is this considered cheating?

[susie & perla's mom]

we will be visiting the world in may w/ our two daughters (6&10). our 6 year old eats like a bird, and our 10 year old eats like a normal kid - ok w/ just ckn fingers and fries and mac&cheese. we are planning to purchase the dining plan but it's too painful for us to pay for our 10yr old with full price. our question is, are we cheating the system if we just have our kids share a kid's meal then my dh & i will just save our 10year old's credit for us to enjoy a 2table service restaurant?

[joanna71985]

If you are talking for table-service restaurants, I don't think that would work.

[TheRustyScupper]

Gonna have a prblem.

[Ian]

That won't work. You can't share child's food credits with adults or vice/versa.

[Disney Doll]

Isn't the 10 year old's credit an adult credit? Maybe I'm missing something.

[princessesmom]

In addition to not being able to share the credits, I think having a 6 and 10 year old share one child's meal isn't going to be enough food. You said your 10 year old eats like a normal kid, so while an adult size portion may be too much food a child's size portion will probably be about right. Which would leave nothing for the 6 year old.

You could pay out of pocket for children's meals for your 10 year old and use the adult credits for signature meals. This will work as long as you are ordering from a menu. If it is a buffet or family style, you will have to pay the adult price for the 10 year old. Alternatively, it might be better for you not to get the DDP and just pay for your meals. On our last trip, our oldest had just turned 10 and I knew it wouldn't be cost effective to pay for the DDP.

[Ian]

Isn't the 10 year old's credit an adult credit? Maybe I'm missing something.Yeah, I guess ... I actually forgot the cutoff was 10. I was thinking 12.

But in reading back over the original post, I don't really get what the OP is saying. On one hand she says, " ... it's too painful for us to pay for our 10yr old with full price ... ", but then she talks about using her 10 year olds meals for signature dining? How can she do that if she doesn't buy the dining plan for her? :confused:

Also, if the 10 year old eats like a regular child, how will she be able to split her meals with the 6 year old?

Under any circumstances, I'd say the answer to the question is yes ... it's cheating the system.

[wendy*darling]

Alternatively, it might be better for you not to get the DDP and just pay for your meals. On our last trip, our oldest had just turned 10 and I knew it wouldn't be cost effective to pay for the DDP.
I have to agree- this is probably your best option. :thumbsup:
Then there is no question- you just buy what they will eat. They can share meals, or not. No issues.

[Seasonscraps]

I'm not sure that it's cheating. Two adults can meal share at non-buffets and use those credits else where. I think this is essentially the same thing.

I think the grey area is having a child and an "adult" share one child meal. Plus I have doubts that a 10 year old & a 6 year old would be satisfied with a child's portion. Both issues can be solved by paying out of pocket for a second child's plate.

[WeLuvBuzz]

Can you order a child's meal for a ten year old at a ts restaurant? I thought once they hit ten you had to order for them from the adult menu? Of course you could give the 6 year olds dinner to the 10 year old, not order for the ten year old, and the 6 year old can share with the parents as I have a hard time eating a full meal myself. I also agree you might be better off not using the dining plan if your children are such small eaters.

[Seasonscraps]

I think the only "no can do" scenario is using a child dining plan credit on an adult meal. Guests can order only desserts or only appetizers so I don't think there's a minimum people need to spend to enjoy the restaurant - I think this would fall into the same category.

[KylesMom]

are we cheating the system if we just have our kids share a kid's meal

While I don't know that it would be "cheating the system" since you're able to utilize your adult dining credits the way you'd like , I'd like to comment on the size of a child size TS meal . . .

DS, who is 10, ordered one child's TS meal to start our vacation because that was what he was used to. It didn't work - he was still very hungry after he cleaned his plate. I would gauge that my DS has a normal appetite of a kid his age.

From there on out he strictly ordered from the adult menus. The child's TS meal did not fill him up at all and we ended up getting him a hot dog and a Mickey Bar afterward.:mickey: Now, there were a few occasions when he did not polish off his adult meal - but for the most part, he was very satisfied with the choice of offerings he was given. This included spaghetti, flatbread pizzas, steak, etcetera.

