Booking Free Dining through Expedia

[StephSalyer]

I booked the Free Dining Package on Expedia today and they did not require the purchase of any park tickets. (The only ones they offered were multi-day park hopper tickets, no one day MYW). PLUS........the room rate seemed to be a few dollars cheaper per night (I paid $78 per night plus tax at Pop Century for Labor Day week-end). Does anyone know if they will have me purchase tickets at check-in or is this a done deal?? All of my reservation coorespondance clearly states I have Free Dining. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Brian Noble]

I suspect someone (probably Expedia) has screwed up. Disney won't offer the dining plan unless you are on a package, and a "package" means with tickets purchased in advance.

You might be able to get someone at Disney to honor it, but I think it is more likely that they will tell you to take it up with Expedia, and I have no idea what happens then.

 

[zurgswife]

I booked the Free Dining Package on Expedia today and they did not require the purchase of any park tickets. (The only ones they offered were multi-day park hopper tickets, no one day MYW). PLUS........the room rate seemed to be a few dollars cheaper per night (I paid $78 per night plus tax at Pop Century for Labor Day week-end). Does anyone know if they will have me purchase tickets at check-in or is this a done deal?? All of my reservation coorespondance clearly states I have Free Dining. Thanks in advance!!!

How many days did you book and what was your total cost?

I'm booked that same weekend for 5 nights and my package deal w/free dining and 1 day base MYW ticket for 2 adults is $573.90

Looking at the Expedia deal the difference is almost the cost of 2 1 day base MYW tickets.

I don't know if you can call Expeida but even though they advertise free dining it doesn't look as though it is included in the price unless you pick one of the 3 options (3,4, or 5 day hoppers). And it clearly needs to be the package to get the free dining.

 

[zurgswife]

Just went throught the Expedia site

5nights pop, free dining, 3 day park hopper 2 adults $928.86

On the WDW site

5 nights pop, free dining, 3 day park hopper 2 adults $909.34


and the expedia site only has 3 options for tickets.

 

[airjoe]

If you don't have tickets, you don't have free dining.

 

[StephSalyer]

Thanks for all of the replies. I saw the three options for tickets but it did not make me choose one of them in order to book the room. I am looking at my print out right now and it clearly states Standard Room (value) - Free Dining Included.[/B] Total for three nights taxes included was $274.78. I don't have a problem buying a one day MYW ticket for everyone in my party once we check in, but I did not like the options that Expedia offered so I did not choose one and to my surprise, it let me book without tickets. .

 

[StephSalyer]

I suspect someone (probably Expedia) has screwed up. Disney won't offer the dining plan unless you are on a package, and a "package" means with tickets purchased in advance.

You might be able to get someone at Disney to honor it, but I think it is more likely that they will tell you to take it up with Expedia, and I have no idea what happens then.

Hey Brian Noble, i see you are from Ann Arnor. I am originally form Ypsilanti but I am now a Florida transplant.

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

Hi ... I also went through Expedia and could book a reservation with free dining without purchasing any tickets. I am skeptical so I called Expedia and Disney ... Expedia agent assured me that I did not have to purchase even a one day ticket (still find it strange). So I called disney reservations and explained the scenario .. the only explanations she has was a special deal could have been made between Disney and Expedia BUT as far as Disney reservations go, you HAVE to book at least a one day ticket. We have annual passes and are staying 14 days, so that will be a savings of almost $500 through Expedia but as I said I am skeptical and dont want anything to go wrong at check-in. Hope, I made sense.

BTW: We are booked through Disney directly

 

[pamouselover]

Be aware that "http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=26917872&siteid=38418151&bfpage=hotel_reserve_rooms" makes it look as if you can book "room only" reservations at these special rates, but you really can't. Later in the ordering process you are forced to add on theme park tickets, which makes the purchase into a vacation package.
Generally speaking you're better off to book the corresponding discounted package through a travel agent, because "http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=26917872&siteid=38418151&bfpage=hotel_reserve_rooms" has rules and requirements that can be confusing, plus "http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=26917872&siteid=38418151&bfpage=hotel_reserve_rooms" charges fees. In general "http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=26917872&siteid=38418151&bfpage=hotel_reserve_rooms" is not very forgiving about changes and cancellations, and may charge significant fees for such changes. If you decide to use "http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=26917872&siteid=38418151&bfpage=hotel_reserve_rooms", be sure to read all the small print very carefully, and click on any "terms and conditions" links and read those carefully.

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

OK I was skeptical, so went to read all the fine print ... Never found anything! .... WAIT! Lo & behold in some dark corner I find this: Free Dining package – With online purchase of Disney’s Magic Your Way Ticket with Park Hopper® Option. Failure to purchase Disney’s Magic Your Way Ticket with Park Hopper® online will result in a forfeit of Free Dining Plan. OK, so it wasnt really in a dark corner but listed under the room description. SO please be aware if you made a booking through expedia and did not purchase tickets, you will forfeit thefree dining plan. Thanks to mousesavers and pamouselover, I went digging ... I knew that something had to be wrong. Hope this helps someone

 

[StephSalyer]

OK I was skeptical, so went to read all the fine print ... Never found anything! .... WAIT! Lo & behold in some dark corner I find this: Free Dining package – With online purchase of Disney’s Magic Your Way Ticket with Park Hopper® Option. Failure to purchase Disney’s Magic Your Way Ticket with Park Hopper® online will result in a forfeit of Free Dining Plan. OK, so it wasnt really in a dark corner but listed under the room description. SO please be aware if you made a booking through expedia and did not purchase tickets, you will forfeit thefree dining plan. Thanks to mousesavers and pamouselover, I went digging ... I knew that something had to be wrong. Hope this helps someone

THANK YOU for all of your replies!!!! Special thanks to you Princess4Eeyore, because of the above post i looked further into it and promptly cancelled my Expedia reservation and booked directly through Disney. Expedia waved the $25.00 fee when I explained what happened and how deep into the web-site this info was. I also siggested to them that they design their web-site to not allow the user to not get past the ticket choices without a selection (I mean really, how hard could that be???). Otherwise, there will be more like me. Again thank you for all of your responses. I always know i can count on Disers if there are ever any questions!!!