Disney AP / free dining package help!

[MrsLauraC]

Hello,

I am wondering if you can help me, we have a bit of an unusual enquiry (well it might not be unusual to you!)

We reguarly visit WDW and usually book when on a free dining offer, visiting April or May. Our parents are treating us to a trip in November staying off site in their timeshare, so we were thinking:

Buy an Annual Pass for November trip and then use the discounts, free parking etc during that trip and then book this offer for the April / May trip (http://www.disneyholidays.co.uk/walt-disney-world/deals/2017-free-dine-packages/032/) excluding the tickets as we would have the annual pass.

When we first called Disney about this they said there were ways around it but ever since then they have said they cant do as the free dining was linked to the ticket (I was previously led to believe that it was linked to the resort when we had previously enquired about split stays under this offer for previous trips)

Just wondering if you had any advice on what we can do? Disney had emailed to say if we had our ticket we could upgrade to an annual pass but as the "annual pass" trip would be first I cant see how that would work as we wouldnt have our tickets for the "package" trip?

Any help / advice on what to book is most appreciated!!

 

[Elise79]

Unfortunately, you do have to buy tickets to qualify for free dining. You need to book room, tickets & DDP at the same time to get free dining. Same for split stays - each resort requires a ticket booking.

As your AP trip will be first you either need to buy tickets to get free dining and treat their value as what your food is costing you or wait and see if there is a room only discount either through Disney UK or Disney US. You would also qualify for AP room discounts through Disney US.

Renting DVC points but be another option but would require payment in full up front with generally no refunds.