AP staying with free dining guests?

[rockinrain]

If I have an AP, and my husband and 2 kids don't, but they booked a free dining package, how does that work with the cost of my stay?

 

[Bree]

Even though you have an annual pass, you are still required to purchase the same package as the rest of the guests. There is no deal for AP holders. You can be added to the room at check in, but you will not receive a magic band, access to Magical Express, FP+ at 60 days nor will you receive dining credits. It's all or nothing when it comes to the Free Dining Promotion. You can be booked into the room under the free dining promotion now, but will be required to purchase the same type of ticket as the rest of your party. You can save that ticket to renew your AP or if you do not plan to renew you can save it for another trip.

 

[DISbot]

What Bree said is right. My current plan (I have an AP and my BF doesn't, and we're going free dining) was to book the package with the minimum ticket. When we get there, he will extend his ticket for the number of days, and I will make sure they deactivate my 2-day ticket and/or prioritize my AP. This way we both get dining credits, and I can hold on to the ticket to renew later, or whatever.

If it's just quick service free dining and you plan to share a lot of meals (ex. get one adult meal with 2 sides for you and a child), you could maybe get away with only the credits for 3/4 of you, and add yourself on to the reservation at arrival...but I think the biggest trouble with that is that you couldn't get on the magical express.

 

[rockinrain]

Thank you! That helps. What if I was planning on buying my own meals, and I just wanted to stay in the room with them? Still no magical express?

 

[Marionnette]

Thank you! That helps. What if I was planning on buying my own meals, and I just wanted to stay in the room with them? Still no magical express?

Unless you are on the reservation prior to your arrival at MCO, you cannot be added to Magical Express. You can be added to DME after your family arrives, checks in and adds you as a guest staying in the room. So, you would be able to request DME for the ride back to MCO.

 

[SunnieRN]

Would you save enough not buying a park ticket to rent a car? Then you can all ride to from the airport together.

As for being a guest in the room, I would think it might be a slight issue if you don't have a magic band, but I could be mistaken on that.

 

[DISbot]

Thank you! That helps. What if I was planning on buying my own meals, and I just wanted to stay in the room with them? Still no magical express?

As was stated you can get the return trip easily. For the arrival trip you would have to have them take ME, add you to the room reservation, and then work some magic to get you on same day ME. It might be easier to get a car/cab for your inbound trip (you could even swing by a grocery store if you want to pick up some things), and then once you are added you can get the ME back.

They should be able to activate your AP magic band to get you into the room or they will give you a room key.

It's a catch 22, because you can't be on the magical express without a room reservation, but you can't be on the room reservation without having the same package as them (prior to being added day of). That's really the only hitch. Alternatives are rental car/driver/taxi there, or just add yourself to the package. This is how they get you with the discounts.

 

[danielw888]

Are you planning on getting and Annual pass again next year? Or plan on making another trip to Disney in the next few years? If so just add yourself to the reservation and save the ticket you have to purchase for down the road.

 

[uccats97]

I've already booked a free dining trip and have an AP. I will be visiting the parks many times before the free dining trip. Is there a way to deactivate the 2 day ph ticket myself?

 

[DISbot]

I've already booked a free dining trip and have an AP. I will be visiting the parks many times before the free dining trip. Is there a way to deactivate the 2 day ph ticket myself?

I think you can through your account - but personally I would not trust it. I plan to go to guest services and try to get a paper ticket and have it physically removed. If they can't do that, then I plan to go back to them as soon as I get into the park and make sure it was the AP not the 2-day ticket that was charged.

 

[CMNJ]

I think you can through your account - but personally I would not trust it. I plan to go to guest services and try to get a paper ticket and have it physically removed. If they can't do that, then I plan to go back to them as soon as I get into the park and make sure it was the AP not the 2-day ticket that was charged.

You could also create a second person on your MDE account (use your middle name) and assign the free dining ticket to them-then reassign it to yourself in the future when you want to use it

 

[rockinrain]

It's a catch 22, because you can't be on the magical express without a room reservation, but you can't be on the room reservation without having the same package as them (prior to being added day of). That's really the only hitch. Alternatives are rental car/driver/taxi there, or just add yourself to the package. This is how they get you with the discounts.

Okay, thank you, I was a little confused until I read this. Since I am brand new to AP....an AP has to have a room reservation in order to use DME - that makes sense. How about internal bussing - can APs use that anytime? Or only with room reservations? It sounds like we are better off not doing free dining. Just using the AP dining discount (or TiW), and maybe getting a room discount.
And no, I wasn't planning on renewing the AP the following year. Also not planning on going more than 3x on this annual pass.
Thanks!

 

[totallytigger]

Thank you! That helps. What if I was planning on buying my own meals, and I just wanted to stay in the room with them? Still no magical express?

I was able to add my DD to my pkg reservation 2-3 days prior to arrival. You can't make changes to your pkg at that point, so it is easy to add a person as room only at that point. Then you just call DME and have yourself added--it worked fine for us.

 

[DISbot]

Okay, thank you, I was a little confused until I read this. Since I am brand new to AP....an AP has to have a room reservation in order to use DME - that makes sense. How about internal bussing - can APs use that anytime? Or only with room reservations? It sounds like we are better off not doing free dining. Just using the AP dining discount (or TiW), and maybe getting a room discount.
And no, I wasn't planning on renewing the AP the following year. Also not planning on going more than 3x on this annual pass.
Thanks!

Anyone can use the internal bussing. There are no checks or controls on that - it is just to/from the park that gets tricky.