Unless they both eat like birds, I can't see your two kids getting enough to eat by splitting one child-size TS meal .

Note that we do not purchase the dining plan . . .

[betteratmk]

We had this problem last April with our 10 year old and his best friend, we decided for the first time not to do the dining plan, We had our main meal at lunch and sometimes theboys ordered off the adult menu and shared, sometimes they ordered off the childrens menu after checking with the wait staff, and sometimes they each got two appetizers and dessert! for that trip it worked out better for us. But I believe with the DDP all counter service meals are interchangeable. The credits are not divided into adult or children. Someone will correct me if I am wrong,I believe only table service is.

[Momto2Princesses&1Pirate]

We had a similar problem with our trip last December. DD11 is not an adult eater in any sense of the word. So at (menu order) table service restaurants we did not use her "adult" credit but paid out of pocket for a kids meal for her. This enabled her to enjoy her type of food. We used her "adult" credits for additional meals. I did not see anything wrong with this because:
we had purchased the adult credits to use however we wished
we ordered and paid for her meals separately so Disney was not out any thing
By doing this we were all happy and we still saved around $600 (this was on the old DDP though).
I say do whatever fits for your family and enjoy your trip.

[Ian]

I think the only "no can do" scenario is using a child dining plan credit on an adult meal.Oddly enough, they also won't let you use an adult credit to purchase a kids' meal.

I tried that at Ohana the other day because we had one adult TS meal left and no kids' and they said no dice.

I actually was kinda annoyed by that, but whatever I guess. I ended up wasting an adult TS, which I'm quite certain is exactly what they wanted to happen. :secret:

[Seasonscraps]

Wow...that is odd! I know I have ordered the kid's dessert with the rest of my adult meal on the DP but never went for the chicken nuggets.

I am surprised they wouldn't let that one go since it's to their $$$ benefit while making the guest happy.

[susie & perla's mom]

We had a similar problem with our trip last December. DD11 is not an adult eater in any sense of the word. So at (menu order) table service restaurants we did not use her "adult" credit but paid out of pocket for a kids meal for her. This enabled her to enjoy her type of food. We used her "adult" credits for additional meals. I did not see anything wrong with this because:
we had purchased the adult credits to use however we wished
we ordered and paid for her meals separately so Disney was not out any thing
By doing this we were all happy and we still saved around $600 (this was on the old DDP though).
I say do whatever fits for your family and enjoy your trip.

thank you for all your replies. but i think i totally mistitled my post. we don't intend to cheat disney. we've done the dining plan multiple times and very much satisfied with it. it's llike going to an all inclusive resort. i like the idea of having everything prepaid but i just don't want to waste money and food. everytime we dine out, our kids split a meal and they are both content. thank you momto2princess&1pirate, i think i will follow your advise.

[JPL]

Here is really where you may run into a problem since with Disney everyone in the room has to be on the same plan if it's booked as a package. So either everyone in the room is on DDP or noone is on the DDP. Not sure they will let you have one child on and the other not on the plan.

[susie & perla's mom]

Here is really where you may run into a problem since with Disney everyone in the room has to be on the same plan if it's booked as a package. So either everyone in the room is on DDP or noone is on the DDP. Not sure they will let you have one child on and the other not on the plan.
we will purchase the dining plan for all four of us. the whole point is, we don't want to waste our 10yr old's adult credit knowing the fact that she will just enjoy sharing her 6yr sister's meal. the only thing they don't share is their drink. one is a soda girl and the other is a juice lover:cheers:

[DizneyRox]

According to my math, you will need to buy 3 adult DDPs and 1 child DDP. Whereever you go, you will only be allowed to order a MAXIMUM of 3 adult meals and 1 child. How you divy up those meals is really up to you.

This would NOT be cheating the system, but I too don't think that a 6 and a 10 year old will be able to survive on the child meal alone.

You can't use an adult credit to purchase a child meal, nor can you use a child credit to purchase an adult meal. And as I mentions, you can only order up to 3 adult meals as a time and one child meal. After that, you can use the system any way you wish, really...