Clueless on the Dining Plan

[DisneyBrideToni]

We will be in Disney January 2010 during the marathon. We have annual passes from our wedding. I know there is a discount annual pass holders can get but can you do the dining plan instead or is it better to just do the AP discount?

Do you need regular Magic Your Way tickets to get the dining plan? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[DisTwix]

Hi!

Basically, it all depends on free dining. If there is free dining, and you are staying at a value level resort, it's cheaper to take the rack rate, do the free dining and buy a one day MYW ticket (because you have AP's). The MYT can be used at any time in the future, including against an AP renewal.

If there isn't free dining, you have to figure out how you eat @ the World -- do you normally do a sit down every day? Have a snack? If not, then it might not be worth it to do the Dining Plan... but it's still worth it to do the math when the AP rates come out.

Hope that helps!
If you aren't staying @ a Value, then it depends on what the AP discount is for the rooms where you'll be staying. The breakeven is that the BDP costs $40 pp... if you can save more than $80 a night, then go with the AP discount. I was told by the CM when I booked (as I have an AP and am doing the free dining in Sept - for the first time, very excited) that in general, the free dining will beat any AP discount you can get.

 

[dizneeat]

We will be in Disney January 2010 during the marathon. We have annual passes from our wedding. I know there is a discount annual pass holders can get but can you do the dining plan instead or is it better to just do the AP discount?

Do you need regular Magic Your Way tickets to get the dining plan? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

You can get an AP discount AND the DDP. Just ask for a passholder dining package when you book.
The dining plan is still the regular price, but you do NOT need to buy the one day ticket.
You can also upgrade your DDP to the deluxe plan! Hope you have fun in January!!

 

[TDC Nala]

Annual passholders can get a room/dining package with no tickets. If there is an AP room discount offered, it can be applied to this package.

Free dining has absolutely nothing to do with this package and is not relevant to AP holders. Anyone who wants to book free dining must book a package reservation at full rack rate for the room (no discounts) with at least a one-day base ticket included, whether they have an annual pass or not. Free dining is generally not offered in January.

 

[DisneyBrideToni]

Thanks for the info! I probably should have stated up front that we are staying at Bay Lake Tower as part of our DVC. We just bought in so I don't know much about the DVC. Do they have their own Dining Plan offers?

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh, that's different!

For DVC points reservations, you can call Member Services anytime up to 2 days before checkin and add whichever dining plan you like to the reservation. No ticket purchase is required at all. You pay in full for your dining when you check in. Sorry, there are no discounts available on the dining plan itself, for AP holders or otherwise. Thought you were talking about an AP room discount.

 

[DisneyBrideToni]

Oh, that's different!

For DVC points reservations, you can call Member Services anytime up to 2 days before checkin and add whichever dining plan you like to the reservation. No ticket purchase is required at all. You pay in full for your dining when you check in. Sorry, there are no discounts available on the dining plan itself, for AP holders or otherwise. Thought you were talking about an AP room discount.

Thank you so much! This clears it all up!