FREE DDP with Annual Pass?

[TwoAtDisney]

I "know" that I saw someplace on here that Annual Passholders can also get the Free Dining Plan, & there is a certain way to accomplish that, but I can't find the post.

We already have:
1. 10 nites of Free DDP & resort ressie for Feb 2011 with 10 days of passes = $279 per person for the 10 days of non-hopper/theme parks only. An annual pass costs $531.44 per person, and

2. we already have 10 nites of Free DDP w/resort ressie for Sept 2011 with 10 days of non-hopper/theme parks only passes ($279pp).

So, it seems to us that it would make sense to buy annual passes. But a post on here stated that AP = no Free DDP - must buy at least 2 days of park passes per person with the Free DDP resort ressie.

So, my questions are -
1. On our Feb 2011 ressie, if we decrease to 2 days pp of park passes ($172.54pp/$345.06 for the 2 of us), after checkin & with room cards in hand, can we have a Guest Services CM upgrade us to annual passes & (A)apply the $172.54pp towards the cost of the AP, and (B)not lose the Free DDP by doing so?

2. Then for our Sept 2011 ressie, we would still have to buy 2 days of passes per person & forfeit that money, because we have the AP purchased in Feb 2011.

3. What is the resort discount given with the AP? We're thinking that the discount may make the AP an even better idea.

ALL other info & ideas re: this issue will be greatly appreciated.

Just a thought in case anyone knows - When purchasing an annual pass at AAA, does the time period begin then or begin on the 1st day of use? Anyone know the discount given by AAA? (I realize I can call them, but since I'm here right now, might as well ask!)

Julie

 

[vicki_c]

Sure AP holders can use the free dining offer, but you have to buy tickets to get free dining just like anyone else. It is currently a minimum 2 day ticket purchase to get free dining, and you will be paying rack rate for your resort room as well. You have stated this in your post already and it is correct.

There is NO free dining for AP holders w/o purchasing tickets.

AP holders can purchase a ticketless package (room but no tickets) with the DDP added - but you pay regular price for the DDP.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Thanks, but....can we take our room cards to Guest Services & get the full price of the 2 days of park passes upgraded to an AP without loosing our free DDP?

 

[TDC Nala]

Thanks, but....can we take our room cards to Guest Services & get the full price of the 2 days of park passes upgraded to an AP without loosing our free DDP?

Yes.

However, if you do this in February you'll need to switch to 2 day tickets in September to keep free dining. And you will still have to buy those 2 day tickets. You can hold them until you want to do something with them. You don't have to "forfeit" the money. The tickets will not be activated until they are first used.

If you keep free dining you will not be able to use a resort discount. So at the time you see an AP rate released for September, you can see if you want to keep free dining and buy two day tickets, or cancel that and book with an AP discount. You could still get a dining plan if you do that but you'd be paying for it.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Wow Nala, that is a great suggestion about not activating the tickets! However, won't that work only if we buy the tickets that don't expire? Right now we have the ones that are good only during our Disney ressie.

Also, in that post I can't find, I think there was something about getting the AP at the "right" time, or it would mess up the dining credits - ? Maybe we have to upgrade to an AP before we go thru a theme park turnstyle? In that case, go to Guest Services at DTD?

Thanks, Julie

 

[vicki_c]

Wow Nala, that is a great suggestion about not activating the tickets! However, won't that work only if we buy the tickets that don't expire? Right now we have the ones that are good only during our Disney ressie.

Also, in that post I can't find, I think there was something about getting the AP at the "right" time, or it would mess up the dining credits - ? Maybe we have to upgrade to an AP before we go thru a theme park turnstyle? In that case, go to Guest Services at DTD?

Thanks, Julie

A - you don't have to buy non-expiring tickets. All tickets stay good forever until they are first used. Then they expire 14 days after you first use them if you don't add non-expiring to them.

B - if you have discounted tickets, it is important to use the tickets for park entry before upgrading to your AP to "lock in" the discount that you got for the tickets. For your package, it is unlikely that you have any kind of discounted tickets. You can upgrade your tickets at any time you want - it should not affect your dining credits. That is an "old" problem (messed up DDP credits) that seems to not really occur anymore from everything I have read.

C - if you currently only have base tickets, you might want to upgrade on your first day because APs are hoppers so you would get that benefit as soon as you upgrade the tix.

 

[TDC Nala]

However, won't that work only if we buy the tickets that don't expire?

No. The tickets do not activate until they are actually used. The clock on them does not start running until they are inserted into a turnstile for admission to a park. You could keep them and then use them at a park much later and they'd still be good. Once you use them for the first time, you have 14 days to use the second day, unless you purchase non-expiring tickets.

In September, use your annual pass for park entrance. As long as you do not use your 2 day tickets for park entrance, they will be valid until you do.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Thank you so much for your time & thoroughly answering my questions. We've got it (hubby looking over my shoulder)!

We will leave our Feb ressie w/10 days of tickets. Then once there if want to upgrade to AP, CM will apply our 10 day cost to our AP. If we decide not to get an annual pass, we will want the 10 days to use while there.

For Sept ressie, once we return from our Feb trip, if we bought an AP, we will decrease our 10 days of tickets to 2 days, in order to qualify for Free DDP. Therefore, at WDW in Sept, we will use our AP & not use the 2 days of tickets, which will leave those 2 days of tickets per person valid until the 1st time we use them (then 14 days).

Re: In Sept., the 4 days (2 for me, 2 for hubby) of tickets left on our room card, can one of our adult children or older grandchild use them? If I were a betting person, I would bet the answer is "No" - not transferrable!

Julie

 

[TDC Nala]

When it used to be one day tickets I did the free dining a couple of times and gave the one day tickets to my mother. She had no problem using them.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Re: In Sept., the 4 days (2 for me, 2 for hubby) of tickets left on our room card, can one of our adult children or older grandchild use them? If I were a betting person, I would bet the answer is "No" - not transferrable!

Yes they can. The "non-transferable" starts AFTER use.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Great to know. Thanks. This all worked out very well.

Julie

 

[kathie859]

OP, have you considered buying a TIW card? It's a great value and you may end up better taking the room only discount, buying AP's and TIW and paying for your food and drink utilizing the TIW discount. Only one person would need to have an AP in order to get the TIW card.

 

[Hootiss]

Just wanted to let you know that you received great advice. I was able to take my room key (never used for park admission) with tickets to guest services at Epcot and have them issue paper park tickets and the end of my stay. If this will be your first time for AP's, bring a sharpie and write on the room key to remind yourself not to use it by accident for park admission.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Here's what we did.

June 2010: Free QSDP for 4 (3 Disney Adults, 1 child just before her 10th birthday), purchased 7 day tickets. Towards the end of our trip we upgraded our tickets to APs. DD10 can use the child's AP until it expires because she was still 9 when we purchased it.

August 2010: Free basic DDP for 4 (4 Disney Adults), purchased 2 day tickets. I immediately had the tickets removed from the KTTW to prevent accidentally putting one into a turnstile and starting the 14 day countdown and put the tickets into our room safe.

February 2011: Room discount. We're using 2 of the 4 2 day tickets for guests that we're bringing with us. We'll upgrade these tickets to length of stay tickets when we arrive. We paid a lower price for these tickets because the price was set on our package before prices went up to their current prices so we'll have our guests use the tickets first before we upgrade them.

We'll still have 2 2 day tickets left which we'll just have to figure out a use for. I like having problems like this. LOL