dining plan through DVC?

[NYmickey]

Hey everyone we are sooo close to buying into DVC!! One question that I can't seem to get a clear answer on is, can you purchase the dining plan while staying on DVC pts?? If so is there a discount or is it the regular price. Thanks so much.

 

[Crystal_27]

Yes, you can purchase the Dining Plan while staying on points. However, you have to purchase it for every member of your party and, unfortunately, there is no discount available. Good luck with your decision!

 

[robert@dvcstore]

You can purchase the dining plan when you make reservations using your DVC points. Just tell Member Services how many in your party, they will add the dining plan to your DVC reservation and you pay for the plan when you check in to your resort.

Enjoy!

 

[Sandisw]

Yes, you can purchase the plans. You do pay full price but you don't have to add a park ticket, like you do when staying on a MYW package.

While you do have to buy the plan for everyone in your party, if you are doing a split stay, you can also customize your plan.

I am going in August for 7 nights are we are staying at BWV and VWL. I really didn't want to have 7 nights of sit down dinners so we went with the QSDP and figured we would just pay OOP for the one night we would do sit down.

I then realized that if I changed my room type at BWV (and yes, switch rooms--2 nights @ garden view, 2 nights standard view), I could get the DDP for just two of the nights. It turns out cheaper this way. So, I have QSDP for two nights, DDP, for two, and then when we go over to VWL, I am back on the QSDP.

For me, it was worth it to switch rooms.

Good luck!

 

[J&K'sPrincessMommy]

I thought you had to pay for it as soon as you added it to your reservation?
Is it when you check in?

 

[DebbieB]

I thought you had to pay for it as soon as you added it to your reservation?
Is it when you check in?

For DVC reservations, you can only pay when you check-in. DVC does not have an accounts receivable system to collect money in advance.

 

[J&K'sPrincessMommy]

Thanks!
We are staying in September in AKL Villas and wll be using the dining plan and assumed we needed to pay for it when we added it.

 

[LarryHD]

what is the price of the Dining Plan... and is there a DVC member discount?

 

[TDC Nala]

There is no DVC discount on the dining plans. The price is exactly the same as they are for package reservations. DVC members do not need to purchase packages or buy tickets to add their chosen dining plan. All persons listed on the reservation must be on the same dining plan for the full length of the reservation.

Quick service plan: $29.99 per night (10 and over), $8.99 per night (3-9)
Basic plan: $39.99 per night (10 and over), $10.99 per night (3-9)
Deluxe plan: $71.99 per night (10 and over), $20.99 per night (3-9)

DVC members can only pay for the dining plan upon check-in. DVC Member Services is not set up to accept payment.

Those on package reservations have to pay ahead of time.

 

[crisi]

The only other piece to know is that there is no "free dining" while staying on points.

 

[doconeill]

Somewhat related - a friend is talking to someone about renting points (not from me), but the person he is renting from is a rookie (just bought in), and they always get the dining plan...

I assume the answer is yes, but does the member have to put the dining plan on the reservation for him? And he pays for it himself at check-in?

 

[Bill K]

Even with the basic plan! Prepare to eat allot!!! Well worth the $40.00 per day! The only thing that DW did not like is they no longer include gratuities for sit downs..

 

[Redbudlover]

It is important to know that even though you do not pay for the dining plan until you check in you still have to add it at least two days BEFORE you check in.

Also, if you are trying to save money, consider the Tables in Wonderland card. You save 20% on food and alcohol with the card whereas with the dining plan alcohol is not included. My disser friend and I crunched and crunched the numbers and found the dining plan didn't really save us any money the way WE eat. It probably does for others but we don't eat desserts and prefer appetizers. She likes an appie and a salad, So if you are big eaters and like dessert every meal it is a good plan, but ifyou are like we are the discount card makes more sense. For me especially as I like a glass or two of wine with my TS dinners.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, the member must put the dining plan on the reservation for renters. Member Services will only deal with the actual member.

TIW is only available to Florida residents and annual passholders. A DVC member who is not a Florida resident or annual passholder is not eligible.

 

[crzy4mk]

Here's a related question....if I book a trip, checking in on a Saturday and leaving the following Saturday, and I add the DDP, how many "days" is it for? I know that would be a 7 NIGHT stay, but do you have to add a day for every night you stay? Or since I would only be doing 6 days in the park would I be purchasing a 6 day DDP?

I'm really confused by this and am also considering doing a "split stay" where I either change rooms in the same resort or switching resorts the last couple of days to avoid having to add on the DDP for the entire trip. My family is now 6 "adults" and I'm not excited about paying $240 every day of the trip for the plan....any advice on how to do all this is greatly appreciated.

 

[Chuck S]

Here's a related question....if I book a trip, checking in on a Saturday and leaving the following Saturday, and I add the DDP, how many "days" is it for? I know that would be a 7 NIGHT stay, but do you have to add a day for every night you stay? Or since I would only be doing 6 days in the park would I be purchasing a 6 day DDP?

