This Can't Be Right...You MUST use a TS credit for everyone if on DDP

[akaDaddy]

Please tell me there has been a serious misunderstanding!

Spoke with a lady our family has known for many years today, knowing she had been to WDW recently; hoping for tips and ideas. She began by telling me her family loved the trip, had a great time, how hot it was...exactly what I expected the to hear. Then came her only bad news; aka Bombshell.

She relayed that her family has always had the tradition of starting their Disney vacation by eating a mid-afternoon "snack" at Beachs and Cream after Check-in then walk over to Epcot. They had made ADRs, were on the DDP but planned to pay out of pocket by using the Credit Card the had assigned to their MagicBands. The problem came when they ordered the Kitchen Sink and four sodas. The CM informed them that sharing was not allowed if you were on the DDP, they would have to individually order entree and dessert. While the family informed the CM again that they were paying out of pocket, the CM told them that if they made an ADR and were on the DDP, they had to either use the credits or Credit Card would be charged the same as if they hadn't showed up.

They asked for the manager and one wasn't available, but the original CM brought another CM over to confirm the new policy. They were again told that the since they were on the DDP and had made an ADR they had to use the a TS credit for each person. This CM went a little further to explain that the reason was the rules had changed and that sharing was not allowed on the DDP. Again, the family told both cast members they were going to pay out of pocket, which the CM further explained that Disney had changed its policy and that of you have an ADR, you must order a meal, not just desserts. The CM told them here had been too many issues with ADRs being kept from customers who would order a full meal away while others only used it for a dessert.

She said that since this was their first day in the park and unsure of the changes, they ordered a meal and took the answers as gospel.

Please tell me this is a misunderstanding! Our family usually has a couple of nights where we eat a late dessert at a restaurant, but make ADRs for, surely this is a mistake.

 

[Nancyg56]

I cannot imagine that this is true. Many families are on the DDP, but are over the credits allotted. How on Earth can any individual server determine which TS meal the family must pay OOP for. No, there was some sort of mistake here. I make a lot of ADR's and I choose which ones I am using the plan to pay for, and which ones i am paying for myself.

 

[Teddyman]

I was there in July. We were on the DDP, and had an ADR. The three of us split two meals and one dessert, and I paid OOP, using my MB to charge it to the credit card on my reservation.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Haven't heard anything about that, but if true, I would imagine that BOG breakfast and lunch reservations will be plentiful in the near future.

 

[jerseygal]

Do you think simply put ,the waitress was trying to state that if you are USING DDP, there is NO sharing of a meal?Meaning if 2 people are using DDP they each have to use a TS credit and cannot just use 1 credit and "share" an entree.

 

[disprincess2213]

So are the CMs saying that if a customer is on the DP and makes and ADR, the customer MUST use a credit and can't pay out of pocket?

 

[akaDaddy]

Do you think simply put ,the waitress was trying to state that if you are USING DDP, there is NO sharing of a meal?Meaning if 2 people are using DDP they each have to use a TS credit and cannot just use 1 credit and "share" an entree.

No, the way she talked, she and her husband told both CMs several times they were paying out of pocket. What they understood was that since they were on the DDP they had to use a TS credit if they had an ADR. They could have paid out of pocket for the Ice Cream and Drinks, but would also be charged the same as not keeping an ADR.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I would have left right then and there

BC has had in the past a no sharing rule on ddp. But this is ridiculous. Not showing you my band and I'm paying cash. Someone exceeded their authority

 

[PoohsHunnyBee]

There's no way this makes sense as a policy. It is possible to make ADRs completely separate from resort/DDP reservations. If you don't tell them you have the DDP and use a card to pay instead of a MagicBand, I don't see how they could possibly know you even had DDP when paying OOP.

My understanding is that there is always supposed to be a manager around. Sure, it's possible the manager was busy/unavailable for a bit, but they should have been able to speak to one if they asked. Something is very wrong here and I hope you encourage your friend to report what happened.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I think there's a misunderstanding. You can use your TS credits however you want. Let's say you were saving one day's worth of TS credits to eat at a signature restaurant. They can't make you use your credits. I would have taken it up with guest services.

