Book room-only now, convert to Package later

[Dashzap]

If you have AP holders, you will probably be better off doing an AP room-only discount (which you can add the dining plan to)

Those AP discounts are the best discounts, if you can get them for your resort and your dates. You can't add a dining plan to an AP room-only discount, but you can have them "convert" your room-only to an AP ticketless package (same process as non-AP conversion...book new package with same room type and rate, and then once it is confirmed cancel the Room Only and refund the Room Only funds.) What's the difference between adding and converting? Oh, about 30 minutes on the phone with Disney.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Package upside: Booking a package lets you have a dining plan and travel insurance. You also can pay for your room, dining, tickets, rental car, airfare, and in-room celebration as one transaction if you like. Some people like the all-inclusive feel.

Package downside: A package has less flexibility as it is one-size-fits-all (same ticket and dining plan for everyone). And you need to pay in full by 30 days before arrival, and if you cancel or change things within that 30 days, you'll end up paying fees. Upside of a package is that if you cancel the package, it cancels the tickets.

Room-only upside: Pay only the deposit in advance with the balance due at check-in. Cancel with no penalty fees up until 5 days before arrival. Everyone can have different tickets.

Room-only downside: No dining plan or insurance. You buy your tickets separately and they are nonrefundable, nontransferable. If you cancel your trip you can save the tickets for next trip (and if they expire you can apply the value to a new ticket, so long as you haven't used any days on the original tickets).

This is a very good explanation of things, one of the best I've seen. The only small caveat I'd add is that there are many third-party insurance providers that will insure any vacation. Disney isn't your only option when it comes to travel insurance.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Those AP discounts are the best discounts, if you can get them for your resort and your dates. You can't add a dining plan to an AP room-only discount, but you can have them "convert" your room-only to an AP ticketless package (same process as non-AP conversion...book new package with same room type and rate, and then once it is confirmed cancel the Room Only and refund the Room Only funds.) What's the difference between adding and converting? Oh, about 30 minutes on the phone with Disney.

Right, but if you are calling initially to book an AP discount, you can add the dining right then and there, thereby booking an AP ticketless package without having to book room-only and then convert it. Yes, if you initially book room-only, you have to go through the conversion step if AFTERWARD you decide to add dining, but I hope people aren't getting confused thinking you HAVE to book room-only and THEN convert to a package. Converting only becomes an issue when you have already booked a room-only and then decide to add dining. If the initial booking is AP discount room + dine, it's a package that needs no conversion.

 

[Dashzap]

Right, but if you are calling initially to book an AP discount, you can add the dining right then and there, thereby booking an AP ticketless package without having to book room-only and then convert it. Yes, if you initially book room-only, you have to go through the conversion step if AFTERWARD you decide to add dining, but I hope people aren't getting confused thinking you HAVE to book room-only and THEN convert to a package. Converting only becomes an issue when you have already booked a room-only and then decide to add dining. If the initial booking is AP discount room + dine, it's a package that needs no conversion.

Good point! You can book an AP package with dining plan initially. Just don't call and say you want to book a room-only, get past the point of paying the deposit, and then mention you want to add a dining plan. You want to book it WITH dining plan initially.

 

[Surgie]

Thanks for info on AP possible discounts. We will not want a dining plan or Disney insurance so I'll watch for any AP discounts.

 

[Figmentmommy]

Package upside: Booking a package lets you have a dining plan and travel insurance. You also can pay for your room, dining, tickets, rental car, airfare, and in-room celebration as one transaction if you like. Some people like the all-inclusive feel.

Package downside: A package has less flexibility as it is one-size-fits-all (same ticket and dining plan for everyone). And you need to pay in full by 30 days before arrival, and if you cancel or change things within that 30 days, you'll end up paying fees. Upside of a package is that if you cancel the package, it cancels the tickets.

Room-only upside: Pay only the deposit in advance with the balance due at check-in. Cancel with no penalty fees up until 5 days before arrival. Everyone can have different tickets.

Room-only downside: No dining plan or insurance. You buy your tickets separately and they are nonrefundable, nontransferable. If you cancel your trip you can save the tickets for next trip (and if they expire you can apply the value to a new ticket, so long as you haven't used any days on the original tickets).

You can purchase the Dining Plan with a room only reservation. It's a ticketless package and can be done up to a few days in advance if your trip.

 

[Kaytie]

You can purchase the Dining Plan with a room only reservation. It's a ticketless package and can be done up to a few days in advance if your trip.

Key word being package. A reservation can't be both room-only and package. Adding a dining plan automatically converts the reservation to a package.

 

[Figmentmommy]

Key word being package. A reservation can't be both room-only and package. Adding a dining plan automatically converts the reservation to a package.

True- but it's something you can do just a few days in advance and not have to commit to or pay for until that time. I've done it and don't think of it as a package - although I know technically it is - because I've purchased my discounted tickets separately and then just before my trip prepay for my dining by adding the Dining Plan. I can still hold on to my tickets for a later trip if I need to. Also on a room only or ticketless package you can purchase private travel insurance even though you can't through Disney. As with many things Disney - there's a lot of ways to look at and design your trip.

 

[Dashzap]

As with many things Disney - there's a lot of ways to look at and design your trip.

Yes!

People get confused about their options since Room only reservations and Package reservations have different rules and deadlines, so it is important to use the right terminology. Even the recent DIS article about booking 2018 packages had some confusion, saying the conversion might lead to loss of room type and rate (which only happens when a CM makes a mistake...and as Hodad mentions above, you can have the CM correct it).

 

[Sue M]

I don't see any advantage to booking a package unless you want the DDP. But with rising cost of DDP we find we can eat what we want cheaper than cost of DDP. Haven't had DDP in years.
This year I bought my tickets separately on WDW web site with the Canadian discount. Past few years I had APs. But with astronomical rise in cost we didn't renew, and now will only go once a year. Before we had AP we bought tickets thru Undercover Tourist.