GASP! On check in I was advised by a CM to...

[medicgirl_911]

Not trying to
OK so with all the debate about using the child meal credits for adults to gain "extra" meals, I just had to share this.
We checked in for our first Disney experience last Monday (5/1) at POP. We had purchased DP. On check-in the very nice CM who was going over our reservation with us and explaining everything to us brought up our dining plan information. She was explaining everything about snacks/CS/TS which of course I had been lurking here for a couple of months and subscribed to TGM so I pretty much knew everything but was listening and nodding politely. Then she drops the bombshell on me.
"What a lot of people don't know is that Disney does not distinguish between a childs credits and an adults credits. You can actually just pay for your childs meals which is considerably cheaper and enjoy more CS and TS meals for your family." Did she actually just tell me this or has the ongoing debate just sprouted this audible hallucination?? I must have had a stupid look on my face because she said "We just try to let people know this so they can enjoy their plan all the more" I mumbled something about trying to keep that in mind.
It isn't something that I necessarily think is the proper thing to do, and we did not take part of this "little known secret". But what really bothered me, is this something she was approved to let me know??? I highly doubt it, I am sure Mickey likes his money to be in the black and not in the red. But it did tug at the back of my brain, especially as my daughter never ate a single of the meals she got, she wasnt feeling all that well the entire trip and plus I think the sensory overload left her not wanting to stop to eat. And I was thinking --man I could have been having an extra dinner at somewhere like Le Cellier. LOL But people who don't know any different and are getting this info from a CM what are they supposed to think but that this is OK? I almost feel as if I should call managment to let them know about it.
Has anyone else been given this kind of info from a CM???

 

[bicker]

I've read a lot of messages that relayed how CMs, themselves, suggested folks exploit Disney programs and offers beyond reasonable boundaries. I've sent a note to WDW Guest Communications to get the official word from the source. I'll post their reply.

 

[jbbt]

Okay everyone, pile on!!!! This debate is ridiculous. You were told by a CM at check-in and not only do you think that person is lying to you, you want to get them in trouble because it's not what you believe!!!!!

 

[jbbt]

I've read a lot of messages that relayed how CMs, themselves, suggested folks exploit Disney programs and offers beyond reasonable boundaries. I've sent a note to WDW Guest Communications to get the official word from the source. I'll post their reply.

It amazes me that you assume that its an exploitation and beyond reasonable boundaries because it's not what you believe to be true!!!

 

[ameraumi]

Yup, I had a CM at the resort plus a CM at a CS meal tell me the same thing!

 

[Sherri]

Please someone clarify something for me. If you pay the $10.99 per day for the childs DP, doesn't that only entitle you to order a childs meal? Just like when you pay $37.99 for an adult you get to order off of the adult menu? What am I missing??????

 

[Good Ol Gal]

When we were there back in Dec of '05 we were told this numerous times by CMs.

 

[beattyfamily]

Please someone clarify something for me. If you pay the $10.99 per day for the childs DP, doesn't that only entitle you to order a childs meal? Just like when you pay $37.99 for an adult you get to order off of the adult menu? What am I missing??????

Yes, that is true. If you have a kid on the dining plan, the waiters will require your child to order the food off the kid's menu.

This thread is about paying OOP for your kids and using their credits for adults because right now Disney pools the credits and doesn't distiguish a difference between them. A loophole.

 

[jbbt]

Okay, so the score so far is:

(3+numerous) Disney employees TO 0 Dis'ers that can officially dispute it


Why don't you all believe that Disney could change this so called "loophole" if they wanted to? They just changed the snacks, didn't they? I know, I know, Bicker, you're going to say, "This is subject to change." Enough already, it is what it is today!! If it changes tomorrow so be it.

Is it even considered a loophole if it is a feature they are promoting?

