Free Dining with Annual Pass

[esbee27]

I am planning a trip with friends and their kids for late September 2016. They are really hoping to score free dining for our dates. I know to get that, you have to buy a package that includes park tickets. I have an Annual Pass. If I buy the package with a 5 day ticket to get the free dining, can I just not activate the ticket, use my AP, and save the 5 day pass for a future trip after my AP has expired? After the 2016 trip, I probably won't go to Disney again until the new lands are complete at Hollywood Studios (so not for several years).

 

[supersnoop]

Yes.

 

[Redwitch]

But, before entering a park upon arrival, go to Guest Services and have them remove the 5 day pass from your account/Magic Band. Otherwise, the system will use your 5 Day instead of your AP. It has been a few months since I did this, but at the time you need to go to a park GS. The hotel could not assist. (Of course, the amazing Disney IT might have fixed this issue by now.)

 

[zamboniman333]

Can you just buy a one day ticket on the package and Get the free dinning ( if offered) and then just use the AP for the full length of stay? We are just wondering too as we are buying APs this trip in dec and will be hoping for free dining nov 2016.
Thanks

 

[purple figment]

The most recent FD offer required a 2 day ticket with either park hopping or water parks fun and more add-on for every person 3 years and older on the FD package. To get FD you would have to get the required tickets, not just one day tickets, but you can save them for a future trip and use your APs in November.

 

[zamboniman333]

Thanks so much for the info.

 

[supersnoop]

But, before entering a park upon arrival, go to Guest Services and have them remove the 5 day pass from your account/Magic Band. Otherwise, the system will use your 5 Day instead of your AP. It has been a few months since I did this, but at the time you need to go to a park GS. The hotel could not assist. (Of course, the amazing Disney IT might have fixed this issue by now.)

After you check in, can you just reassign the ticket to a different (maybe fake) person in MDE? I didn't think Guest Services would take a ticket out of your MDE account.

 

[zamboniman333]

can they just assign the tickets to one of my other active MB? something like that

 

[supersnoop]

can they just assign the tickets to one of my other active MB? something like that

Tickets are assigned to a person, not a band. All bands assigned to a person are interchangeable.

 

[Disneylover99]

After you check in, can you just reassign the ticket to a different (maybe fake) person in MDE? I didn't think Guest Services would take a ticket out of your MDE account.

Some people choose to have Guest Services prioritize which tickets get used first on your MDE account. Like redwitch, I prefer to have Guest Services pull the tickets off of MDE and then put them on hard tickets which you can link back to MDE at a later date, or you can give them to someone else.

 

[supersnoop]

I prefer to have Guest Services pull the tickets off of MDE and then put them on hard tickets which you can link back to MDE at a later date, or you can give them to someone else.

When's the last time you were able to do that? I don't think they allow it anymore. They wouldn't take my unused tickets off when I purchased my AP in July this year.

 

[Disneylover99]

When's the last time you were able to do that? I don't think they allow it anymore. They wouldn't take my unused tickets off when I purchased my AP in July this year.

We did it last month. We have AP's and bought two day tickets to take advantage of free dining. We went to guest services outside the MK the day our free dining package started and they removed the tickets for us.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFamily]

Hi, I'm bringing this back up for this year. We are on 2016 free dining for two visits (Early Sept and Early Dec). Each stay has 2 day PH attached. As an AP holder until the end of Dec, I would like to hold off on using the attached 2 day PH until January and then some time later in the year. (we can't afford to renew the AP but still plan to visit a couple times next year). How do we get the tickets off our bands so that one of the kids don't accidently activate them? I've heard that Disney may have changed this process.

 

[wilkeliza]

Hi, I'm bringing this back up for this year. We are on 2016 free dining for two visits (Early Sept and Early Dec). Each stay has 2 day PH attached. As an AP holder until the end of Dec, I would like to hold off on using the attached 2 day PH until January and then some time later in the year. (we can't afford to renew the AP but still plan to visit a couple times next year). How do we get the tickets off our bands so that one of the kids don't accidently activate them? I've heard that Disney may have changed this process.

You go to guest relations and ask that the AP be put as highest priority so that it is used 1st. You can ask that they remove the ticket form your account and put it on a hard ticket but it seems hit and miss. I would go to Disney Springs Guest relations as the outside park guest relations have long waits before park opening.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFamily]

You go to guest relations and ask that the AP be put as highest priority so that it is used 1st. You can ask that they remove the ticket form your account and put it on a hard ticket but it seems hit and miss. I would go to Disney Springs Guest relations as the outside park guest relations have long waits before park opening.

Awesome, Thanks! Once they are Prioritized how do I validate it? Not that I don't trust Disney, but.......

 

[wilkeliza]

Awesome, Thanks! Once they are Prioritized how do I validate it? Not that I don't trust Disney, but.......

Not sure on that. Maybe on MDE

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi, I'm bringing this back up for this year. We are on 2016 free dining for two visits (Early Sept and Early Dec). Each stay has 2 day PH attached. As an AP holder until the end of Dec, I would like to hold off on using the attached 2 day PH until January and then some time later in the year. (we can't afford to renew the AP but still plan to visit a couple times next year). How do we get the tickets off our bands so that one of the kids don't accidentally activate them? I've heard that Disney may have changed this process.

The easiest way to do it is to create a phantom person in your MDE profile and assign your extra ticket to them. Then you won't have to go to guest services and you don't have to worry about accidentally using it instead of your AP. You can reassign those extra tickets when your AP expires or you can transfer them to someone else.

My DH and I each have five day park hoppers and an AP. The AP will expire at the end of Nov and then we will use the tickets to renew our AP's.

 

[mercydisney]

Can I go Disney Spring and upgrade my pass to AP before activating in the park?