Split Stay/Dining Plan?

[flinkerfrosch]

We are coming to WDW in October for 10 days. Myself, DH, DS6 and DS4. Thinking of doing a split stay? 5 nights AKL and 4 nights WL. How does this work with tickets and DP? Planning on 4 day park tickets. 2 days at MK, 1 day at HS and 1 day AK. I am very confused, and any help would be very appreciated! Thanks!

 

[dansdad]

Disney's reservation system doesn't understand split stays. If you wanted to do a split stay and have dining for your whole trip, you would have to have 2 reservations. One for AKL and one for WL. It's kind of a pain. Because of this, whenever we want to do a split stay, we do 2 room only reservations. We buy our tickets from a reseller like Undercover Tourist and pay out of pocket for food.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Disney's reservation system doesn't understand split stays. If you wanted to do a split stay and have dining for your whole trip, you would have to have 2 reservations. One for AKL and one for WL. It's kind of a pain. Because of this, whenever we want to do a split stay, we do 2 room only reservations. We buy our tickets from a reseller like Undercover Tourist and pay out of pocket for food.

Thanks for your info! It sounds like a real pain. I really want to keep the DP, so not sure if a split stay would/could work?

 

[smidgy]

we have done split stays many times. sometimes with the dining plan. the problem lies in that you have to do a package to get the dining plan. which would mean paying for those first day tickets (the more expensive ones) twice.

we actually so split stays in order to NOT have to have the dining plan for the entire trip.(for us, it's too much food) we do a package for the first resort, with the dining plan, and enough tickets for the entire stay. (it doesn't matter if the resort stay is , say 4 days, and you have 10 day tickets)

now, I would get more than 4 day tickets for a 10 day stay. you don't say if you are venturing out to universal, or sea world. we never go to a park on "transfer" day.

your dining plan credits are good until midnight the day of check out. so we save a TS credit to use the night of check i at the 2nd resort ( if WL is your 2nd resort, then eat at WHispering canyon that night, still on the AK package dining plan.) before dinner, go down to roaring forks and use CS credits to get sandwiches to go. put them in your fridge to used for a lunch or dinner the next day (when you are no longer on the dining plan.. we have actually got some nice meals at the POR food court to go. put in our fridge, and brought them the next day to the food court to microwave).

then you pay out of pocket for the rest of your meals at the 2nd resort.

 

[mickeynut1]

We are coming to WDW in October for 10 days. Myself, DH, DS6 and DS4. Thinking of doing a split stay? 5 nights AKL and 4 nights WL. How does this work with tickets and DP? Planning on 4 day park tickets. 2 days at MK, 1 day at HS and 1 day AK. I am very confused, and any help would be very appreciated! Thanks!

As the pp said, Disney doesn't recognize a "split stay" as such, but rather 2 separate reservations. Doing a split stay with the DDP for the entire time isn't hard to do, but it is a little more expensive since there is a minimum ticket purchase required for the DDP (at least a 1 day for everyone in the room). With that said, the 1 day ticket can be saved and used on a future trip. If you do decide to do the split with the DDP, the best way to do it is to get tickets for the entire stay on the first reservation and a 1 day ticket on the 2nd. It is doable and is a little more expensive, but if you will be returning to Disney in the future, the extra tickets can be used at that time.

Another way to do it is to book a package with the first resort (room + tickets + DDP) and book room only for the second resort. You will have to pay OOP for your meals while at the 2nd resort, but you won't have the extra ticket purchase since you wouldn't have the DDP.

 

[JKMJ441724]

we actually so split stays in order to not have to have the dining plan for the entire trip.(for us, it's too much food)

me too.

 

[JKMJ441724]

We are coming to WDW in October for 10 days. Myself, DH, DS6 and DS4. Thinking of doing a split stay? 5 nights AKL and 4 nights WL. How does this work with tickets and DP? Planning on 4 day park tickets. 2 days at MK, 1 day at HS and 1 day AK. I am very confused, and any help would be very appreciated! Thanks!

Are you staying on DVC points, or a deluxe "cash" reservation?

