I emailed Disney and got this response:
At this point, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. The reality is that I would have taken a shorter trip if this had been the policy.
To be clear I specifically asked this:
We are traveling as 2 adults, 1 child. We will be on site for 10 total days. We are meeting up with a family friend for one meal of the trip who live locally in Florida. We would like to pay for his meal with us with a credit from our
Disney Dining Plan, which we have done every year for several years. This year, though, I'm hearing that policy has changed? Can you clarify for me what that may mean?
Rainbow (Disney)
Jan 9, 6:57 PM EST
Dear Christina,
Thank you for contacting the
Walt Disney World® Resort!
So glad to hear you are joining us soon and enjoy the Disney Dining Plan!
The Disney® Dining Plans have always been only for the guests on the resort reservations who have the plan, not other guests. If you were able to apply your credits to another guest, that was something done out of the norm. The policy has not changed at all, it just may now be enforced more.
If you have any other questions or challenges, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling us at 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639) or by chatting with us in the Help Center of the
Walt Disney World® website. Cast Members will be happy to assist you further.
Have a Magical Day my friend!
Sincerely,
eCommerce Sales and Service Team
PLEASE NOTE: All information is subject to change without notice and should be confirmed just prior to your visit.