Can I drop the Dining Plan?

[disneynut11]

After reading a lot of posts on here, we are thinking of dropping the dining plan and using Disney gift cards (that we pre-purchase) to pay for meals.
If we do this (we are not at our 45 day final payment deadline yet) will we lose our room at AOA Little Mermaid?
I am afraid they will make us make a new reservation and since AOA LM is sold out for our August dates, we will lose our reservation, instead of simply cancelling the dining plan.


kamr211, 5 minutes ago Edit Report

 

[AliceIn]

I'd call and ask. You can probably drop the dining plan as long as you keep your tickets and still be on your original package, but you would have to make very sure when you make the change.

There are a lot of folks with strong feelings about particular subjects here on the DIS. I would take a lot of what you read with a grain of salt and really look hard at your own family and what your plans are like before making any decision. If your ADRs look like a lot of signature and character meals, and you've got a family of 4 or more, the DP can be beneficial. If it's just you and your DW/DH, and you don't want ADRs at all and prefer quick service, then DP is not for you.

There are a couple of sites that have a spreadsheet you can use to figure out whether or not you'll be ahead or behind on the DP. When I filled it out for my family of 5, the DP had a cost savings of a few hundred dollars over paying out of pocket.

 

[2manypets]

Yes you can drop the dining portion of your package. The only way they will have to cancel is if you wanted to go to a room only.

And no, the DDP is not for everyone. We, personally, don't like the rules of it. We like to eat what and where we like.

 

[scard192]

if you drop the DDP, you will have to pay the higher prices for tickets that went into effect today, I think.

 

[disneynut11]

I'd call and ask. You can probably drop the dining plan as long as you keep your tickets and still be on your original package, but you would have to make very sure when you make the change.

There are a lot of folks with strong feelings about particular subjects here on the DIS. I would take a lot of what you read with a grain of salt and really look hard at your own family and what your plans are like before making any decision. If your ADRs look like a lot of signature and character meals, and you've got a family of 4 or more, the DP can be beneficial. If it's just you and your DW/DH, and you don't want ADRs at all and prefer quick service, then DP is not for you.

There are a couple of sites that have a spreadsheet you can use to figure out whether or not you'll be ahead or behind on the DP. When I filled it out for my family of 5, the DP had a cost savings of a few hundred dollars over paying out of pocket.

Any recommendations on sites?

 

[suemom2kay]

if you drop the DDP, you will have to pay the higher prices for tickets that went into effect today, I think.

I don't know how true this statement is as OP is keeping Room Package, just cancelling the DDP portion of same.

Any recommendations on sites?

http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon

 

[AliceIn]

I don't know how true this statement is as OP is keeping Room Package, just cancelling the DDP portion of same.



http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon

This is a good site - very accurate.

 

[Missytara]

if you drop the DDP, you will have to pay the higher prices for tickets that went into effect today, I think.

Not true, Disney honors tickets at the prices you booked. She had to in order to get a package with dining. So her ticket price will not change.

 

[scard192]

if you drop the DDP, you will have to pay the higher prices for tickets that went into effect today, I think.

Sorry, guess I was wrong; I don't know as much as I thought I did.