Did paying for DDP at reservation time start yet?

[MrsG]

We are booking our stay tomorrow at the 11th month window. I know they are requiring payment with ressies under the new booking system. Did they start doing that yet?

We always do the DDP but I hate paying for it 11 months ahead of time. I know we can always add it later, but I like to do it early and get it out of the way.

 

[mrebuck]

No. I made a last minute reservation yesterday for an April trip. When I asked about pre-paying for the DDP, the CM told me that this would not start until later this year.

 

[drusba]

May be I am wrong but my understanding is that under the new program you will be able to order DDP and pay in advance but you can also choose just to get it when you arrive and pay then.

 

[erionm]

May be I am wrong but my understanding is that under the new program you will be able to order DDP and pay in advance but you can also choose just to get it when you arrive and pay then.

This is how the DDP payment changes are worded on the member website:

Members will pay for their Disney Dining Plan through Member Services when booking their reservation. Members who don't wish to pay when booking their reservation will have the option of adding the Disney Dining Plan to their reservation as many as 48 hours prior to arrival and paying for the plan just prior to the start of their vacation.

 

[MrsG]

Does "just prior" mean before we leave home, or at check in. And if they mean at check in, why not say that???? Sounds vague to me.

 

[Paulie656]

Does "just prior" mean before we leave home, or at check in. And if they mean at check in, why not say that???? Sounds vague to me.

It is my understanding that you can not add the DDP fewer than 48 hours to arrival so you will not be able to add it at the time you check-in.

 

[erionm]

Does "just prior" mean before we leave home, or at check in. And if they mean at check in, why not say that???? Sounds vague to me.

It is my understanding that you can not add the DDP fewer than 48 hours to arrival so you will not be able to add it at the time you check-in.

I believe that MrsG is refering to the bolded portion of the following that I previously posted:

Members will pay for their Disney Dining Plan through Member Services when booking their reservation. Members who don't wish to pay when booking their reservation will have the option of adding the Disney Dining Plan to their reservation as many as 48 hours prior to arrival and paying for the plan just prior to the start of their vacation.

 

[TDC Nala]

Ah, but what does Disney consider "the start of your vacation?" When you leave home, or after you have finished the business of checking into your resort? There's been interpretations of that paragraph varying from you'll be able to pay at check-in (not add the DDP, just pay for it) to you'll be able to add DDP 48 hours from arrival and pay for it then, which counts as "just prior to the start of your vacation" to anyone who believes their vacation starts when they leave home.

I have also seen people report that Disney Files said you will HAVE to pay when you book DDP, no matter when you add it to your reservation. I didn't read what's in Disney Files so maybe that can be interpreted different ways too.

 

[Anjelica]

I posted this a couple of weeks ago when this came up. I will again preface with "take it with a grain of salt":

Interesting call - MS was fairly helpful. Here is what I got out of it:

- The new "Wishes" system won't be in place until Fall, at the earliest.

- MS/DVC's booking system is going more towards the "regular" non-DVC booking system. In that system, when you add the Dining Plan on to a reservation you pay for it upfront.

- The 48-hour before Check-In rule regarding adding your Dining Plan, so far, will not change when the new system goes into place.

- When the new system goes into place folks with existing reservations will be grandfathered from this policy. It will only be for new bookings regardless of the check-in dates

- When you add the Dining Plan onto your ressie, when the new system is in place, you will be required to pay in full the entire Dining Plan

One thing she did remind me of was that although you can add the Dining Plan, under the new system, up to 48 hour's before check-in there are several shows/dinners that require you either have the Dining Plan or you must pre-pay (i.e. Hoop Dee Do Revue, CRT, Fantasmic Package).

Again - take this all with a grain of salt as I'm sure anything can change between now and when the new system gets put into place.

 

[MrsG]

So I guess we'll call tomorrow for our ressie and add the dining plan (only if we don't have to pay for it 11 mos ahead - I hate giving Disney the float on my money for 11 mos). If they don't ask for payment before we arrive, I guess we'll pay for it at checkin like we've done in the past. Boy, talk about being ambiguous.............

 

[Sandisw]

So I guess we'll call tomorrow for our ressie and add the dining plan (only if we don't have to pay for it 11 mos ahead - I hate giving Disney the float on my money for 11 mos). If they don't ask for payment before we arrive, I guess we'll pay for it at checkin like we've done in the past. Boy, talk about being ambiguous.............

Until the new system goes in to effect, DDP can be added to reservations and paid for at check in.

So, when you call tomorrow, you won't have to pay as the new system won't be ready until closer to fall (at least that is what Disney Files seems to indicated).