 

[Pedler]

Not trying to
OK so with all the debate about using the child meal credits for adults to gain "extra" meals, I just had to share this.
We checked in for our first Disney experience last Monday (5/1) at POP. We had purchased DP. On check-in the very nice CM who was going over our reservation with us and explaining everything to us brought up our dining plan information. She was explaining everything about snacks/CS/TS which of course I had been lurking here for a couple of months and subscribed to TGM so I pretty much knew everything but was listening and nodding politely. Then she drops the bombshell on me.
"What a lot of people don't know is that Disney does not distinguish between a childs credits and an adults credits. You can actually just pay for your childs meals which is considerably cheaper and enjoy more CS and TS meals for your family." Did she actually just tell me this or has the ongoing debate just sprouted this audible hallucination?? I must have had a stupid look on my face because she said "We just try to let people know this so they can enjoy their plan all the more" I mumbled something about trying to keep that in mind.
It isn't something that I necessarily think is the proper thing to do, and we did not take part of this "little known secret". But what really bothered me, is this something she was approved to let me know??? I highly doubt it, I am sure Mickey likes his money to be in the black and not in the red. But it did tug at the back of my brain, especially as my daughter never ate a single of the meals she got, she wasnt feeling all that well the entire trip and plus I think the sensory overload left her not wanting to stop to eat. And I was thinking --man I could have been having an extra dinner at somewhere like Le Cellier. LOL But people who don't know any different and are getting this info from a CM what are they supposed to think but that this is OK? I almost feel as if I should call managment to let them know about it.
Has anyone else been given this kind of info from a CM???

Wow, you got more info than we did. When we checked in at WL last year I think they pretty much just handed us a bunch of documents and said nothing. Somewhere in there was the DDP info.

 

[Pedler]

Okay, so the score so far is:

(3+numerous) Disney employees TO 0 Dis'ers that can officially dispute it


Why don't you all believe that Disney could change this so called "loophole" if they wanted to? They just changed the snacks, didn't they? I know, I know, Bicker, you're going to say, "This is subject to change." Enough already, it is what it is today!! If it changes tomorrow so be it.

Is it even considered a loophole if it is a feature they are promoting?

The definitions are:

Its an allowed benefit if you believe the CM's that tell you to do this and you believe what happens in the real world.

Its a loophole if you think that it isn't fair / right that this exists and think that either Disney will close it at some time or it isn't a big enough problem for them to close. (Doesn't explain the CM's promoting it though.)

Its and abuse if you think there just isn't anyway this should be possible regardless of what Disney says or does or that even if Disney does allow it and encourage it you still shouldn't do this and it is wrong...well just because.

 

[Tidus]

JBBT-- I'm with you! It's so amazing that people get so bent out of shape about this. The Disney people are not in the dark about this. I don't think that a CM would put her/his job on the line by helping people "rip off" Disney. I've been in too many discussions about this topic, but I just wanted to say to JBBT

 

[keishashadow]

I've posted many times my exper w/plan when it was 1st introduced & we were verbally instructed on its usage (no brochures @ the time), wherein the credits were separated for A & C. At the very least it's now being used to great advantage by many parents of young children.

Just curious though...my son is on his last year as a "child" on the DP. He has adult tastes & in the past either I got stuck eating his child's meal & he mine or we used it as an appetizer & paid OOP for a "real" meal.

I know it's oh so morally wrong but, any reason he couldn't order off the adult menu if all credits are pooled? Will it be indicated on resort card...unless we were doing EMH, don't typically carry son's card around anyway since we have AP's?

 

[beattyfamily]

I've posted many times my exper w/plan when it was 1st introduced & we were verbally instructed on its usage (no brochures @ the time), wherein the credits were separated for A & C. At the very least it's now being used to great advantage by many parents of young children.

Just curious though...my son is on his last year as a "child" on the DP. He has adult tastes & in the past either I got stuck eating his child's meal & he mine or we used it as an appetizer & paid OOP for a "real" meal.

I know it's oh so morally wrong but, any reason he couldn't order off the adult menu if all credits are pooled? Will it be indicated on resort card...unless we were doing EMH, don't typically carry son's card around anyway since we have AP's?

Like I said in my previous post, if you have a child and paid for a child, the waiters will say that your child must order off the child menu.

You could, however, pay OOP for your child and save his/her credit toward an adult meal...that is what this thread is about; they (Disney) do not see the difference in the computer but on your cards it will say 2A and 1C if you are two adults and one child. So if you try and order 3 adult meals, they will tell you your child must order off the child's menu.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[PatMcDuck]

It made me smile, what that CM told you upon check in (to consider paying OOP for kids meals, to have more adult credits).

