Already have tickets, need room. No way to get "free" dining? :(

[fdecker]

It "looks" like in order to get free dining, you have to buy your tickts AND your room directly through Disney? I have tickets purchased before prices went up through Undercover Tourist. Now Disney will be announcing free dining in a few days for fall dates. Is there any way for me to get just the room, show disney my ticket serial numbers and then get free dining? Any other trick to get the free dining option?

 

[NancyIL]

I believe the requirement for free dining is to buy at least a two-day Magic Your Way ticket pp. You can save them for a future trip, but it does increase the cost of your package.

According to Mousesavers (http://www.mousesavers.com/packages.html):

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can purchase a special vacation package that includes either the Quick Service Dining Plan, the standard Dining Plan or the Deluxe Dining Plan. The Dining Plans are not discounted with this package. The room rate on the Annual Passholder Package is not always discounted, but during certain times of year, a discount may be offered. This package does not include admission tickets, since obviously Annual Passholders don't need that component of a vacation package

.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

No, in order to get free dining (or any dining plan), you have to purchase a MYW package (tickets and room) through Disney unless you are a DVC member or AP holder. Your only option is to save your UT tickets and purchase a package through Disney in order to get free dining. That would be the best deal because you'd not only be getting free dining, but also saving on a future Disney trip because Disney ticket prices almost always increase year after year.

 

[kristenrice]

I believe you can return the UCT tickets (but you are subject to a return fee) and then you can purchase your "free" dining package from Disney.

I would wait and see if a room-only discount is available for your dates. If you couple a room-discount with the discounted UCT tickets, you may come out even better than the "free" dining package.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

It "looks" like in order to get free dining, you have to buy your tickts AND your room directly through Disney? I have tickets purchased before prices went up through Undercover Tourist. Now Disney will be announcing free dining in a few days for fall dates. Is there any way for me to get just the room, show disney my ticket serial numbers and then get free dining? Any other trick to get the free dining option?

You could try and sell the tickets thru ebay. I'm always surprised that people are willing to pay nearly full value price for things like tickets and Disney gift cards. You may lose a little money on the tickets, but it may be worth it if you were able to get free dining.

 

[NancyIL]

Since WDW ticket prices always go up, I would NOT sell or return the tickets from UT! Save them for a future trip, skip "free" dining, and look for a discounted room rate instead.

 

[SGibbs1997]

I am just curious how you know the free dining plan is going to be offered again? Also what day are they going to release the fall deals? We are going the first week in November and I have been waiting for these deals to come out so I can book our vacation.

Thanks

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

No, there is no way to get 'free dining' because it's not free. It is a discounted package LOL. But since Disney was smart enough to call it Free instead of a discount people are all over it LOL

 

[mieuxmew]

When we had annual passes I was told in order to get free dining you still had to purchase a 2 day magic your way ticket for each person. You could save the 2 day ticket and use it towards an AP. If someone has an AP they can book a room (even with room discount) and purchase full price meal plan (no ticket purchase required).

If this has changed please let us know.

 

[momtosam]

Once I knew FD was being offered for my dates, I would list them on eBay if the numbers proved to save me money.

 

[Beezle2]

No, in order to get free dining (or any dining plan), you have to purchase a MYW package (tickets and room) through Disney unless you are a DVC member or AP holder. Your only option is to save your UT tickets and purchase a package through Disney in order to get free dining. That would be the best deal because you'd not only be getting free dining, but also saving on a future Disney trip because Disney ticket prices almost always increase year after year.

Hold the phone! How does the discount work if I have an annual pass? Would I not have to buy 2 tickets with my room? I have been working different scenerios for our girls only trip this Oct and was thinking the AP discount on a room and then TIW would be the way to go, maybe I need to look again.

This is the plan so far. It is myself (PAP) DD and her friend, both 11. I need a PAP for DD as we have other trips planned and a 7day hopper W water park for the friend. We have ASMo booked for 8 nights at $909. If I could get free dining at that price I would look at it again. Am I looking at that right or am I overlooking something. Also if I wanted to upgrade to the regular plan it would cost $350, maybe I could just upgrade to a Mod instead.?

