Was the CM correct when he told me I couldn't get the Dining plan?

[Disuser]

We are staying on Disney property.
I bought our park tickets at a local Disney Store in the mall. Later we decided to purchase the dining plan but I was told by a CM when I called they could not give me the dining plan unless I had also bought our park tickets at the same time from Disney. He suggested I try and get my money back. I called the store and asked. She said they won't give refunds because the tickets never expire.
Was the CM I talked to right? It seems unfair.

[Faldred]

Dining plans are only available as part of a "package" (room/ticket/meal plan) reservation purchased from Disney. Exceptions: annual pass holders may make a room/dining plan package reservation, and DVC members staying on points may add a dining plan to any stay, without ticket purchases.

You would have to get at least a 1-day ticket as part of your package to get a dining plan. The tickets you've already bought, as well as tickets purchased as part of the package, never expire until 14 days after their first use.

[2Tiggies]

Have you considered buying a one day base ticket for each person in your party to allow you to add the DDP? You can always keep it for a subsequent trip and it towards and "upgrade" of ticket. I know it is an extra expense, but it may solve your problem.

Can anyone who has tried this comment on it for the OP?

[RMulieri]

The Dining plan can only be had as part of a MYW Disney pkg including a minimum ofa 1 day park ticket pp of your party. The only exceptions to this rule are DVC owners and AP holders

[TDC Nala]

You cannot get the dining plan unless you purchase a room plus tickets MYW package reservation from Disney (the general exceptions are DVC members and annual passholders and that doesn't sound applicable to your situation). With prepurchased tickets and a room-only resort reservation, you cannot add a dining plan, and your prepurchased tickets are not refundable. You would have to switch your room reservation to a MYW package including at least a one-day base park ticket for everyone on your reservation (over age 2). If you really don't want to do without a dining plan, you can buy the one-day tickets and save them - they never expire and can be used to upgrade to multi-day tickets on another stay if you wish.

It's not unfair. Disney sells the dining plans as a package add-on, to encourage guests to purchase a package reservation. Their reasoning is partially to get guests to pay full price for the tickets rather than use a discount ticket broker (of course the Disney Store is not a discount ticket broker, but the option was there). Offering extras like the dining plan as part of the equation offers extra encouragement for the guest to buy those tickets from Disney rather than a discounter.