Disney On to Possible Cheaters

[Oreo Cookie]

It is a shame that the manner in which some guests choose to exploit the Dining Plan seems to be forcing Disney to take measures that will make things less convenient for all guests, including those who voluntarily use the Dining Plan as it is intended.

I agree 100%. The dining plan isn't for me, but I see the value for those who travel during the free DP period, it is a big cost savings for families. It's just sad that there are a few people out there that want to be dishonest and abuse the system, it really does cause problems for everyone, and who knows, maybe the dp will end up being discontinued if the abuse continues.

 

[4mcbjCtr]

My husband and I were just talking about the abuse. It is a shame, because the free dining plan is a way for people that might not normally be able to afford a vacation to be able to go. Hopefully there is an end somehow to the abuse, so we all can keep affording DW.

 

[Merriwind]

It's just amazing to me--and sad--that people even think up these schemes!

 

[seashoreCM]

Would it be a problem if everyone meets up with the late arriving family members upon the latter's (Magical Express bus'?) arrival at the resort? This way the dining allotments can be re-modified to include (the CM can point over the registration desk and count them) everyone originally booked.

Not too much of a price to pay in terms of convenience in order to have free dining.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[kaytieeldr]

BTW: Is there any character dining that is TS? We just hate buffets as none of us can eat enough to warrant paying the price! (seriously, we usually get 1 adult meal and 1 kids meal at places like Applebees and it is plenty for us!)

Dawn

Um, well, sorta... there's Garden Grill in Epcot which is family-style service, and the two-credit Cinderella's Royal Table meals (although I think just at breakfast and lunch)

 

[Luv2Roam]

Liberty Tree Tavern is also TS family style all you care to eat character (for dinner).
And does Akershus serve to the table now, since it has gone all princess?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I think Akershus is buffet except that your entree is served from the kitchen - if that makes sense.

 

[Luv2Roam]

ahh... That hasn't changed too much then. I thought maybe with all the foot traffic the buffet on cold food was gone.

 

[lindakmonty]

I guess I don't get it. WHO would eat these meals? From what I understand of the DDP it is only good for the days you are there, right? And it is enough food for a small army....what would you DO with the extra person's food?

Would it be for guests not staying at your hotel with you? Or for additional meals at other times????

Dawn

these people are probably just eating more ts meals, or using them to eat at 2ts meals more...

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I always end up standing in the line to check in while hubby reclines over on the settees watching the cartoons. I hope that is not a problem as it would take at least 4 times as long if he 'helps' check in.

Back in the day I used to be a refunder and greatly enjoyed it. I followed the rules carefully and did things the legal way and it was still well worth my time and effort plus being a whole lot of fun. There were a few people who did it to the limit and over and ruined it for us all. I still blame the companies that did a certain kind of refund that made it easy for those people to abuse the program.

I cannot imagine anyone wanting or needing more food on the DP but maybe they are wanting to only eat at the TS places or the 2 pt places? Whatever, it would ruin my digestion.

I wish the had tiered DP options -The current plan /CS only/TS only/or maybe with either an appetizer or dessert and not both. Not sure how that would work. What kind of plans would you guys like to see?

Slightly Goofy

 

[tacomaranch]

Ok, so I added my DD who is joining us 3 days into our trip. I called and asked for her to be added and told the nice lady my daughter would not arrive until Friday evening. The lady told me it doesn't matter, she added DD to the ME, a base ticket and free dining. I told her specifically again that DD was arriving late and only staying 2 nites. Again, the nice lady said that is fine but she had to be added on to everything or else it would be a new reservation and we wouldn't get fdd.

 

[ZPT1022]

I always end up standing in the line to check in while hubby reclines over on the settees watching the cartoons. I hope that is not a problem as it would take at least 4 times as long if he 'helps' check in.

LOL!! I wholeheartedly agree with this one! My DH and the kiddos head over to the TV area while I get to stand in line. Last year we were chosen as the family of the day and I was up there all alone and I was like, OH! Hey, wait! and then I had to go find them and of course they were grumpy about being pulled away from the TV but it was such a cool surprise!

Back in the day I used to be a refunder and greatly enjoyed it. I followed the rules carefully and did things the legal way and it was still well worth my time and effort plus being a whole lot of fun. There were a few people who did it to the limit and over and ruined it for us all. I still blame the companies that did a certain kind of refund that made it easy for those people to abuse the program.

I don't really know what a refunder is? But it really does stink when a few bad apples ruin the whole bunch

I cannot imagine anyone wanting or needing more food on the DP but maybe they are wanting to only eat at the TS places or the 2 pt places? Whatever, it would ruin my digestion.

I wish the had tiered DP options -The current plan /CS only/TS only/or maybe with either an appetizer or dessert and not both. Not sure how that would work. What kind of plans would you guys like to see?

