Book a DDP, then Free Dining becomes available?

[jzuzphreek]

We're planning on booking for a Christmas trip, arriving on Dec 19. If we book a Dining Plan then Free Dining becomes available, will be be able to switch it? We'll be booking through Disney, directly.

Please accept my apologies if this question has been answered a trillion times. My google-fu is weak today.

 

[supersnoop]

You'll cancel your current reservation and book a new one. The same room/type/category may not be valid for the promotion.

Why do you want to add the dining plan so early?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

IF it is offered for your dates, room/resort type, and you are able to switch before they run out of inventory, you will have to call and have them make the change.

Free Dining was offered 8/28-12/21 last year, with significant blackouts of 10/3-10/24, 11/1-11/7, and 11/20-12/14.

Keep in mind that discounts are offered to fill rooms. If rooms are already filled, inventory made eligible for discount may be reduced or eliminated, and you will need to be on the phone right at 8AM in hopes of securing a spot.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Thanks for the info!

Supersnoop, is there any reason to wait to add the dining plan? We're definitely going to do it, so why should we wait?

 

[tinka-belle]

As long as the resort and room category are available in the FD pool of rooms a CM can modify the existing reservation to the new promotion. Your deposit stays there and your balance will change. Your package reservation number also stays the same, might have to "update" MDE to see the changes. If within 30 days of your trip there would be a change fee.

You might also have to change a room category to get FD, often I don't see the "standard" rooms offered. Take into account the upcharge for a room category since those will be at full rate. The FD becomes the discount, no room discounts apply.

If Disney sees rooms are filling up there is no incentive for them to offer a discount at that resort. That's the reason given for waiting to book the room in your package. Adding DDP or not does not affect this at all. But if you are going to go anyway best to book a holiday week early or the lower priced rooms can be gone.

Only you can decide if it's worth the risk to wait, being aware that you most likely will have to book a higher category room to get FD if it's offered. Really have to do the math, FD really isn't free if you pay more for the room, got to look at the bottom line.

 

[Nancyg56]

IF it is offered for your dates, room/resort type, and you are able to switch before they run out of inventory, you will have to call and have them make the change.

Free Dining was offered 8/28-12/21 last year, with significant blackouts of 10/3-10/24, 11/1-11/7, and 11/20-12/14.

Keep in mind that discounts are offered to fill rooms. If rooms are already filled, inventory made eligible for discount may be reduced or eliminated, and you will need to be on the phone right at 8AM in hopes of securing a spot.

Please forgive if this is a hijack. Do you recall when they announced the FD discount? I am currently booked on a BB at POR with 25% off the room, and am considering moving it to BC if there is availability. We may have up to 5 guests. The kids (and their Mom) really want BC, but I have to decide if we want to spend the extra $1500 and I am not there yet. Anyway, do you remember if POR was included in FD? This is going to be a Math crunch time!

 

[Disneylover99]

Please forgive if this is a hijack. Do you recall when they announced the FD discount? I am currently booked on a BB at POR with 25% off the room, and am considering moving it to BC if there is availability. We may have up to 5 guests. The kids (and their Mom) really want BC, but I have to decide if we want to spend the extra $1500 and I am not there yet. Anyway, do you remember if POR was included in FD? This is going to be a Math crunch time!

Just off the top of my head, I think it was announced at the end of April and I think POR was excluded for some of the FD dates.

 

[Nancyg56]

Just off the top of my head, I think it was announced at the end of April and I think POR was excluded for some of the FD dates.

Thank you! I will have to see if they like CBR if POR is not included. My dates are pretty much set so I don't have too much wiggle room, and it all depends if the girls can be taken out of school. We cannot go back in August, they melted in that heat last year, so alternatives are slimmer.

I think the math for figuring the best discounts at varying resorts is going to kill me! LOL!

 

[Minniesgal]

Thanks for the info!

Supersnoop, is there any reason to wait to add the dining plan? We're definitely going to do it, so why should we wait?

