DxDDP: Adult using Child credit at TS location

[kevandliz]

I've read and re-read posts and FAQs up, down, left, right. I have a pretty good handle on the plan, but have one question that I can't seem to find answered specifically anywhere and that is, can an adult (order off the adult menu) use a child credit at a table service location on the Deluxe Dining Plan?

I know credits are pooled and no distinction, so it should be a resounding yes. I guess I just want one more layer of clarification. Long story short, my son will be 3 at time of travel, but very rarely eats. Seems smart for us to add him to the DxDDP and the adult, who is staying in his own room, will take advantage of the credits any time my son either a) doesnt want to eat or b) doesnt eat all the food, ie; son will get the app and dessert and adult will get the entree.

Anyone have any receipts for DxDDP that show adult and child meals, are they separated at all? If the adults are the only ones who order, my child doesnt order anything but we use his magicband to pay, any issues with this? (I'm thinking theres a strong likelihood that on the very last day, my son will not have used all of his TS credits, so we'd use them all up on the final lunch before we leave.)

Ps... first time poster, long time lurker.

Thank you for any and all replies.

 

[Nancyg56]

Nothing is ever a resounding YES when you are asking if you can make changes in how the plan is laid out. The issue is that while we can share our own experiences, every restaurant will treat your request individually. DIsney owned restaurants seem to be more lenient. Non DIsney owned restaurants? All bets are off. VIa Napoli? Not a chance.
My experience:

We used credits on the DxDDP on adults in our party who were not in our room. We had 2 children on the reservation and we were able to use credits for our entire party.

Our kids ordered off of the adult menu in several restaurants. They were given a larger portion of the cheese and grape appetizer offered on the childrens menu.

We never asked to do this at any non DISney owned restaurant.

We were told how we could use the mix of DDP and DxDDP credits before we even ordered at Via Napolu.

I will suggest you can plan to use the credits on an adult, but be sure you are prepared to be told no.

 

[sharonabe]

Anyone have any receipts for DxDDP that show adult and child meals, are they separated at all? If the adults are the only ones who order, my child doesnt order anything but we use his magicband to pay, any issues with this? (I'm thinking theres a strong likelihood that on the very last day, my son will not have used all of his TS credits, so we'd use them all up on the final lunch before we leave.)

I don't have any receipts, but if you're going in 2017, you probably won't have any problems using your kid's credits to buy your friend a meal. You won't use your son's magic band, though. You only use one magic band to "pay" for all the meals. They will deduct the number of credits that you ordered. So even if you order your child a meal AND your friend a meal, it's okay. Sharing your credits or gifting your credits to others is a definite YES. Because DxDDP credits are not separated in the system, you will have 9 credits per night to use and the restaurant just deducts credits, not adult and child credits, just credits.

Because of the addition of alcohol to the 2018 plans, some of us think Disney will eventually find a way to separate the credits for both DxDDP and QSDP. At some point Disney will be losing too much money with so many people getting adult drinks and only paying for kids.

 

[kevandliz]

Thank you both for your replies.

sharonabe, in your scenario "You only use one magic band to "pay" for all the meals. They will deduct the number of credits that you ordered. So even if you order your child a meal AND your friend a meal, it's okay. Sharing your credits or gifting your credits to others is a definite YES." What's stopping someone (myself?) from adding my Child on the DxDDP but using all of those credits to pay for the adult in the second room during the entire stay, and just buying OOP kids meals here and there, when my son is not throwing a tantrum and will eat (ie; french fries, every single day lol).

I thought each owner of said Magicband had to be present at each meal, but this is not the case? If I have all credits pooled onto my Magicband, I can use that one, and that one only, to pay for all meals every single day of the trip? It will certainly be easier for me to keep track of everything this way, but just want to be sure.

At each restaurant, will they see 2 Adults and 1 Child on the dining plan or will they only see 9 TS credits available?

I'd really like to see any receipts from anyone that has/had the DxDDP with Adults and Children mixed in.

Thank you again for your swift replies!

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you both for your replies.

sharonabe, in your scenario "You only use one magic band to "pay" for all the meals. They will deduct the number of credits that you ordered. So even if you order your child a meal AND your friend a meal, it's okay. Sharing your credits or gifting your credits to others is a definite YES." What's stopping someone (myself?) from adding my Child on the DxDDP but using all of those credits to pay for the adult in the second room during the entire stay, and just buying OOP kids meals here and there, when my son is not throwing a tantrum and will eat (ie; french fries, every single day lol).

I thought each owner of said Magicband had to be present at each meal, but this is not the case? If I have all credits pooled onto my Magicband, I can use that one, and that one only, to pay for all meals every single day of the trip? It will certainly be easier for me to keep track of everything this way, but just want to be sure.

At each restaurant, will they see 2 Adults and 1 Child on the dining plan or will they only see 9 TS credits available?

I'd really like to see any receipts from anyone that has/had the DxDDP with Adults and Children mixed in.

Thank you again for your swift replies!

There is NO need to share receipts. On the DxDDP, as it stands now, there are three credits PER PERSON per night. As it stands now, the server will see the total CREDITS available per room. No one can tell you how the plan will be managed in the future. No one knows. WE know that at this time many restaurants are not looking at anything else but if the DxDDP credits are sufficient for the number of people at the table.

