Is this a dumb thing to do?

[megnsamsgracie]

So I really want to try a deluxe, but cant afford rack rate at the Poly for free dining. So, I booked 2 rooms at ASMo from 9/21-10/1. Then AP rates came out and I booked the last 2 nights (9/29-10/1) at CR, room only. Just as a treat. I am thinking of moving 1 kid in with dads room giving it 1A, 3C and pay for the two nights at ASMo to keep the free dining for them and pay OOP for me and my other child (the last 2 nights we are staying at CR). I would check out of the second room we have booked and into CR. Just keep the ASMo ressie for 1 room with the free dining. The two nights we have CR, we have ADR for Tony's (to see spectromagic from Tonys) and the next night we have WCC. Do you think its worth it to keep the free dining at at least one room (1A, 3C) at ASMo or just cancel both rooms and just do maybe CS while at CR and skip TS those last 2 nights to save money.

 

[supersuperwendy]

oh my gosh...I need a decoder ring to figure that all out!

 

[megnsamsgracie]

Sorry, I know confusing! Lets see if I can make this easy. I am just trying to figure out if I should keep my 2 night ressie (well, the last 2 nights out of 10) with the free dining but still check into CR. This way, 1A and 3C are still on the free dining plan. So I am just trying to figure out if its worth it to pay $82 a night to keep free dining for 4 of our party of 6 even though we are staying at CR.

 

[robinb]

Let's see if I have this right ...

You have 2 Adults and 4 Kids and you booked two rooms at ASMv for 10 nights. You also double-booked 2 rooms at the Contemporary for your last two nights since you want to try a Deluxe. You question is: is it worth keeping one ASMv room (1 A, 3 K) just so you can use the meals even though you will not be staying there at the cost of $82 per night?

My question: How old are the kids in the room? Are they all "children" or are the considered "adults" for Disney Dining?

 

[megnsamsgracie]

Kinda... its 2A and 4C. But I was going to move one C into one room so it will be 1A, 3C in one room and 1A and 1C in the other. The room with 1 and 1, I would check out of that and pay OOP for meals. The other room, even though they would be still technically staying at ASMo, they would be staying at CR with me (on the ressie). Yes, we are double booked. The ASMo ressie is under my husbands name and the CR ressie (AP rate) is under mine. But all kids are listed on both ressies. For the free dining ressie, 2 of the kids are on the adult dining plan. I guess I could use their credits and just pay OOP for their meals?

 

[Cee]

Have a great trip no matter WHAT.

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

Okay here is my attempt... We stayed at Pop last year for free dining. We were there 6 days. On day 5 DH decided we needed a few more days so I called and upgraded to AKL (it was one of only 2 rooms available!) for 2 nights. On the day that we checked into AKL (day 6) we still had the dining plan until midnight that night. We were told to just use our old room keys for those credits. The next morning we woke up and went to AK and just ate for pretty cheap; food court, pizzafari- split a meal there, etc. Then the next day we checked out. We are a family of 4 and one child was 2 so our food bills are not outrageous. AS hotels are pretty cheap for one day compared to the dining plan. So if you are planning on getting the whole CR feeling and eating a buffet or table service other than the first day then you should keep that room.

To honestly answer that question I would need to know a few more things:

1: What time you arrive the very first day.(Dining plan is based on the number of nights you stay)
2: Do you have TS ADRs already? What are they?

3: What are the ages of your children and can they share meals?

Even without that info I would say that when you leave ASMo you should just check out on both rooms and enjoy your time at CR. It will feel like two vacations. That way you can relax and not worry about going back to the other room to check out on your last day.

 

[megnsamsgracie]

We are arriving at 10:30am on arrival day. The kids are 10, 8, 6 and 3. We have ADRs for Tonys on the 29th and WCC on the 30th. (I check into CR on the 29th and out the 30th). I would do express checkout of the second room at AS so I didnt have to go back. I know, I am confusing EVERYONE. I should just check out of CR and eat cheaply (if need be due to budget). I could always cancel Tonys and WCC and just eat CS or grab and go type stuff. I am not sure what my budget will be at that point. still waiting on an airfare sale to determine that.

 

[robinb]

With only one room at the CR you will be over the limit of 5 people unless your DH will remain back at ASMv. With 6 in the room I think you will be pretty cramped and someone will have to "camp out" on the floor as the day bed is not really big enough for 2 kids. If your youngest is just 3, then he could possibly sleep in the pack-n-play. Plus, the whole idea of 6 people and one bathroom .

Now that's out of the way ... maybe.

Edited: I just saw that you will have only 1 "Adult" child, the 10 year old. The other 3 (8/6/3) are all "Child" children according to the DDP. That makes it more borderline in terms of $$. I think you would probably come out even because of the value of the DDP for the room of 2 A and 2 C is $100 per night. The only problem is that I am not sure that you will still be eating all your appetizers and all your desserts by the end of a 10-day trip! Also, know that you can use your credits until midnight on the day that you check out, so you can save credits and use them on the day that you check into the CR.

