I'm not sure I follow. Why is having a guest comply with terms and conditions the plan is subject to being, "treated as a second-class guest"? AFAIK, Disney has never said that using the Dining Plan provides the "same" privileges as guests paying OOP -- indeed the brochure clearly explains many limitations and intimates that there can even be more limitations than are listed in the brochure.
That's just it -- it now seems there are terms and conditions that are not clear in the literature before you buy the plan. "Ah, almost. There're a few provisos, a couple of quid pro quos..."
What good are rules if someone can keep changing them after you are already playing the game?
No sharing with guests not on the plan, no sharing adult/child credits. These rules have been discussed at length, and are spelled out clearly in the brochure. But no sharing among your own party on the dining plan -- even though guests paying OOP are perfectly welcome to share? Uh, no. In fact the Dining Plan brochure states, "Use your meals and snacks in any order and
in any amount throughout your package stay until your total is depleted." Two guests at a table, per the rules, can order one TS meal, or 6 TS meals, it shouldn't matter.
Just to throw some numbers out there:
2 adult guests on DDP each use 1 TS, 1 CS, and 1 snack in a day, no sharing.
Cost: $39 per person, $78, including tax and tip.
2 adult guests paying OOP: eat bagels and PB in their room for breakfast. Share CS lunch combo + 1 extra beverage ($15). At dinner, share appetizer ($7), share dessert ($7), order 2 entrees ($30), 2 beverages ($4).
Cost: $75, including tax and tip.
2 adult guests on DDP, sharing some meals: 2 CS breakfasts. 1 TS lunch, shared, plus extra salad $5 and extra beverage $2. 1 TS dinner, shared, plus extra entree $15, extra beverage $2.
Cost: $39 per person, $78 -- PLUS $28 (including tax on $7 lunch and $17 dinner, and 18% tip on $17 dinner items) -- $106 total.
I must be missing something. How is the third scenario getting off "cheap" or trying to make the DDP "more of a deal"? How is the third scenario a financial detriment to Disney? Again, the whole sharing issue is a moot point for us since we aren't trying to bank credits for a signature meal (which can be a serious mistake financially, but that's another topic...) If anything, it's convinced me more than ever that it makes more sense for our vacation budget to just order 2 complete CS meals at breakfast/lunch and 2 complete TS meals at dinner, whether or not it's too much food. Makes a hella lot more sense than paying $28
more to get
less food so it won't be wasted
And then we won't tie up a TS restaurant with a lunch ADR, so it will be more accessible for the locals, I don't have to cook or clean up on my vacation or eat peanut butter sandwiches -- everybody's happy, right?