Shame on Disneys Dining Plan !!!!

[PrincessTrisha]

I want to bring my pet aardvark can I add him to the DDP? What do you mean no? Thats horrible customer service!!

Put a dress on it, buy it a ticket and call it a 3 year old then you can buy the DDP for your aardvark

(sorry my attempt at humour).

I agree wholeheartedly with your entire post.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Im sorry this is HILARIOUS! This has NOTHING to do with disney's customer service. The system will not allow some people to be on DDP and some not. Its an OPTION!! If you dont like it or it doesnt work for you, DONT USE IT!!!!


My grandma is 102 and eats like a mouse, can I pay for the childs DDP for her? What do you mean no? Thats horrible customer service! I want to bring my pet aardvark can I add him to the DDP? What do you mean no? Thats horrible customer service!!

How bout this- My wife is in a wheelchair so we may only park hop once or twice can I just pay $20 for parkhopping? What do you mean thats not possible! Thats horrible customer service!!

Get over yourself. Millions of people go to Disney every year with worse medical conditions and somehow manage to make it work

 

[Missytara]

I agree; when did it become Disney's problem that your daughter had gastric bypass surgery?

My mom had to go gluten free a few years ago; she went with me on a cruise, which included the cost of her food. Her choices were limited, but we worked around it. It wasn't NCL's fault my mom suddenly had to go gluten free...she is learning to live in the real world with her inability to consume certain types of food - perhaps your daughter should do the same.

If one person expects them to "bend" the rules, then the whole world would; and where would we be - everyone would be living by their own rules.

Somewhere we have to draw the line and learn to live by the rules.

 

[mbanks21]

Put a dress on it, buy it a ticket and call it a 3 year old then you can buy the DDP for your aardvark

(sorry my attempt at humour).

I agree wholeheartedly with your entire post.

This is what happened when I told Artie he couldnt get the DDP:

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

We rarely use the dining plan, and on one trip I came down with gastroenteritis 8 hours after arriving in WDW. For the rest of the trip (once I got out of celebration hospital), it was gatorade and crackers. The rest of the family had to eat up all the credits that I couldn't use.

This is not Disney's fault (although I do wish they could maybe spray people with disinfectant after they walk out of the bathrooms without washing their hands).

I look at the dining plan more from the standpoint that you're buying a certain number of meals for the stay, some of the party may use more of them than others. I don't look at it as an individual reservation.

It's a pool of meals, how you draw from it is up to you as a group.

 

[ma2jr]

It's just one of those things that's either or... kind of like a plane ticket, you can't ask for standing room only.

 

[snykymom]

I'm staying for 6 days. My d is joining me on Day 2 and leaving on Day 4. Guess what? Disney won't allow me to buy the DDP only for myself. Or add my d to the dining plan for only those 2 nights. And my rationale is just as good as the OP's - they know when my d is coming and going based on her ME reservation. Isn't that terrible customer service???

Uh, no. I'm just not buying the dining plan. Simple.

 

[focusondisney]

I agree that the dining plan is an option, if it doesn't work for your party, don't buy it. I don't agree that gastric bypass should require a special exception from Disney. It is becoming more common, & many more peaple would look for this exception

As far as Disney calling to "verify" a dr's note, besides the cost of this there are also confidentiality & "HIPPA" laws to deal with.

I get EXTREMELY motion sick.I have no control over this. I don't go on certain attractions @ Disney, even if the rest of my party does. I don't ask Disney to prorate my admission. I go, pay my money & enjoy what I can. If you want to buy the optional dining plan, pay your money & enjoy what food you can. JMHO

 

[RMulieri]

Im sorry this is HILARIOUS! This has NOTHING to do with disney's customer service. The system will not allow some people to be on DDP and some not. Its an OPTION!! If you dont like it or it doesnt work for you, DONT USE IT!!!!


My grandma is 102 and eats like a mouse, can I pay for the childs DDP for her? What do you mean no? Thats horrible customer service! I want to bring my pet aardvark can I add him to the DDP? What do you mean no? Thats horrible customer service!!

How bout this- My wife is in a wheelchair so we may only park hop once or twice can I just pay $20 for parkhopping? What do you mean thats not possible! Thats horrible customer service!!

Get over yourself. Millions of people go to Disney every year with worse medical conditions and somehow manage to make it work

 

[eliza61]

When people vent here I actually often think they're unreasonable and I tend to agree with Disney's decisions. In this case though I'm completely on your side, they should've made an exception.

I know it's not at all the same thing but I've got food allergies and luckily with only 1 exception (Garden Grill, don't go there with food allergies, or at all unless you like incredibly rude people. HORRIBLE!!) they're always very helpful and accommodating.

I'm going to side with disney on this one (and you guys know I have been a big critic of the mouse this year). Consider the ramifications Fantasmiss, you make an exception here, then you have to make an exception some where else and before you know it how many exceptions do you have to make. Think of how many people are using the dining plan? Disney has a hard enough time getting the situations right when no exceptions are being made.

Sorry, op
You have other options. The ddp is not a necessity.

 

[BriarRosie]

I just need to vent. My DD just had gastric by-pass surgery not to long ago so she is limited on what she can eat and how much, So I called DVC to ask if just my DW and I could be on the dining plan and not my DD with a note from her doctor. I was told No. I was told the ONLY way this could be done was take DD off the ressie (no room key no magical express no extra magic hours) needless to say DW and I are very upset by this. It's not like we were asking for a free meal plan.As DVC members and Passholders we feel that our issue was just brushed away.Are the days of trying to make the guest happy gone?? Anyway thanks for letting us/me vent.

Solution:

Buy the Tables in Wonderland discount card. Save yourself the cost of tips at every table service restaurant, as long as you believe you're spending $375 or more at TS restaurants over the course of your vacation, in total.

