Conference and Disney Dining?

[mattypies]

We are booked for a conference at the Contemporary during the first week of June. I just called to add our park tickets and the dining plan but they said that I can not have dining on the conference plan.

The kids and I thought we would tag along with my husband but without the dining plan it is looking soooooo expensive.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there another way to get the dining plan? What am I missing?

Heather

 

[TDC Nala]

Conference reservations, made through the conference organization, are generally not Disney MYW packages - and the only reservation to which you can add the dining plan is a Disney MYW package. You'd have to make a separate package reservation through Disney - not through the conference. If there's some way your husband can make his own reservation and have the company pay for it, then you can get the dining plan - but if he has to make his hotel reservation through the conference, you're stuck.

 

[SignMeUp]

We have the same issue. My DH will be at a conference at the Grand Floridian for 6 days and I am tagging along. I had hoped we could get the dining plan and enjoy the nice restaurants, but no such luck. The conference rates on the rooms are much less than the rates you would pay with a package. For instance, the conference rate at the GF is only $240 per night which is ~$200 less per night than their basic room rate. Disney figures you can use that savings towards meals.

We just returned from a family vacation at the Contemporary for a week where we had the Deluxe DDP. We ate well and were spoiled. Now I am trying to make meal plans and ADRs on a budget... much different and a little more work, but still doable.