Hypothetical question about free dining plan

[Think I'm Tink]

I'm really trying to hatch a plan on how to go on a 15-day trip for cheap with my daughter! I had been planning to use my AirMiles to get a couple 7 day MYW park hoppers with water parks & no expiry tickets, then trade "up" to PAPs at the gates (and pay the difference in price obviously) so I could get an AP discount on my room. But that bothered me because I also wanted to get the $50 DDE card for AP/PAP holders that entitles you to 20% off most meals; but you can't get that in the parks - you have to already have at least an AP voucher and phone or write them for the DDE. And since I would only have MYW tickets from AirMiles I couldn't do that. (Am I right so far?)

BUT... did I read this right? If I buy a 1 day MYW base ticket for each of us, I can get the free dining plan for the entire length of my stay? So I could theoretically pay $130US (only $80 more than I was planning to for the card that gets only a discount), and upgrade to PAP's to use the rest of the trip, and eat for free?

Oh, and one more diabolical question: If I end up having enough AirMiles to get each of us two of the 7-day MYW Park Hoppers, would Disney refund ME the difference of about $85 between those and PAPs?

Please help!!! I'm really confused!

 

[mbb]

I'm really trying to hatch a plan on how to go on a 15-day trip for cheap with my daughter! I had been planning to use my AirMiles to get a couple 7 day MYW park hoppers with water parks & no expiry tickets, then trade "up" to PAPs at the gates (and pay the difference in price obviously) so I could get an AP discount on my room. But that bothered me because I also wanted to get the $50 DDE card for AP/PAP holders that entitles you to 20% off most meals; but you can't get that in the parks - you have to already have at least an AP voucher and phone or write them for the DDE. And since I would only have MYW tickets from AirMiles I couldn't do that. (Am I right so far?)

Yep You have to have your voucher number in order to get the DDE.

BUT... did I read this right? If I buy a 1 day MYW base ticket for each of us, I can get the free dining plan for the entire length of my stay? So I could theoretically pay $130US (only $80 more than I was planning to for the card that gets only a discount), and upgrade to PAP's to use the rest of the trip, and eat for free?

You won't get the AP discount on the rooms - have to pay rack rate.

Oh, and one more diabolical question: If I end up having enough AirMiles to get each of us two of the 7-day MYW Park Hoppers, would Disney refund ME the difference of about $85 between those and PAPs?

Please help!!! I'm really confused!

Hmm...it depends on how much Airmiles paid for the tickets...as I understand it, you may not necessarily get back the actual amount they would be worth at the gate, as Airmiles would, essentially, be a discount ticket broker.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, though That's just my theory...it certainly wouldn't hurt to call and ask.

As herc pointed out to me, though, another thread, another board ...you can only get 10 days on the free dining package - but you could do 2 seven day packages, or whatever combination you would need. (We're thinking of doing a 2 week trip)

HTH!!

 

[Think I'm Tink]

Thank you so much for your answer - I think you pretty much nailed everything for me!

You won't get the AP discount on the rooms - have to pay rack rate.

Good point! I guess in my greed to have my cake and eat it too, I never thought of that! So I will have to check the menus and see which would be more worthwhile - free dining or AP discount. I think the difference for a moderate hotel is about $40 a night, and I am pretty much certain that DD & I couldn't eat for $40 a day combined, so probably the free dining is a better deal.

I know in 2004, I traded my AirMiles 7-day-PHP for the full gate-value of the ticket when I upgraded to an AP. It only cost me $US60-something for an AP which I thought was a heck of a good deal. I assumed it would be the same now. But you are right, it never hurts to double check!

 

[b-1]

Hi Donna
I have traded up a few airmiles tickets last year and one in particular had a higher value than the trade up and the CM said there would be No Refunds on the difference of that ticket. I either had to add options or days to that ticket or lose the difference. HTH.

 

[Think I'm Tink]

That's good to know, b-1! Thank you! So it appears that there's no actual benefit to me to exchange the MYW tickets for PAPs if we decide it's feasible to go for the free dining plan. In reality the AirMiles non-expiring MYW tickets are probably the best way to go in case we decide to not go into the parks one or two days while we're there.

So I order the AirMiles tickets (no $ out of my pocket), purchase a MYW 1-day base ticket for each of us (a little more than $US65 each) , and pretty much eat for a total of $US130 for 2 weeks. Sweeeet.

Now I just have to see if Aeroplan will cooperate with airline tickets to Orlando!