DDP without a package

[sir mousejunkie]

We are annual pass holders and I get an airline employee discount on WDW resort rooms.

Can we also purchase the Dining Plan? If so, does it have to be purchased more than 3 days in advance (like my airline employee discount) or can we purchase it when we arrive at our hotel?

Thanks!

 

[purple figment]

Well, I can answer one of your questions - your dining plan will have to be added and paid for no later than 72 hours before you arrive. There's also a change fee which usually isn't waived even though you'll be giving Disney more money if the change is made within 7 days of your arrival.

 

[amykay9377]

I don't think you can. I've been told by multiple sources that AP holders can only add the DDP *IF* they booked their room-only reservation with an AP discount.

However, if you choose to add a 1-day ticket to the room-only reservation, I think you can add the DDP no matter how you booked the room.

We currently have GF booked for September at a great rate under the General Public discount that ended in March. We are planning on taking the $$ we would have spent on the DDP anyway and just putting it on a gift card and using the GC exclusively for dining. PLUS, doing it all OOP lets me eat whatever I want, rather than being stuck with entree/dessert/drink.

 

[Cafeen]

We are annual pass holders and I get an airline employee discount on WDW resort rooms.

Can we also purchase the Dining Plan? If so, does it have to be purchased more than 3 days in advance (like my airline employee discount) or can we purchase it when we arrive at our hotel?

Thanks!

Not likely.

For a package to qualify for a dining plan, it MUST be done through WDTC (Walt Disney Travel Company) or DVC. Any 3rd party seller, discounter, or whatever do not qualify for any plans.

As far as the AP is concerned, I don't have the details on that, but I wouldn't think that the AP discount is required (this is based solely on me guessing and logic, not anything else, so I could likely be wrong!) as I'm sure availability and date ranges for those discounts aren't infinite, whereas the Dining Plans are always available. You DO have to book a special AP Ticketless package to get a dining plan though, which then falls under standard package payment rules. DVC members/renters staying on points can also book without tickets in the same manner, but they have to pay for the dining plan immediately on booking it no matter how far out it is.

So, my thinking is that with the airline discount, you're likely not booking through Disney directly, but your employer (or whatever) is acting like a 3rd party reseller. Could be wrong, and it won't hurt at all to ask, but that's my gut feeling.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

You need to get an AP rate room in order to add the dining plan. A friend has APs and got a better deal with a PIN code and couldn't add the plan without tickets. Besides that, I think discounted rooms from outside sources don't qualify for the DDP.

 

[sir mousejunkie]

We make our Interline reservations thru Disney. It's not the same central reservations number but it is the Disney Travel Company so it's not a 3rd party.

They require a fax or email copy of certain employee documents for verification within 24 hours after making the reservation.

Their info:

phone (407) 828-3111
fax (407) 938-4468
email wdw.drc.travel.industry.validation@disney.com

Anyway, I called them this afternoon and mentioned that we were Annual Passholders and would like to add the dining plan to our package (which is a package BTW, we've already received our travel documents in the mail). The lady I spoke with said that with the Interline discounted rooms we couldn't add on the dining plan, even though we were Annual Passholders.

Oh well, I'd rather get the room discount anyway. We do have a few dining reservations, Biergarten, Nine Dragons, Tusker House, so we may look into Tables in Wonderland or may just pay out of pocket.

 

[bumbershoot]

We do have a few dining reservations, Biergarten, Nine Dragons, Tusker House, so we may look into Tables in Wonderland or may just pay out of pocket.

If you think you'll hit $375 worth of eligible food and drinks during the year, and especially if you'll buy MORE than that, you might as well buy the TIW card! $375 is the mark where the 20% discount equals the $75 you would spend on the card as an AP holder.

 

[StuckInKS]

Well, I can answer one of your questions - your dining plan will have to be added and paid for no later than 72 hours before you arrive. There's also a change fee which usually isn't waived even though you'll be giving Disney more money if the change is made within 7 days of your arrival.

I know the OP already received his answer, but I just wanted to mention that we added the DDP 72 hours before our scheduled reservation this month and was not charged a change fee.

 

[Cafeen]

You need to get an AP rate room in order to add the dining plan. A friend has APs and got a better deal with a PIN code and couldn't add the plan without tickets. Besides that, I think discounted rooms from outside sources don't qualify for the DDP.

Ahh so AP rate over other discount, that's likely. Some PINs do require ticket purchase (FD is the most common of these), and I'd venture to guess that other room discount PINs and offers simply don't qualify for the ticketless package.

I was under the impression that you meant they couldn't book at rack as a ticketless and get a dining plan, no wonder I was all confused .

 

[vicki_c]

Yes, I *think* the rule is that you can get the ticketless AP package with DDP if you are either paying rack rate or staying on an AP rate. But I'm not 100% sure - we don't do the DDP at all, so that knowledge is only from reading various posts here.

But other discounted rooms would not be eligible for that offer.

 

[Luv2Roam]

More than likely the OP booked a room only. (Not sold by WDTC, who sells the dining plans.) They would have to book a WDTC package for the dining. (Even an AP ticketless package.)

 

[aubriee]

Ahh so AP rate over other discount, that's likely. Some PINs do require ticket purchase (FD is the most common of these), and I'd venture to guess that other room discount PINs and offers simply don't qualify for the ticketless package.

I was under the impression that you meant they couldn't book at rack as a ticketless and get a dining plan, no wonder I was all confused .

Yes, I *think* the rule is that you can get the ticketless AP package with DDP if you are either paying rack rate or staying on an AP rate. But I'm not 100% sure - we don't do the DDP at all, so that knowledge is only from reading various posts here.

But other discounted rooms would not be eligible for that offer.

AP holders can add the DDP without having to buy park tickets, as long as we either pay rack rate or use an AP discount. For pkgs like Kids Stay and Play, Buy 4 Get 3, Free Dining, or rooms booked under a PIN code, even we have to buy park tickets (two day tickets for free dining and one day tickets for the other deals). I like to book my trips well ahead of time and have done an AP ticketless pkg many times, booking at rack rate and have never had a problem adding the DDP when I book. Just tell the CM you want an AP ticketless pkg with the DDP. When AP discounts come out, I just switch to that. My ressie number always stays the same.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

AP holders can add the DDP without having to buy park tickets, as long as we either pay rack rate or use an AP discount. For pkgs like Kids Stay and Play, Buy 4 Get 3, Free Dining, or rooms booked under a PIN code, even we have to buy park tickets (two day tickets for free dining and one day tickets for the other deals). I like to book my trips well ahead of time and have done an AP ticketless pkg many times, booking at rack rate and have never had a problem adding the DDP when I book. Just tell the CM you want an AP ticketless pkg with the DDP. When AP discounts come out, I just switch to that. My ressie number always stays the same.

That makes sense, rack rate or AP discount.

 

[sir mousejunkie]

We could have added the DDP if we had reserved our room with the AP discount. However I think it'll be better with our 40% Interline discounted room and then purchase a Tables in Wonderland. By my best guess we plan on spending about $350 on food for our trip in a few weeks and then plan on a visit this Sept, Dec & probably next Spring. I think the Tables in Wonderland is the way to go for us.

 

[vicki_c]

With all those trips, I agree the TiW is the way to go.