YOu only need one band to pay for the meals. I used my little Princess band to pay our meals, she was 7 at the time. I charged the tip to our room using my band. In our extended group we tried to use only one band for meals so we could use that band to share the total tips cost.

I am going to give you fair warning. DIsney has a habit of changing how they manage these plans and in the language it is clearly stated that a child must order from the childrens menu if using a dining plan credit, so be prepared if this is the case when you go. This is on both DDP and DxDDP, so if disney returns to strict adherance to the language you will not be allowed to use a credit to purchace an adult meal for a child.


You are looking for a guarantee that you can poole the credits, and use them for people not on the plan or a credit that was. Purchased on a childrens. Plan to pay for an adult meal. No one can tell you this is so.

 

[kevandliz]

nancyg56,

thank you for the spelled out reply. if disney changes the plan, as they have every right to do, would they also allow me to change my dining plan at that moment as well? even if it was within 48 hours of travel or even the day of?

thank you again

 

[sharonabe]

What's stopping someone (myself?) from adding my Child on the DxDDP but using all of those credits to pay for the adult in the second room during the entire stay, and just buying OOP kids meals here and there, when my son is not throwing a tantrum and will eat (ie; french fries, every single day lol).

As of this moment, nothing at all. MANY people have done just that on purpose. They book two rooms, put the kids in the room with one adult and only get the DxDDP for that room and then share all the credits. MANY of them have used all the credits to get only adult meals and pay OOP for their kids' meals.

However, as Nancy56 said, Disney could decide to stop this practice at any time. They must know that people are doing it, but for now, it's not hurting their bottom line enough to do anything about it.

 

[sharonabe]

nancyg56,

thank you for the spelled out reply. if disney changes the plan, as they have every right to do, would they also allow me to change my dining plan at that moment as well? even if it was within 48 hours of travel or even the day of?

thank you again

Sorry, I was typing my reply as you were typing yours. No they will not, because using the child credits to "buy" adult meals is technically not allowed. Their brochure says the kids' credits MUST be used to buy kid's meals. IN PRACTICE, it doesn't work that way. When or if they decide to enforce their own rules, they owe you nothing, not even a warning. You won't even know they've changed their practice unless it happens before you go and you see reports of it here. Believe me, when/if they do start enforcing this, you WILL see reports of it here.

 

[Nancyg56]

nancyg56,

thank you for the spelled out reply. if disney changes the plan, as they have every right to do, would they also allow me to change my dining plan at that moment as well? even if it was within 48 hours of travel or even the day of?

thank you again

No. The brochure states the rules. Disney has chosen to be flexible but they are not required to do so. I believe if you downgrade your package there is a fee.

 

[kevandliz]

I wouldnt be looking to downgrade, i would simply change from a child dxddp purchase to an adult one, if the moment called for it.

 

[sharonabe]

I wouldnt be looking to downgrade, i would simply change from a child dxddp purchase to an adult one, if the moment called for it.

In order to do that, you'll either need to make your 3 yr old an adult, and pay full price for an adult ticket as well as the adult plan, or you keep your 2A/1C in your room and pay for an additional adult plan for your friend in the other room.

 

[purple figment]

The rules and requirements of any dining plan are clearly spelled out so you have to expect that Disney can enforce every requirement if they choose. At the moment they are not enforcing certain rules, but that could change tomorrow or the day before you arrive. You cannot assume that what they are doing now will be the same when you take your trip and no one here can guarantee that things won't change. If the possibility that they will not allow you to use your child's dining plan for an adult is a deal breaker, you'll need to decide if the uncertainty is worth the price.

Currently you can make changes to the dining plan up to 3 days prior to check in date for a regular reservation or 2 days if you are booking on points through the DVC office. Within 30 days of arrival you can make changes, but there can be a change fee.

Instead of upgrading your 3 year old to an adult's plan if you decide to do this, why not add the dining plan to the other adult's room so you don't have to buy an adult ticket for your 3 year old.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Regarding changes within 30 days:

They charge the change fee if you downgrade your reservation, but not upgrade. So, if using child credits for the adult is the deciding factor, you can wait until 3 days prior, with the assumption it would be EXTREMELY bad luck if they change the policy in those few days.

However, Disney can (and sometimes does) change the price of the dining plans mid year. if you book the dining plan before the price change, you are protected from it, even if your trip is after the price change is made.

But, if there is a price change between booking the resort stay and the date you call to add the dining plan, then you'll be the new, higher, dining plan prices.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

thank you for the spelled out reply. if disney changes the plan, as they have every right to do, would they also allow me to change my dining plan at that moment as well? even if it was within 48 hours of travel or even the day of?

If you're within 3 days of arrival on a package or 2 days on DVC, then no, they won't allow you to drop the plan or change it. But the odds that you won't know ahead of time are pretty small. Right now, the only credits that are separated between adults and children are the TS credits on the regular plan. However, if the only reason you are getting the deluxe plan is because you want to use the children's credits to buy meals for an adult staying in another room, then you probably need to keep a very close eye on reports from WDW on how the dining plan is being used.