Your secret revealed about the disney dining plan

[Steph9072]

subscribing.

Me 2

 

[thunderbird1]

My best tip is to purchase at least a snack before you leave your resort for the 1st time. The CM that checked us in didn't activate the DDP on our keys! We didn't discover it until the next day at CS lunch at Cosmic Rays. We checked in went straight to Chef Mickey's for dinner then the next morning we went to CRT...no problems either place THEN when it was time for lunch none of our cards worked so we had to pay for our lunch OOP! Luckily I had the dining # in my cell phone...they told me that the TS places will "force" the dining plan thru but the CS places will not. The only way to remedy the situation was to get new keys at the front desk of our resort...guest services at the park could not help us with this. We didn't go back to our resort then for dinner we went to LTT and it took literally 30 mintues for them to settle our check...they had to call POP to make sure our cards were valid. We got new keys that night!!

From now on I will go purchase a snack at the food court BEFORE we leave the resort for a full day at the parks!!

(I'm guessing you paid OOP for for CM's and CRT?) This is a great tip that we'll definitely use.

We're staying at POFQ, and my dh and kids will be heartbroken to hear that we have to have an order of beignets before heading to DTD for dinner. "No dinner until you've had your beignets!"

 

[themarquis]

We discovered after "hurting ourselves" really badly during the first half of our free DDP trip last year, that it is amazingly wonderful to "eat light".

Okay, I admit it, normally we are pigs, especially when it concerns "free food". But ... you just can't eat steaks and burgers and crap all day if you're going to be running around the park ... it'll put you in a "food coma".

The great thing about the DDP is that if you try to eat "lighter", you can eat much fancier and more delicious food! We went to a lot of 2-credit restaurants and split meals there. At places like the california grill, you can dine in style and leave full without being comatose. And if you split a lot of meals, you end up pretty much using the same number of credits, even if you are dining at really fancy places. When we went out, I ordered a lot of fish and seafood, which is a lot less heavy than steaks and stuff like that. GF is vegetarian, so we had lots of delicious pizzas, flatbreads, and salads.

We also discovered some great places to eat "lighter" CS, too. We both loved collumbia harbor house (tuna or hummus sandwiches on tasty whole grain bread with a side of soup) and Sunshine Seasons (they have an awesome roasted beet and goat cheese salad). I also liked the tusker house salmon with rice pilaf.

Another tip I can think of is to use a couple of snack credits early on to get large packages of snacks (like chips, donuts, snack mix, candy, etc.) at the hotel's food court. Then you always have something around if you're starving, or for a quick breakfast in the hotel. Then you can save up other snack credits for "special " things like dole whips! I think the last DDP trip we took, we ended up with a bunch at the end, and GF used them on a "spree" at goofy's candy company. I guess I figure that spending one credit for a giant box of donuts enough for breakfast for a week and then getting stuff at the candy company is a better use of credits than using them all up b/c you're starving in the morning or something and have to buy a crappy pastry.

 

[arizonacolbys]

We LOVE using our snack credits at Goofy's Candy Company! We usually go there twice on our trips & we try to go early on to get some yummy snacks made - we love the made to order chocolate covered pretzel rods, mickey rice krispie treats & giant Oreos - they are each worth a snack credit & a fun snack to keep munching on in your room all week.

While on the Dining Plan, we found with just the two of us, that we were never very hungry between meals - 2 apps, 2 meals & 2 desserts is a lot of food for us at the sit downs. So, when you combine that with one counter service a day, we hardly ate snacks in the afternoons. We have learned to maybe use some of our snack credits on bottled water, etc, since we had trouble using them all up.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'll be using signature dining. That will use up the TS credits without having to eat so much food. I use the snack credits for Diet Coke.

 

[thunderbird1]

Here's one I just remembered from someone else, that is especially good if you have picky kids. At the (McDonald's) Refreshment Port in Epcot, near Canada, one CS credit will get you a 10 piece McNugget meal with fries, a soda and a McFlurry. This could easily be split between two (or three) young kids. Then mom and dad can get a CS lunch somewhere else in WC, where the kids would not normally want to eat.