Once it is, then members will have to pay for the plan when they add it to the reservation. There will no longer be an option to pay at check in. However, since they still plan to allow members to add as close as 48 hours prior to going, you can delay it until that point.

My hope is that we will still be able to pay for the DDP using our Disney Reward dollars as that is what I used last year to pay for it and plan on using in August to pay for most of it.

 

[TDC Nala]

The biggest difficulty is going to be caused for renters, as they will not be able to pay for their dining plan themselves - they will have to pay the member they're renting from.

 

[margitmouse]

The biggest difficulty is going to be caused for renters, as they will not be able to pay for their dining plan themselves - they will have to pay the member they're renting from.

now that brings up some food for thought..... wonder how that will affect rentals??

 

[MrsG]

Just an update.

We booked our 11th month ressie but could not add the DDP as the rep said that it is not available yet for 2011. I know I usually add it when I give them my flight info for ME. So I'm not sure if this is new as I don't usually add it when I originally book my ressies.

 

[erionm]

Just an update.

We booked our 11th month ressie but could not add the DDP as the rep said that it is not available yet for 2011. I know I usually add it when I give them my flight info for ME. So I'm not sure if this is new as I don't usually add it when I originally book my ressies.

Prices for the 2011 dining plans has not been announced. Once prices are announced later this year, you can add the dining plan to your 2011 reservation. There is no guarantee that DVC members will be exempt from any seasonal adjustments in 2011.

 

[CarolMN]

So I guess we'll call tomorrow for our ressie and add the dining plan (only if we don't have to pay for it 11 mos ahead - I hate giving Disney the float on my money for 11 mos). .............

This tickled my funny-bone. Even the highest paying Money Market funds are only paying a fraction of one percent - practically zero. The 11 month float (per adult DDP for 7 nights) is less than $2.25. Don't think you can even get a bottle of water of a cup of Disney coffee for that, LOL.

I guess it's just the principle of the thing, right?

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Until the new system goes in to effect, DDP can be added to reservations and paid for at check in.

So, when you call tomorrow, you won't have to pay as the new system won't be ready until closer to fall (at least that is what Disney Files seems to indicated).

Once it is, then members will have to pay for the plan when they add it to the reservation. There will no longer be an option to pay at check in. However, since they still plan to allow members to add as close as 48 hours prior to going, you can delay it until that point.

My hope is that we will still be able to pay for the DDP using our Disney Reward dollars as that is what I used last year to pay for it and plan on using in August to pay for most of it.

I feel the same way. That's exactly what we do. We use our points for our resort, and our Reward Dollars for our DDP. We get our tickets from AAA or Undercover Tourist. I guess if we won't be able to pay for DDP with Reward Dollars, I'll change our payment plan on our MFs. I will use our Reward Dollars to pay for them in January instead of having them deducted from our checking account each month.

 

[DenLo]

I'm not positive that you won't be able to use your Reward dollars for the DDP once the new system goes into affect.

As the following statement from the MS website reads:

Members will pay for their Disney Dining Plan through Member Services when booking their reservation. Members who don't wish to pay when booking their reservation will have the option of adding the Disney Dining Plan to their reservation as many as 48 hours prior to arrival and paying for the plan just prior to the start of their vacation

.

Just prior to the start of your vacation could still mean at check in. If not you can obtain the Disney Visa reward card in advance and when you call 48 hours before your arrival give MS that Visa reward card number to pay for your DDP. Tell this is a one time charge and that card is not to be entered as a credit card on the account.

 

[MrsG]

This tickled my funny-bone. Even the highest paying Money Market funds are only paying a fraction of one percent - practically zero. The 11 month float (per adult DDP for 7 nights) is less than $2.25. Don't think you can even get a bottle of water of a cup of Disney coffee for that, LOL.

I guess it's just the principle of the thing, right?

You are so right Carol, it is the principle of it.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I'm not positive that you won't be able to use your Reward dollars for the DDP once the new system goes into affect.

As the following statement from the MS website reads:

.

Just prior to the start of your vacation could still mean at check in. If not you can obtain the Disney Visa reward card in advance and when you call 48 hours before your arrival give MS that Visa reward card number to pay for your DDP. Tell this is a one time charge and that card is not to be entered as a credit card on the account.

This would be great! I really don't want to have to pay for my DDP! I always have enough Reward Dollars to pay for it completely. I feel like I'm getting a free vacation when I don't have to pay for my room or my food! Seriously though, I can't imagine that one wouldn't be able to use the Reward Dollars over the phone if the DDP must be paid for in advance. But you never know.