Has anyone done this?

[n2mm]

Thanks for the quick update....now I've got to go run the numbers for our next trip...we've never purchased the dining plan only used the tables in wonderland card.....another question with the DDP do you have to eat a breakfast, lunch & dinner or can the 3 credits be used for say 2 dinners and 1 lunch ?

This is the best part of the delux ddp. We get it for ONE night and can use it the day we get it and the next day (until midnight). So we arrive noonish and use 1TS for dinner (Kona) and the next day we use 1TS for lunch (Coral Reef) and the last TS for dinner (Lecellier). We struggle to use those 2 snack credits between us (4 total) before they expire on day two. We've been doing this way before DVC changed their system. We use to stay at a value or mod on the first night with an AP discount and add the delux ddp, then the next day move to our DVC resort. We also have the TiW card and use that for the remainder of the trip.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

This is the best part of the delux ddp. We get it for ONE night and can use it the day we get it and the next day (until midnight). So we arrive noonish and use 1TS for dinner (Kona) and the next day we use 1TS for lunch (Coral Reef) and the last TS for dinner (Lecellier). We struggle to use those 2 snack credits between us (4 total) before they expire on day two. We've been doing this way before DVC changed their system. We use to stay at a value or mod on the first night with an AP discount and add the delux ddp, then the next day move to our DVC resort. We also have the TiW card and use that for the remainder of the trip.

once again thank you..great idea...

 

[bangzoom6877]

Well, being the planning nerd that I am, I crunched some numbers already. Of course, I will have to wait until 2012 dining plan prices come out to really see how much of a savings each option is. What I did was look at current menu prices, peak season (because some restaurants have that holiday surcharge in July, when we go). Then, I looked at what we would order when paying OOP (not including alcohol). I didn't put in an app, entree and dessert for each person. Just basically the same types of things we ordered this past July. I added in tax, and subtracted 20% that would come off if we have the TIW card. I then added in the additional cost of upgrading my ticket to an AP, plus the purchase of the TIW card. I didn't figure in any snacks at all, only meals plus tax. The total for this came out to $1740, including tax.

Then, I added up the cost of 1 night of the basic DDP, plus 7 nights of the deluxe plan (stretched out a little, skipping a day in the middle), plus one breakfast OOP on our final morning. This came out to $1600.

This past July, I upgraded my 7-day ticket to an AP, then I bought the TIW card. Between those 2 costs, plus the cost of our food after the 20% discount, we spent $1686 including tax.

We only go to WDW every other year. So, it looks like as it stands now, our best option is this:

Night 1: Basic DDP
Night 2: DxDDP
Night 3: DxDDP
Night 4: DxDDP
Night 5: no dining plan (previous DxDDP credits will expire at midnight)
Night 6: DxDDP
Night 7: DxDDP
Night 8: DxDDP
Night 9: DxDDP
Night 10: no dining plan (previous DxDDP credits will expire at midnight)
Final morning of the trip: OOP for character breakfast

As I said, this is our best option, as it stands now. It will all depend on the cost of the dining plans when August comes and they have the 2012 prices out.

I am just wondering now, if we go with this plan of action, how jumping from the basic DDP to the DxDDP will work since they are back-to-back nights (Night 1 to night 2). Different KTTW cards for just that one change? We shall see!

 

[magicmommy]

It will be very intersting to see how this works out for everyone.

 

[n2mm]

sorry to say, this didnt workout for me. I will never do this again. I visited the front desk 4 times in the last 24 hours. My card worked, my DH's card didn't work. We tried to use the credits and the CM's would have to override the system. We would show up and tonight at LeCellier and they told us our card would not work and they had to authorize the charge by calling the resort. We checked in yesterday and had to recheck in today to get a new room card. we just got back to our room after leaving the front desk and they had to rebook my entire reservation. I'm off to check DVC to see if my points are right. This was a real PITA. Something so easy turned into a mess. Good luck to anyone who trys to do this. The last 24 hours have been consumed with wondering will my card work this time, will I get accidently charged to my account, why are there credits missing and visits to the front desk. Ugh.

