Free Dining with Extra days at Begining

[If U Had Wings]

I currently have reservations made at POFQ from 8/22 - 8/31 with the regular dining plan. (3 Adults no children). We wanted the dining plan with or without the free offer, but I would love to be able to take advantage of the free dining offer if possible.

If the free dining begins on the 24th, would we need to have separate park passes for our first two days, or could we add on two days and use them at the begining? I'm thinking that buying 2one day passes for each of us would negate the value of the free dining. Or should we book our first two days with 9 day passes, and just add on a one day ticket with the free dining offer for the rest of the trip? Do we all need to have at least a one day ticket on the free dining package?

Any thoughts? Has anyone ever done this? Just trying to figure out what will work best.

 

[wdwmaw]

Yes, you would have to have extra tickets to use the first 2 days. You will not even receive the tickets from the free dining pkg. till the day of check in. Why don't you buy the tickets for the park on the first pkg., the one without free dining. Then only do a 1 day pass for the free dining offer and that ticket could be used in the future since it would never expire. It would be an investment for future use.

 

[skier_pete]

I am curious too, but I think the PP is incorrect. We may be there at the same time in the same situation, from 8/23-8/31 at POFQ. I was planning on booking the package from 8/24 through 8/31 on the free dining plan with the passes, then adding an extra day for 8/23 as a "room only" as a split stay (with no DDP for that extra day). I was thinking we could pick up the passes for the entire stay when we check in at the beginning of the split stay, though the dining plan wouldn't start until the 24th. Hmmmm...maybe not but I don't see why they wouldn't allow this. The pass just goes on your room key, and your room key is good (assuming they don't make you move rooms) for the entire length of your stay. Best is to ask at CRO on that one when and if free dining comes out for those dates. Or call the resort directly as to how they would handle that with check-in.

wdwmaw...do you have direct experience with this particular case, or do you just think that is the way it would work?

In our case, we would not be doing our first park day until the 24th, so I could always "check in" again first thing in the AM on the 24th, and then they would give me the pass and the dining plan.

For If U Had wings...If they won't let you get your pass ahead of time...I would buy the multi-day pass on the first day package. Then...by a single day ticket on the Free dining package. If they are willing to give you the single day ticket as a "hard ticket", one morning just sell your single day tickets at the front gate of one of the parks for a slight discount to someone coming for the day...it might end up costing you $10 a ticket, but for free dining it would be worth it!

Here's hoping for free dining on our dates, and if you see me with my Lime_Green_Mickey_Head on my camelback, say "Hi"!

SkierPete

 

[wdwmaw]

Yes, I do have experience with this. We have had to book a room only on nights we come in late and did not want our pkg. to start till the next morning. For the spring ticket upgrade this year I tried desperatly to get a family the upgraded tickets for there vacation. They had pkg. booked for the day before the promotion started and in order to change pkg dates and add the one night before as a room only they would have had to buy another 1 day ticket and they were not prepared to invest that.They were also within there 45 day window so they would have had a $50 change fee also. They have never been and did not know if they wanted to take on that investment. I had conversations with 3 CM's and asked if they could go ahead and get the tickets and then bring them back when the promotion started and have them upgraded then and they could not. I did talk with her yesterday and she did go to guest services and asked if the promotion could be applied and they all told her she would have had to have checked in on the promotion start date.

You can not pick up tickets for a reservation till you check in. I would do what you are thinking and spend that one day at downtown disney or something like that. There is alot to do and many places to eat without going to the parks. I know I ramble on so I hope I have made sense.

 

[wdwmaw]

skier pete ~ I just checked my stuff form a past stay a AKL and Disney did indeed print us new room keys when we have checked out and back in. We have been very fortunate and have never had to change rooms though. We were issued new keys and parking passes. Our remaining park visits were transferred to our new room keys.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Thanks for the response. My parents actually have 4 one day passes, received from a rain out of the MNSSHP they went to last year. If we booked 2 days with a room only rate they could use their passes for those days. Only I would have to worry about buying 2 passes. Then we could just get our regular park hoppers on the 24th with our package.

