Dining Plan Scenario Questions

[Tiggerluver]

Have a family of 5: 2 adults, 2 tweens (which count as an adult) and 1 child coming. We want to do the dining plan (will probably have to pay for it, but that's another matter). My scenario and questions are:

1) Say we all go to 50's Prime Time Cafe....Do all 5 of use have to order something as part of our dining plan or can I share a dining plan meal with 1 tween and my husband share another dining plan meal with the other tween?

2) If we repeated that scenario throughout our stay at various sit-down restaurants, (we will be there for 7 days) and we have, let's say 1 dining plan meal left, can we use that dining plan meal credit along with purchasing other meals for the rest of the family?

I just don't see how my 2 tween daughters will be able to eat all that food, an appetizer, entree and desert, at once. Would like to be able to share if we can.

I know there is no way it can be done at buffets, but I'm don't care about that. Just trying to save some dining plan credits for other restaurants.

Has anyone else done this?

Thanks for any input!!!

 

[ypcat]

Yes, you can share meals if you think it is too much food (which it is, but it is GOOD). If you have an odd number of meals left, you can just pay for however many meals more that you have. You may need to ask for a split bill, that is what we did with our 2 year old's meals (being under 3, he wasn't on any plan).

 

[lawyergirl77]

Not sure whether or not they would allow you to do this... but if you do, then what you might wind up doing (as ypcat says) is having to "split" the bill. That is, two of you use your TS coupons that night, the other two pay cash for their drinks or anything else that they order separately. If not, then the server might be forced to charge you for all of your coupons and that would be a gigantic waste of money for you!!

 

[madge]

Have a family of 5: 2 adults, 2 tweens (which count as an adult) and 1 child coming. We want to do the dining plan (will probably have to pay for it, but that's another matter). My scenario and questions are:

1) Say we all go to 50's Prime Time Cafe....Do all 5 of use have to order something as part of our dining plan or can I share a dining plan meal with 1 tween and my husband share another dining plan meal with the other tween?

2) If we repeated that scenario throughout our stay at various sit-down restaurants, (we will be there for 7 days) and we have, let's say 1 dining plan meal left, can we use that dining plan meal credit along with purchasing other meals for the rest of the family?

I just don't see how my 2 tween daughters will be able to eat all that food, an appetizer, entree and desert, at once. Would like to be able to share if we can.

I know there is no way it can be done at buffets, but I'm don't care about that. Just trying to save some dining plan credits for other restaurants.

Has anyone else done this?

Thanks for any input!!!

we're planning on doing the same thing at some of the sit-down places

 

[MareSINY]

that is what we did with our 2 year old's meals (being under 3, he wasn't on any plan).

This is something that I've been confused about since we booked our trip. I'm going with my sister and two nieces, ages 2 and 4. We were told that we didn't have to pay for the 2 year old because the meal plan is for ages 3 and up. Does that mean she eats for free?? She eats a wider variety of food than the 4 year old does. I've asked this question before and nobody has given me an answer, so I'm gonna try one last time. LOL

Does a 2 year old eat for free or do you have to pay for their food? I guess if we can split meals we can just have the 2 year old split the 4 year olds food, but that would mean she'd be living on chicken nuggets and french fries all week, and that's just not her cup of tea.

Thanks for the help!!

Mary Ellen

 

[ypcat]

This is something that I've been confused about since we booked our trip. I'm going with my sister and two nieces, ages 2 and 4. We were told that we didn't have to pay for the 2 year old because the meal plan is for ages 3 and up. Does that mean she eats for free?? She eats a wider variety of food than the 4 year old does. I've asked this question before and nobody has given me an answer, so I'm gonna try one last time. LOL

Does a 2 year old eat for free or do you have to pay for their food? I guess if we can split meals we can just have the 2 year old split the 4 year olds food, but that would mean she'd be living on chicken nuggets and french fries all week, and that's just not her cup of tea.

Thanks for the help!!

Mary Ellen

Yes and no. At the buffets, kids under 3 eat free. At all other places, you will have to pay for the 2 year old's food.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

As for feeding a 2 year old--the portions are HUGE at most places. She should be able to eat part of the adults'* food (so she has more variety) and you will still be stuffed.




*(it is both plural--there are 2 adults going on the trip, and possessive--the dinners belong to the adults.)

 

[abe_bb]

I'm suprised they let you do that at sit down resteraunts...

Our five year old isn't a big eater, and it would be easier for her to share with everyone then get her own meal.

Except for steak - she is looking forward to her own steak

 

[Buried20KLeague]

My plan for "conservation" of meals is slightly different.

I'm wanting to save my sit down meals to use on more signature (requiring two meals per person) restaurants.

SO...