 

[Magical JenK]

I haven't heard this before. Hopefully it's misunderstanding somewhere...if you have an ADR you should be able to use it as you'd like...whether you plan on using the dining plan, paying out of pocket, a meal or just dessert...it should be up to you. So long as you arrived, you shouldn't be charged as a no show. I agree that perhaps management at Beach Club needs to be contacted...if for nothing us, the rest of us.

 

[karrit2000]

In my experience the CM's @ Beaches & Cream like to make up their own Rules. Back in the days when the regular dining plan included both an appetizer & dessert I ordered a Burger & requested Onion Rings as my appetizer. They brought my burger with Onion Rings on the plate instead of Fries. So they gypped me out of my appetizer. I should have complained but I was with a large group of people & the place was crazy as usual & I just wanted to get out of there. I don't think B & C is a good use of TS credits so I've always paid out of pocket any other time I've eaten there. But I rarely get the dining plans. Personally I would Just aviod that place or walk out if they try to force you to use the DP credits.

 

[elsbit]

Uh, I hope that this turns out to be wrong, because I have ADRs in December for just dessert. I wonder if the CMs were trying to get more tips this way.

 

[BugsDaddy]

There is no way this is actual policy. First and foremost, I do not think the ADR identifies if you are on the DDP or not. How would they know by just your name and reservation #?

Also, what would happen if you just refused to pay using your credits? Would they call the police and complain that you wanted to pay by cash or credit? Doesn't sound very likely or feasible.

Clearly, this was the case of two people not understanding the policy as someone probably explained it to them.

 

[bumbershoot]

So an ice cream place, with something on the menu that's nearly impossible to finish even with empty bellies, is saying that you have to order a meal before you order dessert? Bwa ha ha ha.

the CM told them that if they made an ADR and were on the DDP, they had to either use the credits or Credit Card would be charged the same as if they hadn't showed up.

So unlikely. Two different systems are doing the charging.

the CM further explained that Disney had changed its policy and that of you have an ADR, you must order a meal, not just desserts. The CM told them here had been too many issues with ADRs being kept from customers who would order a full meal away while others only used it for a dessert.

At an ice cream place. Oh no, someone just wanted a dessert....

They could have paid out of pocket for the Ice Cream and Drinks, but would also be charged the same as not keeping an ADR.

Who would be charging them? They wouldn't show up as "no shows" on the list that night. So disney wouldn't know to charge them. And if you they did, a call to Dining would get that refunded. You weren't a no-show.

It is possible to make ADRs completely separate from resort/DDP reservations.

Exactly.

 

[KarmaCat]

This *has* to be a misunderstanding; such a policy sounds impossible to enforce. Perhaps your friend, being new at the DDP, misinterpreted what the server was telling her?

Perhaps a call to Disney Dining is in order to verify the policy on splitting DP credits with OOP meals, and confirming whether or not sharing is allowed.

 

[casey10]

Has to be a misunderstanding.

What if it was the last day of the trip and all Ddp credits had already been used up?

i doubt they would not charge the customer and ask if they were paying using another form of payment.

Also what if they show up with no magic band or room key? What to do then?

Definitely misunderstanding.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If this IS a policy, it is strictly that of Beaches & Cream. Even Via Napoli, which does not allow sharing credits, will not say that you HAVE to use your dining credits if you prefer to pay cash.

B&C is so small and it might actually be possible that they don't want guests taking up an ADR to have just ice cream. But they will need to figure out a better way to do it. And why pick on DDP? There are plenty of guests in there every day who do not use DDP and order only ice cream.

Perhaps a call to Disney Dining is in order to verify the policy on splitting DP credits with OOP meals, and confirming whether or not sharing is allowed.

WDW-DINE is a reservation line only. They have no idea what the policies of individual restaurants are, or how the DDP can be used. You aren't going to be able to verify anything by calling them.

 

[Disnsyncey]

I would have obviously hidden my MB and said "ooohhhh here's my cc!" hahahah

 

[amandals2007]

i have TS reservations made for next month i plan to pay OOP for as well since i have more dinners planned than credits i hope this is wrong...