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Today I will attempt to summarize the Disney Dining Plan and Checkout Procedures. I will try to combine the best elements of the official version and the truth for the benefit of you, gentle reader.
The Dining Plan. disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/benefits/disney-dining-plan/
There are on the Internet quantitative analyses of the Disney Dining Plan. This alone should tell you that The Plan is not something to be taken lightly. http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mo080829sr
For each day of your stay each member of your party is entitled to one table service meal, one quick service meal, and one snack. Table service entitles you to an entree, two side dishes, and a dessert. Quick service entitles you to an entree and a dessert. A snack consists of a drink or treat in the $2-$4 range.
Very straightforward, yes?
However, these rules do not necessarily apply in the following circumstances:
If you are a child you have different menu options that your mom must also master
Some servers and some terminals will allow more/fewer side dishes or will allow extra food (or not) ordered with quick service meals.
If English is not your server's first language, you have a better/worse chance of receiving extra food/less than you bargained for.
For table service tips are/are not included in the plan. Parties of six or more will/will not automatically be charged 18% tip.
Dinner shows and/or meals at which Disney characters appear will/will not cost 2 table service credits.
Any member of your party can with their ID card unilaterally wipe out the whole meal plan. In one sitting if they so desire. Fortunately, my children did not learn this until it was too late.
In situations where the Dining Plan is not clear it is your responsibility to educate servers on the intricacies of the food plan as you do/do not understand them.
Following these meal plan rules will feel frustrating at first, but by the end of your stay - don't worry - you will be accustomed to feeling that way.
Checking out of a Fort Wilderness Cabin. www.undercovertourist.com/united-states/florida/orlando/hotels/disney-s-fort-wilderness-resort-campground.html
The morning of checkout we will slide under your door 5 boarding passes for the six people in your party. You will not be able to get an explanation or a correction for this when you call, because we will claim that we do not normally do this. We will not be able to identify the source of your boarding passes or even confirm that anyone in the WDW organization printed them. The fact that the boarding passes have a mouse logo at the top of the page we will consider irrelevant. We will not even have any suggestions on how to proceed, having never encountered a situation like this in the history of Walt Disney World.
We will also provide one luggage tag per person in your party - 6 of them.
As opposed to the 5 boarding passes.
These tags are to be put on the bags you wish to check with your airline. These are not airline baggage tags, we call them airline baggage pre-tags. They are not recognized by the airlines. These pre-tags will be replaced by airline baggage tags by our baggage agent at the reception center. Baggage delivery service to your cabin upon arrival is complimentary, but baggage service to the reception center upon departure is not. However, we strongly discourage you from taking baggage to the reception center on our intra-campground buses. Please arrange for baggage service to the reception center which is free of charge. What?
Once we pick up the bags, you are all set. Wait, not quite.
In order to have the bags taken to the airport you must be present for the switching of the baggage pre-tags to airline tags. Without your presence that checked baggage pre-tag is just a piece of paper to us. Even though it has your name, airline, flight #, etc. In other words, all you have accomplished so far is transportation of baggage from your cabin to the reception center.
This last tidbit was a real surprise.
Thinking we had crossed the finish line before this crucial step we nearly departed Florida leaving 6 suitcases in storage at the Fort Wilderness Campground Baggage Storage Area. If you tagged your suitcases and they were taken from your cabin, wouldn't you think you were all set? I pride myself on being a person of average intelligence, but I'm still not sure I get it.
Epilogue.
Arriving at the airport AirTran cheerfully printed a boarding pass for my wife. It looked different than the rest of ours, but the gate agent didn't notice and let her on the plane anyway. Our luggage showed up on the conveyor at BWI Marshall Airport, no problem.
Have a magical day.
