cheese fries, maybe you could use a snack credit for it?

 

[JimboJones123]

Sometimes you can substitute fruit for dessert.

 

[ypcat]

The "rules" are - no substitutes and everything at the same time.

If a CM lets you come back later for dessert they're not supposed to and who's to say the CM that's there when you do go back will honour it?

This is not entirely true. A couple times, we have wanted to have ice cream for desert. The CM rings it up on the order, and marks on the reciept that we will pick it up after the meal. The one place I know we have done this is Sunshine Seasons in Epcot.

 

[lilclerk]

Another option, if it's $3.49 for the chili cheese fries, maybe you could use a snack credit for it?

Yes, every time we wanted to get an extra side, they gave it to us as a snack credit. And we STILL ended up with 11 unused snack credits on our last day and stocked up on bags of chips and fruit for the ride back.

 

[Monty]

This is not entirely true. A couple times, we have wanted to have ice cream for desert. The CM rings it up on the order, and marks on the reciept that we will pick it up after the meal. The one place I know we have done this is Sunshine Seasons in Epcot.

That's different from what I understood the OP was suggesting. Ordering your dessert for the meal you're getting and coming back at the same sitting to get it makes sense, particularly with ice cream. What the discussion as I understood it was, they don't want to have dessert at lunch but rather wanted to collect it "later" as in another time of day or perhaps another day entirely. And you're not supposed to be able to do that with the Dining Plan.

 

[srd1969]

Another option, if it's $3.49 for the chili cheese fries, maybe you could use a snack credit for it?

We just got back 2/28, and learned that pretty much anything $4 or less is considered a snack. We got caramel apples, mickey pretzels, cookies, all sorts of things. I got onion rings at Flame Tree with my ribs, and they were considered a snack. We used the dining plan for the first time this trip and Loved it! Four adults ate almost $2000 worth of food in 7 days. That was like getting the room for free.:sohappy:

 

[JPG]

Thanks all!

It is sounding like the snack credits might be where I can get the flexibility I'm looking for.

Thanks again, you've all been alot of help!