Having an AP is costing us free dining. Is there any way around it?

[leeserw]

I'm so frustrated. We bought AP for the first time. We went to WDW in October and knew we would be going again in March. We got a free dining pin but it calls for the purchase of park tickets, which we don't need. Is there any way around it so we can get free dining? I'm wondering if getting an AP is gonna save us money after all.

 

[Firefly09]

Double post

 

[Firefly09]

You can buy the min. number of ticket days required for free dining and save those tickets for when you plan to renew your APs. Then apply those tickets toward the cost of your APs.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It may be much less expensive to get the AP-discounted rooms and pay for dining, or even get a Tables in Wonderland dining discount card.

 

[leeserw]

Explain how that works please. We've never had APs before. I assumed the park tickets bought with the package would be lost.

 

[DVC California]

Explain how that works please. We've never had APs before. I assumed the park tickets bought with the package would be lost.

When you book your package with Free DDP, you have to add a park pass for each guest in the room over age 3. However, it can be for the minimum of a two-day pass.

You will want to see if this can be ticketed separately from any Magic Bands you receive as you don't want to accidentally activate the park pass. Just use your AP's to enter all the parks and for your FP+.

The two-day pass may be used for a future trip, used to upgrade to another MYW ticket or towards the purchase of another AP.

HTH, Steve

 

[SandrA9810]

I would check out the cost of the room only with the AP discount before jumping on a free dining pin. Yes you can save the tickets for later use (the tickets do not expire until they are used once), but you'll have to pay for those future use tickets now.

You really need to compare it in an apples to apples way rather than apples to oranges. I've had in the past an AP discount of 35-40% in the off season. That's a decent chunk of change for a moderate room. Depending on your family size, you could buy a meal at a TS with the savings and still have some left over.

You also need to look at your touring style with a dining plan option and without, especially if you do TS. Part of the fun with AP's is the ability to hop from park to park all you want. If you have TS reservations, then you have to plan your day around that.

If you're not that great with crunching numbers, then throw them out here and I'm sure you'll find a few math whizzes to help you out to figure out what would work best.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Buy your room with your AP discount then purchase the dining plan.

 

[ShellieB]

We had the same problem 2 years ago. We bought the minimum 2 day park passes and used the free dining. Each time we went back and thought we would find a way to use/upgrade the 2 day passes, there was always a better deal. I still have these passes (finally upgrading them this year). I would highly recommend taking the AP room discount and pay out of pocket for dining.

 

[Disneylover99]

You will want to see if this can be ticketed separately from any Magic Bands you receive as you don't want to accidentally activate the park pass. Just use your AP's to enter all the parks and for your FP+.
:

We are AP holders who took advantage of free dining.

Your two day tickets are automatically put on your MB when you purchase the package. We went to guest services outside the park on our first day and asked that our two day tickets be removed from our MB and placed on a separate ticket.

 

[Disneylover99]

OP

I'm not sure how many people in your party have AP's but if you are a family of four, I think the free dining would be worth it for you. Yes, you have to purchase two tickets each now, but when you do eventually use them, you can price bridge the ticket and you will save some money down the line.

 

[dsneprincess]

It may be much less expensive to get the AP-discounted rooms and pay for dining, or even get a Tables in Wonderland dining discount card.

Agreed. Free dining is NOT free, get the TIW card and room discount.

 

[ilovemk76]

It may be much less expensive to get the AP-discounted rooms and pay for dining, or even get a Tables in Wonderland dining discount card.

Free dining is not nearly as good as the AP room discount (or bounce back room only discount) and a Tables in Wonderland discount.

 

[rigs32]

Free dining is not nearly as good as the AP room discount (or bounce back room only discount) and a Tables in Wonderland discount.

Not always true for a value resort when you go once a year when you consider you have to pay for the TIW card.

 

[morethananyonex]

Agreed. Free dining is NOT free, get the TIW card and room discount.

Yes, free dining IS always free. Whether it's a good deal or not is the debate. Sometimes it's the best deal available for certain people, sometimes it's not. Paying rack rate for the room does not change the fact that if you get free dining you are paying $0 for the dining plan.

Sorry, but I can't stand the condescending attitude that surrounds free dining on these boards.

 

[ilovemk76]

Not always true for a value resort when you go once a year when you consider you have to pay for the TIW card.

The OP is not going one time only!

 

[delmar411]

Not always true for a value resort when you go once a year when you consider you have to pay for the TIW card.

An AP holder isn't going once a year so you would be using the TiW card on more than one trip and the card is good at the value resorts QS and at AK quick service and several other QS places.

 

[leeserw]

What is the TIW? The majority of our meals will be QS. We'll be going with our high school band. The kids will have meal dining cards and will most likely use them at QS places.

 

[Firefly09]

TiW= tables in wonderland. Really only going to help you save if you are planning on doing sit down meals. Most QS places don't have discounts.

If your kids are going to have meal cards then why bother with free dining? Unless they are staying on a separate reservation from you they will hae to have the same dining plan as you.

They do offer room discounts for AP holders, perhaps that will help you save?

 

[DVC California]

What is the TIW? The majority of our meals will be QS. We'll be going with our high school band. The kids will have meal dining cards and will most likely use them at QS places.

TIW or Tables in Wonderland is a discount dining membership program available at WDW. AP price for membership is $100/yr and provides 20% dining discount at select CS and TS restaurants.

However, since you are doing more CS and kids will have DDP/QS, TIW will not benefit you this trip. If you plan on visiting WDW again and dining more TS, the card will pay for itself after five $100 dines.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passholder-program/tables-in-wonderland/