Dining Plan - how do we convert meal credits to snack credits?

[Imamom2]

Just booked BCV for end of August. I'd like to use meal credits for some eats at F&W. How do I do that? Thanks all - never thought I would use the dining plan but after looking at 5 day hoppers and renting points the cost pretty much evens out.

 

[LoveDaisy]

It’s discussed in this thread. See post 13

https://www.disboards.com/threads/qs-meal-credit-turned-into-snack-credits.3918616/#post-65191907

 

[TheLyinKing]

Just booked BCV for end of August. I'd like to use meal credits for some eats at F&W. How do I do that? Thanks all - never thought I would use the dining plan but after looking at 5 day hoppers and renting points the cost pretty much evens out.

Usually you would just go up to the booth that you wanted to split it at and they would do it for you. However, this has not been confirmed yet for the new plan so would recommend waiting until someone tries this first once the DDP opens on the 9th before buying the plan if this is a big part of your strategy.

 

[Genie+]

In the past there were 2 ways to do this.

Go to one vendor and order 3 snacks, then ask them to apply 1 QS credit for payment. Most of the time they knew how to do that, especially the popular festival booths.

The other way was to go to Guest Services and have them convert the credits. Then you could use a single snack credit at a time. Back then I heard possible to also do in reverse (turn your 3 snacks into QS meal) but never tried.

I’ve read some recent posts questioning if converting credits will still be allowed. I’m not sure yet. Hopefully more details come out when Art Fest and DDP start back up.

 

[Lewisc]

I’ve read some recent posts questioning if converting credits will still be allowed. I’m not sure yet. Hopefully more details come out when Art Fest and DDP start back up.

@LoveDaisy gave the link, a poster is training CMs on the dining plan. Substitutions and conversions between snacks and meals is a definite no

 

[Genie+]

wdwprepschool has been the best source in the past for QS and TS credit spreadsheets.

https://wdwprepschool.com/disney-world-dining/disney-dining-plan/

Scroll way down to the end of that page.

 

[Genie+]

@LoveDaisy gave the link, a poster is training CMs on the dining plan. Substitutions and conversions between snacks and meals us a defimite not allowed

Thank you. I figured there must be a reason posts were commenting about no longer being allowed.

That training definitely suggests subs and conversions will not be possible. Very likely the case.

Still I’d watch for confirmation after everything goes live, and even check back again if my trip was 6+ months away. WDW’s been changing things up so rapidly that each of our last 6 trips had major differences.

 

[Imamom2]

Thanks everyone - I will hang on to my reservation for now. If converting to snack credits is really not allowed anymore then I will cancel and rent points. During F&W we really would rather eat at the booths.

 

[Mle8308]

Per many popular vlogger sites, including Disney Food Blog, credits can no longer be converted from meals to snacks. Also, you can no longer use a TS credit to purchase a meal for a person not on the DP. It also states that meals and snacks are not transferable between party members.

 

[HopperFan]

Per many popular vlogger sites, including Disney Food Blog, credits can no longer be converted from meals to snacks. Also, you can no longer use a TS credit to purchase a meal for a person not on the DP. It also states that meals and snacks are not transferable between party members.

I could see the ease in enforcing the TS credit (although that might be a shock to some who don't know in advance) but how are they going to monitor the QS and snacks. I could see them say no more in one order than there are plans purchased but non-transferable between party members seems a bit much.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I could see the ease in enforcing the TS credit (although that might be a shock to some who don't know in advance) but how are they going to monitor the QS and snacks. I could see them say no more in one order than there are plans purchased but non-transferable between party members seems a bit much.

It's probably more any 9 and under kid will have assigned kid meals. So, at CS, you can order the kid meal or not, but you can't "trade" the kid meal up to an adult meal.

 

[HopperFan]

It's probably more any 9 and under kid will have assigned kid meals. So, at CS, you can order the kid meal or not, but you can't "trade" the kid meal up to an adult meal.

When the DDP first started this was enforced. Right on your "key" it stated how many Adult Meals and how many Children's Meals, and the system worked.

Not sure why they let it get so out of control but it would have been irresponsible of Disney to not get this under control before bringing it back. They've had 3 years to fix it and from the sound of it they are.

 

[LuvinTheWorld]

Per many popular vlogger sites, including Disney Food Blog, credits can no longer be converted from meals to snacks. Also, you can no longer use a TS credit to purchase a meal for a person not on the DP. It also states that meals and snacks are not transferable between party members.

This is very disappointing. I have a 11 yr old that eats like a bird, but is an adult for DDP. I should be able to use his credits how I want. Hopefully you can still access all credits from one MB so it won't be an issue.

 

[rdaky]

This is very disappointing. I have a 11 yr old that eats like a bird, but is an adult for DDP. I should be able to use his credits how I want. Hopefully you can still access all credits from one MB so it won't be an issue.

Why not just pay out of pocket? I have been saying for years that I don't think the dining plan is actually saving anyone any money and it's simply a matter of convenience or wanting it to feel like an all inclusive vacation. If you are not on the dining plan, you can be 40 years old and order a kids meals at every meal or some sides and snacks and do your meals however you want.

 

[Mle8308]

I could see the ease in enforcing the TS credit (although that might be a shock to some who don't know in advance) but how are they going to monitor the QS and snacks. I could see them say no more in one order than there are plans purchased but non-transferable between party members seems a bit much.

I don't disagree! I think people should be able to use the credits how they want, including "buying" a TS meal for whoever they want. As long as credits are available. I like the dining card offer better. We could use it for whatever and whoever we wanted and just about everywhere, and for the tip.

