Booking a room for 2 days extra to get dining plan

[BC Disney Lover]

Is is possible or at all logical to book 2 nights prior to actually arriving in order to get free dining? We are a family or 5 and kids are 10,6,5. Would we save enough money to make it worthwhile?
We are looking at Port Orleans Riverside

 

[Allison]

I don't see how you would be able to do that. You would be considered a no-show.

 

[TDC Nala]

I do not see how you can show up for a reservation booked two nights before you actually arrive.

Not sure how you intend to check in. If you don't check in on the first day you'll certainly lose the reservation. The previous poster's correct, you'll go down as a no-show. Then, when you do arrive, you won't have accommodations. They're not going to hold the room for two days for you.

I also don't see how you can have someone else check in for you, as they ask for ID from the primary guest. If you know someone who can check in, you'd have to make them the primary guest and put them on the full reservation - if you did that, you'd also need a room for six, which you can't get at POR, AND you'd need to pay the nightly fee for the third adult.

Not only that but I don't see how free dining can make up for paying for two nights of rack rate resort that you didn't even use.

 

[BC Disney Lover]

Thanks, I didn't think so

 

[catne]

Unless you're staying at a value resort, chances are you'd get a better discount using a room discount instead of the free dining. The free dining just discounts the cost of food...but you'd pay full price on the rooms. Often works out less expensive to take a 30-40% discount on room and just pay for the dining plan yourself.

 

[DaParkers]

Unless you're staying at a value resort, chances are you'd get a better discount using a room discount instead of the free dining. The free dining just discounts the cost of food...but you'd pay full price on the rooms. Often works out less expensive to take a 30-40% discount on room and just pay for the dining plan yourself.

Not in this case. Not in most cases. It's a misconception that a room only discount is better than free dining at moderate resorts. 2011 prices are $46 per adult and $12 per child. If you have more than one adult in the room, it's almost always better with free dining. I don't know the OP's dates, but the rack rate is between $150 & $250. And $250 is the extreme, not the regular rate. At $250, 40% off is $100 off per night. While that's substantial, it's not the $162 per night that will be saved by getting free dining. Crystal Palace would cost $132 for dinner. While the OP's plan wouldn't work, and no discount is best for 100% of guests.........In this case, free dining would be the better discount.

 

[asmit4]

I have heard of people doing this to get the free DDP and the onsite inclusions while actually having a house offsite but in your case, I don't see how you could check in if you aren't in Orlando. I think you'd have to send someone down early to check in which would be a waste.

 

[squirrel]

Have you already booked flights?

You may luck out if you have and they change the schedule on you, as you can get the flight changed to an earlier one.

What are the change fees like on the airline? Probably not worth it for everyone to change flights.