Help with figuring out Free Dining and Resort Choice!

[bemily]

Hi Everyone..

We are going to take advantage of the free dining from Aug 24th - Sep 2nd. We want to try the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but cant do it for the full trip because of cost.

My thought is to split it up with the first part of the trip at a value and the last 3 nights at the AKL. We have only ever stayed at a value, so this would be a special treat!

Please help try to minimize cost!! I am so overwhelmed with all the info out there right now!

Sherry

 

[Aliceacc]

Since Free dining was announced over a week ago, you may want to check availability before you do too much planning. Call and check availability for your dates for the moderates and the values, and then see what you can set up.

Good luck!

 

[Rylee]

A split stay will be treated as two separate reservations.

To receive a Dining Package, (free or not) you must buy, at least, a one (1) day park ticket.

Obviously, this takes away from the... Magic Your Way, longer you stay, the less you pay per day, ticket discount.

You can purchase MYW tickets for the length of your stay with your first reservation, and then purchase the 1 day ticket/s with your second reservation, but not use the tickets this trip... saving it for a future trip.

 

[Seahunt]

I agree with Rylee - since you would have to purchase another set of tickets just to get the free dining package for both resorts, the free dining period is probably not the time to do a split stay if you want to keep costs down this trip.

 

[dclfun]

You could also just book a few nights "room only" at a value resort in which you won't have to purchase a ticket. This way you can purchase with your FD package, a length of stay ticket that covers ALL the days you'd be at WDW including the ones at the value resort that would be "room only". This scenario could only be done though at the end of your vacation and downgrading after spending time at AKL might be tough! Still, remember your FD extends the entire day of check out, so if you check out of AKL, say on Aug. 22, then you have FD that entire day ( where you'd be checking into a value resort. That would leave you then just the day of the 23rd or 24th to pay for meals OOP. Just a suggestion which may or may not work for the OP.---Kathy

 

[Luv2Roam]

If it were me, rather than book a split stay, I would just book a moderate for my entire stay and go to DAKL some other visit.