First DW trip! A little confused...

[miiim]

Hi! my name is Mim and Im from Australia. Hoping I can get a little help with these questions - I've been searching for days and can''t get a clear answer ...

I'm planning on visiting solo 4th-12th September 2018. My main concerns are crows levels and cost - I'm on a tight budget. I think Pop Century is the best fit for me.

I'd like to know the following
1. When/if the free dining plan is announced can that be added to my reservation after it has been booked?
2. If I was to go through a Disney travel agent do I still get a my Disney experience account (I think it's called) where I can log in myself and add fast passes etc? And would you recommend an agent?
3. If the resort room goes on sale (I believe Pop can sometimes be 15% off?) can that be applied after it has been booked?
4. Is it free dining plan or room discount only ie you can't have both at the same time?
5. If its a magic your way package can I pay that off in instalments online?

Please keep in mind Id like to avoid calling Disney directly as its expensive from Australia.
I hope my questions haven't been asked a million times before!
Mim

 

[hiroMYhero]

miiim, I'm moving you to the Resort Board where the experts there can answer your Resort questions. They'll know about booking, packages, and discounts.

 

[miiim]

miiim, I'm moving you to the Resort Board where the experts there can answer your Resort questions. They'll know about booking, packages, and discounts.

Oh thank you! I wasn't sure where to put it

 

[bumbershoot]

If I was to go through a Disney travel agent do I still get a my Disney experience account (I think it's called) where I can log in myself and add fast passes etc?

Yes.

When/if the free dining plan is announced can that be added to my reservation after it has been booked?

First, now that this is in the "Disney resorts" forum, go to the subforum called "Disney discount codes and rates" to find out about any free dining possibilities.

And if there's availability then yes you can change your package. Since you're avoiding calling, though, you might have to rebook and cancel, which means tying up deposit money until the cancellation gives the refund.

 

[miiim]

Yes.



First, now that this is in the "Disney resorts" forum, go to the subforum called "Disney discount codes and rates" to find out about any free dining possibilities.

And if there's availability then yes you can change your package. Since you're avoiding calling, though, you might have to rebook and cancel, which means tying up deposit money until the cancellation gives the refund.

Great. Thank you

 

[Felicis]

Note that you can't add free dining to your reservation, you have to change your reservation. So having something booked doesn't mean you will be guaranteed to be able to get free dining if is available during your stay.

I started with a travel agent, I wish I hadn't bothered. They added nothing to my experience, and probably cost me some savings. Unless they were absolute disney experts, I would probably only get them to book flights, if I was doing this again, and even that I am likely to do myself if there is ever a next time.

 

[Disney_Alli]

I would use a Disney Travel Agent - Dreams Unlimited Travel is owned and operated by the owners of these boards. They can - and will - book and rebook you when discounts are released. A regular travel agent will not know about all the discounts and how to book them for you when they become available.

HTH

 

[unrequited23]

You can set up your My Disney Experience account now. It's sorta fun to poke around, learn how it works and get excited for your trip. Don't forget to download the free app for your phone too.

You can only have one discount at a time. You will need to choose between room only and free dining if both are offered at the same time. Free dining usually requires you to purchase park hopper tickets which cost a little more than standard one park a day tickets. I would check out the menus for pricing and see if it makes more sense for you to pay out of pocket or if the dining plan/free dining would be better for your group.

 

[aussietravellers]

Hi! my name is Mim and Im from Australia. Hoping I can get a little help with these questions - I've been searching for days and can''t get a clear answer ...

I'm planning on visiting solo 4th-12th September 2018. My main concerns are crows levels and cost - I'm on a tight budget. I think Pop Century is the best fit for me.

I'd like to know the following
1. When/if the free dining plan is announced can that be added to my reservation after it has been booked?
2. If I was to go through a Disney travel agent do I still get a my Disney experience account (I think it's called) where I can log in myself and add fast passes etc? And would you recommend an agent?
3. If the resort room goes on sale (I believe Pop can sometimes be 15% off?) can that be applied after it has been booked?
4. Is it free dining plan or room discount only ie you can't have both at the same time?
5. If its a magic your way package can I pay that off in instalments online?

Please keep in mind Id like to avoid calling Disney directly as its expensive from Australia.
I hope my questions haven't been asked a million times before!
Mim

I use a Disney Travel agent in the US for our bookings. I've used the same one for about 8+ years. It's great as I book and then tell her what I would like (when specials you have to be flexible sometimes with resort in order to get the special if your first choice isn't available) and then when the specials are released, she get's them applied to the booking. I do call her with my credit card. So she has it to make the payment instalments and I don't have to keep calling. We communicate via email. Yes, I am able to use MDE as I just enter the reservation numbers to link them.

You really need to do your homework and work out if a room discount or the free dining will end up as the best deal for you. it's different for everyone.