Slightly Goofy

We could use more credits on the plan. In our situation we have myself, DH, DD who will be 5 when we go, and our two year old twins. Now DH, DD and me are the only ones on the DDP. However, our twins still eat, and they will need their own meals. One of the twins *might* share with me or DH but the other one is definitely a kids meal kind of kid. I'd love to make the twins share meals but unfortunately there are some times that that just would not work, and it's not the kind of thing you want to realize halfway through the meal when you run out of chicken nuggets. So for our family, although we have the meal plan, we will still pay for quite a few meals out of pocket, which to us stinks because one of the reasons we love the DDP so much is the convenience of having everything prepaid. Also, we noticed last year while on DDP that if you order extra items (drinks, etc....) that a lot of servers take the liberty of adding an 18% gratuity. We had a few that unfortunately, did not deserve it and yet we were stuck with it. We also had a few that had it not been added we'd have happily tipped more but since they decided to tip themselves we didn't. So I suppose some of you here might think we're nuts, but that would be a reason why families might want more credits. I love that we don't have to buy the twins park admission for another year, please don't get me wrong there, but I wish we could buy them the dining plan anyhow.

 

[Nancyg56]

If they were going to do it, it would be a child otherwise there is also the extra adult room occupancy cost, esp while Disney do not differentiate between the adult and child credits when they are pooled.

Exactly right. I questioned this when I added my niece, who is 21, and was told that she did not need to be with us at check in. We are going during the free dinng. The CM checked with a supervisor. I think the issue must be with children, because the cost to add an adult for 6 days was over $350.

 

[kcrew]

Disney does not charge per person in the room. I can have 4 guests or 1 guest in my room and it will cost the same. If I book for 4 adults in a value resort, pay for 1 day tickets for 4 adults, I can have free dining for 4 adults even if it is just me. That would be a huge loss for Disney. This is what they are avoiding with this policy. And it does apply to free dining.

How is this a huge loss for Disney? If you actually had the four people you would not be charged any more. I have 2 rooms at the POP during free dining with 3 in each room. Actually the huge loss is mine because someone for instance with 2 more kids over 9 would pay nothing more for the rooms and would receive another 545.00 worth of "free dining" (for the cost of 2 single day park tickets)! Now that doesn't seem quite right....Just an observation--I don't have phantom guests, nor would I have ever come up with the idea on my own. That's the thing about alot of these threads--I doubt that they deter anyone from "abusing" the system but I truly think that they give people ideas on how to scheme....!

 

[DisneyGerry]

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!

They always seem to be one step ahead. Are they getting the people with 5 in the party but they are only reporting 4? For those rooms that only sleep 4?

 

[jonimce]

I thought you could only get the DDP by booking the full package. Meaning you had to have lenght of stay tickets? That was the way the old plans worked. As for the price going up, the dining plan went down. You used to get 2 TS's a day but it was 67.00 a day in 2004 and I can't remember the other times but it was in the 60.00 range.

 

[magsmom]

I thought you could only get the DDP by booking the full package. Meaning you had to have lenght of stay tickets? That was the way the old plans worked. As for the price going up, the dining plan went down. You used to get 2 TS's a day but it was 67.00 a day in 2004 and I can't remember the other times but it was in the 60.00 range.

No, for the dining (non-DVC) you just have to purchase a 1-day base ticket. That is the minimum ticket purchase.

 

[Demon Llama]

Hi there! I read this thread and it relates to my situation.

I've got two rooms booked at Coronado Springs in September. There are 4 in one room, and 3 in the other. 4 of us are flying out from Canada on a Friday. 2 of us are flying out from Canada on the Saturday, and one of us is arriving on the Tuesday from Texas. In order for all of us to get free dining, we had to pay as if all of us were here from day 1, with all of us having at least a 1-day base ticket.

So we followed the rules and paid as if all of us were there from day 1. But obviously we won't ALL BE THERE for the check-in. Are the extra party members going to lose free dining because they arrive later?

Thanks.

 

[gigi1313]

Hi there! I read this thread and it relates to my situation.

I've got two rooms booked at Coronado Springs in September. There are 4 in one room, and 3 in the other. 4 of us are flying out from Canada on a Friday. 2 of us are flying out from Canada on the Saturday, and one of us is arriving on the Tuesday from Texas. In order for all of us to get free dining, we had to pay as if all of us were here from day 1, with all of us having at least a 1-day base ticket.

So we followed the rules and paid as if all of us were there from day 1. But obviously we won't ALL BE THERE for the check-in. Are the extra party members going to lose free dining because they arrive later?

Thanks.

the answer to your question is: it depends! really... it depends on the cm checking you in... it depends on what edicts have come down from management at the time... it depends on who you ask... my TA says we should most likely not have a problem (we have two family members joining us late the night of checkin) but there's a chance that their dining credits will not be added to our card 'til we "show" them... yet when i called wdw i was told it would be fine and we'd get everything upon check in including their tickets and credits... so, once again, bottom line, it depends!

 

[WithFaith50]

I can see having to use more for character/buffet meals, but I keep looking at the dining plan and thinking, "there is NO way we could eat all that food!"

BTW: Is there any character dining that is TS? We just hate buffets as none of us can eat enough to warrant paying the price! (seriously, we usually get 1 adult meal and 1 kids meal at places like Applebees and it is plenty for us!)

Dawn

My crew are all 'big eaters' and we could not use up all of the credits during our last stay. People who do this will probably be going to Signature Dining restaurants and/or Dinner Shows.