Can you add dining plan with AP's?

[TeresaG]

I'm sorry if this question has been asked a bunch, I swear I tried to search before asking...

We're considering upgrading to AP's. My question is, if we do, can we pay full price for the dining plan and add it to a room discount? Or do we still have to buy a minimum of 2 park tickets to add dining?

I'm not talking about adding a free dining promo, I'm asking if I can add it to a room discount at the full price?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[illinidp]

I think you can as long as you turn the reservation into a package meaning you have to pay in full 45 days out.

 

[2012DisneyWorldBride]

Yep we do the deluxe dining plan for most of our trips and we have AP. We never have to buy day tickets. But as the PP said the deadline then to pay is 45 days out I believe.

 

[dotcomgirl18]

They wouldn't let us do this for our upcoming stay... So apparently there are some restrictions. We are staying in a Little Mermaid room and they said they didn't allow it for that. So just use caution.

 

[disBOBney]

I'm sorry if this question has been asked a bunch, I swear I tried to search before asking...

We're considering upgrading to AP's. My question is, if we do, can we pay full price for the dining plan and add it to a room discount? Or do we still have to buy a minimum of 2 park tickets to add dining?

I'm not talking about adding a free dining promo, I'm asking if I can add it to a room discount at the full price?

Thanks for any help!!

Dining plans are not attached to park tickets they are attached to room reservations. You must be staying at a disney hotel, to order dining plan. You are not required to have any park tickets. And to be clear, having AP tickets does not prevent you from obtaining a dining plan. Not staying at disney prevents dining plan access, regardless what type of park tickets you may have.

As far as restrictions: Dining plans must be paid for when ordered. EVERYONE on the reservation must have the same dining plan (i.e. 4 people on the reservation means 4 dining plans of the same type). The dining plan is for the total number of nights of the reservation (i.e. no 7 night stay but only wanting dp for 5 nights). Dining plans have typically been able to be purchased up until the day before check-in (at least for DVC members). This is for non-promo packages. Promos of course have there own included items and or restrictions.

 

[disBOBney]

They wouldn't let us do this for our upcoming stay... So apparently there are some restrictions. We are staying in a Little Mermaid room and they said they didn't allow it for that. So just use caution.

I don't understand why they would not permit you to purchase a dining plan since AoA is a disney hotel. Even if you got a special room only or room and tickets deal, disney generally makes good money with every dining plan purchased. (Personally I have found that I save $50 to $100 on food cost when I don't buy the dp and I am 1 person even if I am big enough for 2 or more. I typically enjoy a mix of dining options on my stays, some qs, some ts and some signature restaurants. Of course being a DVC member and disney cc holder I am able to get discounts on most of my purchases at the parks and resorts)

 

[purple figment]

We're considering upgrading to AP's. My question is, if we do, can we pay full price for the dining plan and add it to a room discount? Or do we still have to buy a minimum of 2 park tickets to add dining?

I'm not talking about adding a free dining promo, I'm asking if I can add it to a room discount at the full price?

First off, I'm making 2 assumptions: 1)you mention a room discount so this is a cash reservation through Disney and not a DVC points reservation and 2) you don't have APs or AP vouchers since you said you want to upgrade to APs.

A package is room + tickets + dining plan. For a paid dining plan you have to add a minimum of 1 day tickets for everyone in the room 3 years and older. If you have a room discount it can be applied to just the room rate portion of the package. You can use the tickets to upgrade to APs once you arrive at DW.

There is currently a ticketless package called Better Together that is available if you call, but Disney hasn't publicized it very much so not much has been reported about how long the booking period will last or the dates it is valid. It cannot be booked online.

 

[TeresaG]

First off, I'm making 2 assumptions: 1)you mention a room discount so this is a cash reservation through Disney and not a DVC points reservation and 2) you don't have APs or AP vouchers since you said you want to upgrade to APs.

A package is room + tickets + dining plan. For a paid dining plan you have to add a minimum of 1 day tickets for everyone in the room 3 years and older. If you have a room discount it can be applied to just the room rate portion of the package. You can use the tickets to upgrade to APs once you arrive at DW.

There is currently a ticketless package called Better Together that is available if you call, but Disney hasn't publicized it very much so not much has been reported about how long the booking period will last or the dates it is valid. It cannot be booked online.

Your assumptions are correct. We are considering upgrading to AP's since we will be making 3 trips down there between this August and next August. We do not currently have them, nor have we ever. We also do not own DVC.

I wanted to take advantage of the new late fall room offer recently released. When I try to quote the new cost, it will not allow me to add the dining plan unless I have park tickets. But if we upgrade to AP's in August, buying extra park tickets seems to defeat the purpose to AP's.

I haven't been given a definitive answer about adding the dining plan with AP's, so I figured I'd ask here.

 

[LaurenT]

Just wanted to throw out there TNT at having an AP entitles you to TIW (tables in wonderland). If you do a lot of TS restaurants and are spending enough days in Disney to warrant an AP, it might be a better deal for you.

 

[Juwu]

I added the dinning plan last night to that same deal (and we are AP holders).

We had to call to have it added (could not do it online).

They cancel your current reservation, and create a new package deal.

 

[TeresaG]

Just wanted to throw out there TNT at having an AP entitles you to TIW (tables in wonderland). If you do a lot of TS restaurants and are spending enough days in Disney to warrant an AP, it might be a better deal for you.

