December dining plan questions

[rdesisto]

I am going to Disney 11/30-12/6, and am looking into getting the standard dining plan for my partner and I. When do you think I should order this? Is April too early? If a deal comes out after I order it, will Disney give me the deal price if I ask about it?

Thanks for the help! Only been on the boards a few days, but everyone has been so nice!

 

[lovedworld]

Free dining was announced last year for fall dates on Aug. 1st. You could wait and see it free dining is offered for your dates before you purchase the dining plan, I think you can add it up to a few weeks before you arrival date. Also if you have your reservation booked under another discount they can change it for you if free dining is offered and you choose that discount. You can not have both a room discount and free dining though. You would have to figure out if a room discount or free dining would save you the most.

 

[TDC Nala]

If you want to book the dining plan and pay for it there are a couple of things to remember:

Unless you are DVC, a package reservation is required.

A package is generally a room plus park tickets. Then you can add dining if you want it.

There is a current offer for a ticketless package which would mean both room and dining but no tickets, you can then purchase tickets separately from the package. However, unless you are an annual passholder or military, you cannot apply any room discounts to this type of package.

If you are certain you want the dining plan, whether it ends up being free or not, and you want a shot at room discounts, book a room plus tickets package. You can add dining when you book it or you can add dining later. If you book a room-only reservation (just the room, no park tickets) and you want to add a dining plan later, you will have to cancel that room-only reservation, have the deposit or payment refunded, and book a new package reservation with a new deposit or payment.

Most guests here are excited about the possibility of a free dining offer which means you buy a full price room and at least 2 day park tickets as a package, and you get the dining free. There haven't been any free dining offers for the general public this year at all - definitely not for dates as far off as November. If you book a package, and the offer is made and it includes your check-in date, you can call WDW and ask that the discount be applied to your package. If the discount isn't offered or is sold out for the resort or room type you booked, you will have to change the resort or room type in order to get the free dining.

If you have a room only reservation and you want free dining you will have to cancel it and rebook a package with full price room and at least 2 day park tickets.

 

[rdesisto]

I guess I should mention my room was booked with the "other guest" employee discount. They said I can still add a dining plan because I booked the room through an employee discount.

 

[TDC Nala]

Then you'll need to check with the cast member who made your reservation about adding the dining plan and what you need to do.

 

[rdesisto]

Then you'll need to check with the cast member who made your reservation about adding the dining plan and what you need to do.

Thanks for the help! Sorry for wasting your time with such a simple answer. Should've thought of that on my own... Oy.

 

[aaarcher86]

I guess I should mention my room was booked with the "other guest" employee discount. They said I can still add a dining plan because I booked the room through an employee discount.

You can add a full price dining plan to an OGB reservation. As your dates get closer they might release a discounted DP in conjunction with a better room discount.

It's all or nothing on that front. If the room is not available with the deeper discount, you can't apply the discounted DP.

Whether you book it now at full price or not won't effect what can happen if they release something better later. But you're not eligible for anything that the general public will be getting with the type of room you have.

 

[TDC Nala]

In other words, if free dining comes out, you're not eligible with that resort booking.

 

[rdesisto]

Makes complete sense. I think I made the right decision going with the room discount, and won't feel bad paying full price for the standard dining plans. All your info really helped, thank you! It made it a lot easier to understand, I really appreciate it.