I just to give my AAA agent a call to let him know what we want to do.

SkierPete, I'll be on the lookout for you. If you see a Redhead with LGMH's on her backback, say Hi!

 

[LisaNJ25]

My tip is when you do this... get to the reservation desk EARLYYYYYYY we got there the day before last year. I went down to check out and back in again. I got there before 8am and was in line for over an hour. New keys were issued with our park passes. By the time I was done the line was all the way down the hall to the food court. (We were at POR)

 

[If U Had Wings]

Lisa, did they make you change rooms?

 

[Va-bear]

My tip is when you do this... get to the reservation desk EARLYYYYYYY we got there the day before last year. I went down to check out and back in again. I got there before 8am and was in line for over an hour. New keys were issued with our park passes. By the time I was done the line was all the way down the hall to the food court. (We were at POR)

We were in that line at POR Lisa - what craziness!!!

 

[tkmmc]

Testing

 

[Luv2Roam]

Correct that the passes that are with the packages do not begin until check in of that package. Passes cannot be used prior to check in of a package.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Lisa, did they make you change rooms?

nope, same room

 

[ChainsawBob]

Does anyone know how early you can go to the front desk to check out and re-check in on the first day of Free Dining? Can I go to the desk when it's quiet at 3:00am? Or is there an official time that they open for check-ins?

This will be real helpful to know if anyone has experience with this.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I was thinking the same thing. I'm a definite night owl, so figured I could just go down at like midnight or so. It is the 24th then.

 

[iluvepcot]

We have done free dining for the past 3 years. We go in August and free dining usually does not start until the end of aug on a Sunday. We usually go down and stay at a delux resort for room only two days prior to the start of dining and move. The first year we stayed at Poly then moved to Pop for free dining. The second year and last year we stayed at BC then moved to moderate for free dining.

Since pkg tickets do not start until the free dining day, we usually hang out and enjoy the amenities at the delux resorts. On the day we check out, I head over by myself while everyone is sleeping, by cab and check in to get the tickets. Usually I check in before 7 am, last year it was 4:30 at cbr. No problem. I get back to the resort before everyone wakes up. We have our first free dining meal that day for breakfast, check out, send our bags with the bell service to the next resort and head to the park. They usually give you a card to call to see which room you have. Then when the park closes we head over to the free dining resort.

This year we are planning to stay at GF for two days then check in to the bc with free dining. We are hooked on bc.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Thanks. Both our reservations are going to be at POFQ. My parents are older and I'd like to keep the moving around to a minimum.

Thanks for the tips on checking in early. I'm a night owl, and my dad is a early bird, so between the two of us we should be fine checking in before the crowds.

 

[nutsforgolf]

We are staying at POR for free dining, but will fly down either Sat or Sunday (based upon airfare). I was going to just book POR room only for those days. I thought it would be alot easier not to move resorts and would be easier to check in early for the park tickets. I noticed that some of you try out a deluxe the night before...can you provide me the pros and cons if I were to book AKL instead. We will not have park tickets so we would be looking for non-park things to do for those days.

 

[Dani Dani Dani]

How does one get the free dining package? I've looked on the disney site and don't find it anywhere.

 

[skier_pete]

As usual, the DIS gives good info. I would personally not stay in a different hotel for a single night just to "experience" it, but to each his own. If I want a split stay, I would do more than one day.

So, I am usually awake at 6 AM. We will come down to WDW on August 23rd and check in, and then the next morning go down and re-check in for our tickets. Our DD4 (5 by then) like the resort so much, she will gladly stay there our first day.

For Dani Dani Dani - Free Dining program is rumored to be announced for Disney Visa card holders by tomorrow morning. The announcement will probably come later today. THe general public will be eligible on April 10th. Dates rumored are August 24th to September 20th or 27th. There are TONS of other threads about it now.

SkierPete