It may make sense for you to keep the single ASMv room just for the dining. Put your husband, the 1 "adult" child and two other kids on the ASMv reservation. Put the youngest child and yourself on the CR reservation. So, in DDP speak you would have 2 A and 2 C on the ASMv room. Then, you can use those "adult" meal credits any way you like. You can even use them for you and your DH those final 2 days if you wish. You can also spread out when you pay OOP for the 2 "Adult" meals and the 2 "Child" meals over you entire stay. I would pick a character breakfast or maybe a 2-credit meal if you have one. Something cheaper.

I made up a spreadsheet to help me plan my DDP last year. I think it might help you: http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/MYM-Dining-Planner.xls

The following will make more sense once you look at the spreadsheet ... If you were staying all 10 days at ASMv you would enter 30 Adult Credits and 30 Child Credits into the spreadsheet. In your case you would enter 28 Adults Credits ((2 * 10) + 8) and 28 Child Credits ((2 * 10) + 8). There are places on the spreadsheet to note when you will be paying OOP. When you do pay OOP, you will have to ensure that the CM removes the correct number of credits from your cards. It might be easiest if you pay OOP for one adult and one child in the same two meals.

 

[kaytieeldr]

We are arriving at 10:30am on arrival day. The kids are 10, 8, 6 and 3

It might depend on what you all are planning to eat the last two/three days (and don't forget, dining plan credits can't be shared with people not on the dining plan) but at $38.99, $38.99, $10.99, and $10.99, the value of the DP per remaining night is $99.96 while the cost of your Value room is $92.66 per night. Will you (well, they) be eating at least $185 worth of food the last two nights?

 

[megnsamsgracie]

I just solved my own problem. First, I am not going to get into an argument over this because I know its a hot topic. But my 3 year old is listed as a 2 y/o on our CR ressie. I called both the Poly and CR because I wasnt sure where I was going to stay. I spoke to a member of management at both resorts and explained my dilema over having a 3 year old but not wanting to pay for 2 rooms. They both said since its room only and I will be paying for his food and ticket (he HAS a ticket for the entire length of our stay from the DDP which he is listed as 3 on) then just put him down as 2 on the room only ressie. So we will fit into Poly or CR with 5 plus a 2 year old. They said he was listed in the room and that was all that mattered. Yes, a supervisor told me this! So I really dont want to debate over it. For the park ticket and the DDP, he is his listed age of 3.

But then I also remembered that the first night of arrival, we are not using an DDP credits, we are using our $15 certificates from planet hollywood and eating there! So, we will have one TS and CS credit left for everyone on our day of checkout of ASMo (the 29th). So that would leave me having to pay OOP for food all day the 30th and then breakfast and lunch on the 1st. So thats not too bad. In that case, we are just going to pay OOP for WCC and then whatever we get to eat before that and the day of checkout. I forgot that we had until midnight of the day we checkout!

Now, if my dad decides to come (he is still undecided, I gave him until 46 days before we go... 8/6) then I am going to keep at least one room because he will stay there for the entire stay. So that will give us a few credits to use because my dad would be staying in one of our two rooms.

 

[CarolA]

The only problem is that I am not sure that you will still be eating all your appetizers and all your desserts by the end of a 10-day trip! Also, know that you can use your credits until midnight on the day that you check out, so you can save credits and use them on the day that you check into the CR.

This was my first thought.

We did the dining plan with 4 adults and 4 teens. By day three the kids were threatening mutiny if we made them order appetizer and desert.

My friend did the math, based on what they REALLY ATE (not on the "great" value) She would have saved money by not having DDP especially as the week wore on. Not to mention they were also SICK of having to take time out to go sit down and eat. Kids don't care about that, they want to RIDE and play! LOL!

 

[CarolA]

I just solved my own problem. First, I am not going to get into an argument over this because I know its a hot topic. But my 3 year old is listed as a 2 y/o on our CR ressie. I called both the Poly and CR because I wasnt sure where I was going to stay. I spoke to a member of management at both resorts and explained my dilema over having a 3 year old but not wanting to pay for 2 rooms. They both said since its room only and I will be paying for his food and ticket (he HAS a ticket for the entire length of our stay from the DDP which he is listed as 3 on) then just put him down as 2 on the room only ressie. So we will fit into Poly or CR with 5 plus a 2 year old. They said he was listed in the room and that was all that mattered. Yes, a supervisor told me this! So I really dont want to debate over it. For the park ticket and the DDP, he is his listed age of 3.

Rule ONE of message boards. If you don't want comments KEEP YOUR FINGERS OFF THE KEYBOARD. You cannot post "I don't want debate" and assume folks will "obey" you...

 

[safetymom]

You have a solution to your issue so I am going to close this thread before it goes downhill.