Help me understand AP's with Free Dining

[brighteyes]

I am hoping for all your expert advice. I am going to the world August 14-29 for Free Dining. We have 10 day park tickets with Waterpark and More and Park Hoppers. We decided our first and last days there would not be a park day.

However, I am hoping to book a bounce back offer depending on what it is when I am there. Or go back sometime during the year, or at the very least, again at the end of summer for FD again.

Would it be beneficial to upgrade our 10 day tickets to APs? How much would it cost? would I just pay the difference?

And if I book Free Dining for our next summer trip, or possibly at Christmas, do I have to buy tickets with that new trip?

If I upgrade my tickets near the end of my trip, say the 27th or 28th, is that when my APs would expire?

Sorry for all the questions, I hope they make sense. I am just trying to figure out if APs would make my next trip less expensive.

 

[siskaren]

You would pay the difference between the tickets you have and the tickets you want. You have to buy tickets to get a Free Dining package, but you can buy as little as a two day ticket.

 

[brighteyes]

You would pay the difference between the tickets you have and the tickets you want. You have to buy tickets to get a Free Dining package, but you can buy as little as a two day ticket.

Thank you. Do you know how much the AP is for an adult? Or where I can find this info?

Is there somewhere I could price out a room with an AP discount and pay for dining?

Thanks for your help!

 

[mountdew1]

To upgrade, you pay the cost difference between the two types of tickets. To take advantage of any future promo, you would need to meet the terms of that promo. Free dining typically requires a ticket purchase (lately 2 day minimum) which can be held onto for a future trip, but you would still need to buy them as part of the package even if you were using your APs for your park admission.

 

[Allison]

The date of the APs would be based on the date the original ticket is first used.

 

[brighteyes]

The date of the APs would be based on the date the original ticket is first used.

So if my first park day is the 15th of August with my 10 day tickets, they would expire August 10th?

 

[Madame]

Your AP will expire before you arrive for your BB - the FD BB dates started Aug 20th last year. You'll still have to buy a 2 day ticket (probably a PH if the FD release for this fall is anything to go by). In order to use your AP for 2 trips the entire trip in 2016 would have to be completed by the day you first use your tickets in 2015.

I've tried to make this happen as well & even with the early Canadian FD dates for August it wouldn't work. You could have 2 trips on your AP, but not with FD.

 

[brighteyes]

Your AP will expire before you arrive for your BB - the FD BB dates started Aug 20th last year. You'll still have to buy a 2 day ticket (probably a PH if the FD release for this fall is anything to go by). In order to use your AP for 2 trips the entire trip in 2016 would have to be completed by the day you first use your tickets in 2015.

I've tried to make this happen as well & even with the early Canadian FD dates for August it wouldn't work. You could have 2 trips on your AP, but not with FD.

Thank You. So it looks like unless I want to go at Christmas or March break without FD an AP isn't worth it...

Are the AP room discounts worth it? Is there a place I could price out a trip with an AP?

 

[sharadoc]

You can buy a Tables in Wonderland card as an AP holder for $100 I believe. It gives 20% off TS meals, including apps and alcohol, plus at CS in resorts where there is no TS restaurant. Usually combining an AP discount with that will work out better dollarwise anyway. Take a look at the numbers.

 

[baler31]

You can buy a Tables in Wonderland card as an AP holder for $100 I believe. It gives 20% off TS meals, including apps and alcohol, plus at CS in resorts where there is no TS restaurant. Usually combining an AP discount with that will work out better dollarwise anyway. Take a look at the numbers.

This... The discount Tables in Wonderland covers meals and alcohol, much better than the dining plan and you can order and dine however you like.

When you have an AP you link your ticket and then you can book your AP resort discounted stay. Discounts range from 20-40% depending on what resort you are booking. Typically, lately we have usually received 35% off our deluxe resort stays. AP rates are usually released after GP discounts now but we usually can get what we want by checking frequently.

 

[maryandtyson]

The AP may still save you money, even without Free Dining, you can price out APs online on the Disney site. There are a lot of room discounts offered for AP holders, plus Tables in Wonderland cards. Crunch the numbers to see if it works for you.

 

[stormer]

To get the free dining would you gave to get the two day ticket for everyone in the party or just one?

 

[supersnoop]

To get the free dining would you gave to get the two day ticket for everyone in the party or just one?

Everyone must have the same package options, including tickets.

 

[stormer]

Everyone must have the same package options, including tickets.

Thanks!

 

[mountdew1]

Are the AP room discounts worth it? Is there a place I could price out a trip with an AP?

Ehh, not so much any more. Check out the historical discounts here -> http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/ Lately the AP discounts are pretty close to the general public discounts, maybe 5% more, and AP may or may not be released earlier than a GP discount. But good advice is to only account for admission when doing a breakeven on an AP. Room discounts may or may not be released for your trip dates, and may or may not save you any more than if you were Joe Q Public calling to book the trip. Any other discounts are eligible to change at any time, in fact they print a new discount sheet every 6 months because things have been changing lately. The only thing that really makes a difference would be TiW, but the price for that as well as the accepted restaurants could change at any time, which makes it harder to run the numbers on. But as a PP said, depending on your dining habits, TiW+room discount may save you more money than free dining.

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

Honestly, we AP holders don't really get much. The Tables in Wonderland sounds nice, but it's something that you have to pay for to use. My annual pass cost almost $600 with tax, I think I deserve some discount dining and the room rates are never available far enough in advance to get the 180+days for ADR's. I usually just go for the Florida resident discount.

Then again, I'm happy to be able to go to WDW theroretically whenever I want. I find the DDP confusing. Most of the time, you'll save money by doing park tickets seperately and paying for dining as you go.

 

[eyehartdisney]

Honestly, we AP holders don't really get much. The Tables in Wonderland sounds nice, but it's something that you have to pay for to use. My annual pass cost almost $600 with tax, I think I deserve some discount dining and the room rates are never available far enough in advance to get the 180+days for ADR's. I usually just go for the Florida resident discount.

Then again, I'm happy to be able to go to WDW theroretically whenever I want. I find the DDP confusing. Most of the time, you'll save money by doing park tickets seperately and paying for dining as you go.

There are a few restaurants that give us a discount. H&V being one of them

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

There are a few restaurants that give us a discount. H&V being one of them

Oooh, nice!! Thanks for the head's up

 

[Wendydagny]

I'm curious-- if you have an ap and book free dining, are you allowed to re-assign those unused two day tickets to another member in your party for a later trip? Or do you have to use them yourself?

 

[bumbershoot]

The Tables in Wonderland sounds nice, but it's something that you have to pay for to use. My annual pass cost almost $600 with tax, I think I deserve some discount dining

Spend just under $500 in dining (at the participating restaurants) and you hit discount-land. This is not generally that hard to do.

Check out the restaurants (note all the counter services) at www.tablesinwonderland.com.

And here is a very nice comparison of discounts, including AP and TIW: http://allears.net/pl/disc_dining.pdf