You'd be paying the tips on the DDP, and on TiW, they're pretty much covered by the discount. The added bonus is that your DD can order an appetizer as her meal, for portion control, and you don't get appetizers on the DDP.

 

[yrdlyprincess]

If Disney would "accomidate" everyones "needs"/wants then why can't I get this or that...the dinig option is just that an option - I get WHY you don't need it for your daughter but as for as I remeber it has been there policy to have everyone on the same "thing" in the room. I would call or write if you are that upset...

 

[ppony]

It's just one of those things that's either or... kind of like a plane ticket, you can't ask for standing room only.

YET! I read an article on CNN a few weeks back talking about airlines thinking about exactly that!

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

There is no reason for an exception to be made - purchasing the dining plan is not a requirement. If the plan does not meet the OP's needs, which is sounds like it does not in this circumstance, then don't purchase it.

AGREED !!

The Dining Plan is not required - it is optional

Regardless of how logical an exception seems - it opens the door to individual interpretations as to what qualifies and what does not qualify for an exception

If the Dining Plan doen't work for you don't use it.

 

[letthewookiewin]

I just need to vent. My DD just had gastric by-pass surgery not to long ago so she is limited on what she can eat and how much, So I called DVC to ask if just my DW and I could be on the dining plan and not my DD with a note from her doctor. I was told No. I was told the ONLY way this could be done was take DD off the ressie (no room key no magical express no extra magic hours) needless to say DW and I are very upset by this. It's not like we were asking for a free meal plan.As DVC members and Passholders we feel that our issue was just brushed away.Are the days of trying to make the guest happy gone?? Anyway thanks for letting us/me vent.

When it comes to going against their own well documented policy it has nothing to do with making customers happy. It's not that I don't understand your situation. Quite the opposite actually since I have been in the same situation. My DH had surgery 6 months before our WDW. Although it wasn't the by-pass, but the lap band, it still drastically reduced what he could eat. I was told the same thing, and we just didn't do the dining plan.

 

[Tinkerbella001]

I admit that I haven't read all 5 pages of this thread, so I apologize if someone else suggested this. If you feel the ddp is the best option for your family...you could go ahead and add her to the DDP, and use her credits (esp. snacks and CS) for yourselves. This would mean no oop expenses for yourselves, and just pay oop for anything she might be able to eat. But if you are doing character meals, etc, understand that you are paying for the experience as well. So even if she doesn't eat much, she will still enjoy the time spent. Also, choose options that will keep well. Save it for later!!

From what I understand, Disney can't change this anyway. It has to be the entire room, there is no way to only do it to part.

 

[brymolmom]

I'm siding with Disney on this one too. For anyone who's ever worked in customer service, you would know that even with the best, top-notch, bend-over-backwards customer service you WILL NOT make every customer happy (at least not while remaining profitable).

Yes, Disney would remain profitable by giving into this one request of the OP. However, then they'd have to make exceptions for:
- People with food allergies who can only eat 1/4 of the menu options to beign with - shouldn't pay full price
- Vegetarians - same as above
- Special needs people who can't eat any food or only very specific foods - Dining plan wouldn't work well for these people either (autistic, those with feeding tubes, my 4 year old nephew who has Down Syndrome and can only eat baby food consistencies)

Maybe after the tens of thousands of Disney customers who fall into these categories (and the many various other 'special' considerations) - then they might see a dent in profits from all the red tape surrounding the special treatment.

Many Disney 'options' don't work well for our family, I simply choose not to do them. Park-hopping, for example - we wouldn't utilize much - so I just don't purchase it.

 

[catne]

DW and I would like to thank everyone for their input on this matter. You have given us differnt directions to look at and also helped us vent. Thanks again.

For all who are still reading & trying to get in on jumping the OP...please note he came back on with this thread a long, long time ago...it's at top of page 3...judging from the wording of his post, it seems pretty obvious that his family has recovered from the venting process & moved on....

Where's that beating-a-dead-horse smilie when you need it

 

[justhat]

I never do the dining plan and likely never will, but I don't understand why, in a medical necessity situation, they can't exclude someone from the dining plan. Either the excluded person won't be eating, which is fine as they didn't pay for the dining plan, or they'll pay out of pocket for whatever they get. They can't somehow gain 'free' credits or anything, so I don't see how Disney loses out.

Maybe cause I've never used it, but can someone explain the problem? I don't mean with the policy needing to be broken, I get that, I'm more interested in *why* that needs to be the policy. We've met with friends in WDW who were on the dining plan (seperate room from us) and eaten meals with them. They used their DP credits, we used our TiW card and that was that. No issues or anything. So why wouldn't it be the same way if, in the OP's example, she and her husband got the DP and the daughter paid OOP for her meals?

Again, I totally get Disney's statement that it is their policy and I'm not saying they should make exceptions, change things, whatever. I'm just wondering if there is a legitimate reason for the policy to be that way in the first place (other than just simplicity).

 

[kaytieeldr]

I never do the dining plan and likely never will, but I don't understand why, in a medical necessity situation, they can't exclude someone from the dining plan. Either the excluded person won't be eating, which is fine as they didn't pay for the dining plan, or they'll pay out of pocket for whatever they get.

Again, the one standard condition across all three ways to get the/any Dining Plan is that all persons on the reservation must obtain the same Dining Plan for all nights of the reservation. Period. Disney has never, in over four and a half years, made an exception to this condition.

And, again, there is no requirement to participate in the Dining Plan. It's an option. If the Dining Plan doesn't 'work' for one's party, or one's dining style/habits/requirements, there is NO need to participate in it. Period. It'll be cheaper for the OP's family to just pay out of pocket for all food.