Chatting with a CM about sharing DDP

[XOoOoVEEoOoOX]

Gee that's exactly how I feel. I have often ordered an appetizer and 2 entrees to feed 4 people. Sometimes we even get one desert to share. Many times, we will have enough left over to take home a doggie bag.

In cases like these and families like this then the dining plan isnt practical, if 4 of you go out and split 2 meals w/o appetizers or desserts then you would be paying more for the dining plan per day than you would just paying OoP for the meal, I guess just sit down and calculate how much food your family can handle...if you really feel like it would be too much food then it probably would be because it is ALOT of food, just pay OoP and avoid the headache.

(not meaning to sound rant-y or flame-y just the way i see it)

 

[bicker]

You're hitting the nail on the head; don't apologize for it.

 

[punkin]

I don't think you sound flamy at all and I would never actually buy the dining plan. However, during free dining, I am essentially geting the food for $20 per day per 4 people (actually, for me it is a little bit more because I am paying for 1.5 rooms) so for $5 per day per person (3 of whom Disney considers Adults) it is worth it to me. However, I don't like to throw even free food away. I think that is an amazing waste.

Now, before you say that we don't have to order that much, we just have to pay for it, I disagree. Disney enticed me to stay onsite and not spend my money elsewhere by offering me 49 TS credits, 49 CS credits and 49 snack credits to use as I see fit. I relied on their representation when purchasing my package (which I can no longer cancel without penalty). I will therefore do my best to maximize the value of the enticement offered by Disney to the extent possible by sharing meals as I alwaays do at home. That is how I choose to use my credits.

 

[XOoOoVEEoOoOX]

I don't think you sound flamy at all and I would never actually buy the dining plan. However, during free dining, I am essentially geting the food for $20 per day per 4 people (actually, for me it is a little bit more because I am paying for 1.5 rooms) so for $5 per day per person (3 of whom Disney considers Adults) it is worth it to me. However, I don't like to throw even free food away. I think that is an amazing waste.

Now, before you say that we don't have to order that much, we just have to pay for it, I disagree. Disney enticed me to stay onsite and not spend my money elsewhere by offering me 49 TS credits, 49 CS credits and 49 snack credits to use as I see fit. I relied on their representation when purchasing my package (which I can no longer cancel without penalty). I will therefore do my best to maximize the value of the enticement offered by Disney to the extent possible by sharing meals as I alwaays do at home. That is how I choose to use my credits.

But would you then become angry/ upset if they told you EACH person had to order a meal? It would be more a waste of food to have to order it and have it thrown away b/c one is too full to eat it than it would be to just not order it in the first place. I understand what you are saying about free dining and all I just hope that people arent making plans based on this assumption and then getting angry when this doesnt happen, canceling ADRs is no fun and rather depressing.

 

[punkin]

But would you then become angry/ upset if they told you EACH person had to order a meal? It would be more a waste of food to have to order it and have it thrown away b/c one is too full to eat it than it would be to just not order it in the first place. I understand what you are saying about free dining and all I just hope that people arent making plans based on this assumption and then getting angry when this doesnt happen, canceling ADRs is no fun and rather depressing.

I agree and I have alternate plans in place. I really will not get angry. I may bluster a little and see if that will help.

I would then proceed to order as much as possible of the most expensive items (which is not my plan incidentally). I would then take everything back to my hotel in a doggie bag and request a refrigerator. My family will then eat all that food for breakfasts and snacks.

Heck maybe I'll bring a mircowave to heat it up in (joke people).

 

[XOoOoVEEoOoOX]

I agree and I have alternate plans in place. I really will not get angry. I may bluster a little and see if that will help.

I would then proceed to order as much as possible of the most expensive items (which is not my plan incidentally). I would then take everything back to my hotel in a doggie bag and request a refrigerator. My family will then eat all that food for breakfasts and snacks.

Heck maybe I'll bring a mircowave to heat it up in (joke people).

LOL...Good plan then.. I know in my case we would have no leftovers...my mothers boyfriend is a human vaccuum cleaner...no food ever gets thrown away when he is around LOL..

 

[Sammie]

This is all so confusing. So if my DH and I eat at a restaurant with several of our friends that are NOT on the dining plan (but our card also has our 21 year old DD on it, but she's not with us), how are they going to deal with it. Our DD plans to eat with us for some meals and eat with her friends for some meals.

I guess it's just going to be a wait and see.

You will use your plan to purchase your meals, your friends will pay out of pocket for theirs.

 

[Luv2Roam]

you: I'd like to know if two adults can share one table service credit
CM: No, unfortunately, a table service is per person and cannot be shared

you: We are planning to stay for four nights with the dining plan
you: and as I understand that between the two of us we will have 8 table service credits
you: and all I thought was that we can share once or twice and visit more than 4 restaurants...
CM: The reason that I asked was to make sure I understood your question. And to answer that, each of you has four. You do not have eight. The plan works in a per person basis, therefore you cannot use it to share it.

What the CM said makes sense to me. I just don't think people want to hear that response. But the CM seems to have said you have 4 table service credits per person, for TS 4 meals. As they said the plan works on a per person basis.
This DDP and enforcing almost seems a predictable outcome. (Just MHO) If Disney gets too much grief or WDW restaurant participants feel short changed I can see the DDP going bye-bye, or what restaurants can, leaving the plan.
Just considering what happened to the AP Best Guest Rate. Everyone complaining and writing in. Poof! The plan was eliminated, which caused more complaints because it was ended. (Only judging by what was read on the Dis.)
I can see something else taking the DDP place in 2008, with further restrictions in 2007.
Nothing against anyone, and not finger pointing. I just have that feeling....