 

[Redbudlover]

The segmented trip without checking out and in did NOT work for me in December, was a pain in the patootie with housekeeping, etc, etc. So it is all working now? Well, I called MS today to book a trip and had to use points from two member numbers and it would not work. We spent 45 minutes on the phone and left it with I am supposed to have the room reserved and the points taken from my account but because they could not make the computer accept it, I will have to wait for up to two weeks for a confirmation number. Ask me how secure I feel about this whole thing. and if they cannot make a simple reservation with points from two member numbers, how do you suppose the segmented thingy is going to work?

 

[csmommy]

I am sorry n2mm & Redbudlover that this was/is such a mess for you. Thanks for letting us know. I hope this can be worked out by August, but if it isn't then I will not mess with it!

 

[Eeyore1928]

I hope they work this out too...we will be making a majorly segmented trip in December!

 

[arielrocks]

They really need to get on top of this!!!

 

[Sandisw]

The segmented trip without checking out and in did NOT work for me in December, was a pain in the patootie with housekeeping, etc, etc. So it is all working now? Well, I called MS today to book a trip and had to use points from two member numbers and it would not work. We spent 45 minutes on the phone and left it with I am supposed to have the room reserved and the points taken from my account but because they could not make the computer accept it, I will have to wait for up to two weeks for a confirmation number. Ask me how secure I feel about this whole thing. and if they cannot make a simple reservation with points from two member numbers, how do you suppose the segmented thingy is going to work?

Just to reassure you, they had trouble with changing my reservation from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom (same account) in October when the change first went in to effect and everything came out fine.

They did say that there were some member accounts that had to be specially adjusted as they were not taking things. It did take almost two weeks to get it all fixed, but MS assured me each time I called that my 2 bedroom SV room at BLT was safe.

 

[n2mm]

sorry to say, this didnt workout for me. I will never do this again. I visited the front desk 4 times in the last 24 hours. My card worked, my DH's card didn't work. We tried to use the credits and the CM's would have to override the system. We would show up and tonight at LeCellier and they told us our card would not work and they had to authorize the charge by calling the resort. We checked in yesterday and had to recheck in today to get a new room card. we just got back to our room after leaving the front desk and they had to rebook my entire reservation. I'm off to check DVC to see if my points are right. This was a real PITA. Something so easy turned into a mess. Good luck to anyone who trys to do this. The last 24 hours have been consumed with wondering will my card work this time, will I get accidently charged to my account, why are there credits missing and visits to the front desk. Ugh.

I wanted to add more info. When we originally checked in my card said "DVC multiple" and my DH's card said "DVC Delux DDP". My DH's card did not work and after several visits to the front desk the advice the manager gave us was to only use my card. When trying to dine the CMs did not want to accept my word that I had the delux ddp. I even tried to show the CM at LeCellier my receipt from my lunch where I got the delux ddp and the CM would not even look at my receipts. The manager had to call the resort and came back and told me they closed my account. It took several calls and a stressful dinner to get it all straighten out. When we got back to the resort (OKW) we went to the front desk and again tried to figure out what was going on. By the time we were done our entire reservation was rebooked and we were then given our 5th and 6th room card within 24 hours of arriving. We were also given a $50 credit to our account for all of the problems (which was nice and not expected). And let me tell you about housekeeping. Boy are they a mess. Day 2 we got a full cleaning and on Day 4 we got another full cleaning. We are in a studio and have more clean towels and washclothes than we've ever seen. We have no idea when we are scheduled for T&T again. 2 full cleanings in 4 days was alot. We think it has to do with the rebooking of our reservatios. We are here 13 nights, so I know we get 2 FC and 2 TT. Crazy. Well we are off to EPCOT and have been using our TiW card now and find this is a better fit for us. No stress of using dining credits and whether or not our card will work! It's all good.

 

[lmb]

We just got back and there was no trouble with housekeeping but my dining credits didn't work the first day the meal plan started so I had to go back 2x to the concierge and get the monetary charges changed to dining credits. Oddly enought, the snack credits came off fine?.... weird.