I would add it at the last possible moment always on the basis that it is always better to hold on to your money as long as possible rather than gee businesses the benefit of it early. Always pay bills on the due date never early etc.

I'd ask you the question the other way around is there any reason to pay for the dining plan early? You know it will always be available for sale.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would add it at the last possible moment always on the basis that it is always better to hold on to your money as long as possible rather than gee businesses the benefit of it early. Always pay bills on the due date never early etc.

I'd ask you the question the other way around is there any reason to pay for the dining plan early? You know it will always be available for sale.

The advantage to adding it before ADR's are made is if you want to book meals or dinner shows that need to be paid for in advance unless you have a DDP. Right now I have a "basic package" booked on my BB. I intend to add the DDP, but saw no reason to add anything yet. I will once we have hard dates and I have or basic plan in place and am ready to book meals. I am not prepaying CRT, or HDDR and SOA because the CM cannto see a DDP.

If you are nto planning on those kinds of dining, no need to add anything extra.

 

[Disneylover99]

The advantage to adding it before ADR's are made is if you want to book meals or dinner shows that need to be paid for in advance unless you have a DDP. Right now I have a "basic package" booked on my BB. I intend to add the DDP, but saw no reason to add anything yet. I will once we have hard dates and I have or basic plan in place and am ready to book meals. I am not prepaying CRT, or HDDR and SOA because the CM cannto see a DDP.

If you are nto planning on those kinds of dining, no need to add anything extra.

Good point about those prepaid ADR's. I've never thought about that.

 

[Disneylover99]

I would add it at the last possible moment always on the basis that it is always better to hold on to your money as long as possible rather than gee businesses the benefit of it early. Always pay bills on the due date never early etc.

I'd ask you the question the other way around is there any reason to pay for the dining plan early? You know it will always be available for sale.

I know the OP is not Canadian, but I am, and the way our dollar is sinking, it's probably better to pay whatever we can for our trip now, rather than wait.

 

[Nancyg56]

Good point about those prepaid ADR's. I've never thought about that.

My friend booked her family's stay and even with the DDP was charged. I always make sure the CM knows not to charge the meals, it adds up quickly!

The package needs to be paid off 30 days in advance so for us, if I know we are using it, I just add it on. My DH wants to have the cost factored out well ahead so he can budget it. He also likes knowing that before we go, it's all paid, and we have determined all our OOP costs. My math is going to have to include upgrade costs for the DxDDP this year, and see how that cost works in with the meals we plan. Last time my DH joined us we did not get that plan, and we should have. He got all flustered because we "deprived" him of "real" breakfast, and could not get past the no appetizers included on the plan. At home, the man orders what he wants, and he pays for all dining out. He also pays for all vacations, so I never thought he would get hung up on OOP additions. If he joins us, I foresee many TS character breakfasts, several TS lunches, and a lot of signature dinners. And plenty of appetizers! LOL!

 

[Nancyg56]

I know the OP is not Canadian, but I am, and the way our dollar is sinking, it's probably better to pay whatever we can for our trip now, rather than wait.

We like getting it paid off too. The package only needs to be paid off 30 days in advance so ading the DDP at the last minute would not make sense to me. I want hard numbers, and final costs in place so we can budget those funds, and then when it is paid, there is no added bill a week or two later. It is done.

 

[Disneylover99]

If he joins us, I foresee many TS character breakfasts, several TS lunches, and a lot of signature dinners. And plenty of appetizers! LOL!

Yum! He sounds like my kind of man.

We like getting it paid off too. The package only needs to be paid off 30 days in advance so ading the DDP at the last minute would not make sense to me. I want hard numbers, and final costs in place so we can budget those funds, and then when it is paid, there is no added bill a week or two later. It is done.

I'm kicking myself for not paying off our entire package when we booked the FD bounce back last August. It would have ended up costing us a lot less. Oh well. It's hard to predict the future.

 

[Nancyg56]

Yum! He sounds like my kind of man.



