How do we start using our Dining plan on before we check in?

[lynette j in la]

Hi,
We are driving over 2 days and won't arrive until late Afternoon on June 30, so we are staying off site the first night and don't plan on using a ticket that evening, but will got to Down Town Disney. We are staying at Pop from the July 1 to 7th, but will leave as soon as we check out and won't go into the parks that day (if so just for a few hours) either. I have tickets and the basic Dining plan for 7 days. Can we use the dining credits for our evening meal, Most likely counter service at DTD the night before we check in to the Pop? I really wanted to use some snack credits at Goofy's Candy company.

How do you get your card? I'd like to eat at the parks during the first day we get there Do we have to check in first thing in the morning and leave our baggage at the Pop before we check in?

I can't add on another night at the Pop, and we are staying at the same hotel as my In laws and they are flying in from Europe so we want pick them up them at the air port and then let them get to bed early, so I figured we just stay at their hotel. I had priced the days and it was cheaper to stay at the pop one day later than one day earlier.

It's my first trip to WDW as an adult and my first time planning!
thanks for any help?

 

[allaboard]

I hope you have a GREAT time! We had such fun planning our first visit with our three kids, but we did learn a lot ... and I hope I can share some things that might be helpful. We were nervous about the dining plan, but once you get going with it, you'll find it easy.
First of all, you won't have the dining plan until you check in at your resort. If your room is not ready, you will still have those magical cards that you can use to charge things to your room, or for your dining plan, and to get in your room, etc. Your card is all set to go, whether or not you can get in your room. The only thing they will tell you later in the day is exactly which room to go to.
Now, as soon as you receive the cards, you can use them. If you got the basic dining plan, you should have 1 counter service meal, 1 snack, and 1 table service for each person for each NIGHT you are staying at the resort. You can use the table service credits for breakfast, lunch, or dinner ... counter as well.
For that first night that you are at DTD and not in your resort, you'll just eat anywhere ... but the next day, as long you as check in, you can start using that card. Figure out in your head how many meals you can get in between then and your last morning.
Have you made ADR's at any restaurants? Those are advance dining reservations and everyone recommends them ! You can call for these 180 days out from your trip. We always plan to have at least one "sit down" meal a day to rest the tired tootsies. So we plan our days in advance and get ADR's ... in order to not completely dictate our days out, we often pick a dinner at a resort for one night, so that day we can choose our park last minute... and then head off to that resort on a bus for a later dinner.
Good luck and magical planning!

 

[allaboard]

I forgot to mention that I do not think you can use snack credits at Goofy's Candy Company. You can see at the resorts and the parks what snacks are allowed. They are pretty specific. There is a label near the names of the snacks showing if they are allowed for the dining plan or not ... so you don't have to guess. Good luck!

 

[distherapy]

I forgot to mention that I do not think you can use snack credits at Goofy's Candy Company. You can see at the resorts and the parks what snacks are allowed. They are pretty specific. There is a label near the names of the snacks showing if they are allowed for the dining plan or not ... so you don't have to guess. Good luck!

Maybe some good news - check out the 2008 Confirmed Snack thread - Goofy's is listed with a pretty big selection.

But the bad news - to echo the other poster - I think you can't start using your dining plan until the day you check into your resort for Disney, the 1st in your case. You can check in early in the AM just to get your keys, tickets, etc but I don't think you can get that stuff the night before...

 

[ajleone]

To answer your first question, no you won't be able to use the DDP the night before you check-in.As for the second the DDP corresponds to the package so starting on July 1st after check-in you'll then be able to start getting you meals. And like another poster said you can check-in as early as you want they just might not have a room ready yet but you'll have your passes and DDP. And the card for dining is your room key, which is also your park pass.

 

[SplashMountainMama]

Hi,
. We are staying at Pop from the July 1 to 7th, but will leave as soon as we check out and won't go into the parks that day (if so just for a few hours) either. I have tickets and the basic Dining plan for 7 days.

If you are checking in on July 1st and checking out on July 7th you may have bought 7 day park tickets, BUT you only have 6 days worth of the meal plan because you are only staying for 6 nights. Each person on the plan will have 6 snack credits, 6 Counter service credits and 6 table service credits and you can use those however you like until they are gone up until midnight on the day you check out which is July 7th. You won't be able to access the plan until you've checked-in on the 1st so I would plan on paying for some food out of pocket on the 30th and maybe on the 7th if you don't have any credits left over. Have a great trip! I always find the planning almost as much fun as the trip!

 

[stitchlover]

Goofy's is definitely allowed. It is our favorite snack place!

 

[lynette j in la]

The first is an early lunch at Princess Dining in Norway on July 1st at 11 am. SO I guess that means we really have to get up early so I can get to the Pop and get my dining cards. Will they let me get them as early as 7 or 8 in the am?
I don't want to disrupt our first day in the park to run back to the hotel.

I also made ADR at Chef mickey's for Dinner
Cinderella's Royal table Lunch
dinner at Boma and
The Spirit of Aloha Luau. ( paid OOP)
and Fantasmic Package at Hollywood and Vine.

So I have 18 conterservice and 18 snacks to deal with.... It sure would help if I could start eating our first night since our check out day is a travel day.
We just might have to drive later in the day...It is a 16 hour drive, at least.

 

[Pumbaa_]

You can get to Pop as early as you like to check in and get your kttw card. You can leave your luggage with bell services too. Your room will prob not be ready until later in the day, maybe as late as 4

Your KTTW card is also your room key and if you put a credit card down you can charge to it. Since it is all tied in to your room, your meal plan package is tied to it also. The 1st is the earliest it can be used. The meal plan credits are good until midnight the day you check out.

 

[HopperFan]

You shouldn't have any problem using your credits.

Just using the 6 full days you will have there, minus breakfast the first day since you have the Princess one late...

You still have 2 Dinners, 4 lunches and 5 breakfasts to eat Your CS credits will cover your dinners and lunches.

We like to use Snack credits in the morning to get bowls of fresh cut fruit, or a BOX of donuts for the room. And there certainly is plenty of good snacks in the parks, great to grab while waiting for the parade or fireworks to start.

We learned out first trip, don't try to save them for "later" and get stuck at candy store getting junk. Now we just use them for real snacks. We like to grab fruit bowls, mickey bars, big soft pretzels, sundaes.....

Last trip, just before we left POP we went to the food court and used the remaining credits for containers of fruit, grapes, celery sticks etc for the car ride home. Was great to have fresh snacks

And for that first night at DTD, might want to try Earl of Sandwich, excellent sandwiches and only about $5 each. They are really big, and for some folks splitting them is plenty of food.