Meal allocation question

[amgodinich]

Question on meal allocation with the new version of the dining plan. We'll have 4 adults (Myself, my wife, my mother, and my 10 year old son) over 9 nights, so if we do the standard DDP we would have a total of 36 table service and 36 quick service credits over the course of our trip.

Are those credits put into one "pool" for the trip, or are they assigned to each individual in the room?

For example, if my wife and I wanted you do a few signature dining experiences while my mom and son ate quick service (so maybe by the end of the trip we used 22 TS meals and they used 14) would that be allowed?

Or are they tied to each individual - so my 10 year old would have to use all 9 of his table service credits?

 

[MinnieMSue]

since you are all adults they will be a pool of credits for the room and you can all use however you wish.
edit: I should add that they are supposed to be non transferrable but you can still use them all in the way you want to in your example.

 

[wezguycsu]

I have another question along these lines. We have 2 room reservations. My MIL is on one room and my family (2 adults 2 kids) is on the other. My MIL will not get the value out of the ddp, if she dines with us can we use some of our dining credits for her to eat with us or does she need to have her own plan?

 

[Mle8308]

I have another question along these lines. We have 2 room reservations. My MIL is on one room and my family (2 adults 2 kids) is on the other. My MIL will not get the value out of the ddp, if she dines with us can we use some of our dining credits for her to eat with us or does she need to have her own plan?

She has to have her own plan, meal credits can't be used for someone not on the DDP. For QS, especially if you use mobile ordering, you would be able to order her something, but not table service.

 

[honeymo78]

She has to have her own plan, meal credits can't be used for someone not on the DDP. For QS, especially if you use mobile ordering, you would be able to order her something, but not table service.

The only caveat for QS is that you won't be able to order more than 2 adult and 2 kid meals at a time. You don't have to only do mobile order for QS, we usually send just one person into the line to order if not using mobile order, and just one person places the order for the entire party.

 

[eticketplease]

The only caveat for QS is that you won't be able to order more than 2 adult and 2 kid meals at a time. You don't have to only do mobile order for QS, we usually send just one person into the line to order if not using mobile order, and just one person places the order for the entire party.

I don’t think that is a problem as they would be a party of 3 as the parents are doing TS.

The Grand parent would need a card/magic band from the OP’s room to pay at the counter and it would deduct 3 qs credits (1 adult and 2 children) from the parents DP.

 

[Genie+]

if she dines with us can we use some of our dining credits for her to eat with us or does she need to have her own plan?

Yes. When she dines with you, you’re free to pay for her meal with your DDP credits.

 

[wezguycsu]

Yes. When she dines with you, you’re free to pay for her meal with your DDP credits.

I guess for clarification between my wife and I we only plan to use about 9 sit down meal credits(of a possible 14 for our ddp). We wanted to know if for my MIL if we could expense some of those credits on her? My case might be a unique one and for that maybe the ddp wouldn’t work for us. Thanks everyone for your input

 

[lanejudy]

Yes. When she dines with you, you’re free to pay for her meal with your DDP credits.

I thought that was changed this year? You can't (technically) pay for another person not in your party/on your DDP. In OP's example, G'ma and kid can use the QS credits while Mom+Dad use TS. But the whole party (4 people) cannot use more than 3 credits for a meal when they all dine together.

 

[lanejudy]

I guess for clarification between my wife and I we only plan to use about 9 sit down meal credits(of a possible 14 for our ddp).

If you really don't think you'll be using your dining credits, I'd seriously consider not booking the dining plan. Yes, it's convenient, but so is putting that value on a gift card (or splitting it on 2 gift cards) to pay with that. If you have a "free dining" package, consider whether a different offer (maybe room-only) would give you a better deal for your needs.

 

[Mle8308]

I thought that was changed this year? You can't (technically) pay for another person not in your party/on your DDP. In OP's example, G'ma and kid can use the QS credits while Mom+Dad use TS. But the whole party (4 people) cannot use more than 3 credits for a meal when they all dine together.