 

[Allison]

Hold the phone! How does the discount work if I have an annual pass? Would I not have to buy 2 tickets with my room? I have been working different scenerios for our girls only trip this Oct and was thinking the AP discount on a room and then TIW would be the way to go, maybe I need to look again.

This is the plan so far. It is myself (PAP) DD and her friend, both 11. I need a PAP for DD as we have other trips planned and a 7day hopper W water park for the friend. We have ASMo booked for 8 nights at $909. If I could get free dining at that price I would look at it again. Am I looking at that right or am I overlooking something. Also if I wanted to upgrade to the regular plan it would cost $350, maybe I could just upgrade to a Mod instead.?

You have to purchase tickets for free dining.

 

[LilyWDW]

When we had annual passes I was told in order to get free dining you still had to purchase a 2 day magic your way ticket for each person. You could save the 2 day ticket and use it towards an AP. If someone has an AP they can book a room (even with room discount) and purchase full price meal plan (no ticket purchase required).

If this has changed please let us know.

It has not changed. The PPs were incorrect. No matter if you have APs, FREE DINING requires the purchase of a 2 day ticket for each person on the reservation. There is no way to get around this as it is a PACKAGE discount.

You can BUY the dining plan without the need to purchase 1 day tickets if you have APs though. That is where they may have gotten confused.

 

[NancyIL]

I edited what I said in post #2 about annual passholders and resort packages. Annual passholders can get a MYW package with dining without having to buy additional tickets, but the dining isn't "free."

 

[scjo68]

I was thinking of doing this- tell me if I have this right:

DH and I have AP's. If a Free Dining pkg is offered I know we need to buy (at least) 2-day passes for each of us to get that FD package. But I was thinking they can take the "tickets" off our Key to the worlds cards, and give them to us for use later. We put them away, and use them for a trip later, when we do not have AP's. If this is possible, can those tickets be used later for different people (DD and myself instead of DH)-if they were never used?

 

[Beezle2]

You have to purchase tickets for free dining.

Dang, but thats what I thought. I was hoping I had missed something. Thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

No, there is no way to get 'free dining' because it's not free. It is a discounted package LOL. But since Disney was smart enough to call it Free instead of a discount people are all over it LOL

Ever the cynic .

Disney actually doesn't call this "free dining". We do. Disney calls it what it is: [a] Disney Dining Plan Free.

 

[RunDanceSkate]

Hold the phone! How does the discount work if I have an annual pass? Would I not have to buy 2 tickets with my room? I have been working different scenerios for our girls only trip this Oct and was thinking the AP discount on a room and then TIW would be the way to go, maybe I need to look again.

This is the plan so far. It is myself (PAP) DD and her friend, both 11. I need a PAP for DD as we have other trips planned and a 7day hopper W water park for the friend. We have ASMo booked for 8 nights at $909. If I could get free dining at that price I would look at it again. Am I looking at that right or am I overlooking something. Also if I wanted to upgrade to the regular plan it would cost $350, maybe I could just upgrade to a Mod instead.?

In your case you can do it just not the way you planned. If free dining works with your dates book it with tickets at least 2 days per person. Once you check in and go into a park upgrade your ticket and your DD's to annual passes, upgrade the friends to a 7day.

 

[dzorn]

In your case you can do it just not the way you planned. If free dining works with your dates book it with tickets at least 2 days per person. Once you check in and go into a park upgrade your ticket and your DD's to annual passes, upgrade the friends to a 7day.

And if you had any type of discount on the room you would lose that as you need to pay rack rate for the free dining plan.

Denise in MI

 

[Beezle2]

In your case you can do it just not the way you planned. If free dining works with your dates book it with tickets at least 2 days per person. Once you check in and go into a park upgrade your ticket and your DD's to annual passes, upgrade the friends to a 7day.

>>>

I wish they hadn't changed to needing 2 tickets, then it might work for me. We have DVC so our PAPs are discounted but my DH has to buy them, I am only added to the account not the actual account holder. I'd be afraid of getting to the park and not being able to upgrade her ticket and get the DVC discount. It wouldn't be a problem to get 1 ticket for the friend and upgrade her. As many ways as I have looked at working it, I think hoping for a good AP rate on the room, getting tickets from UT, and using the TIW card will be our best bet