I'm really confused by this and am also considering doing a "split stay" where I either change rooms in the same resort or switching resorts the last couple of days to avoid having to add on the DDP for the entire trip. My family is now 6 "adults" and I'm not excited about paying $240 every day of the trip for the plan....any advice on how to do all this is greatly appreciated.

Saturday check-in to Saturday departure is 7 nights, so you'd get 7 dining plan credits of each type for everyone in your party. You'd be able to use those 7 credits anytime after check-in up until midnight of the Saturday departure day. If you are booking another trip with a year, consider getting at least one annual pass and the TIW discount card, it may save you $ over the DDP. The DDP is required for the entire number of nights in the booking, for every person in the room.

 

[Sandisw]

Here's a related question....if I book a trip, checking in on a Saturday and leaving the following Saturday, and I add the DDP, how many "days" is it for? I know that would be a 7 NIGHT stay, but do you have to add a day for every night you stay? Or since I would only be doing 6 days in the park would I be purchasing a 6 day DDP?

I'm really confused by this and am also considering doing a "split stay" where I either change rooms in the same resort or switching resorts the last couple of days to avoid having to add on the DDP for the entire trip. My family is now 6 "adults" and I'm not excited about paying $240 every day of the trip for the plan....any advice on how to do all this is greatly appreciated.

You pay for the DDP per night, so in your case, you would pay for 7 nights of the DDP for everyone.

When you do a split stay, you can get any of the dining plans for any of the stays. We are doing that in August. We are staying 2 nights at BWV, garden view room, 2 nights BWV standard view, and then 3 nights at VWL.

We purposely kept the room view different at BWV so we could do just 2 days of the DDP. Originally, I was scheduled for the QSDP for all 7 nights. But then we decided we would be doing at least one sit down during the trip. We were just going to pay OOP.

But, then when I ran the numbers, since I would be paying for QSDP anyway, it made more sense to switch rooms at BWV, and add the DDP for the 2nd two nights. The DDP is only $10.00 more than QSDP so we end up with 2 sit downs for the price it would have cost me for one paying OOP and doing QSDP for those days.

So, now we are on the QSDP for 2 nights, DDP for 2 nights, and then back on the QSDP for the last 3. The only drawback about this is that I will end up with another set of refillable mugs when we go to VWL, but that is alright. I won't use them and will bring them home as souvenirs for other people.

 

[5forDiz]

Here's a related question....if I book a trip, checking in on a Saturday and leaving the following Saturday, and I add the DDP, how many "days" is it for? I know that would be a 7 NIGHT stay, but do you have to add a day for every night you stay? Or since I would only be doing 6 days in the park would I be purchasing a 6 day DDP?

If you want DDP it must be for total number of nights of your reservation and every person on your reservation must purchase dining plan ( ages 3 and up )

If your reservation is with DVC points it is not connected to your park ticket in anyway, in fact, if staying on points you do not need to even purchase a park ticket at all in order to have DDP.
And even if it is cash reservation DDP still is not tied to number of days on your park ticket - it is calculated according to the number of nights on the reservation.

- for your trip that would be 7 nights. It begins on the check-in day and is activated when you check-in even if your room isn't ready which gives you the ability to use your meal / snack credits immediately

It's your choice which plan to chose - jmho $39.99 per day with 1 CS, 1 TS & 1 snack per person per day is more than enough food for adults & gives you the opportunity to enjoy table service dining or Signature Dining locations if you wish.

All meal / snack credits will expire at midnight on day you check-out if you still have any left at that point - which credits or how many per day you use is up to you : you may use multiple meal or snack credits per day if you wish, ie you can eat at 2 Counter Serve locations & a Table Service location & use 3 snack credits on one day or do Signature Dining Restaurants such as California Grill which requires 2 Table Service credits. Your entire group does not have to dine together or at same locations either; they'd just need to give their Keys To The World card where they happen to feel like eating.

You would have to do a split stay if you do no want to purchase DDP for entire 7 nights of your trip.

Best wishes on your planning

 

[jaksmum]

Is it worth getting the Delux Dining... I am trying to decide between the Basic or Delux, but am really not sure what I'll need!!!
Thanks

 

[Chuck S]

Is it worth getting the Delux Dining... I am trying to decide between the Basic or Delux, but am really not sure what I'll need!!!
Thanks

It depends upon your dining habits and appetite. The deluxe plan is 3 meals a day, you choice of Table Service or Counter Service, plus 2 snacks per night of your reservation. That is a LOT of food. I'd be hard pressed to eat $72 worth of Disney food per person every day during a trip. In fact, we never spend enough to justify the Standard DDP, and we do average 1 table service meal per day. Some days we spend more, some less, but over an 8 or 9 night trip we save upwards of $100 per person by NOT being on any DDP.

That is for 2 adults. With 2 or 3 kids, it could be a bit of a money saver, but still 3 table service meals on the Deluxe plan is a LOT of food.