You are right. TS meals definitely cannot be shared with those not on the DDP, there is specific language on the DDP info site about that. It's a change from before.

 

[eticketplease]

I thought that was changed this year? You can't (technically) pay for another person not in your party/on your DDP. In OP's example, G'ma and kid can use the QS credits while Mom+Dad use TS. But the whole party (4 people) cannot use more than 3 credits for a meal when they all dine together.

Another change I was not aware of lol…

I would also go the gc route if you could.

Grandma can charge to her room and then you can pay her room off with the giftcard at the resort so you don’t have to worry about who has the GC or if you have multiple cards that it has enough funds loaded

 

[honeymo78]

I don’t think that is a problem as they would be a party of 3 as the parents are doing TS.

The Grand parent would need a card/magic band from the OP’s room to pay at the counter and it would deduct 3 qs credits (1 adult and 2 children) from the parents DP.

The question was phrased "if she dines with us"

My MIL will not get the value out of the ddp, if she dines with us can we use some of our dining credits for her to eat with us or does she need to have her own plan?

If they are all eating QS together, they can't order 5 meals at once. If parents are eating separately, then no issue other than making sure grandparent has a card/magic band for the room with the DP.

 

[Genie+]

I thought that was changed this year? You can't (technically) pay for another person not in your party/on your DDP. In OP's example, G'ma and kid can use the QS credits while Mom+Dad use TS. But the whole party (4 people) cannot use more than 3 credits for a meal when they all dine together.

Hmm, I did not know that. I saw where DDP says:

“Meals are nontransferable between party members and expire at midnight on day of checkout”

I figured this was in regard to swapping child and adult credits, but maybe there’s more to it?


They also state this:

“As a reminder, unused meals and snacks will roll over day to day and expire at midnight on day of checkout.”

So at least they’re still allowing flexibility with the credits.

 

[SteveMouse]

The question was phrased "if she dines with us"

If they are all eating QS together, they can't order 5 meals at once. If parents are eating separately, then no issue other than making sure grandparent has a card/magic band for the room with the DP.

That's still against the rule of using DDP credits for people not on the plan. Grandma still isn't a member of the DDP pool "party." The DDP party is a group of specific named users, not just a headcount of people.

 

[Genie+]

How are they enforcing this? I remember in the past usually the server asked if we were on DDP from the start. Is this when they’re saying only a certain amount of credits may be used? QS seems more challenging - if I personally want 2 lobster rolls at CCH, the order won’t go through if there’s 1 more meal ordered than our room occupancy?

 

[honeymo78]

That's still against the rule of using DPP credits for people not on the plan. Grandma still isn't a member of the DDP pool "party."

Yes, technically, but if you order 2 adult QS meals, and have at least 2 adults on the plan, Disney isn't policing who actually consumes those meals.

 

[honeymo78]

How are they enforcing this? I remember in the past usually the server asked if we were on DDP from the start. Is this when they’re saying only a certain amount of credits may be used? QS seems more challenging - if I personally want 2 lobster rolls at CCH, the order won’t go through if there’s 1 more meal ordered than our room occupancy?

I'm guessing the transaction won't go through if you are trying to use more credits at one time than you have participants on the plan.

 

[eticketplease]

The question was phrased "if she dines with us"

If they are all eating QS together, they can't order 5 meals at once. If parents are eating separately, then no issue other than making sure grandparent has a card/magic band for the room with the DP.

Yup I replied base on the op post below. sorry about that.

For example, if my wife and I wanted you do a few signature dining experiences while my mom and son ate quick service (so maybe by the end of the trip we used 22 TS meals and they used 14) would that be allowed?

I guess it ultimately doesn’t matter since they no longer allow using it as you want. I mean ultimately you paid for it whether it was “free” or not. Not sure how they would crack down on it but it’s not something that I’m willing to test. Rack rate with free dining no thanks.

 

[SteveMouse]

I'm guessing the transaction won't go through if you are trying to use more credits at one time than you have participants on the plan.

And wouldn't be hard to have a 15 minute lockout similar to RFID limits on the refillable cups.