 

[Babsy]

Hi! my name is Mim and Im from Australia. Hoping I can get a little help with these questions - I've been searching for days and can''t get a clear answer ...

I'm planning on visiting solo 4th-12th September 2018. My main concerns are crows levels and cost - I'm on a tight budget. I think Pop Century is the best fit for me.

I'd like to know the following
1. When/if the free dining plan is announced can that be added to my reservation after it has been booked?
2. If I was to go through a Disney travel agent do I still get a my Disney experience account (I think it's called) where I can log in myself and add fast passes etc? And would you recommend an agent?
3. If the resort room goes on sale (I believe Pop can sometimes be 15% off?) can that be applied after it has been booked?
4. Is it free dining plan or room discount only ie you can't have both at the same time?
5. If its a magic your way package can I pay that off in instalments online?

Please keep in mind Id like to avoid calling Disney directly as its expensive from Australia.
I hope my questions haven't been asked a million times before!
Mim

1. Technically, the reservation has to be changed so having a reservation already is not an advantage for getting any discount. Discounts/offers are given on rooms NOT already booked. Essentially it is a clearance sale to increase room bookings. Personally, I like to book what I can easily afford without a discount up front. That way I know that I have a room and a category that I am happy with anyway. If discounts or other offers make another option more appealing, then I can change my booking with a telephone call. Alternatively, you can cancel and rebook online. IDK how telephone charges compare to Aussie exchange rates, but if you cancel you get a refund and pay the deposit again. If you call, they keep your current deposit and change the package for you.

2. You can create a MDE (MY Disney Experience) account yourself at any time. As a PP said, it can be fun. AS for a TA, it depends. If you use a TA, they now 'own' your reservation. That means that the TA has to make any changes to the reservation that they booked. YOU can do FP+ and dining reservations yourself, but the TA would have to change your package reservation to take advantage of a Free Dining offer, for example. That can be to your advantage if you have a good TA who watches for discounts and knows what you want. It is a disadvantage if you want to be able to make changes to the reservation yourself, if you are unsure what you want until you hear the discount offer, or if your TA is difficult to reach (a problem if you want to make a quick change to your reservation for any reason).

3. If you have a room only reservation (instead of a package) and you want to take advantage of a discount, again it can be applied to your existing reservation. However, that is only possible if the type of room and resort are available for the discount. Having the existing room is not an advantage toward getting the discount. The reservation is again changed to take advantage of the new offer. Be aware that if you have a package booked, it is book with a different reservation system than if you have a room only booked. If you want to change from a package to a room only or vice versa, then you need to cancel and rebook. Both room discounts and Free Dining cannot be applied to one reservation.

4. No, you can't have both. It is either/or.

5. I have never tried to do that, so IDK. Sorry. I believe that you can, though, but I could be wrong. Personally, I just save the money and bring it with me to pay on arrival, but we book room only. With a package, I think that you need to pay in full 30 days or more in advance. With that scenario, you may want a TA who will make the calls and apply payments on your behalf. But this is speculation on my part. Someone else on the Dis will advise you better than I on this issue.

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

Please do look into booking room only - chances are pretty good you can get some type of discount - just keep checking up until you leave Australia...also, when you book yourself, you have a 5 day window to cancel with a full refund.
Also check out this site for menus:
http://allears.net/dining/menu
You will find lots of good options for a variety of foods/prices (Contempo at CR, Geyser Point at WL, Sunshine Seasons at Epcot, etc are great QS options)---free dining doesn't work for everyone --we find it better to eat on our own - we have more choices and can really stick to a budget
Good Luck with your decision making!

 

[WDWFan0813]

Congrats on preparing for your first Disney experience! Most of your questions seem to have been answered. In many cases the travel agent is personal preference. My family and I like to have more control so we do not use a travel agent. One thing that you should note if you trying for free dining is that it is not offered at all resorts, and some resorts will only get quick service dining plans.

 

[miiim]

Note that you can't add free dining to your reservation, you have to change your reservation. So having something booked doesn't mean you will be guaranteed to be able to get free dining if is available during your stay.


I started with a travel agent, I wish I hadn't bothered. They added nothing to my experience, and probably cost me some savings. Unless they were absolute disney experts, I would probably only get them to book flights, if I was doing this again, and even that I am likely to do myself if there is ever a next time.

Oh ok I see what you mean. I thought it was just added on if you ask. Yeah I'd only use a regular travel agent to help with flights and even then I'd find a flight myself and get them to price beat it, that's worked well for me in the past.

 

[miiim]

You can set up your My Disney Experience account now. It's sorta fun to poke around, learn how it works and get excited for your trip. Don't forget to download the free app for your phone too.