 

[Treacle44]

Here's one I just remembered from someone else, that is especially good if you have picky kids. At the (McDonald's) Refreshment Port in Epcot, near Canada, one CS credit will get you a 10 piece McNugget meal with fries, a soda and a McFlurry. This could easily be split between two (or three) young kids. Then mom and dad can get a CS lunch somewhere else in WC, where the kids would not normally want to eat.

Is McDonald's still at WDW then, thought they were getting rid of them?

T
x

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

These are great tips! Thanks! I especially like the Boulangerie CS tip!

Does anyone know if snack credits are going to be applicable towards F&WF items? I know they were in the past, but what about 2007?


Ms. H

 

[PatriciaH]

The great thing about the DDP is that if you try to eat "lighter", you can eat much fancier and more delicious food! We went to a lot of 2-credit restaurants and split meals there. At places like the california grill, you can dine in style and leave full without being comatose. And if you split a lot of meals, you end up pretty much using the same number of credits, even if you are dining at really fancy places. When we went out, I ordered a lot of fish and seafood, which is a lot less heavy than steaks and stuff like that. GF is vegetarian, so we had lots of delicious pizzas, flatbreads, and salads.

Sounds good. We are thinking of doing a 3 night over Labor Day weekend. When you go to a signature restaurant like CG or Jiko do you just tell them you will be splitting 1 TS meal? Thanks!

 

[burberryplaid]

Sounds good. We are thinking of doing a 3 night over Labor Day weekend. When you go to a signature restaurant like CG or Jiko do you just tell them you will be splitting 1 TS meal? Thanks!

I thought you couldn't split meals anymore? I believe I heard this on the WDW Today podcast..but I could be mistaken. Also, the Dining Plan FAQ at the top of this thread indicates that in most cases they won't let you split a meal anymore. Someone correct me if I am mistaken.

 

[bicker]

Hmm... I'm pretty sure that FAQ does NOT say that.

 

[Mnchknbrat1982]

I'm pretty sure I have heard that WDW Dining won't let you split ts meals if you are on the dining plan.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I've never used the DDP before, but this is how DM and I are planning on using our credits. Get a box of doughnuts for breakfasts in the room, (two boxes should last us for the whole week.) And buy refillable mugs. That could be our breakfast everyday. Unless we do one CS breakfast at Main St. Bakery, which I'm tempted to do. And we have a breakfast at CP one morning, that will be OOP.

For lunches, we'll be doing something a little more confusing. We'll split an early CS lunch (between 10:00 and 11:00ish,) have an early TS dinner, (all ADRs are between 4:00 and 5:40 PM,) and then split another CS meal later in the day 10:00.

I don't think we'll have a problem using up our snack credits since we'll be there during the Food and Wine Festival.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I learned a lot last time.

Number one regret is that I did not get an iced tea with my snack points when I really, really wanted one. We had loads left over at the end of the trip. I bought lots of lollipops to give to my reading group but it was far more than I needed.

We split many a counter serve meal just to have a little something without ruining dinner or getting too sick to enjoy the parks. Sometimes we had two small meals that way and got to try more foods.

I trolled the DIS boards and found reviews for things that sounded interesting and I ordered completely different TS meals for each of us and we shared. If we were full, we stopped eating.

We never once took into account how much the food cost. It seemed silly to eat things we did not want just because they cost more.

We planned many of our TS meals for the hottest part of the day to avoid the heat and save more time for rides and such in the evening hours while everyone else was eating.

Your mileage might vary.

Slightly Goofy

 

[burberryplaid]

Hmm... I'm pretty sure that FAQ does NOT say that.

Can I share meals?
Recently, this question has been asked directly to Disney by a number of guests and the answer has often been a bit unclear, but generally has been negative. In several cases, Disney has answered this question by saying specifically that, "sharing is not permitted." In the past, guests seem to have been allowed to share the meals ordered on the Dining Plan amongst the guests at your table, with the exception of fixed price meals, such as buffets or other all-you-can-eat options. At this time, it is not clear as to whether Guest Communications is putting out a valid or invalid policy, since our sources in Disney Dining say unofficially that there is no "no sharing" policy.

