Question about DP and 40% discount on room

[Jenny Wren]

I want to go ahead and book a room for Sept with my 40% discounted room. Do I have to book the dining plan also. I am hoping, like others that there will be free dining in September. How should I go about doing this? I know that I will loose the 40%, but gain the free dp. Can someone help me out with this? How do I go about with this? If I have to book the dp now, with my room, then I should be making ADR now, right?

[bumbershoot]

I might be over-answering here, but....


ADRs are now only booked 90 days out.


The room discount would be a room only reservation. Including the dining plan means you have to book a package. IF you book the room only (and from my research that means paying one night deposit when you book by phone...and paying it all if you book online), then later free dining is offered, you can cancel the room and book the package.

But here's the thing...if you were planning on making the ADRs *only* if free dining is offered...then will the dining plan actually be saving you ANY money? To me, if I'm changing my dining habits completely just b/c of free dining, that's changing the savings.

[Nina1]

We're going in Sept. with a 40% PIN. You can't use more than one discount at a time for WDW. So, for example, you can't apply the 40% off and the free dining. It has to be one or the other. In our case, the 40% off saves us substantially more than the free dining. We're staying at the WL. It's my husband, son (3) and myself. Now, depending on where you're staying and the size of your family, the free dining may save you more. Good luck with your planning.

[Faldred]

Now, depending on where you're staying and the size of your family, the free dining may save you more.

Correct -- the general rules are:


The higher the grade of resort you're staying at, the better off you are with the 40% (or the 4/3 special). The more people (and more adults/juniors) per room in your party, the better off free dining is.


So, a family of four (2 adults, 1 junior, 1 child) staying at Pop or one of the All-Stars would do much better with free dining. A couple without kids staying at the Grand Floridian might see better savings with 4/3 or 40%.

If you're in between... then you have to do the math to figure out which is better.

[PictureJumpr]

I want to go ahead and book a room for Sept with my 40% discounted room. Do I have to book the dining plan also. No, even if you decide later to stay with your 40% off booking, you can add the DDP at any point up to about a week before your arrival date. You do not have to 'save' the DDP on your reservation by booking it now and hoping you can later switch to free dining. If you decide to add DDP 45 days or less before your arrival date, you would have to pay for it in entirety when you called to add it to your reservation, unless it was free.I am hoping, like others that there will be free dining in September. How should I go about doing this? I know that I will loose the 40%, but gain the free dp. Yes, as prior posters have mentioned, you would have to choose between offers as you can only use one promotion/code at a time. Also, as mentioned earlier, adding tickets/DDP to a room reservation will change that reservation to a package, and you will then have the same policies in force as if you had booked a package in the first place - balance due at 45 days out, etc. Please keep in mind, regarding tickets, that if you are taking advantage of the free dining you will be required to purchase at least a 1-day ticket with your package for each person, even if you have APs, in order to receive the free dining. Can someone help me out with this? How do I go about with this? If I have to book the dp now, with my room, then I should be making ADR now, right?

ADR booking at 90 days means you have until June-something before you can book your ADRs for a September trip. You can make ADRs and add the DDP later if that is what works out for you - you do not have to have the DDP in hand, so to speak, to book ADRs. All you need, really, is a name and sometimes a phone number. Anyone can book ADRs with or without DDP. They don't even need a booking/reservation number unless you are making 90+10 ADRs, and even in that case the DDP doesn't matter - you already have a booking number if you have a standing reservation. If you change it later, it won't matter.

If you won't use the ADRs you do make if free dining isn't offered (as in, you won't be going to those restaurants if you would need to pay oop), all you have to do is call in and cancel them.

HTH :thumbsup2

[candielips]

We are booked in Sept w/ the 40% off code and we already added the dining. Dining isn't a big deal for you to add at any point. We are keeping this reservation until or if the FD is announced and then we will see which one is a better deal for us.