 

[thisismyusername]

We are also doing a split stay on an upcoming trip of 11 days (1 day GF/7 days BC/3 BW) and I initially booked the dining plan for the BC portion of our trip, which meant we'd be paying OOP for all GF/BW day meals. Initially, we booked it this way because we also think it's too much food and didn't want to be on the plan for the entire duration of our trip. We also have BW booked as CL, so we wanted an opportunity to compare costs to get an idea of whether it might be worth it for us to do CL in the future (e.g., if it saves us a little money on dining).

However, in the end, we decided to upgrade my 10 day WP&M hopper ticket to an AP (with the intent to use it again later this year for a few days), get the TIW card and just not do the dining plan at all. I also looked through all of the menus, added up what we'd be buying vs. what we'd spend if we had the DDP, and the TiW card offers me at least a $300 savings (and that's taking into account the $100 I need to spend to buy the card). If you don't intend to return to Disney within the year, though, you really need to sit down and run the numbers a little more closely: I'm paying about $180 to upgrade my ticket to an AP + buying the card, so if the TIW card doesn't offer you more than $300 in savings over the DDP, it's probably not worth it to go that route.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Are you staying on DVC points, or a deluxe "cash" reservation?

We are a cash reservation.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

We are also doing a split stay on an upcoming trip of 11 days (1 day GF/7 days BC/3 BW) and I initially booked the dining plan for the BC portion of our trip, which meant we'd be paying OOP for all GF/BW day meals. Initially, we booked it this way because we also think it's too much food and didn't want to be on the plan for the entire duration of our trip. We also have BW booked as CL, so we wanted an opportunity to compare costs to get an idea of whether it might be worth it for us to do CL in the future (e.g., if it saves us a little money on dining).

However, in the end, we decided to upgrade my 10 day WP&M hopper ticket to an AP (with the intent to use it again later this year for a few days), get the TIW card and just not do the dining plan at all. I also looked through all of the menus, added up what we'd be buying vs. what we'd spend if we had the DDP, and the TiW card offers me at least a $300 savings (and that's taking into account the $100 I need to spend to buy the card). If you don't intend to return to Disney within the year, though, you really need to sit down and run the numbers a little more closely: I'm paying about $180 to upgrade my ticket to an AP + buying the card, so if the TIW card doesn't offer you more than $300 in savings over the DDP, it's probably not worth it to go that route.

Thanks for your help! Unfortunately, this years trip will be the one and only Disney vacation (its my boys and husband's first time!), and then we will do it again a few years from now..we have other vacations going on next year, so Disney is every 2-3 years.
I am going to run more numbers and try and figure something out! I think I've ran numbers a 100 times already..lol
I've never done so much planning for a trip before, but I do love it!!!
I'm worried though..once Disney is done, what do I do after?? Haha..I live, breath, sleep Disney right now!!!
Maybe I should stay in one resort and keep it simple, but honestly, I never do "simple"

 

[JKMJ441724]

We are a cash reservation.

OK - With a DVC points reservation there is no ticket requirement to get the dining plan (at least that's what I think...)

 

[flinkerfrosch]

OK - With a DVC points reservation there is no ticket requirement to get the dining plan (at least that's what I think...)

That's too bad.
Thanks though

 

[mickeynut1]

OK - With a DVC points reservation there is no ticket requirement to get the dining plan (at least that's what I think...)

You are correct. DVC members and people who rent points can add the DDP without buying tickets.

 

[smidgy]

Thanks for your help! Unfortunately, this years trip will be the one and only Disney vacation (its my boys and husband's first time!), and then we will do it again a few years from now..we have other vacations going on next year, so Disney is every 2-3 years.
I am going to run more numbers and try and figure something out! I think I've ran numbers a 100 times already..lol
I've never done so much planning for a trip before, but I do love it!!!
I'm worried though..once Disney is done, what do I do after?? Haha..I live, breath, sleep Disney right now!!!
Maybe I should stay in one resort and keep it simple, but honestly, I never do "simple"

you wouldn't have to use that one day ticket THIS year. if unused, it doesn't expire.

but I would do the dining plan for the first part only. and get enough tickets for the whole trip. since it's their first time, you won't have time to be bogged down with a lot of dining reservations, anyway. for the 2nd part of the trip, just "rethink" the 3 squares a day mentality, relax, and nibble your way through. there are plenty great CS options. and lots where the 3 of you could split 2 meals. we split a funnel cake at sleepy hooow (MK) easily for breakfast of a snack. we always find they give you way too many fries with sandwiches for 1 person. and who is hungry for a dessert with EVERY meal? (or, JUST get a dessert!) and the dining plan gives you a HUGE soda with a CS that you don't need.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I've got a lot to think about! I thought I had it all planned out until my wandering mind thought a "split stay" could work, and now I can't get it out of my head?

