Free Dining w/annual passes?

[FloridaKelly]

Planning my first Disney vacation in (too) many years. I know Free Dining dates have yet to be announced, but we are hoping to go in October and last year the room only discounts weren't available during the weeks we'd plan to go this year and I'm hoping for a bit of a discount somewhere, so if Free Dining were to become available we would snatch it up. As if I weren't confused enough, I am trying to figure out Free Dining if we are planning to purchase Florida resident annual passes for our vacation and hopefully a few weekend trips during the coming year.

Can someone explain to me how that would work? Would I buy a package, pay for the annual passes as my ticket option and then be eligible for Free Dining? Thanks to anyone who takes the time to help a newbie!

 

[mrzrich]

No you can't get FREE DDP with an AP. What you can do is buy a 2 day base ticket with your package. When you arrive you can upgrade that 2 day ticket to an AP. (Go through the turnstiles first and upgrade at GS inside the park to get full price value for your ticket.)

If you want to buy the AP for a visit before your Free Dining trip then you will still need to buy the 2 day tickets in order to qualify for FREE dining. Unused tickets do not expire, so you can hold on to those 2 day tickets for a later date. I usually hold on to them until its time to renew. Then I upgrade them at that time.

 

[princessbride6205]

Thanks for this info! We already have APs and have never thought we'd be good at the dining plan. But I was curious since we've planned a lot of character meals for our next trip, how the DDP could work/cost.

 

[mrzrich]

Thanks for this info! We already have APs and have never thought we'd be good at the dining plan. But I was curious since we've planned a lot of character meals for our next trip, how the DDP could work/cost.

The OP was asking about FREE DINING. If you already have AP's, you are probably better off looking for an AP room discount and adding the DDP to that. It used to be that AP holders couldn't buy the dining paln without buying park tickets, but now they can, even on a discounted room.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yep, if you want to buy the dining, an AP holder can get ticketless packages. But you can't get the dining free unless you buy the tickets.

 

[havoc315]

Thanks for this info! We already have APs and have never thought we'd be good at the dining plan. But I was curious since we've planned a lot of character meals for our next trip, how the DDP could work/cost.

As an AP holder, you are eligible for a TiW card, which is often a significantly better savings vehicle than the ddp.

 

[FloridaKelly]

Thanks to everyone who posted about Free Dining! I'm so overwhelmed with planning my first trip in many years that I didn't look into TIW until I saw your post! I did however read that there were no room only discounts at the resorts last year for the weeks we are thinking of going this year. Hoping that changes for 2012. My head is spinning just thinking about it all. Thank goodness I found the DIS! Thanks again!