You can only have one discount at a time. You will need to choose between room only and free dining if both are offered at the same time. Free dining usually requires you to purchase park hopper tickets which cost a little more than standard one park a day tickets. I would check out the menus for pricing and see if it makes more sense for you to pay out of pocket or if the dining plan/free dining would be better for your group.

I didn't realise Park hopper tickets were usually needed for free dining plan, kinda defeats the purpose of "free" but I get it. Thanks!

 

[miiim]

I use a Disney Travel agent in the US for our bookings. I've used the same one for about 8+ years. It's great as I book and then tell her what I would like (when specials you have to be flexible sometimes with resort in order to get the special if your first choice isn't available) and then when the specials are released, she get's them applied to the booking. I do call her with my credit card. So she has it to make the payment instalments and I don't have to keep calling. We communicate via email. Yes, I am able to use MDE as I just enter the reservation numbers to link them.

You really need to do your homework and work out if a room discount or the free dining will end up as the best deal for you. it's different for everyone.

I am leaning towards a Disney Agent, I contacted a couple last night. Do you think a debit credit card would be ok? I don't actually have a regular credit card I think a room discount would be better as I'm going solo

 

[miiim]

Please do look into booking room only - chances are pretty good you can get some type of discount - just keep checking up until you leave Australia...also, when you book yourself, you have a 5 day window to cancel with a full refund.
Also check out this site for menus:
http://allears.net/dining/menu
You will find lots of good options for a variety of foods/prices (Contempo at CR, Geyser Point at WL, Sunshine Seasons at Epcot, etc are great QS options)---free dining doesn't work for everyone --we find it better to eat on our own - we have more choices and can really stick to a budget
Good Luck with your decision making!

Thanks for the dining suggests I'll have a look at them. I do think I'll forget the dining plan free or otherwise and aim for room discount instead

 

[miiim]

1. Technically, the reservation has to be changed so having a reservation already is not an advantage for getting any discount. Discounts/offers are given on rooms NOT already booked. Essentially it is a clearance sale to increase room bookings. Personally, I like to book what I can easily afford without a discount up front. That way I know that I have a room and a category that I am happy with anyway. If discounts or other offers make another option more appealing, then I can change my booking with a telephone call. Alternatively, you can cancel and rebook online. IDK how telephone charges compare to Aussie exchange rates, but if you cancel you get a refund and pay the deposit again. If you call, they keep your current deposit and change the package for you.

2. You can create a MDE (MY Disney Experience) account yourself at any time. As a PP said, it can be fun. AS for a TA, it depends. If you use a TA, they now 'own' your reservation. That means that the TA has to make any changes to the reservation that they booked. YOU can do FP+ and dining reservations yourself, but the TA would have to change your package reservation to take advantage of a Free Dining offer, for example. That can be to your advantage if you have a good TA who watches for discounts and knows what you want. It is a disadvantage if you want to be able to make changes to the reservation yourself, if you are unsure what you want until you hear the discount offer, or if your TA is difficult to reach (a problem if you want to make a quick change to your reservation for any reason).

3. If you have a room only reservation (instead of a package) and you want to take advantage of a discount, again it can be applied to your existing reservation. However, that is only possible if the type of room and resort are available for the discount. Having the existing room is not an advantage toward getting the discount. The reservation is again changed to take advantage of the new offer. Be aware that if you have a package booked, it is book with a different reservation system than if you have a room only booked. If you want to change from a package to a room only or vice versa, then you need to cancel and rebook. Both room discounts and Free Dining cannot be applied to one reservation.

4. No, you can't have both. It is either/or.

5. I have never tried to do that, so IDK. Sorry. I believe that you can, though, but I could be wrong. Personally, I just save the money and bring it with me to pay on arrival, but we book room only. With a package, I think that you need to pay in full 30 days or more in advance. With that scenario, you may want a TA who will make the calls and apply payments on your behalf. But this is speculation on my part. Someone else on the Dis will advise you better than I on this issue.

Thank you for your in depth reply! You were very helpful. I do like the idea of a TA mostly due to them being able to change the booking to have a discount applied if possible, without me having to stuff around with phone calls at odd times of the day/night. I am staying within my budget but if it can be done a little cheaper, great. If not that's fine too.

The trick seems to be whether or not you have a good agent. I've gone off someone's recommendation and I think I'll be going that way. It's all very exciting!

 

[miiim]

Thanks everyone for your responses, it's much clearer to me now

 

[kaytieeldr]

I didn't realise Park hopper tickets were usually needed for free dining plan, kinda defeats the purpose of "free" but I get it. Thanks!

The promotion isn't Free Dining Plan. It's The Dining Plan Free when you book a package with at least minimum stay and ticket requirements.

I am leaning towards a Disney Agent, I contacted a couple last night. Do you think a debit credit card would be ok? I don't actually have a regular credit card I think a room discount would be better as I'm going solo

It card is fine with a credit card logo.