 

[disney2d2]

Well, we are two people. We don't each a lot at one time would like to eat at a table-service restaurant more than once a day. And as others have said, we cannot both order 2 full course meals (we usually order one entree and one appetizer at home) and we don't wanna carry food around with us (if we can't finish it).

That's why we would like to share one TS credit (at least a couple of times) during a four day stay... We are honest people, we don't lie about our kids ages (we don't have any, yet!) and we are not trying to cheat a system by circumventing any Disney policies.

So why is it not a good idea for us to share?

*** OR Should I make DW just sit at another table and sip some H2O while I eat my one credit? Because God forbin if I throw her French fry I'll be kicked off the resort...

 

[disney2d2]

You will use your plan to purchase your meals, your friends will pay out of pocket for theirs.

So you mean if the entire party pays with one card, the servers will check everyone else's IDs (disney keys whatever) to make sure that they are on DDP?

 

[Sammie]

So you mean if the entire party pays with one card, the servers will check everyone else's IDs (disney keys whatever) to make sure that they are on DDP?

If you are dining with someone that is not on the plan you simply tell the server, these 3 are on the DDP, these 3 are not. They pay OOP and you don't. I don't see the confusion. No different than asking for seperate checks.

 

[disney2d2]

If you are dining with someone that is not on the plan you simply tell the server, these 3 are on the DDP, these 3 are not. They pay OOP and you don't. I don't see the confusion. No different than asking for seperate checks.

That wasn't my question, my question was that if five people go into a restaurant having a card with 3 adults on DDP. Can't they just order 3 meals and share it among all five... or do they not allow that by:

• Demanding that the other two order an entree too
• Asking the other two to leave
• Telling you that you can order three meals, but only three people can eat, the others would have to stare
• Asking everyone to leave and tell them what cheap *******s they are

 

[JLS]

That's a good point by Disney2d2. If 2 adults wanted to share and were getting grief about it, why not just say that one of you is on the dining plan and one of you is not? Happens all the time anyway. I have met friends at WDW and eaten with them separate from the other people in my room. They certainly can't force non-DDP to order something, unless all of the restaurants instituted some variety of "per person minimum charge." I guess they could make a rule saying that there was either a $20 p/p minimum charge (just making up a number) or a use of a DDP credit. But until they do that, perhaps the "I'm not on the dining plan" excuse would work. I'm sure I will get flamed for this post because I am immoral and suggesting lying to a CM server.

 

[disney2d2]

Here's another chat session...

Chat Information - Thank you for contacting Disney. Please hold while we route your chat to a Disney Cast Member who will help you with your question.
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Chat Information - Welcome to Disney! My name is CM. How can I help you today?
you: hey
you: I am booking a 7 night stay with the meal plan
CM: Hello!
CM: Wonderful! How can I assist you with this?
you: I wanted that if it was possible for two adults to share a table service meal, but using just one credit
you: I meant to say "by using just one credit"
CM: No, I can see where you would be coming from on that but it is required that each person get their own meal on the dining plan.
you: Well, I was being hypothetical
you: we have 4 adults in our group
you: And not everyone eats a lot
you: so you are telling me between four of use, we cannot order 3 meals
CM: The nice thing with the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining is that if you don't eat every it doesn't really matter because you're truly not "wasting" any money.
CM: I don't know exactly how to explain it to you. Basically you have to look at it as if the table service meal were attached to one person specifically. If that person eats they will be charged for the table service meal, if that person doesn't eat then they won't be charged.
you: Well, honestly it would be funny to see this policy being enforced
you: can't the fourth person just order a drink
you: It would be rude to ask him to leave
CM: I don't have an answer on that one, it is just the policies that they have given us.
CM: They won't ask him to leave, but it would be up to the restaurant as to how charges would be done, I can't answer that.
you: ok
you: well is their another level of support that deals with the dining services?
CM: Again, it would be completely up to the restaurants discretion at the time of dining.
you: ok I understand
you: thanks for your help...
you: and that's gay
CM: You are very welcome! Is there anything else that I can help you with today?

 

[wdwobsessed]

Jenn ... LOL ... I was thinking the same thing. NO ... this is not my hubby ... this is Bob ... he is my "friend" from Tampa visiting for the day. Say hello Bob.



TOO funny!

Maybe then they'd ask for ID then the jig would be up!

WDWO

 

[JLS]

wdwobsessed - if things get to the point on the dining plan that servers are having to ask people for IDs, I think a lot of people will be so turned off that they will no longer want the DDP at all. I honestly cannot imagine servers starting to ID people to eat in a restaurant!

 

[wdwobsessed]

The last CM conversation made perfect sense. If you are on DDP and you sit at the table and eat ... they have the right to charge you 1TS credit ... even if you do not order seperate food for yourself.

Not saying I agree with it.

WDWO

 

[disney2d2]

The last CM conversation made perfect sense. If you are on DDP and you sit at the table and eat ... they have the right to charge you 1TS credit ... even if you do not order seperate food for yourself.

Do you know if TS meals can be ordered to go...?

 

[JimMIA]

Do you know if TS meals can be ordered to go...?

You've GOT to be kidding!

 

[disney2d2]

You've GOT to be kidding!

Why not? I can order to-go at Chili's, Benigan's or Ruby Tuesday... why not a restaurant in Disney World?