Maybe I am misunderstanding..but this is the part of the FAQ I am refering to. I guess the correct term would be "sharing" as opposed to "splitting" If anyone cares to clarify, I'd appreciate it. Obviously you can easily share a CS meal because you take it to your table and do what you will with it, but that's totally different than sharing at a TS. I guess I shouldn't have said "you can't share anymore" because maybe you never really could..although I am pretty sure I have read that people did it but again..so much info is out there, I could be wrong on that too.

 

[bicker]

Also, the Dining Plan FAQ at the top of this thread indicates that in most cases they won't let you split a meal anymore. Someone correct me if I am mistaken.

Hmm... I'm pretty sure that FAQ does NOT say that.

Maybe I am misunderstanding..but this is the part of the FAQ I am refering to....

I think you are misunderstanding. That quote from the FAQ very clearly says, "it is not clear as to whether Guest Communications is putting out a valid or invalid policy..." and that, "In the past, guests seem to have been allowed to share the meals ordered on the Dining Plan amongst the guests at your table, with the exception of fixed price meals, such as buffets or other all-you-can-eat options."

You mentioned "in most cases" -- in most cases guests asking the question, "Is sharing permitted?" are being told no by Guest Communications, and in most cases guests asking the question, "Is sharing permitted?" are being told yes by their own server at the restaurant itself -- effectively the policy is being waived in (almost?) every restaurant by (almost?) every server.

I'm going to try to reword the FAQ a bit more, to see if I can reduce the confusion a bit.

 

[LizAgna]

(I'm guessing you paid OOP for for CM's and CRT?) This is a great tip that we'll definitely use.

We're staying at POFQ, and my dh and kids will be heartbroken to hear that we have to have an order of beignets before heading to DTD for dinner. "No dinner until you've had your beignets!"

No, we had no idea that there was a problem with our cards until we tried to purchase a CS meal. From what I understand the TS restaurants will either call the resort to verify the DDP or they will "force" the credits thru. I wish someone at CM would have told us because we could have stopped by the desk at Pop for new cards that night.

 

[iluvdisnee]

Never even had a server blink an eye. If I have room in my fanny pack I'll put a piece there, but generally I just hang on to it when we leave. Once a guest has removed food from the serving area, they cannot put it back.

OK I know this is probably not good etiquette but once when Crystal Palace had a whole pineapple on the fruit display my Brother In law took it and walked out with it! He got a strange look or two but Not ONE CM said a word! We all kinda hung back like "We dont know this guy and who is he and where did he come from?" But later that week we sliced it up and it was yummy. So YES you can leave with the fruit off of the buffet! We always snatch a banana or an apple and put it in our bags. The pineapple was a bit much, but he did it to see if they would say anything! LOL

 

[Diznut84]

My DD12 and I are the early risers. We get up early, eat a donut and milk in the room (provided by snack credits), arrive at the park at opening, go on a bunch of rides until about 11am, grab an early, slow, casual lunch, and then return to the resort to swim just as the huge crowds arrive at the parks.

Meanwhile, my wife and DD9 sleep in late, grab a donut and milk, and head on down to the pool where they eat their early lunch.

We then meet up for an afternoon swim, then a nap (adults) or some TV (kids). We then go together to the parks in the late afternoon/early evening, grab a fastpass, eat a quality TS meal, grab another fastpass, go on a ride, watch a show, and go another ride. Brief shopping and time to go back!

Repeat 13 times!

It has been the perfect plan for us!

 

[beachgrl001]

OK I know this is probably not good etiquette but once when Crystal Palace had a whole pineapple on the fruit display my Brother In law took it and walked out with it! He got a strange look or two but Not ONE CM said a word! We all kinda hung back like "We dont know this guy and who is he and where did he come from?" But later that week we sliced it up and it was yummy. So YES you can leave with the fruit off of the buffet! We always snatch a banana or an apple and put it in our bags. The pineapple was a bit much, but he did it to see if they would say anything! LOL

Living near the casinos in AC I have been to their buffets several times I have seen people sneak out with cookies and other small pieces of fruit but never a whole pineapple so what did he carry it around all day? I can imagine this guy walking around MGK all day holding his pineapple.