Dining Plan

[Kwahati]

Since alcohol and specialty drinks aren't covered on most of the dining plans, we found it was easy for one or all of us to order beer, wine or a slushee and have an easy opportunity to tip--you'll get a separate bill/receipt for the extras (stuff not covered on the DDP) and there'll be a "tip" line on it just like on normal reciepts. Side note: doing it this way, our servers never had trouble charging things correctly to our room credit card and our number of meals never got messed up as some people have reported...

Edited to add: I think in my group's case the DDP worked out well for our servers. Since it was paid for in advance, our meals felt "free" so we felt much more generous at tip time! I guess that having less weighing on your mind is good for everyone!

[Princess Susi]

Exactly Kwahati! We feel like we are getting so much food...and we are actually. We use the Platinum plan and they give us 2 full meals a day, one counter service and 2 snacks per day. We can NEVER eat that much and since we also get concierge with that plan, there is all that food too at the lounge. It is crazy!

Ralph uses the DDP more than I do. I don't eat every meal, sometimes just a big breakfast and dinner and snack for lunch OR other times just a small breakfast, big lunch and no dinner, but lots of snacks all day. But with this plan, we can do that and never use all our points.

Often Ralph would go down and get a big breakfast at a restaurant so he could get his protein, read that: MEAT, and I would sleep in and then go to the concierge lounge and get a continental breakfast, or I would go to bed early and he would go off to get a big dinner.

This was last trip when I was in so much pain, I did not want to do anything, so getting meals during the middle of the day was important, as I would generally sleep in late and then go to bed around 5PM! I missed a LOT of our meals last trip! :(

It is correct that the DDP card IS your room key and you will get a receipt at the end of the meal that gives you the amount of points you have left at the bottom of the receipt. Keep track of them. And don't forget to tip!

Also, as Kwahati says, alcoholic beverages are NOT included and remember to include the cost of everything in your tip. Add the receipt for the beverages AND the receipt for food together and get your total there. Then tip accordingly to service. We have never had bad service at WDW that I can recall, it has usually been great, but then we always engage our wait staff in conversation and jokes and they remember us.

susi-Q

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Exactly Kwahati! We feel like we are getting so much food...and we are actually. We use the Platinum plan and they give us 2 full meals a day, one counter service and 2 snacks per day. We can NEVER eat that much and since we also get concierge with that plan, there is all that food too at the lounge. It is crazy!

Ralph uses the DDP more than I do. I don't eat every meal, sometimes just a big breakfast and dinner and snack for lunch OR other times just a small breakfast, big lunch and no dinner, but lots of snacks all day. But with this plan, we can do that and never use all our points.

Often Ralph would go down and get a big breakfast at a restaurant so he could get his protein, read that: MEAT, and I would sleep in and then go to the concierge lounge and get a continental breakfast, or I would go to bed early and he would go off to get a big dinner.

This was last trip when I was in so much pain, I did not want to do anything, so getting meals during the middle of the day was important, as I would generally sleep in late and then go to bed around 5PM! I missed a LOT of our meals last trip! :(

It is correct that the DDP card IS your room key and you will get a receipt at the end of the meal that gives you the amount of points you have left at the bottom of the receipt. Keep track of them. And don't forget to tip!

Also, as Kwahati says, alcoholic beverages are NOT included and remember to include the cost of everything in your tip. Add the receipt for the beverages AND the receipt for food together and get your total there. Then tip accordingly to service. We have never had bad service at WDW that I can recall, it has usually been great, but then we always engage our wait staff in conversation and jokes and they remember us.

susi-Q

Thats a good idea if we are drinking alcohol with the meal, and also assuming that the server for the food and the server for the drinks is the same person? And that the drinks server dosn't have to share the tips with the bartender?

Of course, I don't usually get RUM with all meals!! (sometime a good breakfast beer will get me going!!)(hehehehhe)

[drcorey]

I'm waiting for the drinkers plan myself. :D:


hmm, Jabberjaw? isn't that image copyrighted?

[darph nader]

I'm waiting for the drinkers plan myself. :D:


hmm, Jabberjaw? isn't that image copyrighted?

The drinkers plan,same here.
Copyrighted? Maybe.
Isn't this more of a Board X question???

[Rob562]

I'm waiting for the drinkers plan myself. :D:

Well, they do have the "Wine & Dine" add-on...
For $39.99 per night per room, you can add it on to any Dining Plan and get a bottle of wine per night. (And just like using two Table Service credits for a Signature restaurant, a bottle of wine at a Signature restaurant costs two wine credits)

Of course, I have no idea whether this is a value or not, because I don't typically buy bottles of wine at WDW...

-Rob

[Kwahati]

...Of course, I have no idea whether this is a value or not, because I don't typically buy bottles of wine at WDW...

For my tastes, it's a little too close for comfort for it to be a substantial value. I don't like being locked in to having to choose a bottle every night. Sometimes I just want a glass or three, but often none at all...Or, like Grumpy, I'll often drink rum. What if the wine list in a specific restaurant you want to go to sucks? Some of them have some very questionable selections in my opinion.

Grumpy: if you order drinks from your server, then your server will be in charge of the receipt for them. If you order from the bar and take them to your table, you'll probably be expected to pay at the bar and your server will not be involved. At virtually every restaurant, servers do have to tip out bartenders, but it's as a percentage of their bar tab usually, so your server will get your tip even if the receipt only shows alcohol. If ever in doubt, though, I'm sure most servers will be happy to let you know what works best for them! (Of course, one should use some discretion and decorum when asking...) :p:

[Zazu]

I'm waiting for the drinkers plan myself. :D:

Then wait no more! Disney now offers a "Dine and Wine" Plan that provides a bottle of wine for each night.

Sadly, it doesn't cover rum. Sorry GP.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Then wait no more! Disney now offers a "Dine and Wine" Plan that provides a bottle of wine for each night.

Sadly, it doesn't cover rum. Sorry GP.

Meh,

Sometimes the enviroment dictates that I drink Dihydrogen Monoxide, for health reasons, instead of RUM!!

Oh well!!

[DisneyMom]

Meh,

Sometimes the enviroment dictates that I drink Dihydrogen Monoxide, for health reasons, instead of RUM!!

Oh well!!

Not Sure if DHMO is healthier than RUM, Grumpy, I'd use a little caution!