I am SURE the answer is somewhere in these boards, BUT...

[ThruTheEyesOfMyChild]

...call it pure laziness, or just not enough minutes in the day to sort through all these threads... (the later of the two is less guiltless, so I am going with that one!!!)

I have been the last 2 summers, end of August, but missed out on the Free DP last year, I am determined to not do that this year..but not one for last minute planning...too anal for that!

If I plan now, book the ressie with room, tickets and meal plan.....with only deposit and start making payments....can I change the package once the FREE DP is rolled out in April? What is the best way to do this? I like to do everything on the website, airfare, MYW, ME, everything!!!!!! I normally make the ressie and then pay for the whole vaca upfront on my AM EX. So I was thinking of just doing the deposit and then start charging payments, so I can make the change in April or May when the promo is rolled out...right?!

 

[hansel1]

You can go ahead and make your reservations. If a code or discount comes out later they will apply it to your reservation as long as there is availability in the room type and resort you requested.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfMyChild]

Do I make the ressie with or without the DP now?

Also, if I spilt the ressie between 2 resorts, can I do the free DP on both ressies?

 

[hansel1]

You can go ahead and make the reservation with DDP.

The problem you have with a split stay: No matter what code or discount comes available they are subject to limited quantities at each resort and at certian room types.

The resorts or room types you choose may not be available with the discount or code that comes out later.

For example in 2006 I booked a KING BED room at PO Riverside. When the code came out for free parkhoppers with waterparks and more, they were not available in the KING BED room category.

Likewise in 2007 I was booked in a king bed room at PO riverside. The same PH w/ waterparks & more offer came out and there were no discounts available at RIVERSIDE or FRENCH QUARTER. I would have had to book at another resort.

Even if you wait for the free DDP code to come out you are not guaranteed that the code will work for the resort you want or the category room you want.

I would just go ahead and book with DDP now and then see what happens later that way your are guaranteed a room at the resort or resorts you want.

 

[wvdislover]

Also, if you do a split stay, you will have to buy a minimum one-day pass at EACH resort you stay at to receive free dining for your entire trip (assuming it is offered again this year). For instance, if you stay for 4 nights at Pop, then 4 more nights at Poly, you will have to buy a 8 day pass, then an extra one day pass. Your dining plan will begin again at each new resort you check into. Make sense? And, if you only want to go to the parks for 3 days, but are staying at the resort for 7 nights, you get the dining plan for 7 nights. The number of days on the dining plan has to equal the number of nights you stay at the resort.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfMyChild]

Also, if you do a split stay, you will have to buy a minimum one-day pass at EACH resort you stay at to receive free dining for your entire trip (assuming it is offered again this year). For instance, if you stay for 4 nights at Pop, then 4 more nights at Poly, you will have to buy a 8 day pass, then an extra one day pass. Your dining plan will begin again at each new resort you check into. Make sense? And, if you only want to go to the parks for 3 days, but are staying at the resort for 7 nights, you get the dining plan for 7 nights. The number of days on the dining plan has to equal the number of nights you stay at the resort.

I understand that I purchase DP for everyday of my ressie, been there for 4 years...but you stated "I need to buy a 8 day pass, then and extra 1 day pass"...WHY!? That's not true. I never buy a park pass for every day we are booked at the resort. Am I understanding you correctly?

 

[wvdislover]

If you switch resorts during your stay, your dining plan ends on the last night of your stay at your first resort. To get the dining plan at your next resort, you have to buy a minimum one-day pass to start the dining plan at that resort. We were going to switch from AKL to WL halfway through our stay during free dining last year, and this is what my TA told me. If we had started out at AKL, the dining plan would have been valid only for our stay at our first resort. Each resort is run as a separate entity, and the only thing that carries over from one resort to another is your park passes. Dining plan has to start over, and that can only be done by buying a one-day (or more)pass. Not a big deal (except that it costs MORE money, after forking out thousands already!) Just buy a pass that will last for your whole trip, then save the one-day pass for your next trip and add days to it later. Make sense now?