Did this truly change?

[guyzmom]

I heard that currently if you are going to use your DDP at a restaurant , you have to use it for everyone in your entire party. This was not the case when we had the free dining plan last fall. There is no way that I can eat an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Many times I just get soup or an appetizer when we eat out (I should be skinny - LOL). When we went, if it wasn't a buffet-type restaurant, we would just pay for whatever small thing I ordered out of pocket and save the credit for my husband to use at another meal. Can we no longer do this?

 

[pedro2112]

I heard that currently if you are going to use your DDP at a restaurant , you have to use it for everyone in your entire party.

Whomever gave you that information was incorrect.

Enjoy!

 

[Mermaid4me]

I just got off the phone with a CM at Disney Dining. He told me my oldest son, whom I paid for as an adult, could not share and I could not pay OOP for a childrens meal. He just turned 10 and eats nothing. I just thought sharing or paying OOP would be better. I would save his adult meal for another time. Since I am just saving his adult credit for a later adult meal, I thought this would be fine. ANy of you experts have any info???

Thanks!

Mermaid4me

Poly Apr 06
CR 05
ASMO 01
Offsite 86
CR 79

 

[formernyer]

guyzmom and mermaid4me - unless things have changed in the past two weeks (which i highly doubt), then you btoh received incorrect information.

guyzmom - you must purchase the plan for everyone in your party, but you don't have to all use credits at each meal.

mermaid4me - sharing is perfectly acceptable

 

[Lewisc]

You can't share at buffets or at all you care to eat restaurants which basically exclude all the character meals. You also can't share at dinner packages like FDP and at the dinner shows. Other than that sharing is fine.

The child's menu is limited to children 3-9. That said older children and even adults are generally allowed to order off the children's menu. There have been a (VERY FEW) posts where guests over 9 were charged extra, sometimes getting a larger portion, but I doubt you'll have any trouble ordering a kids meal for your 10 year old.

I just got off the phone with a CM at Disney Dining. He told me my oldest son, whom I paid for as an adult, could not share and I could not pay OOP for a childrens meal. He just turned 10 and eats nothing. I just thought sharing or paying OOP would be better. I would save his adult meal for another time. Since I am just saving his adult credit for a later adult meal, I thought this would be fine. ANy of you experts have any info???

Thanks!

Mermaid4me

Poly Apr 06
CR 05
ASMO 01
Offsite 86
CR 79

 

[Mermaid4me]

You can't share at buffets or at all you care to eat restaurants which basically exclude all the character meals. You also can't share at dinner packages like FDP and at the dinner shows. Other than that sharing is fine.

The child's menu is limited to children 3-9. That said older children and even adults are generally allowed to order off the children's menu. There have been a (VERY FEW) posts where guests over 9 were charged extra, sometimes getting a larger portion, but I doubt you'll have any trouble ordering a kids meal for your 10 year old.

Thanks so much Lewisc!!!! I was hoping that I was given incorrect info!!

Mermaid4me

 

[Mermaid4me]

guyzmom and mermaid4me - unless things have changed in the past two weeks (which i highly doubt), then you btoh received incorrect information.

guyzmom - you must purchase the plan for everyone in your party, but you don't have to all use credits at each meal.

mermaid4me - sharing is perfectly acceptable

Thanks to you too Formernyer! You all are so helpful.!!


Mermaid4me

 

[jjohnson]

guyzmom and mermaid4me - unless things have changed in the past two weeks (which i highly doubt), then you btoh received incorrect information.

guyzmom - you must purchase the plan for everyone in your party, but you don't have to all use credits at each meal.

mermaid4me - sharing is perfectly acceptable

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Disney suddenly changed the rules. Especially before the free dining promotion.

Last year when they announced the change in children's ages being lowered from 11 to 9, it happened very quickly.

 

[Lewisc]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Disney suddenly changed the rules. Especially before the free dining promotion.

Last year when they announced the change in children's ages being lowered from 11 to 9, it happened very quickly.

These are the same rules that were in effect last year during the free dining promotion. Lowering the children's age made since since Disney wanted the age for adult pricing to be the same for dining and tickets. Disney wasn't going to raise the age for child tickets and it didn't make sense to charge adult pricing for the meal plan if the child was going to be ordering child's meals.

I'm surprised Disney continues to combine credit attributed to adults and children more than a year after websites called this a way to use your kids "to print money". My guess is Disney doesn't see this as a problem as some of the posters.

 

[CuteKatCar]

I think we are one of the few families that eats everything. I feel like a pig when I read about those who can't eat everything on DDP. I'm 5'8, size 8, my DH is 5'11, size 33 pants, my girls are twigs. But we are big eaters. We all had no problem eating appy's, dinner and dessert. It is soooo worth the money for us , . I think free dining is the only reason my DH said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, if you see this skinny italian family at the table next to you, just pass that dessert over - I'll have no problem licking the plate for you

Anna

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

CuteKatCar you crack me up. Man I wish I had your metabolism! I love to eat to, but on me IT SHOWS!

 

[jjohnson]

These are the same rules that were in effect last year during the free dining promotion. Lowering the children's age made since since Disney wanted the age for adult pricing to be the same for dining and tickets. Disney wasn't going to raise the age for child tickets and it didn't make sense to charge adult pricing for the meal plan if the child was going to be ordering child's meals.

I'm surprised Disney continues to combine credit attributed to adults and children more than a year after websites called this a way to use your kids "to print money". My guess is Disney doesn't see this as a problem as some of the posters.

During the free dining plan last year they had to use a credit for everyone in the party & 10+ had to order off the adult menu? It makes sense, but I don't remember reading those rules anywhere.

 

[pedro2112]

During the free dining plan last year they had to use a credit for everyone in the party

No. If a CM suggested that, they were wrong.

10+ had to order off the adult menu?

That is the rule. However, enforcement of that rule is very inconsistent.

 

[Lewisc]

During the free dining plan last year they had to use a credit for everyone in the party & 10+ had to order off the adult menu? It makes sense, but I don't remember reading those rules anywhere.

I'm not convinced this is the rule today. I think 2 people posting having been told that at CM and that's about it. Maybe one or two posters reported that experience last year and maybe one poster recently said the same thing.

The menu says guests 10+ can't order off the kids menu, on or off the plan, but that really isn't enforced.

 

[jjohnson]

I'm not convinced this is the rule today. I think 2 people posting having been told that at CM and that's about it. Maybe one or two posters reported that experience last year and maybe one poster recently said the same thing.

The menu says guests 10+ can't order off the kids menu, on or off the plan, but that really isn't enforced.

I completely misread your post the other day. I thought you were stating that last year during the free DP they were requiring each guest to use a credit at every meal & wouldn't allow 10+ to order KM.