I'm kicking myself for not paying off our entire package when we booked the FD bounce back last August. It would have ended up costing us a lot less. Oh well. It's hard to predict the future.

LOL! He is! He does not join us every trip, and to be honest, we have to plan differently when he does. The man starts out telling me to plan a budget trip, vetoes my moderate resort...(hence the BC backup plan, and even that one is going to be a hard sell. Old school CR guy says if we don't stay on the monorail, we are not at Disney!!!) Complains that CL food is not breakfast, and he is hungry, cannot help looking at prices even though it is all paid for, so we have to reinforce the "savings", and then after I scold him for making the rest of the family uncomfortable, spends the rest of the trip saying it "is only money" LOL! AND then we have more wine!!! LOL! Tis is a treat becasue my DH drives a lowbed moving heavy equipment. He never can drink more than one glass of wine at night, and generally will not have even that. His license is attached to his job and his job is attached to hs license. In WDW they do all the driving!

This trip will be the one right after he retires, and he is on the fence about going. The little Princesses have told him they will not go unless he goes, (he is way more fun than me or their mother who was miserable in DIsney last trip!!! I know!). The little one just invited him to her birthday party in April and after he said he would love to go, she told him it is in Disney!!! So I think he really has no choice, he is coming and, since these girls have it rough ( not an amicable divorce) by December they will need another respite, I want to plan it well enough so they get in all those dining events that little ones love and that he will enjoy sharing. And appetizers....lots of appetizers! LOL!

 

[DarkAngel]

I know the OP is not Canadian, but I am, and the way our dollar is sinking, it's probably better to pay whatever we can for our trip now, rather than wait.

Canadian over here too, Lucky to have my best friend that is joining us (3 adults) with an american account so we sent a cheque for our deposit as we dont have a credit card in us funds yet and dont want to get hit with an 80$ exchange rate fee. I have booked at the value for now and have done many calculations (you should see my note book) if FD comes into play it will save us almost 1k and since we are getting the dp regardless we might upgrade the room with the savings.

The little Princesses have told him they will not go unless he goes,

Make sure he does go, making memories is so important! I remember my dad joining us when i was 4 years old, and since he is no longer with us those memories mean the world to me.

 

[Nancyg56]

Make sure he does go, making memories is so important! I remember my dad joining us when i was 4 years old, and since he is no longer with us those memories mean the world to me.

I plan on it! The Girls are not related to us, they are the little ones down the street, but they are like our our granddaughters, and they adore "Budman". My DGD Kady is still talking about her trips as a little girl with him, and so I know that he makes a huge difference when he is there. SO far the little one has invited him to her birthday party "at Disney" and her "unbirthday" ...at DIsney..... She is taking no chances! LOL!

You know, my own Dad never really went too many places with us when we were kids, he was working. I envy the memories that I read here, and I know that because of that, an because I never had grandparents who were nearby (or alive for three of them) my sister and I missed out on a lot. So Buddy and I always try to make sure teh three girls, our own DGD Kady and our little Nola and Rylee, have the memories I did not.

 

[DarkAngel]

You know, my own Dad never really went too many places with us when we were kids, he was working.

My dad always worked too I only have the one vacation with him so i feel ya on that one. I had only 1 grandparent while growing up and she was 5 hours away until she moved in with us and she went the year before my dad. cant wait to have my own kiddies to make memories with (end off topic here lol) Found that I get anxious if i don't have everything planned while on vacation... lol

 

[Nancyg56]

My dad always worked too I only have the one vacation with him so i feel ya on that one. I had only 1 grandparent while growing up and she was 5 hours away until she moved in with us and she went the year before my dad. cant wait to have my own kiddies to make memories with (end off topic here lol) Found that I get anxious if i don't have everything planned while on vacation... lol

I like having a good plan as well. Once we plan parks and meals, we ae generally good to go. We also like the ability to book FP in advance becasue now we tighten up the plan a bit, and there is still a lot of room to be flexible.