I've heard a little about this perk, but I don't really know anything about it. Where can I find out more info? (cost, etc).

Thanks for the tip!

I added the dinning plan last night to that same deal (and we are AP holders).

We had to call to have it added (could not do it online).

They cancel your current reservation, and create a new package deal.

Do you think my problem is that we haven't actually upgraded to AP's yet? We were planning to wait until we arrived in 3 weeks. I guess I can't book until we arrive... and that kinda stinks because I am worried we won't get the room we want.

Gah. Thanks so much for the help everyone

 

[btk2333]

Just wanted to throw out there TNT at having an AP entitles you to TIW (tables in wonderland). If you do a lot of TS restaurants and are spending enough days in Disney to warrant an AP, it might be a better deal for you.

Agree with this- if you do a lot of sit down meals and are going three times in the year, then TiW is likely a much better option than the DDP.

http://tablesinwonderland.com/

Essentially you pay $100 for the card and then get 20% off EVERYTHING ordered at participating restaurants, including appetizers and alcoholic drinks. It's also accepted at some food courts (such as the values). The break even point is $500 with a $100 card fee. That means that if you spend at least $500 at participating restaurants in the year, then you have saved $100, if you spend any more than that you are saving money.

We've had a card for 3 years now and love it- so much flexibility.

 

[kmb584]

I've heard a little about this perk, but I don't really know anything about it. Where can I find out more info? (cost, etc).

Tables in Wonderland. It's really fantastic and has saved me quite a bit of money!

 

[Mousemommy1]

Tables in Wonderland. It's really fantastic and has saved me quite a bit of money!

Agreed! We much prefer TIW over the dining plan! We haven't done the DDP in two trips (about to be 3 next month) and have not missed it one bit!

 

[jco_direwolf]

Dining plans are not attached to park tickets they are attached to room reservations. You must be staying at a disney hotel, to order dining plan. You are not required to have any park tickets. And to be clear, having AP tickets does not prevent you from obtaining a dining plan. Not staying at disney prevents dining plan access, regardless what type of park tickets you may have.

This isn't quiet true, or at least poorly worded if you ask me.

There are 3 ways to get the DxDP-

1. With a package (stay at a Disney Resort and have tickets all bought though Disney as a single order) this may or may not qualify for Free dining. It is not a package if you get Room Only and have 3rd party tickets or tickets from a previous stay.

2. Staying on DVC points (owned or rented). No ticket/package requirement. You pay the full daily cost of the plan for everyone in your room for each night of the stay.

3. Room only reservation with at least one AP holder in the room. Again you pay the full daily cost, for each night on the reservation and for every one listed on the reservation.

The OP is asking about #3 one AP is enough to do this and yes you can still get the AP rate, or any other Room Only Discount you qualify for. A lot of the other Discounts though require a "Package", see #1 above.

 

[TeresaG]

We usually do the dining plan because we are still doing lots of character meals -and it seems like the DDP is a decent value with those.

Then again, that was before I realized (like yesterday haha) that the price is now $60 per adult. Wow.

Maybe I'll look into TIW. I'd probably have to number crunch a lot though, esp because I never really notice the inflated food prices because all I look for is the little dining plan symbol.

Do I need to purchase it for every trip? or just once and it lasts the year?

Seriously, thanks all for your help. This is awesome.

 

[jco_direwolf]

I don't understand why they would not permit you to purchase a dining plan since AoA is a disney hotel.)

DVC Guest staying on points can buy DxDP.

Guest staying at a AoA on a Room-Only reservation without a AP can not. Just staying at a Disney Resort is not enough to get the Dining plan regardless of if you want to pay for it or not.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

As an AP holder, you will pay full price for the dining plan but you can book it as a ticketless package.

One thing to remember is that ALL reservations that include a dining plan are packages, with the exception of DVC reservations made by DVC members through DVC Member Services. This is important because you are bound to the package deposit, cancellation, change and payment rules which are less lenient than those for room-only reservations.

I don't understand why they would not permit you to purchase a dining plan since AoA is a disney hotel.)

Because the reservation is not a package. It MUST be a package to include a dining plan (except DVC). Now you can get packages with tickets or packages with just dining and no tickets, but they still have to be packages. If you have a room only reservation and you want to add a dining plan, it will have to be cancelled and rebooked as a package.

You would have to call back, and talk to someone who has the ability to retain the room you booked while cancelling the room-only reservation and rebooking it as a package. The resort or room type has nothing to do with it. As for discounts, the discount would have to be available for that resort and room type.

If you want the FREE dining promotion, then you must buy at least 2 day park tickets as part of a package, even if you have an AP or are otherwise eligible for a ticketless package.

 

[jco_direwolf]

Do I need to purchase it for every trip? or just once and it lasts the year?

TiW/DDE card expires at the end of the month in 13 months. So if I buy it today 24 July 2014 (or anytime this month), my TiW card expires at 31 Aug 2015. If I buy my card on 1 Aug 2014, the expire is 30 Sep 2015.

 

[Leafsgirl36]

I have booked a room using the AP discount and added the dining plan without actually having the AP. Once I arrive, I upgrade to the AP and it has never been an issue. When booking on the phone, they don't care if you have an AP on hand but tell you that you will need to show the AP when checking in. I would call back and speak to someone else as you don't have to add tickets to your package if you are booking a room using an AP discounted rate and purchasing the dining plan.