We were staying at Universal-- Hotel Royal Pacific, one room club level (concierge), the other a regular room. I figured we could all use the club room anyway (6 of us, I have 4 kids). A few days before, I felt weird about it, and called to ask if I could pay more for the 2 in the regular room to "officially" use the clubroom. The front desk clerk looked it up, said, "You are a Gold Member of Lowes, don't WORRY about it, we will take care of you!" So, with no guilt, we all used that club level for 2 days. They even gave us an extra key to it when we checked in..... So really, sometimes we all worry WAY too much about this stuff.

 

[keishashadow]

So WDW is limiting our "creativity"?

If the child looks to be adult age, do the servers now ask to see your room keys before you order or does this small detail pop up when you settle the bill?

Why is it ok to pay for child's TS meal OOP (or buy him an adult meal) & use his credit later for Mom or Dad...but, he can't order from adult menu using the plan & the same Adult meal we could utilize @ a later meal .

Either way WDW is still out an adult meal for child purchase amount. Is there an inherent difference I'm missing here?

Is it WDW's intent to churn more revenue by having parents pay OOP for child's meal(s) & increase overall dining revenue - diabolicial!

No flames intended...just bizarre IMO.

Like I said in my previous post, if you have a child and paid for a child, the waiters will say that your child must order off the child menu.

You could, however, pay OOP for your child and save his/her credit toward an adult meal...that is what this thread is about; they (Disney) do not see the difference in the computer but on your cards it will say 2A and 1C if you are two adults and one child. So if you try and order 3 adult meals, they will tell you your child must order off the child's menu.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[beattyfamily]

So WDW is limiting our "creativity"?

If the child looks to be adult age, do the servers now ask to see your room keys before you order or does this small detail pop up when you settle the bill?

Why is it ok to pay for child's TS meal OOP (or buy him an adult meal) & use his credit later for Mom or Dad...but, he can't order from adult menu using the plan & the same Adult meal we could utilize @ a later meal .

Either way WDW is still out an adult meal for child purchase amount. Is there an inherent difference I'm missing here?

Is it WDW's intent to churn more revenue by having parents pay OOP for child's meal(s) & increase overall dining revenue - diabolicial!

No flames intended...just bizarre IMO.

I agree with you that it is bizarre; I was just explaining the difference. I would feel pretty bad having paid for a child and then try and buy an adult meal for that child...but that's just me. I wouldnt attempt it since it does say on the card how many adults and children are on the plan.

Even with this generous loophole of pooling all the credits, some feel it isn't enough and try even harder to get even more out of Disney.

 

[fakereadhed]

The definitions are:

Its an allowed benefit if you believe the CM's that tell you to do this and you believe what happens in the real world.

Its a loophole if you think that it isn't fair / right that this exists and think that either Disney will close it at some time or it isn't a big enough problem for them to close. (Doesn't explain the CM's promoting it though.)

Its and abuse if you think there just isn't anyway this should be possible regardless of what Disney says or does or that even if Disney does allow it and encourage it you still shouldn't do this and it is wrong...well just because.

 

[HalfDozen]

More dining experiences = more tips = more time onsite = happier families = happier WDW = more income for WDW = more return trips for families

It all ends up working out in the end

 

[mlwear]

So WDW is limiting our "creativity"?

If the child looks to be adult age, do the servers now ask to see your room keys before you order or does this small detail pop up when you settle the bill?

Why is it ok to pay for child's TS meal OOP (or buy him an adult meal) & use his credit later for Mom or Dad...but, he can't order from adult menu using the plan & the same Adult meal we could utilize @ a later meal .

Either way WDW is still out an adult meal for child purchase amount. Is there an inherent difference I'm missing here?

Is it WDW's intent to churn more revenue by having parents pay OOP for child's meal(s) & increase overall dining revenue - diabolicial!

No flames intended...just bizarre IMO.

To provide information to question 1 with my experience, we were asked at most TS how old our children are before ordering. I do believe at all but one place (Sci Fi), we did mention that we were using the DP. One DS was 10 and the other 7. They did not ask to see our room key as proof. It was made clear that 7 year old had to order from kids' menu.