Disney On to Possible Cheaters

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I remember some time ago a discussion somewhere on the boards that some unscrupulous people might in theory "add" a phantom person onto their reservation, thereby gaining more meals for the cost of a one-day ticket. Thankfully Disney seems to have consisdered this possibility. We made a slight change to our reservation and I just received the confirmation in the mail. There is a new line added, which was not on our original confirmation: "Please note: Your reservation includes Disney Dining Plan components. In order to claim these components, all members of your party must be present at check-in or your reservation will be modified." Go Disney!

I just got my paid reservation papers in the mail yesterday. I saw that on my papers and just smiled, thinking of all the discussions on this board lately.

I don't know about the rest of the people on the free dining plan, but I intend to stick to the rules.................MY FAMILY IS EATING FOR FREE FOR 11 DAYS!! If they need to see BIRTH CERTIFICATES, FINE! If they need a couple viles of blood........FINE! If I have to force my 6 yr old to eat chilled chicken and PB&J, FINE! (not really, I'm not worried about what he is going to eat. We'll take care of it) Are you kidding? We eat free for 11 days and I won't have TO COOK!!

Actually, I won't have to cook for 14 days if you count travel days.........I've been married 21 years and that's NEVER HAPPENED! Oh, thank you God! (and I LOVE to cook, can you imagine how I'd feel if I didn't)

 

[n2mm]

They would make it a kid and no additional cost (1 day park ticket only) since the dining is free and the kid is free too. I believe they are betting on the pooling of the kids credits to get more TS and treat others not on the plan or do 2 TS meals.

Wow, I guess that is possible. Think about it, hubby could check in and the wife could sit on a bench near a couple of kids. Give the kids a dollar and tell them to wave at the nice man at the counter when he waves at them. He turns and waves, so the wife and the 2 kids wave at the man and the CM thinks we are one big happy family.....too funny. Hopefully I didn't just give someone an idea!!!

I've done the dining plan several times, and I'm hoping we can just get through 4 days of dining, just 2 adults. It's always a struggle to use up the CS credits for us, but we're up for the challenge.

 

[gigi1313]

Are you kidding? We eat free for 11 days and I won't have TO COOK!!

OR DO DISHES!!! that's the part that *I* am looking forward to

 

[ElizabethB]

DH laughed when I told him that adding phantom people to the reservation was the latest free dining trick. He said how do people think of these things? I guess that's why we're not rich.

Nonetheless, we have two adorable 10 year olds (yes, adult credits!) for rent if you need them at check in (just kidding)!

Even though the free dining scam is not something I'd do, I will say one thing: IMO, any company that paid its CEO over $500 million annually in years when the stock was going nowhere does not have much right to cry foul with respect to anything! Just my 2 cents.

 

[ZPT1022]

I don't really know any CMs (unofficial) stance on the issue (hey, ask 10 CMs and you'll probably get 10 interpertations of the rules, right?) so I'm simply offering information, hoping it might help...

If DH is flying to MCO on an eTicket, is it possible to obtain a copy of his eReceipt? The eReceipt would show his flight itinerary, including departure/arrival airports, dates and times. Possibly this might serve as evidence you're not trying to defraud the system (and I'm not trying to say that you might be either) and allow you to get all the check-in "stuff" done all at once?

It's just a thought...

Good point! Sometimes the obvious answer is the last one you think of- ooops! I am really hoping for no hassles, but bringing an extra piece of paper is nothing in the grand scheme of how much we pack, and if it saves the headache of being denied check in, it will be well worth it. Thanks!

 

[Nancyg56]

Doesn't everyones ticket in your party have to match? I thought you couldn't buy a 1-day for 1 person and 5 day for someone else.

This is true. My niece was not sure that she could stay with us the entire time. I was told that her package needed to match mine, and we have 6 days 5 nights. The CM did check with her supervisor as to her arrival time, she does not need to be with at checkin. She said that perhaps it would be different if we had a child who was not presented at checkin.

 

[Delaware Mike]

The CM did check with her supervisor as to her arrival time, she [niece] does not need to be with at checkin. She said that perhaps it would be different if we had a child who was not presented at checkin.

...interesting choice of words by the CM.

 

[4mcbjCtr]

It is so funny that all these CMs are giving exceptions to the rule that is written. It states right on your reservation paperwork that if you have the DDP and all members of your party aren't there for check-in that your reservation will be modified. Disney can't seem to stick to their ground on anything. No wonder it is so easy to scam them.

 

[bicker]

Indeed. Handling customers, in general, is a little like handling nitro-glycerine. You want to make sure that you contain it well, but agitating it in order to get it to behave maturely isn't a good approach. Disney needs to be outline the rules, and then it should be able to reasonable to expect that the vast majority of guests will comply. I believe that the vast majority of guests are good people, and will comply as long as they're not encouraged to be violators by advocacy for abuse of Disney's leniency.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

OR DO DISHES!!! that's the part that *I* am looking forward to

YEAH! You're right. That IS the best part!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Even though the free dining scam is not something I'd do, I will say one thing: IMO, any company that paid its CEO over $500 million annually in years when the stock was going nowhere does not have much right to cry foul with respect to anything! Just my 2 cents.

GET OUT! Are you kidding me? Annually or total for the years Mike E. was there? 500 Million? Whew! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for capitalism, free market, etc.. But WOW! That's, uuuuuhhh, a lot!

Still doesn't give me the right to cheat them, but you're right. My sympathy kind of goes out the window........

 

[bicker]

Still doesn't give me the right to cheat them

Precisely. Sympathy is irrelevant, at least sympathy for the company. The issue isn't sympathy, but integrity: Doing what's right despite the temptation to do what's personally gratifying. We're dealing with a tragedy here in Boston this morning. A young woman died in a tunnel collapse. I'll reserve judgement until the investigation is over, but I'll bet that the underlying cause is this attitude that many people in our society have, that they're entitled to "work the system" as they see fit, so long as it serves their own personal interest, without regard to how it affects others -- other guests, the workers trying to serve them, and yes, the company that is providing them service. Just because you don't like any one of these entities doesn't forgive such degradatory attitudes.