 

[_19disnA]

Why not just pay out of pocket? I have been saying for years that I don't think the dining plan is actually saving anyone any money and it's simply a matter of convenience or wanting it to feel like an all inclusive vacation. If you are not on the dining plan, you can be 40 years old and order a kids meals at every meal or some sides and snacks and do your meals however you want.

I agree. We were at Disney a few years ago with some other families and they all wanted to get the regular dining plan that was offered at that time. It included alcohol and if you plan to eat at some of the pricey character meals it MIGHT work out in your favor.

Don't know all the specifics of their newest dining plans, but you have to see if any of them match the way you eat. None of these plans save you any money and it seems like the attraction for many is that you have pre-paid for your meals. We sometimes decide to eat off property since Disney food tends to be overpriced for what you get. Until you try to estimate the total cost of your food, it is impossible for anyone to say if this plan works/doesn't for how your family eats.

 

[delmar411]

Thanks everyone - I will hang on to my reservation for now. If converting to snack credits is really not allowed anymore then I will cancel and rent points. During F&W we really would rather eat at the booths.

It is not allowed anymore. It's a fact not a rumor. So if this is why you got the DDP then I'd make any changes you need to now.

 

[delmar411]

This is very disappointing. I have a 11 yr old that eats like a bird, but is an adult for DDP. I should be able to use his credits how I want. Hopefully you can still access all credits from one MB so it won't be an issue.

your 11yr old can still order kids meals if he wants. Even at a TSR.
You however cannot order and get his drink as an alcoholic drink.

 

[bluezy]

When the DDP first started this was enforced. Right on your "key" it stated how many Adult Meals and how many Children's Meals, and the system worked.

Not sure why they let it get so out of control but it would have been irresponsible of Disney to not get this under control before bringing it back. They've had 3 years to fix it and from the sound of it they are.

The first time we had QS Free Dining, our then 7 yo was having a meltdown at a QS register because she didn't want anything on the kids menu, she wanted something on the adult menu. I was going to just order a kids meal that I wanted (because that's enough food for me anyway) and order whatever meal she wanted. Then the CM said (very quietly), "She can order whatever meal she wants. The system doesn't know the difference between kids meals and adult meals." And then the other time we had free dining, the system wouldn't allow you to order more meals than the number of people on the room reservation. In our case, that was 5 people (we were all Disney adults at that point). However, our son and his wife were traveling with us (separate room) and didn't have the dining plan. We knew we'd have meals leftover at the end of the week (because 2 of our kids at the time ate like birds so we'd often split 2 meals between me and those 2 kids) so we tried to order 6 meals at once so we could feed our son and his wife as well. The system wouldn't allow it. Again, a CM told us that if we just did 2 separate orders, we could order the 6 meals.

I think the first thing Disney might want to do is tell their CMs to stop telling guests how to "work" the system.

Why not just pay out of pocket? I have been saying for years that I don't think the dining plan is actually saving anyone any money and it's simply a matter of convenience or wanting it to feel like an all inclusive vacation. If you are not on the dining plan, you can be 40 years old and order a kids meals at every meal or some sides and snacks and do your meals however you want.

The Dining Plan is such a big money maker for Disney thanks to people who assume that it's going to save them money. *Some* people can (with careful planning) come out ahead on it but they are few and far between. I always track our dining expenses -- not for budgeting purposes, but out of curiosity just to see if the dining plan would have saved us money. It never would have saved us money even when our sons were teenagers and ate constantly (they are offset by their sisters who eat like birds). And we buy all of our snacks and water/drinks in the parks. We eat what we want, where we want, and when we want to. We'll book a TS meal here and there but eat mostly at QS restaurants because we prefer *not* to spend an hour+ at a meal (but if we decide we *want* to linger for an hour, we will sit and relax at a QS restaurant as long as there are empty tables). We have *never* even come close to spending what it would have cost us to pay for the Dining Plan on any trip. And that's mostly because of the way we eat -- it doesn't really fit the dining plan parameters. Even if we bought the dining plan, we'd have a bunch of extra snacks, drinks, and possibly a TS meal or two to pay for on top of the cost of the dining plan. Even the times we got free dining because it saved us more than the room/package discount, we always had to work/plan to make the right choices to get the best value out of the plan and we always left with bags full of snacks from being able to trade a QS meal for 3 snacks. I understand that many people like the feeling of knowing their food is paid for before they get there (we have friends and family members like that. My friend's husband is such a penny pincher that if she doesn't buy the dining plan for the trips, her husband will constantly be complaining about the food prices and will skip meals to save money. Fortunately he never runs the numbers on the dining plan or they'd be one of those families lugging a cooler around the parks with all of their food for the day. ). I always recommend they just take the amount of money they would pay for the dining plan, purchase Disney gift cards for that amount (or just put that money in a separate savings account), and enjoy the extra souvenirs they can buy at the end of the trip when they realize they have money left over. If people got home from their trips and added up what their food would have cost them if they *weren't* on the dining plan, they would understand how much money they wasted and not buy the dining plan on the next trip. But Disney knows most people won't do that and will simply keep buying the dining plan because they *think* it saves them money. And just to reiterate (before 10 people post their stories about how the dining plan saved them money), I know that *some* people by doing numerous character meals, ordering an alcoholic beverage at each meal, eating the most expensive menu items at the most expensive restaurants, etc. can come out ahead on the dining plan. But that's not most people.

 

[LuvinTheWorld]

your 11yr old can still order kids meals if he wants. Even at a TSR.
You however cannot order and get his drink as an alcoholic drink.

But can I order and get his drink as a shake? There is really no way they can police this, so it's really NBD. I just posted in a state of frustration thinking about all of the things that have been stripped from the DDP after hearing all of these new rules.