I don't know what's better? Having the DP the entire stay and no worries about meals etc..(I do have quite a few ADR's I want to do)

or..

Trying out 2 resorts we really want to stay at, and only have the dining plan the 1st portion, and jam most of the ADR's in the first 5 nights (some we can pay OOP for the portion we don't have the DP)?

The only other thing that is getting me right now is that I keep hearing and seeing that the years prior only offered the free DP (if we would be so lucky) from the 18th or 19th of Oct and we arrive the 17th. Why does Disney make it so hard to plan!? Then I would have 3 different reservations?? I do not want to do that! 2 is plenty!

 

[Rustyroo]

You DO realize the dining plan really doesn't net any real savings anymore for the most part, right? http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/ has a calculator to see if this is indeed the case for your group. If OOP is the same as the dining plan, just do as dansdad mentioned. You could even buy tix through Disney, the savings buying elsewhere IME isn't that much anyway. Also, paying OOP allows you to split meals or share with children who don't eat much anyway. JMHO...

 

[flinkerfrosch]

You DO realize the dining plan really doesn't net any real savings anymore for the most part, right? http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/ has a calculator to see if this is indeed the case for your group. If OOP is the same as the dining plan, just do as dansdad mentioned. You could even buy tix through Disney, the savings buying elsewhere IME isn't that much anyway. Also, paying OOP allows you to split meals or share with children who don't eat much anyway. JMHO...

I honestly haven't ran the numbers, but with many ADR's I figured having the DP would save us money.

When booking a Character Meal, say Chef Mickey's is my 4 yr old able to eat off my plate or am I required to pay for him even if he eats like a bird?
I have 2 kids 4 and 6. My 6 year old can eat, but my 4 yr old eats next to nothing.
I had assumed that when we make a reservation we have to pay for everyone in the party, even if my 4 yr old doesn't eat much.
For the 4 of us, the price is appx $146 per day. To eat at Chef Mickey's it is around $38 per adult and $20 per child which totals $116 appx without taxes.

This is only 1 meal, so to have the DP would be more beneficial (for this day anyways)

Now, we do have some days we don't have ADR's, and yes, we would never eat $150 worth of food on these days, but we have appx 6 or 7 (can't think right now) ADR's which would run around the $110 each time if not more (MMBYBBQ is quite expensive)

Its really a tough call!

 

[smidgy]

yes, the "worth" of the dining plan varies from family to family. It is just the 2 of us, and we can eat pretty cheaply. (esp. when we drive, and bring bread, lunchmeat, mac salad, chips, coffee cake, etc.)
the thing I like about the dining plan is I am a waitress, so I love eating out at a nice restaurant and being served. we don't do character buffets ourselves. but when we have the dining plan, I can order the New York strip, or the whole lobster at Narcosses. to me it's a treat.
last spring we did try the Quick Service only plan. (hubby always wanted to try it. he hates being "bogged down" by reservations) even though we stayed at Coronado (and at the time, they had the great breakfast and lunch buffets), Disney still beat us up! we ended up with at least 4 CS credits left over, and brought home a bunch of crappy snacks! last time we do that!

that's why I like a split stay, with the dining plan for the first half. I get to eat at some nice restaurants, and we try to stretch it a bit to cover the first day of the 2nd resort. (use up those snack credits with things to save for the 2nd half, too! don't wast them on a bottle of soda)

 

[Kaarin]

we have a split stay planned, likely with the dining -- haven't added it yet, but thinking deluxe -- at the beginning at WL, followed by 5 nights GF club room.

 

[mickeynut1]

You DO realize the dining plan really doesn't net any real savings anymore for the most part, right?

It can be a big savings, IMO, depending on how/where one eats. Everyone's situation is different and what works for one family might not work for another. Some people do save on the DDP, while others spend more money than what they would if they were to pay OOP.

When booking a Character Meal, say Chef Mickey's is my 4 yr old able to eat off my plate or am I required to pay for him even if he eats like a bird?

At all buffets and all you can eat restaurants, everyone pays full price, regardless of the amount they will eat.