Help With Dining Plan -- First time visitor

[MCW3D]

Hi,
We just booked our first family vacation to Disney in May. I booked a package including the DP with one sit down meal. My question is, is there any chance I could still receive a free dining plan (through a code/pin) now that I've already booked a package? I'm wondering if I should not have done this and waited. Also, is the sit down dining plan worth it in anyone's opinion? I really wonder if my husband and I will fulfill $55/day cost. Should/Can I cancel it and pay OOP or hope that they offer a free plan? I just booked the vaca this week so would I be penalized if I dropped the dining plan? So confused!! Any help is greatly appreciated!
-Beth

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, if one is released in the future for your dates. Your check in date must be part of the promotion. You would need to call Disney CRO if an offer is released and ask them to add the promotion to your reservation. You would lose any room discount you currently have, as the free dining would supersede it. To tell the truth, at this point I don't believe a general public free dining offer is upcoming for May. But keep an eye out, and check to see if you receive a PIN. You can't use a PIN unless you actually receive one.

If you're going to get the dining plan anyway, you might as well keep it. If you're only going to get the plan if it's free, then I'd drop it and add it later.

Only you can figure out whether or not the dining plan is what you and your party really want. If you got it because you think it will save you money, you'll need to start looking for restaurants to reserve and figure out what you might spend on those restaurants to see if you'd be better off without prepaying your meals.

 

[Raenstoirm]

It is very unlikely at this point that there will be a free dining offer or a pin for May. So if you are happy with what you bought, keep it. Personally we have never found the dining plan worth the money though.

 

[DisGirl1971]

Hi,
We just booked our first family vacation to Disney in May. I booked a package including the DP with one sit down meal. My question is, is there any chance I could still receive a free dining plan (through a code/pin) now that I've already booked a package? I'm wondering if I should not have done this and waited. Also, is the sit down dining plan worth it in anyone's opinion? I really wonder if my husband and I will fulfill $55/day cost. Should/Can I cancel it and pay OOP or hope that they offer a free plan? I just booked the vaca this week so would I be penalized if I dropped the dining plan? So confused!! Any help is greatly appreciated!
-Beth

Booking now will have no affect whatsoever on you receiving a pin code or not. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to who and when they send out pin codes. There's just no way to know if you will get a pin code or not. I don't think there will be any general public offers for free dining in May though. In the 8 years they have had free dining, there has only been one time that they offered free dining and those dates were only May 27 -31.

As for the dining plan itself, we love it. We do try to rotate our trips around free dining promos, but we have paid for the regular plan and would do so again. We have always eaten at least one sit down/table service/character meal per day at Disney so the regualr DDP will save us money - usually about $200.00 vs. out-of-pocket. I actually can't imagine going back to Disney without the DDP.

Here is a link to the thead here on the Disboards that has all the free dining booking info and past free dining dates and release dates:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2771101

 

[Dizneydaz]

You can always add the DDP to your plans if you want to pay for it as late as possible (if there is no free DDP during your time). You must add it by 3 days prior to your arrival.

If you have a balance on your trip you will have to pay it 45 days before your arrival (as long as it's a package-which DDP requires, it's different for room only). If you keep the DDP on your ressie and pay it at the 45 out mark and then ask for it to be removed, you will be charged a cancellation fee since your trip price has decreased (you aren't charged a fee if your price increases)

Here's some verbage about cancellation fees, etc.

Changes to Reservation: For a change made 44 days or less prior to guest arrival that results in a change in the package price, a change fee of $50 per package, plus any change fees assessed by hotels or other suppliers, will be charged. Disney reserves the right to restrict changes to any reservation. Such change fees must be paid in addition to any increase in the package price resulting from the change. If air travel has been ticketed, guest will be responsible for any increase in airfare as well as the change fee assessed by the airline.

According to this it's any change in pricing but I've been told many times that it only applies if your price goes down. No fee if your price increases. Personally I have added days to our trip after the 45 day mark and haven't been charged a fee.

I see no reason to pay for your DDP and min of 1 day ticket anytime sooner than you have to. But maybe that's just me. Here's hoping you get a free DDP deal