I'm planning on splitting counter service meals between myself, my wife, and two kids. For example... I can order a DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER and fries and dessert for myself, and my wife can do the same. I can then order two extra buns and pay for them... Then take one patty off each meal and make two more cheeseburgers. Split the fries, and VOILA! I've saved two kids meals in one sitting. Not to mention if we do this in Pecos Bill's in the MK, the toppings bar really helps out.

I can do the same to save one adult meal by having my wife and I share similarly the next day.

I figure doing this every other day should save enough counter service meals for my family to get 3 more total counter service meals out of the plan than normal, meaning I've saved 3 sit down meals extra per person and can hit three signature restaurants at no cost that I wouldn't be able to do otherwise, and it should still be plenty of food at lunch.

That probably seems really confusing... But can anyone think of a reason why this WOULD NOT WORK?? Seems to me it would be pretty clean... I'm hoping so since I've already planned the dinners accordingly. :slurp:

 

[Laura]

My best friend is doing something interesting. She is paying for all the kids meals out of pocket (usually about $5) and using the kids meal credits for the adults. This is saving her a fortune. She asked the Disney Dining people on the phone and they said that was allowed.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

My best friend is doing something interesting. She is paying for all the kids meals out of pocket (usually about $5) and using the kids meal credits for the adults. This is saving her a fortune. She asked the Disney Dining people on the phone and they said that was allowed.

Can I ask what the goal of that actually is? Since the kids credits have to be used on kids meals? (which often times is the old hot dog, chicken fingers type standard fare)

I'm just trying to understand in case someone else has a better plan than I do. :wave:

The only thing I see this making sense for is if she's paying for the dining plan... Because it conserves money... Whereas those who are getting it free might have a different goal... To conserve credits as opposed to actual dollars.

 

[Tiggerluver]

The only way to save on counter service meals and share them is if the dining plan you paid for (or didn't in case you got it with your package) is for children who count as adults. I think the age break is 10 and above. So it would work.

My question is a bit different: Can an adult share their dining plan meal in a sit down restaurant? Am not asking about buffets. Just sit down restaurants. Thanks.

 

[MomofKatie]

Can I ask what the goal of that actually is? Since the kids credits have to be used on kids meals? (which often times is the old hot dog, chicken fingers type standard fare)

I'm just trying to understand in case someone else has a better plan than I do. :wave:

The only thing I see this making sense for is if she's paying for the dining plan... Because it conserves money... Whereas those who are getting it free might have a different goal... To conserve credits as opposed to actual dollars.

There is no such thing as "child credits" and "adult credits". There are only credits. Disney does not differentiate them. so, moral implications aside, paying for kids meals OOP and saving the credits for more adult meals is within the limits of the plan.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

There is no such thing as "child credits" and "adult credits". There are only credits. Disney does not differentiate them. so, moral implications aside, paying for kids meals OOP and saving the credits for more adult meals is within the limits of the plan.

That's not what I had understood... I understood the dining plan credits were per person and had to be used whether the person using them was an adult or child accordingly. ?? For example... I thought if you were staying for 5 nights, there were 5 children's counter service meals available, 5 snacks, and 5 children's sit down meals available per child, and then adult meals for the adults. Am I wrong?

If that's the case, how do they enforce the statement "children ages 3-9 must order from the child's menu where available" that you see all over the information I have?? If I'm waiting in line at Starlight Ray's and the kids are already sitting at a table with their mom, if the credits are "generic", I could get all adult meals and no one could say a word. Am I not understanding this properly? Is it just a situation where the counter service meals are more self-policing, and the sit-down meals are more regulated?

I appreciate the clarification, too... I definitely want to understand the ins and outs of this setup before I get down there.

 

[MomofKatie]

All credits are pooled on the room key cards. So, if two adults and 2 kids had the Dining plan and were staying at the Poly for 3 nights, there would be 12 TS, 12 CS, and 12 snacks on the cards. Any of the credits may be used by any member of the party at any time, in any combination, from the moment of checkin until midnight on the day of checkout. The credits are not divided per person, nor are they differentiated on the cards as "child" or "adult".

If you go to a TS restaurant, the children present will be required to order off the kids' menu if you use a dining plan credit for their meal. I honestly don't know if you would be limited to ordering from the kids' menu at CS places if the kids are with you- but if you go up to the counter alone, and use 4 credits for your family, there is no way for the CM to know if you are ordering for kids or adults- so you can get all adult CS meals that way.

This topic is a source of very heated debate on some sites. There is a rumor that Disney may change the policy on credit pooling, closing the "loophole". IMO, Disney knows what they are doing. The profit they make on these packages far outstrips the money "lost" by a very small % "working" the plan by using all the credits for adult meals, paying OOP for kids' meals, etc.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Wow. That's GREAT information. Thanks a lot for the heads up. It sounds to me like it's self-policing at CS locations mostly... And obviously the kids will have to order from the kids menu at TS locations.

Thanks for the help!! :wave: