Adding dining plan

[Mic]

The resort board may be a better place to post this question, but I'm sure some budget buddies know the answer! Friends of ours will be spending five nights at Pop Century near the end of January, and booked their rooms using the 30% off ad on the disneyworld site a few weeks ago. They purchased tickets from a private vendor weeks ago. Now they want to add the dining plan. I *think* they have to purchase at least a 1-day base ticket for each person on the reservation, but when I went to the website to add the tickets and dining plan I couldn't do it. When I tried to rebook with a "package", the room rate was full price(rack rate), and the site ould not allow me to change the tickets from 5-day tickets to anything else. What am I doing wrong? Before I have my friend call Disney, I'd like to know if it's even possible to add the dining plan and 1-day base tickets to a discounted room-only reservation. Thanks in advance!

 

[Suz D]

I think you can only add the dining plan to a discounted room if you are using an Annual Pass discount. We have two rooms booked for the end of this week. One using the Disney Visa discount and one using the AP discount. We couldn't add dining to the Visa room but could to the AP room.

You may have inadvertantly gotten into the 5 night 6 day get a free gift card promo when you were "booking" the package. That deal has very specific requirements for number of park days etc.

The resort board may be a better place to post this question, but I'm sure some budget buddies know the answer! Friends of ours will be spending five nights at Pop Century near the end of January, and booked their rooms using the 30% off ad on the disneyworld site a few weeks ago. They purchased tickets from a private vendor weeks ago. Now they want to add the dining plan. I *think* they have to purchase at least a 1-day base ticket for each person on the reservation, but when I went to the website to add the tickets and dining plan I couldn't do it. When I tried to rebook with a "package", the room rate was full price(rack rate), and the site ould not allow me to change the tickets from 5-day tickets to anything else. What am I doing wrong? Before I have my friend call Disney, I'd like to know if it's even possible to add the dining plan and 1-day base tickets to a discounted room-only reservation. Thanks in advance!

 

[Mic]

Thank you, Suz D. You are right about my package booking...I remember seeing the $300 gift card. I was hoping my friends could just add the dining plan and a 1-day base ticket to the existing reservation...nah, that would be too easy.

 

[ajh88]

Let me preface by saying I have no idea about the specifics of the code they used. I would have them call Disney and ask - at worst, they tell them they lose the discount if they add the package. However, if memory serves me right, I had booked a MYW package and then a room-only discount came out. I *believe* I was able to apply the discount to the room, but everything else was full price - I remember because the CM was very specific about saying the discount would be only off the room, not off the tickets or dining plan. Of course, my mind could be playing tricks on me.

 

[Suz D]

Thank you, Suz D. You are right about my package booking...I remember seeing the $300 gift card. I was hoping my friends could just add the dining plan and a 1-day base ticket to the existing reservation...nah, that would be too easy.

I would still call Disney and ask 'though. I'm definately not an expert on it and sometimes different cast members will give you different answers.

Suz

 

[delmar411]

well a room only discount is just that, for a room only. If they want to add the dining plan to a room only reservation they need to have an annual pass. And if they have an annual pass I believe they could do better than the 30% room discount right now but it depends on when they are traveling and if there are any rooms left at the AP discount rate.

But w/o an annual pass then they are looking for a package and they would likely lose their room only rate unless there is something else available for them to book under. The best bet is calling CRO directly and speaking with them.

 

[Mic]

I wanted to post back what happened. My friends were given the option of re-booking the package with the 30% discount, but it had to be booked by the 31st. They could apply what they had paid so far, which was basically one night's room charge because they have a room-only reservation. They also had to add a 1-day base ticket to the reservation to make it a "package". And the entire balance had to be paid in full because they are within the 45-day window for payment of packages. Needless to say, they decided against doing the dining plan, which I totally agree with for this trip. They have booked 2 character dinners so far(Chef Mickey's and dinner at the Grand Floridian with Cinderella), and a dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Everything else will likely be counter service/food court with maybe one sit-down lunch. I think they will either break even on food cost vs. dining plan or may even spend less than the dining plan would have cost, especially since the Rainforest is not on the plan. I hope I'm right!