Dining plan and arrival date

[Thorb73]

Hi,
now that Disney released the free dining for August and September we are in some trouble
We are arriving from Germany on August 23rd and free dining will start on August 25th. We planned on staying the whole trip on property and maybe someone can confirm if the following will be possible with Disney:

I would make a reservation starting August 23rd with check-out on August 25th. Then I add a second reservation starting August 25th (then with free dining) until September 4th. Is that possible ? Has anyone ever done that ?

We would choose the same resort and room categorie for both reservations- do you think we could keep out room from reservation #1 also for #2 ? Or do we really have to check-out and check-in again ?

Thanks for all your help!!
Thorsten

 

[MuchLovedMama]

We done this with 3 rooms in 2008 without a problem. You still need to go to the front desk and do the check out/ check back in thing but as long as they note it on your reservation you should be good. They wont tell you it's a guarantee but it probably wont be a problem.

 

[3pletprincesses]

We've done this last year. WHen you check for the first room, ask if they can give you a room to remain for the second reservation. They will try real hard to accommodate you. The only down fall is that you will need to go check out and in on the 25. Also you will need to buy at least a 2 day park ticket for everyone to have the free dining. What we did was stay around the resort and of other things the first few days and simply got tickets at the same time that we had our free dining package. BTW it wook us a little over and hour of the check out of the first reservation and check in of the second reservation to get everything done because it was busy!

 

[ratlenhum]

We just did this. We were booked for 8/23-8/30. We got a room only ressie for 8/23-8/24 and made sure we got the same exact kind of room for the rest of the trip. We are at POR in a Royal room garden view. Then they changed our existing package to 8/24-8/30, with free dining, moved us up to a Royal garden view and linked the two ressies. The CM said they will note on the first ressie that we are continuing our stay until 8/30 and that when the room assignments are made they will take not of that and "most likely" we will not have to change rooms. Making the change saved us $800

 

[Kate and Family]

You would be free dining for 2 days? Check and make sure Free Dining Package does not require a 3 day minimum.

 

[Thorb73]

You would be free dining for 2 days? Check and make sure Free Dining Package does not require a 3 day minimum.

No problem for us - we will need at least a 7 day park ticket

Besides this I just checked the website and you will already get free dining if you buy a 2 day ticket!

Thanks for all your help!

Thorsten

 

[aripantaloon]

Yes, you can definitely do that. You may not be required to go back to the desk to check out. We added on the first night of our last trip at the same resort. We were arriving around bedtime and were originally planning on staying offsite or in a value for that night, but then decided to just stay at CSR for that night, too, on a room only instead of the package since we didn't need the extra day of dining credits. They were able to keep us in the same room and issued us our kttw as if we picked them up the next day. We didn't need to do anything else. Of course, this is all dependent on the room availability at the time of your trip.

When you check in, I would just point out to the CM at the desk that you will be staying at the resort under a second reservation and ask if it's possible to keep the same room.

 

[Missytara]

Hi,
now that Disney released the free dining for August and September we are in some trouble
We are arriving from Germany on August 23rd and free dining will start on August 25th. We planned on staying the whole trip on property and maybe someone can confirm if the following will be possible with Disney:

I would make a reservation starting August 23rd with check-out on August 25th. Then I add a second reservation starting August 25th (then with free dining) until September 4th. Is that possible ? Has anyone ever done that ?

We would choose the same resort and room categorie for both reservations- do you think we could keep out room from reservation #1 also for #2 ? Or do we really have to check-out and check-in again ?

Thanks for all your help!!
Thorsten

I have had to do this the past three years on my week, since they block out the first day of my trip on discounts (the Saturday after Thanksgiving).

You book the first two days room only. You pay one night's deposit, with the rest due at check-in. You "link" your second reservation for the remainder of your stay, with the tickets for your ENTIRE length of stay.

You check-in and pay off your room only. Reiterate at check-in you would prefer not to move. You may or may not get the area you requested; you will decide what is preferable.

Go to any guest services at any park or DTD and you will receive your tickets. They will be paper tickets. You can do this up to three days before your package starts.

On the day your package starts, go down to check-in at 7:00 am when the computers roll over. Only one person has to go down. Take your paper tickets with you. After check-in, go to the concierge desk and have them load your paper tickets on your KTTW card. It may take a few tries, but I have done it the last three years with no problem.

Enjoy!

 

[Missytara]

You would be free dining for 2 days? Check and make sure Free Dining Package does not require a 3 day minimum.

Their room only is for two days; August 23rd through August 25th.

Their FD package is August 25th through September 4th.

 

[Missytara]

No problem for us - we will need at least a 7 day park ticket

Besides this I just checked the website and you will already get free dining if you buy a 2 day ticket!

Thanks for all your help!

Thorsten

It is a requirement that you purchase a minimum of a two day ticket from Disney in order to obtain free dining. You don't get free dining just because you bought a two day ticket.

You are required for free dining to make it into a package; which is room and tickets. That is the reason for the minimum two day ticket.

For regular dining plan, you only need to purchase a minimum of one day ticket.

 

[aripantaloon]

oops. Double post.

 

[TracyK]

I have had to do this the past three years on my week, since they block out the first day of my trip on discounts (the Saturday after Thanksgiving).

You book the first two days room only. You pay one night's deposit, with the rest due at check-in. You "link" your second reservation for the remainder of your stay, with the tickets for your ENTIRE length of stay.

You check-in and pay off your room only. Reiterate at check-in you would prefer not to move. You may or may not get the area you requested; you will decide what is preferable.

Go to any guest services at any park or DTD and you will receive your tickets. They will be paper tickets. You can do this up to three days before your package starts.

On the day your package starts, go down to check-in at 7:00 am when the computers roll over. Only one person has to go down. Take your paper tickets with you. After check-in, go to the concierge desk and have them load your paper tickets on your KTTW card. It may take a few tries, but I have done it the last three years with no problem.

Enjoy!

I found this a very useful post. I am hoping to do something similar only it will involve 2 resorts. I have already booked a free dining package from the first night it's available in August. I would like to add a day or two to my stay but it will have to be before my dining package. I will probably book a room only at a different Disney resort. Can I do what you did and use my park tickets as it is within 3 days of my package starting. Thanks