Exceptions to dining plan with autistic child?

[mamacass]

Will Disney make any exceptions to dining for a child with a disability? My 12 year old son with autism will probably not eat any meals in the parks with the possible exception of McDonald's. I hate the thought of paying full price for him when he won't be eating anything. We're not doing any character meals this time so that won't be an issue. I'm considering doing a Fantasmic dining package and am wondering if we'll have to pay full price for his meals. Any experience with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dclfun]

Were you asking about the dining plan or just the Fantasmic package? I know for the package if someone isn't eating, they will charge just an "entertainment fee". With the package though there will be a charge...someone else can use those meals though as they give you an allotment per person in your party to use as you please. ---Kathy

 

[mamacass]

Both - I would consider doing the dining plan but I don't want to pay $35+ per day for 7 days for an 11 year old who won't eat. For Fantasmic I wouldn't mind paying a fee for the seats.

 

[3kidsmommy]

I think I would call and ask someone...I just can't imagine that with all the children that pass through the doors of WDW that can't or don't eat (what about children totally on tube feedings??) that they can't make an exception and just get dining plan for you and dh. I would say that he has to have special premade food and that he will not be eating when you all are. Then, if you get McD's--switch it to another container (if that won't set him off--it might my son with autism) and voila! My ds won't eat much either and I HATE paying for him at the buffet's and such here in my town. WHY pay for a full buffet--even child's price--when all he will eat is maybe the ice cream. And only a very teeny amount of that. Finally, a manager listened to be at teh Golden Corral and now let's us bring Chandler in food...and lets him have his one small bowl of ice cream on the house!

 

[dclfun]

I also eat by tube feeding and was not able to get the dining plan removed for just myself. Instead, my family "shared" my meals and snacks and dined at some of the two-star restaurants several nights and the dinner show ( Hoop de Doo) one night to use up the sit-down meals. I wasn't charged to use my "meal" during the Hoop de Doo though. Since each person gets only one counter service meal per day, they were able to do both breakfast and lunch a few of the days to use up my "meals" that way too...still we ended up bringing home carryout food at the end- we got wraps and zebra domes from Mara at the AKLodge. ---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

I also eat by tube feeding and was not able to get the dining plan removed for just myself. Instead, my family "shared" my meals and snacks and dined at some of the two-star restaurants several nights and the dinner show ( Hoop de Doo) one night to use up the sit-down meals. I wasn't charged to use my "meal" during the Hoop de Doo though. Since each person gets only one counter service meal per day, they were able to do both breakfast and lunch a few of the days to use up my "meals" that way too...still we ended up bringing home carryout food at the end- we got wraps and zebra domes from Mara at the AKLodge. ---Kathy

Other people have reported the same thing as what Kathy is posting here.

It might help to think of the food not as "his meals" (which he mostly will not eat), but "food that someone else can eat" as Kathy mentioned.

 

[kdtwiss]

I understand completely - my ds eats next to nothing especially at WDW - where spaghetti is hard to come by. You could certainly use his points to splurge and go to HDDR maybe? Or other nicer 2TS credit places. Or - you could maybe remove his name from your ressie and buy his ticket separately? I do not really see the harm in that. You will be using the same room, buying the same ticket. Perhaps the dis would disagree but I do not know why.

 

[mamacass]

I need to do some more research to see if the dining plan would be of benefit to us and exactly how it works (with the points). Not counting my son, we will still have 3 adults so does that mean for each sit down meal we each get appetizer, entree and dessert? We are not big eaters by any stretch so I don't think we could ever eat that much food! Thanks for the input though!

 

[kdtwiss]

yes - at TS restaurants you each get that. I know people say they will not eat that much, but if you go to a buffet, or even a sit down meal, and a counter service as well in a day, there is no way you can lose money. One thing for sure food aint cheap at Disney! I would look at www.allearsnet.com where they have the menuse posted from each restautant along with prices to help you decide. Also - unfortunately you really need to plan your TS meals well ahead of time usually, so if that is not an option - you may be right about the dining plan!

 

[SueM in MN]

The DIS site has a restaurant menu database too.
This page should go to a page with a list of all the restaurants, or you can go to the restaurant search part of the page and look for restaurants by type, price, meal type or location.

 

[mamacass]

I called Disney Reservations and the CM suggested to take my son's name off the room reservation and purchase the dining plan and then when we arrive at check-in, tell them we will be adding someone to the room. That seems a little strange to me - won't they question adding someone to the room but not to the dining? Just trying to plan ahead!

 

[dj1cincy]

My son too has autism. We have been wdw many times. i find if you call ahead to most resturants they will make/find/prepare something for your child. many restaurants have burgers or fries. once there was nothing mine would eat and she found fries at a neighboring place, and this was at a character meal. they used charge a minor fee for anyone who wanted to go to dinner show but not eat.

 

[joanchris]

I don't know exactly how the dining plan works, but did consider it for us at one point during our planning, DD10 is 100% tube fed. Would it be possible, for example, to pay for the dining plan for 5 days, and stay for 7...thereby spreading out the credits, or would they expire at then end of 5 days? It would be interesting to hear, since if we go back while the dining plan is still around (not sure when we'd get back, but we LOVED IT there!).

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The rules for the dining plan are that it must be for all people on the reservation for the number of nights of the reservation. As DD is 10 she would be charged as an adult; for 5 nights you would get 15 credits of each type and for 7 nights 21 credits of each type (table service, counter service, and snack).

The credits become valid as soon as you check in and get your resort IDs. They expire at 11:59pm of the day you check out.

Let's say you were arriving early on a Saturday and leaving late the following Saturday. You would make two reservations. One would be for five nights (arrive Saturday and check out Thursday) which would get you 15 dining credits and include eight day tickets in the package. The other would be for two nights (with arrival on Thursday and check out Saturday). The dining credits would still be good all day Thursday and the tickets would be good until you left on Saturday. When you checked in the first time make sure they know you have linked reservations so you will not have to move on Thursday; all you will need to do is check out and immediately check in. Your original room keys will still have the dining and park access on them, and the new ones would be only for charging and actual entry into the room.

However I just got off the phone with Special Reservations and they said the easiest thing would be not not include her on the reservation. When you check in she can be added for a key and park tickets but would not be added for the dining plan.

 

[missypie]

I also eat by tube feeding and was not able to get the dining plan removed for just myself. Instead, my family "shared" my meals and snacks and dined at some of the two-star restaurants several nights and the dinner show ( Hoop de Doo) one night to use up the sit-down meals. I wasn't charged to use my "meal" during the Hoop de Doo though. Since each person gets only one counter service meal per day, they were able to do both breakfast and lunch a few of the days to use up my "meals" that way too...still we ended up bringing home carryout food at the end- we got wraps and zebra domes from Mara at the AKLodge. ---Kathy

Wow. Amazing that they wouldn't let you not be on the plan.